MGM Resorts Hikes Self-Parking Rate at its 9 Las Vegas Casinos

This wasn’t the kind of raise most Las Vegas tourists were hoping for this holiday season.

On Friday, MGM Resorts International hiked the price of parking at all nine of its Las Vegas Strip casino resorts. The resort company is charging a flat daily self-parking rate of $18 to out-of-state visitors from Monday through Thursday, and $25 for Friday through Sunday.

The MGM self-parking garage
The MGM self-parking garage, northwest entrance. (Image: plugshare.com)

That’s up from $15 for 1-4 hours Monday through Thursday, and $20 from Friday through Sunday. There is no longer a first free hour.

This change went into effect Wednesday without prior public notice.

Residents of Nevada continue to receive three hours of free self-parking, except during special events.

Free self-parking is also available for hotel guests, certain MGM Rewards members, active military,  veterans, and their spouses. Valet parking charges remains unchanged.

Fee For All

Until 2016, complimentary self-parking was a staple of the Strip since its founding. That was the year MGM — which operates the Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur — became the first casino company on the Las Vegas Strip to charge for the tradition.

For a year or two, most competitors kept their self-parking free as a selling point. Eventually, all caved. Longtime holdouts Wynn and Encore caved in on Sept. 28, blaming pressure from The Sphere. 

Now, only Treasure Island, Circus Circus, Casino Royale, and Sahara offer free parking to all — though  the Tropicana already charges for some of its better spots.

 

Corey Levitan joined Casino.org in 2022 after a long career covering Las Vegas. He currently covers entertainment, dining and gaming news in Las Vegas.

Corey spent six years covering the Vegas Strip for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he also wrote the most popular humor column in the city’s history. (For “Fear and Loafing,” he tried out 176 Vegas jobs, including poker player, blackjack dealer and Follie Bergere dancer.)

Corey has won more than 100 local, state and national awards for his journalism, which has also appeared in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine and the New York Post.

Corey is a New York native whose hobbies include playing guitar, trying to be a better husband, and arguing with strangers on Facebook.

Contact Corey at corey@casino.org.

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  • S
    Sandy January 17, 2025
    Bring back the buffets and the free parking Las Vegas! I haven’t been back to my old haunts on the strip since they decided to make… Bring back the buffets and the free parking Las Vegas! I haven’t been back to my old haunts on the strip since they decided to make you pay to park and lose your money!
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  • S
    Sandy January 17, 2025
    Are they trying to drive away for good the out of towners? Las Vegas isnt the only option for a vacation spot with casinos!… Are they trying to drive away for good the out of towners? Las Vegas isnt the only option for a vacation spot with casinos! Between the parking fees (who wants to pay for the privilege of losing one’s money?), and closing the buffets, WHERE did the real Las Vegas go?
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