I hate talking about Vegas with people that don't "get it"

I love Vegas. I enjoy gambling, drinking and people watching. I feel like an expert and in my spare youtube time will watch casino/property walkthroughs.

I don't like telling people I enjoy Vegas because there seems to be a stigma with the city.

Ever feel like people think you are an addict when saying you enjoy Vegas or gambling in Vegas? Sometimes when talking about it, people will talk about not being gamblers, or worse, give off an impression that you are an addict or something.

I can't tell you how many times the reaction is along the lines of, "Vegas? You like it? I don't like throwing my money away."

I do enjoy gambling but I feel compelled to defend myself, "look, gambling in Vegas is fun and is apart of the experience. If the 7-11 down the road had a slot would I play? Hell no. That's no fun. Gambling in Vegas is fun."

I have my first solo trip planned for the end of March (considering doing a TR. I've never done one) so it's coming up in conversation recently.

I'm a low roller $300/day, and I just love walking around and doing nothing/everything at the same time.

 

My brother is in IT sales
My friend is in marketing
My uncle is a pharm rep

All of them hate vegas for 1 reason or another because they've been there so many times for business / conferences / expos, etc... I tried seeing if the marketing friend happened to be going while we're going this year and his response was roughly "@$@# no!"

I think you either love it or you hate it. To us, it's everything I could possibly want within what, 4 miles? From McDonalds to the best steak you can have; pools to shows; nice and quite lounge bar to seeing headliner dj's - and all the shopping we can't do at home.

 

Can't tell how many times people that don't go say the same thing, I'm not throwing my money away gambling. You try to tell them about all the other stuff but they can't hear that, only the gambling part. They have no problem driving a car or living in a house they can't afford.

 

I hear ya but I stopped caring about what people think a while ago... I know who my "go-to" folks are when it comes to Vegas. These are the people who "get it" - they get that loving a place like Vegas is no different than someone who is crazy about a particular ski resort.

 

Three and half years ago I met my now fiance and when I told her I go to Vegas At least twice a year she said Vegas is all about gambling and naked woman. I told her don't knock it until you try it. Well needless to say April 7th will be her 5th trip. I now call her my Fremont street Junkie. She loves it down there and now loves to play Texas Tea slot machine. Going to try and talk her into playing some craps this trip.

 

It's like the difference between car people and non-car-people. As Jeremy Clarkson once put it, "They see all cars as just a ton and a half, two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know we have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities". To them, Vegas is a debauched desert town that bilks tourists and convention visitors out of staggering amounts of money while providing nothing of value. To us, it's a magical place where you can do/be/experience anything your desires and budget will allow. Ultimately, I don't think either group will ever really understand the other.

 

I've been going to Vegas for almost 30 years and have my wife and about two friends who 'get it".
I stopped trying to justify myself or explain it.
To me, gambling is secondary to the Vegas experience. I have six casinos within an hour drive and never visit them!
I save my bankroll for eating, drinking ,relaxing and of course some gambling in Las Vegas.
Some friend go to the local casinos 2-3 times per week. Yet I am considered a degenerate gambler because I like to travel!
Fortunately, that's why we have VMB. No explanations necessary!

 

What an excellent idea. I hope she has the "expected" roll that you are naturally hoping for!! I'll be bringing the family next month from the 5th April and will be hoping for a massive roll that the wife will have no understanding of!

 

With those kind of people, if I choose to make an argument with them, I try to find out what they like to spend money on and equate it to that. I have a friend that is flying his family to Taipei, Taiwan for a week. I told him, "International travel is what you spend money on. Las Vegas is what I spend MY money on. I don't pay directly for rooms, meals or shows, but "spend" within budget to get what I get. He finally "figured it out".

 

There definitely IS a stigma to Las Vegas.
People will always say "again"?
yet you could go to Cancun for every spring break and nobody ever says..."again?".

Many assume you are gambling 24/7 with no self control and that it's nothing but naked strippers and hookers with pimps and gangs pick-pocketing you on the streets at night.
Some even think that Vegas = illicit activities....drugs...booze....sex....

There is some seediness, for sure!
I feel safer in most areas of Las Vegas than I do in certain areas of Milwaukee or Chicago!
.... but I don't need to enroll in Gambler's anonymous just because I have gone to Vegas 3-4 times a year!

 

Ask the haters where they go for vacation, then ask them how much they spend per night on a room and for their flight to their destination? Even with the resort fees, rooms in Vegas and the sheer number of entertainment options available to you make it a bargain.

Everyone has different hobbies. For those of us that go to Vegas multiple times a year, that's our hobby. Other people obsess and overspend on things without ever leaving their hometown.

 

I think I forgot how great a value Vegas rooms are! I was booking a hotel in upstate NY for a wedding in May and almost choked when I saw the rate of $209 per night! All I could think was I could get at least a mini-suite or maybe more in Vegas for that amount! I guess this proves that I haven't taken a non-Vegas vacation in a while!

 

@insin This is a good point. To many gambling is an uncontrolled event. Somedays my gambling budget lasts all night and others it is gone early. When it does, I walk around and people watch and still greatly enjoy my time.

 

I know a few folks that have made clear statement: "We will never go to Vegas". End of discussion.

The image that some folks have and their belief is beyond comprehension. Of course, there are people that believe you are about 90% sure to get mugged if you go to New York City. Or my brother that believes there are thousands of people with machine guns in hand walking across the border every day. Where are the brains in this country?

 

I feel no obligation to defend myself or explain myself. With people who don't like vegas I try to avoid talking to them about it. If they ask I usually just tell them that I went on vacation and walk away. I got sick and tired of people judging me or commenting on my trips anywhere. My friends and coworkers who like to go to vegas I will tell them about my trip but the Debbie downers I won't tell them squat since they don't really care and just want to bring you down with how they hate vegas.

To tell you the truth I seem to spend a lot less on my trips elsewhere. Yes, it costs more for hotel rooms and travel fees but I'm not gambling on those trips so any expenses are offset by what I save by not gambling. What is unfortunate is that air fares aren't much different between going to Tokyo or Vegas from Honolulu so without gambling I'm not spending as much on my international trips.

 

Do what you want to do and enjoy it.

All of our friends are travelers. Some are Vegas-bedazzled -- but not to the exclusion of all else -- and some aren't. We all have favorites and most of us move the locations around pretty well. We all enjoy talking travel and our exploits and no one feels the need to be defensive or to berate.

Don't know any "haters."

What gets me are people who say, "I don't like ______" and invariably they've never experienced _____ or had some experience there eons ago and won't consider a return. And then a lot of them, when queried about that, come back with something like, "Well, I know I won't like it."

That's silly.

 

I think we all experience this at some point and I ended up doing most of my trips solo because of this reason. My close friends are usually pretty understanding but my ex girlfriends, coworkers or family aren't/weren't the same way. I get the "again?" look or question all the time.

I think I just love it because I can get lost in Vegas, I can be nothing/everything, introvert/extrovert, luxury spender/cheap bastard all simultaneously. Nobody judges you much in Vegas as everyone's there to have a good time. And yet it's cheaper than most other trips around the world (despite my transoceanic flight). I am planning for my 12th trip, and 8 of them are after I moved out of the States, which tells you how much f*** I give to others' opinions

 

You know what I don't get, the folks that are 30+ with no kids who go to Disney land as a couple's vacation. No thanks! What's wrong with people? Hell, I'd rather be a Vegas addict than a Disney addict -- at least in Vegas they're honest about taking your money.




...see it can go both ways

 

Ummm, maybe they enjoy it?

 

Hahaha, sorry my post was meant to be more sarcasm...people can be judge-y about anything.