A tip is a voluntary payment made over and above the advertised price of a service. It is also called a gratuity. While it is not a legal transaction, it is an acceptable practice in most cultures. However, the amount that makes up the tip is generally at the discretion of the individual making it. It shows appreciation for the service provided. If the service is unacceptable the patron may not only withhold the tip but also make a formal complaint. It the service is acceptable the tip would be less than if it was exceptional. Some restaurants include this as service charge within the bill and can be anything from 10% — 20%.
Many people in the service industry like that of hotels, casinos, restaurants, bars etc. make ends meet with the tips they get from customers. Most of them work very hard and long hours with actually pay that is fairly small even though it is the minimum wage. Therefore tipping is an accepted part of their ‘pay’. There are basic guidelines for tipping in Las Vegas. Strangely, even for tipping there are two levels. One is the tourists and people who live in Vegas and are paying for all their own expenses. The other is the ‘high roller’ who is getting full complimentary service from the casino. The expected rate of tips is more for the ‘high roller’ than of the ordinary tourist. This is because the individual does not have any other expense and can afford the higher tip. Obviously the multi millionaires and billionaires would not embarrass themselves by leaving the tips suggested in these guidelines. The bigger the win in the casino, the bigger the tip for the dealers and other casino workers.
When you take a taxi to your hotel the tip for taxi driver is about 15% of the fare for not only the drive but also for helping with your bags and giving general information while you ride their taxi. For short rides the tip can be between $2 to $5. If you use a limo service the drivers would expect as tip from upwards of $5.
If you are driving yourself you will find that hotels and casinos have valet parking and these valets will need to be tipped $1 or $2 when you drop off and pick up the car. However it can go up if you have an expensive car or want up front service up to $10 to $30.
In the hotel the bellhop will help with you bags and should be tipped $1 to $5 depending on how heavy the bags are and which category of customer you fall into. Before this, if you are looking for an upgrade for your room the front desk person can be tipped between $10 to $50.
During the stay one should generally tip the maids about $1 to $2 per night and can be left in an envelope for them. The high rollers are expected to tip $5 per night.
If you wish to avail any room service during your stay and the service charge is not included in the bill, it is customary to pay 15% to 30% of the bill. This is also the case for any bills incurred in a restaurant for cocktails, food and wine.
The bartenders and cocktail waitresses in the casino need to be tipped a dollar a round when there are only one or two people they are serving. If the group is larger the tip should also be increased.
Slot attendants should be given a standard tip to 1 to 5 dollars and 10 – 25 dollars for high rollers. The tips should be always kept comparable to the win the person has on the slot machines. The same goes for persons who give out change should you need it. A dollar every few rounds is suggested even if you are not winning.
Giving dealers a tip can be done either between hands/spins or at the end of your session. The tip can be anything from a dollar a hand to 100 dollars during the play. The bigger the win the bigger the tip expected by the dealer.
One can see that every point in your stay in Las Vegas you have to pay the tip to ensure a good service and so a tourist has to have deep pockets even before he has won anything. When you win however small or big share your good fortune by giving appropriate tips to all in the business of making your stay an enjoyable one.