Should You Tip Dealers at Casinos?

There are many rules that surround proper gambling etiquette in land-based casinos. However, one that is frequently debated is whether or not to tip the dealer before leaving a table. For some people, it may come as a natural reaction to leave a bit of money behind after gaming. Perhaps for others, it would seem strange to do this for a person who has simply handed out cards to you.

Yet is there a common rule that should be obeyed when it comes to providing a dealer with a tip? Let’s take a look at this and find out if there is anything that is considered to be the norm.

Country Specifics

Tipping in casinos is often like anything else, meaning that it can depend upon which country you are in. For example, should you be gaming in a casino in the United States or Macau, these are locations that very much have positive attitudes towards tips. Not only in casinos, but in restaurants, hotels, and pretty much all places where you receive a service. Therefore, when playing at a US or Macau casino, you’ll most likely be expected to tip dealers, cashiers, slot machine attendants, and more.

On the other hand, if you’re gambling in a country that doesn’t have such protocols, like Barcelona, Spain, for example, then you won’t find that there’s a high expectation for dealers to receive a tip. It’s also potentially the case that you will draw some unwanted attention should you try to provide them with a tip in such countries.

You really need to learn about the etiquette in the country that you’re residing in or visiting when it comes to tipping. In fact, tipping in casinos only became legal in England in the most recent of times. Therefore, while it has become a legality to do it there, it’s not specifically expected, and if you do opt to do it, then it’s not necessary to leave something as large as you would give at a Las Vegas casino.

Who Should You Leave a Tip For?

While conforming to certain tipping rules is one thing, you need to know who it is necessary to leave tips for as well. One thing to be aware of before leaving a tip is that it’s safe to assume that anyone receiving tips from a gambler is receiving such to make up the majority of their salary. Because of this, it’s also safe to believe that these employees are also paid quite a low hourly rate by the casino. Therefore, with these things in mind, you should be able to remember that leaving a tip is not only good etiquette but a sign of your gratitude towards their services.

Now, it’s obvious that not all casino games have dealers. Take, for example, if you play a slot game. These don’t have dealers, but in this instance, you can always tip the cashier who assists with any transactions. Or perhaps you can tip any slot machine attendant that is nearby, should you be a winner. With regard to the cashier, it’s often appropriate to leave a tip of at least $1, while if you win big on a slot machine, standard etiquette dictates that the attendant receives five percent of your total.

The Table Games

Table games are a different matter to involve yourself with when it comes to tipping. Therefore, if you decide to play roulette, blackjack, poker, craps, baccarat, or anything else, you’ll need to take note of different tipping rules. In this instance, you will be expected to leave a tip for the dealer. Yet the amount that you leave for them will depend upon a few different factors, namely how much you win (if at all) and the length of time that you spend playing at that specific table.

It’s appropriate to tip the dealer with an amount that rests somewhere between 15% and 20% of the amount that you purchase in chips – not just initially, but throughout the course of gameplay. Again, this does have a bit more of a country-specific level, as in England, for example, this reduces down to around 10% to 15% of your funds. The important thing to remember here is that if you go on to win larger amounts from whichever table game(s) you decide to play, the dealer will also be expecting a larger tip.

How You Should Go About Tipping the Dealer

Providing a dealer with a tip needn’t be something that you have to do in a specific way. Instead, you can go about it in several different ways. You can share your tip with him/her every so often, if you’re breaking it down into smaller, more frequent tips. Alternatively, you can set up a static amount for each of the sessions that the dealer works at the table you’re at. If you want to, you can give a dealer a tip as they exit the table that you’re playing at. Naturally, should you be participating in high-stakes games, the tip amount should be increased to reflect this.

It’s important that you don’t hand casino chips to a dealer as a tip, though. Chips are supposed to be utilized in order to benefit the casino itself, and most establishments frown upon dealers taking them. Rather than handing them to the dealer, you should simply place the chips on the table in a separate area from your betting space and state that they belong to the dealer instead.

One other thing to do is share your winnings with them. Opting to do this means that your tips should stand somewhere between one and five percent of each of the pots that you win. Tips given in this way should increase if you continue to win more pots afterwards. Of course, should you not be successful in winning much from games, then you won’t be expected to leave a tip behind at all.

Deciding to Tip Non-Dealers

Casinos employ a large number of staff, many of whom are not dealers or croupiers. So, if you arrive in a car and have it valeted, the assistant who deals with this for you may expect a tip. Doing so can often motivate valets to retrieve your car in a speedier way than the norm, too.

Furthermore, if you leave your bags to be taken care of by a bellhop, then they will expect a minimum tip of around $2. Should you have several bags, it’s necessary to increase this per bag. Waiters and waitresses working in the casino to provide you with drinks and other refreshments will also expect to be on the receiving end of tips. Every time they deliver a drink to you, an amount of around $1 will be an adequate tip.

A tip will generally be expected whenever you receive a service from someone in a casino. And while this does often depend upon the profile of the casino and the country that you’re gambling in, tips will generally not be declined. Even if you play a game at a table where a dealer makes the gameplay as deplorable as possible, a tip should still be left – although, in this instance, it’s perfectly fine to leave the minimum.

Plus, while tips for dealers are for providing a great round of gameplay, the tips that you provide to other employees of these establishments will usually be given for prompt service. Furthermore, if a staff member is helpful and/or friendly to you, your tip should be increased to reflect your gratitude of this. There’s nothing that a casino can do to force you to provide a tip to any of these employees, of course. It’s a voluntary process, not mandatory. However, the general etiquette dictates that you, as the player, should be prepared to provide a monetary reward for receiving good service from dealers and other casino employees.