Top 12 Vegas Tips

Last update: March 8, 2023

1. Visit mid-week.  Hotel rooms often cost three to four times as much on the weekends as during the week!  Plus, with weekend crowds you'll wait in line for everything.  Mid-week visitors save tons of money and have a much better time.
2. Get a player's card.  Go to the Player's Club desk at any casino you visit and sign up for a free player's card, even if you don't plan to gamble there.  Then the casino will mail you offers for discounted or even free rooms on your next visit.  You can also sign up for the MGM Resorts and the Caesars Entertainment cards online, which combined will work at 18 Vegas casinos.
   
3. Don't lose your shirt.  Don't bet more than you can afford to lose. Set both a budget for your whole trip and one for each playing session, and if you lose it, stop playing.
4. Don't play slot machines.  They suck your money away hand over fist.  Compare $600 lost over 16 hours on a $0.25 machine compared to just $120 lost at blackjack or craps @ $15 a hand.  See our crash course on table games to have a much better chance of winning.
5. Learn the ropes.  Don't gamble until you've read my article, 13 Ways to Be a Smart Gambler.
6. Tip the dealers $6/hr. and the cocktail waitresses $1 every drink or two.
7. Ask for comps.  When you play either slots or table games the casino will reward you with buffets, show tickets, or room discounts. Ask at the player's club booth (slot players) or at the tables (table players) for how to claim your goodies. (more on comps)
8. Use the buses.
   • Pay $8 for a 24-hour pass when you get on any bus, and then ride any bus in the city for free for the next 24 hours, including the Deuce and Strip/Downtown Express buses.  See our special page that tells you all about the buses.
   • The CX bus goes straight from the airport to the mid+North Strip, and then to downtown, for $2.
   • The #108 goes from the airport to the Westgate, Sahara, the Strat, and then to downtown, for $2.
9. Don't try to get taxis on the strip.  Taxis can't stop directly on the strip; that's why they're passing you by. Go to the taxi area of the hotel to get one.  Up to 4 people ride for the same price as 1; if there's just 2 of you, don't be afraid to yell out, "Anyone want to split a cab to [some casino]?"  It doesn't just save money, it's eco-friendly.
10. Walk.  The whole strip is four miles long and you could walk the whole thing in an hour and a half.  Plus, it helps work off the calories from the buffets.
    
11. Get Half-Price Show Tickets.  You can get deeply-discounted tickets for most Vegas shows at one of the several Tix4Tonite booths on the Strip and downtown.  See all our tips for getting free and cheap tix.
    
12. Bank your winnings. Set aside half your win when you win big, and never gamble it, so you have a guaranteed win.