Aubie... when was the last time you went to the bathroom in a semi-public place (eg a restaurant) in Europe? There is often a little old lady sitting outside who tidies the bathroom after it's been used... and there is a plate for tips. While this isn't endemic throughout Europe, it certainly is common - and a little unnerving the first time one encounters it!

As for tipping croupiers - my younger brother worked as a croupier in Victoria Falls. There, too, they split the tips. He didn't like the tip-sharing idea either, - but if you decide on principle not to tip your croupier however good they may be, you are punishing them, not their employers, who certainly aren't going to increase their wages. My brother's employer paid him a living (but not great) wage, and he used his share of the tip point to indulge his passion for cycling - his newest racing bike is a product of tips like yours.

The rationale the management gave my brother for pooling tips, (other than tax reasons), was that tips were pooled with those from another, less trendy hotel, & shared among all the croupiers - they didn't want to penalise the croupiers who worked in the less fashionable hotel.

I agree that in much of North America tips have come to be expected/demanded, and I don't like that either. When I choose not to tip I make certain that the 'service' staff know the reason for my decision.