This is a phenomenon called surge pricing, something you need to consider all year long when you are booking a Las Vegas stay.  Room rates are definitely not static. Some visitors are more familiar with higher rates during holiday periods, but they can also occur during big convention dates.  It pays to check the schedule you can find at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Now for November news and promotions. But first, a note about all the promotions I mention here in my blog.  I usually give just a summary, with some of the basic details.  But I do not always mention every single limitation or exclusion.  So, to get complete information you must go to the casino websites, where hopefully all the fine-print warnings will be given.  However, sometimes you eventually need to actually show up at the players club desk to check on specifics and see if there are any last-minute changes.

South Point is running one of my favorite promotions this month – with your players club points worth twice their regular value for Amazon gift cards.  You can earn up to a total of ten $50 cards by redeeming $25 in players club points for each card, and this is equivalent to double points during your earning period.

Arizona Charlies Decatur – I am hearing reports – and complaints – about major downgrades in this casino –both in the VP paytables and in the players club and comp benefits.  The only positive thing I hear is that there are some good food specials, especially for breakfast in their coffee shop.

Gold Coast – “Get Your Grub On” buffet special every Tuesday in November.  Earn 10 tier credits and get a free buffet. After you play, print out your voucher at the kiosk; it is good that day or save it and use it the next day.  And by the way, the voucher you get on Wednesday’s Young at Heart for the free breakfast or lunch can also be saved to use the next day.

 El Cortez – Just saw an ad in the R-J about this check-cashing promotion, one that I think has been going on for quite a while.  But perhaps some have missed it.

Cash any Tax Return, Government Check, or Payroll check from any Clark County Gaming property and receive 5% off your check in free play, up to $50. Must be a Club Cortez member. For promotion details, see posted rules at Casino Cage/Slot Club.

And now for a non-casino freebie/discount:

Mob Museum: To celebrate Kefauver Day, Nov. 15, The Mob Museum announces FREE admission (9 am to 9 pm) for Nevada residents and buy one admission, get one free for non-residents, sponsored by Zappos. Throughout the year, it extends free admission to Nevada residents through designated annual Free Days.  Check it out here.

Lots of food and gambling promos coming up for Veterans Day, the 11th, and Thanksgiving, the 28^th.  I’ll cover them next week when I have gathered more details.

The problem with this party that they both wanted to attend was that it was in downtown Vegas – a bit of a drive from their home. The man, at 87, finally had recently turned in his keys – so the woman would have to drive.  She had driven her whole adult life until the man’s retirement 30+ years ago.  Then they were always together and she had taken the wheel only a few times – mainly like when he was having a heart attack or was in the hospital.  She was now afraid that she had perhaps lost some of her safe-driving skills.  She could cope with the chaotic scary Vegas traffic when the destination was on a familiar route near their home, but she just didn’t want to tackle the downtown maze of constant construction and unknown parking possibilities. At one time they had known every nook-and-cranny of the area and every detail of every casino, but this hadn’t been their gambling stomping ground for many years, and they knew things had been changing.

But then they remember their handy friend, Uber!  They had used share-rides to and from the airport in the past, but decided that this could be the way that they could still enjoy going out even when driving themselves sometimes was not a good option.  The woman hesitated, as usual thinking of the cost.  The woman’s daughter finally convinced her that at age 80 she could let up a little on the extreme frugal concept.  And the man, who had never joined in 100% to the “crazy frugal” concept, reminded the woman that this was the “old age” that they had been saving for all these many years.

So… their beautifully warm autumn evening jaunt began with a jolly Uber driver picking them up at their condo and cheerfully loading the man’s walker into the trunk.  With no concern about the traffic, the couple could enjoy sight-seeing out the windows as the driver took a route they hadn’t been on for several years, noticing all the many changes in the city that had been their frequent vacation destination and then their home for almost 36 years.

The experienced Uber driver knew all the shortcuts and the trip was over quickly, the couple and their walker dropped off conveniently right at the back entrance to the El Cortez, where the party was happening.  They were about a half-hour early so they did what they had been doing for 36 years when they visited a new casino or one that they hadn’t been in for a long time: the woman pulled out coupon books from her purse and found two joining-bonus coupons.  They didn’t know how many years it had been since they last played at the El Cortez.  Would their names still be in the players club database and they wouldn’t qualify as a new member for this bonus?  They knew some casino databases seem to stretch back forever.

The man reminded the woman that he clearly remembers playing a $1 Triple Deuces VP machine here and hitting 4 deuces for $3000.  He doesn’t remember when it was – probably almost 20 years ago – but he said he would never forget the stir it caused as all the “little” players crowded around him, marveling at someone who hit a jackpot on a dollar machine – and at “full-coin” to boot!

Anyway, there was no record of either of their names so the players club clerk processed the coupons for them.  They would each have $10 of free play.

What machine to choose?  This was no time, they agreed, to look for “good” video poker machines; they would go for something fun.  They came across a nickel Triple Play Ultimate X, which was often their “just-for-fun” short-time choice – who cares what the paytable is! They played 5 minutes and then had to quit to head for the party.  Turned the $20 into $5 – cash out – okay – that covers the tip for the Uber driver one-way.

Although the couple had been on the El Cortez casino floor many times, they had never had a room there – and they certainly had never been up in the penthouse suite, which is where the long-time owner, Jackie Gaughan, lived for 25 years, until his death in 2014.  The suite has remained unoccupied by a permanent resident since then although it may be rented out – at a high price, of course, by someone who wants to enjoy the throw-back luxury of the 50’s-60’s.  It is also available for group functions, such as this party the couple was attending. They not only enjoyed chatting with old friends and making new acquaintances, but the 15^th floor patio view at dusk gave a beautiful picture of downtown, with both the familiar old sights they remembered and the new buildup beyond the Fremont Street Experience.

The couple left the party, happy that they had made the effort to get out of the house that evening.  It had been an interesting and entertaining get-together.  Should they order up an Uber and go straight home from the El Cortez?

Or, should they continue down Fremont Street and revive some more memories?  There were still lots of coupons in the lady’s purse.

Tune in next week for the answer.

However, we had to dump the whole corrupted subscription list. (Just the list was corrupted; you cherished readers are the best people in the world!) But what this means is that if you want to be notified when I post a new blog, you’ll have re-subscribe. Take heart! It’s easy to do: Just go to the sidebar on the right.

Actually, while we’re on the subject of blogs, I want to recommend some others you may have missed here:

• If you’re a VP player, you probably already check the one written by Bob Dancer each Tuesday. He covers a far-reaching range of VP subjects, some general that are helpful to players at any skill level and some more technical geared to those at the more advanced levels.
• One of the more recent blogs that has been very informative for me is “Living Local” by Jeffrey Compton. This has valuable details not only for those of us who live in Vegas, but also for those who are thinking about moving here.
• Another new blog is “The Travel Game.” You can access it from the bottom of the homepage. It’s chock full of detailed information on how anyone who travels get the most value out of airline miles, hotel points, credit-card promotions, and other travel deals. Casino customers who want to combine their frugal gambling with frugal traveling will love “The Travel Game.”

Click on “Blogs” in the top navigation bar of the LVA.com homepage to see these and other blogs that might appeal to you.

And in the same sidebar where you subscribe to my blog, you can scroll down to “Join LVA’s Mailing List.” There, you can check those that interest you, including “LVA Weekly,” a weekly e-letter with highlights from the Las Vegas Advisor’s blogs and website pages.

I usually ignore questions and comments from people who seem to always have a negative agenda. The Internet is overrun with unhappy maladjusted writers and posters who have to put other people down so they can puff themselves up, and unfortunately the gambling community is not immune from these malcontents. But most of the questions I get are friendly in nature, and I am always happy to respond to those who are sincerely and politely trying to seek accurate and/or helpful information.

Here are some of the facts that will help you understand the complexity of this media interaction, the problems and issues I have faced for many years with TV, radio, and newspaper contact. Most interviewers are not gamblers themselves, so they are trying to present a story on a subject they must write “cold,” with no personal experience. And the time element is usually so abbreviated that I can only touch on the basics, with no chance to explain exceptions or flesh out the details. Fortunately, this reporter who interviewed Brad and me had the whole day and, most importantly, the deep desire to “get it right” even though he was new in town and had absolutely no casino experience.

We visited two different casinos and I showed him examples of both low-level recreational choices and explained high-level skilled selections. There was no photographer with us during this time, so I don’t know the details of when or where the photos that accompanied the article were taken.

Some gamblers reading this article made a common mistake that I have warned about for years, that is, drawing quick conclusions about other gamblers without complete information. They look at a below-100% paytable being played and jump to the conclusion that the player is doing a negative play. They don’t know what bump they are getting for multiple points, what mailer bounce-back free play they receive, or what special bonus they are qualifying for. They don’t know the goals or parameters  of a particular session. And it is not just newbies that make this mistake; we can forgive them because they are still learning and don’t know the finer points of VP play. However, it is often the very skilled and experienced gamblers who love to play the one-upmanship game, looking for vague “implies” or stretched “infers” to support their fanciful conclusions.

When you read the article you will not see everything I said over a period of many hours – I can talk pretty fast and furious when I am “teaching.”  And you must remember that I did not write this article. The reporter did use some exact quotes, but he also had to “summarize” in his own words what I said on many topics. The main ideas he put in the article were quite accurate, particularly when he explained skilled play as picking good games and adding the extra casino benefits. Most importantly, the purpose of the interview was not how to learn to become a successful high-roller. The reporter just wanted to get a feel for high-limit gambling – how one could put through so much money through a machine in such a short time. He felt – correctly so – that most recreational gamblers who played at lower levels really didn’t understand higher-level play – not just the luxurious comps that came but also the extreme risk involved.

I talked to him a lot about volatility, but couldn’t magically will that day’s results to give him a good example. It was just a lucky happening that I had a roller coaster ride he could actually watch in real time. And as a side benefit, the small victory in the end was a perfect way to end the interview. The reporter was caught up in our enthusiasm as we played – Brad and I love multi-line VP and I guess it showed.  But he started worrying when we were in a long losing streak; I had to assure him that this was a common experience and we had a big enough bankroll to plow through them as long as our energy level held up.  However, even with no money of his own at risk, I think when we finally got back up with a small win he was more excited than we were!

However, I was stunned when I found out that the shooter had actually ordered my book, Tax Help for Gamblers. This was a connection I never expected.

This publicized fact, plus writings and comments on my public Jean Scott Facebook page, brought reporters calling for several days, wanting any little bit of information I could give them.  I had no personal details about the shooter, but I could give them some general material about taxes.  There had been some stories – rumors? – that he had reported  5 million dollars in gambling “winnings” on a tax return one year.  I explained that this sum was likely the total of his many W-2G jackpots resulting from frequent play at high denominations. This is usually a gross amount, not a net profit amount, and will be offset by a deduction of losses.  Actually the tax return might not show if you were a net loser, since you can only deduct your losses up to the amount of your wins.

I also had to explain the details of video poker to some of the reporters, many who are not casino gamblers themselves.  There has been a lot of misinformation being put out by uninformed reporters.  If you want to find out more details, accurate ones, about the shooter’s gambling life, I suggest you read the blog Anthony Curtis wrote on this website.  There is also a very interesting discussion in the “Comments” that follow that blog.

Of course we heard about the awful events very soon since my phone woke us up in the middle of Sunday night with a flood of pinging messages asking if we were okay.  We turned on the TV and followed the news closely until we returned home Tuesday.

We were shocked when we heard the details that the shooter was an avid video poker player, one who played in a similar way we do, figuring the math odds to choose good machine schedules, taking advantage of bonus benefits, and utilizing the comp system.  It made the whole thing even more personal for us when we learned that he was a CZR’s player who had attained the highest players-club level of 7 Star.  We were staying at Harrah’s Tahoe as a free fully comped trip because we both also were 7 Stars!

Right now there seems to be no evidence that the shooter’s  deadly motivation was connected to his choice of gambling as an activity he avidly pursued, i.e., that he was losing or going broke and that triggered violent action.  Although he used a casino as his crime base, he targeted not casino employees but a wholly different group of people, country music fans.  And this added more to the confounding unknown motivation since his family said that he had always liked country music.  This incident reinforces the fact that people of all different types and from varied circumstances can commit violent crime, whether there is one victim or many: no matter what job or hobby or interests they have, whether they are rich or poor, no matter what ethnicity or religion or political beliefs, whether they suffer from a known or obvious mental problem or seem perfectly “normal.”  And sometimes there is just no answer to “Why?”

Some people are asking Brad and me if we knew the shooter because they know that we might have played in the same casinos or participated in some of the same activities he did.  We haven’t played on the Vegas Strip for the last couple of years, sticking mostly to the off-Strip casinos that attract mostly locals.  But for many years we did play in the Strip high-limit areas, at the higher denominations that generated invitations to big-money tournament and drawings.  We don’t know how long he had been gambling at the high level and at which casinos and whether our paths might have crossed.  But we do not remember ever seeing him.

We feel the same sadness that permeates our whole city, but we rejoice in the positive surge within the community to pull together and try to make something positive come out of this terrible tragedy.  Our country is so divided these days; it is so inspiring to hear stories how people were so quick to help others, during and after the bloodbath – police and civilians,  white and  people of color.  No one asked someone in need if they were liberals or conservatives, Democrats or Republicans. Why does it take a disaster to unite as fellow human beings?

So here is my best effort at a Strip parking guide for the frugal although I make no guarantees. I encourage corrections – you won’t hurt my feelings!

Free Strip self-parking

Caesars Entertainment Properties – (free only for those with a Nevada driver’s license which they can swipe)

Treasure Island

SLS Las Vegas The Venetian / Palazzo

Tropicana

Circus Circus – (Valet charge only)

Stratosphere

Wynn/Encore – (Valet Charge only)

Trump Tower

Casino Royale

Free Parking Close to Strip (short walk)

Tuscany

Westin

Hooters

Hard Rock

Royal Resort

Ellis Island

Free Parking off-Strip (long walk)

Rio

Gold Coast

Palms

The Orleans

Outlying Casinos with Shuttles to the Strip

Palms ( for hotel guests only)

Rio

Gold Coast

Orleans

Sam’s Town

Silverton

M Casino – Shuttle to the Tropicana

J W Marriott (Rampart Casino)

Shopping centers with free parking in walking distance of casinos

The garage for the Miracle Mile shops provides just a short window-shopping jaunt into Planet Hollywood.

The Fashion Show Mall

The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay

The Shops at Crystals

NOTES

Check my last blog entry for details on casino credit card benefits that include free parking.

Check casino websites for players club high-tier parking benefits. Also look for casinos that give the first hour free to anyone for quickie errands into their property. Both MGM and Caesars CET) properties have this benefit.

As usual, and especially on this constantly-changing subject, put in the “Comments” or e-mail me any additional details or changes you personally come across.

And to close on a negative note: I just heard that some casinos in Reno are starting to charge for parking. I don’t know any details yet.

This disease has spread fast!

Free Self-Parking

First, here are the casinos that do not charge for self-parking – at the moment:

SLS Las Vegas

Treasure Island

The Venetian / Palazzo

Tropicana

Hooters (just off the Strip)

Circus Circus – (only MGM property that doesn’t charge for self-parking)

Stratosphere

Nearby Shopping Centers

Then, there are the shopping centers that  have free parking and are in walking distance of casinos:

The garage for the Miracle Mile shops provides just a short window-shopping jaunt into Planet Hollywood.

The Fashion Show Mall, a wonderful place to spend your money before you lose it in a casino.

The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay

The Shops at Crystals

Casino Company Credit Cards

Then there is the option offered by MGM and CZR, which could save you money, depending on your financial situation and how you use credit:  a company credit card with parking benefits as a perk of their players club on the higher-than-basic tier level.  You need to Google the benefits and figure the pros and cons of each of these.

The one from MGM seems to be really easy and involves no cost.  It’s a no-fee Mastercard credit card that gives you Pearl tier with no casino play required.  And at the Pearl level you have free self-parking.  I wasn’t sure how long you could remain at Pearl level after you first got the card if you didn’t play any at any MGM properties (ordinarily your tier level expires after a certain time period of no play) , but I found this VERY SMALL fine-print footnote at https://www.mlife.com/en/overview/mlife-rewards-mastercard.html :     M life Rewards Tier will remain at least Pearl Status as long as your account remains open and in good standing. I haven’t researched how long this credit card remains “open” if it is not used. Perhaps one would need to charge something at least once every year or so? A personal note when I got this credit card a few months ago:  I got some bonus players club points when I charged a certain amount in the first few months.  (I forget the details but offered bonuses may change from time to time.)

On the other hand, the CZR credit card requires an initial purchase in the first 90 days according to the details on their Website.

https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/tr-visa.html?rd=CET_TR_TRVISA15_PROMORAIL_HOMEPAGE .  Then there are charging minimums in current calendar years thereafter:

UPGRADE TO PLATINUM STATUS⁶

By making your first purchase in the first 90 days. Platinum status provides you with⁷:

• • 15% discount at participating spas and casino gift shops

• • Preferred pricing at participating Total Rewards restaurants

• • Exclusive pre-sale access for select shows

• • Complimentary valet & self-parking

Maintain Platinum Tier status by spending $5000 in the current calendar year!

For both cards, you havtoe show/use a current players card that indicates the required tier level; you can not show the credit card.

 “Free” Parking Options that will Cost You

At the higher players club tiers in most casinos, free self-parking and even free valet parking are often offered as a benefit. Check to see the requirements at your favorite casino. But I can not think of any reason to play high just to get free parking. Sometimes free can be very expensive!!!

For a list of parking fees, both for self-parking and valet, you can go to https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/parking-fees/ on this site.

All of us who are trying to keep track of this subject can’t ever absolutely guarantee our information. I will gladly welcome and encourage all comments from anyone who has very  CURRENT updates –  personally-verified, not I-just-read or I-heard please!

And by the way – when did White Castle start using the term “sliders” to describe their little sandwiches?  Anyone can make up a little burger and call it a “slider.”  Only White Castle can make a burger called a “White Castle” and everyone knows it is a little burger without needing to even add the word “hamburger” much less “slider.”

—————————-

Here is some other news I haven’t experienced for myself but have come across in my reading and it may be of interest to some of you:

Frugaling at the Forum Shops: Take a self-portrait at the designated “Selfie Spot” (look for the black and yellow sign) at the Forum Shops at Caesars and receive $10 off your purchase of $30 or more in the mall. (From the LVA QOD)

Easier Traveling to Grand Canyon West:  Paving and reconstruction is now complete on the 12.7-mile Diamond Bar Road, the only public road leading to Grand Canyon West, a collection of viewpoints and attractions spread over 9,000 acres of the Grand Canyon’s lower gorge in Northwest Arizona, including the Grand Canyon Skywalk at Eagle Point and Guano Point’s panoramic canyon views. For visitors from Las Vegas, it’s estimated the paved Diamond Bar Road, along with the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Bridge, will reduce travel time to the tourist attraction by up to two hours roundtrip.  (From Bill Mandel’s Newsletter that gives an extensive list of openings and closings in Las Vegas.  Subscribe at www.lvopenings.com.)

Bowling:  I didn’t know they were considering a new way to score bowling in order to perhaps make it more likely to be approved as an Olympic sport.  To win a match under the new format, bowlers must win the most frames. The system was tested in Las Vegas during the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals in the new South Point Bowling Plaza on Nov. 2 to mixed results. (From the R-J) I haven’t bowled for 30 years – it used to be my favorite recreational sport before I discovered casinos – but I think I wouldn’t care for the new system. It would be like changing the White Castle menu!

Today I want to give you one more good resource.  Today’s LVA Question-of-the-Day has a long list of good Veterans Day offers. (http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/qod.cfm)   If you are a LVA subscriber you can check this list today and  whenever you want to in the future by checking in the archives.  However, if you are not a subscriber, this feature is only available until midnight on the day it is posted – only 24 hours of opportunity to get deeply-researched and interesting Las Vegas information and news.  Hop to it!