Why Does a Gambling Website Focus So Much on Drinking?

Don't the experts say never drink when you gamble? if that's true and I have no reason to believe it isn't, why does your gambling website focus so much on free drinks, dollar beers, happy hours, and the like? Isn't that contradictory?

For starters, Las Vegas Advisor.com isn't a gambling website. It's a Las Vegas site and free and cheap drinks, bars, happy hours, etc. are -- or at least have been and presumably will be again -- a big part of the Las Vegas experience. Also, while gambling and drinking are separate activities, in casinos they often overlap and they shouldn't necessarily have to be done exclusively of each other.

Yes, it's true that the vast majority of gamblers will have greater control over themselves and their decisions if they don't drink while they play. It's well-known that alcohol flows free and freely in casinos because the result accrues positively to the house's bottom line. Do you want to make a plan for limiting losses and stick to it? Staying sober gives you the best chance of doing that.

On the other hand, many casino patrons find the whole gambling experience to be more pleasurable when they're also getting the free drinks. On the other other hand, plenty of Las Vegas visitors like to drink and not gamble, which is why we cover both.

Now, when it comes to serious players, there's no doubt that most pros who play for profit shun drinking while they play. Note that we say most. Others can blend the two very smoothly and, in fact, incorporate drinking into their overall game plan. How? It has to do with being allowed to play in the first place. This applies in particular to blackjack, where winning is a two-part cocktail (if you will) of art and science.

Talking specifically about card counting, the science is in the ability to assign numerical equivalents to the cards, recall strategy index numbers, and do the mental math necessary to play a winning game. A lot of players can master this part and if you could play blackjack in a vacuum, there would be a lot more winners. But blackjack games are conducted in real-world conditions, where casino bosses are always looking for skilled players and will prohibit them from plying the science if they can.

This is where drinking while playing can come in very handy. Most bosses assume that serious card counters never drink on the game. So if you can drink and maintain your skill level, it goes a long way in the art of winning at blackjack, of which a big part is being able to get away with it.

Drinking usually has a part in the famous "big-player" scenario, where a player walks up to a game in the middle of a shoe and is signaled what to bet. The big player is often drinking while he plays, as it goes with his role of looking like a typical high roller for whom big bets are a shrug and fun is the main thing.

Finally, gambling and drinking go hand in hand when talking about playing for alcohol comps. This happens in video poker, where rather than pay for a drink, you can play a few hands to get the drink comped and have a lower negative expected return than what you would pay to buy the drink retail.

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full_monte_carlo May-29-2020

Free drinks

If it weren't for the free drinks my husband would never take me back to Vegas or we would start doing like we do at our local that legally cannot offer free drinks - we bring a flask and bring in either soda or order them at the bar and make our own. :)

David Miller May-29-2020

Amazing

 I find it amazing that 1). such a question would be asked, and 2) that one really needs to answer that question. Apparently common sense has left the building...

Texas Transplant May-29-2020

Gambling = Drinking

I literally drink 4-5 times a year- everytime I gamble  When I come to Las Vegas twice a year and when I go to Shreveport to gamble another 2-3 times a year.  For some reason when I am home I have little to no inclination for alcohol but when I am on a table game or video poker I just feel like having a drink.  

I am disciplined though.  I set my bankroll for the trip then divide it up into sessions for the day.  I set a top limit and  loss limit.  If I am up a couple of hundred $ on a session and the table starts to turn, I take my winnings and walk away.

Drinks are a way to get a little more from the house. As long as you have the discipline to gamble as if you are totally sober.

[email protected] May-29-2020

Drinking

I never drink when I gamble, or any other time for that matter.  However, I do take advantage of comped sodas, waters, fruit juices, etc.

Bob Dancer May-29-2020

common sense

While I agree with much of today's answer, had it been assigned to me I would have addressed it differently.

Gambling, drinking, and smoking are all destructive habits for most people. Not all. Most.

People who have one of these destructive habits tend to have more than one. If casinos cut out drinking and/or smoking, they would be hurting their bottom line big time. 

Another point that didn't go mentioned is that many players THINK they can play as well after a drink or two as then can cold sober. Some can. Some can't. The original answer phrased it as "if you can drink and maintain your skill level" . .  . That's a pretty big IF. If you're going to do it at blackjack, they you should test yourself at home, while drinking. Same with video poker. There are a number of products on the market where you can test your accuracy rate. If you can play 1000 hands at the most difficult level with the same level of accuracy whether drinking or not, you are an unusual person. 

Good luck.

Kevin Lewis May-29-2020

Part of the overall cachet...

Vegas is all about self-indulgence. Leave your scruples at home, leave your morals back at church, leave your brain in the glove compartment, and leave your wallet in the casino.
Definitely, drunk gamblers lose more and faster than sober ones, but I think the primary reason for Vegas' drinking culture is that it ties into the whole "come here and act out for a few days" message.

Molly May-29-2020

Losing and drinking

I have never lost more because of drinking, I lose drunk or sober, as long as they kill me softly, it is all good!

SoCalDude May-30-2020

Never

I have been coming to Vegas for 30+ years. The next time I have an alcoholic beverage at the table will be the first time that happens. I do not drink a lot, as is. I drink more water in a day than I consume alcohol in about 3-5 years. When I show up at the tables I always have a water bottle with me. I have no desire to play BJ and take a hit on 20 with the dealer showing a 6 but my chances of doing that are far greater when drunk than sober.

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