1.  It is too long.  Don’t copy long passages from other sources.  And try to stick to the subject of the original blog entry and avoid rambling around to many other subjects.

2. It contains personal attacks on other posters or groups. You can disagree strongly with a message without attacking the messenger.

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Yes, some casino restaurants (including Caesars Palace buffet) are still adding an automatic tip (often 18%) for large parties, usually 8 or more diners, even though the IRS ruled several years ago that this was not permitted.  There is one loophole.  If they call this a “service charge,” then that rule does not apply.  However, I am still seeing this automatic gratuity added when it is NOT labeled as a service charge.

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Yes, I did the Downtown Grand (former Lady Luck) loss rebate program for new players club members.  Brad and I and a friend went together and had a blast at the slot machines, something different from our disciplined video poker play. (VP machines are disqualified for the initial part of this promotion although you CAN use the loss rebate on them later.)  The friend hit a big jackpot rather quickly so quit with her $700 profit.  Brad was up a couple hundred dollars right at the first but decided to play longer to see if he could hit something bigger.  He slowly went downhill but then hit a medium jackpot, got back up, and decided to quit with a $250 jackpot.  I couldn’t hit anything good so I lost my $1000 and have to go back three times to collect my rebate.  I’ve done one of the go-backs and collected $500 plus a $200 profit.  So Brad and I will score a win for this promotion no matter how badly I do running through the $500 I will pick up in the next two visits.

As usual with loss rebates, you need to read the details in the brochure you can get at the players club desk.   (No details online.) There are different procedures for out-of-town visitors and locals but both require multiple visits to collect the full rebate.  And if you want to be sure to get in on this, you need to do it rather quickly.  They said it could end at any time, so before you make a special trip, call to verify  that this promotion is still running.

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Yes, if you saw a red Mercedes convertible with the license plate “FRUGAL” on a Vegas street,  you can correctly assume that is Brad driving .  Honk if you pass us!

Players Club Locations

I have noticed a new trend in casinos, combining the cashier and players club in one area, with the same personnel handling both kinds of business.  I saw this recently at the following casinos:  Hooters, M, and the Riviera.  This model surprises me.  I would think the requirements and training for personnel in these two departments would be very different.

Related to this is another trend that I have noticed, that the area for the players club desk is getting smaller and the location harder to find.  The Hard Rock moved their player club desk several times, each area smaller than the last.  Caesars Palace used to have two booths, one by the main cashier and one in the Forum Casino.  Only the later one exists now and it is a real hike from the hotel and VIP registration desks.  Almost seems as if the casinos don’t care if they get new gamblers and they are uninterested in servicing their existing ones.  I guess they are making enough money from the clubbers and those who are only interested in spending money on entertainment, shopping, and gourmet experiences?

Tipping

Come the first of January, I may see something disappear from many restaurants, in or outside of casinos, something that has bugged me for years, the “automatic tip.”  An editorial in the Chicago Tribune calls that an oxymoron.  I have always called it a way for management to force me to make up for their giving low wages to their help.  For once the IRS is coming to my side, with a new ruling that those “automatic tips” are wages, not tips.  Many restaurants will drop this practice since it would result in their payroll taxes being higher.  Read the article to see both sides of this issue.

The Gaming Expo

I attended the G2E this week, as I have done for many many years.  As usual the machine manufacturers presented their newest offerings and the trend continues that many of the slot machine themes are based on movies or TV shows.  Since I am really not interested in slot machines, I spent more of my time looking at the video poker.  And as usual my “guide” in the IGT section was Ernie Moody, my hero for years for developing multiple-line VP.  He knows me well so as he showed me how some of the new games work he would say, “Of course you won’t like this one.”  He knows I am looking for a game where I might be able to get an advantage!

I noticed that many of the new VP games have a multiplier element, showing that the manufacturers are wanting to capture that large group of gamblers who like games that offer big jackpots.  I call it the lottery mentality.  Most casual gamblers aren’t looking to grind out small wins – they get an adrenaline rush at going for major big jackpots.

For an advantage player, sometimes these multiplier games, like Super Times Pay and Ultimate X, can offer a positive play with the bonus “rush” of a big jackpot.  However, as many have found out and often to their regret, they require a monstrously huge bankroll.  The volatility, especially for Ultimate X, is not only not for the underfunded but also not for the faint of heart.  Brad and I have the financial bankroll to tackle the game, but we have decided that the occasional jackpot just doesn’t give us enough of a fun experience to carry us through the fast and long losing “drains.”  We are happier to “grind out” our advantage.

Here is my very personal take on the subject:  Actually most casinos have rules about tipping and hosts. A few do not allow their hosts to accept tips at all. Many have a monetary limit. However, hosts all over the US mostly routinely “break the rules” in this area. In all our almost-30 years of gambling we have never had a host refuse a tip except one who said she was limited to $75 when we gave her $100. We solved that problem by Brad and I each giving her $50 separately.  

Brad and I probably routinely “break the rules” because we don’t ask what the rules are. We just make friends with our hosts and give generous gifts
to them when they go out of their way to serve us. We are generous to everyone that way – especially Brad. When he is out of Vegas, he still wants to tip everyone who does anything for him.  He loves to give money away!

The truth of the matter is that tips never “cost” us – we always get back much more than we give. Cast thy bread upon the waters…and you reap smiles, friendships…and yes sometimes even monetary benefits. We just can’t help that!!!! It is really hard to give more than you receive!