Have free drinks been ruined in Las Vegas?

As OutKick readers know very well, I’m a big fan of Las Vegas. I love Sin City, and go at least once a year to cut loose at the tables and drink a few cold beers. You can read about my latest insane trip here.

One of the best parts about Las Vegas is that you can load up on free drinks while gambling. However, is that part of Las Vegas going away?

Are free drinks in Las Vegas while gambling a thing of the past?

A person took to Reddit to complain that the drink service situation while gambling has rapidly deteriorated. They wrote the following:

“Maybe my timing sucks? Or the spots I camp out in when I’m gambling? I’ve been on 2 trips to Vegas now, for 5 nights each, and still have never been approached and asked if I want a drink. Way more often, I’m approached by those women with the little pillows offering neck massages while I’m at slots or something. I’m headed out again in a few months and if I can’t seem to luck out with the casino itself, I’d at least like to get a drink or 2 out of it.

Is the whole “free drinks while gambling” thing slowly disappearing? Pointers welcome. Thanks in advance.”

Below are a few of the responses. Check them out, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com:

• Sit at a bar and play video poker. 
• The best way I’ve found to get free drinks quickly is to sit at a bar with video poker machines. Stick some money in and play for a minute and I usually get a drink right away. Locals casinos are usually pretty decent with cocktail service on slots, but the strip casinos, especially if busy, can take a while.
• If you’re playing slots, go to the bar with slots/video poker and put in $20. Start playing, boom, free drinks.
• I don’t know what you’re doing but I don’t ever leave the casino floor sober.
• Go to the high limit area at NYNY. They have a dedicated bar with fantastic bartenders. They also free pour and have decent liquors and good mixers. Find the cheapest slot and tip well with the first drink. They will bring your next round before you finish your last. They are the best non-bar top drink service on the strip. My girlfriend and I love it. When we go to events at T-Mobile we don’t even play there, we just stop and they pour us drinks.
• The better you tip the more they come back.
• I’m a lowly Diamond at Caesar’s and almost never wait more than 15 minutes. Then you tip more than you think you should. That $20 is going to get you more than $20 in $8 Coors.

I was in Las Vegas back in August, and I have to be honest with you, I did notice it was a bit slower at some places than others. So, I do understand people speculating drink service in Las Vegas has changed.

However, I find it almost impossible to believe you could gamble for five nights without a single free drink. That seems really hard to believe.

I spent a decent chunk of time gambling at the Wynn – the nicest hotel in Las Vegas – and I had a drink offered to me seemingly every 10 minutes. There was next to no waiting.

On that same note, I also poked around El Cortez down in the Fremont region and Tuscany off the strip. Both places had insanely fast drink service. El Cortez literally keeps a beer cooler right in the pit.

Ellis Island also had solid drink service, but admittedly a shade slower than some other places. It really just comes down to where you play.

The nicer places are almost always going to have solid drink service with top level options. Local favorites will also have great drink service but with more limited options. For example, you can order a very nice cocktail at fancy resorts while gambling. Meanwhile, you might have to stick with beer at a lower end property.

The only places where drink service is going to be slow are The Strip resorts that are packed. While it’s slow, it’s not non-existent.

So, no, free drinks aren’t disappearing in Las Vegas, and I can say that from some very recent experience. Do you have some experience in Las Vegas when it comes to drinks? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.