Casinos make for great vacations or nights on the town. They have entertainment for all stripes, games where you can win big and plenty of delicious eats at all hours. It’s important to remember that casinos may be fun, but they’re not “anything goes” places. To have the best casino experience possible, follow these simple dos and don’ts.

Don’t Use Technology on the Floor

Casino Dos and Don'ts While Traveling to Las Vegas

Image via Flickr by Rishad Daroowala

Casinos have a strict policy against the use of recording devices of any sort in any place where there’s gambling. This means you should avoid taking pictures, using cell phones and mobile devices, or even using a pager on the casino floor. Keep your tech turned off and out of sight so you won’t get an unwanted visit from hotel security.

Do Use Comps

Casinos naturally want to encourage people to game and check out their other attractions. The management will often offer guests special promotions and complimentary gifts for everything from drinks to room upgrades and discount show tickets. There’s often no catch to casino comps — they just want you to stay and keep having a good time. Be careful about time limits, though; promos and comps often have expiration dates, so use ’em while you’ve got ’em.

Don’t Directly Interact with Dealers

This particular piece of etiquette is not just for your benefit, but the dealer’s as well. It’s against the rules of almost every casino for guests to directly interact with card dealers, croupiers and other casino staff. This means no touching or handing them items like chips and cash. If you want to tip your dealers, simply slide cash or chips toward them with a quick “thank you.” This will keep both you and your dealers from suspicion.

Do “Color Up” Your Chips

If you’re on winning streak, you can start to accumulate a lot of low-value chips. A large stack of chips is harder to carry between tables and harder for dealers to keep track of. It’s a good idea (and it’s just polite) to exchange a large number of low-value chips for a small number of high-value chips. This is called “coloring up” and it can save you a lot of headaches on the floor.

Do Learn the Games

Especially because there’s money involved, a lot of gamblers take their games very seriously. Many casino games have complex rules and special etiquette, so it’s a good idea to learn how to play before sitting down at the table. Before you visit the casino, pick up some books, read some websites and ask other experienced players about the details of the games you want to play. Also try your hand at online gaming through sites like Luxurycasino.com to practice before you do the real thing.

Don’t Forget to Pay Your Taxes

Money you earn at casinos is taxable at the end of the year, but if you win big you’ll have to pay right then and there. You can still walk away with a jackpot, but not before filling out tax forms for the state where you won.

Next time you head to the casino, make sure to be in-the-know. You’ll have a better time, and other gamblers and casino staff will appreciate your good manners.