I love Las Vegas as many of you will know. If you’ve ever been there, chances are you’ll love it too. I’ve never had any major issues personally whilst in Las Vegas, but some people do – so here are some tips to avoid tourist traps, scams, and money wasting outcomes in Las Vegas.

Showgirls and Street Performers photos aren’t free!

These are independent artists and are never part of casinos etc. At first they’ll call you over with things like “Hey, come and get your Vegas showgirl pictures with us!”. Seems innocent enough. But then they’ll start demanding $5, $10 or $20 for the photo you’ve taken. And if you don’t pay they’ll threaten you with “I’m going to go to the cops if you don’t pay me”. Having photos with street performers is great, but be aware of what you’re getting yourself into before you do it.

There’s no such thing as a guaranteed win – except for the Casinos!

Las Vegas Casinos ALWAYS have an advantage over you, and unless you’re very lucky they will win money from you on your trip. Never expect to win. Many slot machines are programmed in a way that tricks your mind – making you think you’re on the verge of getting a big win… but then the third scatter symbol doesn’t show up, or the needed reel combination is “one off”. Also be wary of machines that have a big gold pot or pig or other symbol that looks full. Just because the image is full doesn’t mean the jackpot is going to hit soon – it’s an illusion. Games like “Little Devil” with a Wicked Wheel also don’t trigger bonuses based on the animations on the cauldron – so don’t be deceived into putting more and more in expecting a win.

When choosing slot machines, the types of games you select can also make a difference to your kept bankroll. Typical Las Vegas casino slot machines (especially penny slots) can hold about a 10% house advantage – but movie franchise machines (e.g.”Breaking Bad”, “Willy Wonka”, “Sex in the City” etc) often hold around 15% casino edge. This is because the manufacturers of those slot machines have to pay royalties to the rights holders. Wheel of Fortune slot machines can also have high house advantages / percentages.

ATM machine fees in Las Vegas can be crazy expensive.

I’ve used ATM machines in Las Vegas casinos and they’ve cost me $5-$7 USD per transaction. As an international player I’m ok with that because I’m getting out say $1000 at a time, and often the casinos have promotions that get you free slot play or a free drink when you show your ATM receipt at their cashier’s cage or players club, which compensates for it. You need to shop around. Almost every ATM on the Strip will cost you $8 to $10 per transaction – and you also need to be aware of personal safety in the street (so avoid ATM’s in dark, poorly lit, poorly trafficked locations). Strip club ATM’s can charge up to $200 for a transaction – woh, daylight robbery!

Cashier transactions on credit cards in casinos can work on percentages rather than fixed fees and these can be horrific – up to 5% of your withdrawal. Often people use the cashier option for withdrawals in excess of their daily ATM limits or similar. Shop around, and calculate the fees you’re going to incur BEFORE you go through with any transaction.

You’ll never win on a 3-card Monte game.

Sometimes you’ll see street vendors offering you the chance to play 3-card Monte. They put 3 cards on a board and you have to follow the Queen, or similar. Get the pick right and get paid (supposedly). You might see some people win before you – they are in on the scam. Their role is to encourage you to put $20 down and play – but you will never win when you try because the operators use sleight of hand to switch cards out. AVOID! It’s rigged!

Thieves and pickpockets can really ruin your day.

I always wear an under clothes money belt when in Las Vegas, and I keep nothing of any value in my pockets (even my mobile phone). Whilst I’ve never been pickpocketed I have seen it happen to others and it sucks. Be especially careful in big crowds of people, in clubs, in close proximity. Thieves used to target wallets – and still do, but mobile phones are now also highly targeted, because if a hacker can get into them they can often get into your bank accounts, your email, your Facebook accounts and more.

Be wary of nightclub and day club promoters on the Strip.

There’s a bundle of promoters on the Strip that charge you a fee and in return promise you things like free guestlist entry, free drinks, a free table or bottle service at reduced prices etc. These can be legitimate but in many cases they’re a scam. Whether the club they’re promoting is Xcess, Omnia, Drai’s, Jewel or any other seems to make little difference. You might find you get free entry (it could be free entry before 11pm anyway) but things like free drinks and booked tables often don’t materialise. So be aware. If you want to go to a club, just rock up at the club – or buy one of the various nightclub pass deals that are available in Vegas for multiple days of entry into all.

Also be aware that drinks in nightclubs and day clubs – or pool parties, are SUPER expensive! If you can, drink before you go to the clubs (slot machine players can still get FREE drinks in many Las Vegas casinos), to avoid paying up to $30 for a cocktail or $5 – $10 for a simple bottle of water! Bottle service (where you get a whole bottle of spirits) can run $600 to $800 in some clubs – the same bottle would cost you $40 or less at a bottle store.

Don’t buy bottles of water from people on walking bridges.

It’s a hot day, and you want water to chill down – and you spy a vendor on a walking bridge selling bottled water (for a dollar or more). Seems like a good deal, but often these are OLD bottles that the vendor has found in the trash and then refilled with TAP water. This is the reason the vendors will hand you the bottle after they’ve taken the cap off. There’s possibly less risk if the vendor has a whole lot of bottles and they’re all the same label (e.g. Kirkland from Costco or similar), but otherwise you should STEER CLEAR. Water is cheap at supermarkets, especially when you buy in bulk packs, which can work out as little as 10c for a small bottle size.

Timeshare salespeople will promise the earth – and often deliver little.

Timeshare touts offer free show tickets, free chips, etc in return for eligible couples attending timeshare presentations. They’ll promise you its a 90 minute presentation, in return for your “$200 value package”. I’ve heard horror stories here where it’s often 4, 5, or 6 hours long – and if you don’t commit (most people don’t) to a sale that you’re often left to get your own way back to your hotel etc in Uber. Most timeshares use high pressure sales tactics, so go prepared to endure all sorts of mental anguish.

Touts need to qualify you to get THEIR fees for referring you – so be prepared for questions like “How long are you in Las Vegas for?”, “Are you married?”, “Are you on honeymoon?”. Unless you’re really in the market to buy timeshare (and note it’s often much cheaper to buy a timeshare resale) then you’re probably best to avoid these presentations.

Resort Fees can double the cost of your holiday.

Resort Fees are everywhere in Las Vegas now, with most hotels having them. The lead-in property rate might be $49 a night (wow, that’s a bargain!) but in the small print there’s a note that you’ll also need to locally pay (at the hotel / casino) a daily “Resort Fee” of say $39 a room a night – which typically includes services like “Free local phone calls. Free flight ticket printing. Access to the gym. Daily newspaper.” All of these are things that the casinos / hotels used to provide for FREE! Suddenly your $49 a night bargain hotel is $88 a night… which is not still a bargain huh! There are some ways around paying resort fees (e.g. getting free room comps from playing slots apps like Wynn Slots / MyVegas etc – which don’t always attract resort fees on the rooms), but you’ll need to be resourceful.

Some casinos like Treasure Island run promotions where resort fees are not charged for a period. And the Four Queens hotel at Downtown doesn’t have resort fees still (as far as I know, things can change quickly), so there are some opportunities to still get bargain room rates in Las Vegas!

Fake monks, CD peddlers, smut peddlers – avoid, avoid, avoid.

If you’re walking down the strip and someone tries to hand you something – like a bracelet, a CD, or a striptease dancer / prostitute flyer, they’re best avoided. Most of the time the fake monks or CD peddlers will want money for their “free gift” to you. And the prostitute flyers are just a nuisance.

Even if you buy their CDs, they’re often just blank with nothing on them. Sometimes they’ll refuse to take the CD back – “you must buy it!!!”…. if that happens just toss it to them. Just walk away while they’re forced to catch it.

Beware of taxis long hauling you to your destination.

Unless you can get a Las Vegas taxi at a FIXED FARE, you’ll probably going to be better off taking an Uber or Lyft to your destination. Whilst many taxi drivers are honest, a dishonest driver will try every trick and scam to get your fare up – taking the longest route, heading into known traffic delay areas. With Uber or Lyft you get to see the route recommended that the driver should follow – and importantly you have recourse back via Uber and Lyft should anything go wrong in your journey (including leaving items in the back seat of the car etc). Ride share prices are typically much cheaper than taxis anyway (unless they are in surge mode due to demand). Buses are a workable option in Las Vegas for some tourists – but if you don’t like crowds, are wary of your personal safety, or it’s late at night, then an Uber or Lyft is probably a safer, faster, and more enjoyable option.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my thoughts on these scams to avoid. Have a fantastic holiday in Las Vegas when you visit, and feel free to drop me a line with any further thoughts or ideas you have. I’ll be heading there within the next 3-6 months probably – so I might just see you in Las Vegas!