Comments on: The Negative Side of Promotions

By: Bill Brash

Bill Brash — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:41:19 +0000

My wife & I travel to Vegas from England twice a year. We stay for 14 nights & basically gamble. We stay downtown.
When we first got a players card & later contacted the casino, they gave us the first week free. At the end we were comped the 2nd week. This was not that long ago, 2005. We have never been high rollers, slots, VP & $5 BJ. Since then the comps have steadily declined, no free gifts & at times we were made to feel we were being greedy or unreasonable for asking for what we always received before, even though we gamble much more now.
It’s my opinion that this is simply because, the customers in Vegas are no longer just gamblers. Walk down Fremont & see how many strollers & kids there are.
Have a look at Trip Adviser, see how many foolish people want to take their kids & dogs to Vegas. Talk to people on the plane & listen to their plans. Plans that don’t include gambling.
I think this explains why casinos now hire the “bean counters” who have no experience of casinos, only hotels. The Downtown Grand is a classic example, they aim at a clientele that does not exist downtown.
Most casinos now have a vastly different points level for VP than regular slots.
Yes we are “grouchy old seniors” too but let’s all remember how lucky we are if we can still visit Vegas regularly & have the $ to gamble. Even luckier is we win!

By: Donald Nye

Donald Nye — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 00:42:39 +0000

Good old days in Vegas were great! I have been going there for 30 years, the new polices are not desirable and even though I have more money then ever, I just don’t find it drawing me anymore but new players don’t know the difference and we will slowly fade into the past …. kind of sad.

By: Mo

Mo — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 15:16:53 +0000

I am in agreement with Neil D. The casinos also have looked at what the younger generation is doing for entertainment, and it most certainly is not “penny slots” as Kevin suggested. If you have a set # of dollars that you spend in Vegas, I am guessing that most seniors are not wining, dining and clubbing with their dollars as the younger ones are. This form of income also includes playing while slightly altered by drinking.
On a recent trip to Vegas, we were given coupons to visit the new lounge at the Orleans, the appetizers were FREE, Oh yeah the was a catch, with purchase of alcoholic drinks ONLY. $$ I returned those coupons when I checked out and also made a comment that they are losing business because some people don’t drink.
The bean counters will look at the total $$ and won’t really care.
If we go on a trip to the casino, there is always a budget, it is for enjoyment and fun.
We love to hear Jean’s gambling stories vicariously, because the bean counters know that MOST of the patrons are there and will probably return to leave at least a few $$ in the long run.
MO

By: ken orgera

ken orgera — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 17:21:30 +0000

These math whizzes don’t know that 5% of $ 500 is more than 10% of $100! They don’t understand loss leaders!

By: Walter C Wilson

Walter C Wilson — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 19:38:43 +0000

Pennsylvania casino taxes are 52% not 33%

By: Ron Fink

Ron Fink — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 11:58:27 +0000

Wife and I traveled to Green Valley Ranch every year from Maryland.
Shuttle flight to Philly, long cross country flight….
Last trip to Vegas was 2008.

We took $20 k or so for a week stay.
Wife hit two $1 royals on same upright day one and day two – deuces machine in high limit room – uprights.
Then $5000. slot hand pay on $5 (2 credit) slot machine.

GVR didn’t want us back.
Wife not even close to being ‘advantage player’ (she doesn’t know what that even means) – pure luck – both holding 3 clubs btw.

I lost thousands then and years before. GVR was way ahead on us as a couple.

We’ll never go to Vegas again.
A C if we must, with small bankroll for fun, or the local Maryland casino 10 minutes from home that has FULL PAY V.P.

We run a successful business too, you gotta know how to treat people – It’s NOT JUST MONEY right now…….without consequences of later.

Analogy:
Death by a thousand small cuts or lop off the head ?
Vegas bean counters prefer the latter – obviously.

Ron and Iris
Ocean City, Maryland

By: Gerda Sisson

Gerda Sisson — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 03:39:02 +0000

I am old enough to remember good pay tables on VP and I also remember the many comfortable flights we took from the east coast to Las Vegas . The airlines have managed in every way possible from no leg room and cramped seats to extra costs for bags etc to make flying as miserable as possible , yet people are still flying in larger numbers than 20 years ago . Same with bad pay tables in casinos whether it’s VP or blackjack , people don’t seem to mind or care or are just clueless . The tables are full and players crowd the many banks of 7/5 VP machines , so why would the casinos make any changes . They are after all a business and once they discovered that players don’t boycott those machines , those pay tables are there to stay . We the players , in large numbers , could force a change by keeping those seats empty . Same with the airlines . If we all would stop flying for a time , unless absolutely necessary , changes would happen there rather quickly to . Of course I know this will never happen . People have already accepted the downgrading that casinos and airlines did .

By: Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 09:49:32 +0000

Speaking of grouchy seniors, Stations just cut back on what you get on Old Fart Wednesdays. You used to get 6X points on VP and 10X on slots. Now, you get “up to” that amount–and the kiosk doesn’t even give you a pseudo-spin or something like that. It just tells you what your multiplier is. Mine was 3X today, which is even worse than it sounds because 3X is what you get no matter what anyway. There’s also a dumb rule where the kiosk doesn’t let you have the free cup of coffee if you’re not a local–you have to stand in line at the player’s club for a coupon.

Upcoming good promo day–South Park will have double points on MLK day, and the U-Spin promo will be in effect that day as well. I’ve averaged $17 a spin (while, admittedly, getting my butt kicked) so far. Players named Kenny are killed instantly when they enter the property, but otherwise, South Park is a pretty good gamble.

By: David Van Gelder

David Van Gelder — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:33:05 +0000

I agree the casinos are “shooting themselves in the foot” by reducing payouts, charging for everything they can, and cutting back on “freebies”. We used to go to Vegas 6 times a year. Now we go twice, maybe. I don’t really need to go to Vegas to gamble and spend $900.00 on airfare. I can drive to downtown Detroit and lose my money. I’ve had it with Vegas!

By: Joanne F.

Joanne F. — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:07:29 +0000

I’m waiting for Las Vegas casinos to start reducing the hand pay threshold to something well below $1200 to increase the hustling for tips, as I have seen in many casinos in Delaware ($250, back in 2008) and Colorado ($350, currently in Cripple Creek). If the W-2G threshold had kept pace with inflation, it would be about $4500 now, not $1200. Gamblers will be pushed to what the market will bear, which is why resort and parking fees proliferate.

I have to agree with the observations about casinos cutting benefits to customers who win, even if it is just in the short term and at a level that still makes them a loser for the year. It takes about twice as long for me to get to Las Vegas by plane as it does to get to Cripple Creek by bus, and from now on, I’ll save my money for Las Vegas.

Casino greed isn’t the sole cause of poorer benefits for gamblers. Increasingly high state taxes on casinos has to hurt the casino’s bottom line, and that’s why 6:5 blackjack has been rolled out in Maryland. Nevada and New Jersey tax casino earnings at 7%, though NJ casinos are supposed to kick in an additional 1.5%, though the law has been changed to let them spend that money on the casino rather than building affordable housing in Atlantic City. Pennsylvania taxes slots at 33%, and Maryland taxes at 66%.