Updated August 7, 2023
Attempting to hail a cab from the curb is ill-advised for a number of reasons.
Las Vegas isn't a city like New York, in which cabs cruise all day long picking people up wherever they happen to thrust an index finger in the air. Las Vegas' thoroughfares are too wide and traffic moves too fast for a cabbie to make abrupt stops for pickups without endangering himself and the drivers around him.
Because most cabs are radio dispatched or heading to an authorized pickup zone (like the airport or a casino), they're all either loaded and going somewhere or on their way to a call, so they won't stop for you. (If someone does try to hail a cab you're in, and if the driver stops and tries to double on your ride, call the Taxicab Authority immediately. It might seem unlikely for that to happen, but we've heard from people to whom it has.)
Also, the Taxicab Authority stresses that cabbies shouldn't pick up "flags," which represent the highest percentage of cab robberies.
Every hotel in Las Vegas, whether it's on the Strip, downtown, or out in the neighborhoods, has a taxi stand. Simply head out the front door of the lobby and look for the cabs or the sign for the loading zone.
If you're not at or near a hotel, as we say, the best way to get a cab is to call one. Just about every convenience store or bar will phone a cab company for you. Or use your cell phone to look up and dial the number of a cab company.
Even if you're at a hotel taxi stand, you may experience frustration after waiting for a cab for a long time, only to have one one pull in, unload, and leave without picking up a passenger. This isn't a case of the driver being rude or unhelpful: Check the rear fender and you'll see a red plaque denoting that the cab is "geographically restricted" and cannot pick up at the airport, the Strip, or downtown. This rule was introduced by the TA so that people away from prime tourist areas still have a chance to get a cab.