Q:
I just returned home from Las Vegas and realized I did not purchase enough gifts for my friends. I thought it would be simple to just jump online and purchase a few MGM Grand T-shirts. However, I have discovered it is impossible to purchase gifts from the casinos' gift shops online. This surprised me because you would think the casinos would benefit from both the revenue generated and the additional advertising from getting their logo out in the public eye. Why can't I buy a casino-branded t-shirt online?
A:
That is one of the more logical questions we've received in awhile, but one to which we regret that we cannot supply a good answer. This is not for lack of trying, however.
A call to Luxor's souvenir store went unanswered; we encountered a language barrier at Bellagio; and the lady at the Grand and Company logo store at MGM was very nice, but couldn't answer our question. Hence, the best explanation that we can come up with is courtesy of the sales assistant with whom we spoke at the Impulse merchandise outlet at the Mirage, who offered, "Maybe it's because we don't have a website." Brilliant! Her manager was out and we didn't want to harrass the poor lady by asking why they don't have a website.
We can only speculate that the policy, which seems to apply almost citywide, perhaps stems from iconic hotel-casino brands wishing to protect the integrity of their name and logo by disallowing any online sales, permitting only bona fide guests to purchase authentic memorabilia in person, rather than seeing the web flooded with bogus branded souvenirs. If anyone knows differently, or has a better idea, please drop us a line.
In the meantime, we did find a few options for you:
- The gift shops at Luxor and Mirage both have email addresses you can order from, although the lack of a website for either means you'll be groping in the dark, unless you remember a particular item that you had your eye on. Luxor currently sells logo T-shirts for just $5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m.; we're not sure if they'll honor that deal over the phone, but if so, that could be a cheap way to solve your problem. You can also order copies of the new 2012 smimsuit calendar ($20) from Fantasy, the topless revue at Luxor, via email, if that's your friends' cup of tea.
- Several properties in the MRI group sell the hotel "experience," peddling everything from logo linen and towels to signature shower gel and shampoo, to the same mattresses and beds found in the hotel room. Bellagio, however, was the only one we could find that offered an online-shopping experience for their Signature Collection, and unless you feel that a set of soaps, or an authentic Bellagio ice bucket ($68, no less), are the kinds of gifts that would excite your forgotten loved ones back home, there's probably not much here of interest.
- Your best bet, and we realize that's a relative concept, is the Shops at Caesars. Admittedly, the selection is fairly limited, but you can shop online and pick up regular souvenir items like hats (from $16) and T-shirts (from $12 for ladies, $18 for men) emblazoned with the famous logo/Greek-style border. They have logo items from Matt Goss and the Pussycat Dolls, too, not to mention miniature reproductions of the reproductions of Roman sculptures to be found around the property. Or how about something as simple and economical as a Caesars Palace logo-embossed die? They come in marbleized red or gray acrylic and retail online for $5 each.
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