No Indian casinos for me

Nothing beats Las Vegas for me.

I don’t have much experience at other Indian casinos (short visit at Tulalip) except for Winstar in OK which is a nice change of pace, and except for the long drive, I have no complaints. We are treated well when we stay there, food options are decent, strong security, have never seen any incidents. We are strictly slot players and we are either very lucky or just happen upon the right machines there. Our bankroll is a fourth of what we gamble in Vegas and yet we manage to often come home ahead.

Here are two wins from almost two years ago, we don’t always take pics but I dug these out:

The big one, $10,000, is mine on a dollar slot, three credits. Sorry no pic of the overall machines.


Hubby’s win



Lucky Ducky was a nice win $396.00




Last year won $1,280 on a $2 dollar slot, was only playing two credits on a 3 credit machine.
if the Polar High Roller had lined up on the payline it would have been 20k playing 3 credits.

 

Honestly I like the standard rooms better. There's just something about the layout of the suites I don't like. The standard rooms have windows facing the ocean but no balconies. If you're on first floor there is a door to the walk behind the hotel where people sit and feed the seagulls in front of the sign that says "don't feed the birds". They are closer to the Casino entrance.

I think you would say "No thanks". 2 star is probably fair. If we're doing Lincoln City for a special occasion, we stay at Inn at Spanish Head but that's not within walking distance as you probably know. But for a free room that we usually use only between 2:00 am and 8:00 am, the free room is good enough! If I had to compare it to any room I've had in Vegas, I think I would say Circus Circus...and the last time I stayed there was 1994. Oh, and there's no AC in the standard rooms.

 

I live on the Arkansas Oklahoma border, I’m very close to a casino. When I go by myself I play mostly their version of keno, I can pass time and make about 20 an hour last that way, if I try anything else I usually get destroyed. The last couple of trips to Vegas, I haven’t been able to tell much difference in the amount of play you get.

 

I'm a (part time) smoker and I agree with this entirely.

 

Some really interesting replies and opinions about Indian gaming. There seems to be some conflicting info about the machines at the Seminole HR. Regardless type II or III machines there tight as hell . I get the mentality of Indian casinos being the only game in town. That of course is what they rely on and their strength. Why give you a good deal when they don’t have to ? People still flock to them. The average person doesn’t have a clue between a good game and a bad one. Those of us on this board are a tiny minority in as far as our overall knowledge of gaming conditions. Perhaps with the contraction of Casino’s across the country ( there’s about 60 less than just two years ago ) conditions might improve. Until then i’ll Save my gambling dollars for Vegas and AC. I have a much better time in those places than I ever could at a stand alone Indian Casino. The ambience and excitement of a true casino town ( Vegas and AC) can’t be replicated at the Dances with wolves hotel casino bingo hall and RV Park in Tucamari NM.

 

I've found that it does not matter whether it's native or civilian, floating or landlocked. Some US casinos are great, others suck.

If there's any generalization to be made, those that are great are in areas where there's at least some competition and those that suck tend to be captive-audience type places.

 

Indians have tried for sovereign standing in Ohio but so far have been denied. I doubt it would matter to the odds because the games at the regular casinos suck, and if a tribe got standing it would be tempting to go the same route. Indians run Washington casinos, and their games suck. Indians casinos in Florida have sucky games. I never play in any of them.

The one nice Indian casino with fair games that I know about has already been mentioned here- Soaring Eagle in Michigan. We stayed and played there numerous times when we lived in Ohio. The Saginaw Chippewas do a nice job, although the casino has been smoky at times. Mt. Pleasant is a college town with some decent places to eat. My wife has been a Native American advocate over the years, and the Great Spirit is good to her! She's a winner there lifetime.

 

From what I have read here- not just this thread- I would/will avoid Indian casinos.

 

Michelle and I have had as many royals at Soaring Eagle and Firekeepers as we have anywhere else. I read years ago that the major slot machine companies can not have chips that would give impossible to get hands or they would lose their right to license in Nevada. I have no problems with any Michigan Native American casino.

 

Been to Tampa hardrock many times, just play strictly VP. I have had way more losing than winning trips, and I play with the same daily bankroll as I would in Vegas, but with less hits. Paytables are 9/5 at dollar level there. Someone in this thread mentioned that some Indian places have 9/5 schedules but then have a sticker saying 80% payback. If that's true, that's unacceptable and misleading. I only go 2-3 times a year to the hardrock in between Vegas trips to scratch the itch. It's getting harder and harder to play at any place that doesn't report payback wins or have a gaming commission to report to. Its funny, on their Facebook page or blog page the Hardrock tampa showed their 10 biggest slot winners from 2018. All but one If I remember correctly was in the high-limit room with people playing high denomination and the wins were nothing really spectacular if you ask me. Makes you scratch your head and think about their slot holds and how bad they really are!

 

I agree. IGT/other major slot manufacturer have no good reason to "rig" machines for casinos.

 

IMO, the two giant Indian casinos in Connecticut, Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun, are two of the best casinos around. You name it, these casinos have it. IMO, if they were on the Strip, they both would be very popular. They have attractive casinos with all the table games and slots a gambler could want, they have very nice hotels, fantastic restaurant choices, decent shows... And they comp me good too!

 

The best casino buffet I can ever remember was at the Mohegan Sun!

 

Some in NM have top notch entertainment, Frankie Valli, Jay Leno, etc.....food in all sucks big time but one does have sports betting

 

The rooms in the tower are very good, the plateau rooms and other suites are excellent. The older courtyard rooms aren't nice but they're about to tear those down to build another tower. It's usually impossible to get a room without reservations on the weekends. For a relatively small casino we really like it.

 

I like Southern Cali Harrah's, no problems. I stay a few nights and hit the Wild Animal Park. I like Barona for 3/2 pitch BJ at $15. I also like the VP machines which were set to correct play auto holds last time I played. Uncertain if they are still set that way on VP. Last time I was there I only played BJ and ate the buffet, which rocked. Better than Harrah's by far. I try and go once a year. I accidently over played last year and now have a host at Southern Cal Harrah's.

 

Not a huge fan in general. I've tried a few but most of the time it's walk in and then walk back out. Aside from the bad rules, bad limits, no free drinks, laughable comps, it's just not a great vibe. It's hard to put my finger on it but they all feel like they are designed to churn and burn locals as fast as possible. Vegas resorts on the other hand deliver a non-stop experience whether you are gambling or not.

With that said, there's one near my vacation house which is actually pretty decent in terms of the rules, limits, and vibes but other than that I have no desire to casino gamble anywhere but Nevada. Even then, I've probably only dropped in to that place once or twice in the past couple years.

I like gambling in gambling towns where there's actual resort areas where you can walk from one place to another. That means Lake Tahoe and Vegas for me and I'll probably try Laughlin at some point just to check that box.

 

I have stayed at Harrahs So Cal a few times now. We tie this in with a visit to Temecula wine country. We only stay one night and coordinate our trips with RC multiplier days and to not let the RCs expire, (if no Vegas trips planned). I actually do get a comped room midweek and the RCs acquired allow us access to the DLs when in Vegas. Fell 3.5k short of the 25kTC requirement. Although my two trips to LV this year, did not set foot in any DL. And yes, the gambling conditions are not that great.

 

In the early 90’s, we fell in love with Wynn’s old Mirage Group and for the next fifteen years, we couldn’t get enough of it. During those years, I can easily write that it was our favorite destination forever. About ten years ago, the Strip changed dramatically and we gave up on the love of our life. During those Vegas years, we also visited just about every casino in Vegas in addition to those in Tahoe and Reno. Afterwards, we landed at Biloxi’s Beau Rivage and thrived there for several years until MGM savaged it as well in order to fund City Center. Later, we found ourselves content with the casinos in St. Louis but they really didn’t hold the same excitement for us. We thought of trying AC but our old Vegas friends living on the East Coast told us not to bother. In summary, we know the commercial casinos out there. Most importantly, we learned that everyone has a different appetite as to where they wish to gamble.

I have no idea what Native American casinos are like nationwide but I know a great deal has changed in the past decade. I read that the nation’s largest, newest and best maintained properties are those Native Class III casinos in CT, CA, OK and FL, whose overall property appeal is only exceeded by a few Strip casinos. Collectively, they are exceeding Vegas gaming revenues. These will always be local or regional properties whose primary fault in my opinion is their former Vegas and AC management teams are trying to become destination casinos. I will never visit any of them other than here nor do I encourage anyone to visit Tampa unless you are vacationing at our top rated beaches or Orlando and experience a rainy day. The last thing Tampa HR needs is more patrons, they only have 5,000 parking spaces and they're usually filled. In truth, there is no destination anywhere in the country looking to duplicate the clustering of casinos you find in Vegas, Reno or AC. I can comfortably write that Tampa doesn’t want 10,000 additional drunks or lost souls driving around town.

We play fifty cent VP weekly in Tampa. We can have a comped room from Sunday to Thursday. We get $300-$400/month in free play and win an additional $500-$1,000 drawing at least once a year. They are giving away $1,000,000 in monthly free play. We have had our best annual VP winnings here. The most remarkable bar top experience I have ever seen was a gentleman who hit machine roulette for $110,000 a few weeks ago. As he explained to us, he had won $150,000 and then $120,000 the several prior weeks. HR had an attendant just stand behind him to write his WG-2’s. We observed over 15of them! Overall, my point is don’t discount Native Casinos. There really isn’t much difference to the commercial ones, on tit for tat properties. If you’re not looking for a favorite trip to Vegas, contribute to your own states education system instead of flying off somewhere else. Enjoy playing wherever is best for yourselves, we do.

 

Living in San Diego, we have many choices. The negatives are easy, stupid pricey for hotel rooms, paying for drinks (i know that Cal law states you cant
comp liquor, but how about $2 beers instead of $7.50 for a pint), and of course the Degenerate Gamblers who are so pissed off and come there every day
anyway. This is extremely prevalent at Barona, which has a very limited liquor license and lots of people complain about the road getting there (oh my god,
it is a two lane hill with curves). Viejas has more of a party vibe and to me is more like Vegas, as is Sycuan now with their expansion. Up in northern San
Diego, they have Valley View, Harrahs Rincon, Pala and Pauma. Again, most of them have a better party vibe and most have entertainment as well,
including name bands. card based roulette and craps is still the norm. $10 blackjack tables with $5 sprinkled in is not uncommon at the Southern trio.
I used to work at Barona, i do not remember them having 6-5 BJ but they do have all the carnival BJ games (freebet, switch, all that horrible stuff) because of
them being 18 and up so they try to draw the younger kids (they even have War, the all time worst game in history to deal). All the carnival games (three card,
miss stud, let it ride, texas hold em) and they are surprisingly popular. Video games, i really dont deal with so dunno. if you yelp any of these casinos, you get
some really varied replies as to the customer service, from horrible to spot on. Most of the buffets are good but you can get nailed with super long lines at
certain time of the days. Dats about it