Now THAT'S a gamble: One of Las Vegas's best perks could disappear with some casinos no longer giving away free drinks to guests
- Usually, Vegas staff hand out free drinks to most gamblers on the casino floor
- But some hotels now give complimentary drinks based on what a punter spends
- Caesar's Palace and MGM Resorts are both trialling drink-per-gamble systems
Until now, tourists visiting Las Vegas were able to offset some of their gambling losses with the free drinks handed out by friendly cocktail waitresses.
But that perk could soon be a thing of the past as casinos tighten their belts.
Some of the big hotels are now handing out complimentary drinks based on how much punters have spent, instead of on an ad hoc basis.
Some of the big Las Vegas hotels are now handing out complimentary drinks based on how much punters have spent, instead of on an ad hoc basis
For example, many of the Caesar's Palace gaming machines along the strip now have special technology attached to them.
They show waiting staff how many plays a gambler has made with a flashing green light.
They are currently only attached to video poker machines, and flash when a customer has spent an adequate amount of cash on the game, earning the gift of a free drink.
Anyone hoping to score a free cocktail or beer by stretching out a few one-dollar plays over the course of an evening will fail to alert the sensor and have to pay for their beverages.
Anyone hoping to score a free cocktail or beer by stretching out a few one-dollar plays over the course of an evening could now have to pay for their beverages
According to Caesars, the 'comp validation system offer[s] complimentary beverages to those gamers who choose max play at our video poker bar top units'.
Meanwhile, at one casino bar in the MGM Grand, machines now print out free drink vouchers once a gambler has exceeded a spending figure.
It told the LA Times: 'The new technology has eliminated the guessing game for bartenders about how many drinks each guest is eligible to receive based on play.'
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