A few big casino companies seem to be shifting gears as of October 2016. Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts (which collectively own most of the Las Vegas Strip Casinos) are experimenting with machines that indicate if you're betting enough before they serve you a comped drink.
A Caesars statement reads: “Caesars Entertainment has implemented the comp validation system statewide throughout our Nevada resorts. This system enables us to offer complimentary beverages to those gamers who choose max play at our video poker bar top units.”
Caesars has apparently installed 'comp' indicator lights on the rear of the video poker machines and guests have to wager a certain amount on each hand for the "green" light to flash. This indicates to bartenders to serve a free drink. Caesars' system is in use in Las Vegas, Laughlin, Reno and Stateline near Lake Tahoe.
MGM Resorts is also testing a similar idea with a different technology at the MGM Grand and the Mirage. These machines will print out free drink vouchers for gamblers who hit a certain amount of active play time.
I'm not convinced that this will end vegas free drinks at all slot machines, partially because most gamblers do earn their free drinks. There is also enough competition to get and retain gamblers that some places will still give free drinks. But Also the casinos would likely spend more time and money trying to deny free drinks to the low rollers who don't "deserve" them rather than continuing to give drinks to everyone. Additionally since waitresses work on tips it would require supervising them closely to make sure they don't give out drinks to the few gamblers who haven't "earned" the comp. The labor cost of this supervision would be more than the cost of the free booze.
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