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Atlantic City warms up

OK, so sports betting got walloped. Other than that, Atlantic City had nothing to complain about last month. January casino revenues hit $210 million, 2% better than the year before and 18.5% higher than in 2019. Evidently Covid-19 sharpened gamblers’ appreciation for the Boardwalk. iGaming actually outstripped brick-and-mortar casinos with $221.5 million. Are we starting to see a day when iGaming will be so ubiquitous and prosperous that land-based casinos become glorious (expensive) anachronisms? We sure hope not … but take nothing for granted.

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Change in Point Structure

Bob Dancer

The ROW casinos, the Caesars Rewards properties in Reno, recently changed their point structure. For some of the machines that contain the loosest video poker, Tier Credits (TCs) and Reward Credits (RCs) are now earned at one point per $20 coin-in versus the former $10 coin-in. Although the ROW consists of the Eldorado, Silver Legacy, and Circus Circus equally, for practical purposes this new rule only affects the Eldorado because that’s where the loosest video poker machines are. 

They did a similar change about two years ago. Many players boycotted these casinos because of the change and after two or three months, the former $10-per-RC system was reinstated. It’s possible this will happen again, I suppose. We’ll see. These casinos seem to struggle to attract players. Tightening the slot club can’t possibly be the way to attract more players.

Although this specific change only affects one property, and most of my readers are not players at this particular location, similar downgrades happen at other casinos all the time. The question becomes: How does a player evaluate whether to continue playing there or not?

The Caesars Rewards system is complicated — and each property has slightly different rules than its sister properties. The difference between RCs and TCs is not quickly grasped by many players. In many cases they are earned at the same rate, but they aren’t the same. RCs may be redeemed for comps, sports bets, or, at a two-for-one rate, free play. TCs can’t be redeemed, but determine whether you are Platinum, Seven Stars, or any of the other tier levels. 

The old $10-per-point system made RCs earned by playing video poker worth 0.1% in comps. Cutting that in half means that they are now worth 0.05% in comps. That’s not a big change. If you normally play $20,000 in coin-in in a day, the $20 in comps you previously earned now becomes worth $10. If you redeemed the RCs for free play, the $10 in free play you used to get now becomes worth $5. Other than being ticked off that it’s not as big as before, that’s not enough of a difference to cause most players to quit playing.

But what about if they had 5x or 10x points? Well, that could be different. This casino used to have Mystery RC multipliers every Monday, with a limit of 30,000 RCs. Whatever multiplier you receive, it will now take twice as much play to earn that limit. Time will tell if that is going to be cut back on this promotion or not. 

There are TC multiplier promotions as well. In addition, there are daily TC bonuses. Players earning 1,000 TCs in a day get a 1,000 TC bonus. Players earning 5,000 TCs in a day get a 10,000 TC bonus. That’s the biggest daily bonus offered. Whereas it used to take $50,000 coin-in in video poker to earn the maximum daily bonus, it now takes $100,000. For most players, this is out of the question.

If you play enough to earn a lot of TCs, for every 250,000 you earn, you receive one Seven Stars Experience Credit. There are a number of things you can redeem these for. The most attractive to me is $450 in free play at properties in Las Vegas or Cherokee. For the same play, Reno video poker players will end up with fewer Seven Stars Experience Credits in 2025 than they earned in 2024.

The basic Seven Stars target of 150,000 is harder to get. I find it valuable. The major benefits are five $100 food credits, one $1,200 travel to any other Caesars property including $500 in resort credit, and a highly discounted 7-day cruise for two on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Most properties have some sort of a daily benefit if you have Seven Stars status. 

These properties all have monthly mailers giving you free play, rooms, and resort credits (which are not the same as Reward Credits.) These are generally based on your average daily theoretical. If $1,000 worth of play gives you the same ADT as it did before (even though it gives you half as many RCs and TCs), then the mailers shouldn’t change. We’ll see.

The bottom line, for me anyway, is not the number of dollars coin-in required to get a RC. It’s the promotions and the mailers. If the promotions and mailers stay the same, I’ll continue to play at the ROW, at least sometimes. If they get slashed as well, I won’t. 

The change in the rate of RC and TC being earned is a much smaller change than reducing the pay schedule by one unit. I’ll put up with NSU Deuces Wild with the lesser rate, but if they cut that game by 0.8% to the pNSU game, I’ll likely stop playing there.

It’s the package of benefits (the game, the slot club, the promotions, the mailers) that matters to me, not the individual components of it. Any reduction in benefits is unwelcome, but small reductions are not necessarily showstoppers.

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A January thaw

Inclement weather notwithstanding, Americans turned out to gamble last month. A late-2024 softening in casino takings firmed up with the new year, as play continued at levels so elevated they are sometimes hard to credit. For instance, Illinois had the first gains we could believe in quite a long time. Casinos won 10% more than early last year and even 1% more than in 2019, on a same-store basis. When new, hit Wind Creek Southland was factored in, winnings shot up 21% year/year and an astounding 52% from 2019.

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Buoyant Boyd, solid Station

Today, something non-controversial AND quantifiable. Boyd Gaming was the first major casino company to report 4Q24 earnings and no wonder why: The numbers impressed Wall Street. Even before the earnings call, Jefferies Equity Research analyst David Katz opined that “the breadth of development projects in its pipeline, which we anticipate will generate growth over time, and focus on capital returns should provide a catalyst for shares.” As the value of Boyd’s 5% stake in FanDuel continues to accrue, he wrote, and year/year comparisons in Las Vegas ease, Boyd will continue to outperform its rivals, especially with its project pipeline in Virginia and Sin City.

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The Secret To Maximizing Las Vegas Birthday Deals

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

You do have a birthday, right? And an ID? (No AIs need apply.)

Plan wisely and you’ll get several complete days of free fun, free play, three meals every day, and more drinks, desserts, and coffee than you can shake a chocolate-dipped stick at. The best deals give you a week, two weeks, and even a month to cash in, so get ready to run around your whole birthday month collecting freebies. Damn. Tough job, eh?

Be sure to sign up for every e-club online in advance. You almost always need to be a member to qualify for the birthday freebies and discounts. Even if it takes a few hours, there’s nothing like walking into all these places, getting your birthday specials, and walking out with no money changing hands. And there are enough free play ($85 to $1,500) deals, plus and several hundred dollars in free food, to pay for your LVA subscription 10 times over. How cool is that?

As for technique, one word: stacking. Use more than one coupon where they’re available. Some places (Excalibur?!) have five deals. Fashion Show Mall has four. Many have three meals a day. Stack a great view (Eiffel Tower) and a great meal with another great view (Bellagio Fountains).

Consider doing a Fremont run by stacking your LVA MRB matchplay and free play offers and go crazy. Free food and double free play — all day long!

I’m abbreviating free play with FP.

No, it’s not worth going to Morton’s and spending a Franklin or two to get a free dessert. But walk in to Cheesecake Factory and leave with a free slice? Yes.

I’m space limited in this blog, but you can go to BobbyVegas.com for an even more complete and detailed list and several dozen more places. Also, these freebies can change at any time, so definitely check online or call ahead to be sure the promo is still active.

And Happy Birthday!

Why start with Starbucks? You’re gonna need caffeine, people.

Starbucks– Free coffee or food item, need active Starbucks card within 30 days of birthday.

Eureka Casino – (595 E. Sahara Ave.) – Player’s club members $25 birthday FP
(MRBs too and signup bonuses)

Ellis Island – $10 FP Passport Club members (MRBs too and signup FP)

SAHARA – Join Infinity Rewards, swipe at kiosk during birthday month, win up to $500 FP. (plus MRBs and signup FP)

Wynn — Wynn Rewards up to 48 hours before or after birthday get $10 in free play. Higher tiers get birthday month annual dining credit $150, Platinum, $300 Black.

Palms – Swipe Club Serrano Card at kiosk during birthday month, receive up to $1,000 in FP (plus MRB)

Earl of Sandwich (Planet Hollywood, Palms, Fashion Show) Join eclub for free sandwich, wrap, or salad + birthday month free cookie or brownie.

Hooters (OYO +) – Hooters eClub email certificate $10 free birthday wings. Good for 2 weeks, 7 days before or after. Nice $10 for $10 signup and $10 match play, plus signup FP.

Steak ‘n Shake (OYO + ) – Free specialty milkshake and another for birthday. Join Steak ‘n Shake Rewards Club.

Del Taco (near MGM Grand +) – Free birthday regular premium milkshake, plus 2 free tacos for joining Raving Fan eClub.

Krispy Kreme (Excalibur, Circus Circus + ) – Free donut and coffee eClub.

Dairy Queen – (Excalibur + ) Free Blizzard.

Buca di Beppo FANTASTIC $50 DEAL! (Excalibur + ) for Buca eClub members, $10 off for signing up, plus $20 off $40 and a Colossal Brownie Ice Cream Sundae ($18 value) on your birthday month.

Cinnabon – (Excalibur + more) – Free iced coffee within 1 week of birthday for members of Club Cinnabon.

Orange Julius (Excalibur + more) – Join Orange Julius’ Julius League for free birthday Premium Fruit Smoothie or Julius Original.

Diablo’s Cantina (Luxor) Special occasions wheel spin (including birthday) for free shots +.

Eiffel Tower Observation Deck – Free birthday admission, check in advance, as freebie is seasonal.

Lettuce Entertain You (Paris, Fashion Show, Forum Shops) – $15 account credit on birthday, does not expire, good at Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi, and Joe’s Stone Crab.

P.F. Chang’s (Planet Hollywood + ) – Club members free appetizer or dessert during birthday month.

Cheesecake Factory (Forum Shops, North Premium Outlet Mall) – Free birthday dessert.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria (Palazzo + ) – Free birthday pizza and free appetizer on signup

Fashion Show Mall

RA Sushi, Bar & Restaurant – $20 RA gift certificate every year during birthday and half-birthday month. Signup / The Hook Up.

The Capital Grille – Free birthday dessert, no signup required.

Maggiano’s Little Italy – Join e-club for $10 certificate and free birthday dessert.

Dunkin’ – (LINQ, Fashion Show Las Vegas, South Premium Outlets, Fremont Hotel) – DDPerks Club members free drink within one week of birthday.

Lettuce Entertain You (Fashion Show Las Vegas, Caesars Forum Shops) – $15 account credit

Downtown/Fremont

Denny’s (Fremont and Strip) – Denny’s Rewards free birthday Grand Value Slam Breakfast

Pinkbox Doughnuts – ( Plaza / other locations ) “It’s Ya Birthday” – birthday special doughnut Join Perks club.

Plaza – 25% off rooms, free dessert at Oscar’s Steakhouse, free bingo card. (plus MRB)

Hash House a Go Go (Plaza, LINQ, Rio Casino + ) – Free birthday dessert via Twisted Farm Club.

Hennessey’s Tavern (Fremont Street) birthday week free dinner entree.

Tony Roma’s – (Fremont) – Rib Expert Club signup receive free birthday entree. Check current offer at (702) 385-3232. (plus MRB)

Landry’s (Golden Nugget + ) – $25 membership fee, get $25 welcome reward + free $25 birthday reward during birthday month. In Las Vegas: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Chart House, Claim Jumper, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Grotto Ristorante, Red Sushi, Morton’s, Rainforet Cafe, Strip House, The Palm, and Anthony’s Steakhouse.

South and off Strip

Baskin Robbins (Orleans +) – Free scoop of ice cream.

Bonefish Grill (Town Square + ) – free birthday Jamaican coconut pie or bang bang shrimp.

Sickies Garage Burger (Town Square) – Sickies Rewards program free burger during birthday month

King’s Fish House (Green Valley Ranch) – Free birthday key lime pie / homemade whipped cream

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One Type of Bonus Round

Bob Dancer

I play a lot of persistence slot machines. Persistence slots, generally speaking, are those where the machine retains value from spin to spin until finally some trigger occurs which allows the player to collect that value.

Most slot machines, persistence or not, have bonus rounds of some kind. Some of these machines have multiple types of bonus rounds.

One common type of bonus round gives you a matrix of unknowns. Common shapes for these matrices are 5×5, 3×5, and 3×6. The object in this type of bonus round is that you keep touching these unknowns, one at a time, and when you do, they reveal a symbol. You keep going until you match three different symbols. It could be you’re matching Mini, Minor, Major, Mega, and Grand symbols. When you get three matching ones, you get that particular bonus.

Although these symbol names do not have to be involved, you match the Mini symbols most frequently and the Mini bonus is the least valuable. Very rarely do you match three Mega or Grand symbols. On some machines, you almost always get two Mega and/or Grand symbols along the way — but even though you have two of them, the third one is very elusive.

I’ve seen players agonize several minutes over choosing among the unknowns. If that gives them pleasure, great. After all, most of these players are playing with a big financial disadvantage and pleasure is the only payment they get for the money they spend.

Here is the way I go about it: 

First, I’m only arriving at one of these bonuses while I’m playing a persistence slot machine where I calculate I have the advantage. So, the faster I go through this bonus round, the faster I collect that advantage. Agonizing over which unknown to select is a waste of time, in my opinion.

Second, I’m not sure it matters what I pick. It could be that the machine is preset to give the Grand 0.001% of the time, the Mega 0.02% of the time, et cetera et ceters, and the Mini 42% of the time. (I just made up those numbers. They are intended to be reasonable, but not matching any particular slot machine.) When the bonus round activates, the machine calculates what your bonus should be and, whatever symbols you pick, the predetermined bonus is awarded. I’m definitely not positive it works this way, but if it didn’t, it couldn’t tease you so frequently about the biggest jackpots and almost never give them to you.

Third, I pick rapidly and randomly. Sometimes I go down a row or column and pick every symbol. Sometimes I go diagonally — starting from different places in the matrix. Sometimes I don’t look at the machine very closely, put both hands up, and repeatedly tap with several different fingers as my hands go up and down.

Whichever technique I use, and whether it takes me four seconds or four minutes, eventually three symbols match and I’m paid off accordingly. 

Often, when such a bonus round is finished, I’ve collected the bonus that I was “aiming for.” When that bonus goes to its reset value, the machine is no longer in a “player advantage” state. In which case, I cash out and search for an advantage elsewhere.

Almost as often, though, the bonus I hit is not the sensitive one. It could be that the Minor is high enough that I’m going to keep playing until it goes off. If the bonus round pays one of the other bonuses, the machine is still playable, and I keep going.

Sometimes, the value comes from a combination. That is, perhaps, the Minor and Major are both slightly less than the level needed to justify a play, but if I keep going until I hit either one, it’s probably a play.

At any rate, at the end of the round, I re-evaluate my position and act accordingly.

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How the Grinch stole Dallas

It didn’t take long for Dr. Miriam Adelson to become the most hated person in Dallas, possibly even in all of Texas. In a move of apparent perversity, she shipped star Dallas Mavericks player Luka Doncic off to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for one older, oft-injured player, sabotaging Mavs fans’ hopes in the process. As 27% owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban has to wear some of the opprobrium for this but the majority of the ownership (and blame) are securely Mrs. Adelson’s, proving yet again that there’s nothing worse than a rich idiot.

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