2024’s Ultimate Guide To Tipping In Las Vegas

Wondering what and who you should be tipping in Las Vegas? I got you! I’ve created the ultimate guide to how much and who to tip while you’re in Sin City.

Looking For Information On Tipping In Las Vegas?

Tipping is a hotly debated topic in almost any location, and Las Vegas is no exception. Here in the United States, our tipping culture is vastly different than in many other countries around the world. Therefore, it can be extremely confusing to know what’s appropriate, and for whom.

So, to spare you all the confusion, I’ve put together all the current socially accepted norms for tipping in Las Vegas so you can be as prepared as possible for your trip!

Keep in mind that this is to be used as a guide only. Your experiences and situation may dictate you leave more or less of a tip than I suggest. Do what you are comfortable with!

What Is A Tip?

A tip, or a gratuity, is defined as “a gift of money, over and above payment due for service”, according to dictionary.com . This sum of money is typically viewed as an appreciation for a job well done. Generally speaking, this can vary greatly across industries.

It’s a topic that can cause arguments as big as those about religion or politics.

In many countries it is not customary to tip, as they may be paid a more living wage than here in the States. In fact, in some places, giving someone a tip can even be viewed as insulting!

However, in the United States, our wages aren’t always indicative of the value of those jobs. Consequently, we, as a society, tend to bolster their income with tips for good service.

Whether or not it’s “right”, it’s how it currently is here, and has been this way for quite some time.

Who To Tip In Las Vegas

So all that being said, who exactly are you supposed to tip? What’s the norm for tipping in Las Vegas? Well, there are quite a few people you are going to want to take care of while you are on your trip in Sin City.

Some of these people you will encounter over and over again (ahem, bartenders). Others you may not even see at all (housekeeping, for example).

Generally, your list of who to tip will include the following people. Some of them may not apply to you, but it’s highly likely that you will be interacting with at least of few of them during your vacation.

• Taxi, Uber, Lyft drivers
• Bartenders
• Waiters/Waitresses
• Bellhops
• Housekeeping
• Valets
• Tour Guides
• Street Performers
• Casino Dealers
• Casino Floor Drink Servers
• Spa Staff
• Exotic Dancers

How Much To Tip In Las Vegas

Now that you know who to tip, the question of how much to tip still remains. You don’t want to be stingy, but you don’t want to just be throwing your money away at everyone you encounter either.

Taxi, Uber, Lyft Drivers

Your driver will likely be your very first encounter with anyone once you reach Las Vegas. You are definitely going to want to tip whoever is giving you a ride from the airport to your hotel.

Taxis have a flat rate to hotels, and ride share options are plentiful. Regardless, you are going to want to tip about 15%.

More often than not, you’ll want to pit stop at a liquor store before you head to your hotel. Drivers generally are more than happy to oblige. In that case, I recommend giving a 20% tip as a thank you for the extra stop.

Bartenders

Alcohol is not cheap in Las Vegas, unless you’re getting the free drinks that many casinos will give you while gambling. So if you go out, which you likely will, be prepared to pony up.

When you order drinks at a bar, you should be tipping your bartender. I recommend tipping at least $1 per drink for basic drinks, like beers or rum and cola. If you order anything with more than two ingredients, opt for a tip of $2 per drink.

Expert Tip: For your first round of drinks, tip your bartender generously. You’ll wind up with faster service for your next rounds!

Waiters/Waitresses

Like anywhere in the United States, it is expected that you tip your Las Vegas waiters and waitresses 15-20% of your total bill.

If you are in a larger group, many restaurants will automatically add a 20% gratuity to your final bill. In that case, you are not required to give any additional amount.

Bellhops

Many folks arrive in Las Vegas on an early flight, and therefore arrive at their hotel before check-in time. Fortunately, hotels generally will keep your bags for you, so you can go off into Vegas and start exploring right away.

Once you go to pick up your bags, it’s not a bad idea to tip a couple dollars as a thank you for them keeping an eye on your stuff.

If they also bring your bags to your room for you, you should tip them $2-$3 per bag, or more if your bags are very heavy.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping is such an under-appreciated profession, and nowhere is housekeeping as labor-intensive as Las Vegas. It’s known as Sin City for good reason. Can you just imagine the debauchery these housekeepers have to clean up after?

Even if you don’t trash your hotel room and leave a giant mess, I strongly recommend tipping at least $5 per day. This is regardless if you’re just getting a linens and towel refresh during your stay.

Some folks opt to only leave a larger tip at the end of their stay, but keep in mind, that your room may not be serviced by the same person every day. Therefore, it makes a lot more sense to leave a smaller amount daily, than a larger amount once at the end.

Valets

If you decide to rent a car while you’re in Las Vegas, or if you drove in with your own car, chances are you are going to interact with valets. Parking in Vegas can be a nightmare on your own, so many people opt for the ease of valets.

Generally speaking, you’ll want to tip your valet about $5. Some folks choose to split that amount by tipping a couple bucks at drop off, and another couple bucks upon pickup, and others choose to only tip the full amount at pickup.

If you have any special requests for the valet, such as keeping your car up front, then you’ll want to give a larger tip.

Tour Guides

There are a plethora of tours in Las Vegas you can take, ranging from thrilling helicopter rides into the Grand Canyon, to walking tours of the Strip, and absolutely everything in between. You can find Jeep tours, ATV tours, bus tours, Hoover Dam tours, and all kinds of other extreme Las Vegas activities.

Your tour guides are generally well-versed in Las Vegas history and culture, along with the surrounding areas. If you find yourself on a tour, it’s usually customary to leave a tip for the entertainment and educative experience your tour guide provides.

We recommend tipping somewhere between $5-$20 per person. You should take into consideration such factors as value provided and cost of the tour itself. Some tour guides really go above and beyond what’s expected, in which case you may want to be on the higher end of our tipping recommendation.

Casino Dealers

Many people tip their casino dealers when they’re on a hot streak, as a thank you for their luck. Some choose to frequently tip small amounts as they play, and some choose to tip only when they’re done playing.

Regardless of which you choose, if you are gambling, you should tip your dealer a few bucks, or more if you hit big. We suggest anywhere between 2-5% of your overall winnings.

Casino Floor Drink Servers

One of the many ways that a lot of casinos entice you to stay and play is by providing free drinks while you’re playing. If you’re seated at a table or slot machine, a drink server will inevitably come up to you to take your order.

If you want the free drinks to keep flowing, start off with a larger $5-$10 tip at first and she’ll be more likely to come around more frequently. Make sure you continue to tip at least $1 per drink every time she comes around, as well.

It’s not a bad idea to occasionally give her another $5 every few rounds too. It’s well worth it for the quantity of drinks you potentially will be getting for just a few bucks!

Spa Staff

Las Vegas has some amazing spas and salons, and many people will make a stop at one or two while they’re here.

Some spas will automatically add a 20% gratuity to your bill, in which case, you are not obligated to tip in addition to that.

If not, we suggest sticking to 20% anyway.

Street Performers

Last but not least, you have your street performers. These can vary from photographers at the Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas sign, to Elvis impersonators, to Showgirls, to street musicians and more.

You’ll encounter people with exotic pets that will let you take a picture with them, folks in full costumes, magicians, and literally anyone you can imagine, all trying to earn a few bucks.

Some of them will pressure you into paying $20 or more, but be aware that street performers are not actually permitted to set a price for their niches. A far more appropriate amount is somewhere between $2-5.

What About Tipping For Bad Service?

Now that you know the generally accepted social etiquette of tipping in Las Vegas, it begs the question, “What about bad service?”.

The answer to that is, if the service was bad enough that you don’t want to leave any tip at all, then it was bad enough to speak to the manager about. Let the manager know exactly what went wrong so they can try to make amends.

Also keep in mind, if the problem was the food, your waiter or waitress is not in control of that. Make sure you aren’t penalizing them for the fault of someone else.

If there is no manager, because it was your ride share driver providing poor service for example, then use your discretion. People are not entitled to tips; tips are supposed to be a thank you for exemplary service.

In Summary

In summary, here is my suggested amounts of tips for appropriate personnel in Las Vegas.

• Taxi, Uber, Lyft drivers – 15%-20% of total bill.
• Bartenders – $1-$2 per drink.
• Waiters/Waitresses – 15%-20% of total bill.
• Bellhops – $2-$3 per bag.
• Housekeeping – $5 per day.
• Valets -$5, or more with special requests.
• Tour Guides – $5-$20 depending on tour cost and value provided.
• Street Performers – $2-$5.
• Casino Dealers – 2%-5% of total winnings.
• Casino Floor Drink Servers – $5 initially, then $1 per drink after that.
• Spa Staff – 20% of total bill.