Tipping Guide for Slot Players

Etiquette is the one thing that will make you stand out like a sore thumb if you get it wrong, and the etiquette of tipping is no exception. There are two people and two people only in a casino that a slot player should tip; an attendant and a waitress, any other tips are generous extras but not necessities.

Tipping your Server

The latter of the two is easier to advice about because the etiquette is fairly standardized: Tip your waitress! Even if the drinks are free you should still tip her. Some casinos that offer free drinks actually charge the waitress a nominal amount for them on the basis that she will be reimbursed that amount through her tips; if you don’t tip her you may have actually cost her money. Just as you wouldn’t go into a restaurant and not tip your server, the same should be true in a casino. The amount that you tip a server is a matter of personal choice; however, if the drinks are free then you should tip her whatever percentage is your custom to tip of what that drink would have cost had you paid for it.

Tipping Attendants

Attendants are a slightly different matter. There are only very few occasions on which you would tip an attendant, and those are really only if you have had personal interaction with him. If your slot machine got jammed and an attendant came to unblock it, you would not be expected to tip the attendant; equally if you cashed out big and there was an attendant near you, you would not be expected to tip. However, in the case of a hand pay jackpot a tip would be customary. When you get a hand pay jackpot the attendant must come to confirm the amount, count the winnings, and in the case of larger wins prepare your tax forms; this can take some time and the attendant's conduct during this period may affect his tip. There will more than likely be a couple of attendants present at a hand pay jackpot but only one will actually hand over the money. This type of tip is more nominal than in the case of a waitress. The usual is to tip around 1% of the winnings only, and this can be given to the person that handed you the money; it is then up to him to share the tip with his co-workers.

As a slots player these are the only two people that it would seem particularly strange if you did not tip; as soon as you step onto the tables the rules change drastically and you should be aware of them before entering a table room. It is worth remembering that whilst it is not your responsibility to pay casino workers their salaries, their salaries are often lower than they should be because the casino reckons tips into the amount they will be taking home at the end of the month. So, if you’ve won big, be generous.

Theo Evans