Over the last year the narrative that Vegas visitation is down, particularly among those on tighter budgets, has been pretty loud and persistent. Some players feared casinos would tighten the payouts as a result, but as we’ve shared here, things haven’t changed so much there.
But a lot of the reporting focuses on the expensive, and that makes sense. The price of everything seems to be scrutinized heavily, from steaks all the way down to bottles of water. My experience buying a $6.50 bottle of soda a couple of years ago was one of my wake up calls that Vegas is getting harder to do on a budget. Of course, it’s not impossible.
And lately, some new offers and changes are offering those on a budget some breathing room. Let’s take a look.
The Rise of the All Inclusive Package
One of the biggest areas where things are quickly evolving is the proliferation of offers that give players a more complete option for a set price. Many of these are targeting summer visitors, a time of year where Vegas tends to be a bit slower because the temperatures are a bit uncomfortable for those not used to desert heat.
A common thread is the general inclusion of hotel, meals, and other perks, giving those on a budget a more predictable price since the core key needs for a visit are already inclusive in the price. For those watching their pennies, that can be really helpful. Many are priced for weeknight availability, where hotels have a harder time filling rooms, so be sure to review the terms.
Downtown Las Vegas
We first saw this concept downtown, where a number of hotels were offering packages that included elements beyond the hotel room. Plaza has on a number of occasions, and again this sunmer, rolled out an all inclusive package that includes the price of a room, two meals a day, and drinks at certain bars, with resort fees included (and the perks that go with it, such as self parking).
Other downtown casinos have followed suit. The California Hotel & Casino is offering a SoCal package this month targeting California visitors specifically and including the room, meals, the resort fee and parking. Right after this article was posted, Circa announced their summer package was back for 2026.
Las Vegas Strip
But now, strip properties are getting in on the action. MGM Resorts International has announced a two night package for Luxor and Excalibur starting at $330 (weeknights will be more affordable than weekends). Three meals a day are included (and options reach beyond those properties, good for some diversity), as are a pair of tickets to a show off a list of about a half dozen options, and even a ride on New York New York’s roller coaster.
Caesars Entertainment has also recently rolled out their own all inclusive option for summer, which works a bit differently. While the above options are all designed for two people, and for two nights, Caesars prices theirs per person, per day. The first person is $200/night, and additional people are $100 a night. Included is a hotel room at your choice of Flamingo, Linq or Harrah’s, two meals a day per person, bottomless drinks at select bars, self parking for one car, and two tickets for the High Roller.
Resorts World offers an option this summer for $150/night/person that includes two multi-course meals, valet parking, Zouk nightclub access and access to their private lounge.
This isn’t necessarily an exhaustive list, but for those interested in visiting Las Vegas this summer, there’s a lot of options to review and choose from, and we expect more will pop up to compete.
Meal and Drink Deals
I previously wrote about some of the newer All You Can Eat promotions showing up at restaurants, but more broadly meal and drink deals are showing up, even for those not partaking in all inclusive options.
For a few years now TAP Sports Bar at Excalibur has offered a 3 for $33 promotion, which includes an appetizer, main and drink. Normally this is only available during the week. A happy hour special at the MGM Grand location of TAP offers a burger and fries for $9.99.
$5 beers are offered at many Caesars properties, an improvement over previous pricing for bar-goers. These offers are on top of the even more generous promotions by locals casinos, which have always had a leg up on affordable options, such as a $2 margarita at Stations Casinos.
And of course if you’re willing to venture out of bigger properties, options like Casino Royale, Slots a Fun at Circus Circus, and Stage Door have traditionally offered great deals on drinks and food.
Improving Gaming Conditions
Many lament the changes that have occurred since the pandemic. Our contributor John Mehaffey regularly writes about these changes not only for us, but his own website Vegas Advantage, and has recently shared pieces around things like minimum bet inflation on table games that show just how quickly the cost of gambling has risen at some places (the average increase being 76%).
But he’s also highlighted some of the player friendly changes that have come up recently. A few examples include:
- Lower table minimums at Palms, Gold Coast and Rio, as the competition within that neighborhood heats up
- The rebound of 3/2 Blackjack at many casinos
- Wynn removing triple zero roulette across the property
Takeaway
The inevitable increase in the cost of doing business means we won’t see a return to some of the crazy Las Vegas values that may have existed in the past, but with some feeling the pinch right now, there does seem to be a renewed effort to offer value to those looking for it.
Thank you Joshua. I did want to mention that The M Resort on the Strip has been offering package deals since they built their new Tower Hotel addition last fall. We have played there in the past, but have not stayed in their hotel. They sent me 3 Free Nights, $500 FP plus $400 travel expenses reimbursement when checking in with my receipt (addl FP). Some property credit for food also. We have received similar from Fontainebleau.
Thanks for that report! We’re definitely seeing more aggressive efforts across the board, whether the casino offers players receive or fixed price packages for those who don’t have comps. Certainly relative to recent years there’s some new opportunities for those interested in a trip to Las Vegas (although flights might be a counterweight for those not in driving distance).