Apply general rules and tipping etiquette for bellhops, valets, and shuttle and taxi drivers everywhere, including Las Vegas. Count the number of bags the bellhop will be bringing to your room. Why Tipping Is Important in Las Vegas Tips are often an absolute necessity for people providing service here in Las Vegas. It can be the difference between making a livable wage or not. Tip amounts can also be used by managers to determine if their employees are performing well (source). Tipping customs for restaurants in Las Vegas At a restaurant Tip 15-20% in Las Vegas Tipping in restaurants in the United States is obligatory, even if not an actual law and you will be asked what was wrong with the service if you don’t tip. In Las Vegas where money is seemingly in abundance, this is especially the case. Las Vegas etiquette says you tip the valet. No one on our surveyed staff advocated stiffing the valet. Eighty percent of our staff suggested tipping $5 or less. But everyone split on how to award that. Some tip $2 at drop off and $2 on pick-up. Others tip $5 only when they pick up. Nineteen percent suggested tipping between $5 and $10, while just 1 percent tipped between $10 and $20. Everyone emphasized th.
Tipping in Las Vegas. There are thousands of service workers who depend on tips to supplement their wages. On the other hand, most hotels are unionized and their income and benefits are frequently more than you would expect. Even the maids, cocktail waitresses and bus boys belong to a union.
If you come from Europe or other parts of the world where tipping is not expected, you will be surprised at the fact that in Vegas everybody expects a tip, regardless of their salary. I still remember a conversation I had with a server working at a top buffet in Vegas who told me he often earned about 300 dollars a day in tips!
In the past, a Vegas visitor who would not tip generously would often be frowned upon or face some rudeness, even! Luckily, after the economic crisis the culture has changed in Vegas: I see people happy to receive any tip at all, in most cases. This means that these days, when you prepare for your Vegas trip, you don’t have to set aside too much tipping money at all. As a rule of thumb, at the risk of sounding too harsh, I’d say tip if you have received the service expected in a courteous and efficient manner: we don’t tip anybody who has been rude or has provided a service which is not fair, not ethical and not efficient. For example, if you checked in and your room was dirty (and there are some dirty rooms in Vegas!), don’t feel obliged to tip (why should you?) but rather call housekeeping and have the room properly cleaned (you can tip the maid who cleans it directly). The same is applicable to anybody who expects a tip: only if they provide a good service in a courteous, efficient way. It sounds like common sense, but we’ve met visitors who tip regardless of how bad the service received may be, and we feel it’s not fair. You (the visitor) deserve to be treated well, since it adds to your overall experience of Las Vegas and, if it’s a good one, you are likely to return, over and over!
Let’s discuss the main ‘tipping situations’ you will encounter in Vegas and how much you are ‘expected’ to tip:
– taxis/cabs. There is no real set tip amount so, in general, if you feel your cab driver has taken you from A to B efficiently (without getting lost or taking the longer route, the latter may be a problem at times as explained on our transportation in Vegas page) and has helped you with your luggage, then 15% of the fair is fine; if your fair ends up being really high, then you don’t have to feel pressurized to tip 15% but you could tip your driver a fixed rate, lower than 15%.
– bell desk. On rare occasions some resorts apply a porterage fee if you require a bellman to take your luggage to your room (so, it’s advisable to ask beforehand if it’s the case in your chosen resort). However, frankly, we have never had to pay any porterage fee no matter how full the cart was once we loaded all our bags on it. We tip the ‘bellman’ a couple of dollars minimum, depending on the number of bags and how courteous and efficient he/she is. Some visitors tip a dollar per bag, others 2 dollars per suitcase, but it’s really up to you of course. As I said, these days I have found all bellmen quite happy to be tipped something regardless of how little it may be (compared to the ‘good old days’). One annoying novelty I have noticed in some resorts lately is that bell service can be split in two: the person who collects your bags and the person who takes your bags to your room; therefore, make sure you know ahead of time, so you don’t leave all your cash with the 1st person and then you have nothing to give to the person who actually does most of the work (that of taking all your bags to your room). If you have very little cash to tip, then just leave one dollar with the person collecting your bags (especially if you placed them on to the cart yourselves) and 2 dollars to the person who takes it to your room. You can be much more generous of course, especially if the suitcases are heavy and they have actually loaded them on and off the cart for you) but if I were you I’d keep to those ratios in the case of ‘split’ bellmen service; just a thought.
– maid. If you found a clean room at check in and if the room is serviced every day in an efficient and satisfactory manner, you may want to leave a couple of dollars every day for your maid (or at least one dollar). If you don’t require maid service at all (sometimes we don’t, because we have many items around the room which we don’t want moved), you can just leave a small tip at the end of your stay. If your room was dirty to begin with and you think the service is not up to good standards, you should not tip at all.
– buffet server. If you plates were cleared quickly and efficiently, and if your drinks were brought to you without making you wait too long, then a tip is expected; how much is up to you, but I have seen people leave one to two dollars per person (so, if you are a group of four people, you could leave from four dollars or up to eight dollars in total; you can always leave more, of course). If you have special requests over and over, you should be tipping a bit more. Some buffets have self-serve drinks, so the aspect to consider is whether your plates were cleared off your table quickly enough. Sometimes when I noticed the person clearing my table is not the same as the server, I give him/her a special tip because I feel they have the toughest job; I noticed that at high end resorts (of course, provided they cleared my table constantly). So don’t get too ‘stuck’ on your server (some of them are pretty average in their service, at best) but keep an eye out for the person who is keeping your table clear of dirty plates! Having said that, one particular server at Bellagio (William, who’s worked there for many years) is so classy, so efficient, so courteous (making me feel really like a special guest) that I do try and leave a generous tip; if this happens to you (if you have a really awesome server), tipping is a must, since some servers these days seem to be just ‘getting through’ it.
– valet service. We don’t use it, ever; if we rent a car, we self-park. However, if you use a valet you are expected to tip him/her, of course; you can, as a basic tip, leave a couple of dollars at drop off and the same on pick up. Some say it’s courteous to tip more during the hottest months (because the valet will have had to walk through the outside heat to pick up your car); it makes sense, of course, but again it’s really up to you.
– check in (registration). You are not really expected to leave a tip at check in. Registration should be a process based on fairness and ‘better rooms’ or upgrades should be assigned in a logic way (for invited VIP guest, for example). But some Vegas visitors try to tip at registration in order to be given a ‘free upgrade’ we explain this on our ‘twenty-dollar’ trick page. Please don’t forget to share or recommend this page if you found it useful, thank you:
One of my favorite movie scenes is the scene where Mr. Pink talks about how he’s not going to tip the waitress. It’s in the movie Reservoir Dogs. The moral of that part of the story is that even thugs and criminals usually have enough class to tip a waitress.
A blackjack dealer isn’t a waitress, but Las Vegas is a place where most employees—including the blackjack dealer—make their living from the tips they get from gamblers. And this is true of both the dealers in the low rent places who are dealing $5/hand blackjack and the dealers in the high dollar casinos dealing the $100/hand blackjack games.
In fact, almost everyone in Vegas makes their living off tips, not just the blackjack dealers. Be a class act. Tip your blackjack dealer. This post explains how to tip a blackjack dealer, but I also have some tips about how to tip other casino personnel, too. And if you want to learn more about casino etiquette check our guide.
Why Would You Tip Anyone for Anything?
Tipping is (theoretically) optional, but I recommend everyone to tip no matter what. Even if you get bad service, tip. If it’s really bad service, complain to the management, but tip. After all, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Think about the economics behind tipping for a minute, too. Federal minimum wage is already a criminally low $7.25 per hour, but employees who make tips often only make $2.13 per hour plus tips. In other words, if a minimum wage employee worked 40 hours and didn’t get tips, he’d only make $85.20 for an entire week’s worth of full-time work.
Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher, once explained that when you’re deciding what you should do, consider whether it would be the right thing to do if everyone did it. I’m paraphrasing terribly, here, I know. But if everyone skipped tipping these employees, they’d all be poverty-stricken.
What’s the point of a tip? Michael Bluejay, a writer I admire, explains that you’re not tipping to ensure good service. You’re tipping to avoid bad service.
![Tipping In Vegas Tipping In Vegas](https://wynlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/las-vegas-nightclub.png)
And if you’re planning on patronizing a place for any length of time, preventing bad service is something that should be on your mind. Imagine playing slots and not getting any free drinks from the cocktail waitress because you didn’t tip her. What a drag that would be.
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Tipping In Vegas Guide
How Much Should You Tip Your Blackjack Dealer?
It doesn’t matter how low the stakes are, if you’re gambling in a casino, you should tip your dealer about $5/hour minimum. You can do this in any number of ways, but $5 is the floor, not the ceiling. In fact, if you’re playing for higher stakes, you can (and should) tip more.
And tipping isn’t something you should do only if you’re winning. I’ve seen gamblers who do that, but that’s a low-class approach to tipping. At the same time, just because you’re getting lucky and winning a lot, it doesn’t mean that you need to give the dealer outrageous tips.
Why You Should Tip Dealers Even if They’re Doing a Bad Job
Most casinos require their employees to pool their tips during their shift. If you’re not tipping a dealer because he’s rude, you’re punishing all the casino employees working that shift. Instead of declining to tip, complain to casino management about the dealer’s rudeness.
How to Tip a Blackjack Dealer in Real Life
When you’re tipping a blackjack dealer, or any other casino game dealer, it’s customary to tip using casino chips rather than cash. You can tip a blackjack dealer in one of two ways.
One easy way to tip the dealer is just to push a chip toward the dealer and say, “This is for you.” But it’s more fun to place a bet for the dealer. That way they’re rooting for you to win, too.
You can explain to the dealer that you want to place a bet for them, and they’ll tell you where to put the chip. I’ll tell you now, but if you forget, just ask. You place the bet for the dealer next to your bet. If you win, the dealer wins, too.
You can also tip dealers at other table games, too, especially at the craps and roulette tables. Tell the employees what you want to do, and they’ll explain the correct etiquette for you.
What About Other Casino Employees? How Much and How Do I Tip Them?
I’m a big believer in generously tipping the cocktail waitresses, and I have two reasons for this:
- The first is that I like to keep the drinks coming while I’m playing. If you’re not tipping well, the cocktail waitresses will ignore you.
- The second is that the cocktail waitresses work really hard and deal with a lot of nonsense. And they usually have to deal with boorish customers. So, I recommend tipping cocktail waitresses generally.
This means I always give them at least $5 the first time they bring me a drink, and I give them $2 for every subsequent drink. Every couple of hours, I try to give another $5 tip. This has the added benefit of improving the service I’m getting.
Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders should get the standard 15% to 25% tip at most restaurants and bars. I’ve never tipped anyone 15% in my life, always opting to go for 20% or more. I suggest you do the same, especially if you’re going to be a regular at any of these places. Besides, good karma won’t hurt.
20% is also a good rule of thumb for a cab driver, but I always offer a minimum tip of $5, no matter how short the trip is.
I make an exception for buffets. Since all the waitstaff does there is refill your drinks, you don’t need to leave even 15%. I tend to leave $2 for each person in my party. In other words, if five of us are dining, I would tip $10, regardless of the price of the meal.
If you’re tipping a valet for parking your car, you should tip $5. I’ve been known to tip $20 if I’m in a good mood. I’ve seen people suggest that a dollar or two is sufficient, but I’d never tip less than $5 to someone whom I’ve entrusted my car to.
$2 per is the standard rule for most everything, too. If you have a bellman help you with your luggage, you should tip him $2 per bag. If you’re staying in a hotel, you should leave $2 in tip money for housekeeping. That applies to the guy at the airport handling your luggage, too.
Front Desk Tipping In Vegas
If someone is busking, performing on the street for tips, you should probably be willing to tip them $5, too. You can get away with tipping less, like $2, but it depends on how long you watch them perform.
Getting an Upgrade When You Check Into Your Hotel Room
I’ve seen multiple reports that said you could get a room upgrade by tipping the front desk person $20 when you check in. Don’t just hand the front desk person a $20 and say, hey, can I get a room upgrade for that $20.
Be a little cool about it. When you hand the front desk person your credit card, fold the $20 and include it. Craps bets explained. Ask if they have any availability in a nicer room at all. You’ll be surprised at how often this works.
Conclusion
Learning how to tip a blackjack dealer is one of the first things you should do in Vegas. For one thing, it means you’re playing the right game. It also means you’ve got a little bit of class.
In fact, you should know how to tip just about anyone in the service industry in Las Vegas. If you can remember to tip 20% for some things and $2 (or $5) for others, you should be fine.
Tipping In Vegas Casinos
A little common sense goes a long way here. What kind of tipping do you do while you’re in Las Vegas playing blackjack?
Let me know in the comments.
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