Casinoboss Answers Your Questions: Part III

Hey gang, have a little case of "The Fridays" here at work so thought I'd start another thread.

Here's my old one if you want to catch up: https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=17&threadid=302048&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

What do you think will happen to the Sahara property

A - reopened as is
B - renovated and reopened
C - blown up and replaced by a new megahotel
D - none of the above, it will sit there for years

I'd put my money on A but by a different owner. But it will take awhile. I.e., 1-2 years.

Welcome back. Look forward to more good insights from you.

Do casinos ever lobby airlines to lower fares into Vegas? I would visit more often if the cost to get there was more affordable, and might increase my gambling budget at the same time

Do casinos feel threatened by 'Advantaged' Video Poker players? If not...why not? If so, what do you do about it?

I've never heard of this but it wouldn't surprise me that at some kind of dinner of CEOs that the conversation comes up.

Yes, definitely.

Off the top of my head:

-Lower the amount/remove the games from the floor
-Raise the earning criteria for the players club on those machines (e.g., slots = $1 of coin-in for 1 point, VP = $2 of CI for 1 point, and full-pay = $6 of CI for 1 point)
-Remove those games from promotions like multipliers
-Remove those players from the players club / offers
-Ask those players to not return

CB,

Welcome back.

At the beginning of the "Great Recession" in one of your early threads you talked about the strategies that casinos were employing to meet the challenge. Some were cutting the "spend" on players by reducing comps and others were increasing the spend to increase market share and fill rooms. Which of the two strategies has proven to be superior?

I think in the end, those folks who had the ability (both from a fiscal and management standpoint) to just stay the middle ground will be / have been most successful.

Cutting spend causes the players to defect to those that are increasing spend. However, increasing spend creates an unsustainable entitlement for players. So the folks that have had the sense of mind to stay in the middle ground will / are finding some success since those companies that increased spend are now cutting back as well.

"-Remove those players from the players club / offers
-Ask those players to not return "

How often does that happen and at what play level (25c, 50c $1etc)?