When you visit Las Vegas, how do you handle your "bankroll"?

We stopped getting travellers checks since ATMs have become so easy to find - but I'm thinking that ATMs in Vegas may be A) expensive B) tempting!

When David and I travel together we split our travel money between us, reducing the risk of losing all of it (I mean misplace, not playing!)

Obviously most food, hotel, car etc can be put on the plastic, but a Vegas vacation seems to call for more liquid funds, How do you keep your cash safe?

(and yes, to me, finances are the most personal thing you can ask about!)

Kes

Kes, I find Traveler's Checks the most convenient way for me to have a ready cash supply. ATMs are in all the casinos. I've never used them but it looks to me like they charge an arm and BOTH legs in fees.

You're right, they are convenient and tempting. And isn't there a daily limit on how much cash you can withdraw?

I keep my TCs in the room safe and cash them as needed. I always have a bundle of one dollar bills in my pocket for tokes.

Last, I always have my cell phone so I can call someone to bail me out and a full tank of gas so I can get home. :rolleyes:

Kestral,

I have established credit at several casino's I like to play at.

Even if I don't plan to play there, I can get cash at any of them.

Kestral - I'd recommend staying AWAY from the ATMs. The local ATM will charge you a fee to use them (between $2 and $3) and then your own bank will charge you another fee on top of that. And don't even think of using a credit card to get cash - they'll charge you a percentage of the amount you take out.

As Jeff has done, I've established lines of credit at a few of the casinos that I frequent. You just go up to the casino cage and ask them to make a withdrawal. It's like a bank but with no fees.

Traveler's checks make perfect sense too. There's nothing wrong with using them.

I usually keep my extra cash in the safe in my hotel room. I usually stay at NYNY and they've got good quality safes right in the walls.

Kestral,

We use travelers checks. As already mentioned, cash advance from a credit card is VERY expensive. We keep a record of traveler checks cashed in the event any are lost or stolen. They are then refundable. Any cashier in any casino will cash them. The change booths usually (???) do not cash them. Keep in mind, if you lose your credit card, a finder does not need a pin number to get a cash advance from your credit card. A few times we have also cashed a personal check.

We also use travelers checks. As Fred said, any cashiers cage will cash them. If you belong to AAA, you can get them for no fee at their offices. Anyway that's the case in Ohio.

Kestral,

I usually cash personal checks as needed. I arrange in advance with the cage at the casino we're staying in for credit which includes check cashing privileges. Some of the casinos will cash a check for a few hundred without prior arrangement if you can prove who you are and if you're good looking like Lee and Wendell. I also take some cash from home so The BW can get started on the machines as soon as we walk in the door while I check in.

Bob

Kestral: (is that your name or a made up username?) I don't remember ever taking the "Walk of Shame" (as some call it) to an ATM or using one out of my hometown? We take some cash, some travelers checks, and some hide money! I once asked my host if I was completly tapped out and needed to get home if he would front me? He said he would; but he knew that I would never ask or have to ask!! I keep a couple of my Bank checks in my wallet also....I don't know the charge on ATM's in Las Vegas, but I am sure they sock it to you?........

Irish,
I know people that use the ATM's instead of travelers checks, thay claim that it's cheaper, and more convent. for example $500 from atm cost $3.00, $500 traveler checks cost $7.50.

Susan, we are AAA members - thats a good reminder. I will get the TC's there.

Ive always felt a little uncomfortable about in room safes; wondering who else might have a master key. But then I guess that's true for your hotel room as well!

And Irish -- my mother named me Cindy. What did your mother name you? (Irish? Mick?)

A lot of good advice and experience from everyone on this question - thanks a lot!

Kes//Cindy

Mike is right about the casino ATM fees, but to me, the convenience is worth the price. I've never established a line of credit with a casino because I'm definitely a low-roller, but I do have check cashing privileges at Orleans and Sam's Town. I would rather cash a check since that's another way to get the casino to offer a few comps. LOL, my brother would cash checks at Harrah's in Tahoe/Reno but actually play elsewhere, and Harrah's sent him $250 in free play ...twice! I actually play more at Harrah's, and they sent me $10 each time.

I don't find the ATMs tempt me to play more for the simple reason that my card is tied into a small vacation account with a low daily withdrawl limit that I've never felt the need to raise<g>. The only time I've gotten travelers checks at AAA was to bring home winnings after a Royal since I don't like to carry that much cash.

Daisy:
I would never have thought of going to AAA to get travelers checks to take home money from a win. What a great idea. Sadly, I guess I've never had to worry about that. Anyway you've given me something to store away in the back of my mind if the need ever arises.

Susan

Kestral,

Way back when I used to stay at the Rio regularly, they had a rash of break-ins with their in-room safes. If you forget your password or the safe won't work for some reason, they send security up and they get it open. In other words, they can be opened by someone other than you.

My bank has a $200/day limit on withdraws using the cash card. They say it can't be raised

I tried to get a cashiers check from several banks one time when I'd had a very good trip. They wouldn't sell me one since I didn't have an account there.

If you have one property you like to stay and play at all the time, I think the credit line is the way to go. You can get money at the cage or at a table. You can use the money there or somewhere else. If you don't leave town a loser, you can pay off your markers before you leave town and you don't owe them anything then. Also, I can't believe having a credit line doesn't help you with comps.

I have several places that issue us travelers checks at no charge....AAA, Credit Union, our Bank, so any use of an ATM is a cost that might win me the "Megabucks".. :rolleyes: I can cash up to several grand at our Casino/Hotel but I somehow would rather cash TC's??..After the statement by DaisyDeuces, I may have to rethink that idea??... Cindy(Kestral)My parents gave me the name of Richard but my dad was nicknamed "Mick" from birth and after he passed I chose that monicker as my username....

About those Rio safes ....when the Deuces & I stayed there, I set up the safe with my numbers but didn't put anything in it.... came back after touring and was going to lock up my camera, but I couldn't get back into it. I was commenting on the quality of the safe when Jason came over and told me he'd been playing around with it, and he accidentally discovered a "reset" code ...which was pretty #*$%! simple. I have no idea how often they change those reset codes, but my opinion of the quality/safety of the Rio safes hasn't changed<g>.

Yikes, Daisy - the camera! I am so accustomed to David carrying the camera around (he's a real photo guy) This means if I bring the camera with me to Vegas, I have to carry it with me al the time???? Bummer! Cindy

Jeff,
"My bank has a $200/day limit on withdraws using the cash card. They say it can't be raised"

My under standing is that the ATM's in the casino's don't write it up as cash but as entertainment, and there is no daily limit. I could be wrong but that was the way it was explained to me.

My situation is a little different, since I have my account at a local bank, I hit their ATM before entering the casino and don't get charged with the ATM fees. When we eat out, we always burn the plastic for the meal. And I protect my cash with the security of Mr. Ruger.

Larry,

I tried to pull $200 from a machine in Vegas once several years ago. It wouldn't let me. Thought about it a while and tried for $180 which worked. Seems the $2.00 fee put my $200 request over the limit.

I can use my discover card in an ATM machine and get as much as I'd want for the $2.00 fee. I think Discover then tacks on a cash advance fee. Nothing like the cash advance machines, but still a pain. The other problem with that is they start charging interest the day you pull the money. Paying off in full when the statement comes doesn't eliminate it.

Jeff,
I have a $500 limit on both of my cards and sence it comes right out of my checking accounts, there is no intrest, and is alot cheaper then travelers checks. So between that and just writing a check at the casino, I carry very little cash with me.

Kestral,
Excellent question. Me and the wife will be going next Saturday and were just discussing how we would handle the money situation. Usually, we bring a set amount in cash and have a set amount available in multiple bank accounts for atm withdrawal as necessary...however, listening to the posts, we are going to change our approach and bring some cash and the rest in travelers checks (of course, atm withdrawals will be available upon request ) We find the ATM is not that bad from our credit union account (no fees) and it only has a $200 dollar a day limit. We'll let you know how the travelers checks pans out for us on our return...

I always get Travelers Checks from AAA. Great tip about using AAA for winnings but like Susan, I haven't been that fortunate YET!!
Hubby and I have a daily allotment which I am pretty strick about...he's not :rolleyes: . However, I usually come home with a few TC and he doesn't .