Question of the Day - 07 May 2024

Every jurisdiction is different, of course, but we rarely see tip jars at cages in Nevada. In fact, we can't remember ever seeing a cashier's tip jar in Las Vegas. 

Would the presence of a tip jar influence our inclination to tip a cashier? Probably not. Although we're George in almost all tipping situations, the cage cashier is a case of its own and this is the first time we've ever answered a tipping question about it.  

Here are some of the sentiments we've heard and found about tipping casino cage cashiers.

First, there's the zero tip, though it's possible that it isn't exactly a stiffing situation, since tipping cashiers in general isn't warranted or expected. No one, at least in our experience, tips a supermarket cashier or the fast-food employee who takes your money and gives you change, or a restaurant cashier who doesn't serve you, or for that matter, a bank teller, who's analogous to a cage cashier. Some cashiers, we've noticed, do have tip jars next to their point-of-sale stations, but that has always seemed a little far-fetched to us. It's not, to be sure, as downright ludicrous as what we saw once at an airport: At a self-service grab-n-go kiosk, the automated point-of-sale screen at the self-checkout station asked for a tip! But we'd say it comes close. 

Fact is, most transactions at the cage take less than a minute, just an exchange of chips or coins for cash.  

Then there's the idea that some little gratuity is good form at a casino cage, say $1. We do concede that tipping is taken to somewhat of an extreme at the casino for some reason and some people believe that cage employees taking good care of your money are worth a buck or two.

Others routinely take the loose $1 chips that can’t be colored up at the table to the cage to toss at the cashier, though those chips are tossed more often at the dealer.

For good tippers, especially if they're in major profit territory, they'll often duke the cashiers $5-$10. We've known some who believe it's not even a service thing, just a gesture of thanks and good karma. Some excessive (in our opinion) Georges, meanwhile, again off a big win, will hand back anything less than a $20 bill -- all the $1s, $5s, and $10s. 

And here's another consideration that Anthony talks about from time to time on the LVA video. If you're a regular at the casino and you see the cashiers fairly frequently, and they see you, that puts a different spin on the situation and usually calls for at least something. Even if you don't normally toke the cage when, for example, you're just visiting a casino and won't return, it's more appropriate at your local house, where you might want to show a little appreciation to people who serve you from time to time.

As for us, we don't really see the need to toke a cage cashier in most situations, which as we say takes less than a minute. Sure, if we dump a boatload of chips on the counter and the cashier has to sort, count, rack, and pay out cash, that's another story. Then we'll hand back the stray singles. Anything a cage cashier receives is always appreciated, since it's generally not expected.

And when, once a year around Christmas, we carry in cans of coins, for example to Silver Sevens or Gold Coast, to change into bills, that's a definite tipping event in which we always hand over the remaining change and anything less than a $5. If it's only a leftover buck or two, we'll reach for another buck or two.

One time on a Christmas Eve a few years ago, the cashier handling our coins asked where we got the rectangular clear-plastic container with an attached lid that our quarters were in; she told us she was looking for exactly that for school lunches for her daughter, who was always losing the lids. Instead of admitting that it came from a Dollar Store, we just put the extra change and dollar bills into it, shut the lid, and handed the whole thing to her as the tip, saying "Merry Christmas." That was a no-brainer and made our day as much as hers.

But as we say, in most instances, a quick transaction is just that and we're pretty sure the cashier doesn't expect a tip for a few wrist motions.