Video Poker Forum

Having lived here for over six years now, it is stunning to see the changes to this city since moving here for the job transfer. (Fed Govt agency . . . so, no, not a casino employee)
When visitors are polled now, by the newspaper, convention folks, and so on, they say they come for the shows, restaurants and events. . . not for gambling. The LVCA proclaims we are the entertainment capital of the world. Sure.

The good: Well, we like the Vegas Golden Knights, have been season ticket holders from the start.
Well, we like our fabulous home with lap pool that doubled in value (on paper, of course)
Well, we enjoy everything on offer at the Smith Center ( a gem overlooked by tourists)
Ummm, okay, that's it.

The bad: Oy, as a local, stay in your neighborhood or waste hours in traffic. Driving to Nellis AFB, fortunately no longer daily, is a grind commute from our southern LV neighborhood. Why? Because, the city decided that all roads need construction work at the same time. The interstate, LV Blvd, Koval, Harmon, Tropicana . . . a disaster, often one lane each way or just plain closed. Plan on an hour to get from downtown casinos to middle of the Strip.

The casinos don't care about locals, and they don't care about YOU.
There are recent comments reportedly made by Caesars CEO (Tom Reeg) that because of big events, like the F1 race (STUPID, IMHO) and the Raiders, that therefore there are "better clientele" and "better customers" visiting Las Vegas. Reeg reportedly declared that Vegas is bringing in higher value customers, and Vegas is full, and so that kicks out the "lower end clientele" . . . which he proudly suggests is great and sees no reason that needs to stop.
Where do you fit in? If you're not high end, I guess stay home, right?

Recent example for us: Used to be regulars at a particular casino marketed as a "locals" casino. Our offers were always pathetic, regardless of coin in (VP). Our host is/was a corporate do nothing.
So, we minimized visits, fully expecting to be "no-mailed" in three months. Remember, most of your offers are based on your play 3 months in arrears.
Welp, along comes this casino marketing ninnys****. I had offers from the corporate entity, valid in both my app, via email, and the paper mailer - - again, based on PAST PLAY.
Nope. Marketing genius goes in to my account (based on my loser host recommendations), manually goes in, and yanks my offers for that month. The reason: well, we think you're not going to play here much. They apparently have a crystal ball.
I've never ever had offers pulled (especially ones that are truly pathetic amounts) while that month should be valid, based on mailer, email, app.
Again, I expected to be no-mailed by corporate bean counter/computer . . . but not expected this.
For reference -- it was $15 in free play twice a week for that month ($120 free play total).

Rant over. When there is sports betting everywhere now on your phone, when most states have casinos (some, like Illinois, all NON SMOKING), I ask again: Why bother with Vegas?

Never been. Never intend to go! Not perfect, but we have two great facilities right here in Ct. Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. IMO, Mohegan Sun is hands down better that Foxwoods, both for playing and staying.

You're missing nothing here, olds!

We won a three night stay at Foxwoods at a charity auction, in another state, years ago. The main hotel there was lovely, and the casino was larger than we imagined. It was a positive stay, I think we came home with $50 profit from gambling . . . that's a good thing!

Only there twice- 2001 to visit family stationed at Nellis and 2009 vacation with wife & sister. We went to the National parks- GC, Zion & Bryce. Gambled a good amount mostly downtown and off strip.

In August we're going to Reno/Tahoe since we got comped and have never been there. No plan to do Vegas again but that could change.

First few times I was in Vegas was for work. A number of weekly trips in the mid 80s 0 mid 90s. Stayed in non-casino hotels and was not into gambling. When I met my late wife and moved to AZ went several times a year. She got me into VP so it was a different experience. She had been going regularly to Vegas since the early 1960s. Said the town had changed enormously. Got bigger and corporations took over from the wise guys. She said it was much better in the early days. I haven't been back since 2017 when she got sick. From a gambling perspective, really no reason to go now. AZ has some relatively small but nice casinos. The closet ones to me are smoke free. I am strictly a recreational VP player and can do without the glitz. Going for a few hours to play VP a few times each month works for me.

olds442jetaway wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:55 am

Never been. Never intend to go! Not perfect, but we have two great facilities right here in Ct. Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. IMO, Mohegan Sun is hands down better that Foxwoods, both for playing and staying.

I was there when they had many full pay dueces wild 100.76%. you would have liked that I think. Now very few left ,only quaters. I heard the helicopter tour over grand canyon is grand. there are other things other than gambling. Naa thats just a rumor .

First visit 1977. Twice a year for about 10 years. Different world back then. No crime threat, no disturbances, moderate traffic. The safety probably due to the good old boys in control.
Two shows a night. Saw them all.
Wife and three Lady friends once took a cab from Caesars to Bally's which was 200 yards across the corner to meet us guys. They had 5 bottles of donated Champagne with them (in addition to many consumed).
Cabby actually loved the idea. The Lady riding in front with him said he would not accept payment but accepted a bottle of good French instead.

We grew up in a different world. We lived in a different world, for a long time. But it is gone.

Doug, agree with you 100%, but I still go to Las Vegas several times a year from New jersey. Mostly for the weather , the pools, shows, restaurants and the general vibe, which I still like. I am an avid VP player and don't really play at all as I normally stay comped at MGM properties and the paytables suck. I play VP at Borgata -they still have good paytables and use my comps for the Vegas trips. I am surprised that they don't pull my comps due to lack of play in Vegas, but as long as they don't , I'll go on a spring and fall trip.

I liked reading the comments above. It reinforces that Vegas changed a lot . . not in a good way.
VP has been decimated here, though there are still a few places we'll play that are decent.
Weather is odd, right now. So far, 271 consecutive days here, not one day over 100 degrees. Awesome.
Interesting that "carcounter" mentioned restaurants as a reason to visit Vegas. Lots of fine dining, but really nothing on the Strip we'd go out to try . . . generally too expensive unless you have giant comps.

Prior to moving here, we visited Lake Tahoe A LOT (we used to take a couple ski trips a year). IMHO, Lake Tahoe/Reno would get our gambling dollars today, if we didn't live here.