Ridiculous stuff here
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:57 pm
Sometimes I wonder if the clueless casino marketing folks/bean counters have lost the plot or simply too darn greedy. Examples:
(1) Tropicana started charging for parking several months ago, even though they have no parking control gates/parking ticket machines etc in the convenient outdoor lot. It's a stupid scan a QR code, that old folks maybe won't even understand. Yet, the Trop casino is consistently empty, even on busy event weekends. So empty casino, charge now for parking, makes sense, right?
(2) Being charged for a plastic cup of tap water? Unthinkable? NO. Encore/Wynn want $25 for that plastic cup of water at the bars. I've never seen a water fountain inside their casino. It's okay, it's only been 110 degrees here, we don't need to stay hydrated, and hey, we're looking out for Lake Mead.
(3) The old Hard Rock casino off Strip has been run by Mohegan Sun for about 2 years. It is a ghost town there. They shunned the Locals market, persist in having some of the worst VP pay tables here, and now have closed their large sportsbook bar for lack of business. I am speculating that Mohegan has deep pockets, but can't fathom why nothing changes there to bring in business.
(4) Buffets that were reopened after being closed during the pandemic are thriving, regardless of price. Wicked Spoon is about $38 per person at the least expensive time of day. Wynn buffet averages $55 per person, but goes as high as $75 each on peak weekends. Queues are typically 1-2 hours long.
Palms Lobster buffet on Wednesdays is $65 per person. The queue for that buffet is typically 3 hours long, with folks lining up at 2 p.m. for the evening lobster buffet.
YET: many buffets have not reopened, notably the M Resort and Stations casinos (Red Rock, etc). They claim the buffets are never returning, they were loss leaders.
Instead, M is turning their buffet space into a Sportsbook food court. (eye roll)
(5) Casino junk. Do marketing execs city-wide convene in a broom closet in Primm each month to choose what junk to give away as "incentives" to gamble in their casino? Cheap vinyl purses (no cows were harmed here), a set of 4 drink coasters, and so on.
YET: casinos in the Chicago area regularly bombard me with mailers for GIFT CARDS and GAS CARDS. I've gambled at a Joliet casino once and still get these offers months later.
Meanwhile, two upcoming festival events here were recently cancelled, for poor ticket sales. Room rates have been dropping. Hmmm, maybe less Californians want to pay crazy gas prices?
Yes, large corporate properties like Caesars and MGM report record profits quarterly, but that isn't telling the whole picture.
Start with those genius marketing folks/bean counters.
Tourists have so many more choices, why come to Vegas?
(4)
(1) Tropicana started charging for parking several months ago, even though they have no parking control gates/parking ticket machines etc in the convenient outdoor lot. It's a stupid scan a QR code, that old folks maybe won't even understand. Yet, the Trop casino is consistently empty, even on busy event weekends. So empty casino, charge now for parking, makes sense, right?
(2) Being charged for a plastic cup of tap water? Unthinkable? NO. Encore/Wynn want $25 for that plastic cup of water at the bars. I've never seen a water fountain inside their casino. It's okay, it's only been 110 degrees here, we don't need to stay hydrated, and hey, we're looking out for Lake Mead.
(3) The old Hard Rock casino off Strip has been run by Mohegan Sun for about 2 years. It is a ghost town there. They shunned the Locals market, persist in having some of the worst VP pay tables here, and now have closed their large sportsbook bar for lack of business. I am speculating that Mohegan has deep pockets, but can't fathom why nothing changes there to bring in business.
(4) Buffets that were reopened after being closed during the pandemic are thriving, regardless of price. Wicked Spoon is about $38 per person at the least expensive time of day. Wynn buffet averages $55 per person, but goes as high as $75 each on peak weekends. Queues are typically 1-2 hours long.
Palms Lobster buffet on Wednesdays is $65 per person. The queue for that buffet is typically 3 hours long, with folks lining up at 2 p.m. for the evening lobster buffet.
YET: many buffets have not reopened, notably the M Resort and Stations casinos (Red Rock, etc). They claim the buffets are never returning, they were loss leaders.
Instead, M is turning their buffet space into a Sportsbook food court. (eye roll)
(5) Casino junk. Do marketing execs city-wide convene in a broom closet in Primm each month to choose what junk to give away as "incentives" to gamble in their casino? Cheap vinyl purses (no cows were harmed here), a set of 4 drink coasters, and so on.
YET: casinos in the Chicago area regularly bombard me with mailers for GIFT CARDS and GAS CARDS. I've gambled at a Joliet casino once and still get these offers months later.
Meanwhile, two upcoming festival events here were recently cancelled, for poor ticket sales. Room rates have been dropping. Hmmm, maybe less Californians want to pay crazy gas prices?
Yes, large corporate properties like Caesars and MGM report record profits quarterly, but that isn't telling the whole picture.
Start with those genius marketing folks/bean counters.
Tourists have so many more choices, why come to Vegas?
(4)