The days of getting free drinks at a casino—like the days of free parking—could be coming to an end soon as casinos start to experiment with a system that would force players to cash in vouchers for drinks. Most casinos still endorse the long-held system of serving free drinks to slot/video poker players gambling at a bar. But the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has been experimenting with a system that will require players to cash in a voucher attached to their slot club points in order to get a free drink. The casino installed the system at one bar, but it’s now expanding to all the bars in the hotel. Free drinks are still available while gambling on the casino floor.
MGM Resorts is also experimenting with the system at a couple of bars in MGM Grand and the Mirage. They give a player a free drink once he sits down, but subsequent drinks are reserved by “volume and amount” he or she gambles.
The goal of the program, according to both the Cosmopolitan and MGM, is to assist bartenders in understanding who deserves free drinks rather than depending up on their visual observations.
