Public Safety · The Strip
Clark County signs on the Las Vegas Strip now tell visitors that tipping street performers is not required
Digital displays on Las Vegas Boulevard now say tipping is not required after a performance or photo. The county calls it a public safety step, and it follows a viral video of a reported attack on a couple outside Planet Hollywood.
What happened
Clark County has added a new message to digital marquees along the Las Vegas Strip telling visitors they do not have to tip street performers, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. A county representative told the newspaper the signs are going up for "public safety."
The change comes after showgirl impersonators on the Strip became the subject of a viral video, according to the Review-Journal. In that case, a visiting couple said a dispute over payment for photos turned into a physical attack outside Planet Hollywood.
What the signs say
The message on the marquees
According to the Review-Journal, the displays read: "When watching a performance or taking a photo, tipping is not required." The message runs on digital marquees on Las Vegas Boulevard.
What a county commissioner advised
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, who represents District A, shared the new message in a post on X on Saturday, the Review-Journal reported. His post said, "Watching a performance or taking a photo with someone does not obligate you to tip."
Naft's post also told visitors who feel harassed to look for a nearby police officer or call 911. More coverage of safety issues around the valley is collected on our public safety page.
The incident that drew attention
A confrontation outside Planet Hollywood
The Review-Journal reported that Eric Richards and Merihazel Walters, a couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, came to Las Vegas to get married. On the eve of their wedding, they took pictures with two women dressed as showgirls on the sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard outside Planet Hollywood.
The couple paid $20 for the photos, but the two performers asked for more money, according to the newspaper. When Richards tried to walk away, one of the women followed him and used profanity before the alleged attack began, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report.
What the police report says
Walters told a Metro officer that one performer demanded between $60 and $180 before hitting Richards with her hands, the arrest report said. Walters said that when she tried to step in, the second performer tackled her and struck her several times in the head with a closed fist before Richards was able to push the woman off.
The arresting officer wrote that police surveillance footage and video obtained from Planet Hollywood appeared to match the couple's account, the Review-Journal reported. Richards had a 2-inch gash on his forehead during the wedding. The newspaper's report does not say whether either woman has been charged.
Why street performers matter on the Strip
Street performers and costumed individuals have long been a regular presence on the Strip, the Review-Journal noted. They look to tourists to hand over extra cash for watching a performance or posing for a picture.
The new signs put the message that tipping is not required in front of visitors on the boulevard itself. Naft's post directs people who feel harassed to find a nearby police officer or call 911.
What to watch next
- The rollout of the message, which the Review-Journal reported is being added to displays on Las Vegas Boulevard.
- How the case tied to the reported attack outside Planet Hollywood proceeds. The police account describes an alleged attack, and the Review-Journal's report does not say whether charges have been filed.
