Should I Tip Casino Dealers
Tipping Dealers There exists a handful of different types of people that should receive tips at your typical casino, however few are more important than the dealer. As was briefly touched upon above, the dealer is a critical part of the equation when it comes to you winning or losing money. Players cashing in the tournament should tip the dealers around the 5% to 10% area. To be fair, the 10% figure would be given by a very generous player, and is probably the exception, rather than the rule. And while the 5% figure is a good rule of thumb, or basis for reference, an extremely large win would call for a lower percentage.
One of my favorite movie scenes is the scene where Mr. Pink talks about how he’s not going to tip the waitress. It’s in the movie Reservoir Dogs. The moral of that part of the story is that even thugs and criminals usually have enough class to tip a waitress.
A blackjack dealer isn’t a waitress, but Las Vegas is a place where most employees—including the blackjack dealer—make their living from the tips they get from gamblers. And this is true of both the dealers in the low rent places who are dealing $5/hand blackjack and the dealers in the high dollar casinos dealing the $100/hand blackjack games.
This is a matter of internal house policy. The term “pool' means that any tips received by a dealer are added to a pool which is split evenly by all the dealers. This is usually done by dividing the total amount by the number of hours worked within a given period, with the dealers getting tips as an hourly rate. Dealers don't expect you to tip when you're losing, so only in the five winners you tip $5 twice an hour. That's a total of $50 in tips, or 0.2 percent of your wagers. Don't you think you get far more than that back in comps and cash vouchers? Dealers work for a casino.
In fact, almost everyone in Vegas makes their living off tips, not just the blackjack dealers. Be a class act. Tip your blackjack dealer. This post explains how to tip a blackjack dealer, but I also have some tips about how to tip other casino personnel, too. And if you want to learn more about casino etiquette check our guide.
Why Would You Tip Anyone for Anything?
Tipping is (theoretically) optional, but I recommend everyone to tip no matter what. Even if you get bad service, tip. If it’s really bad service, complain to the management, but tip. After all, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Think about the economics behind tipping for a minute, too. Federal minimum wage is already a criminally low $7.25 per hour, but employees who make tips often only make $2.13 per hour plus tips. In other words, if a minimum wage employee worked 40 hours and didn’t get tips, he’d only make $85.20 for an entire week’s worth of full-time work.
Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher, once explained that when you’re deciding what you should do, consider whether it would be the right thing to do if everyone did it. I’m paraphrasing terribly, here, I know. But if everyone skipped tipping these employees, they’d all be poverty-stricken.
What’s the point of a tip? Michael Bluejay, a writer I admire, explains that you’re not tipping to ensure good service. You’re tipping to avoid bad service.
And if you’re planning on patronizing a place for any length of time, preventing bad service is something that should be on your mind. Imagine playing slots and not getting any free drinks from the cocktail waitress because you didn’t tip her. What a drag that would be.
How Much Should You Tip Your Blackjack Dealer?
It doesn’t matter how low the stakes are, if you’re gambling in a casino, you should tip your dealer about $5/hour minimum. You can do this in any number of ways, but $5 is the floor, not the ceiling. In fact, if you’re playing for higher stakes, you can (and should) tip more.
And tipping isn’t something you should do only if you’re winning. I’ve seen gamblers who do that, but that’s a low-class approach to tipping. At the same time, just because you’re getting lucky and winning a lot, it doesn’t mean that you need to give the dealer outrageous tips.
Why You Should Tip Dealers Even if They’re Doing a Bad Job
Most casinos require their employees to pool their tips during their shift. If you’re not tipping a dealer because he’s rude, you’re punishing all the casino employees working that shift. Instead of declining to tip, complain to casino management about the dealer’s rudeness.
How to Tip a Blackjack Dealer in Real Life
When you’re tipping a blackjack dealer, or any other casino game dealer, it’s customary to tip using casino chips rather than cash. You can tip a blackjack dealer in one of two ways.
One easy way to tip the dealer is just to push a chip toward the dealer and say, “This is for you.” But it’s more fun to place a bet for the dealer. That way they’re rooting for you to win, too.
Should I Tip Casino Dealers Without
You can explain to the dealer that you want to place a bet for them, and they’ll tell you where to put the chip. I’ll tell you now, but if you forget, just ask. You place the bet for the dealer next to your bet. If you win, the dealer wins, too.
You can also tip dealers at other table games, too, especially at the craps and roulette tables. Tell the employees what you want to do, and they’ll explain the correct etiquette for you.
What About Other Casino Employees? How Much and How Do I Tip Them?
I’m a big believer in generously tipping the cocktail waitresses, and I have two reasons for this:
- The first is that I like to keep the drinks coming while I’m playing. If you’re not tipping well, the cocktail waitresses will ignore you.
- The second is that the cocktail waitresses work really hard and deal with a lot of nonsense. And they usually have to deal with boorish customers. So, I recommend tipping cocktail waitresses generally.
This means I always give them at least $5 the first time they bring me a drink, and I give them $2 for every subsequent drink. Every couple of hours, I try to give another $5 tip. This has the added benefit of improving the service I’m getting.
Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders should get the standard 15% to 25% tip at most restaurants and bars. I’ve never tipped anyone 15% in my life, always opting to go for 20% or more. I suggest you do the same, especially if you’re going to be a regular at any of these places. Besides, good karma won’t hurt.
20% is also a good rule of thumb for a cab driver, but I always offer a minimum tip of $5, no matter how short the trip is.
I make an exception for buffets. Since all the waitstaff does there is refill your drinks, you don’t need to leave even 15%. I tend to leave $2 for each person in my party. In other words, if five of us are dining, I would tip $10, regardless of the price of the meal.
If you’re tipping a valet for parking your car, you should tip $5. I’ve been known to tip $20 if I’m in a good mood. I’ve seen people suggest that a dollar or two is sufficient, but I’d never tip less than $5 to someone whom I’ve entrusted my car to.
$2 per is the standard rule for most everything, too. If you have a bellman help you with your luggage, you should tip him $2 per bag. If you’re staying in a hotel, you should leave $2 in tip money for housekeeping. That applies to the guy at the airport handling your luggage, too.
If someone is busking, performing on the street for tips, you should probably be willing to tip them $5, too. You can get away with tipping less, like $2, but it depends on how long you watch them perform.
Getting an Upgrade When You Check Into Your Hotel Room
How Much Should I Tip Casino Dealer
I’ve seen multiple reports that said you could get a room upgrade by tipping the front desk person $20 when you check in. Don’t just hand the front desk person a $20 and say, hey, can I get a room upgrade for that $20.
Be a little cool about it. When you hand the front desk person your credit card, fold the $20 and include it. Ask if they have any availability in a nicer room at all. You’ll be surprised at how often this works.
Conclusion
Learning how to tip a blackjack dealer is one of the first things you should do in Vegas. For one thing, it means you’re playing the right game. It also means you’ve got a little bit of class.
In fact, you should know how to tip just about anyone in the service industry in Las Vegas. If you can remember to tip 20% for some things and $2 (or $5) for others, you should be fine.
A little common sense goes a long way here. What kind of tipping do you do while you’re in Las Vegas playing blackjack?
Let me know in the comments.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.When it comes to tipping, there’s pretty much no place else in the world where tipping is so engrained in the culture of everything you’ll do. This is a city that lives and dies on tips, and because of this you can and should expect a very high level of service no matter what you’re doing while in town. That being said, most people really don’t know what’s appropriate to tip for different services, so I wanted to compile a list that helps you figure out when and what to give as a gratuity. Keep in mind these are just general recommendations based on my experiences and you are free to tip as little or as much as your Vegas budget allows.
Bartenders – If you’re just ordering 1 or 2 drinks, leave around $1 – $3, otherwise I usually do 10-15% for a larger bill of drinks only.
Bellmen – I never use these guys but I know a lot of people do, I think $5 is appropriate if they do a good job (meaning they are friendly, show you into your room and explain any features).
Bottle Service Girls – If you have a table in the club, you’ll probably be subject to an auto gratuity of 18%, some people leave more on top but I think that’s more than enough.
Cigarette Girls – These are the girls that walk around the casino selling smokes, I usually give them a few dollars.
Cocktail Waitresses – Specifically the ones that work inside the casino and bring you “free” drinks while you gamble, I usually give $2-$5 (if I’m winning) but $1 per drink is acceptable.
Dealers – This is super subjective and depends on your limits, luck and generosity – throwing a bet for the dealers every so often is very appreciated however.
Front Desk Agents – You definitely don’t need to tip them, however using the 20 dollar trick is a good idea if you are looking for an upgrade.
Go Go Dancers – Some hotels have Go Go Dancers in the casino pit that provide additional entertainment – seems a bit creepy to tip them but I’m sure they’ll accept it, I suggest $5.
Maids – The rule of thumb is $3-$5 per day, but I prefer to just leave around $20 at the end of my trip if the room is clean and well serviced.
Nightclub Bouncers – You don’t have to tip these guys, but you do if you want to skip the line and they usually want $50-$100 per person.
Restaurant Servers – If they are friendly, attentive and provide good service I usually give them 15%-20% of the total bill.
Room Service – There will usually always be an auto gratuity of 10%-15% but I still give a few bucks when they deliver the food.
Slot Attendants – These are the people that pay you when you win a slots jackpot, there is no fixed % and it depends on what you win, but I wouldn’t tip too much.
Taxi Drivers – The standard tip for taxi drivers is around 10% to 20% of the fare, but only do this if they are nice and entertaining (which many in Vegas are).
Taxi Line Guy – At all hotels there is a “taxi line guy” that manages the flow of cabs and opens the door for you, $1-$2 is totally fine.
Valet Attendant – Never have used this service before but the recommendation seems to be $2 for drop-off and $2 for pick-up.
VIP Host – If you have a VIP casino host it’s nice to tip them if they do a good job, most can’t accept cash so gift cards are a good idea.
Tipping Dealers
There exists a handful of different types of people that should receive tips at your typical casino, however few are more important than the dealer. As was briefly touched upon above, the dealer is a critical part of the equation when it comes to you winning or losing money. Though tipping the dealer is not going to see he or she cheat for you, it is generally considered a standard practice, and it is wise that you adhere to it.
Throughout the years many people have come up with many different methods or formulas for how they tip, but there is no single correct way to go about it. A popular way to tip is to simply base the quantity of money given on the quality of service you are receiving. If the dealer is helpful, cheerful, and generally contributing to your good time, I think it’s safe to say that he or she deserves a better tip than someone who doesn’t speak and rarely makes eye contact.
In addition to this, people tend to tip based upon how they are playing at the given moment in time. If they are playing well they are going to tip extremely well, if not, then they may be a bit more frugal. At the end of the day, there are few people who would offer an argument against the belief that dealers are the most important people to tip well.
Tipping Waiters/Waitresses
There must be a disclaimer made that how well or poorly you tip waiters and waitresses depends solely upon how much drinking you plan on doing at the casino. If you are on vacation and looking to gamble for fun while sipping on a few cocktails, then it would behoove you to tip the waiters and waitresses quite well.
If you are inexperienced as far as time on the casino floor is concerned, it may come as a surprise to you that many casinos offer your beer and liquor drinks free of charge so long as you are playing a game. Because the drinks are free, many new casino-goers assume that as soon as the beverage is handed over to them the transaction is complete. While this may technically be true, it is terrible casino etiquette and is frowned upon no matter who you are or where you are. When it comes to drinks and snacks, tipping is as close to an expectation as can be for something that is officially optional.
Tipping isn’t just good manners, it is something that will ensure prompt service in the future. If you avoid tipping, word will spread quickly amongst the service staff, and before you know it you will be waiting long periods of time for a single drink.
Tipping, at its core, is nothing more than something you do out of the kindness of your heart. Something that Is also very important to remember is that it is optional. If you are receiving extremely poor service from a waitress who is also rude, very few people would be upset at your for avoiding a tip in that scenario. If, to the contrary, the waiter or waitress is making your experience more enjoyable in any capacity, he or she should be compensated accordingly. It really is that simple.
Tipping at Casinos FAQ
Will I be kicked out of a casino for not tipping?
This is not likely, but that should not serve as a deterrent to tipping.
How much should I tip for a drink?
This all depends on what the drink is, but a few dollars per drink is more than acceptable. If you are feeling more generous than that, then give more.
Should I tip more at nicer casinos?
Tipping is all experience-based. You may find a great dealer at a poor casino just like you may find a poor dealer at a top-class casino. Tip based on how enjoyable your experience was and how instrumental your dealer/waiter/waitress was in making your time enjoyable.