After a viral dispute on the Strip, officials remind tourists that tipping Las Vegas street performers is optional

What happened

A dispute over a tip on the Strip has drawn new attention to the rules for Las Vegas street performers, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. According to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report, a North Carolina couple was attacked Sept. 30 by a pair of "feather girls" on the sidewalk in the 3600 block of Las Vegas Boulevard, outside Planet Hollywood.

The arresting officer wrote that the scuffle started after the performers allegedly asked for more money when a man gave them a $20 tip. The arrest report says one of the showgirl impersonators struck the man with her high-heeled boot, leaving a 2-inch gash on his forehead. Footage of the incident drew national media attention.

The Review-Journal reported that her case is still pending and that she is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 3. She was also charged earlier this year after a fight at the Fremont Street Experience, which the arresting officer called "similar" in his report. Municipal court records show that case remains active, with a 90-day suspended jail sentence and a 1-year stay-out-of-trouble order.

Clark County's new marquee message

Clark County recently changed the digital marquees along the Strip to tell visitors about the law. The Review-Journal reported the new message reads: "When watching a performance or taking a photo, tipping is not required." The paper said the showgirl incident was not the only reason for the change.

County spokesperson Jennifer Cooper told the Review-Journal that the county posts public safety messages on Las Vegas Boulevard and that summer messages focused on heat. "Recent incidents prompted the signage related to tipping to help ensure tourists stay safe when visiting the Strip," Cooper said. More of our public safety coverage is available on the site.

How the rules work

Tipping is optional everywhere

Different government bodies set busker rules on the Strip and Fremont Street, but both treat street performance as a non-commercial activity, and neither requires tips. The Las Vegas Code of Ordinances states that "it is unlawful for a street performer to charge a fee for a performance within the Pedestrian Mall." Performers are still allowed to ask for tips or donations.

Fremont Street's lottery and circles

The city of Las Vegas and Fremont Street Experience, LLC regulate the downtown pedestrian mall. Buskers must register with the city to enter a daily lottery that assigns two-hour time slots in 38 6-foot-wide circles along the 1,375-foot stretch. City code also limits where performances can happen and restricts noise and activities that could block foot traffic.

Rules on the Strip

The Strip has no performer lottery, but it also restricts activities that block pedestrian traffic. At the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, a posted notice says vendors are not licensed to operate there and that there are "no designated photographers." Even so, the Review-Journal found hundreds of Tripadvisor reviews describing photographers asking for tips at the site.

What a veteran busker says

A 70-year-old performer who goes by Shadow told the Review-Journal he has been busking for two decades, including nearly 18 years on Fremont Street. He said he was not surprised by the Strip incident. "I've seen worse," he said.

Shadow said the Fremont Street circles have a history behind them. "The circles are here because guys used to chase people down the street, grabbing them when they didn't leave a tip," he said. He added that many passersby ask him what a photo costs, and he tells them it costs nothing.

He said similar signs have gone up on Fremont Street before and briefly had a small effect on tips. In his view, aggressive performers do more harm to his income than any sign. "Their behavior impacts me worse than those signs," he said.

What to watch next

• The performer accused in the Sept. 30 incident is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 3, according to the Review-Journal.
• Her earlier Fremont Street case remains active under a 1-year stay-out-of-trouble order, according to municipal court records.