Want to remember your Vegas trip? Grab these souvenirs
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas — unless you want to take a momento home.
If you’re looking for the perfect only-in-Vegas tchotchke to commemorate your visit, consider the following options:
Matchbooks
A basic item at casino bars that call back to days when smoking was more common, these property-specific free items make a good collectible. Get a few and throw them into a jar for decorative displays.
Player’s cards
If you’re looking for a personalized item without paying up, signing up for a casino’s rewards program can give you a unique keepsake. It’s kind of like keeping a hotel room key card, but more specific because the card will include your name – and player ID.
Poker chips
Play a small hand at a table game of your choice and keep the small values. Casino chips are unique to each property and are often redesigned, making them a good marker of where and when you traveled.
Playing card decks
Another classic gift for gamblers. Visitors can ask a casino cage if they have any used decks, or purchase them at various gift shops along the Strip.
Coin cups
Slot players who miss vintage Vegas might enjoy a souvenir plastic cup from casinos that still have coin slots. But if you’re looking for one, plan to go to a specific property. Only a handful of casinos still have coin or token-operated slot machines left in the region.
‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ lightbulbs
If all those options are too basic, consider ordering a special lightbulb from the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. One retailer, Official Las Vegas Light, sells lights that have been on the sign – you can even pick a lightbulb from a specific date, as far back as 2007.
McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.