In the past I have recommended seeking “gambling buddies,” players with whom you could share casino information. We have used this technique successfully for years, sharing scouting duties and learning about good plays and promotions that we might not have known about otherwise.
However, sometimes this technique can cause frustration if you don’t realize its limitations. Recent case in point: Several friends told us about a postcard they received from the Palms, detailing a good free-play promotion. Brad and I neither one got this postcard, but I figured we could probably go to the slot club and see if we could do the promo anyway. However, when my friend brought me her postcard, I read the fine print: “To participate in this event you must have received an invitation from Palms Casino.”
Oops, I had run into a Targeted Offer!
It will save you useless “jealously stress” if you understand a common feature of casino marketing, targeting specific groups of potential or present customers. They may use one factor or a combination of any number of pieces of information they may have about you: for example, zip code, frequency of visits, amount of play on past visits, denomination or games played. Harrah’s has been the leader for years in this area, and I have often jokingly said their offers depend on the color of your hair – and I try to confuse their system by changing mine frequently!
Is there anything you can do about this situation? Sometimes. Occasionally I have been able to talk to a host with whom I have a close relationship and he/she has been able to get me an offer or get me into a tournament or drawing for which I hadn’t received an invitation. This was the case several years ago – and with monumentally huge positive results – when we got into (and won) a big Caesar’s tournament.
However, hosts never have absolute power and their hands are often tied in this area; these kinds of decisions are often made on a much higher executive level. So when we can’t get a good offer like a buddy has, we try to not stress over this. It is a better use of our time to concentrate on finding and taking advantage of the offers we do have available to us.
Is Vegas truly as it is depicted in movies? I guess the answer is not as cut and dry. Over time some myths and enthusiastic “retelling” of stories may have contributed to the exaggerations .
Several years ago, I bought a house in Green Valley. I changed my address at all the locals’ casino slot clubs, and pretty soon I noticed that I was getting all sorts of offers from Sunset Station, GVR, and the Reserve (this was before Stations ate it). Previously, I had lived in North Las Vegas, and my offers usually came from the Fiesta, Santa Fe (before Stations ate it), and Texas Station. But those offers dried up when I moved. So one day I got a North Las Vegas PO box, and changed my address to that of the PO Box at northside casino slot clubs: Stations, Cannery, Rampart, Suncoast, etc. Right away, the PO box started filling up with offers. Between my dual identities, I at one point had a peak of $1350/month in free play coming in, plus innumerable food comps. Of course, you don’t get that sort of largesse these days, at least not for the play I was giving them, but the concept is still valid–lots of offers are targeted to local zip codes! If you live on one side of town, a “second you” that lives on the other side could be worth the small expense.