No More Free Parking At 8 Las Vegas Casinos

Image courtesy of Tips for Travellers

Like the drinks you get while gambling, casino parking in Las Vegas is often a “freebie.” But if you’re planning a trip to Vegas soon, be prepared to possibly pay for parking or driving around to find a free garage to dock your ride.

Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced Tuesday that it’s putting an end to free parking at eight of its nine properties in Sin City in favor of a a paid valet and self-parking initiative. The changes will roll out in December, though implementation dates will vary by location.

Every property besides the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will now charge for parking: Linq and Harrah’s will start charging for valet services next month and charge for self-parking at a later date when new equipment is installed. Caesars Palace, The Cromwell, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Bally’s, and the Flamingo will implement the new policy in 2017.

Guests have reported that parking is scarce at its casinos, Caesars said, with the exception of the Rio, which has a bigger parking area and hasn’t had any crowding problems.

“We believe that implementing a paid parking program while also investing in LED parking guidance systems will help address these issues,” said Bob Morse, President of Hospitality at Caesars Entertainment, in a statement.

If you’re a local resident with proper ID or a Total Rewards loyalty member with Platinum status or higher, you can still self-park for free. Platinum and above rewards members can also get complimentary valet services. For more information on pricing at each property, check out Caesars’ parking page.

Caesars isn’t the first Las Vegas biggie to change its parking policy recently: MGM International announced its own paid parking program earlier this year, starting in June. That may have led MGM guests to seek free parking at Caesars properties.

Don’t want to pay? You can check out Las Vegas’ guide to parking — which as of Nov. 30, still had to be updated to reflect Caesar’s upcoming changes.

(h/t The Las Vegas Sun)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.