Free Las Vegas Buffets - How to Get Free Buffet Meals in the Casino

Las Vegas used to carry a reputation for offering free buffets to numerous visitors. Unfortunately, you’ll find it much tougher to get buffet passes these days.

Vegas is stingier with freebies than in years past. The town especially doesn’t like giving out free buffets due to increasingly better and grander food spreads.

Luckily, you can still earn meal tickets with the right approach. The following nine tips will greatly increase your odds of earning a buffet pass.

1 – Join the Rewards Program

The first order of business, when it comes to getting a free buffet meal, should involve joining the players club, like the M life rewards program by MGM group. By joining this rewards program, you become eligible for more offers and promotions as a member of the players club.

Casinos allow you to sign up for the players club either in person or online. I suggest the latter for convenience’s sake.

Vegas resorts won’t necessarily shower you with rewards immediately after you join. Over time, though, you may receive a free buffet pass.

Sometimes, you’ll get text or email deals revolving around buffets. Casinos may offer you a free pass in hopes of getting you to visit soon.

Even if you don’t receive a meal ticket, you may at least avoid waiting in line. Some casinos have a special line for player’s club members that feature no wait.

2 – Earn Your Buffet Through Gambling

Las Vegas casinos are legendary for comping gamblers. Such casino comps can lead to you getting into a buffet for free.

Of course, you have to show gambling resorts that you’re a valuable player first. They aren’t going to give you a $35 pass just because you put $20 into a slot machine.

Instead, casinos base your rewards on multiple factors. Your comps are dependent upon the game, bet sizes, playing volume, and/or theoretical losses.

Here’s an example of how the house might decide your slot machine rewards:

A casino offers a 0.2% comp rate on all slots wagers
You bet $1,500 on a slot machine within a single day
1,500 x 0.002 = $3 in rewards

We’re sorry to say, but $3 won’t be enough to get you into any Las Vegas buffet. If you continue playing slots each day or simply increase your betting volume, though, then you stand to earn a buffet pass.

Assuming you play table games, you should hand your players club card to the dealer immediately. They’ll give your card to the pit boss, who’ll then rate your play.

3 – Ask a Host

Casinos employ hosts to work with gamblers on specific comps. Hosts normally gravitate towards high rollers and volume players.

You don’t necessarily have to bet $100 per baccarat hand to attract the attention of a host. However, you’ll help your cause by wagering at least $25 or $50 per hand.

The hosting requirements vary by the casino. Some gambling establishments may host you for playing $10 blackjack at a high volume.

Others only pay attention to $50 players or above. You should consider asking your preferred casino about hosting before playing.

Once you get hosted, you’ll be able to negotiate for various comps. If a free buffet is within the bounds of your play, then you can certainly ask for this perk.

4 – Use Rewards Points to Get a Buffet Meal

Loyalty plans see you accumulate points for every dollar you spend on a casino’s property. For example, MGM Resorts offers the elaborate M life program.

Every casino differs on offerings based on their specific loyalty plan. Some are more restrictive on what you can get with points, while others are more liberal in this regard.

You should look into a player’s club before dedicating much play to a certain casino. If they offer what you’re looking for, like the chance to buy buffet passes with points, then you should go for it.

Again, you need to sign up for a player’s club before becoming eligible for any perks. You need to look for the relevant loyalty program form on a casino’s website and join before gambling a single dollar.

5 – Keep Staying at the Same Casino Resort

Visiting different gaming venues is fun when seeking new experiences. Furthermore, you can eventually find the casino(s) that you like most in this manner.

Eventually, though, you want to focus your play on one or two casinos. When you gamble and stay at the same establishment, you accumulate more points there and work your way up the VIP ladder.

A high VIP status gives you more sway at a casino and typically results in getting hosted, too. That said, you should really think about settling down with a single establishment.

6 – Look for Online Coupons

Many travel and Vegas-specific sites feature coupons for Sin City. These coupons cover everything from nightclubs to shows.

For the purposes of this discussion, I’ll assume that you’re only looking for buffet coupons. The good news is that you can often find these coupons with a little bit of online research.

Unfortunately, most of the deals don’t offer free passes. But you can quickly spot coupons that provide anywhere from 25% to 75% off a buffet price.

If you really do some digging, you may be able to find completely free offers or at least BOGO free. Sometimes, Vegas casinos feel generous and distribute these types of deals through their affiliates.

7 – Watch a Timeshare Presentation

I don’t suggest that you invest in a Las Vegas timeshare. Aside from the obvious reasons why these are bad deals, timeshares force you to pay top dollar for an annual, weeklong Las Vegas vacation that you may not be able to attend.

But those who present these deals often tempt you with freebies. Buffet passes are one of the more common offers.

Those promoting a timeshare will promise you a free breakfast buffet, for example, if you sit through the entire presentation. After you listen to their spiel, you’ll eventually receive your meal ticket.

I personally don’t think that the time spent listening to these presentations is worthwhile just for a free buffet. Nevertheless, this route does represent a legitimate way to get buffet passes.

Again, you don’t want to seriously consider a timeshare given how overpriced they are. You end up paying lots of money just to reserve your week in a Vegas resort suite. The goal is to yawn through the event, get your buffet ticket, and leave.

8 – Walk Around

If you’ve ever walked down Las Vegas Boulevard, then you’ll be very familiar with the many people handing out advertisements for shows, call girls, and more.

You probably find these same people to be extremely annoying. But some offers are worth taking, especially when they’re a buffet coupon.

Much like with the online coupons, these ads don’t normally give you a totally free pass. However, BOGO free buffet deals are common.

People usually give these offers away on the sidewalk near the casino they’re representing. Assuming you walk by Circus Circus, for instance, you would receive a coupon for their buffet.

Of course, not every casino hands out such deals. But you’ll probably receive a coupon as long as you continue walking up and down the Strip.

9 – Use Relevant Apps

Certain apps exist that can save you money during a Las Vegas trip. They typically ask you to play games and, subsequently, view advertisements in exchange.

MyVEGAS is a popular app that gives out lots of Vegas freebies and discounts. Available for Android and iOS devices, it sees you play slots and table games for virtual money.

You can get started either by downloading the casino apps directly or visiting Facebook. From here, you play relevant games and earn loyalty points that can later be exchanged for actual casino rewards.

The more you play, the more points and savings you can earn. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars on a Vegas trip by frequently using this or another app.

Conclusion

The days of you walking into a casino and immediately being invited to a buffet pass are gone. However, you can see that there are still plenty of methods for getting a free ticket.

Gambling and spending money at a casino are the quickest ways towards getting into buffets for free.

You might also receive email offers just for being a player’s club member.

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to obtain your buffet for free just to benefit. BOGO 50% and other discount coupons can save you a fair amount of money.

You should never pay top dollar for a Las Vegas buffet. At the very least, you should be looking for discounts. Hopefully, you’ll even get a free buffet pass!