Sunday, January 11, 2009

Las Vegas Coupon Sources

Coupons are available for Las Vegas gambling, dining (buffets , restaurants, fast food), shows, attractions, spa treatments, drinks, car rentals, nightclub cover charges, transportation..pick a legal activity in Vegas and you can likely find a coupon for it. As you'd expect, the best (defined as the most valuable) coupon sources require varying yet modest levels of investment. If you Google "Las Vegas Coupons", you'll be inundated with sources that may or may not provide you with a legitimate coupon source. Some of the results will direct you to sites that only offer hotel promo codes for room rates ; these can still be worthwhile or potentially valuable but there might not be one coupon offered on the entire site. Ohh, Eureka. Can you say "dam!" ? Some general tips about potential coupons and coupon sources are :

1. Make certain of exactly what you're getting ; inquire and ask.

2. Check expiration dates ; there's some internet sites that are still offering coupons that expired in 2005 (really)

3. Try and have the coupons in your hands earlier than you think you'll need them; this goes back to trip planning which we've
emphasized as one key to a fun , value-conscious Vegas trip ; order them at least 3-4 weeks before any intended trip and
follow up on your order with e-mails / phone calls just to make sure you get them as promised / needed.

4. Once you receive the coupons, organize them so you can access them easily while you're sprinting in the parking garage of
casino X in Vegas; we always have a ton of them and I've found a good way to efficiently organize them is to make a log
of the entire mass of coupons (by property and specific held coupons for gambling, dining, etc.; a "master " list, if you will ).
Subsequently, we place all the coupons for a particular property into a legal size envelope that's labeled for that property
and specifically list what those coupons are for right on the exterior envelope surface. This approach allows you to grab
a single envelope containing all the coupons and the specific coupon savings you're about to enjoy at that specific property.
It does require a little effort and time ; it will save you at least a few bucks.

5. If you have more than one coupon for the same specific use and from the same source, many of these indicate that you can
only use one coupon per person per year. I've had 6 identical matchplay coupons for blackjack from the same source that
I've used at the specified locale over a three to four day period; sometimes you can use up identical gambling coupons on
the same day if you wait until the next personnel shift change and be savvy enough to not try and redeem them at a gaming
table with the same dealer / pit crew. Common sense applies here.

6. Select your coupon sources / coupons for the activities you enjoy most (dining, gambling, attractions,etc.); bulk coupon
sources have varying numbers of these..there's that planning thing again.

7. You'll discover that very few coupons are available from the so-called "high - roller" properties or for upper end shows and
most coupons are offered from off-strip locales; coupons are a means for those casinos with less "kitsch" or demand to
attract patrons and thereby attempt to compete with the big dogs. The economic situation might skew this traditional
situation regarding coupons ; we'll see

8. If you're a player's club member or signed up on casino website e-mail lists (there's that factor again) you might receive
some coupons from those sources. Join..:)

9. You can order multiple copies of most if not all of the following coupon sources..we do routinely. You just have to redeem
them with a well-planned approach.



The following are sources for either free print or downloadable Las Vegas coupons (most common but certainly not all available sources) ; many of the free coupons from the following sources are available in most casino - hotel lobbies , rooms, and/or in taxis after you arrive in Vegas but there's an obvious planning / time efficiency plus in obtaining these before you travel. Note that you'll have to pay for a subscription to some of these sources ( annual or single -issues, etc.) before you can obtain their coupons (did I say "free" coupons?..well..you know..).

1. What's On Magazine ; likely the largest single source of printed free coupons. They have a page within their website that allows you to download assorted free coupons for use in Vegas. It's being updated as I write this and is not functional presently. You can subscribe to the magazine ( for a fee) and receive it through the US mail and collect the coupons before your trip which is an advantage for time -savings .

2. 24/7 Magazine ; lots of second tier show coupons and tour coupons plus
a plethora of advertisements and assorted guides for shows,buffets, gaming,etc. Publishers are the same bunch that publishes
Vegas Values below. You can get a free subscription to the Vegas Values coupon book through the 24/7 site.

3. Vegas Values ; this booklet is actually the true "coupon book" offered from 24/7 Magazine above. The link is a part of their website. You can request a free current copy of Vegas Values by sending an e-mail on the above subscription page. Good free coupon source.

4. Las Vegas Leisure Guide ; You can download some
discount coupons here ; as of this writing, they're updating / renewing their coupon page and there's a statement on the site
inviting us back in 1-2 weeks to download/ print their new coupons for 2009. Worth a return visit, likely.

5. Las Vegas Insider ; very limited listing of coupons presently so maybe they're updating / renewing their coupon page as well, though there's no reference to that. There is a link to the Casino Perks
coupon offering (listed below under "pay-for" coupons).

6. Vegas4Locals.com; decent downloadable/printable free coupon source ; particularly strong for mid and low-level show coupon discounts but skinny on gambling coupons. Check these out.

7. Las Vegas Funbook ; most if not all of the "free" coupons you can select and order from this site can be found in free sources once you arrive in Vegas. The kicker is that they charge 19.95 for shipping and handling to get them ahead of time, even though they're referred to as "free". Again, decide if you want to pay for a set of coupons by pre-ordering them or do the grunt work yourself once in Vegas. Be aware that this coupon site was last updated in April 2008; contact and check expiration dates!

8. Today In Las Vegas Magazine; printable free coupons..even one for $5 off a fully automatic machine gun rental...you could get your name in the local papers or find a seat at a blackjack table right quick with that little item. Ugh! There are some more common, usable coupons, though. Jesus...

9. Las Vegas Newspapers ; Las Vegas Review Journal and Las Vegas Sun; sometimes these local newspapers have free coupons or promotions ; you'll likely have to subscribe, though. Access the Friday "Neon" section at the Review Journal.


Las Vegas Coupon Sources for purchase ;:

1. Las Vegas Advisor; In our opinion, the best single source of bulk Vegas coupons because you can receive more than just coupons. You're required to sign up as a member of LVA and you receive
the 2009 Members Rewards Book (formerly the Pocketbook of Values) which has a grand collection of assorted coupons for
dining, gambling, shows, tours, drinks..on and on. Cost is $50 for full membership with which you receive a printed monthly
newsletter in the mail and online member access or you can pay $37 for an online membership and still receive the coupon book. There's a plethora of current info on this site which you will have access to with membership ; Vegas news, forums, polls, gaming and hotel - casino guides,just a massive Vegas info site, etc. If you purchase one source of coupons
for your trip, this is our recommendation due to all the added perks and coupon variety and quality. NOTE: Don't remove the coupons from the book! ; you have to tear them out at time of use in view of the personnel / staff where you plan to redeem them.

2. American Casino Guide by Steve Bourie ; if you gamble (in and outside Las Vegas), there's some good coupons from this source and there's more than gambling coupons here. This annually updated book has been around for several years and is a staple for us for Vegas trips. It has a casino game guide and sections on gambling in general. I recently found a huge purchase cost savings for this guide / coupon source at Discount Book Sale.com for less than 8 dollars!..you can't pass this up! The guide is also available at the American Casino Guide website which also has nationwide gambling info and specifically a section called Vegas Values Report that lists regularly updated Vegas casino promotions and
discounts (the guide costs 12.95 here plus shipping). Great source. Within the guide there is an ID card that you can cut out
and use as proof of purchase when redeeming the coupons..you'll need this so put it in a safe place. Note that some casino
personnel are unaware of this..don't allow them to tell you that you have to tear the coupon out of the book in their presence to redeem / use them; ask for a pit crew member or someone with authority that should know what the agreed upon policy is with this coupon source. Check the American Casino Guide website for coupon changes that sometimes take place during the year; especially this year due to economic conditions in Vegas (and everywhere else).

3. Casino Perks; there's some coupon book options here for separate
dining,show,attraction,gambling, or the deluxe version coupon booklets with all their available coupons (deluxe version booklet costs 49.95 plus shipping). It's an OK source but some of the coupons are standard Vegas coupons that you can obtain for free , plus there aren't many gambling coupons here. Your choice.

4. Las Vegas Entertainment Discount Book; for 16.95 you can order this somewhat offbeat coupon source ; it doesn't have very many strip coupons and no gambling coupons that I could see. Some attraction coupons might make it worthwhile for some or those who like to dine off-strip ; check coupon expiration
dates..again.

5. Casino Player Magazine Funbook* By subscribing to Casino Player Magazine, you'll receive a casino funbook (not restricted to Las Vegas) with several different types of coupons. The link provides a description of all the available Las Vegas coupons in the funbook; note that the site is just depicting the 2008
version of the funbook..again, make sure of what you're getting by e-mailing / phoning the source. This is a good source for
Las Vegas coupons..or has been for us in the past. A year's subscription is about $24. Worthwhile source.

* Updated info on Casino Player's Funbook : This source is NOT offered any longer ; they are going to offer some coupons at
the Casino Center site in the near future, apparently. Updated info as of 1/27/09.

6. e-bay coupons ; tons of Vegas coupons up for bid; some good, some mediocre, and some...? Check all sources and verify what you're potentially buying;
some of these are available for free from prementioned sources.


Enjoy!
Cheers..
Chuck60

2 comments:

eBlogger said...

Thanks for all the information. It is very valuable since I always wanted to know how to find coupons for LV shows. You can find more Las Vegas shows deals at the given address.

Cheers!

John Adam said...


This is an interesting blog that you have posted, you shares a lot of things..

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Mostly Useless (and approximate) Las Vegas Facts

1. Number of Las Vegas citizens   500,000
2. Number of Clark County residents   1,500,000
3. Year first casino licensed   1931
4. Number of slot machines in Vegas   200,000
5. Number of annual Vegas visitors   40,000,000 (and dropping)
6. Number of licensed gambling entities   1700
7. Hours per day average visitor gambles   4
8. Annual state gaming revenue   9 billion (and dropping)
9. Average gambling budget per trip   560  (and dropping)
10. Mean price per acre in valley   161,000.00
11. Price per acre on the Strip   11,000,000.00
12. Number of  hotel rooms   137,000 +
13. Number of pillowcases washed at MGM daily   15,000
14. Number of doors at MGM  18,000 
15. Annual no. toilet paper rolls used at Bally's   1 million
16. Lucky The Clown marquee sign at Circus Circus has
      1232 fluorescent bulbs, 14,498 incandescent bulbs, and
      3/4 mile of neon tubing light  (no wonder they're replacing
      it!)
17. In good times, Excalibur goes through over 44,000 
      Cornish game hens, 15 thousand pounds of hamburger
      meat, and 4200 pounds of prime rib monthly
18. Caesar's Palace has used 2 million plus maraschino 
      cherries, 11 thousand ounces of caviar, 2 million ounces
      of tomato juice, and close to 600 thousand ounces of
      vodka yearly (bloody mary winner?)
19. Mandalay Bay has 5,300 palm trees and their wave pool
      has a capacity of 1,640,270 gallons of water
20. Average nightly room rate  119.00 (and dropping)
21. Average number of Vegas weddings per day   300+
22. Number of golf courses  37
23. Miles of neon tubing on the Strip and Downtown  15,000
24. State's nationwide rank in gold production  1st
25. Cost of Nevada marriage license   35.00
26. Average cost of filing for divorce  450.00
27. Average length of stay for visitors    3.7 days
28. Number of hosted conventions annually  3750
29. The electric bill to operate the Luxor pyramid beam is
      approximately 55.00 per hour.
30. Las Vegas has 17 of the world's 20 largest hotels   



"WHERE'S MY WALLET , ETHEL!? "

Just a cautionary tip when in Vegas.. there are active
pickpockets all over town. I experienced this first-hand
and came within 10 seconds of losing my cash stash last July
while visiting one of those upper end joints on the strip.

I was gambling significantly at a video poker machine, unabashedly slipping C-notes in them. Somebody had been
observing my wagering behavior. I was happily winning at the time and my cautionary tendencies regarding my bankroll
money went south and out the window.

A lady approached me from behind as I played and was all aglow with my run of good luck. She initiated a conversation about nothing and anything . I was concentrating on proper VP strategy and responding to her comments with a lot of "yeah-yeahs". I was fortunate enough to get ahead on the machine again and I cashed out. I had a satchel (I normally never gamble under those conditions) with me that had assorted trip stuff in it. The satchel presence and the relatively high denomination coin-in amount collectively screamed " please rob me!" I placed my wallet in the satchel along with the machine cash-out tickets and proceeded to reconnect with my family and head to our room.

I had developed a sense of cautionary unease as I mulled over the contact with the effusively talkative woman at the VP machine. My senses told me that something about that encounter was skewed, although at the time I didn't know what it was and I wasn't bleeding profusely..yet. My group then proceeded to meander through a very crowded slot machine aisle and some other 6th, 7th, or 8th sense that vaguely detected an impersonal yet succinct encroachment into my personal space kicked in. Instinctively, I immediately dug into the satchel to locate my wallet and it was gone. I then immediately turned around and backtracked about ten feet (a matter of maybe 3 seconds, tops) as my endogenous adrenaline kicked in. I'm not sure that my hair wasn't on fire briefly.

I then spotted my wallet (and life) in a woman's hand who was playing a slot machine. I walked straight at her and demanded it post-haste in a tone that screamed seriousness. I immediately grabbed the wallet and called for security. The woman claimed she picked it up off the floor and so did the man (her accomplice) behind her, both vowing that they were planning to remit it to the security desk. My svelte ass they were.

This team of thieves including the woman who was all goony-googoo at the VP machine were pros. I have to claim part of the blame for the openly careless manner I had displayed with my money. They were held by security and the eye-in-the-sky tapes were to be reviewed.

The good thing is I didn't lose a cent because my peripheral senses kicked in immediately and they didn't have time to bury the evidence ( perhaps they weren't the best of pros?). Take heed folks..these people are everywhere in Vegas. Know where your cash is at all times; take precautions to protect it, don't flaunt it around carelessly as I did, and if you sense something is awry while gambling trust your instincts.

Distractions from one member of a team of thieves is a common MO. Store your gambling session monies in a front pants pocket or in one of those god-awful front-loaded fanny packs (pride be damned). The lesson I learned here after several years of Vegas gambling experiences turned out to be one of the most valuable for me personally.


Cheers..
Chuck60