3-15-17 - LVA Question of the Day - Average Bankroll for Vegas

[blkshirt]

So I looked at today's LVA Question of the day and it was "What is the average daily gambling bankroll for Las Vegas Casino patrons?"

To me the answer seemed very low. It seemed the 2015 Average (2016 wasn't available yet) was only $578.54. This isn't a per day answer, but a per trip answer.

So, my question is, does that seem right?

 

[kaeldon23]

Seems low to me but I'm pleased to see it. The bigger the gap between what I bring and what the average person brings, the better I look to the casinos for comp purposes.

 

[vegasvic]

I can see that given less emphasis on gaming and more on shopping/shows/dining, etc... Personally, while my bankroll is quite a bit higher than that, it's lower than it used to be as I have good gambling 15 minutes from home.

 

[nostresshere]

So I looked at today's LVA Question of the day and it was "What is the average daily gambling bankroll for Las Vegas Casino patrons?"

To me the answer seemed very low. It seemed the 2015 Average (2016 wasn't available yet) was only $578.54. This isn't a per day answer, but a per trip answer.

So, my question is, does that seem right?

I think data gathered through things like this are HIGHLY inaccurate. It all depends on who actually answers, and how truthful they are. If a handful of $20 a day people answer, the number gets swayed one way. If a handful of whales answer, it swings the other way. Just so inaccurate.

Not to get political at all, but watching CNN last night, one commenter was 100% sure that nobody cared about Trumps tax returns. When asked how he knew, he answered something like "I have been to Trump Rallys when he asked the crowd and they all responded - nope". Duh.

Again, not being political here, but the answer to things like this all depends on who is being asked and who answers.

As to this question, my bankroll might start out at $500... but then I find the best slot machine in the casino that always pays out - the ATM! LOL.

 

[smerrian]

'Average' bankroll is a poor assessment. Like nostresshere said, a handful of non-gamblers or $20/day people can throw the statistic way off.
A better assessment would be the 'median' bankroll. The median bankroll is defined as the most common bankroll (actually, the middle number in a series). This doesn't let outliers like $20 or $20,000 bankroll people affect the outcome.

 

[tringlomane]

I always assume these numbers also include non-gamblers there just for conferences. When a quarter or more people answer "zero", it will help drive the average down. Also this forum is more interested in gambling than the average visitor. My trip BR is close to the average answer, and I struggle to name a lot of members that gamble less than I do.

 

[Jaygee77]

My bankroll is roughly $300/day, and I like to hit up table games primarily, with a $20 thrown into a branded slot machine as a change of pace. I'm usually at low stakes blackjack, but will hit craps if the bankroll isn't taking much of a beating.

I like to casino hop up and down the strip, and try to keep the daytime gambling light. Still not sure how I manage to get by on such a small budget.

 

[Multifarious5]

I think data gathered through things like this are HIGHLY inaccurate. It all depends on who actually answers, and how truthful they are. If a handful of $20 a day people answer, the number gets swayed one way. If a handful of whales answer, it swings the other way. Just so inaccurate.

Not to get political at all, but watching CNN last night, one commenter was 100% sure that nobody cared about Trumps tax returns. When asked how he knew, he answered something like "I have been to Trump Rallys when he asked the crowd and they all responded - nope". Duh.

Again, not being political here, but the answer to things like this all depends on who is being asked and who answers.

As to this question, my bankroll might start out at $500... but then I find the best slot machine in the casino that always pays out - the ATM! LOL.

Totally agree with Nostress and Tring. This figures in ALL Vegas visitors in a certain time frame, which I don't think gives an accurate view of gambling spend by repeat visitors.

I think the numbers would be absolutely different if you polled REGULAR Vegas visitors versus a blanket poll. Many first timers don't spend much on play, period.

Heck, my first trip or two I felt like I was burning through obscene amounts of money by giving myself $100 a day gambling budget....to the point I felt borderline irresponsible.

It's kind of like college....you can make straight A's for a few semesters with minimal increases in GPA...but throw in one B, and numbers tank. Like Nostress said, if a handful play $20 a day it skews the numbers massively, just like the B grade in college.

I think all of us on VMB aren't looking for a gambling benchmark of ALL Vegas visitors, but of fellow degenerate regulars...and if that's the case, a blank poll flat won't give us an accurate view!

PS...why am I not in Vegas yet?

 

[tringlomane]

My bankroll is roughly $300/day, and I like to hit up table games primarily, with a $20 thrown into a branded slot machine as a change of pace. I'm usually at low stakes blackjack, but will hit craps if the bankroll isn't taking much of a beating.

I like to casino hop up and down the strip, and try to keep the daytime gambling light. Still not sure how I manage to get by on such a small budget.

"Low Stakes" BJ is still 20-30 units a day at $300. On decent days that will last awhile.

But for a normal sized trip that puts you above the survey average.

 

[fugsworth]

That sounds entirely plausible to me. Keep in mind, I think this forum skews toward serious gamblers in their 30s and older. Seems that a lot of Vegas visitors nowadays are 1.) casual gamblers at most, and 2.) college students, or at least college aged. With respect to item #2, even the ones who do gamble (and much ink has been spilled about those that don't) can only afford to blow a couple hundred in a weekend.

 

[Chicken Dinner]

Doesn't seem that low to me. The figure only includes gamblers. You figure $600 is a decent sized chunk of a rent or mortgage payment in most of the country.

 

[Nevyn]

'Average' bankroll is a poor assessment. Like nostresshere said, a handful of non-gamblers or $20/day people can throw the statistic way off.
A better assessment would be the 'median' bankroll. The median bankroll is defined as the most common bankroll (actually, the middle number in a series). This doesn't let outliers like $20 or $20,000 bankroll people affect the outcome.

The median would still be very low. Its not a handful of those people. Conventions, clubs kids, honeymooners seeing the shows, first time vacationers who have no concept of even having a separate gambling budget. In terms of pure visitor numbers, there are a lot of tiny or non existent bankrolls out there.

What you need is a median from frequent visitors with gambling as a key purpose of the trip (or 1+ hours of planned daily gambling).

 

[TrewBrew]

Another thing that has an effect on the number is how do you define bankroll. A person that is not a gambler may answer the question with the amount of money that he lost. Where a true gambler would answer with their $1500 even though they may have lost $700 or only put $700 of there bankroll into play for a day.

 

[Rush]

Who do they ask? All the savvy members of this board would see a guy with a clipboard approaching and say, "Go fuck yourself", or, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch"? Thus, the only people they get to talk to are newbie tourists, who probably do only gamble with $600.

 

[h0llywood]

Also how often to these people that got interviewed frequent vegas? Someone who goes every 3 months like me will have a lower bank roll than someone who visits once a year or 2.

 

[fugsworth]

Who do they ask? All the savvy members of this board would see a guy with a clipboard approaching and say, "Go fuck yourself", or, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch"? Thus, the only people they get to talk to are newbie tourists, who probably do only gamble with $600.

Good point, I hadn't even considered that angle-- Vegas veterans would have such a person pegged as a timeshare salesman or a club promoter and make a beeline in the opposite direction.

 

[jlpkap]

The original post replied what they saw on LVA. Only gamblers probably would be on this site-or at least the majority. Dollar amounts seems low but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas I guess.

 

[TIMSPEED]

"Low Stakes" BJ is still 20-30 units a day at $300. On decent days that will last awhile.

But for a normal sized trip that puts you above the survey average.

What? I wouldn't buy into a BJ game with LESS than 20 units...so for $300 to last a day..you better be playing 100% $5 BJ.

 

[BobLasVegas]

I would estimate my daily bankroll to be between $200-300 a day. It has been lower in the past.
I generally play a lot of 25 cent VP, some 5 or 10 dollar BJ, some craps, usually buying in for $200
and some sports betting.

 

[Hoofy7]

What? I wouldn't buy into a BJ game with LESS than 20 units...so for $300 to last a day..you better be playing 100% $5 BJ.

Lots of people play that amount. I don't even know how to really play and try to find the lowest minimum table. Usually when I'm there it's busy so I'm stuck with $25 minimum on the strip. I buy in for $500 tops and get hours of play in that amount.