While we are discussing tipping, I learned something interesting
today from a table games dealer at Wynn. Over the course of the
first year of operations, the dealers were doing extremely well.
With tips they were making about 20% more per year than dealers at
the other higher end clubs. About a week ago, the dealers were
called in to a meeting and told that from now on, they are required
to share something like 40% of their tips with the floor people.
Obviously, they are pretty upset about this, but are over a barrel.
The "tipping out" will drop their annual income to something that is
just comparable to what people make in the other clubs. They
receive very good benefits so there is no percentage in quitting for
something that is just lateral if that.
With all of the recent IRS attention to tip income, I am sure that
the execs checked the legality of this move, but it seems dubious to
me. The way I read the IRS regs, forced "tipping out" is
permissible as long as you are not being required to share with
supervisors.
I wonder if the slot attendants share tips. I asked one in AC about
it when I hit a $20K royal two weeks ago ($200 tip). She told me
that they normally do not share.