Contributing expert Jean Scott replies:
Whether a casino is called "local" or "Strip" is primarily due to the location factor. Obviously, a Strip casino is located on the Las Vegas Strip. Locals casinos, sometimes called neighborhood casinos, get that name because they're located in residential areas.
Which type of casino gives a better deal for a gambling bankroll?
There's no short answer to this question, as is true for most gambling questions. Each casino visitor has a unique personality and individual goals. Someone who flies into Las Vegas to have a fun vacation may want to stay in a luxurious Strip megaresort, where he can sightsee, feast in gourmet restaurants, attend shows, and shop, all in one small area. He doesn’t want to rent a car and cope with unfamiliar routes and heavy traffic to go out to the neighborhoods. This out-of-town visitor often stays just a few days and brings enough money to play almost any game on the Strip, whatever the return, for the nominal amount of gambling he wants to do. If he plays enough at a higher level, he can get most or all of this vacation comped and thinks he's getting good value for his money.
A local Las Vegan, on the other hand, is probably looking for convenience, preferably a casino near to her home. Locals casinos are popular with residents because they’re easier to get to. Traffic on the Strip is something most locals will avoid at any cost.
In addition, especially if she used to be a visitor, then moved here, she most likely still gambles frequently, but she’s discovered that she doesn’t have the bankroll to play hour after hour, day after day, like she did on those former intense short-term visits. So, if she’s smart, she starts studying how to make her bankroll last longer. She looks for better games, like skill-based video poker or blackjack, and for the best slot club benefits and promotions. And since she doesn’t like Strip traffic, she’ll primarily choose neighborhood casinos, which also cater to the goals of most locals. They emphasize food comps more than room comps. They send out regular offers, including cash and gift coupons, which appeal to frequent visitors.
People who are always looking for the best gambling opportunity based strictly on high return, not just on comp values and a convenient location, don’t limit themselves to one casino or one location. They scout both the Strip and neighborhood casinos for the best plays. Although there are exceptions, quarter VP players usually find more high-paying VP machines and looser slots at the locals casinos. They also have more frequent promotions, such as drawings and bonus-point days. And their frequent mailed offers add value to their good games. So smart local gamblers usually have one or more core locals casinos where they play most often.
However, many locals take the same route that we do, interspersing their regular play in the local casinos with occasional jaunts to Strip casinos when they can take advantage of special promotions. The Strip casinos, on the whole, don't have nearly as good a choice in high-paying video poker machines, but often run promotions, especially tournaments, that can make up for this lower return. Strip casinos don’t usually send out as many mailed offers to locals as they do to out-of-towners, but when they come to our mailbox, we find them strong enough to take advantage of.
To sum up, infrequent visitors usually prefer the Strip for their purposes. Frequent visitors and locals usually prefer locals casinos for their purposes. Advantage players like Brad and me go to wherever the best deals are, whether that’s on the Strip or out in the neighborhoods.
Jean is author of best-seller The Frugal Gambler, now in its second edition, and More Frugal Gambling, which is crammed full with new frugal advice for recreational and low-rolling gamblers who want to make their money stretch and the fun last longer, plus new tips for beginners.
