Howard Stern wrote:
This started on 7/26. I received the letter on 7/29. This does not apply to Diamond members (I am one) and one guest.
snip
Someone posted a message saying that Harrah's in Joliet, IL was
going to charge an admission fee.
snip
The first time I had ever encountered such audacity was at a riverboat
casino in St. Louis -- can't remember the name, but it was near the big
arch on the Missouri side of the river. When we were told that there
was an admission fee, I politely told the fellow at the door something
to the effect: "You've got to be kidding; we'll go elsewhere". We did
an immediate about face, and drove over the bridge to the Illinois-side
of the river to a casino that charged no admission, and spent our money
there. If enough people did that, such nonsense would stop before it
could even get started.
Cheers.
Bill Velek
···
Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2003 20:42:22 -0500
From: Bill Velek <billvelek@alliancecable.net>
Subject: Re: Harrah's Joliet, IL - Admission
******************
The Missouri riverboat gambling is a bit of an abomination. The admission fee came from the beginning of Missouri gambling when the riverboats had to actually sail. No gambling allowed until the boat was underway. The fee was to buy a ticket on the boat for the two hour cruise. When the riverboats owners pointed out the state of Missouri didn't have adequate rescue equipment or personnel if one of the boats got into trouble, they discontinued the cruise requirement. Subsequently, the casinos (in Kansas City area) stopped charging the admission fee (although they still have to keep count and pay the state and local governments a "boarding tax" for all their customers). The casinos absorb the head tax but the customers ultimately pay through tighter machines and less favorable table games.
When the cruise requirement ended it gave rise to fixed facility casinos -- they call them barges -- but there is no way in hell they are sea (or river) worthy. Almost all the casinos have gone to these landlocked facilities, the final one in the Kansas City area (Argosy) is in the final stages of building theirs. They are the only casino in this area that operates out of an actual riverboat -- but not for long.
Other abominations in Missouri gambling is the $500 loss limit per 2-hour "cruise". Of course there are no more cruises so this limitation is taken care of by computer. Gamblers must have a slot card to get in and must use the slot card to get tokens, chips, or credits on a machine. The casinos have been trying for years to get the loss limit lifted but to no avail. Now the state is hard pressed for money and they are thinking of removing it so they can get more revenue.
All in all, Missouri is a very hostile environment for casino operators -- high taxes, strict control, and heavy fines. It's a wonder there are any full pay VP machines at all (and there's not very many).
LC
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