sob_122 asked:
And other games there to offset their decreased ability to save money given how those casino employees and managers also automobiles and the cost of gas is hurting them to?
And other games there to offset their decreased ability to save money given how those casino employees and managers also automobiles and the cost of gas is hurting them to?
So because of higher gas prices, how much tighter are they planning to make their machines?
If they make their machines tighter, I am going to b#tch to the gaming commission like there is no tomorrow.
Debra
Tags: Games, Gas Prices, Tch
Yes. It has already happened.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board considers video poker to be the same class of gaming as a slot machine. I think it’s dumb because slots are purely luck and video poker has skill.
Video Poker payouts have been drifting down already with good paying games replaced by similar looking machines that don’t pay as well. For example a common game is nicknamed 9/6 Jacks or Better. If you get at least a pair of Jacks, you get your bet back (a push) and get 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush.
Wynn and Hilton still have a lot (at the dollar level) but at some casinos like those owned by Caesars, you now see 7/5 and even 6/5 Jacks or Better.
Also, slots and video poker players get comps. The casinos have often eliminated the video poker machines from their bonus points days and they get points at half the rate as slots. Casinos encourage slot play because it is a huge money maker for them.
They are also sneaky. They know that progressives have much better odds for the casino so they always give away a free pull on a progressive like Megabucks because they want more people to play a really bad percentage game. Progressives make 12.7% for the casinos while the average slot only makes 6.44%. (VegasMadeEasy.com)
However, the reason why casinos have been tweaking their advantages has nothing to do with gas. They have been taking themselves private and substituting financial engineering from good long term management.
I call this optimizing for disaster.
Remember the days of the old Vegas? Yes they were mobsters and not financial analysts but they knew that to make money you have to spend money. Today, they have optimized for this quarter’s numbers in order to ruin their future business.
Caesars had a very good reputation for gambling. Many old timers liked Caesars. Today, go on the vpFree boards and find out what their nickname is among the video poker cognoscenti. It is the “Evil Empire”.
Similar comments have been made about the Station casinos and the MGM/Mirage familiy of casinos. It doesn’t show up now but it will eventually come back to haunt them.
A big draw to Vegas has always been people bragging about how much they won which encourages other people to come here. By reducing word of mouth they increase today’s profits. Longer term, they are tarnishing Vegas’ reputation.
Penny wise, Pound Foolish.
By the way the Gaming Commission sides with the casinos so you have no chance of a successful complaint.
I completely agree with the guy above! We went to Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and I didn’t hardly win a thing. Usually I’ll get a few nice surprises, but this time all they did was take my money. There were even a few times where I would play 40 credits on a slot machine, and only hit once for like 5 credits. That’s crap, and it makes it no fun to play anymore. I finally gave up and spent a lot of my gambling money on other things like souvenirs and things to do. It’s just no fun if you can’t even win a little, there’s no entertainment there. I don’t think I will gamble as much next time we go, I’ll just stock up on souvenirs or go see shows or something with my gambling money.
IF YOU CAN’T PAY, DON’T PLAY… THAT IS WHY THERE IS A GAMING COMMISION… STAY HOME AND PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, WE DON’T NEED MORE CRY BABYS HERE!!! THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT GAMING!!!
The payout on the slots is set by the manufacturer when the machine is ordered by the casino. Changing the payout would require approval of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Anyway, if fewer people are going to Las Vegas because of gas prices, and the casinos change the payout on the slots because of it, they would make them looser, not tighter, to attract more customers.
The bottom line, though, is that your question is unanswerable, because the payout on the slots is a tightly guarded secret by the casinos. The ones that can answer aren’t saying anything.