Money

The official currency of Las Vegas is the US Dollar (USD), which is divided into 100 cents.

1. Currency Exchange

All major banks exchange foreign currencies in Las Vegas. Tourists may also opt for currency exchange bureaus found at the airport terminals. All major ATM cards and travelers' checks are accepted widely all over Las Vegas. In order to avoid unnecessary hassles, tourists are advised to carry travelers' checks in US dollars. General banking hours are from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

2. Telecommunications

The area code of Las Vegas is 702. The same code is used for calling the surrounding communities of Green Valley, Mt. Charleston, Henderson and Boulder City, including Jean and Primm, the Stateline exits. Although Laughlin also falls under this area code, calls made from Las Vegas to this place are considered to be long distance calls and require the area code before dialing the specific phone number. In order to make international phone calls from Las Vegas, tourists need to dial 011 followed by the specific country code and then the area code again followed by the specific phone number. The usual rates charged by most of the hotels for making local calls comes approximately around 50 cents to $3. Tourists can also use pay phones found in the lobbies of most hotels or use their own mobiles. Las Vegas is reputed for its good signal and network coverage even in an enclosed space. Cingular and T-mobile are two of the largest GSM networks operating in the US. Internet facilities are available in most areas. Dial 411 to reach directory assistance.

International country code: + 1 (U.S.A.)

3. Cab Fares

A ride from the McCarran Airport to the Center Strip would cost around $10 to $14 while a trip from the same airport to the South Strip may cost approximately $8.50 to $12. For reaching the North Strip from McCarran Airport you may have to pay around $11 to $15. A ride from the Airport to Downtown would cost approximately $15 to $19 and to the Boulder Strip it would come around $13 to $17. All these fares are applicable for taxis carrying 1 to 5 passengers. Fares may be more in case the number of passengers increases.

4. Currency Exchange Rates

1 American Dollar (US$1) = £0.54; C$1.11; A$1.34; €0.78

5. Taxes

A service charge is usually added to the bill of all restaurants and hotels. A 7% sales tax is applied in Las Vegas and a 6% tax is charged at the time of hiring cars. Tourists would also need to pay an 8% hotel tax. A 17.5% VAT is included in all commodities.

6. Tipping

It is customary in Las Vegas to express gratitude or appreciation for good services through tips. On the other hand, receivers of poor services may immediately contact the concerned authority to report the poor service quality. Tipping in Las Vegas has been broken primarily into two categories, namely the average visitors and local residents and the other section who are considered as the ‘high roller' and receive money from the casinos. The amount of tipping also depends on the section of the people paying the tip. While a cocktail waitress of a casino receives $1 tip per round from other people, a high roller person pays around $5 per round. Both the amounts are applicable for parties of one or two. Usually slot attendants receive a tip of $1 to $5 during the play and more if you have hit the jackpot. The same slot attendants would receive a tip of around $10 to $25 from the high rollers during the play and more for hitting the jackpot. General people pay 15% to 20% of the wine bill as a tip to the wine stewards while high rollers usually pay a tip of 20 to 30% of the wine bill. The standard tip of Limo drivers is $5 for short rides, assisting with the luggage and helpful information whereas the same service would require a tip of $10 from a high roller. A ride through difficult routes might require a higher amount of tipping. The tip for taxi drivers will be about $2 and $5 for the richer section. The same rule applies for bartenders, maids and hairdressers as well.