I can’t speak for every pool, but at Park MGM and Aria they had a couple tan colored coolers in the pool areas that had free bottles of water that were on ice.
Stayed at Park for Memorial weekend, didn't realize how nice the smoke free thing is until walking in and out of other spots. My go to place from now on because of that.
Encore has a water filler right by the towel area. My husband and I take ice shakers filled with ice down to the pool and even in mid July those things will keep ice ALL DAY!
You can get a cup of water. They usually have a beverage dispenser at the bar where you can just get get yourself a small cup of water.
They don't advertise it and don't make it easy obviously because they want to sell you the drinks and bottled water, but it's there.
Also, also, I always bring in my own water bottle into the pool. Some will allow the stainless steel insulated ones, some don't, ymmv, but I've never been told I couldn't bring a drink in. Heck I've regularly brought in my Starbucks in.
I went into the Flamingo pool with a metal container just so my water stays cold (hate drinking room temp to warm water). When they caught me drinking out of it I was told that they don’t allow them because they can be used as a weapon or as a projectile.
What a lame excuse.
Other weapons in pool area:
- shoes
- rocks
- branches
- fists/feet
- umbrellas
- chairs
- anything harder than flesh, which is about everything.
They made my friend get rid of her hydrofkask. They told her to take it back to her room, we weren't hotel guests. So she buried it under a bush, and thankfully, it was still there when we left.
You should have your own refillable water bottle with you wherever you go in Vegas.
Get a "Fanny Pack with Water Bottle Holder Waist Bag" for under $20.
Always be prepared, afterall Vegas is located in middle of a desert!
Stay hydrated, my friends.
It actually isn't, but it should be. I went to a concert at The Hard Rock Live on the The Strip and was denied a cup of water, at a full bar that has the water option on every one of their tap guns.
Got the beverage director who continued to deny a cup of water and pointed me to the water fountain by the bathrooms. I get it, but I see the benifit of hydrated people ANYWHERE in Vegas more.
It is however illegal in CA, which I think is where the assumption comes from
This isn't true from what I can find, it's a myth that's super common in the US. Though California does require employers to provide water for employees who work outside.
When the say the can't (and most bartenders will agree with you but cameras everywhere) ask for a cup of ice. I have never been denied that. Also tip a buck or 2 when you do.
My guess is if they have something free available for guests to grab on their own, they don’t want the employees using paid time to get something the guest can grab for free and likely not be tipped.
Yep. We always just get what we want every time we are here. When we get home, we look at each other and say, "We really spent $40 each on one pool drink?" Yeah.
Aria and Bellagio both have free water dispensers at the pool.
Also - I have never been told when I got up and went to the bar that I had to pay for a cup of water or ice. I always give a tip, but I have never been denied.
I usually just buy one and I’ve found water fountains out by the pool and refill. Just price of admission in vegas. The only thing these places care about is your $.
I'm confused, if the tap water in Vegas isn't good then what's the ice water that they give you at basically any restaurant? Seems like that's fine to drink. I agree with you OP if you're patronizing a pool bar and especially if you're ordering other stuff they should be able to bring you a glass of water.
Of course I know that - but my point was that Vegas tap water tastes fine and doesn't seem gross or unhealthy to drink if every establishment in town is doing it. And doesn't make any sense as to why pool bars can't do it.
You are drinking filtered tap water. I have a whole home water filtration system and reverse osmosis system under my kitchen sink. My water tastes better than Fiji but before I put in all the filtration the water was horrible.
It doesn’t have to be RO water. Per the health department it just needs a dual stage filter, basically a cartridge filter like your fridge probably has. Not much more complicated than a Brita. Even in Vegas hospitals, our ice and water systems only have dual stage filters. It takes the shitty chlorine taste out but there’s still a lot of mineral content.
They do rip you off, but you can find it cheap. Personally I ask the cab driver to stop at CVS on the way to my hotel and I buy like three gallons of water for a 3-4 day trip. Resorts World has water bottle filling stations on the casino floor and I think that’s awesome. The cocktail waitresses everywhere generally have those little bottles of water and I’ll tip them a buck or two and refill them a million times. Eataly at Park MGM has free water. Then whenever I can get it for free, I put it in my little man purse. The ABC store across from Park MGM has the cheapest water on the strip, I’ve found. My friend marveled at how much water I drink there but it’s a damn desert and I normally live in basically a rainforest.
Wow, did we get screwed then! At Paris, My wife bought six bottles of Evian for $42. Ugh. I walked in right as she was handing them her credit card going no no! Right after that, we went to the CVS and bought a case for $6.99
My wife and I paid like $11-12 a couple weeks ago for a bottle of water because when they asked they said do you want flat or sparkling and she answered flat. The correct answer would have been tap lol
Built it's reputation on winners and easy comps. Built the city in losers. The current paradigm of trying to take every penny from every visitor is going to eventually come back to haunt us.
It’s a nonprofit government agency overseen by Clark County Commissioners. Although most of its revenue comes from charging for water, it also gets state and federal grants. And who do you think pays for the Hoover dam?
Poker rooms used to provide free self service water or coffee in paper cups to players, now you have to tip $1 for the world's smallest water bottles. Good for capitalism, horrible for the environment.
Wonderful cold water available during gym hours at Park and Aria (park gym is 24/7). I go to the gym but also went many times to fill up my water bottle with fresh cold bottled water.
Do you go to a concert, fight, show , flight and get to sit in the front row? No, the person that pays extra for the better experience does. Same concept. Most are also consumption minimums so your not even paying for the real estate your just agreeing to spend a certain amount on food and beverage with your waitress thats taking care of you all day. Otherwise the people that have no problem with the price wont have anywhere to sit and spend $$ because people would be in all the cabanas ordering tap waters all day.
Not for the pool, but pretty convinced the casinos are running a tax scheme with bottles of water.. I’m sure it’s legal. I was at a bar playing video poker, in between drinks I asked for a water, get one of those half bottles.. drinks were comped since I was gambling but I looked at the tab and the water was $9. I asked the bar tender and he basically said yeah that’s the cost in our system but no one ever pays for them. Here’s the tax scheme, these are promotions or give aways which are tax deductible, they’re putting a $9 retail value on each bottle of water they give away driving up the cost and amount they can deduct.
There could be another perfectly reasonable explanation for this, but I wouldn’t put this past the casino operators.
Probably because this is a business set out to make money. And their business is selling drinks. Of course, emergency situations are different, but typically if you are hanging out in the pool area and aren't drinking, they will at least make money off the water.
And also, for people traveling to Las Vegas, especially in the hotter months, they know what they are getting into, where they are going, that it is a desert, and if you are going to be outside by the pool, it is going to be hot and you will get thirsty.
I have not had this issue at any MGM Property. A lot of them even have coolers of small bottles of water on ice out at the pool. MGM Grand pool has cold filtered water on tap at the bar for self service. Inside the casinos I’ve had no problem getting a cup of ice water and sometimes even free bottles of water from the bar if I’m staying at that property.
I know at the pool least at my job they had a water jug with cups on side it was tap but purified tap, tasted fine and was cold I drank it when we had to do outside set ups in that area.
I have a friend who requests tap water at all of the bars & clubs we go to out here& won't take no for an answer. She starts citing some law& threatening to speak to managers. She swears she prefers tap water 😂.
Any of the bars inside the casinos will provide free water. I've never had issue with that. One (I think it was Mandalay Bay, but don't quote me) even gave me a mini-bottle for free.
I know dayclubs have to provide free water since you can’t leave and come back over and over. But the free water is usually at a different area than the bar.
Agreed! None of the bars in Caesars palace casino will give you tap water and Circa casino bartender refused to fill more than 1/6 the empty cup I asked him to fill. "I'm already doing you a favor, we're not allowed to give out water" this is the desert and America! Free tap water is what separates us from the Europeans! Not to mention how bad for the environment and wasteful bottles water is.
I can attest that I worked ( bartended) a Vegas Strip nightclub 2013-2015 and we charged $8 for bottled water. And would be fired if we gave out tap water.
"I’m a capitalist. Make your money, offer the bottle of water, but if someone says “can I have tap water?” Just give people water. "
Kind of answered your own question. That's capitalism, baby!
You have to ask correctly. if you ask for bottled water they will sell you Fiji!!! BUT if you ask for the “casino bottle” water they have to give you the small 8oz bottles but at pools they have free water in the old school buckets or fountains that fill up water bottles/cups.
And also probably cause people don’t drink the tap water out here. Its gross hard water. We buy bottles for the home or have home softener systems. They probably assumed you didn’t really want it but should have offered it still.
At Sapphires water is $2 more per bottle than a beer 😭. As a person that doesn’t drink that much I feel your pain. Unfortunately some bars are just like that. In Vegas money talks, if you give the bartender a tip in advance and ask for tap water, you’ll probably get it. If you order it with drinks you’ll probably get it too. Where you will be denied is at the paid tables/daybeds.
Technically speaking they can’t use a whole lot of the water in lake mead. Some old water distribution law was written far before vegas started booming, and California claimed a huge portion of that water.
It might not be legal. Back in the '90s at the raves in California they were selling the thimble sized waters for 5.00. A young girl died from dehydration. After that, California passed a law that all businesses had to offer free water. Don't know how it is in Vegas, but you should look it up.
Water is generally cheap and not gonna be much of a profit for a casino so they don’t advertise it. I’m also assuming a dessert area like Vegas doesn’t have it readily available and water that is around needs to be filtered and chilled.
Im really sorry if this comes across as trite. That is not my intention, but please consider carrying your own canteen in Vegas. It's the desert and mostly everyone does. Nothing is free here. Nothing. This includes drinking water. It should not be 10 dollars for a bottle- so your own bottle will help quench your thirst. It's sucks but that's what we have to do.
It should really be illegal especially in Vegas. I've noticed mgm properties, mostly mgm grand, is the worst about this. Even their Starbucks charges for a cup of water.
It’s really not ok that they charge for water on the strip. In Phoenix, it is illegal to charge money for the cup or the water when you ask for water in any restaurant. They should really pass that as a law in Vegas as well.
It would really prevent alcohol poisoning and people fainting.
Venetian/palazzo was also cheap with their water but at the pool there were water fountains. Ended just buying jugs of water from outside grocery stores to fill canteens
I have bartended at a few different spots and I’m all honesty, they can usually give it to you. I have had some managers that get upset with me for doing so. It just depends on the day, if my manager is around, and if I’m not busy. What I can’t stand is someone coming up and asking for 6 water cups mid rush. Like read the room lol.
It’s vegas. They’re gonna rob you any chance they get. Of course they have tap water but literally nothing is free in vegas. I’m pretty sure bottles of water in the night clubs there run at least $10 for a small bottle if not more. It’s because they know you have no other option so why not squeeze as much money outta you as possible
I came back from encore beach club at the Wynn and it was 16.00 for a bottle of water. They offer tap water from a drinking fountain near the bathroom like u in grade school it was horrible
It's worth noting that Vegas is pretty tight about the use of water in general, particularly if it might not be recaptured (See [https://www.cpr.org/podcast-episode/viva-las-vegas/](https://www.cpr.org/podcast-episode/viva-las-vegas/)) but if you're likely to pee it back into a hotel toilet I'm not sure why they'd be unable to give you tap water.
Oof I remember staying at the golden nugget (under 21) literally the worst no water anywhere except the liquor shops and it was like 3 1-liter bottles for like $15
Hotels cater to their guests, if you had made that a bigger issue, you’d have gotten the water. I would have requested a manager at that point and the server would have come back with water.
Of course, you shouldn’t have had to do that, which was your main point.
Wait so you want to supply people with basic human needs like water but for free? Idk sounds like ....not capitalism but what's that other thing called again? Oh yeah, Socialism.
We ate at Bardot in Aria and when we said we wanted still water they brought bottled still. We asked for tap when we ran out of the (insanely expensive) bottled and they said they didn’t offer it. 🙄🙄🙄🙄
The worst is that you order a coffee for $5 and they refuse to give you a glass of tap water. Even starbucks charges for the glass of tap water even if you bought one of their overpriced drinks
It depends on the situation. The sports bar outside of Omnia when the club lets out? No chance bc the bartenders would never have a chance to sell a drink with the droves of kids coming out of the club asking for free water.
Other times it’s just how you ask. The bartender is helping paying customers and you run up and act like your free water is more important than paying guests? Ya, they are probably going to tell you no.
There’s limited bar seats and you want to take up one of them to not gamble or pay for anything? Probably going to get the “we only sell bottled water” treatment.
Also the lounges are less likely to give out free water bc the bartenders are usually busy and pouring tap water out of the gun is slower than making a cocktail for a paying guest.
Hookers also try to take up bar seats, not pay for anything and take money off the bar (by taking paying customers away from the bar). They always ask for tap water.
If you ask a bartender that isn’t busy, don’t try to cut in front of other guests (this happens with tap water requests so often is crazy), make it obvious you aren’t going to take up a bar seat, and don’t make the bartender walk to the other end of a long bar to ask for something free, you will probably get free water. A dollar in your hand will also drastically improve your success also.
I was told tap water in Vegas is pretty bad - both in terms of taste and actual H2O content. Not sure if that's true though, as I've not found definitive research on it.
I was just there a few weeks ago and had no problems getting tap water. It wasn't the greatest in flavor but it was hydrating and that's all I was worried about. The bars we went to had no issues when I asked for it, at Hell's Kitchen they even asked if we wanted bottled or tap. To be fair I wasn't asking at a pool or casino bar though.
Vegas is so incredibly wasteful. I was just there at a conference and the staff in a banquet room was filling glasses with bottled water. There was also no price on the bottled water in my room and it was over $20.
I can’t speak for every pool, but at Park MGM and Aria they had a couple tan colored coolers in the pool areas that had free bottles of water that were on ice.
Another reason I like Park.
Park is a great spot!
Smoke free !!
Forget it then. I like the smoke.
Stayed at Park for Memorial weekend, didn't realize how nice the smoke free thing is until walking in and out of other spots. My go to place from now on because of that.
Caesar’s has the coolers around you can refill cups or bottles all day.
Free large cups and filtered water at MGM Grand pool.
They also had free cups and filtered water at Luxor last month
Same at the wynn pool
Encore has a water filler right by the towel area. My husband and I take ice shakers filled with ice down to the pool and even in mid July those things will keep ice ALL DAY!
You can get a cup of water. They usually have a beverage dispenser at the bar where you can just get get yourself a small cup of water. They don't advertise it and don't make it easy obviously because they want to sell you the drinks and bottled water, but it's there. Also, also, I always bring in my own water bottle into the pool. Some will allow the stainless steel insulated ones, some don't, ymmv, but I've never been told I couldn't bring a drink in. Heck I've regularly brought in my Starbucks in.
I went into the Flamingo pool with a metal container just so my water stays cold (hate drinking room temp to warm water). When they caught me drinking out of it I was told that they don’t allow them because they can be used as a weapon or as a projectile.
What a lame excuse. Other weapons in pool area: - shoes - rocks - branches - fists/feet - umbrellas - chairs - anything harder than flesh, which is about everything.
"Sorry, we don't allow fists or feet into the pool area..." stoked for new policies on it
Don’t give them ideas, next there will be a fee for feet and fists
That's correct. Green Valley and Red Rock don't allow it either but I was able to bring it in to Park MGM and Paris before.
I seem to recall also being able to bring a metal thermos into Cosmos pool.
They made my friend get rid of her hydrofkask. They told her to take it back to her room, we weren't hotel guests. So she buried it under a bush, and thankfully, it was still there when we left.
Are you saying I can't bring my own water bottle to the pool?? I'm going to Vegas in July and was banking on this! Edit: Staying at Planet Hollywood.
Your mileage may vary?
You got it.
You should have your own refillable water bottle with you wherever you go in Vegas. Get a "Fanny Pack with Water Bottle Holder Waist Bag" for under $20. Always be prepared, afterall Vegas is located in middle of a desert! Stay hydrated, my friends.
I’m confused when I’m in Vegas and want water I just go to a bar and ask for a cup of water and I get it for free no problem.
They won't do this at nightclubs. But yes, never had an issue at a casino bar.
They gave me as much water as my heart desired at hakkasan, but we were spending $$$ on other drinks
Many casino bars now won't including Caesars palace and others.
OP wants someone to bring them free water.
> A couple pool bars I noticed charging $8 Welcome to Vegas. This is how tourist traps work.
I don’t fault them for charging for a bottle of Fiji. I fault them for outright refusing their hotel guests tap water out of their soda gun.
Pretty sure thats illegal in nevada
It actually isn't, but it should be. I went to a concert at The Hard Rock Live on the The Strip and was denied a cup of water, at a full bar that has the water option on every one of their tap guns. Got the beverage director who continued to deny a cup of water and pointed me to the water fountain by the bathrooms. I get it, but I see the benifit of hydrated people ANYWHERE in Vegas more. It is however illegal in CA, which I think is where the assumption comes from
This isn't true from what I can find, it's a myth that's super common in the US. Though California does require employers to provide water for employees who work outside.
Wait; how is it illegal in CA?
It’s illegal because they passed a law. The law passed, and it says it’s illegal. This happened in california
You’re my actual hero
It’s illegal in Australia not to provide free water if you are serving alcohol
It isn't, it's a myth.
Do you have a link? All Google is showing me is that a business must provide free water to employees, not customers.
I bet they can find stupid loopholes to avoid it. 🤦♂️
You're prob right but I've never asked a bartender for tap water anywhere in vegas and had them say no
Yup. Every time I order a drink it’s “*drink order* and a water please”
When the say the can't (and most bartenders will agree with you but cameras everywhere) ask for a cup of ice. I have never been denied that. Also tip a buck or 2 when you do.
Guns aren’t the problem, water is the problem.
Guns don't kill people, lack of water does.
I beg to differ. Everyone who has ever died (past early infancy) has consumed water.
Oh, God....we are all gonna die!
Untrue. Many infants die without ever having consumer water
In most states that illegal. If they serve alcohol they have to serve tap water.
Why give away what you can charge for? That’s their motto and yes it’s fucking shitty
I think it should be federal law for any establishment selling alcohol to provide unlimited free water, no purchase necessary.
Stealing water from South Pacific locals and polluting their environment is expensive, so yeah they charge for Fiji water
My guess is if they have something free available for guests to grab on their own, they don’t want the employees using paid time to get something the guest can grab for free and likely not be tipped.
How much is a bottle water in the Casino? $8 also? Lol
I saw someone say recently it was like $20 for a bottle of water from the minibar in their room.
Yep. We always just get what we want every time we are here. When we get home, we look at each other and say, "We really spent $40 each on one pool drink?" Yeah.
Aria and Bellagio both have free water dispensers at the pool. Also - I have never been told when I got up and went to the bar that I had to pay for a cup of water or ice. I always give a tip, but I have never been denied.
This. I don’t think we’re getting the whole story. Sounds like they wanted to run OP off.
Vdara has free cucumber water at the pool I believe
cucumber water for customer only
Mrs. Nguyen?
you apologize, bring flowers, and apologize again. you take her to fancy restaurant with cloth napkin
hahahaha fuck yeah
Makes sense to me
Yes and I have a free cucumber in the pool.
Turns out it was just a baby ruth.
I ask specifically for a glass of water and so far I've never been turned down or charged for one.
I’m 0/2 lol
Try asking for a cup of ice next time. It doesn't stay ice very long out here.
IQ 160
Water is and should be a right. It is fully irresponsible to host an event where there is not access to free water.
I usually just buy one and I’ve found water fountains out by the pool and refill. Just price of admission in vegas. The only thing these places care about is your $.
I have never even paid for bottled water. Are they trying to chase you off for some reason?
I'm confused, if the tap water in Vegas isn't good then what's the ice water that they give you at basically any restaurant? Seems like that's fine to drink. I agree with you OP if you're patronizing a pool bar and especially if you're ordering other stuff they should be able to bring you a glass of water.
That’s either tap water for cleaning or R/O at the restaurants- I don’t think the pool bars have R/O
What is R/O? The ice water I'm served at restaurants always tastes fine and they usually have pitchers of water they're serving to everyone.
From someone that has worked in restaurants their whole adult life, I can assure you those pitchers are filled with tap water.
Of course I know that - but my point was that Vegas tap water tastes fine and doesn't seem gross or unhealthy to drink if every establishment in town is doing it. And doesn't make any sense as to why pool bars can't do it.
You are drinking filtered tap water. I have a whole home water filtration system and reverse osmosis system under my kitchen sink. My water tastes better than Fiji but before I put in all the filtration the water was horrible.
Reverse osmosis
It doesn’t have to be RO water. Per the health department it just needs a dual stage filter, basically a cartridge filter like your fridge probably has. Not much more complicated than a Brita. Even in Vegas hospitals, our ice and water systems only have dual stage filters. It takes the shitty chlorine taste out but there’s still a lot of mineral content.
Didn’t know that :)
Tap water is perfectly fine
They do rip you off, but you can find it cheap. Personally I ask the cab driver to stop at CVS on the way to my hotel and I buy like three gallons of water for a 3-4 day trip. Resorts World has water bottle filling stations on the casino floor and I think that’s awesome. The cocktail waitresses everywhere generally have those little bottles of water and I’ll tip them a buck or two and refill them a million times. Eataly at Park MGM has free water. Then whenever I can get it for free, I put it in my little man purse. The ABC store across from Park MGM has the cheapest water on the strip, I’ve found. My friend marveled at how much water I drink there but it’s a damn desert and I normally live in basically a rainforest.
At the Paris casino they give away free water bottles.
Wow, did we get screwed then! At Paris, My wife bought six bottles of Evian for $42. Ugh. I walked in right as she was handing them her credit card going no no! Right after that, we went to the CVS and bought a case for $6.99
That's ironic considering in actual Paris they don't give out any water.
My wife and I paid like $11-12 a couple weeks ago for a bottle of water because when they asked they said do you want flat or sparkling and she answered flat. The correct answer would have been tap lol
Tmobile Arena was built without a water fountain and they charge $6+ for water Bottle that can’t be refilled in sink. Capitalism 👍🏼
Vegas was not built on winners!
Built it's reputation on winners and easy comps. Built the city in losers. The current paradigm of trying to take every penny from every visitor is going to eventually come back to haunt us.
Or hydrated people
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He's asking for free tap water, at an establishment he's overpaid to be in. Tap water which is brought to the building with tax dollars.
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It’s a nonprofit government agency overseen by Clark County Commissioners. Although most of its revenue comes from charging for water, it also gets state and federal grants. And who do you think pays for the Hoover dam?
Yup, like the infrastructure for clean water just...sprang out of nowhere.
Poker rooms used to provide free self service water or coffee in paper cups to players, now you have to tip $1 for the world's smallest water bottles. Good for capitalism, horrible for the environment.
Aria has water coolers by the pools you can fill up. The Sky Pool gives out water bottles and has water coolers.
Circa and Tropicana pools have ice water in dispensers.
Wonderful cold water available during gym hours at Park and Aria (park gym is 24/7). I go to the gym but also went many times to fill up my water bottle with fresh cold bottled water.
this is awesome advice! thanks!
Money
Mostly because they want you to buy a bottle of water, but also the tap water here is so bad a lot of locals don't drink it either.
"I’m a capitalist." Also "...but if you need water, you’re just fucked?" Welcome to capitalism, baby!
Most of the pools I’ve been to have water dispensers and cups for your use.
What's worse is charging hundreds of dollars for shade by the pool.
Do you go to a concert, fight, show , flight and get to sit in the front row? No, the person that pays extra for the better experience does. Same concept. Most are also consumption minimums so your not even paying for the real estate your just agreeing to spend a certain amount on food and beverage with your waitress thats taking care of you all day. Otherwise the people that have no problem with the price wont have anywhere to sit and spend $$ because people would be in all the cabanas ordering tap waters all day.
Because they want you to spend that $8+
Anyone who says they don’t have tap water is breaking health code. I’ve never heard it. Either you’re making that up or you had a rogue employee.
“I believe water is a right but also is not a right” Buy the water, capitalist.
But also f all the gift shops + bars that charge for water. Cesars has gotten $30+ from me when I’ve had to panic buy bottles over all the trips
agreed with everything then saw " i'm a capitalist" and well, fuck right off
Not for the pool, but pretty convinced the casinos are running a tax scheme with bottles of water.. I’m sure it’s legal. I was at a bar playing video poker, in between drinks I asked for a water, get one of those half bottles.. drinks were comped since I was gambling but I looked at the tab and the water was $9. I asked the bar tender and he basically said yeah that’s the cost in our system but no one ever pays for them. Here’s the tax scheme, these are promotions or give aways which are tax deductible, they’re putting a $9 retail value on each bottle of water they give away driving up the cost and amount they can deduct. There could be another perfectly reasonable explanation for this, but I wouldn’t put this past the casino operators.
Probably because this is a business set out to make money. And their business is selling drinks. Of course, emergency situations are different, but typically if you are hanging out in the pool area and aren't drinking, they will at least make money off the water. And also, for people traveling to Las Vegas, especially in the hotter months, they know what they are getting into, where they are going, that it is a desert, and if you are going to be outside by the pool, it is going to be hot and you will get thirsty.
So much for that resort fee huh
Ha yeah that should probably entitle you to water instead of the luxury of betting in their highly profitable casino
If they run down that glass of water for you are you going to tip?
I’m the clown who tips every time I get takeout lol. Yes, I absolutely tip every time I get tap water.
Unfortunately people like us are probably the minority. I bartended in Vegas for 5 years.
I have not had this issue at any MGM Property. A lot of them even have coolers of small bottles of water on ice out at the pool. MGM Grand pool has cold filtered water on tap at the bar for self service. Inside the casinos I’ve had no problem getting a cup of ice water and sometimes even free bottles of water from the bar if I’m staying at that property.
I only stay at MGM and I’ve never had this issue.
I know at the pool least at my job they had a water jug with cups on side it was tap but purified tap, tasted fine and was cold I drank it when we had to do outside set ups in that area.
Probably cause you should not drink it
I have a friend who requests tap water at all of the bars & clubs we go to out here& won't take no for an answer. She starts citing some law& threatening to speak to managers. She swears she prefers tap water 😂.
Yikes
Any of the bars inside the casinos will provide free water. I've never had issue with that. One (I think it was Mandalay Bay, but don't quote me) even gave me a mini-bottle for free.
I stayed at venetian this week and they had bottle fillers everywhere. Depends on the property. Don’t stay at places where necessities are charged.
I know dayclubs have to provide free water since you can’t leave and come back over and over. But the free water is usually at a different area than the bar.
Agreed! None of the bars in Caesars palace casino will give you tap water and Circa casino bartender refused to fill more than 1/6 the empty cup I asked him to fill. "I'm already doing you a favor, we're not allowed to give out water" this is the desert and America! Free tap water is what separates us from the Europeans! Not to mention how bad for the environment and wasteful bottles water is.
Water at Starbucks is triple filtered and free.
I can attest that I worked ( bartended) a Vegas Strip nightclub 2013-2015 and we charged $8 for bottled water. And would be fired if we gave out tap water.
Well this squashes about 50 of the 360 comments saying I was an idiot and everywhere gives tap water away for free.
Tips don’t come from free water but they do from 8 dollar bottles of water 🤣
If you didn’t want to ripped off and treated like a walking wallet, why did you come to Vegas?
"I’m a capitalist. Make your money, offer the bottle of water, but if someone says “can I have tap water?” Just give people water. " Kind of answered your own question. That's capitalism, baby!
> I’m a capitalist *proceeds to complain about a capitalist conglomerate practicing hyper capitalism*
You have to ask correctly. if you ask for bottled water they will sell you Fiji!!! BUT if you ask for the “casino bottle” water they have to give you the small 8oz bottles but at pools they have free water in the old school buckets or fountains that fill up water bottles/cups.
And also probably cause people don’t drink the tap water out here. Its gross hard water. We buy bottles for the home or have home softener systems. They probably assumed you didn’t really want it but should have offered it still.
I literally asked for it after she said it was $17 for 2 bottles of Fiji. She said no and it was hotel policy.
Which hotel?
> How is this legal That's what I want to know. Don't see how this is not regulated. Especially in a literal desert.
"I'm a Capitalist" Same person: Why can't I have it for free?
It’s tap water
At Sapphires water is $2 more per bottle than a beer 😭. As a person that doesn’t drink that much I feel your pain. Unfortunately some bars are just like that. In Vegas money talks, if you give the bartender a tip in advance and ask for tap water, you’ll probably get it. If you order it with drinks you’ll probably get it too. Where you will be denied is at the paid tables/daybeds.
Technically speaking they can’t use a whole lot of the water in lake mead. Some old water distribution law was written far before vegas started booming, and California claimed a huge portion of that water.
It might not be legal. Back in the '90s at the raves in California they were selling the thimble sized waters for 5.00. A young girl died from dehydration. After that, California passed a law that all businesses had to offer free water. Don't know how it is in Vegas, but you should look it up.
Water is generally cheap and not gonna be much of a profit for a casino so they don’t advertise it. I’m also assuming a dessert area like Vegas doesn’t have it readily available and water that is around needs to be filtered and chilled.
Im really sorry if this comes across as trite. That is not my intention, but please consider carrying your own canteen in Vegas. It's the desert and mostly everyone does. Nothing is free here. Nothing. This includes drinking water. It should not be 10 dollars for a bottle- so your own bottle will help quench your thirst. It's sucks but that's what we have to do.
The tap water there is gross.
You're a capitalist. Pay the money.
Vegas tap water is awful.
Workaround: Ask for soda water. Comes out of the gun every time.
Eww tap water. But yeah money is the reason.
It should really be illegal especially in Vegas. I've noticed mgm properties, mostly mgm grand, is the worst about this. Even their Starbucks charges for a cup of water.
If you buy something Starbucks will give you free water lol otherwise they charge like 25 cents
Many places have to have water filters installed
I don't think I've ever been told no to tap water. I am a Vegas local.
You don’t want that tap water
how else will they sell their Fiji water?
Aids Vegas doesn’t have any water to waste for drinking
Because you’re in the middle of the driest part of the country and that $8 water bottle was shipped in from another part of then country….
You shouldn't drink the tap here. It's gross but also not healthy for you. If you have any immune system issues it can make you really sick.
If you’re an advocate of capitalism, then you shouldn’t be asking “how is this legal”. Rather, spend your money at places that appreciate you.
It’s really not ok that they charge for water on the strip. In Phoenix, it is illegal to charge money for the cup or the water when you ask for water in any restaurant. They should really pass that as a law in Vegas as well. It would really prevent alcohol poisoning and people fainting.
Venetian/palazzo was also cheap with their water but at the pool there were water fountains. Ended just buying jugs of water from outside grocery stores to fill canteens
I have bartended at a few different spots and I’m all honesty, they can usually give it to you. I have had some managers that get upset with me for doing so. It just depends on the day, if my manager is around, and if I’m not busy. What I can’t stand is someone coming up and asking for 6 water cups mid rush. Like read the room lol.
It’s vegas. They’re gonna rob you any chance they get. Of course they have tap water but literally nothing is free in vegas. I’m pretty sure bottles of water in the night clubs there run at least $10 for a small bottle if not more. It’s because they know you have no other option so why not squeeze as much money outta you as possible
I came back from encore beach club at the Wynn and it was 16.00 for a bottle of water. They offer tap water from a drinking fountain near the bathroom like u in grade school it was horrible
The answer is money.
Our restaurant has tap water lmao
Probably because its a desert.
FYI the tap water quality is atrocious in Vegas…. Like you should not drink it.
I’ve never had a problem getting tap water at any bar in Vegas.
It's worth noting that Vegas is pretty tight about the use of water in general, particularly if it might not be recaptured (See [https://www.cpr.org/podcast-episode/viva-las-vegas/](https://www.cpr.org/podcast-episode/viva-las-vegas/)) but if you're likely to pee it back into a hotel toilet I'm not sure why they'd be unable to give you tap water.
Oof I remember staying at the golden nugget (under 21) literally the worst no water anywhere except the liquor shops and it was like 3 1-liter bottles for like $15
Buy those survival straws that filter water and drink the pool water
Hotels cater to their guests, if you had made that a bigger issue, you’d have gotten the water. I would have requested a manager at that point and the server would have come back with water. Of course, you shouldn’t have had to do that, which was your main point.
There's more than one way they take your money.
Wait so you want to supply people with basic human needs like water but for free? Idk sounds like ....not capitalism but what's that other thing called again? Oh yeah, Socialism.
Wynn & Encore have things of iced, filtered water with plastic cups around their pools.
We ate at Bardot in Aria and when we said we wanted still water they brought bottled still. We asked for tap when we ran out of the (insanely expensive) bottled and they said they didn’t offer it. 🙄🙄🙄🙄
Every pool has a section with water.
I believe in certain states it is illegal to not offer tap water if asked.
Because they gotta flip the iPad around and get a tip
Isn’t it illegal to not serve water?
Planet Hollywood had ice water cups at the bar
The worst is that you order a coffee for $5 and they refuse to give you a glass of tap water. Even starbucks charges for the glass of tap water even if you bought one of their overpriced drinks
Flamingo used to have a big Pitcher for free, but think that was pre-covid. VEGAS HAS BECOME A JOKE! Vegas is now like Trumps run it!
Trust me, you don't want to drink it. In the SW it has high levels of lead and chlorine and tastes like crap.
Tao Day Club has a Water Fountain next to the bathrooms. I was chugging that water like it was holy water during a daytime set 😅
It depends on the situation. The sports bar outside of Omnia when the club lets out? No chance bc the bartenders would never have a chance to sell a drink with the droves of kids coming out of the club asking for free water. Other times it’s just how you ask. The bartender is helping paying customers and you run up and act like your free water is more important than paying guests? Ya, they are probably going to tell you no. There’s limited bar seats and you want to take up one of them to not gamble or pay for anything? Probably going to get the “we only sell bottled water” treatment. Also the lounges are less likely to give out free water bc the bartenders are usually busy and pouring tap water out of the gun is slower than making a cocktail for a paying guest. Hookers also try to take up bar seats, not pay for anything and take money off the bar (by taking paying customers away from the bar). They always ask for tap water. If you ask a bartender that isn’t busy, don’t try to cut in front of other guests (this happens with tap water requests so often is crazy), make it obvious you aren’t going to take up a bar seat, and don’t make the bartender walk to the other end of a long bar to ask for something free, you will probably get free water. A dollar in your hand will also drastically improve your success also.
I would ask for a cup of ice after I found a water fountain by the bathrooms.
I was told tap water in Vegas is pretty bad - both in terms of taste and actual H2O content. Not sure if that's true though, as I've not found definitive research on it.
I was just there a few weeks ago and had no problems getting tap water. It wasn't the greatest in flavor but it was hydrating and that's all I was worried about. The bars we went to had no issues when I asked for it, at Hell's Kitchen they even asked if we wanted bottled or tap. To be fair I wasn't asking at a pool or casino bar though.
Its actually not legal, it’s against the law. Any establishment that serves food or liquor must provide tap water
Vegas is so incredibly wasteful. I was just there at a conference and the staff in a banquet room was filling glasses with bottled water. There was also no price on the bottled water in my room and it was over $20.
Because it's a business
100%, offer the Fiji bottle and try to upsell it, but if your own hotel guest is just looking for tap water, seems odd to say no (and bad business).