The wife and I went to the Cosmopolitan late Monday night to find the secret pizza place and get some of their signature Cosmo martinis. I only saw one waitress for all the table games and we didn't see any in the slot area when we were playing so we decided to go directly to the bar and play VP. We've never done this before and VP isn't normally our thing so after we got our drinks and played for about 15 minutes we decided to walk around. In front of each machine we were playing was a glass with a receipt for $15 each. Were we still supposed to pay for the drinks playing at the bar? I assumed drinks were complimentary just like the slot floor but the receipts in the glasses threw me off.
I believe some places do comp for VP at the bar, and some don't. I know the M does at their 32 bar. I'm not sure of anywhere else, but I'm sure MANY places do.
At almost all casinos, except Wynn, drinks while playing at the bar are free. Every bartender brings you a receipt and puts it in a glass, otherwise known as the tip jar If you end up in a place that charges you, (Wynn) you'll know. They are going to want the money right away and they won't walk away w/o getting it.
at cosmo it was free for me. I was playing and after the bartender gave me a drink he put the receipt in the glass. It's just how they keep track of things.
That makes sense. Shows you how many table top bars I've been to in Vegas. I just put the tip on the bar between the two machines.
I was told by a bartendar while I was playing one time they are required to put that reciept there and if you need to pay for it, they tell you right then and get the money. If they just put the receipt there and don't say anything, it's comped. I thanked him because no one had ever told me that and I never knew what to do.
One time I was playing at Bugsy's Bar @ Flamingo and I was admittedly overserved, and sat down to get a drink. Put in a $20 for my drink and started to play. It took her some time to come over, and by the time she came over I'd just been getting terrible hands, and the $20 was almost gone. She served me, I tipped her, and cashed out to cash in the remaining $5 left on the ticket. She literally CHASED me down, and had me sign the receipt? I still am puzzled by this...what was she going to do with my signature? She didn't have my room #, so couldn't charge it to my room. I didn't get it. Any ideas?
That is typical at the VP bar I ignore it & pop my tip in there. I suppose it gets a few newbies to pay for drinks they otherwise wouldn't have to.
Interesting. Wonder if some people have a drink or two... look at a $12 tab for example and leave $15. Bartender is happy as shit of course.
When we first started going to Vegas, I had some confusion with this practice too. I quickly learned that if they place a tab in a glass, say "Good luck" and walk away, the drinks are comped. If there is a pen in the glass, I will usually scribble something before leaving, and I place tips for each round in the glass as well. Now I am enough of a regular to question it if they try to charge me, or to point out I am playing max bet with $20 in. Of course the exception is Wynn, where they do not comp drinks at the bartop machines. And I, in turn, do not play them. It seems some places want you to sign, others don't care. When in doubt, it's always ok to ask "Are the drinks comped?" or "Do you need me to sign?". They've heard it all.
You have me stumped... Over 30 (nearing 40??!!) trips to Vegas...I have never ONCE been asked to sign!
a few times on the strip I was asked to sign the receipt, usually they will put a pen in the glass with the receipt if they need a signature
I believe it is a State Law in Nevada (and many others) that a liquor licensee cannot give away alcohol freely. They are required to track what is "comped" and have to pay taxes on the value of all of those "comped" sales. My guess is that she chased you down for a signature to prove the transaction was legit, to cover her own ass. Or to try to get a tip out of you if you didn't happen to leave one (no implication, just reasoning).
Sometimes you have to sign, sometimes you dont. Don't know the reasoning. I've seen them make me sign when I received drink. Sometimes they put the receipt in the glass with a pen. I guess different casinos have different policies. Now I don't know if I'm lucky....if I'm gambling and my girl isn't most bartenders will get her a drink too..which in turn receives an even bigger tip..if not I'll put a 20 in for her in another machine or go somewhere else....once they see the nice tip drinks start flowing.
