I’ve written on and off for several months now about how land-based casino operations seem to be increasingly tightening up their value to players over time. This can happen in many ways: removal of free drinks while gaming; reduction in food offered free to VIP players; installation of sucker games such as 6 to 5 payout blackjack. And now there’s another way these casinos are trying to milk us: RESORT FEES.

Resort fees are not new, and some Las Vegas casinos have charged them for many years. They seemed to start appearing quite a few years back when electricity prices skyrocketed due to low water dam levels, and some Las Vegas casino hotels felt it fair to charge $2 or $3 a day to cover those short term higher prices. At those levels a resort fee is perhaps not an issue – but the latest resort fee to be charged by Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas as of Thursday at $20 (yes, TWENTY DOLLARS) per day is exhorbitant (to my eyes).

To be fair, this new resort fee includes use of several facilities: full usage of the fitness center, in-room Internet access, local and domestic phone calls, and guests can print their boarding passes if required. However, I think many guests would find it hard to make full value of the $20 fee unless they sit on the phone all day making long distance phone calls, or use the fitness facility morning, noon, and night.

I’m not against resort fees where warranted, but this seems to be a ridiculously high fee for the AVERAGE guest to stomach. Each to their own I guess. Be aware of this crazy $20 a night surcharge when booking at Wynn Las Vegas Casino Hotel or Encore Las Vegas Casino Hotel – via a travel agent, website, or promotion. You’ll be charged this fee nightly whether you use any of the included services or not.