Comments on: Putting the Fun Back into Gambling

By: queen of comps

queen of comps — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:09:47 +0000

Earl, Harrah’s new Reward Credit redemption program was better than I expected. You can redeem 200 RC’s (old or new ones) for $1 in free play, the same rate as many restaurant and shopping choices. And once in awhile a casino will run a “special” that you can redeem for free play at a better rate. We still use our RC’s for comps that are offered at the 100 RC= $1 rate when we eat at restaurants that have that rate, but that still leaves us with hundreds of thousands of points. So we stockpile them until we can find a free-play offer for a discounted rate.

By: Earl Scheib

Earl Scheib — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 04:21:12 +0000

The most interesting tidbit I found was this: “Beginning in April, you will be able to redeem your Reward Credits for Free Play at any Total Rewards casino – any day, every day.” Now that might be of great benefit to me since Brad and I have thousands of dollars more in credits than we would ever want to redeem for comps. However, I will definitely need to find out the details. What is the redemption rate? Will it be available for old credits – or new credits only?
SO……WHAT’S THE SCOOP ON HARRAHS 8 MONTHS LATER ???????????????

By: Roger K

Roger K — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:45:29 +0000

Dan, I envy you. I was recently assigned a host in Las Vegas (Caesar’s). I have found most hosts to be re-active, rather than pro-active. This lady is non-active. My best host was Kathy from Four Winds in New Buffalo. She is now gone. Miss you, Kathy. Enjoy your blog, Jean, and the comments your followers post. Have a great day!

By: G

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:21:22 +0000

i have visited vegas 2 to 3 times a year since 1998 and getting ready for the 3rd trip this year. i have NEVER paid for a hotel room or any of my meals eaten in a casino. i have received more mail/email offers to different casinos then ever before free rooms , meals, shows , free play. also lately i have started getting calls from host that i don’t know from different casinos. what up with that? i don’t consider my self or my wife high rollers. we budget about xxxx a trip which includes airfare , gambling , meals outside casinos, shows and the shopping my wife enjoys. as soon as it stops being entertaining we will look for other adventures. but the comps keep coming and i think the casinos are hurting but not going broke any time soon.

By: Harris Gibson

Harris Gibson — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:09:58 +0000

As usual you have hit the nail right on the head. The only solution to the casino’s “rising prices” is to do what many people do in these situations in other situations. That is to start shopping around. I have not been going on gambling trips too often lately due to some major changes in my life. Therefore when I do go, it has to be worth my while. I live out east on Long Island now and a trip to Atlantic City has become much too expensive. Rising gas prices along with insane toll increases has made the day trips out of reach. In addition, the casinos have changed the blackjack rules (hitting on soft 17) on most games under 50 dollars. My answer to that is to go elsewhere. There is a ferry boat to Mohegan Sun about 20 miles away from my house. You pay around 32 dollars and get back a 40 dollar package from the casino which can be used for both betting and dining. In addition, the dining coupon can also be used for wagering when you have comp dollars to spend on your food and beverage needs. They are very good about letting you use these bets at all games (not just the ones listed like the Big Wheel). I am ferried and driven back and forth so that I can relax and be refreshed for my visit. The blackjack rules are excellent (except for the 5 dollar games) so that I feel that I am getting a fair shot at winning some money. The food is great for the most part and the casual dining options are quite varied and by casino standards, very reasonable. The bottom line? When I go on my daily jaunt every now and then it is to Mohegan Sun. Just as you shop around not only in one supermarket these days but several markets for the best buys, you can do the same thing with your gambling dollars.

By: Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:59:59 +0000

None of the things you’ve said change the reality that casinos are BRUTALLY tightening up. There are two aspects to this: one is the removal of amenities, slashing of comps, nonsense like resort fees, etc. The other is the tightening of the games themselves. This latter is supremely stupid. The house edge on a game is analogous to the price a business charges for its product, whether that’s a loaf of bread or breast implants. Now, imagine you’re a business run by sane people. There’s a recession on. You’re losing customers, and the customers you still have are spending less. What do you do? Well, the one thing you DON’T do is raise prices and cut service!!! Yet, casinos everywhere, particularly in Las Vegas, are doing exactly that. They seem to think that we will, like hypnotized sheep, flock to their pleasure palaces no matter how much they charge for their product. This is lunacy. Vegas deserves to, and probably will, turn into a desperate, half-abandoned, near-ghost town populated and visited only by the degenerate and desperate. I will dance on its grave.

By: R T

R T — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:35:48 +0000

Hi Jean,
My wife and I have gambled for many, many years throughout the U.S. and we have certainly had more than our share of frustrations. You’re right – it’s getting harder to find the games with less house edge, harder to get comps, etc. (we are both diamond status with Caesars properties and have seen the comps decline over the last few years…).

However, we look at gambling a little differently than most. We both work full time at very stressful jobs with long hours so we seek a lot of our “entertainment” in casinos. We love to play together, laugh together, have a drink or two together and enjoy one another’s company – this is our “stress reliever”. It seems silly to us to go to a casino for “fun” and then get so stressed out about losing money – if we wanted stress we would stay at work!
So whatever it costs us for a day of “fun” at the casino, I consider it “therapy” since I get to sit with my best friend and the love of my life and spend time with her! And when we have had enough “fun” for the day, we love to go and sight see in whatever city we happen to be in (we really have a fondness for Vegas though – it never gets old!).

I guess my point is that we all know that these big casinos weren’t built by “winners” so if you go into it with the mindset of just having fun (and not spending more than your budget allows) I think you will come out ahead.
Even through all of the losses (and some occasional nice wins) I wouldn’t change one minute that I have spent with her – it has all been worth it!

Thank you for your posts – we love reading them – you have such a great insight and valuable info – please keep them coming!

R.T.

By: jim mason

jim mason — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:32:10 +0000

As a visitor I can still get comped rooms(very valuable) but cannot take advantage of locals promotions. I could not believe the EV’s that I got in the past, sometimes up to 105%+ plus comps. Now, I do not visit Vegas as often but, cash on cash I can still get up to 101%. A lot of fun beating the system, almost a free trip(with hard work, preparation, patience and luck of course). If the positive EV video poker goes away I will probably find another(profitable) hobby.

By: Dan Sowards

Dan Sowards — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:32:20 +0000

Good advice, Jean. I have great hosts in Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and New Orleans. I would never do/say anything that would offend them or push them to give me something they cannot. To a great extent their hands are tied, so what they CAN do for me they more than likely do because we are indeed friends. As a matter of fact, that friendship is one of the main reasons I still play where I play.