Can you use a credit card gift card (AMEX or VISA) in a Casino in Vegas to gamble?

Question

My friend is going to Vegas for a birthday, but I don't want to give her any gambling money and want to make sure I give her something she spend other things (Food, Hotel, etc.)

Answer 1

You know, it's in extremely poor taste, not to mention quite unrealistic, to give a gift to someone with strings attached  expecting it to be used as YOU see fit.  Once you give a gift to someone, it belongs to that person to do as they please with it.  If you have some kind of moral hangup about how she's going to use something you give her, then you shouldn't bother giving it to her at all.

And to answer your original question...yes, you can use credit cards for gambling in Vegas.  Casinos have been perfecting the art of taking players' money any way they can get it for years, and it's a simple matter to bring a card up to the cage and cash it out, or simply to use it at an ATM for an additional fee to get cash.

But you're really crass to give a gift with unreasonable "conditions" attached to it.  That's really rude.  Give her something else or don't bother at all.  Personally, I wouldn't want to receive anything from you under such circumstances.

Answer 2

You can't get cash from the gift card unless the store allows you to take out cash over the purchase amount.  Even then I'm not sure you can.  However, the person will just use your gift card for the hotel and it just frees up more of her own money for gambling.

Answer 3

Definitely not for cash. get her the prepaid Amex thats the best one. She can use it for food etc but no cash advance which seems to be you intention. You can load them for any amount you wish and get them from American Express

Answer 4

NO you cannot use a credit card to gamble with. HOWEVER, they have credit card machines, that are like ATM's, that will let you withdraw money off your card but there is a large fee. It is about $20+ for every transaction.

Answer 5

Soldier,

I'm sorry you had to first be "Judge" by Vangorn.  This is the gambling forum not the "Holier than though" site I thought.

Anyway, I am not sure if you can use a General VISA or other type credit gift card in a Casino.  They take regular credit cards and ATM, which require some kind of pin and am not sure gift cards come with them.  Vangorn....chill...not everyone has -0- convictions like you!

Answer 6

I have never tried it but I don't see why a gift card would not be accepted at a casino.

I don't see why this matters to you. Say she has $4000 and your gift card. If she pays for the hotel with your gift card then that just frees up more of her own money to gamble. The end result is the same.

If you really don't want your money to go towards gambling then my suggestion would be to get her a gift certificate for one the spas in Vegas or tickets to a show.