Comments on: A Promotion Rant for June

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 07:17:56 +0000

A local casino (formerly Hollywood Casino Jamul in San Diego County) recently has been trying to keep it’s local customers happy, by giving away it’s umpteen hundreds of Hollywood logo items and other (leftovers). Some are good (if you need $20-30 value kitchen items like a new crockpot), others not (you name it, they’ve offered it).
Thumbs up: USUALLY on these gift pick up days (qualified players) can choose either freeplay or the gift, with a swipe at the kiosk. I like this idea, and I’d like to see other casino marketing depts. offer that instead (if players happen be playing on a giftday giveaway anyhow, and pts needed for the gift, but could exchange for freeplay value instead).

Thumbs DOWN: Jamul Casino possibly marketed to their whole customer database earlier this June – sending out postcards for a Super Saturday gift giveaway….The problem – 1. It was on a Saturday (casino usually busy on weekends already, why have gift giveaway on a day when there are already crowds in the casino?).
2. You still had to swipe at kiosks to get a printed coupon/voucher…which you 3. had to stand in another line to pick up the gift of your choice. PROBLEM: They weren’t ready for the crowds (1000s) of players who showed up. I took one look in the casino and had never seen such chaos of lines of people snaking around machines, aisles, everywhere – they were under-staffed for this event – also only from 1pm-6pm on a Saturday!! They could of resolved this by (setting different dates – NOT on a weekend) for different tier level of players) – Another casino (Viejas in San Diego East county) regularly gives out weekly gifts, but they spread out the number of dates by tier level, so crowds usually aren’t an issue for the qualified players to pick up these gifts… Or they could have at least had enough staff with extra kiosks to swipe for the gift(s) thus preventing the crowded lines- due to not enough kiosks for the event, etc.

I most likely will stick to the Thursday evening weekly gift/exch for freeplay instead, as long as they continue that (no other promos on Thursdays at Jamul casino- but anything can change at any time!).

MM in San Diego

By: Judy Skow

Judy Skow — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 17:55:45 +0000

Not to mention having a “grand reopening party” during the Electric Daisy Carnival weekend, then close a few levels of the parking garage, ( for remodeling) so there is no parking anywhere on property!

The kicker is the construction isn’t even finished yet. Still workers on ladders, roped off areas, and wires everywhere! Invite thousands when you have room for hundreds for a complimentary buffet.

Then take away ALL the 9/6 Jacks or Better programs. Take away all the double points promotions. ( They are now 1.66x points)

Someone is trying to bankrupt the property it seems. VERY poor decisions. Or is there another motive for creating negativity among the players?

By: charles Adler

charles Adler — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:22:57 +0000

Do not go to Rampart Casino. Tight Slots and lousy Buffet.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 30 May 2018 03:58:48 +0000

My wife and I have been coming to Vegas for 33 years and really miss the “old vegas”. We’ve played downtown at all the properties but no longer go there. The Fremont street circus is just too sleazy for us. We’ve been saphire for several years at Boyd and they still send us offers for free rooms and minimal food ($10), but we don’t like the casinos/hotels anymore. With the exception of Suncoast, but they don’t have 9/6. We tried GVR and still go there because of the free rooms. We tried the M after I saw on VPfree2 that they had put in a few 9/6 machines. They really surprised us with $250 in free play and two nights with a free buffet included. We now get as much as $150 in free play and two free buffets along with two nights. We have to combine several offers to get that much free play, but double and triple dipping is allowed. I have to admit that their buffet is far superior to any of the Boyd or Station casinos as are the rooms. The M is giving us much better bang for our buck than any other casino. I highly recommend that newbies to the M try it out. I’m a 50¢ 9/6 player and my wife is a 5¢ triple play (the ultimate x type) or quarter single line ddb. She also plays stupid games (penny slots). So you can see that we’re not high rollers, but the offers from the M are better by far than Boyd or Station. We’re from Arizona and I don’t know if that makes a difference in offers from locals. May the Royals be with you.

By: Candy Wright

Candy Wright — Wed, 30 May 2018 01:47:48 +0000

Would be nice if loyalty and advancing age were appreciated when comps are doled out. Ha. I play the same casinos as I have for decades, and the same amount of play per hour, roughly. In younger years I would play all day (same place), then husband and I would go for dinner at 8 pm, then he’d go to bed (not a gambler) and I’d play on through some wee hours. Now, after dinner it is off to bed for me too. I can’t do “wee hours” much anymore. It shows…more sleep, lower offers. Ah, the joys of aging.

By: charles Adler

charles Adler — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:49:56 +0000

Stations Texas Station had a good steakhouse Austins. It has closed. It has others but they are overpriced. Casino’s were better when the mob ran them. We now have Resort fees, Parking Fees, High Restaurant and entertainment Fees,and of course TIGHT SLOTS.

By: Jerry McEwen

Jerry McEwen — Mon, 28 May 2018 23:38:01 +0000

I play $25 minimum blackjack, and usually get offers which include a couple of free nights, $10 or $15 in free chips and maybe #15 free food. The chips don’t give me enough to play minimum on one hand, and the food allowance will cover one breakfast buffet minimum. It is an insult when I am betting $25, $50, $75 per hand at their BJ tables.

By: John M. Tamashiro

John M. Tamashiro — Mon, 28 May 2018 20:07:08 +0000

Dear Jean,

Great article and accurate feed back on the customer’s take on casino promotion offers. It is true that many of us travel thousands of miles to enjoy the amenities Las Vegas offers. The cost of these amenities are increasing and the number of totally free benefits such as buffets at the Boyd Properties YAH Wednesdays have ceased. What a loss to us who planned our travel to be there on Wednesdays to enjoy the super benefits.

To their credit the casinos have recently established video poker and slot tournaments that are easy to qualify to play that offer significant prize pools that are winnable. Great improvement.

Aloha,

John M. Tamashiro

By: DanMin

DanMin — Mon, 28 May 2018 19:18:09 +0000

Agreed. Always believed that Casino Marketing shold take travel time and distance into account.

By: Jack R

Jack R — Mon, 28 May 2018 18:30:13 +0000

One locals casino does a promotion on Wednesdays called “Young at Heart” for people 50 and over. They make a big deal out of “up to 50 times points” on that day. You swipe your card and you’re presented with six hidden choices of from 4 to 50 times points. Their system is rigged. It’s impossible to hit the 50 times points no matter which choice you make. I picked the same box nine times in a row and was awarded 6 times points every time. What would be the odds of that happening, out of 6 choices, IF it wasn’t rigged? Last week I saw seven different people make their choice and everyone got the 6 times points award. Each person picked a different box. Over the years, I’ve watched the same thing happen every week I was there. The casino seems to pick a lower multiplier for that day, and that’s what everyone receives no matter which box they pick.