If you are going to go to Las Vegas, you are going to need to know how to tip. Keep in mind that there will be all kinds of people expecting a gratuity that will be attending to you. This includes waiters, cocktail waitresses, bartenders, concierges, dealers and other staff. Be sure to meet their expectations to be rewarded for a job well done, because they make your life a lot easier, while you are on holiday. You should also be aware that people in the hospitality industry need to supplement their low wages with gratuities.
However, if you receive lousy service or if an attendant or waitress is rude to you, you do not have to tip the full amount suggested in the Las Vegas Tipping Guide.
The Las Vegas Tipping Guide
Here are some guidelines as to who to tip and how much.
Hairdressers and Barbers: Tip 15% to 20% per visit based on the quality of service provided.
Bellmen/ Skycaps: The standard tip is $1.00 per bag or suitcase. Tipping $3 -$5 total is fine if you have a lot of luggage.
Bingo and Keno Dealers: If you play for under 15 minutes, you are not expected to tip a Bingo or Keno dealer. However, if you are sitting at the same table for a couple of hours, try to leave a $1.00 to $2.00 tip
Card Game Dealers: Tip a dealer between $1 and $5, especially if you find yourself on a winning streak. One innovative way to tip a dealer is to place a dollar bet for him. The dealer makes sure that your chips are correctly placed and explains the rules of the game. Note that if you are on a big losing streak, the dealer does not expect you to tip him.
Change Clerk: If you are on a winning streak and your cup is jingling with tokens or chips, you can tip the change clerk a dollar or two. However, if your cup is empty when you are cashing out, the change clerk will not expect you tip.
Coat Check Attendants: Tipping $1.00 per garment is standard, but if you want to add a bag, laptop or boots, tip $2.00
Club or Showroom Server: These individuals serve drinks at Las Vegas show and even if the drinks are complimentary, you should tip him or her $3.00 for every person at the table. If the show includes a dinner, tip the server between $10.00 and $20.00 depending on how elaborate the meal is.
Cocktail Waitresses: Tip $1.00 to $2.00 per round for small groups and about .50 a head for larger parties.
Concierge: Tip between $5.00 and $2.00 for each favor that the concierge does for you. The concierge can help you get show tickets and call you a limo or a taxi. They can also make sure you get a wake-up call, a bus-ride to an attraction and make dinner reservations.
Food Servers: Tip as you normally would a server at home, at 15-20% of the bill. If your bottle of wine is over $200, you do not necessarily have to tip on the cost of it, but tip up to twenty dollars for it.
Hotel Desk Clerks: If the clerk gets you a free upgrade to a better room or a free cot a $10 gratuity is reasonable.
Maids: The usual tip is $1.00 or $2.00 per day that you stay. If you are going to stay for more than two or three days, it is best to leave the gratuity in the room each day so the right person gets it as very often a new maid may be assigned to clean.
Maitre’ d: A Maitre’d has the power to make or break your night by getting great seats or a seat near the bus table at a night club or dinner show. Tip the Maître d’ $10.00 if you want to wait for an okay table, $20.00 if you want a great table and even more if you want a great table and to also jump to the head of a long line and be seated first.
Pool Attendant: A $1.00 to $2.00 tip is suggested and up to $5.00 if they run a special errand for you.
Room Service: Tip anyone who brings food or other items to your room at least 15-20%.
Taxi Drivers: Tip between 10% and 20% of the tip. You can tip lower if the driver was rude, refused to help with bags or open doors or took a costly route unnecessarily.
Uber / Lyft Drivers: There is some confusion here, since Uber started out with better pay to drivers and even said it was not necessary to tip. However, there is now a lot more competition with Lyft and other services which caused the drivers pay to drop a lot. They now make about the same or less than cab drivers, so you should tip them just like you tip taxi drivers (10% to 20%) based on the service quality.
Limo Drivers: Limo drivers typically receive 20% of the total cost of the ride, unless you agreed to a pre-paid gratuity amount for a ride to an airport or an attraction.
Valet Parking Attendants: Tip $2.00 to $3.00 after they bring your car around. If you have requested that your car be left in front of the hotel or in a special spot, expect to tip the valet $20.00.
Remember that tipping well is also a way of creating good relationships with the staff that will be working with and servers that you may be seeing again and again, so be sure to be just and generous with your money.
