Big changes at the three Mesquite properties owned by Randy Black
(Casablanca, Oasis and Virgin River).
The coin-in on video poker to earn one point was increased from $10
to $20. This has the effect of reducing the comp rate from .4% to .2%.
Most of the paytables in Casablanca were changed from NSUD to the
9/4/4/3/2/1 variety...which, if I remember correctly, is below 99%.
This is about six weeks after they changed the paytable on a $1
progressive from 10/6 DDB to 9/5 DDB.
The $1 Deuces Wild prograssive at the Oasis was also shorted from
NSUD to the same paytable as the Casablanca.
On the surface, one can argue that these are marginal games to begin
with...which is true...but both properties had frequent promotions
which made the value of the progressives and comps in the +2 to +3%
range.
Here's a good example. In September, the Oasis had double points on
Monday to Thursday from 6am to 6pm, which made the comp rate .8%.
They also has a scratch card promotion, where one received a scratch
card for every 75 points earned ($750 coin-in). These scratch cards
were for cash prizes, ranging from $5 to $50. I averaged over $8.35
per card (1.1% return). The royal on the progressive was around
$6,200 (about.8%). All this adds up to 2.7%.
Tha Casablanca had a cash back promotion in August, September and
October where if you earned 10,000 point during the month ($100,000
coin-in) you received $1,200 cash back the next month (1.2%)...and
you kept the points (.4 comp rate). The 10/6 DDB progressive was an
excellent play with the royal very frequently in the $5,000-6,000
range.
Premium players were comped to suites, with no point reduction...and
there were monthly gift baskets sent to the room.
And you were able to use your points to buy gas, so the drive up
there was comped as well!
It was good while it lasted. Now I need to find another play were I
can earn points faster than my wife uses them in the spa!
Don the Dentist