It’s no secret that Vegas casinos give out free drinks to high rollers that spend a lot of money. But, there are plenty of other ways to get free drinks in Las Vegas without breaking the bank. After living in Vegas for a several years, I’ve found a couple simple ways to get free drinks.
How to get free drinks in Las Vegas? You can get free drinks in Las Vegas by signing up for nightclub guest lists, gambling on casino floors and by setting up comp bottle service tables. Nightclub guest lists are the easiest way to get free drinks since clubs often give patrons free drink tickets or access to an open bar to promote the club. Drink tickets, however, are only given out at specific nightclubs and aren’t handed out every night.
Vegas casinos have cut down on the number of complimentary drinks they serve in recent years. But, there are still plenty of ways to score free drinks. Some tactics are easier than others, so I’ll walk you through the best ones.
1. Getting Free Drinks On Nightclub Guest Lists
By far the easiest way to score free drinks is to sign up for nightclub guest lists. All nightclubs have guest lists that allow you to get free entry into the club. Some even advertise free drink tickets and open bars, in order to incentivize guests to come to their club.
Most nightclubs only give out drink tickets to women, but there are some like Light, that also give out drink tickets to guys. On Wednesday nights guys on the Light guest list get a drink ticket while women usually get two. Clubs don’t give out drink tickets every night. It’s much more common to see these promotions when you sign up for the guest list Monday – Thursday. And generally, you see more drink tickets given out at the less busy clubs.
There are even a few nightclubs like Marquee on Monday nights and Tao on Thursdays, that have a full open bar. This is usually only for women on the guest list and isn’t available every week. But, open bars are an easy way to grab a bunch of free drinks in a short amount of time.
Other clubs like On The Record will give both guys and girls buy one get one free drink tickets when you walk in the door. You still have to pay for the first drink, but this will save you a ton of money over the course of the night.
2. Getting Free Drinks While Gambling
All Las Vegas casinos give out complimentary drinks to guests who are actively gambling. You don’t have to be spending thousands of dollars, but you do have to put some money at risk.
Casinos used to give free drinks to anyone who was seen sitting at a slot machine but casinos are now adopting automated drink monitoring systems. Essentially, what this means is the casino can tell how much you’re actually gambling. And they don’t want to hand out free drinks to people who spend an hour slowly gambling away $5 at the same slot machine.
If you want comp drinks you must play at a moderate pace for at least 10 to 15 minutes. This will make it much more likely that the casino will give you a comp drink. Also, I find it easier to get free drinks while playing table games like roulette or blackjack. The waitresses don’t know how long you have been gambling or how much you have put at risk, so everyone at these tables tend to get free drinks more often. You don’t need to gamble a massive amount, many of these tables have low minimums and they move at a slow pace.
3. Drink Deals On Vegas Club Crawls
Clubs crawls are another way to get free drinks. A clubs crawl is a tour that visits several top nightclubs over the course of the night, often skipping lines. When you sign up for the crawl, there are open bar or buy one get one specials that are offered at each of the venues. I’ve even gotten a couple of free shots before just for being on the club crawl.
You’re not guaranteed to get a ton of free alcohol on theses tours but they always have specials worked out with the venues that you visit, so the drinks that you do buy will be much cheaper. They also always play a combination of drinking games where the alcohol is supplied, so you’re guaranteed to get something.
Club crawls are also one of the easiest ways to meet people in Vegas. The hosts get everyone mingling, so you and your friends don’t have to awkwardly stand in a circle by the bar. I highly recommend club crawls, especially if it’s your first time partying in Vegas.
4. Getting Complimentary Bottle Service
Complimentary or “comp” bottle service is where a nightclub gives you a free bottle service table that normally would have costed thousands of dollars. This may sound too good to be true but it happens every single night. Empty tables make a nightclub look bad, so they give away the unsold tables.
There is a specific process that you need to follow to get one of these comp tables that I explain more in depth here. But, comp tables are reserved for groups of all girls. Unfortunately, if you have any guys in your group you won’t be able to get a comp.
When you secure a comp table you’ll get a free bottle (usually vodka or tequila) for every 4 or 5 girls in your group. You’ll also get unlimited mixers to make whatever mixed drinks you want. This will equate to at least 2 to 3 drinks per person, depending on how heavy you pour.
Comp tables are the best way to get free drinks in Las Vegas. Not only do you get a full bottle of free alcohol, but you also get real estate within the club. The table gives you a place to sit down and put all of your stuff. This is huge, as there is no seating in the general admission areas of nightclubs. When you run out of alcohol you have the option of purchasing another bottle or just getting drinks at the bar.
You are however, expected to tip the cocktail waitress. You don’t have to go overboard ($10 – $15 per person is enough), but it’s a bad look when you don’t tip. Everything else is 100% free.
Related Questions
How do I sign up for the guest list? To sign up for nightclub guest lists in Las Vegas you either need to talk to a promoter or sign up online. Guest list sign up is completely free and takes less than 2 minutes. Guest lists are also available for dayclubs and pool parties.
Is the guest list only for women? Women get free entry to all clubs when they sign up for the guest list. Men are required to have an even ratio of women (or more women than men) in their group to get free entry at most clubs. However, there are a few clubs that allow men free admission without ratio. You can check out what Vegas clubs require ratio here.
Do Vegas nightclubs have a dress code? All nightclubs in Las Vegas have a slightly different dress code. For men a dress shirt, dark jeans and dress shoes will work at every Vegas club. Most women wear a dress that fits their body well, paired with heels. Flats are acceptable too, but are less common. You can check out full dress code guides for men and women here.
