As soon as you get off your flight you'll run into your first chance to gamble in Las Vegas, the slot machines right there in the airport. Most books advise against playing them, as they're reported to pay less than casino slots. But, come on, you're on vacation. Loosen up. Drop a buck or two in the machines and give it a spin. In all likelihood the one-armed bandit will take your cash fast enough that you won't even be delayed getting to baggage claim.
If you are one of the rare winners, make sure you do all the math before celebrating your winnings too loudly. While waiting for a red-eye flight back to Texas several years ago the quiet of the late-night airport was shattered by an excited slot player. "Whooo! I won big!" he bellowed. "Biiiig baby! Whoooo!"
The he suddenly got quiet. My buddy who had gone to investigate came back laughing. "Dude forgot for a minute that he was playing on a nickel machine," he told me. "He thought be had $800 coming, then remembered to divide that by 20."
