Yes, you can drink for free in Vegas casinos, as long as you are an actively playing customer. Most casinos in Las Vegas will provide complimentary drinks, whether you prefer beer, cocktails, alcoholic slushies, soda, or other non-alcoholic beverages.
Both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks are free in Las Vegas casinos only if you’re actively playing in designated areas.
Playing a table game, video poker, roulette table, or a slot machine will make sure you’re seen by a server who will offer a free drink. However, it is important to note that free drinks are not served at the bar, but only by cocktail waitresses who roam the casino gaming floor.
The good thing is that cocktail waitresses serve free drinks to all players on the gambling floor, so you don’t have to be a high-roller plunking down $100 per hand or spin. Even if you are playing at a 10-cent blackjack or a penny slot machine, the waiters at the casino will serve you cocktails and other fun drinks.
Not Really Free
However, if you think about it: the drinks are not technically free because you are most likely to lose more money than the cost of the drinks being served to you. For instance, the average slot player in Las Vegas loses about $63 in an hour, and you’ll probably enjoy less than five dollars’ worth of drinks in that time.
More than Free Booze Served
Also, note that drinks aren’t the only free stuff you will get from Vegas casinos. Depending on the table limit and casino, you can also get complimentary food, gifts, and even hotel rooms. In fact, some of the high-end Las Vegas casinos provide their biggest customers (also known as high rollers) with all-paid hotel stays in their best rooms like penthouses and stylish suites.
Free Drinks Monitoring Systems
It’s worth remembering that some Vegas casinos use the latest technologies like the comp validation system to ration free drinks, especially when it comes to slot players. These advanced slot machines will keep track of the money you have wagered and change the LED lights based on this amount. This will tell the casino wait staff when you gambled enough to earn a complimentary drink.
So, if you are looking for free drinks, no matter your gambling budget, be sure to gamble at low-tech Vegas casinos. The majority of these old Vegas casinos are found in Downtown Las Vegas. Meanwhile, avoid the latest casinos like Resort World Las Vegas and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, as they have state-of-the-art technologies that monitor your winnings and spending.
That being said, the best Vegas casinos when it comes to getting free drinks include:
- Wynn/Encore Las Vegas
- The Bellagio Hotel & Casino
- The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
- Casino Royal Hotel
- ARIA Resort & Casino
- The Venetian
How do I get free drinks in Vegas casinos?
Expect waiters to come to where you are gambling to ask if you would like a drink. This can be anywhere on the casino gaming space, be it the slots floor, the table games, sports betting kiosk, video poker machine, poker room, or bingo hall. A cocktail waitress should come to your spot every fifteen minutes to half an hour to check if you need a refill.
Tricks and Tips to Help You Score Free Drinks in Vegas
Many big casinos in Vegas have tightened their free drink service and comp policies. That means you are not likely to get free drinks if you don’t use the following tips and tricks:
- Play table games, video poker, and slots: Free drinks are often generously served at table games, video poker, and slot machines. Cocktail servers usually roam around these areas and take orders from those actively playing. For instance, you can put $100 into a video poker machine, and a server will most likely head your way.
- Give generous tips: Tip the cocktail waiter well on your first free drink. Ideally, it would help if you tipped the waiter around a dollar or two per drink. This will ensure the free drinks will keep coming your way. In fact, giving bigger tips can help ensure more free drinks will be served to you.
- Ask for top-shelf hooch: If you wish to get the best drink service in a Las Vegas casino, be precise with your orders. Don’t simply order a Screwdriver cocktail. The bartender will likely use the cheapest vodka to make your strain.
- Instead, order a top-shelf cocktail like orange juice and Gray Goose. This way, you will highly likely get what you ordered and not something cheap.
- Keep distance from the bar area: Stay the farthest from the casino bar, as that is an area where most people are likely to buy their drinks instead of gambling. More importantly, make sure that you don’t appear intoxicated, rowdy, or make a lot of noise.
- Ensure that you are seated and gambling whenever the cocktail waiter passes. Find a good seat at a gaming table with many players and a lot of gambling action.
- Play at popular casinos: Some casinos on the Las Vegas Strip offer more free drinks than others. These include exclusive properties like the Bellagio, the Venetian, and the Wynn. If you visit less exclusive spots like O’Sheas, Freemont, or the Flamingo, don’t expect too many free alcohol drinks.
- Some casinos have drink tracking software: Although not available in all Vegas casinos, tracking software in machines and tables tracks how much you are betting. They will use the information to decide if you have gambled enough to earn a free drink. So avoid slot machines with comp validation systems when you have a small gambling budget.
What free drinks should I order in Vegas casinos?
You can order pretty much any kind of drink for free when seated and gambling on the casino floor in Vegas. It is always wise to tip the cocktail waiter well and order the maximum number of drinks in a round, which is up to two drinks per individual. You can get a shot with a bottle of water; a cocktail and a shot, or a beer and a shot.
However, there are certain free drinks that waiters are more willing to bring. These include:
Brunch-friendly drinks like…
- Beermosa
- Bloody Mary
- Mimosa
- Irish coffee or Baileys & coffee
Hi-balls and classic cocktails, such as…
- Pineapple juice and Malibu rum
- Fuzzy navel
- Vodka lemonade
- Tequila sunrise
- Amaretto Sour
- Soda & vodka with lime
- Vodka cranberry
- Old fashioned
- Mai tai
- Screwdriver
- Long island iced tea
- Paloma
- Manhattan
Fun, alcoholic slushies like…
- Margarita
- Mojitos
- Pina Colada
- Daiquiri
- Bellini
- Miami Vice
Can you drink in the streets of Vegas?
Yes, you can drink in the streets in Vegas as long as you are…
- At least 21 years of age (minors are not allowed to drink anywhere in the state of Nevada)
- Moving and not sitting in a single place throughout the day
- Not within 1000 feet of a school, drug & alcohol rehabilitation center, hospital, synagogue, church, or other areas of worship
However, open container drinking laws do vary a bit between the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. On the Las Vegas Strip, you can carry or drink from an open container of alcohol as long as it’s in:
- A paper cup,
- Plastic cup, or
- An aluminum container
You are not allowed to carry or drink from a glass alcohol container even if it contains non-alcoholic content like soda, water, etc. Likewise, drinking from any alcoholic drinks container within 1000 ft. of a school, synagogue, hospital, church, or a drugs/alcohol treatment facility is illegal. If you are caught violating this open container law, you are liable for a misdemeanor charge that carries 30 days of prison time, a fine of up to $250, or both.
On Fremont Street and other parts of Downtown Las Vegas (both of which are part of the incorporated City of Las Vegas), you are now allowed to carry or drink from an open container of alcohol at a bus stop. This is also illegal within 1000 ft. of:
- Churches
- Drugs and alcohol treatment facilities
- Homeless shelters
- Hospitals
- Liquor stores
- Synagogues and other religious places of worship
You can drink in the streets in Downtown Las Vegas as long as the drinks are bought at any of the tavern-licensed casinos. The majority of the restaurants and bars in Downtown Las Vegas have tavern-limited licenses, meaning they can’t let their alcoholic drinks off their properties.
At the same time, carrying open glass containers and aluminum cans containing alcohol is illegal anywhere on the Fremont Street Experience.
Violation of the open container laws in incorporated parts of Las Vegas is considered a misdemeanor. If you are found guilty of this misdemeanor, expect to be fined $640.
Can you bring “outside” drinks into Vegas casinos?
Surprisingly, you are allowed to bring outside drinks to any Las Vegas casino unless they have a policy against this. However, if it is an open container, it should be in a plastic or paper cup and not in a glass container.
How do you get complimentary drinks in Vegas?
You will get a free drink in Vegas by just being an actively gambling player. The servers will eventually come to you and offer a complimentary drink.
What casinos give out free drinks in Vegas?
Almost all casinos in Vegas give out free drinks to players who are actively gambling. However, expect the many free drinks from exclusive Strip casinos like the Bellagio, Planet Hollywood, MGM Grand, the Wynn, the Venetian, and many other properties on the Strip and Fremont Street.