Comments on: Advice for Casinos

By: GAMLORE

GAMLORE — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:15:52 +0000

Thanks Jean maybe some of these casino big wigs will read your blogs and take your advise we can only hope.

By: fivespot

fivespot — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:13:17 +0000

Norm, speaking as a pro, I doubt we disagree as much as you seem to think. The loudest complaining does not come from pros and APs whose benefits have been reduced; it comes from players of all stripes who have been treated inconsistently, rudely, or unfairly. And there’s been a lot of that lately, as in the case of the Suncoast 86ings Jean mentioned in a previous post.

However, I have to say that you’re dreaming if you think that more casino restrictions on APs will lead to looser machines or promotions. It is easy for a casino to offer these things without making themselves an appealing target for APs… if that’s what they want to do. The reason they don’t do that, is because they don’t want to. They want more of your money, and in today’s VP landscape, competitive pressures aren’t punishing them for getting greedy.

By: Steve in Michigan

Steve in Michigan — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:20:47 +0000

Jean, this article you have written is very professional and offers different views without taking sides. Some of your readers voiced anger and the possibility of boycotts. Your approach of limiting or capping the “bonus” affords compromise with both sides able to sleep nights.

If your love of gaming was not so great, I would think you would be a good candidate for mayor of Las Vegas.

By: Norm

Norm — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:20:35 +0000

Perhaps you will cover this in your next blog about less-than-sterling actions by advantage players. And you will likely not like this point of view. I’m not so sympathetic with professional and advantage players who are experiencing restrictions on casino benefits that they have long enjoyed. Here’s my (perhaps flawed) reasoning. Serious, advantage players who play perfectly and are able to annually grind out winnings along with big casino benefits for themselves do so at the expense of the vast majority of ordinary (non-advantaged) video poker players. Non-professionals simply want to play games with decent, good – full pay -payouts. Casinos really like our business because we don’t play perfectly and they make money from us. Non-professionals don’t hog full-pay machines during juicy promotions. Non advantage players don’t end each year winning money. We enjoy playing the game in our non-perfect manner. But, because of the advantage players, casinos have to take actions that protect their financial interests. As you say, casinos are not non-profit organizations. So, casinos have been removing full pay machines. And benefits for all video poker players are lessened. Now, it’s even more difficult for the VAST majority of video poker players to stretch their gaming dollars. Professional, advantage players are making it harder for the rest of us. It’s hard to be sympathetic to advantage players who may no longer receive complimenatry cruises, expensive giveaways, suites, lavish meals for extended number of family members, etc. The average player appreciates receiving whatever modest benefits that may come our way. I do agree, however, that casinos are totally at fault for physically removing players from the casino floor. That’s just wrong. Casinos have every right to restrict and even eliminate its benefits to professionals and serious advantage players. Banning them from future play is excessive and wrong. If professionals and serious advantage players no longer receive big benefits, they will probably play less and the casinos will receive more winnings. This probably will lead to a better deal for the average player. Reinstalling more full play machines (especially lower demoninations) and perhaps offering better benefits which will only make it better for the vast majority of video poker players.