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Boycotting Bad Gambling And Resort Fees

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by bnlphan, May 15, 2017.

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  1. fudgewapner

    fudgewapner High-Roller

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    I still think Vegas holds considerable value - despite the resort fees and changing gaming conditions.

    My late 60's parents met me in Vegas for the first time three years ago. They've traveled extensively, but never had much desire to go to Vegas. I got them a $139 a night rate at Encore, just the minimal Red Card discount. They paid more per night at a fairly cruddy hotel outside Flagstaff the night before. They were very very pleased with the room's size, the design, etc. That room in NYC is $900 a night or more. In San Diego in the summer it's easily $350-$450. The food at the Wynn was consistently good, we played some slots, and had a good time.

    I've been going to Vegas for 20 years, and certainly understand the changes to gaming odds, but still find it provides a great experience for the money. I went last month for two days, cheap midweek rate at the Mirage, gambling some, and had a lot of pool time. I spent $500 for a great recharged break. We're looking at going to SF this summer with the kids, and that will be a ton of money - a fun experience, but the hotel costs are so much higher elsewhere. I get the annoyance over resort fees, but more in terms of that it's just silly and should be included in the rate (Monte Carlo room for $22, resort fee for $30 kind of thing). I just try to focus on the fun Vegas provides. Drinks at the pool at 8 am, bartop VP, there's still a lot to love. I don't play 6:5 and I check paytables, but I try not to be the "get off my lawn" guy about it.
     
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  2. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    What is hard to accept is that Vegas has become ... wait for it ... drum roll, please ... a GENERAL TRAVEL DESTINATION. Sure, there's gambling and folks thinking they somehow will be transformed into sex symbols for the weekend, but now it has become like Orlando or Palm Springs or Waikiki. Sure I grouse about the 40 bucks we paid to park in San Diego during a recent trip. Kauai flights aren't as inexpensive as in the past. We still go.

    Tally up the costs. Make a decision of go/no go.

    I think most folks prefer the Vegas they first encountered; as an abstract concept, I know I do. I'd also like to put my 56-year-old mind and experience set into my long-lost 19-year-old body. ;)
     
  3. Ezzy711

    Ezzy711 VIP Whale

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    I have been going to Vegas since 1982. I have always had a blast while there. I have had losing trips when the odds were much better and I've had winning trips with the worst odds. That is gambling. Would I prefer the old days? yes, and in more than just gambling. But I go there for enjoyment and because it is like no other city in the US. I would rather play 3/2 but I do play 6/5 for fun. I don't have the bankroll to play higher and I enjoy the comps where I stay. Sometimes I even win. Every trip I wonder if this is going to be my last trip. I may not get a good comp offer, may not afford to spend my normal bankroll, may not want to put my poor knees through all that walking or may find a new, more exiting place to visit. But for now nowhere else do I ride in limos, look out on such a fabulous view, count my cash in hundreds and have such a great time talking with strangers.

    When it ceases to feel like a good time for the money spent/lost I won't go. But they won't miss me, I know I'm unimportant to them. But for the time I'm there I feel like royalty. At this point in my life (as my mother used to say) I'm not going cut off my nose to spite my face.
     
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  4. rayrat

    rayrat Low-Roller

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    I can still go to Vegas and stay at a place with free parking, no resort fee, 3-2 bj, good craps odds, and good dining. It pays to shop around!
     
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  5. andyg99

    andyg99 VIP Whale

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    this is one of those 'to each their own' type of threads... for me if something got me so upset that I wanted to start a movement I'd most likely just stop doing it. I have upped my number of trips to Vegas in the past 7 years so I've noticed not only are they comping me the room but also waving the resort fees so from my point of view Vegas has gotten a bit more generous... and Ken said it the best, play where you like playing... I understand the paytables and odds but I do not gamble 24/7 in Vegas... if I find a spot at the bar I like I love plopping down for an hour or two, that $500 I just won playing Caveman Keno is probably more than I would have got if I played the Video Poker machine 4 seats down with a good paytable. Yes - sometimes I forego the Video Poker for Keno... why? because it's fun! if somehow the fees and odds made the fun stop then I'd be done with Vegas.... I'm not even close to that yet!
     
    Vegas Trip #57
    Vegas Trip #58, Sammy Hagar
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  6. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    I have stated before that there are hundreds of motels in and around Las Vegas. Go to one of them and quit the whining and crying or just be an adult and accept what you can't change.

    Or simply go somewhere else.
     
  7. 21wins

    21wins VIP Whale

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    Let's face it the club kids party scene type are growing up with a Vegas that has resort fees, paid parking, expensive food and expensive rooms. and bad gambling odds- they know no other Vegas.

    I agree with the OP but it's going to be next impossible to stop this wave of the casino squeezing it's customers.

    The problem is not everybody wants to stay at a place like MSS(I love the place). And that's a good thing cause there is always a room for me. They want the glitz of the strip. Marketing is telling these people you deserve to treat yourself like a star- and they are more than willing to pay to do just that.

    It will be a tough battle to rein in any of these "new" Vegas offerings.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
  8. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I'm already skipping the strip. If I refused a casino on the given criteria, I don't know if many will still be eligible. The reality is many Vegas resorts don't even want traditional gamblers and until the casual tourist loses their passion for Vegas, even a boycott won't give us any leverage with them. Even if you decide to gamble outside of Vegas in casinos with better rules and little or no fees, your money is still likely going to end up in a conglomerate with Vegas ties.

    I don't know if anything can be done about casino rules. The resort fee thing is a battle that needs to be waged against the entire hospitality industry but it will take intervention by Washington and I don't see that happening.
     
  9. the nuts

    the nuts VIP Whale

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    I guarantee that out of everyone who complains about this stuff, very few will actually do something about it. Vegas has allure and its a very desirable destination. But, if a lot of people decide to boycott, I will be very happy because I have less crowds to deal with when Im there. As long as I can afford it, my favorite destination will always be Vegas. Im happy to pay whatever they ask because Im lucky enough to be able to get in a car and be there in 3 hours.
    Supply and demand folks, as long as people are making Vegas their vacation destination, the money will flow. Time to stop dwelling on the past and move on, or you can boycott as mentioned above and I will be happy. :p
     
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  10. mescalita

    mescalita old and in the way...

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    56 is the new 19? That means I'm feeling twenty-something-ish and loving it!
     
  11. FYMYAWF

    FYMYAWF VIP Whale

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    Not in.

    Does your hometown have 3 story tall dancing fountains? A half scale Eiffel Tower? Amazing cuisine from basically every top chef in the game? Resident Cirque shows?

    The strip is expensive. That's the price of entry. If I felt like on my 4 trips a year that I was being somehow "cheated" out of having fun by the resorts nickel and dime'ing me, I would go elsewhere. I still walk outside and see the beauty of the strip, the endless entertainment options, the amazing food, and all the cool trouble you can get into and out of in the course of the day. I have absolutely NO problem paying a few extra bucks a night for a resort fee for that privilege.

    Honestly, if you feel as if you are so bothered by these things that you're trying to organize a "boycott"...you may want to find another vacation destination. Life's too short.
     
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  12. mickyblueeyes

    mickyblueeyes VIP Whale

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    After staying in West Hollywood and shelling out $650/ night for a 4.5 star hotel that compares to the Monte Carlo I could care less about resort fees in Vegas. (BTW parking was $48/night extra and not Valet). In the end if you give the strip casinos decent play they comp resort fees and even low tier Mlife gets free parking so not sure how many people would boycott regardless. Personally Vegas is a vacation and last thing I want to do on vacation is worry about nickle and diming....if it seems to expensive for you maybe time for change. As for my self I'll be at Cosmo in 2 weeks and more than happy to support their establishment and any others that I pop into on the strip that provide enjoyment.
     
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  13. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    The Strip is not expensive if you follow my rules.......but it will cost you........my fees are very reasonable.

    But seriously, these last few years, including this summer, is cheaper than it's ever been ON THE STRIP. If you like free things, or how to save money in Vegas while still having a great time, you can do it if you allow some changes.

    My Hotel bill this summer will be Zero (and i'm staying 5 nights). Mid week and non holidays are a must.
    My resort fees will be zero (all my casino cards are the lowest tier).
    My food bill is very low because i eat off Strip, as well as eateries on the Strip that are not ON the Strip. There are some Restaurants that have 2 or 3 addresses on the Strip, but just walking down/or up the Strip a little further can save you some money.
    There are many happy hour places to go to that can save you money, you just need to explore and plan ahead. Timing is crucial.
    Shows are cheaper if you plan ahead and are flexible. Same with shopping, you can save some money at FSM compared to Miracle Mile just by walking a few blocks away.

    Gambling should never be a win/lose situation. I have a daily bankroll for gambling. I usually only gamble after dinner, then i set a time limit each day, normally from 7 pm-Midnight/1 am. YHMV.
    I never play to win, i play to lose the least amount of money in my time frame. If it looks like i'm not having any luck early, i'll just sit back for awhile and enjoy the scenery then go back at it.
    So my daily bankroll will never change, i don't go back to the hotel room and bleed the safe.
    Discipline is a must for all facets of your trip if you feel Vegas is abandoning you.
    It never has for me since 1978.
     
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  14. Multifarious5

    Multifarious5 VIP Whale

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    People will throw peanuts at me for mentioning the "comp" word, but if you go to Vegas regularly...you should be able to find a hotel, even on strip, where you can start getting regular free room comps if you find the one that fits your play style---even for low rollers.

    With Mlife it pays to consolidate play at one place to get free rooms. At CET you can bounce around more and still get comped rooms for even very low rollers. (I played $600 COIN IN at CET last year on slots, about just $140 for the year spent at CET on slots, but I have teaser offers up to 5 nights. Now, its a teaser offer, but you can find many places that WILL give repeat comped rooms for suprisingly low play.) Even with mlife, you'll find many, many self-confessed low rollers who get regular comped rooms.

    Vegas, yes, is expensive. And yes, resort fees and parking fees suck. But Vegas is also very, VERY much about "skin the one time visitor, but shear, not skin, the sheep that keep coming back." (They will also skin repeat visitors that don't adopt a strategy ...but with research, it CAN still be very affordable.)

    The biggest mistake in Vegas to me is thinking "I don't play enough to get free rooms". You probably do, you just have to find the right place that will give them to you, High Roller or low roller.

    If you start paying "resort fees only" (or even have RF waived, as many do), well, RF don't have quite the sting. If anything? It can be a bargain if you play your cards right.

    Vegas IS a business, it's not altruistic. Think of it like a grocery store with a kick-butt coupon in their ad for an item you're buying. If you checkout without research, they'll gladly charge you full price--- they're probably not going to tell you about workarounds/coupons. But it doesn't mean those deals/coupons don't exist...it's just up to the consumer to find them.

    Run "comps" on a VMB search and you'll ABSOLUTELY find its not just high rollers, or even just mid rollers that get them. Many self-confessed VMB " low rollers" get solid, repeat room comps. Don't spend more, just spend more strategically...and you'll find Vegas might just hold more bargains for the "sheep they want to shear versus skin" :)

    Like others, I've found Vegas can be SUPRISINGLY cheaper (and much more luxurious for the same spend elsewhere) than other destinations, even with all the fees and crazy prices....if you find your groove.

    Vegas has always been about getting our money, the game hasn't changed, only the workarounds. The workarounds are still there...you just have to find the ones that work for you personally.

    (But I am definitely NOT knocking your frustration...it's absolutely valid. If Vegas causes you more irritation than pleasure, then it's no longer a vacation/relaxing!)
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
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  15. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    This is for the people bothered by the resort fees.

    If the cost of a room was $130 instead of $110 plus a $20 resort fee would it be less bothersome?
     
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  16. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    Yes!

    Next question please.
     
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  17. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Exactly.
     
  18. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    If that were the case, no, unfortunately it's not the case.
     
  19. Grid

    Grid Well-Known Member

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    I posted this before, so I'll just copy and paste my work.

    A lot of rated players have their room covered. Sadly a lot of these resorts (I'm looking at you MGM) will not comp the resort fee, just the room. So my free room x 3 nights = $0.00 before. My new and improved free room x 3 nights = $120.00.

    So yes, I would rather have a $130 room comped than a $110.00 room comped + $20.00 in resort fees. Plus I dont know of any strip hotel that is as cheap as 20 bucks in fees any more. More like $30+ each night. Which would swing the math even more.

    If I was a regular Joe checking Hotels.com Mirage shows up as this:
    • Great Rate The price comparison is based on prices for this hotel over the next 14 days.
    $89 nightly price per room

    When I click on the hotel it still only shows $89.00 per night. When I click on booking THEN it shows me, in small print:
    nightly price per room
    Excludes $36.28 daily resort fee

    So I can easily be tricked into paying 50% more for my room. So I would absolutely rather have a $100 room in this case as well no resort fee. That way its completely transparent what I will be paying.

    And now that I searched for a room to show the above I see an ad for Wynn that just says $197 per night! When I click on the ad I THEN see the $35.00 resort fee.


    [​IMG]
     
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  20. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    If you're aware of bad gambling rules, then you and a bunch of like-minded people are boycotting by refusing to play.

    Basically anyone who isn't already aware of the diff between 3:2 and 6:5 BJ doesn't gamble enough to care.

    Can you get them to care? If you can get them to equate 6:5 with a shivering puppy, maybe. Otherwise, probably no.
     
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