How Much Money Should I Take to Vegas?
Daily spending money, tier by tier
Tight budget: $75-$125/day gets you casual meals, happy-hour drinks, the Deuce or Monorail, and free attractions. Comfortable: $150-$300/day adds rideshares, a good dinner, and a show or attraction. High roller: $500+/day once nightclubs, dayclubs, steakhouses and premium tickets enter the picture.
These figures assume your room is already paid. If it isn't, remember the advertised rate is not the real rate - resort fees and tax add $50-$70 to most Strip nights.
Your gambling bankroll is a separate number
Decide it before you leave, keep it separate from your spending money, and treat it as the price of entertainment - the house has the long-run edge in every game, so plan for the money to be spent, not returned. Many casual players bring $100-$300 per gambling day; what matters is that losing all of it wouldn't hurt.
How long it lasts depends almost entirely on which game you play and your bet size - the same $200 lasts hours at a $5 blackjack table playing basic strategy and minutes at $15 spins on a slot. Our free calculators show the honest math.
Cash vs card in Vegas
Cards and phone wallets are accepted essentially everywhere, so you don't need a wad of cash for normal spending. Carry $50-$100 a day in small bills anyway: tips for dealers, cocktail servers, valets and housekeeping run on cash, and some taxis and small vendors still prefer it.
Avoid casino-floor ATMs if you can - fees of $8-$10 per withdrawal are common. Pull cash before you fly or at a bank branch off the floor, and never chase losses with an ATM trip.
Plan it precisely
Five minutes with the trip-cost calculator beats any rule of thumb - it totals the room (with resort fees and tax), food, shows, transport and bankroll from your own inputs.
Related
Independent Las Vegas visitor guide — not affiliated with any hotel, casino, show, or the city. Prices, fees, shows, and hours change constantly; verify current details before you book.