Got back yesterday from our annual pilgrimage to Vegas. We own two weeks at the Jockey Club. Arrived on Wednesday (9/30), the wife returned the following Thursday, I stayed the full two weeks. Here's my thoughts on the current state of Vegas.
Number of visitors seemed relative to location. Since we are so close to Cosmo, Bellagio and Planet Hollywood, we spent more time at those properties. All of them seemed to be normal. Of course they were busier on the weekends. Overall, I didn't see a decrease in people. But, we did see lulls on the casino floor. But the sportsbooks were packed on the weekends.
And since there wasn't a decrease in people, those who don't know how to walk in a straight line are still in full force. The number of people who walk 4-5 across down an aisle or sidewalk seems to be growing. As if they expect you to walk in the street or step aside as they walk by.
I was there during the rains and flooding, but saw very little the flooding. What I did see was all the outdoor escalators out of service after the rain.
I go for two weekends because I like to bet on football. I also like to hang out in the sportsbook during the games, but Cosmo has taken it to another level. A couple of years ago, the wife and I paid $250 to sit at one of the high top tables. I wanted to reserve a table for Sundays games, and got the official pricing. Couches and chairs in front of the TVs require a $2000 bet. The high top tables were $700. The outer tables were $400. You can sit at the bar, but you have to be playing the bar top slots. I was able to sit at the bar the second Saturday. I got there at 8:30 and ordered a beer. At least 3 different bartenders told me that "if I'm not playing and someone else wanted my seat, I'd have to move". I watched the first 3/4 of the game I wanted. The guy next to me was from Canada (so they are still coming). His dad showed up and I gave up my seat to him, since he wanted to play. The changes to the sportsbook are the biggest reason I'm rethinking going to Vegas anymore. And I've gone to Vegas an average of twice a year for 30 years.
The slots are another reason we soured on Vegas. Every machine is become exactly the same. In how they look and how they function. They all have the bonus where it locks in a dollar amount. Most of them have a meter or bucket that entices you to play, thinking it's close to hitting a bonus. Gone are the days of creative slot machines like Twilight Zone, Price is Right and even the Willy Wonka and Wizard of Oz are dwindling. It removes any joy of playing the games. If slot players weren't mindless drones before, we are now. We also noticed smaller payouts. One of our biggest win on a machine was $250. And that came on a 5 cent machine that I forgot to change the denomination on. Usually it's the other way around, I lose $20 before I realize I didn't change it. We also saw less payouts in the first $20. I usually put $20 in machine. If I double that, I cash out. Otherwise, I play it out. It seems that any larger payouts or bonuses hit, only after you've spent 50-75% of your money. It makes it difficult to take wins, when you're barely breaking even. But, that's a small sample size. I also wondered if playing more than minimum credits had an effect on payouts or bonuses until I sat down at a machine where I was playing minimum bet. The guy next to me was playing max bet. He started with $500, I started with $30. I hit a bonus that ran for a long time (75-100 free spins), he sat there the whole time hitting max bet. He never hit a bonus and ran out of money before my bonus was complete. He's exactly the person that Vegas casinos want in the building.
I did have a funny mistake one morning. Those who know the Buffalo machines are familiar with the Bonus bar that shows on the upper screen. I was at the Cosmo, walking around a bank of Buffalo machines. As you know, the machines go into a demo mode when nobody is playing. Often times showing the Bonus screen. As I went around the bank of machines, I was hitting a button to get off the Bonus screen to see where the Bonus bar was sitting. When I hit the button on the second machine, the Bonus screen started moving. A guy comes running up, yelling at me, asking me what I was doing? He said he was playing that machine and accused me of playing his bonus. He had been 20 feet away watching his wife play her machine. I told him he should never leave a machine. His excuse was that his coffee cup was sitting on the machine and that should have been a sign that the machine was taken. I told him to look around. There were at least 3 machines with cocktail glasses and coffee cups sitting on empty machines. I apologized. He never did.
The most fun we had was playing the Sigma Derby horse racing game at Bellagio. We didn't win. But we didn't lose as much. And the cocktail waitress was constantly bringing us drinks. We played different times for about 3 hours and walked away drunk.
Two things we don't have in our home city is White Castle and In n Out. Talk about two different experiences. For those who don't know (I didn't) the White Castle at Casino Royal has closed. Found that out after I walked down just for a White Castle. So, a couple days later I made the trek downtown. Talk about depressing. Every employee looked like I just ran over their dog. The place was dirty and slow. One person was filling orders. The other two stood and watched. Wouldn't have been an issue, but the two people who ordered in front of me ordered a 20 pack and a 30 pack. It took me 20 minutes to get my combo. And that was after taking 90 minutes to get downtown on the deuce. I went to buy a ticket at the Paris stop, it was out of order. I asked where the next one was. Harrah's. So I trekked to Harris. Both machines were out of order. So, I downloaded the app and purchased that way. But, the busses were running way behind. When one did show up, it was standing room only.
The next day I went to the new In n Out on the strip. That area is going to be really cool once they fill some of the other shops. Being 3 stories up and outside, you get some nice views. The restaurant was clean and the burgers are always good. And an employee was walking around asking if they could take your tray. And with a smile. I won't be eating at the White Castle anymore, but I will definitely return to Inn n Out.
We did have a cashier at Earls Sandwich feel compelled to tell us about his pain from a NSFW piercing he got the day before. That was really appetizing. And prevented us asking anyone "how are you today" for the rest of the trip.
For the most part we had a great trip. It was hot the first 10 days, then it got cold and windy. Vegas keeps changing, but not for the better. The nickel and diming has to stop. Paying $12 for bottle of water and $5 for a candy bar is not going to sustain Vegas. Even rental cars are getting in on the act. We usually get a rental car at the airport to save on cab fair. We have it for a day or two, get groceries, hit some off strip casinos, and then return it to Planet Hollywood. In the past, it would cost around $110 for a day. This trip they wanted $180 and they would no longer let us return to PH. So, we passed.
We have had discussions about selling our timeshares or exchanging them for other locations. I haven't been to Deadwood, SD in over 10 years. We may do a trip next spring to check it out. For what they want to sit in the sportsbook, I could probably attend a Bears game Chicago. Vegas just seems to be moving on without us.
Good luck.
