Casinos where one must pay for booze

A thought occurred to me the other night at Fallsview sitting at the bar watching The Players and playing VP. A standard beer is $8.50 with premiums up from there. I am not a heavy drinkier maybe one or two since I am usually driving. A newbie bellied up and asked the bartender why he had to pay for his drink to which the reply was the standard "government regulatons" I never thought about it until that point. Do the regulations also state the price to be charged? Outside of making a profit, can the casino charge $2 a beer to cover direct cost or are they madated to charge a "market price"

I think we are being hosed here...coming from a hoser of course

 

I think they can charge whatever they want. Some states have state minimums but I think that only applies to direct sales from a beverage store. The casino would have to pay a state minimum to acquire the booze then they can charge whatever they want for it.

 

Ive been to some casinos that charge bar prices, and when I ask about it, they sometimes say they charge that to compete with local bars. Which is BS, but oh well I suppose.

 

The tradition in Nevada has always been to comp drinks to keep players in the casino longer who inevitably make more and more mistakes. Aside from people losing more, there is little other injury in that all most patrons have to do is drag their tipsy bodies upstairs to their room. A local’s casino is just that, with most players driving to and from home. There has been tremendous reluctance for states to legalize gambling and what could undo it altogether is to have one tragic story in the newspaper that such and such casino got a patron very drunk with free drinks and he killed a young family of five on the way home. The price of drinks is commensurate with the atmosphere that the bar provides. Comparing the cost of drinks between a casino which may cost up to a billion dollars+ with a local tavern doesn’t make any more sense than it would to compare prices with the local dive to the nicest restaurant in town.

 

You're asking a question where the answer may vary by state - not clear their is a one size fits all answer.

Around me, they tend to charge something comparable to what you'd pay at a normal suburban bar or chain restaurant.

My vague recollection from talking to someone whose job is to know these rules is that our state has a rule to the effect of "you have to cover your costs" not "you have to charge a market price"

I've been to a casino in the boonies where they were cheap.

 

For the Midwest, I guess on the casino floor the prices are more like bar prices and even include drink specials while the restaurants have typical restaurant markups. They are competing with bars to get customers who want to drink and maybe catch some cover bands in addition to competing with each other for casino customers.

 

In Council Bluffs (Omaha area) domestic bottled beer is $3.75 at Ameristar and $4 at Horseshoe .

 

My local Indian casino in Milwaukee charges. I believe a beer is around $5, I don't drink much when I gamble there. Cocktail service is spotty there anyway.

 

Jack's in Cleveland, you have to pay. I talked to my host about this and even in the diamond Club they can't offer free booze per state law, only a discounted prices and they were still around $3/4 for a Bud.

 

If you are talking about the "Pot" 5 bucks is about right. But they do offer free soft drinks.

I cant think of any local casinos near me, IL, IN & MI, that dont offer free soft drinks. They all have machines set up, so it is help yourself. But none of them offer free booze.

I was actually shocked the 1st time I went to Atlantic City and was charged for a beer. I didnt know any better, I had been to vegas a couple dozen times. I ordered a beer, handed her a buck when she got back, and she said "Where is the other $5?" I thought she was joking, like she wanted a bigger tip. Stupid me!

Cost me 6 bucks and 20 minutes of waiting, plus I'm sure I lost money on the game I sat on, for a warm beer.

 

Prices have gone up. Used to be $1.50 domestics I think when CET ran it a few years backs.

 

In Oklahoma the Indian casinos soda is free at stations throughout so I just fill a water bottle with vodka and mix my drinks as I play and carry on.

 

I've been a guest in the local Diamond Lounge and they **DO** have a free open bar. Diamond is free on the floor and ditto for the same level at Ameristar.

For a long time they were claiming that it was illegal to offer free alcohol.

They do have self service free soda stations at all of the casinos. One buffet has that fancy custom make your own Pepsi machine.

 

Hooch is free in Atlantic City, or at least it always was from 2005-2015 when I went regularly. Where and when was this?

 

When I was in AC in December, the WWW casino charged me a $1 for a beer. The price was listed on the touch screen. It was odd as everything was free in Caesars and the main part of Bally's.

 

Wild Wild West casino, Frank nailed it. But he only paid $1.00. I stayed at Bally's my 1st time, I was playing in the old WWW casino (or what was left of it) and my Coor's Light was $5 from the waitress. She said she had to get it from the Mountain Bar, and the Mountain Bar doesn't comp drinks. I still have no idea what that means!

 

wow. I always stayed at Harrahs, Showboat, or Taj so I never really went there. It was free at Caesar's when I stayed there, too.

I can't imagine ever playing there if they charge. Weird.

 

As part of CET's bean counting and penny pinching, they will comp a 4 oz pour of stale draft beer. If you want a bottle of beer, they charge you for it unless you are diamond. It's yet another reason why CET is being outcompeted by other casinos in AC (to go along with their terrible VP pay tables, terrible table game rules, terrible slots hold, massive resort fees, etc.)

 

I've gotten bottled beer and I'm only Plat. At Rio they were serving the huge wino-size Miller Lights on the floor.[/QUOTE]

 

Last time I gambled at one of my locals (Chicago suburbs) a pretty generous glass of red wine was $4. Now, it could have been a daily special but I remember thinking what a steal that was for Chicago!