Tipping Casino Dealers: When, How Much and How

In American casinos, tipping the dealer is customary; in much of Europe it is optional, and in a few places it is not allowed at all. Where it is expected, the usual habit is modest: an occasional chip the size of a normal bet after a good hand or when leaving, or a small bet placed on the dealer's behalf. No one is obliged to tip, and a player on a losing night should never feel pushed into it.

Why dealers are tipped

In many US casinos dealers earn a modest base wage, and tips, known on the floor as tokes, make up a large share of their pay. Tips are commonly pooled, so the chip handed to one dealer is shared with everyone who worked that shift, including the dealers who covered breaks. That pooling also explains why a dealer will thank the table rather than pocket a chip privately: everything goes into a locked box at the side of the table.

Elsewhere the picture differs. Casinos in parts of Europe collect tips in a shared fund often called the tronc, and some venues do not let staff accept tips at all. On cruise ships and in certain resorts a service charge may already cover staff. A quick question to the dealer or the cashier settles it.

Two ways to tip at a table

Hand a chip over

The simplest method is to place a chip on the table, never in the dealer's hand, and say it is for the dealer. They tap it on the rail, announce it and drop it into the toke box.

Place a bet for the dealer

Many players prefer to make a small wager on the dealer's behalf, so the dealer collects the winnings if the bet wins. At blackjack the chip usually sits just outside your betting circle; ask the dealer where they like it. The bet follows your hand: if your hand wins, the dealer's bet wins too. This keeps the dealer pulling for you, which suits the friendly feel of a table.

How it works at each game

The craps version needs a little vocabulary; the basics of the table and its crew are covered in how to play craps. At roulette, a dealer bet on a single number is traditional because it pays well when it lands, and the layout itself is explained in how to play roulette. Poker rooms have their own customs, described in the guide to playing poker in a casino.

How much is reasonable

There is no fixed rate, and a tip should be sized to your own stake rather than to anyone else's. Rules of thumb that many regular players follow:

• After a big hand or a lucky streak, a single chip of your usual bet size.
• During a long session, an occasional tip rather than one after every win.
• When leaving a table where the dealer was patient or helpful, one chip as you colour up.
• On a losing session, nothing is required; a thank-you is enough.

Tipping more does not change the cards, the dice or the wheel. Dealers follow fixed procedures and cannot influence outcomes, so a tip rewards service and nothing else.

Other staff on the casino floor

• Drink servers: in US casinos drinks are often free for players, and a small tip per round is customary.
• Slot attendants: when a large win has to be paid by hand, a tip to the attendant is common in American casinos.
• Valet and bell staff: tipped as in any hotel.
• Cashiers: not usually tipped; changing chips for money at the cage is part of the service.

Mistakes to avoid

• Tipping to "change your luck". It does not, and it quietly raises the cost of the evening.
• Handing chips directly to a dealer. Put them on the felt so the cameras and supervisor see them.
• Tipping in a currency or chip the table does not use, such as roulette colour chips from another wheel.
• Letting tips drift outside the budget you set for the night.

Count tips as part of the evening's entertainment spend rather than an extra on top, and keep that total fixed before the first bet. Casino play is for adults and for enjoyment, and customs as well as laws vary, so check how things are done locally; if the spending stops feeling optional, the notes on playing with caution may help.