Hi,

I am in the process of booking my first trip to Las Vegas for the start of 2018.

I plan on taking a 4k-5k poker bankroll to grind. I have just learned that Las Vegas hotels charge you a security deposit up front. I called MGM grand who explained it was between $100-$300 per night up front which is refunded once you leave.

Is there any good properties that do not charge such a huge security deposit?
Is there any way out of this?

I obviously do not want the majority of my bankroll held by the casino until I check out of the room. It would kind of defeat the purpose of going in the first place.

Thanks
Steve

If you use a credit card on checkin, it's just a hold against your card limit.

Some of them do put a "pending" charge on your card. CET takes over a week usually to remove it after you're gone.

Is this standard policy everywhere? Is there some hotels that do not do this?

The reason I ask is because I will be emptying my account going to Vegas and didnt want to have to leave in x amount of hundreds for this.

This is a poor idea. What could ever go wrong emptying your bank account to play poker

Every time I've asked, they've always waived it.

When I say emptying my account - I mean I will be saving money from my full time job earnings to spend 1 week in vegas for the first time. The money left in my account will be bill money and the money I have saved for Vegas is for enjoying the holiday to its full potential. I would rather not have to use some of it on a ****ty security deposit

They don't take the money out of your account, they just put a hold on it. If your credit card limit is too low to cover that, call your bank and ask them to up the limit temporarily.

Just a thought but you could stay at a "regular" type hotel. What I mean is something like a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. There is a very nice HIE off of Russell not far from Mandalay Bay I have stayed at many times in the past. These types of hotels will not charge a deposit.

I stayed at the Palms recently. They put an actual charge against my credit card, not just a hold. It was refunded when I checked out, but because my card is not USD I ended up losing $20 on the deal.

Use your credit card for the deposit.

(But I don't have a credit card...)

Be an adult and get a credit card. Otherwise, this is your life.

You will not be 'using' the $400, as they money will be returned to your account within 7 days of your stay with any incidentals (room service, x-rated movies ordered, etc.) deducted. If this makes you uncomfortable you are out of luck.

If you're sweating the $100 a day being on hold then you shouldn't be going to Vegas in the first place

When did they start doing daily security deposits on a room being paid by card? Cannot recall any of those in the three trips during June (two downtown and then the third trip split between Vdara and Aria).

Vdara and Aria were both booked online through their websites with first night paid at booking and balance charged at checkin. The two downtown stays (FQ) were paid entirely in advance since I bonus-whored for 5x MR points with American Express...

You can call individual hotels and they will tell you their room deposit policies. As far as cheap deposits, I've stayed at the Hooters hotel across the street from the MGM. Rooms weren't great, but the "scenery" was alright, and they only required either a $50 hold on a credit card or $100 cash as a deposit for an entire 1 week stay.

100-300$ daily?

Usually they have reserved like roughly 500$ every time i've been there and I've spent like 3-10 days each trip. Only on MGM resorts tho

This was definitely NOT the case with The Aria in my experience (2 separate trips), both times were paid for in advance and both times they would not waive the security deposit hold on my room.

Second trip was my wedding and I exchanged several emails with the Aria confirming different things beforehand and one email even stated the T & C's which included the incidentals charge.

When I checked in I (admittedly half heartedly) said I wont need to charge anything to the room etc but they insisted a security deposit MUST be taken.

Fair enough, it was worth a try , I knew this already as it was mentioned in one of the emails from Aria.

However the receptionist then quoted a completely different rate (alot more) than said email, again they would not have it. Out of principle I argued my case but being that my phone , ipad etc were packed away and after an 18 hour day I just wanted to get to my room, so I said I would take this up tomorrow.

I produced the emails next day to the manager on duty (the manager the day before wasn't interested at all) who could not be more apologetic, and waived the Resort fees.

No big deal I know but from the year before when it took over 2 weeks for the hold to be taken off I was hoping it was kind of optional.

The whole saga did leave a bit of a sour taste though and I will take my custom somewhere else this year.

Not really. When I am taking a few grand to spend and I might get $300 a day for a week is 2.1k. When I only have 3-4k to spend thats like half the roll gone on a deposit unable to be used. You telling everyone that goes to Vegas has significantly more?

No? Didnt think so

"Everyone" (not everyone, but certainly the vast majority) use a credit card and don't give the security hold a second thought.

Do you not have a credit or debit card?

No I dont have a credit card. I just work full time and save some cash for doing stuff like this. Expected having 4k to spend would be heaps but apparently not.

Since your trip isn't for another few months, it sounds like this would be the ideal time to pursue a card...there are actually two associated with the largest casino programs out there (MLife and Total Rewards). The APR's suck but if you pay the balance in full, then APR doesn't really matter...it would also give you enough time to churn the sign-up bonus (such as it is).

It's definitely worth something, at least with Total Rewards - free parking and a hundred bucks in comps.

This thread is cringeworthy. How does OP know so little about life. Also whoever said that Holiday Inn Express and other "normal hotels" don't take a security deposit is way off base too. Every hotel I've ever stayed at has taken either a hold on my CC or actually taken and then refunded money off my debit card for incedentials.

Also lol at OP saying 4K is "heaps" in Vegas.

I also think it depends where you come from, for example its not really a UK thing to charge stuff to your room, its our culture to pay as we go like for drinks in a bar etc.

I have NEVER paid a security deposit in the UK or any part of Europe for that matter.

In Vegas I have at the Aria x2 and The Wynn but did not need to at Venetian, New York New York or Planet Hollywood, so some of what you say is ' way off base' too it seems.