The goal of every vacation should be to have the most enjoyable experience possible. It’s hard not to have fun in Las Vegas. It’s rare that visitors leave Las Vegas disappointed unless they lost a ton of money. There are so many exciting things to do and see here that even the most negative person will have a positive opinion of Las Vegas. However, many tourists make some mistakes on their trip. And, had they avoided these mistakes, they would have had a more pleasant experience in Sin City.
1. Spending too much time gambling
By all means, bring plenty of money to gamble. Las Vegas wouldn’t be what it is without the casinos. This is the best place in the country to gamble, so go have some fun playing your favorite slot machines or test your luck at the blackjack tables. But many spend way too much time gambling. The fact of the matter is the casinos are going to end up winning in the long run. So the longer you play, the more you’re going to lose, which means you’ll have less money and time for other activities such as drinking, seeing shows, etc.
2. Refraining from getting a Players Club membership
Each casino will comp you free drinks, meals, rooms, etc. based on your play. However, if you don’t sign-up for a Players Club membership, you won’t earn comps. Many tourists don’t feel they need to waste their time signing up for a membership because they don’t think they’ll play enough to earn any comps. This is a big mistake. It takes just a few minutes to sign-up and membership is free. It also doesn’t take long to start earning comps. You may get a free meal or two just from one weekend of low stakes gambling. Sign-up for a card. It will pay off.
3. Thinking they can beat the house
There are dozens of multi-billion dollar mega resorts in Las Vegas. These resorts weren’t built on winners. If you think you have an edge, you’re sadly mistaken. The casinos always end up winning in the long run. Sure, you can get lucky and leave town a big winner. There are big winners every day in Las Vegas. But there are far more losers. The house always has an edge on every game except blackjack where a skilled player can get a small edge by counting cards. Unfortunately, most aren’t able to count cards properly enough or end up getting caught.
If you think wearing your lucky shoes will lead to a victory, it’s just not going to happen. If you think a slot machine is “due” to payout, again, you’ll be sadly mistaken. No machine or casino game is “due” to payout. Every spin, hand, or roll is completely independent. There are no winning strategies to beat the house. Gambling should be a form of entertainment, not a means for you to try to win money. If you win, great. If not, that’s okay too as long as you have fun. That’s what Vegas is all about.
4. Drinking at the club
Want to go out and hit up some of the popular Vegas clubs? Great idea! Before going out to the club, get your drink on. Don’t get your drink on at the club. Drinks are crazy expensive at the clubs. You’ll pay upwards of $12-$25 for just one drink. You can get drinks for free or inexpensive elsewhere. Pregame and then go to the club to dance and mingle. There are far better ways to spend your money than on drinks at the club.
5. Not venturing beyond the Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an entertaining destination. It’s the most exciting part of the city. But there are other cool attractions elsewhere. Even if you’re staying on the Strip, take a drive or taxi ride to other awesome attractions such as the Fremont Street Experience, Red Rock Canyon, or Lake Las Vegas. There’s too much going on around this great city to be stuck in one area, albeit an exciting area.
I have visited Vegas twice a year for over 20 yrs and your advice is the BEST advice I have heard so far…thanks! I have spent too much time at the slot machines, and lost!!