Funbooks and other coupons

In my last post, I mentioned staying at South Point Thursday night. We had stayed there a couple of times before, but I forgot that the hotel gives its guest something called a funbook at check-in. When I saw the two funbooks my spouse had picked up with our room keys, it reminded me of my amusement when I first came across the term.

A funbook isn't as much fun as you might think, unless you find saving (usually small amounts of) money particularly entertaining. All it is is a coupon book. In the case of South Point's, the coupons are mostly for food and drink, and require that something be purchased. Some other funbooks we've seen over the years contain gaming offers such as match plays, which are of more interest to us.

It's a good idea, whenever you check into a casino hotel, to ask for a funbook. If you get one, be sure to read the rules. Often the coupons are good only while you're staying at the hotel, and often they are void if detached from the book before use. A player's card may be required when using gaming offers.

Funbooks are only one of many sources of Las Vegas coupons. Others include the "freebie" magazines, daily newspapers, several Web sites and two valuable books, the Las Vegas Advisor Member Rewards and the American Casino Guide. I've written about both books before and, as I use up the coupons in each before they expire at the end of the year, I'm reminded of the value both provide.