Poll : 13 July - 26 July 2016

Analysis

Interesting results, which pretty much speak for themselves; what follows is a selection from the email feedback we received, including some of your picks for the 'Other' option.

• "No-smoking rooms."
  
  
• "I go to Vegas less because I find cruises to be a better overall value for vacations, and I can just gamble at casinos closer to home."
  
  
• "While we will still visit Las Vegas yearly, I will most likely not be staying in any MGM properties due to the parking fees. Can't stomach paying for a room, the resort fee (for stuff I mostly don't use), and now parking."
  
  
• "My wife and I used to go to Vegas every year from 1980 until about 4 years ago; your greed is the answer:, the lowering of blackjack from 3/2 to 6/5, the reduced video poker payoffs, the increased resort fees, the increase in everything, the shows, the restaurants, the room costs... So we still gamble, but go to places where they still value gamblers. My budget for 6 days is $6,000."
  
  
• "I come to Vegas with my wife about the same. With that in mind we have changed where we hang out. We tend to go out into the local economy more--read locals casinos-- as they offer much more bang for the buck. There are so many things we hate about some of the casinos such as 6/5 black jack, resort fees, fewer comps, the list goes on, so doesn't need to be repeated here. So for us it is just an adjustment to get the opportunity we want."
  
  
• "I liked the old Vegas. Give me back some of the older casinos ie: Silver City, the Sands, Castaways, Desert Inn, and my all time favorite Vacation Village. Loved the themed Casinos, hate the mega resorts! Also, loved coin in and carrying all those buckets of quarters! Having to drop coins in made me gamble slower and lose less money."
  
  
• "My reason for not visiting more often is a combination of most of the ones you list, but to sum it up, it's a shift in focus. I used to love Las Vegas when it was a gambling destination and all other offerings were secondary, often cheap or free to lure gamblers in. Now it seems to be all about drinking and partying and gamblers are second class citizens. Blackjack payouts are awful, often with 6+ decks or shuffle machines, slot machine payouts are as bad or worse than other cities, casinos are stingy with comps and there are no cheap tickets or meals to be found (unless, of course, we're smart enough to use the LVA coupon book). I don't mind parting with my money, I just want to have fun and feel appreciated along the way. It's just not there anymore."
  
  
• "Vegas is my vacation/relaxation spot. Yes, resort fees are a pain, but you are now going to pay them in any major hotel in a 'destination' spot. If I am getting a comp for 3 or 4 nights, it's still a cheap stay. There are plenty of good restaurants off the Strip that won't cost you a fortune. If your travel times are flexible, you can still find good deals on airfare. Now that MGM is charging for parking, I will not be going to their properties just to play for an hour or two if it is going to cost me $10-$20 to park. I rent a car almost every trip. Again, be diligent and you can find a good deal. I've always found it cheaper than cabs."
  
  
• "I come less often due to health reasons."
  
  
• "I used to play $2 Blackjack all day and not risk more than, give or take,$500/day. Now I can lose that in 15 minutes. That's not fun. I don't want to play $10/hand."
  
  
• "Two major factors have cut my visits to Las Vegas to twice a year. First, the airline trip is not fun: hub and spoke make it a 12 hour or longer deal when you count getting to the airport, changing planes, waiting for baggage, etc. Second, places like Caesars Palace are too crowded with too many kids running around. The emphasis on shopping and having an "experience" is too much. We go to gamble. Caesars Atlantic City is a no hassle 4-5 hour drive for us which is a lot easier to do and is hundreds of dollars cheaper than flying to Las Vegas. The casinos are less crowded with fewer kids and the emphasis, at least at Caesars Atlantic City, is on gambling - and the comps and perks are better than at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas."
  
  
• "Retirement is great, but means less coin to gamble with. Round trip airfare to Las Vegas (for two)is close to a day's gambling budget. I follow comps that include a free flight. CET and MGM fly us to their OTHER destinations for free, but not to Vegas. Therefore, trips to Vegas are fewer than in the past."
  
  
• "My wife and I are walkers...in the past it was a pleasure to walk the strip while spending our dollars. Today, being a pedestrian on the Strip is a nightmare. The elevated stairways...and at some corners you are forced into the casino (Planet Hollywood) to figure your way out from there. I also used to enjoy running the Strip at sunrise...too many obstructions now."
  
  
• "LVA taught me everything there is to know about Vegas. So there is no need to go there anymore!" [Ed: Wait... Wha??!!]