You can lose money in Las Vegas as fast as anywhere else in the world. And you don’t even have to go into one of the 60 big casinos, the disaster for your wallet is just down the street. Here’s an overview of the most common tricks that local hustlers use to make money off tourists. Because those who are prepared will not be robbed.
-
Table of Contents
- “Resort Fee” Added to the Room Rate
- Early Check-in Fee at the Hotel
- ‘Three Card Monte’ or the Las Vegas Shellers
- Airport Slots Have the Lowest Probability of Winning
- Complimentary VIP Club Tickets
- High ATM Withdrawal Fees
- Slot Voucher Thieves
- Official Photo From the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
- No Pants and No Purse
- Never Buy Bottled Water on the Street
- Sightseeing Taxi Ride
- Free Tickets for the Las Vegas Show
- Win and Run
- Thieves Steal Phones From Wireless Chargers
- No Sex and No Money
- Asian Superstition and Non-existent Hotel Floors
- Photo With Movie Characters on the Strip
- Don’t Shop at Hotel Stores
- Triple Zero Roulette
“Resort Fee” Added to the Room Rate
Almost all hotels in Las Vegas charge resort fees in addition to the room rate. It’s basically just another way to extort money from visitors. The fee is usually not included in the price of the accommodation, but it is mentioned somewhere in the terms and conditions. The fee ranges from $30 to $50 per room per night.
In exchange for paying, guests get things like internet access (often for one device only), free access to the fitness centre and pool, or a free bottle of water every day. The actual added value is negligible.
👍 Good Advice
Before booking a hotel, I recommend visiting the website to find out the fees at each individual hotel, including a list of all the benefits.
-
Early Check-in Fee at the Hotel
Most Las Vegas hotels have a check-in time of 3:00pm or 4:00pm. It used to be that if a room was ready for a guest, they could check in earlier. Sometime around 2022, hotel operators realized that early-check-in could also collect money.
So today, most hotels charge for early check-in. The fee varies from hotel to hotel, usually between $30 and $50.
👍 Good Advice
When choosing a hotel, think about what time you plan to check in. If you arrive in the morning and want to use early check-in, check the fee before booking the hotel. An alternative is to leave your luggage in the luggage room during the day (the cost is around $7.00 per 24 hours) and check in at the standard time.
-
‘Three Card Monte’ or the Las Vegas Shellers
Famous robbers in Sin City use cards instead of shells, the principle of the scam is the same. You bet money on one of three cards, the shell player shuffles them and if you hit the right one you win double. Only that never happens.
You’re more likely to run into shellers on the sidewalks and overpasses of the Strip. Very often they work in groups, with several friends accompanying the sheller posing as tourists. They help him lure players by, for example, deliberately making mistakes (not noticing the card symbol visible in the blink of an eye) and losing. The unsuspecting victim thus feels that she could have guessed better herself and joins the game.
Another trick is that before the game, the shell player “accidentally” bends the corner of the guessed card. The would-be victim takes this as a mistake on the part of the shell player and believes he has the next game in hand. However, during the shuffle, the shell player subtly straightens the corner and bends the corner of another card. The confident victim is shocked when the card is turned over… these and other tricks are many and many. If you are interested in the subject, I recommend reading the Wikipedia article.
👍 Good Advice
The advice on how not to get ripped off is simple. Don’t play. The shell always wins and if you are 100% convinced that you are ripe for the picking, don’t play anyway. You haven’t. If you want to play, go to the casino.
-
Airport Slots Have the Lowest Probability of Winning
The odds of winning at an airport slot machine are significantly lower than at a casino on the Strip. The slot machines here have no competition and their operators do not target regular players. As a result, players get back an average of 85% of the money they put in at the airport, while the slots on the Strip return around 90-92%.
👍 Good Advice
Once you arrive in Las Vegas, hold off and play outside the airport premises. The Nevada Gaming Control Board regularly publishes reports that show the likelihood of winning at each location and type of game.
-
Complimentary VIP Club Tickets
Dozens of promoters operate day and night on the Main Strip, offering free VIP tickets to clubs. VIP is guaranteed to get ahead of the waiting line.
The usual trick is that while admission is free, you have to pay for the obligatory drinks yourself. If a free drink is included, it is usually only a small amount and the offer is valid until a certain time. The quality of the drink is usually very low. A similar characteristic also applies to the “women drink for free all night” attraction. In this case, the evening usually ends at the stroke of midnight.
👍 Good Advice
Be suspicious if a voucher is to be paid for or promises free entry. Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions about what kind of business it is or what is included in the offer. More reputable businesses usually only give out discount vouchers. Do not tip the promoter under any circumstances; he or she gets a commission on all vouchers used. That’s why they usually have a number written on them in marker.
You can find a venue for a night out on Google Maps, where you can read trusted reviews.
-
High ATM Withdrawal Fees
The average ATM withdrawal fee in Las Vegas is $5.00. Casinos can charge even higher fees, for example MGM has a flat fee of $10.00 per withdrawal, and Ceasars Palace charges as much as $12.00 (both updated May 2024).
👍 Good Advice
There are several ways to avoid the high fee. If you need to withdraw cash from an ATM, go to a bank branch where the fees are usually lower. For some credit cards, there is even no charge.
You can also use the trick of downloading the MGM or Caesars mobile app, which allows you to deposit money into your account for free. The funds from the account can then be turned into cash right at the casino for free.
-
Slot Voucher Thieves
Organised gangs also operate directly in casinos, although security guards try their best. A popular trick is to target players who have a big win on the machine. One gang member will distract the victim by, for example, throwing a banknote on the floor and then asking if there is a victim.
The accomplice, meanwhile, prints out the prize voucher and runs away. A similar trick works when the thieves do not steal the winning voucher but exchange it for another with a very low prize.
👍 Good Advice
Protection is simple, keep an eye on your surroundings and don’t get distracted.
-
Official Photo From the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
Taking a picture by the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the south side of the Strip just off the airport is a must. Even the Spammers know it, with their faithfully displayed passes that put them in the role of official photographers of the attraction. Just pay and you’ll have your picture taken.
👍 Good Advice
Of course there is no official photographer, there is no charge for a photo by the sign. If there is no one to take your photo, ask the next tourist in line and possibly return the favor.
-
No Pants and No Purse
There is a high risk of being robbed at a time when you might not expect it. When you’re sitting on the toilet in one of the casinos. A favourite trick of thieves is to walk through the toilet cubicles and snatch handbags and bags hanging on hooks from under the door. By the time the poor victim pulls up his pants, the thief is gone.
👍 Good Advice
If possible, go to the toilet without handbags, backpacks and other luggage. If this is not possible, be attentive and careful.
-
Never Buy Bottled Water on the Street
This is more of an urban legend than an outright scam. Rumor has it that water vendors on hot streets don’t buy bottles, but fill them with tap water from a gas station somewhere off the Strip. No one notices, and they make more profit on every bottle sold.
👍 Good Advice
If you believe this myth, before paying for your water, check the cap to see if it has already been popped off. Personally, I dare say it is more of a superstition. A bottle of water sold for $1.00 can be purchased wholesale by the pallet at Costco for $0.23.
-
Sightseeing Taxi Ride
Classic taxi drivers try to steal everywhere. In Las Vegas, for example, they artificially extend the length of the route and rely on tourists who don’t know the local prices to pay without talking back. They cheat especially on the way from the airport to the Strip.
Some taxi drivers offer a ride for a fixed amount before boarding, which is always higher than the meter.
👍 Good Advice
Use Uber or Lyft instead of traditional taxis. You’ll see the price of the ride upfront along with the driver’s rating. If there’s a problem, you can easily claim the ride. In 99% of cases, you’ll get a cheaper ride through these apps than a regular taxi.
-
Free Tickets for the Las Vegas Show
Shows and performances are as much a part of Las Vegas as slot machines and blackjack. However, tickets can be very expensive, with prices for the most popular shows often exceeding $150. Would you be happy if someone offered you a free ticket to see Cirque du Soleil’s “O” or maybe David Copperfield? Too good to be true.
👍 Good Advice
These people actually sell timeshare apartments. Their goal is to entice you to view the property and then sell it to you. For example, you can get cheaper tickets to a show in Las Vegas through Tiqets.com.
-
Win and Run
Thieves don’t just need money, they also want to eat well. A popular trick is for a distracted thief to stop a victim, claiming that he or she has just won a large sum at the casino and wants to celebrate with the victim. And invites her to dinner or maybe a drink. Just before paying, he goes to the toilet – and never comes back.
👍 Good Advice
Don’t get invited to dinner by strangers. Or give the thief a ride and bounce first.
-
Thieves Steal Phones From Wireless Chargers
Some types of slot machines in Las Vegas have a wireless charger to charge your phone. While the charger is in the player’s line of sight and within arm’s reach, thieves working in groups only need a split-second distraction.
👍 Good Advice
Either don’t use wireless chargers on slot machines at all or be vigilant. As soon as a stranger approaches you and starts talking to you, your accomplice may well reach for their phone at the same time.
-
No Sex and No Money
There’s a well-known saying that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. So, basically, there’s nothing stopping you from inviting a girl who likes it and likes it even more for money to your hotel room.
Most prostitutes in Las Vegas don’t make their money from sex, they make their money from stealing. When they get to the hotel room, they suggest the client go to the bathroom to take a shower. While the water is running in the bathroom, the sales girl picks her victim’s pockets, wallet and basically anything of value in the room. She disappears before the bathroom door opens.
👍 Good Advice
If you want to get a little dirty in Vegas, don’t invite female visitors into your room or approach their shower suggestion.
-
Asian Superstition and Non-existent Hotel Floors
Hotels in Las Vegas cater to their large Asian clientele and usually omit the number thirteen and numbers starting with four from their floor numbering. The 39th floor is followed directly by the 50th floor. In addition, hotels cleverly take advantage of this in their promotional materials by offering views of the Strip from the 51st floor. Never mind that it’s actually the forty-first floor.
-
Photo With Movie Characters on the Strip
People in costumes from movies and TV shows walk around the Strip and very willingly offer to take a picture with you. What a lot of people don’t realize at the time is that you have to pay for the photo. The costumed characters are pros who can push the price of a photo pretty high. You can pay up to $100 for one picture.
👍 Good Advice
If you want a photo together, always agree on a price first and then take it. Usually you pay $5.00 to $10.00 for a photo, but the person in the costume will always try to get more out of you.
-
Don’t Shop at Hotel Stores
Food and souvenir shops inside hotels are overpriced. The operators rely on people being convenient and would rather pay a higher price than go elsewhere to shop.
👍 Good Advice
You can get the same or very similar items at a Walgreens or CVS convenience store for a significantly lower price. You don’t have to go anywhere far, often just cross the street on the Strip.
-
Triple Zero Roulette
At first, the roulette wheel only had black and red numbers, so the chance of hitting the correct color was 50%. It wasn’t until 1842 that a casino in Monaco came up with the green zero to increase the profit for the operator. The odds of hitting a zero are 1 in 37, which corresponds to a probability of 2.70%.
Casinos in the US went even further and added a new double zero (00) box to the roulette wheel, further reducing the chance of hitting the correct colour. In 2018, the triple zero (000) roulette wheel made its first appearance at New York, New York and Planet Hollywood casinos, and the concept gradually began to take over other locations.
💬 Have you encountered any other tricks or scams in Las Vegas? Write in the discussion below the article, readers will appreciate it. You can also read how to scam tourists in New York.
Contribute with Your Question or Personal Experience