If you were to ask a Las Vegas local why they don’t make a habit out of gambling in tourist areas, like The Strip, be prepared to listen to a long list. From overcrowding to excessive fees, and a few things in between, I’ve compiled a list from my local’s perspective after living in the valley for over six years.
Both in gaming and everyday life, time is money! The Strip will suck that money right out of you when it comes to the amount of time it takes to make it through the heavy traffic, find parking in a congested garage, and then begin your long journey to the actual gaming floor. Inversely, the local casinos are designed for convenience from the start. Because local spots are a dime a dozen, locals typically pick a casino or spot like PT’s Taverns in their specific neck of the woods. For me, I made a weekend home of playing early morning slots at either Rampart Casino or Suncoast Casino in Summerlin. These neighborhood casinos provided me with far less traffic (only a three minute drive!), way more convenient parking, and the walk to the gaming floor took mere seconds compared to ten minutes.
Speaking of parking, that is another prime example as to why locals avoid The Strip, just like I did. With only a handful of exceptions, parking at the mega casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard often comes with a not so pretty price tag. Many locals find it hard to swallow a $50 parking charge when they can park at the less hectic local spots for free. The M Resort Spa Casino is a mega casino of its own, a popular choice alongside Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino for Henderson residents.
Becoming a recognized face is also far easier to accomplish, at least in my opinion, at the local spots. Yes, if you are dropping $100K per visit, they’ll probably recognize you wherever you go, but for those of us with a more modest budget, going to a spot with less foot traffic helps you become a regular faster. Achieving regular status comes with a few nice perks including more drink attention (only if you tip, which you should), becoming friendly with the dealers, and beginning to feel like it is a “third place” you can go to relax and socialize. Before COVID, my husband and I would frequent Rampart at least twice a week to play $5 blackjack and relax. It was our favorite date night that often came with a free meal thanks to comps.
I do think that comps are better at the local spots too. Using my blackjack example from above, our meals were often comped because we not only played enough to meet the threshold but we befriended the whole pit crew. The pit boss oftentimes would just need to toss a glance our way and we would smile. That smile let him know we were ready for food and he would come by to ask what we were in the mood for. It never felt like we were asking for too much or being a bother. I have yet to have a single meal on The Strip comped and if you have seen me gamble out in the wild, you know I can put in some damage (aka earn a comp).
With all of this being said, there are some exceptions! Although The Plaza Hotel & Casino is located right next to Fremont Street, a high traffic tourist location, it was still a place that my friends and I would frequent often, and being downtown already easier to access than The Strip. This is because The Plaza would always validate our parking, we know a lot of the people that work there now, and it is easy to get to. Additionally, if you are eating at Oscar’s you can park directly across from the side entrance – it takes approximately 47 seconds to reach the gaming floor.
I also enjoyed Resorts World Las Vegas from time to time. Depending on the season, parking was free and the gaming floor wasn’t too busy. While the food and beverage comps weren’t amazing, I would still pop in to claim my $25 credit and get some playing time in.
South Point is our local spot. Lots of parking, free events, slots and tables, movies, bowling – they have it all! I like the taverns but they focus on keno (which I am not a fan)
South Point is a great option! Their buffet pricing is also quite generous for those still looking for that classic Vegas experience.