The numbers you actually need
At restaurants, tip 18-20% on the pre-tax total for table service, and 10% at counter-service spots if you sit down and get anything brought over. For cocktail servers on the casino floor, $1-2 per drink is the local minimum even when the drink is comped; hand it to them with the drink, not later. Bartenders expect $1-2 per round, or 20% if you run a tab. Buffets have gone to counter-order at most Strip properties, but where servers still clear plates, leave $3-5 per person.
Housekeeping is where tourists cheap out and locals notice. Leave $3-5 per night, in cash, on the pillow each morning, not a lump sum at checkout, because the person cleaning on day one is rarely the same as day four. Bellhops get $2 per bag, valets $3-5 when the car comes back, and airport shuttle drivers $2 per bag if they load it.
Dealers, spa, and rideshare
At table games, tip the dealer by placing a bet for them (a $5 chip in the toke box or a $5 hand-in bet is standard on a winning session) or with a straight $5-10 toke when you color up. Slot attendants who pay a hand-pay jackpot get 1-3% depending on size; the room knows the going rate, don’t overthink it. Poker dealers get $1 per pot you win.
Spa and salon services follow the 18-20% rule, and most Strip spas add it automatically to the folio, so check before you double-tip. Rideshare drivers expect 15-20% through the app; taxi drivers the same in cash. Concierges who actually pull strings for a hard reservation get $20; the ones who print a map get nothing. Don’t tip on resort fees or state tax.
Etiquette that keeps you out of trouble
Nevada is casual to the point of parody, but casinos still enforce a few hard rules: no phones at the table games while cards are in play, no photos of other players or dealers, and no drinks set directly on the felt. Cash out chips at the cage, not the table. Smoking is legal on casino floors and most bars, so if that's a problem, pick a non-smoking room like Park MGM or the Palazzo tower.
Off-Strip, service is friendlier and slower, and people wave you through four-way stops. Don’t honk. In Reno and Tahoe, tipping is identical to Vegas but the pace is slower and reservations matter more in summer. Cannabis is legal for adults 21+ but consumption in public, including hotel rooms and casino floors, is not; use a licensed consumption lounge.
Good to know
Do I tip on comped drinks in a casino?+
Yes, $1-2 per drink in cash, every time. The server is paid partly on the assumption you will.
Is the resort fee a tip?+
No. Resort fees are a mandatory hotel charge covering Wi-Fi, gym, and pool access, and none of it reaches staff. Tip separately.