The Strip has its own vocabulary, and half of it is about money. This glossary decodes the words on your folio, your players card and in the mouth of the host who wants your action, from comps and RFB to markers, tier matching, CNF fees and why locals call the Strip "the Boulevard".
Comp: short for complimentary; anything the casino gives you free in exchange for your play. Ranges from a drink to a suite. "Comped" means the casino paid.
Players club / rewards card: the free loyalty program (MGM Rewards, Caesars Rewards, Wynn Rewards, Genting Rewards at Resorts World, and so on). Insert or tap the card while you play so the casino tracks your action and rates you for comps. Joining is free and worth doing on day one.
Tier: your status level within a rewards program, earned through spend and play; higher tiers waive resort fees and parking, skip lines and unlock lounges.
Tier match / status match: a promotion where one operator grants you its equivalent tier if you hold status with a competitor. Offers change; ask at the players club desk.
Theo / theoretical loss: what the casino expects to win from you over time based on your bets, game and hours; the number that actually drives comps, not whether you won or lost.
ADT (average daily theoretical): your theo per day; hosts use it to decide what to offer.
Host / casino host: the staff member assigned to look after players whose theo justifies attention; the person who arranges comps and offers.
Offer: the mailed or emailed deals (free nights, free play, dining credit) sent to rated players. See the hotel deal guide.
Free play: casino-issued credit for slots that cannot be cashed out directly, only played through.
The high-roller vocabulary
Whale: a very high-stakes player, typically betting tens of thousands a hand, with a line of credit in the millions. Whales get private jets, villas and the best tables.
High roller / premium player: a step or several below a whale; still someone the casino courts.
RFB: room, food and beverage, all comped. "Full RFB" is the classic high-roller deal; "RF" or "room only" are the lesser versions.
Marker: a casino line of credit. You sign a marker at the table and receive chips; the casino expects repayment within a set period, and an unpaid marker in Nevada is treated like a bounced check and can be prosecuted. Not for the casual visitor.
Loss rebate: a deal for big players where the casino refunds a percentage of losses.
Front money: cash deposited with the cage in advance so a player can draw chips against it without a marker.
Salon / high-limit room: a private or semi-private gaming area with higher minimums and better service.
Villa / sky villa: the enormous suites reserved for top players, invitation only.
Action: the amount of money being wagered; "the casino wants your action."
On the floor
Toke: a tip to a dealer or other casino worker; "toking the dealer."
Color up: exchanging small-denomination chips for larger ones when leaving a table.
Cage: the casino cashier, where chips become cash and cash becomes chips; also where markers and front money are handled.
Pit / pit boss: the group of tables under one supervisor, and the supervisor.
Rating: a floor supervisor recording your average bet and time so your play counts for comps. "Get rated" means give them your card.
Hand pay: a slot jackpot large enough (roughly $1,200 and up) that an attendant pays it by hand and collects tax details.
TITO: ticket in, ticket out; the paper voucher slots print when you cash out.
Table minimum / table max: the smallest and largest bets allowed, on the placard at the table.
Double-deck, 6:5, 3:2: blackjack shorthand for the number of decks and the payout on a natural; 3:2 is the traditional payout and 6:5 is the worse version common on the Strip at low minimums. See casino basics.
Ploppy: derisive slang among serious players for a clueless recreational gambler.
Sweating the money: a casino being anxious about a winning player.
CNF: concession and franchise fee, a 4 to 6 percent line on some restaurant checks; not a tip or a tax.
Service charge / venue fee: an automatic 18 to 20 percent added at pools, clubs, spas and some restaurants.
Minimum spend: the amount you commit to buying to hold a nightclub or dayclub table.
Bottle service: buying bottles at a table in a club; the delivery system for a minimum spend.
LET: live entertainment tax, 9 percent on admissions.
Folio: your hotel bill.
Cover: the entry charge at a club or dayclub.
Guest list: free or reduced entry to a club arranged through a promoter, usually with conditions.
Comp drink: the free drink brought to gamblers on the floor; tip the server. The hidden costs page expands on each fee.
Places and geography
The Boulevard / Las Vegas Boulevard / LVB: the street the Strip runs along; "the Boulevard" is how locals say "the Strip" without sounding like a tourist.
The Strip: the roughly four-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South from around the Strat to Mandalay Bay, technically in unincorporated Clark County, not the city. Split into south, center and north.
Downtown / DTLV: the original casino district around Fremont Street, inside city limits.
Fremont East: the bar district east of the Fremont Street Experience canopy.
The Arts District / 18b: the gallery, brewery and vintage neighborhood south of Downtown.
Locals casinos: off-Strip casinos (Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, the Station and Boyd properties) built for residents, with better odds, cheaper food and free parking.
Off-Strip: anything not on the Boulevard; the resorts a block or two away (Virgin, Rio, Palms, Westgate) and beyond.
The Deuce: the double-decker bus that runs the Strip and Downtown 24 hours; see transportation.
The Loop: the Vegas Loop Tesla tunnels under the Convention Center and Resorts World.
The Spaghetti Bowl: the I-15 and US 95 interchange north of Downtown.
Summerlin / Henderson / Green Valley: the western and southeastern suburbs.
Shows, clubs and nightlife
Residency: a performer's extended run of shows at one venue rather than a tour.
Production show: a big staged show with a permanent theater (Cirque, magic, revues).
Dark night: the weekday a show does not perform; every show has one or two.
Dayclub: a ticketed pool party with a DJ; distinct from the resort pool. See pools and dayclubs.
Swim-up / daybed / cabana / bungalow: the tiers of paid pool seating.
European pool: a topless-optional adults-only pool.
Ultra lounge: a smaller, upscale club-bar hybrid.
VIP host: the club employee who sells tables.
Promoter: an outside operator who fills clubs with guests, often via free guest lists for women.
Headliner: the star act; on a dayclub calendar, the DJ whose date costs triple.
Miscellaneous local phrases
"What happens here, stays here": the city's long-running tourism slogan, revived and reworded periodically.
Vegas / Sin City: nobody local says "Las Vegas" in full or "Sin City" at all.
Conventioneer: a trade-show visitor; when 150,000 arrive for CES, everything costs more.
Swing shift / grave shift: the afternoon and overnight work shifts, since the city runs 24 hours. "Grave" is the quiet, cheap time to play.
Monsoon: the July-to-September thunderstorm season that briefly floods roads.
Dry heat: what everyone says; it is still 110°F.
The Fountains / the Volcano / the Conservatory: Bellagio's fountains, the former Mirage volcano (gone with the Mirage's closure) and Bellagio's seasonal garden.
Old Vegas: Downtown, vintage casinos, cheap steaks, lounge acts.
Mob Museum / Neon Boneyard: the two Downtown museums locals recommend first.
Locals' discount: a Nevada ID discount at many attractions and shows; ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a comp in Las Vegas?
Anything the casino gives free in return for your gambling, from a drink on the floor to a suite, based on your tracked theoretical loss rather than your actual results.
What is a whale?
A very high-stakes gambler, typically betting tens of thousands a hand, with a multimillion-dollar credit line and a casino host arranging villas, flights and full RFB.
What does RFB mean?
Room, food and beverage, all complimentary. The classic high-roller comp package.
What is a marker?
A casino credit line drawn at the table in exchange for chips. Unpaid markers are enforceable like bounced checks in Nevada.
What is a tier match?
A promotion where a casino grants you loyalty status equivalent to what you hold with a competitor. Offers change; ask at the players club.
What is a CNF fee?
A concession and franchise fee of about 4 to 6 percent that some restaurants and bars add to cover their rent to the resort. It is not a tip or a tax.
Why do locals call the Strip "the Boulevard"?
Because the Strip is Las Vegas Boulevard South, and "the Boulevard" is the everyday name for the road. The Strip itself is in unincorporated Clark County, not the city.
What is a locals casino?
An off-Strip casino built for residents, such as Red Rock or Green Valley Ranch, with better odds, cheaper food, free parking and a calmer floor.
