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Personal check cashing?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Steve in RI., Dec 28, 2012.

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  1. Steve in RI.

    Steve in RI. Low-Roller

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    Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, but I can't find a definite answer: Rather than bringing a good amount of cash with me on my trip, or having to exchange travelers checks, am I able to write out a personal check for cash at the casino cage? I would also use that option rather than hitting an ATM and being charged more than $5 in fees. If I am allowed to cash a check, what would the daily minimum be at Ballys or other CET properties where I will likely do most of my gambling.
     
  2. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    I wouldnt recommend it. I forgot to take my entire bankroll on a trip last year. I figured no problem, head to the cage and cash a check. Well it turned into quite a process, they took my drivers license, made me fill out some form, etc. Then they said I could cash a check daily for up to like $3600 or some odd amount??? I was only trying to cash a one time $800 check. It took forever, then they tried to charge me $4. I refused and they waived the charge and apologized for it taking so long saying the clerk I had was new and didnt know what she was doing.

    Fast forward to last Spring, I apply for a mortgage. Bank wants me to answer for anyplace that ran my credit in the past 6 months. There is one name on there I could not for the life of me figure out. I phone them, they say Ballys in LV was the requestor of the credit check??? WTH, I never gave permission for a credit check, so I have no clue how they did that.

    I wont bother again, the process took forever and I dont want some schmoe company pulling my credit.
     
  3. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Hmmmm... my experience was different. At the Hard Rock, I asked to cash a personal check for $500 a couple years ago... they took my DL and went to the end of the cage, came back and said I was in the Certigy (sp?) system and was good up to $5K/day. I got the feeling the Certigy system is bigger than just the Hard Rock, but didn't really take much effort at all. The subsequent checks cashed monthly go even faster.
     
  4. Bo333

    Bo333 VIP Whale

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    I think they all use Certegy, the problem is you can have 5Mil in your account and it may come back and say you can have $50. I'm not sure it does that often, but that is what they tell me happens now and then.
     
  5. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    Part of how Certegy works is tracking checks through their system. If you don't write a lot checks, they can't do their actuarial stuff and determine your risk. So that's why you can be a billionaire and have a crappy limit with them. I know the casinos collect SSNs on their Certegy applications but they don't have access to that stuff for a lot of the checks that pass through their system.

    My experience at CP was simply showing ID, giving them a check and punching my SSN into a keypad to get my limit. It took seconds. And I don't recall a hard inquiry when it was done. However, they have changed the process at least once in the past few years and may have done so again.

    My take: check directly at the casino where you are staying in advance. Some require an LOC to cash checks and they aren't all set to do it instantly. Even if they have something separate for just check cashing, you may be able to do it before your trip.
     
  6. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    What is your bank?

    A lot of banks give cashiers checks at no charge.

    Cashiers check = cash.
     
  7. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    How much are you talking about?
     
  8. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    One more option.

    An American Express Serve card is good to have. One free ATM withdrawal per month.
    Edit: There may be a fee charged by the ATM operator.

    Right now, they have an offer of $25.00 free when opening an account and depositing $25.00.

    https://www.serve.com/load25/
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2012
  9. Terry Benedict

    Terry Benedict VIP Whale

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    Think about wiring money to the cage before you go.
     
  10. Steve in RI.

    Steve in RI. Low-Roller

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    I'm not talking big money here.. I mostly play video poker, and some low stakes blackjack or craps. My total gambling bankroll for the trip will be about $1,000. I'll have some cash on hand for incidentals, and may use a credit card as well. If its too big a hassle, I'll probably just bring some travelrs checks for about half the bankroll, and use the other half in cash. I will also have about $150.00 in total rewards dollars due to the credit card that I have. If for some reason, I miss the mark, one ATM withdrawl shouldn't kill me. Thanks for the info.
     
  11. gongoman

    gongoman MIA

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    Never had a problem anywhere...
     
  12. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Why not just carry 10 - $100 bills? At that level, dealing with checks is just a big hassle.
     
  13. Dewey089

    Dewey089 VIP Whale

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    I have a Bank of America account simply because it is easy to get money anywhere in the US where I travel. I switched when I became a snowbird and my local bank did not have a branch near us in Florida.
    In Vegas there is a bank in walking distance to downtown that i have used.
    There is a drive up bank across from Eastside Cannery and I just walk up and pretend to be a car.
    There is supposed to be a fee free B of A machine in Caesar's but I have never searched that one out or used it. And I don't see it in this list, but there are plenty of places
    http://locators.bankofamerica.com/locator/locator/LocatorAction.do

    All these give me funds with no fee on my normal card. Also, when I hit big, I deposited money in the one downtown just to be on the safe side and not have to watch cash I did not expect to use.

    Not carrying a lot of cash is a good idea in Vegas. Three times I've met people whose pockets were picked. One was picked at a blackjack table with the distraction being knocking over some chips on to the floor. Most of the time my wallet is in my front pocket with my hand on it, but how to protect the wallet while playing at a gaming table is a bit of a puzzle. Carrying less than is needed is a good precaution.

    Given the flexibility of Bank of America, why not just open an account and put in the Vegas bankroll even if it not your main account? Then you can withdraw or deposit at will with no casino in your financial business.
     
  14. jhpa

    jhpa VIP Whale

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    I think more people should conside opening a line of credit.

    I know it may seem like a lot of work for a small amount, but it really is not.
    • You go on line and fill out a form - 2 minutes - and either send it or fax it to the casino.
    • Once approved, you show up at the credit office your first trip to the casino and give your id and sign.
    • After that, anytime you want money you go to the cage and ask for a marker (or if you play table games, ask for a marker) and they give you the chips.
    • If you win - if you want - you take your chips to the cage and they give you your marker back. If you don't , they will send the marker to your bank in 2 weeks and it will be processed like a check.

    Sometimes that first marker for $300 is all I need for the whole trp - if I hit a hot streak and turn the $300 into more off the bat.
     
  15. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    There is no way I am getting myself linked into a too big to fail bank just to have free ATM service. The only knock I had on my local bank is that they only had free ATMs locally and they addressed it by joining a broader nationwide ATM network. I would much rather demand more of a local bank than do business with the likes of a BofA.
     
  16. Dewey089

    Dewey089 VIP Whale

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    I respect that Leo. But I spend most of my year traveling and it was a 45 minute drive one way down here in Florida for a branch of my the bank that is in my hometown and "local."
    Everywhere I go I see the Bank of America or find them on my GPS and they are good to me.
    Oh, I stop to pee and get coffee at McDonalds too. I just l don't pick the pink slime burgers or the sausage rich in cow innards disguised as "meat."
    The coffee is usually a dollar for Newman's and that is quality. So a good bit depends on what we want and what we get
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2012
  17. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    At Main Street when I take out a marker and don't repay it while I'm there, they send me a bill in about 2 weeks. They also send along a prepaid envelope!

    Maybe if I didn't pay, it would end up going to my bank, but for years they always send it to me first. After I pay, they mail me the markers.
     
  18. jhpa

    jhpa VIP Whale

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    Wow - that is interesting....and a lot more work for the casino. I have had markers processed at two places in AC (Borgatta and Ballys) and two in Vegas (Aria and Bellagio) and all just sent the marker directly to the bank for processing.
     
  19. Bo333

    Bo333 VIP Whale

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    MGM Grand will also send me a bill for my markers if I don't pay them off while I'm there. Usually takes a few weeks for them to bill me. Then they send the markers back to me.
     
  20. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    When I get a marker downtown, they give me about 3-4 weeks and then they send me a letter with a stamped self addressed envelope.

    When I pulled a marker at the Wynn, the marker got cashed before I even got out of Vegas.
     
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