Published on: February 18, 2026, 01:32h. 

Updated on: February 18, 2026, 01:32h.

Owners of casinos in Las Vegas are seizing a unique opportunity to enhance customer satisfaction while saving costs. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which manage a total of 18 properties along the Strip, have announced a policy to round up cash change to the nearest nickel, benefiting their patrons in the process.

Penny for Your Generosity

This rounding policy will apply solely to cash payments requiring change. For amounts ranging from 1 to 4 cents, customers will receive a nickel; for amounts between 6 and 9 cents, they’d get either two nickels or a dime. Transactions made through digital means—using debit, credit, gift cards, or mobile apps—will still be processed to the exact cent.

An internal memo from MGM Resorts, shared with Vital Vegas, states that this “temporary penny transaction approach” will be implemented “until necessary adjustments to internal systems are made or until there is more legal clarity.”

A representative from Caesars Entertainment corroborated with Vital Vegas that their establishments will adopt the same rounding practices.

The potential annual loss for each casino could reach around $137,000, based on 15,000 qualifying cash transactions daily and an average rounding expense of 2.5 cents per transaction, according to calculations from Vital Vegas. This amount, however, is minimal compared to the overall profitability of these mega-casinos and serves as an effective method to bolster “guest-centric goodwill,” likely a point made in their internal presentations.

Making Sense of the Cents

Despite the US Mint ceasing penny production in November 2025, this one-cent coin remains officially in circulation. Until either federal or state regulations change regarding pricing, taxation, and accounting practices, entities will still need to finalize transactions to the cent.

With approximately 114 billion existing pennies gradually being used up without replacement, regulators must create guidelines for rounding cash transactions to the nearest 5 cents, aiming to maintain proper cash handling and record-keeping.

For reference, Canada abolished its pennies in 2012, where transactions round down for amounts of 1-2 cents and up for amounts of 3 cents or more.

Penny Slots Remain Unchanged

As discussed last June, the discontinuation of the penny won’t lead to the elimination of penny slots. This is largely due to the high profitability of modern penny slots and their straightforward recalibration to nickel increments. Additionally, it’s worth noting that no slot machine in Las Vegas has offered a pull for a penny since the 1960s.