In the glittering heart of Las Vegas, where the clink of coins and the buzz of excitement are as perennial as the neon glow, tourists have been met with an unexpected twist this holiday season – and it’s not the kind they’ll be placing bets on. The behemoth of hospitality, MGM Resorts International, has upped the ante on their stakes, but these aren’t the kind to draw cheers. In what can only be described as a strategic maneuver, the company has raised the price of parking at their illustrious array of casino resorts lining the famed Las Vegas Strip.
The financial boost is palpable. Visitors from beyond the borders of Nevada who wish to self-park at any of MGM’s nine casino resorts will now find themselves feeding a flat rate of $18 into the payment machines from Monday through Thursday. The ante sees a significant jump over the weekend, with prices soaring to $25 from Friday through Sunday. This new tariff scheme marks a sharp uptick from the previous charge of $15 for stays ranging from one to four hours during the weekdays, and $20 over the weekends. And the first hour of grace? It has vanished like a mirage in the desert sun.
Such changes took effect on a Wednesday, unveiled to the public without the drumroll of prior notice, silently slipping into the fine print of Las Vegas operations.
Nevada locals, however, can breathe a sigh of relief. The privilege of three hours’ free self-parking remains intact for them, barring the exclusion of special event dates.
An oasis of sorts persists for select patrons. Guests staying at the resorts can still enjoy the luxury of complimentary parking, a courtesy extended to select members of the MGM Rewards program, and those who have served the nation – active military folks, veterans, and their spouses. And if you were pondering the state of valet parking, rest assured, the charges for this service have held their ground firm against the tide of change.
The onset of parking fees is a relatively recent phenomenon on the Strip, a break from a tradition hitherto as solid as the foundations of the casinos themselves. In 2016, MGM, the overlord of such iconic establishments as the Bellagio, Aria, and MGM Grand (among others), planted the flag of change by becoming the pioneering casino company on the Strip to charge for parking – a move that shifted the landscape of Las Vegas hospitality.
This trendsetter stance sparked a domino effect; within a span of time, rivals who had initially resisted the pull began to follow suit. Even Wynn and Encore, the stalwarts of complimentary parking, yielded under the pressure of local dynamics on the 28th of September, citing the looming presence of The Sphere as the straw that broke their resolve.
Yet, not all roads in Sin City lead to paid parking. A band of holdouts – Treasure Island, Circus Circus, Casino Royale, and Sahara – continue to extend the golden handshake of free parking to their guests. The Tropicana, though, plays the selective host, charging guests for some of their more prime spots.
As the cards are dealt and the wheels spin, visitors to Las Vegas now must gamble with more than just chips – they must consider where to park them, too.
