So a key “frugal” tactic–one which has always applied, but now so more than ever–is to patronize those places that still have to exert themselves to attract customers. This means going off-Strip to find places to stay and gamble. It also might mean abandoning Vegas altogether. I recommend that spring and summertime visitors consider Reno instead. Vegas (kind of surprisingly to me) is high-priced during the summer. Reno has everything that Vegas has, albeit on a smaller scale, and the summer weather is delightful rather than hellish. The rooms and food are cheaper, the gambling is better, and returning to the perspective of the article, the casinos there actively court your business even if you aren’t betting tens of thousands of dollars a day.