How much money do you take to Vegas?

$20-30k

 

Maybe $500 for a weekend or so. Californians tend to get out there a lot, so we're able to justify shorter trips and smaller bankrolls than if we were coming from somewhere far away.

 

I am not much of a gamble so that most I have ever taken for 5 nights is $900. even then I came back with $400 of it. I just like to drink and walk around and stuff like that, pretty cheap date for sure.

 

Yup, exactly.
When someone comes back from a Disney vacation, they get asked, "Did you have a good time?" Rarely are they asked, "How much did you spend?"
Exactly opposite when someone comes back from Las Vegas. "How much did you lose?" Rarely, "Did you have a good time?"

But it's all about entertainment value captured for money spent in both places.

 

I can see both of your sentiments. And I think some people do feel judged when they use their money in other ways for entertainment so a bit of defensiveness is not out of bounds.

One reason that I think people as those questions is the obvious.

In almost all facets of life, entertainment must be exchanged for legal tender. Nothing is free as many economists would say. But in a Disney (or cruise or road trip or hiking trip or whatever) the "money spent" is only a tool to obtain the actual entertainment (seeing/riding Disney world, enjoying the cruise and the food and the ship, enjoying the mountain view, etc.). The exchange of legal tender is boring and a known entity that must be done to acquire those end experiences/goods.

In a specific gambling vacation (since obviously Vegas has lot more to offer than gambling), where the experience is the gamble itself...the main activity that is the end product or the main drive for entertainment is the betting and winning/losing of money. It still will drive the same reward centers in the brain as a Disney cruise but the activity itself is the loss/winning of legal tender.

SO people will obviously ask about the monetary experience...they probably know people who like to gamble use that as any other entertainment...but they are likely wanting some "shock factor" to hear how much is "lost." Plus some can still ask about how much someone spent on a Hawaii vacation or if Vegas was fun (usually the answer is a big yes). Not to mention the question gets to the point of the end entertainment...how was Disney? How was the gambling?

I think also part of it is that many people probably are somewhat judgemental towards gamblers who derive joy from gambling and people put a value-judgement on that as "immoral" or a "risky/stupid way to spend money."

But as many of you have already posted, and I agree, if you are not losing your livelihood and you derive lot of satisfaction from whatever way you want to spend your money, that's great and a show of the diversity of humanity. Many here seem to be very well off financially and that large 4 to even 5 figures on a trip is not going to dent your finances. Awesome and that's the way to do it.

And as I've mentioned before in my post above, while I myself am not going to be more than a "no-roller" and I personally will not think it is appropriate for ME to spend money in that fashion, I do not judge or look down on others who spend money in other ways to derive entertainment value.

 

I don't take a lot of money to vegas. I basically take out markers and don't carry a lot of cash on me. My credit union also has a branch up in vegas so I can always go there for extra money.

I think the actual question/poll should be "how much do you allocate for gambling on your trips to vegas".

I usually allocate about $2000 on my trips to vegas. I usually allocate about $300 a day for gambling and other expenses. But that doesn't include the money spend for air/room and rental car. It does include $$ for meals and other incidentals.

The OP's poll is a trick question because it only states how much you bring up. For that I would say that it is less than $500 because I get my money from markers and credit union atm's so I don't have to bring up a lot of money.

 

My bride and I bring about $800 for gambling.
More if the litterbugs toss more aluminum cans into the ditches in my neighborhood...
It's been a record summer so far!

RICHARD

 

$1000 for a 3 night solo trip

 

I already voted, but the real answer is "Not usually enough"

 

I don't bring much because we have a line of credit which means the answer depends on the objective of the question.

 

I allocate way more than I'll ever need for a Vegas trip, but I feel naked if I don't budget a certain amount for my week-long LV visits. I've found that as I get older, and my trips to LV have accumulated, I tend to gamble less. Still, I set enough aside to scratch the itch if I get it.

 

This saddens me, Mike...

 

C'mon, man, no matter how much we slap the "entertainment" tag on it, the entertainment is still GAMBLING. The expected return is completely different than a movie or amusement park or even bar hopping. You hope the popcorn and the movie are good, but that's it. You don't expect the theater to randomly award you $100 and maybe cover the cost of your dinner later. You don't simply take money to have a good time, or else everyone would play 9-liners or play myVegas in the lobby. No one has EVER made a (true) bet and didn't want it to win. Love it for what it is, but let's not pretend it's just like every other activity.

 

I take a large fortune so I can brag to my friends "I just got back from Vegas with a small fortune"

 

I still love to gamble but as I was telling @mrjvegas out in Vegas a couple of weeks ago I just don't get that rush that I used to get out of it. However, I still greatly appreciate the thrill that a good run at the BJ tables or slots brings. Still, theres hope for me yet as I still come completely funded for full blown degeneracy.

 

I generally take 2500$ cash per day for everything - and try to never use a credit car or ATM .

Successful most of the time - occasionally if the gambling is bad the cards come out for food etc

 

You're paying for a (hopefully) enjoyable recreational activity. That's it. People try to rationalize the comps part -- and, yes, I don't get any lagniappe from a green fee at Pebble, other than the experience -- but those comps still aren't free, they're being paid for with cold, hard cash.

 

I'm gonna make it rain in the Casino, my bankroll will have no limit whatsoever. In fact, my bankroll will be so obscene i may even play a quarter machine instead of pennies.
THAT'S what i'm talkin' about!!

 

I do love it for what it is, and I do see it as any other activity (entertainment).

 

I bring what I plan to spend/lose. I "gamble" more money because I get comps, but this just means I silo more into the gambling bucket because I've got the other buckets (room, food, resort fees) covered. If I didn't get comps, then that money would go towards room and food with a lower gambling budget, but I'd still spend about the same.

Like others, I am in the "what am I willing to spend on my vacation" camp...and since I have room and board covered....those vacation funds are just spent on gambling vs. Room and food.

I spend about the same amout overall, but get better rooms, better food, and more gambling money.

I don't chase a win. Heck, this might sound bad, but I dont even expect a win. If it happens, great, but I never bank on it. For me? The vacation is the win. If I come back with more than I budgeted, gravy.

My rule of thumb, whether spent on gambling, food, shopping, who cares. If you go home thinking "I over-spent"---you over spent. If you come back thinking "that was a kick-butt vacation!" you did ok.

Money out is money out, no matter what you spend it on. The bottom line is, are you OK with the amount you spent? If you are, then it was a great vacation.