If I’m ever playing the tables extensively (not likely ), I’ll keep your advice re: asking for compensation in mind. One thing that I found a little irritating: as soon as my wife joined me (and we were walking as a couple) there were all of these people jumping up in the casinos and saying “Hey, want a free meal?” They were trying to get us to attend one of those hard sell sales sessions for resort time shares, or at least that was what I gathered from their sales patter. I hate those things… and these sales people seemed to be in every casino. To my thinking, this kind of hard sell/misdirection selling is bad for Vegas, but I’m sure the casino owners know what they are doing.

The players cards you sign up for may net the average visitor a couple of free buffets during their stay, but that is about it. You are right… it takes thousands and thousands of dollars in “coin through” to get nice meals, shows, and rooms. (Coin through means how much you played, not how much you won or lost. If you are playing $2 per pull on a slot machine and you do 200 plays, that is $400 coin through).

It also depends on where you are staying or playing. Some of the mid-level casinos with mid-level shows and dining will usually garner quicker/easier comps.

Many people forget trying to get comps the old fashioned way (if playing a table game). If you’ve been playing for 2-3 hours and giving them some decent play (above the lowest table limit in the building), signal for the attention of the “pit boss” and tell him:

Hey, I’ve been playing $X amount a hand (or per roll of the dice) for the past three hours. Any chance you could take care of me for a bite at the buffet or coffee shop?

Worst they can say is no, but they want to keep you in the building. If they say no, cash out and take your action elsewhere. If they say yes, cash out but note you’ll be back after you eat.

Thanks again for sharing the report!

Ted Newkirk
Managing Editor
AccessVegas.com

If you are only in Vegas for a day or two, I’d suggest pre-booking tickets well in advance. If you go through a ticket provider the day you arrive, you’ll likely pay a significant premium: double or triple the normal price. On the other hand, if you aren’t as worried about when you go and have several days, there are some “day of event” ticket sellers that sell tickets at discounted prices for shows that aren’t sold out… assuming Zumanity isn’t always sold out.

One other thing I should mention. If you gamble a lot, you can often get “comp’d” shows, dinners, even rooms. If you sign up the various resorts “frequent gambler” programs, you can get other benefits like special entrances to the shows so you can skip the lines and such. What defines “a lot” in terms of gambling? I’m not sure, but I’d speculate based on other people I’ve talked to that it is on the order of a thousand a day or thereabouts. Plus of course there are lots of vacation and gambling “packages” you can get, if you check with a travel agent or do your own research, that can significantly reduce your costs. These packages might have requirements like “gamble $1,000 while on the premises” or something, and in return you’ll get reduced room rates or discounted food.

Irene and I put less than $40 into machines the entire time we were in Vegas, partly because we aren’t big gamblers and partly because the gaming floors are so smoky, so I didn’t see any of the “frequent gambler” benefits. One other thing to note is that Vegas is a town that seems to live on tips. No one pressures you for a tip, but everywhere I looked I saw service people getting a few bucks from travelers. The folks driving the shuttles, the dealers on the tables, the servers at the buffets, the cleaning staff in the hotel room- everyone gets a tip. Some restaurants will add an automatic 15 or 18% gratuity if serving a large table (E.G. > 6 people). It isn’t a problem, but it pays to be aware.

*re-reads post*

Oh, wait never mind… nothing happened in Vegas