How to Visit Vegas Without Going Broke
Hotels
The main reason most people visit Las Vegas is to gamble. And with good reason! It was the first state to legalize gambling and has long been the American mecca for gaming. Since the forties, it has grown into a town where bigger is better and most everything is over the top. But you don’t have to go broke to have a good time. The major expense for a visit to Las Vegas is your hotel accommodations. If you visit a strip hotel like Venetian or New York New York, you should expect to pay a lot for a room. Try searching the Internet for room rates at some of the smaller, older hotels off the strip like The Orleans, Gold Coast or Bourbon Street. Of course, they are not as luxurious, but how much time are you really going to be spending in your room? If you must stay in one of the strip hotels, you can usually find discounted rates during the off season if you book the room during the week. Weekends are always expensive, even during the off season. Sometimes you can check a hotel’s web page to receive a discount for booking online. You can call the Las Vegas Visitor’s Convention at 1-800-332-5333 and they will be happy to mail you booklets containing discount coupons.
Food
You obviously will definitely need to eat while there. There are many fast food restaurants on the strip like McDonalds, Subway and Del Taco. They may be a little more expensive than your fast food at home, but they are not as expensive as other restaurants on the strip and in the casinos. If you go at an odd hour (like between midnight to 6:00 am), you can find some good discounts at several of the casino buffets. There are a few buffets during normal eating hours at which you can save money. The Bellagio offers the fanciest lunch buffet at the most reasonable price, but it will still run you $15 a person, so be sure to eat a lot! If you are not sure what you want to eat, go over to the French Market Buffet at The Orleans. You can choose from several tables offering Italian, American, Mexican, Chinese and Mongolian cuisine and dinner is only $12.95 (unless you go on Monday Seafood Night when it is $16.95 or Wednesday Steak Night when it is $13.95).
Gambling
Everyone who goes to Vegas wants to gamble and I am sure you are no exception. But, you can gamble wisely so that even if you lose, you still get to spend more time gambling. There are several “sucker bets” in Vegas that keep the casinos rolling in the cash. The biggest sucker bet is slots because they suck all your money in very quickly and you have no control over your chances of winning. If you do play slots, look for those that have signs that offer a high rate of payback (like 98%). Legally, the casinos are obligated to display signs for those slots. You can also play penny and nickel slots at the Flamingo, Westin, Palms and Paris. But remember, penny and nickel slots have a lower payback rate and often, when you play all the lines, you end up spending as much as you would on a quarter slot, which has a much higher payback rate. If you have a little extra money, try playing a half-dollar or dollar slot. Those have the highest advantage for you to win.
Table games may require more money for an initial bet, but because you are playing with a dealer and others, it can take more time to spend your money. Plus, the waitresses are more likely to offer you a drink at a table then if you are at a penny slot. The game that offers the smallest house advantage is Craps. But, this is if you bet the Pass Line. The horn bets (rolling two fours, two sixes, etc.) gives the house an 18% advantage and is considered a sucker bet. Blackjack is another popular table game in Vegas. If you play Blackjack, avoid buying insurance if the dealer is showing an ace. There are more cards with a ten count in the deck than another other number, so the chances of them having a ten and having Blackjack is very good, thus making insurance a sucker bet. Roulette is fun to play, but don’t be suckered into thinking that if there are ten black numbers listed on the recent number board, that odds are the next number will be red. The board is an illusion of certainty that some players use, but it is really no help at all to the players. Each spin of the ball is independent of each other spin and there is no way you can predict what is going to happen next.
Entertainment
If you are tired of gambling (or just out of money), there is plenty of cheap entertainment in Las Vegas. One of the most interesting things to do is walk up and down the strip. You can go inside the casinos, even if you don’t gamble. Many are ornately decorated (especially the Venetian, Paris and Bellagio) and it is nice to walk around to see what they have. Some have free attractions – like the Sigfried and Roy’s white tigers at The Mirage and the free acrobat acts at Circus Circus. For free outdoor entertainment, Bellagio has fountain show including music that runs every half hour until 8:00 pm, weather permitting. Three times nightly, Treasure Island has its performance of Sirens of TI, a clash between beautiful sirens and pirates that include music, dance and plenty of adventure. The famous Freemont Street is covered with a four block long canopy that displays light shows like The Drop, with colorful animals and flowers, and the patriotic American Freedom theme. You can visit the Hard Rock Casino to see rock-n-roll memorabilia lining the walls or check out the lions at MGM Grand’s Lion Habitat.
As you can see, even if you aren’t going to Vegas to spend a lot of money, you can still have a good time. Just do your research online and plan your trip before you leave and you should be able to fill your vacation with inexpensive entertainment!
