Question of the Day - 29 October 2015

We received so much insightful feedback in the (e)mail bag following our last LVA Reader Poll that space didn't permit running it all when the results of the survey went live last Saturday. Hence, as promised then, we're using this column to share all the info. you sent to us regarding your thoughts and experiences on where you gamble and which locales you feel treat you the best. Thanks again to everyone who took the time and trouble to write in, and we hope as many relevant eyeballs as possible tune in...

• I actually get terrible comps from any of the casinos in my home state in Pennsylvania. I get some ok comps in Vegas. But I get the best comps in Atlantic City.

• Ahhh, what a great poll! I've often wondered about this and am looking forward to others' responses. I am from Cleveland, and frequent the Horseshoe Cleveland. I have the same betting philosophy wherever I go. My comps from Vegas, and every other city I gamble in, are literally 5-6 times greater than they are in Cleveland. I feel that's because of the convenience of the casino and the fact that they know that I'm going to play there because i have no where else to go, and therefor don't have to "entice" me to come play.

• We go to Vegas once or twice a year and we always have free room offers, free food, free-play money. You cannot beat it!!!

• Don't really worry about the difference in comps. The biggest reason I do most of my gambling in Vegas is because I can smoke while I'm gambling. If they ever outlaw this then I have no incentive to fly to Vegas when I can take an hour and drive to Blackhawk or Central City and either stay the night or drive back home.

• The casinos ("boats") we visit here in the midwest offer us about the same gaming and food comps but for some reason there are no deals at all on hotel rooms here.

• I live an hour from the Cleveland Ohio Horseshoe and the Northfield Rocksino and have never gone to either. Vegas is Vegas and there is no replacement so why bother with the local casinos. Going to a local casino is like ordering a steak and getting a hot dog.

• I live in an area of the country that is just beginning to get casino activity (northern Virginia) so I have to travel if I want to gamble. I frequently go to the Tunica area where there has been a major decline in the gaming market. I do not have a problem getting two or three comped nights and food; but the games are tighter. I have never felt appreciated in Atlantic City. In fact I could probably die on the floor and never be noticed! As for gaming in Maryland and West Virginia (two closest states to Virginia with gaming) the comps are few and far between. In Vegas I get a comped room and most of my food comped so I am pleased with that. So I guess I am comped more and feel more appreciated in the out of area gambling venues, be it Tunica or Vegas.

• I can gamble more in Vegas because the rooms are comped and the drinks are free, so that in itself gives me more gambling money. But, if they start charging resort fees, and the machines get much tighter, or the drinks go away, I'll probably stay home. I do get free nights, but have to pay for my drinks.

• I live in Buffalo, so I gamble at the casinos here and in Niagara Falls. On the plus side, a good variety of games and slots, plus being able to use comps once I collect enough. I've used my comps for concert tickets, steak dinners, and spa visits. On the other hand, it seems Vegas gives more for less. The players club I have here gives me maybe $10/week for free play, while Vegas offers from MLife will be at least $50 per stay, along with discounted or even free rooms, such as a recent offer from Monte Carlo. I will still visit Vegas for the shows, restaurants, and weather, but for gambling I do like my local casinos. (I'll still spend enough on blackjack and slots in LV, though).

• For almost 20 years, I came annually to Las Vegas with several friends for 5-7 days, primarily to gamble. I received the best comps in those days, even though I was playing nickel video poker. Local gambling options were sparse: crowded riverboat "cruises" with relatively few machines. Now, I don't go to LV often, but I enjoy it when I do. The odds are far better than near me and I like the ability to walk out of one casino and into another nearby. Since I still prefer to play nickel video poker, I get virtually no comps either in Vegas or at home. At home, though, I usually have to play quarters, which I dislike. However, the trip to Vegas itself has become expensive (although I've been several times recently with low-airfare deals!), what with the high resort fees and no comps. It also is a long trip from where I live in Ohio, a trip I enjoy far less with cramped seating and no leg room. Food has become more expensive in Vegas, too.

• I am about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Harrah's North Kansas City and 5 to 7 hours from Harrah's/Horseshoe Council Bluffs. I get better offers from Council Bluffs and Las Vegas. When I asked North Kansas City "Why?", they told me I don't play there enough. Why should I? I drive right past them and go to Council Bluffs for better hotel/free play/meal comps for the same amount of play and they make me feel welcome. My offers in Las Vegas are not quite as good as Council Bluffs but they do welcome me and make me feel they value my money (losses). It depends a lot on the properties and if they are hungry. Some properties could give a sh*t because the think they have all they want/need. They are insulting to anyone who is below 7 Star, while other properties are not.

• I gamble at both CA casinos and in Vegas. I mostly play at Harrah's Rincon, where I get treated very well and comps go a long way. Same with Caesars casinos in Vegas (I am 7 Stars). If I go to, let's say Pechanga or Palm Springs casinos, I do not get anywhere near the comps for the same play. Besides that, it seems that the machines at Rincon are looser than the other CA casinos, which is probably just luck, since Caesars is hurting and the house hold is probably up. Although there's a lot of competition near Rincon (4 other casinos within a 20-minute drive, with one of them just 5 minutes away), that would make Rincon have to do better player-wise to compete, which I feel works to my benefit, also.

• I don't play at the Florida casinos near home because the video poker pay tables are terrible - and it's not really possible to earn meaningful comps. I am still loyal to Vegas, and I keep my play within the Boyd system because I like staying and playing at the Fremont... but I sure wish they'd be a bit more generous with comp points and rewards. How about some 3x or 5x points days downtown, Boyd execs??

• Though there are rare instances when I'll go to a local, ex-Nevada casino (Sacramento area), I tend to eschew them as they're unregulated, at least relative to Nevada. In Nevada, I at least feel I'm getting a fair shake. I go to Reno, Tahoe, and Las Vegas often enough that tribal casinos have no real attraction to me.

• I mostly play poker. The poker comps at my local casino are definitely better than those offered in Las Vegas poker rooms. However, I really like the matchplays, free-play, and other promotions offered by Vegas area casinos, through the Las Vegas Advisor, the American Casino Guide, and other sources. Similarly, most Vegas casinos have decent offers for new players-club signs ups (oftentimes $5 to $10 in slot free-play). In my local casinos, I'm lucky to get $2 off at a restaurant whose below-average food pales in comparison to what some Vegas casinos offer.

• Due to the changes in blackjack rules on the Strip and the tightening of the slots, I feel less inclined to gamble anywhere. Last time in Vegas I went downtown. I'm going to Laughlin next month -- it's friendlier than Vegas. I also go to Bossier City. I live in Arkansas, next to Oklahoma. Have Indian casino only 8 miles away but they are tight and have an ante on table games. Gambling, in general, is losing its luster.

• I used to visit Vegas at least annually with college friends, but I haven't been back in several years. I live in Colorado and the gambling choices in Blackhawk/Central City have played a large role in that. Since gaming was expanded to include more games and up to $100 limits (from the old $5 limited-stakes days), I don't have much reason to go to Vegas anymore. I never received much in the way of comps for 1-2 trips annually -- the newer and fancier casinos are just not focused on my gaming interests (as a somewhat low stakes player), while resort fees are a big turn off. And I now have everything I want in a smaller, more personal casino an hour away and in a beautiful mountain setting. I also get comps every month, even as a $10 blackjack player, that let me get a couple free meals, matchplays, and discounted rooms. I miss Vegas, but maybe the Vegas of 15 years ago, and I can't justify the frequent trips I used to make.

• I could gamble close to home, but I don't find it nearly as fun as gambling in Vegas. So, I guess I gamble more for the experience than anything else.

• What comps? As a 2-to-4-times-a-year visitor, and not a high roller, I get almost nothing. Sometimes a lower room rate, but that is countered by ever-increasing resort fees. So I have to buy a package with airfare and room anyway: No complimentary jet comes for us! A $25 or $50 hotel-or-food credit, or discount for a show we've seen before, is not a big deal in Vegas, is it? Some of our credits reduce the resort fee. Big deal.

• I play pretty heavily at one casino at home and mostly one casino downtown (Four Queens), They are about the same as far as comps, but in both places have lowered comps/ raised coin-in requirements just in the last year. I can still play with an advantage as a higher end 25c/$1 player, but it will affect my play/trips if it gets any worse.

• I live in Detroit and never gamble here. The room rates/comp offers are much more generous in Las Vegas. Parlay that with the LVA dining coupons and our meager food comps, and you still have a bargain destination, plus lower table-game limits cater to our low-rolling budget.

• "Underappreciated" is a perfect word to describe how I feel regarding Las Vegas. It was vastly different as little as 8-10 years ago. Simple economics tells us that the profit margin on gambling is so much higher than on anything else but the corporate knuckleheads think that shafting gamblers will make them more money. It doesn't work that way: people's behavior changes when their environment changes i.e. tighter slots, rule changes, etc. send gamblers elsewhere or they just stay home. I haven't visited for 3 years now and I have no plans to return. Shopping, shows, etc. are not enough incentives for me to fly across the country but a better gambling environment would be. Heck, if I want, I can get hosed by tight slots and bad blackjack rules 39 miles from home.

• I'm a little older, so I can remember back when. Today there is no excitement in the casinos. They're dirty compared to the old days and there are no employees, either. Getting a paper ticket when you win at the slots does not have the "glee" value of watching the coins or tokens cascade into the bucket. Nobody walks around monitoring and distributing comps or drinks anymore. The idea of employees walking around in bowling shirts is terrible. Every gift shop has the same stuff with different labels on it, too. I do talk to the employees, and everyone hates their job!

• Vegas and other gambling meccas...I do them all, though I shop for the best combo of comps when I go. Vegas: Crowded! Like playing dodgeball to walk through Strip casinos. And $600+ (for 2) flights...not good. Still, anticipation runs higher before a Vegas trip than any other. Love it still. Tunica: A three-hour drive. No fabulous views, but decent comps (rooms, free play, shows). Oaklawn Park (central Arkansas): A 45-minute drive. Good cashback...CASH! No free alcohol, but we are driving anyway... Biloxi: FREE 55-minute charter FLIGHT!!! Free-play more generous, free buffets, nice weather. I go where the plane goes. Despite the crowds, chintzier comps, expense of getting there, I got to have me some Vegas!

• The casinos close to home send monthly meal coupons and slot-play coupons. These comps are few and far between visiting Vegas, but the whole vibe is better than in the casinos at home, so I'd say it's a wash. If Vegas would loosen up, I'd probably spend more time gambling there.

• Live in Oregon. Have three Indian casinos within 75 miles. They give free rooms occasionally. But they're in the middle of no where. We go to Vegas 3 times a year and have be getting comped for 3 nights for the last 8 years. And My Vegas lets you earn buffets. We need the sun and there are other things to see and do in Vegas, pool in the day, gamble at night. Three days in Indian casino gambling the whole time, I would be $10,000 in debt.

• The gambling atmosphere in Vegas is much different today than, say, 15 years ago. But I have learned that regular visits to the same hotel and casino will help you save on room rates and earn you extra spiffs, such as dining credits and free-play comps. You really have to press the action if you want serious attention, however. The biggest attraction to me is that Vegas is always changing, and that in itself keeps me coming back for the new restaurants and entertainment.

• "We still visit Las Vegas for the same reasons we have been visiting for close to 20 years: It's FUN!!! Yes, things have changed that we surely miss, but it has not kept us away. We are not big gamblers (video slots like Willy Wonka, The Stones, and of course video poker). We can't stand going to casinos close to home because being in just one casino drives us both crazy. We like to move! Thant's what's so great about the Strip: Much of our entertainment is walking in and out, all along it. And the fact that Rod Stewart has taken up residency hasn't hurt AT ALL!!!! (My husband hangs out in the sports book while I'm there ;-)

• Comps/freebies for low rollers like myself (25/50-cent video poker) have virtually disappeared everywhere since the peak of 2009. I come to Vegas now to play games I can't get anywhere else, and it's a place we just enjoy. I play locally (Borgata) because of the easy commute, plus I can at least get a game that isn't an insult. And occasionally my wife can get a comped room there because SHE plays slots!

• Came to Vegas in April for WSOP, because my wife wanted to. Nowadays we concentrate on Laughlin and the Phoenix-area casinos. Most of them have terrible BJ and VP--like Vegas--but we're primarily poker tournament players now. Talking Stick PHX and Colorado Belle Laughlin have good poker rooms, and they're closer. We like the Orleans poker room but it's not worth the extra mileage and expense. Played a small tournament at Harrah's Vegas in April, not exactly a memorable experience, and had to dodge time-share hawkers too--didn't know they still had those... Got a free entry to Harrah's Laughlin for a WSOP satellite feeder recently. Same weekend as the River Regatta, room rates through the roof, plus resort fee; ended up staying at Trop. Express, still pretty high. Then the tournament turned out to be a dinky little affair with 15-20 minute blinds--very disappointing. So it's certainly not unique to Vegas, but Vegas is leading the way. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas--plus tax and fee!

• There was a time when the comps and specials were so good that I considered it a sucker bet to play locally, preferring to save up to go to Vegas once a year instead. While Las Vegas still offers more comps, better deals and a more intriguing overall experience than the locals, the difference is now so small that it's not worth flying 1,000 miles to visit, unless I have other business in the city. I've gone from my old schedule of once a year to now going about once every five years, and playing much more at local casinos. It may be less after my last visit--Vegas seems more about drinking than gambling now, and that's not my particular vice of choice.

• I live in Pennsylvania, where there are 3 local casinos within 30 miles (one actually charges an admission fee). All three are terrible with the comps -- usually some free-play or lame gift giveaways. Atlantic City is about 70 miles away, but I rarely play there for a multitude of reasons, one of which is the terrible comps. I now give Las Vegas 80% of my play because the comps are significantly better. I can earn full RFB with three trips a year. The same play in AC would get me a comped weekday room for 2 nights. In a PA casino that same play would get me $100 free-play a week, no room, and minimal food. As long as airfare stays reasonable, Las Vegas will be my first choice.

• I can get comped rooms at any of the casinos in Lake Charles, La., Sunday through Thursday, but the weekends are ridiculous. They want upwards of $700 a night for a room. One of the oldest casinos, Coushatta, is even quoting $200+ at their Inn, which is nothing to write home about. Food is always easy to get comped, but the new Golden Nugget is the only place that has decent restaurants. In Las Vegas, I can at least get a Saturday night at a greatly reduced rate and usually at least 4 nights comped, so I still pay less for 6 nights in Las Vegas than one Saturday in Lake Charles would cost me. That is what is crazy. There is no place in the world like Las Vegas and once you go, you are hooked for life.