I am going to go out on a limb here and defend casinos that choose to
exclude "player" who take advantage of comps and slot clubs.
Reading the recent posts concerning NYNY and the LVH really bother
me. I happen to be a loyal customer at both houses. I have been a
player at the LVH for over 20 years, and NYNY for 5 years or so. The
staff at these hotels treat me very well, the rooms are exceptional,
the in house restaurants are top notch, the decor in the casinos is
to my liking. The variety of games they offer is different between
the two, and I decide which hotel I want to stay at on what game I
want to focus on that particular trip.
Now with all of that said. If slot clubs became a thing of the past,
and room comps went away,I would still give my business to these
casinos. This kid is no Johnny come lately to playing in Las Vegas.
Long before those little plastic cards came into being, a few of you
remember the days, folks walking up and down Freemont Street or the
Strip, with buckets of coins going from casino to casino. That is
right they were real coins, US legal tender. The days when casino
chips were accepted like cash every where you went in Las Vegas.
Back then I would fly out of remote "Bush" Alaska with a 6 month
growth of hair on my head and my face, and land at McCarren. I would
take a cab to the LVH, and walk straight to the cage. I would take
out my bankroll and ask them to watch it for me. From that point on
fun and relaxation was the plan of the day. My room was always paid
for, and I never had to ask, my meals and drinks were paid for and I
never had to put a card into a machine. The casino use to even pay
for the charges I made to my room for the shave and a haircut that
immediately followed leaving my money at the cage. When I was ready
to leave I went back to the cage clean shaven, and rested. I
collected my money and said goodby. Simple system that worked very
well.
Ya see folks the tradition of making gamblers feel at home, by
feeding them, and getting them drunk , has been around for a long
time. The decline began when the buffet was installed at Circus-
Circus, when tokens replaced silver dollars. When slot clubs came
into being the complexion of go to Las Vegas to play changed forever.
These days most of you folks seem to think of the casino operators
as some sort of soup kitchen. A high class sort of homeless shelter.
Boys and girls, my Daddy always told me "Never send a boy to do a
Mans job" My Momma said" boy ain't no free lunches out there". Listen
to my Mom and Dad. When people spend all of the time and enegy that
this group does figuring out how to get a free buffet without having
the points deducted from you slot club account, and hoping that a
floor person does not catch on to the fact that you are cashing 10
coupons that all say "Limit one per customer". YOU are the people who
have made the casinos tighten their grip. YOU are the people who hurt
the bottom line. Wake up people and smell the coffee, you cannot have
your cake and eat it too. Throw the coupons in the trash when you
don't need them? Why accept another jacket when you have plenty? Why
insist on eating at the steakhouse when you would never go to the
market and buy one for yourself?
I have gone on way to long here, so let me tie it up neatly. If you
want to go and put you money at risk, great, the casino will tell
you " We would love to have you" If your idea of a great vacation is
calculating how much stuff you got for free, then go to Mall of the
America's with a years worth of coupons and have a great time. Me, I
will take the money I have earned from a years labor and go to Las
Vegas. I will be the old guy with shaggy hair playing the big nickle
machines, and drinking coffee. If I have hurt your feelings I have no
remorse. I feel sorry for people who do not understand that Las Vegas
was financed on fortunes lost. When organized crime ran the casino
they understood people did not mind them taking their money if they
made them feel good about it.
Slot clubs were designed By market research people and public
relations companies. The cost of operating these clubs is offset by
the value of the knowledge gained. It is offset by the advertising
and name recognition gained by thousands of people wearing a casinos
Logo-wear. The knowledge gained by analyzing which machine or games
make money or lose money, and what type of players are playing what
games is very valuable to the casino. Just like they give you comps
to the buffet, you give them this data every time you push that piece
of plastic in that slot.
In sort people If you treated your husbands and wives with the
respect you show the casinos, you will be divorced. Treat these
places with some respect and you might be shocked at the return you
get.
Brad Humelsine