Las Vegas Outrage: Drink Fees Anger Locals and Visitors Alike, Casinos Mum on Latest Hidden Charge
Posted on: September 9, 2019, 02:21h.
Last updated on: September 10, 2019, 07:02h.
Las Vegas drinks have recently become more expensive at certain Strip properties, with guests discovering mandatory “service charges” on their libations.
Our Casino.org article on the latest fees being discreetly attached to elevate the true cost generated a strong and passionate response from Las Vegas locals and visitors. The report has been shared in the UK by The Sun, and gained hundreds of comments on Reddit,?TripAdvisor, and YouTube.
The article has garnered more than 100 comments on Casino.org, making it one of our most-discussed reports in recent memory. The controversy sparked last week when two Las Vegas travelers shared their bar receipts from Park MGM and Sahara, showing a service charge on their cocktails.
MGM Resorts responded on social media, “This charge you’re seeing is a venue fee. It is not only applied for table service, but for bar service as well, and is being applied to every check in the venue.”
“This fee is applied to all things that keep the venue operationally running, like the gaming maintenance for all bar top games, Wi-Fi, and lounge maintenance,” the casino explained.
But wait – we’ve long been told those pesky resort fees, which are now as high as $45 a day – were to cover such amenities as Wi-Fi. I reached out to MGM for clarification, but didn’t receive a response. The main question I have is whether the drink service fee, venue fee, whatever they want to call it, would be waived if one is staying at the casino resort and already paying the resort fee.
Resort fees are the subject of two lawsuits filed by the Nebraska and DC attorneys general. The complaints allege hotels and casino resorts are participating in “drip pricing,” a scheme where a company advertises one rate and then incrementally increases the cost through mandatory charges.
Out-Of-Towner Opinions
The rollout of hidden fees on drinks will keep some visitors away.
Having been to the US over 30 times, I’m calling it a day,” UK resident Joe Colquhoun said. “The charges in Vegas and New York are crazy and the tipping culture is getting out of hand. Many people are staying in Europe to holiday.”
“I go to Las Vegas three or four times a year, and every time things have gone up,” John Barlow declared. “I will most likely stop going, as it’s getting very expensive.”
“Really appreciate this article and really disappointed to see them milking guests like that,” another commenter said. “I’ll have to ask about resort fees next time I go, and maybe stay around Fremont and Uber over to the Strip.”
Locally Speaking
It’s not only the out-of-town guests – which Las Vegas greatly relies on – who are voicing their opposition to the new fees.
Las Vegas resident Heidi Ennis told us, “I’m a local of 52 years and was employed as a cocktail waitress years ago. I would be mortified to work in the casinos now with all these ridiculous fees.
“They don’t even make sense. What happened to being grateful that a visitor chose your establishment to visit out of all the others?” she asked. “What are you all thinking? Or are you?”?
Another TripAdvisor comment noted that,”One would think that the Sahara, which is attempting to get some new legs underneath itself through a current rebranding/ownership change, would offer a discount or promo to draw folks into their establishment rather than adding another fee. I don’t understand that at all.”
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This will be my last trip, fees getting out of hand, next thing you know they will charge an extra fee to get off the plane. Colorado has free drinks, no resort fees and most have free self service fountain drinks and coffee, one even has free self serve cappuccino drinks. Good bye Vegas
Casinos are riding high on the convention business. Most conventioneers have their corporate cards and expense reports so fees or $7 water bottles don’t affect them. Wait till there’s another recession and watch all these fees go poof. Unfortunately, I believe the damage is done and those who made Vegas an annual trip will have already found another place to host their traditions. All the money the casinos gouged from us will have to be spent trying to convince us to come back.
I used to have a casino host with the MGM group that was competent, able and friendly. He was let go, along with many other senior hosts. They assigned a young attractive, incompetent and clueless host to me. Comps seem to have dried up to hardly, no coffee in the room and have to take the journey down to the casino floor and buy super expensive coffee. It just continues to build. Im done. I am so very well accommodated for here in the local southern cal casinos. I may be missing some shows and fights, but all the penny pinching and sticking it to the players is just too much. Im done.
I expect the casinos to make money, but come on now !Resort fees, parking fees and now drink fees. What next are they also going to charge a toilet usage fee ? Get a grip Vegas corporate pencil necks. Don't you realize what you will later do to the bottom line? Most Californians, and other state residents, will just stay home and go to their local casinos. Vegas is not what it used to be. Hungry and greedy corporate executives are not thinking. A dollar a day everyday is better than $5.00 just once. They need a paradigm shift !
I loved going to Vegas for two decades. But first came the ridiculous "resort fees," charging extra for free newspapers, workout room, etc., and taxing that add-on. During my last visit I had to pay to park in the endless stretches of parking garages. Now, drinks fees. Gaming is never really about winning money; few do. It's about entertainment, managed risk, and the excitement of the unknown just ahead. By tacking on so many extra fees, the Vegas casino corporations are making those intangibles just too pricey, especially now with so many casinos strung out around the U.S. Greed and hubris will bring this unreal destination city down.
Vegas isn’t fun anymore. Why pay to get slapped in the face then kicked in the ass? Give las vegas what they give you...nothing. Hope the locals like paying for all those lites.
Capitalism at work! Casinos with NO fees will prosper!
This is why the IMSC is not hosting our conferences there any longer. It was getting out of control for our attendees. The fees they charge for those hosting conferences are through the roof along with all of the extra charges for those who attend the events.