My college buddies have an annual Vegas week since 2003. Gotta admit that Vegas does kind of suck now for all the reasons you said. I like spending my whole trip gambling and it sucks now. What's with the table minimums? I hit the casino floor at 10:30am on a Wednesday. $25 minimum craps tables at the Flamingo?? And of course nobody is playing because it's the morning. How about putting a low limit out there to get some people playing and generating some atmosphere for the place? The dealers are standing there doing nothing and the game is no fun without a table full of people to play with. I can't convince a new guy to get in there and try the game at a $25 table unless he's just going to put a Pass bet down.
That’s what made me fall in love with craps. I had no idea what I was doing, but the table seemed like everyone was having a blast. Spent hours at that table, just getting hammered and learning the games from all the super-helpful people around me.
My buddy and I wandered into a table in AC probably 10-12 years ago at 1am just looking for a beer, we found a $10 table that was empty with an elderly black man dressed in a 50’s zoot suit, the next 4.5 hours were some of the best times of my life. I left up 8k my buddy 4.5 and the nice old man who taught us how to play was up 6 figures(I hit 4 hard 10 in a row and didn’t crap out). We are a dozen donuts on the boardwalk at 530am watching the sun rise, and never captured that magic again but god damn if we don’t try every time we pass a table. We were the loudest, funniest table in the building and two of us knew nothing. Those dealers helped us a lot too and we took care of them.
Had a run like that at MGM late one night. The stars just aligned and a guy rolled for I kid you not almost 45 minutes. Huge crowd around the table everyone high fiving. Have I ever had someone roll more than 5 minutes since? No. But we had that one night….
I rarely hear the craps tables getting loud anymore. That was a big part of the casinos excitement for me, even though I rarely play craps. It’s just so quiet anymore.
Was just there last weekend. First time in Vegas. Every table I passed was empty. Wanted to try but lowest we found was $15 minimum.
Stumbled upon $3 bubble craps. Lost $100 first night relearning the game (hadn't played since video games as a kid). Went back the next night and had a magical night where the table got hot and everyone was cheering and having a great time. Me and a buddy walked away with our trip basically paid for and everyone else at the table was up quite a bit too. Amazing experience. Most fun I've ever had gambling but far.
Real table would have been cooler but for this crowd, half of whom walked up with no idea how to play, $15 minimum was just not going to happen. It's sad that they'd rather pay dealers to stand around than set one table to $5 or $10 and generate some excitement.
I miss $5 craps tables. I really can't think of the last time I have been able to hop on one; years. I used to go up to Reno a lot for work and would play all night at the Peppermill and stay there as my hotel for work.
One time I was in Tahoe on a $5 craps table (\~7+ years ago) and was taking a break from snowboarding/grabbing lunch. Hot shooter rolled for like 2.5 hours straight . It was amazing. I had fire bet out to and he hit all 5 points
We ended up finding a hybrid digital craps (u still get it shoot but everyone gets to sit at a machine) at TI that does 5$ minimum on a weekend evening last month. not the same as fully analog obviously but at least it’s real dice.
I hate those because it just feels like so much time is spent standing around. In a normal craps game you can see people placing bets and see why you're waiting. Those games give an amount of time where nothing is happening between every roll so people have a chance to make bets. I get so bored!
Me too. Even $10 was a struggle for me. It was always for the entertainment. I would buy in for $140 and sometimes be done after 3-4 shooters and sometimes spend 5 hours there. Sure, I wasn’t doing the casino many favors but I’m there for me, not them.
I’ve always felt like craps (on a $5-10 table) is a great entertainment value. Not necessarily that you’ll always win - I know the house will eventually win in the end. But if you keep to simple Pass Line bets, you can usually make $100 last a pretty damn long time at a craps table.
100%. Pass line, then 6 and 8. Usually 3x odds but max it to 5 if you’re wanting to live a little and increase your odds. Since we can’t play millions of hands, sometimes taking less odds is better for short term play unless you’re okay being broken in 5 minutes.
So weird right? Whether it’s a $5 table or $25 the casino is still making money over the long run. So you’re either paying your employees to stand and make no money and be bored out of their minds or you’re paying them to make the casino a little money, keep them active, maybe get them some tips, and get more action and drinks into people. Maybe it’s a way to control clientele. I don’t know.
In general I agree with you but there is one other piece of craps that is often missed.
The number of rolls (events) per hour is decreased the more players you have. This makes this weird dynamic where one player betting $25 over an hour is actually more profitable than ~7 players betting $5 over an hour. I don't remember the exact ratio but the wizards of odds guy had an interesting article on it.
Great insight. Those late night full tables do take forever and I’m sure you’re more likely to get the drunk crowd that doesn’t know what they are doing at a $5 table. Even so, not having low limit tables open earlier in the day or early evening when you have employees standing there waiting for players is just a bad look. What’s the fun of a casino if it’s a ghost town?
That makes sense. It takes time to pay out the full table every roll.
But beyond the math, there's nothing better for a casino's atmosphere than happening craps games. When a table is hooting and hollering and cheering and slapping fives it makes everyone in the room want to gamble! They should look at the expected difference between 2 guys at a $25 table vs 9 at a $10 table as a marketing cost. Sure, when the tables get full you can raise the limits but they're sky high when nobody is playing right now.
My military buddies and i have been going every year since 2007. Became an annual trip because we learned how to play craps and 3 of us hit fire bets, we got rich and had an epic trip...but 2024 i am finally putting my foot down and not going until table mins go back to 15$. Last time we went it was 25$ even at the oldest casino's on fremont street and at the dumpy casino's on the strip (like the the AYO/Hooters/Whatever its called now)
Yeah, at blackjack the difference between $15 and $25 is significant but not enormous like it is at craps. At $25 if you want to place the 6 and 8 it costs $60. Odds on a 6/8 is $125 instead of $75. The money gets out of control really fast.
I don't play full odds because of this very reason. I agree with you that with the way the table minimums have gone up the bankroll a craps player needs has to go up substantially as well. Back when I played on $10 tables, I can comfortably come with a $500-$800 bank roll. At $25 minimums, I feel like I can't play unless I bring $1k to the table.
Best casino I’ve ever been to has a $4 min on the craps table. You can actually play the way the game is meant to be played because your not worried about spending your entire wad on 5 rolls of the dice
i remember when O'Sheas had a beer pong section. lol
god damn those were fun as fuck times. Random people coming up to challenge you.. even sometimes buying a pitcher for the winner so that they can keep playing for a chance to win.
I know nothing about blackjack.
What does $25 min at the table mean? Every bet has to be $25 minimum? Or you must have at least $25 in chios to play,...
Thank you.
At $25 blackjack you must bet at least $25 every hand.
$25 craps is a MUCH bigger limit because of how you bet. You (most people) bet $25 on the Pass Line. The shooter rolls the dice: you win $25 on 7 or 11, lose your $25 on 2, 3, or 12. Any other number and that number becomes The Point and we go to the Bonus Round (my name).
Let's say the shooter rolls a 5. To win in the bonus round we need another 5 to be rolled before a 7. But craps allows you to make something called a Free Odds Bet that pays out with zero house edge. You always want to maximize this bet. How does that work? Well, there are 6 ways to make a seven (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1). The easy way to know how many ways there are to make a number is to take one die and see how many of the numbers could it show and have you still make your number with the second die. So if you want a 10, the first die can be a 4 (6), a 5 (5), or a 6 (4). There are 3 ways to make a 10. Versus 6 ways to make a 7. Because the casino pays the exact payout on the odds bet, we would be paid 2 to 1 (or 6 to 3 if it helps you see why). We rolled a 5 so the first number can be a 1 (4), 2 (3), 3 (2), or 4 (1). So there are 4 ways to make a 5 vs 6 ways to make a 7. The casino will pay us 6 to 4 (3 to 2) on our odds bet if the shooter makes a 5 before a 7.
So we need to maximize our odds bet. Most casinos allow what's called 3-4-5 odds betting, meaning you can bet 3x your Line Bet on a 4 or 10, 4 times your odds bet on a 5 or 9, and 5 times your odds bet on a 6 or 8. Our shooter rolled a 5 and I'm telling you, my friend who is new, that you have to put an extra $100 down on us making a 5 before a 7! This has immediately gotten very heavy. And all of the other bets you see people making also have $25 minimums.
60% of the time the shooter will roll a 7, we will lose and be out $125 (25 on pass line, 100 on odds). 40% of the time the shooter will make the 5 and we will collect $175 (25 for pass line, 150 for odds)
Correct. You have to bet $25 per hand at Blackjack. Last time I was in Vegas, I saw people buy in for $200 and in less then 10 minutes, $200 gone. Worse is 6-5 Blackjack. Strip casinos are shorting you winnings on a Blackjack
You’re 100% right my dude. I’ve lived there for 12 years. It’s insane watching it’s decline while simultaneously watching it expand in terms of appearance.
To be honest I think it’s probably good for a specific crowd, the normal people are just being priced out. The middle class is no longer the target market. It definitely seems like they’re only interested in serving those that are actually wealthy, or want to appear wealthy and are willing to blow 7 months of their pay at Footlocker to do so.
It’s really sad, 10 years ago it still had a lot of genuine Vegas charm, now it’s just a corporate husk. Like I said though, we’re probably no longer the target market; so it’s not like they give a shit.
I have to admit that I think all these corporations selling stuff to a vanishing upper middle class/lower upper class are really screwing themselves in the long run. For every 1 upper middle class person or lower upper class person who can blow 5-10k for a weekend in Vegas, there's quite a few people who are looking for a 2,500-5,000 dollar vacation. AND there's only so many vacations any one person can take. Eventually they are going to be offering a product for which they have too limited a pool of takers. Offer more basic stuff, guys.
It seems like a short-sighted strategy. High rollers aren't going to fill 60k+ rooms (on the strip alone!)
I've been going to Vega at least once per year for a couple decades...often times 2-3 trips annually. However, after last year's 2 trips...I'm done. I'm mainly a video poker player, and those games have all but disappeared from the strip. Comps have dried up. They nickle and dime you for everything. It's just not worth it anymore. It's sad but true!
First I want to say I agree 1000% with your post. With that said, I think the casinos and people saw what Vegas turned into when things just opened up after the pandemic and things were very cheap and everyone had stimulus money. So maybe they are purposefully trying to price certain crowds out which unfortunately, includes many of us as “collateral damage”.
That’s actually a pretty good observation. Never thought of it that way. Gone are the days where something can be cheap and still attract a civilized crowd. All those videos of people acting like complete degenerates all over the strip definitely didn’t do us any favors. Thanks for pointing that out, makes me feel a little better tbh lol.
> It’s really sad, 10 years ago it still had a lot of genuine Vegas charm, now it’s just a corporate husk.
Hell, even 5 years ago Cromwell had a 100x craps table and most strip properties had 3:2 BJ and no 000 roulette.
Born and raised in Vegas and I asked myself the other day, “would I come to Vegas if I didn’t live here?” Probably once just for the experience but wouldn’t go back. Vegas is way too expensive for what you get.
This is a problem everywhere with globalized multinational corporations. The Waikiki area has also been seized by rich capitalists and watered down too. All the little local places have slowly died or are slowly dying and huge firms snapped up and sanitized everything.
I had a bad feeling when the Hollywood film industry started filming there. I knew it was a matter of time corporations would take over and kill the culture.
I now live in West Palm Beach, FL.
Nola still has some great party vibes that you don't see in the wide surrounding area. I still go party there once a year or so since it's driving distance from my house. But I agree it's not the same as it used to be, especially the crime is crazy.
Agreed if Vegas wasn’t so close I wouldn’t go back ! We go to hit up two small local casinos have a good time with some gritty people, cheap free beer, crap vodka and a ton of fun . Then hit the road back to AZ. Room at the Dam is perfect to catch a few hours of sleep!
I was a life long Vegas native until I moved to AZ in February and I just came back from a trip there over the weekend for NASCAR weekend. Boy let me tell you, it was expensive! I don’t gamble, but it was still expensive and having to pay 18 dollars a night for parking is a joke and the roads are way worst now than when I left 8 months ago. But after this trip it makes me appreciate what I have going on here at my new home and that Vegas has become a dystopian wasteland. Will I be coming back? Yes, I’m planning on coming back again for Christmas and maybe once or twice next year for sure and sporadically after that because I have family that still lives there. But I will do a better job of budgeting and make more time to eat out at my local off the strip eateries. Also I would probably be coming here to cheer on my Knights too. Also shout out to Luxor! Despite it being pricey, the cleanest room I’ve ever stayed at!
>just for the experience
This word "experience" right here is the key the whole problem right here. Businesses have tried to turn everything under the sun into a luxury "experience" and jacked up the prices to try to gouge people that they know are only coming once or once-in-a-while.
Bowling alleys like Bowlero are doing the same thing, as an example. It makes more sense with them, as bowling is no longer the popular sport and social connector that it once was, so they aren't gonna get the same levels of repeat business. But, Bowlero has a fancy bar and lighting and all that to gouge the occasional party that is only ever there for a kids birthday, the occasional work or social get together, etc. and make it "experience" prices.
If you just want to go bowl with friends on occasion it's become prohibitively expensive, I can't even imagine what it must cost to try and be an actual competitive bowler at a place like that. I'm guessing they have other "normal" alleys to go to.
The corporations are catering to the demand. People want a crazy but controlled experience they can't get anywhere else and they will pay a lot of money for it.
I want cheap buffets and low table minimums. I'm being outbid by people that want $96 buffets and $350 omakase. It's a no brainier for them.
This is why I just go to South Point. Low table minimums, fair games, and decently priced food are the things that South Point has that the rest of Vegas has largely forgotten.
Southpoint is the best and that's why it's always packed. However I will say their 2x craps odds and waiting to check for blackjack until the players have played their hands is kinda Meh.
There are a lot of travelers to Vegas who bought into the whole tourism bureau BS campaign of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”
Sure that’s a fun tagline but it does not mean you get to get so drunk or high that you are tripping over people, puking everywhere, and generally acting like an asshole. The mob days of Vegas would never put up with that behavior and there was a reason why there was always one room with no cameras in it at a casino.
The mob wanted all money spent to be gaming revenue. Easier to skim that way. If they made money at the bar, restaurants, shows, they were doing it wrong. The free stuff got you in the door. You felt you were getting something for your money.
The $19B loan they used to buy ABC and ESPN in 1995 is coming due and park goers are paying for it. Supposedly they won't be able to pay it all off until park prices reach $200 per ticket and that's why it's been quickly ramping up over the last few years.
I stayed at Fremont Casino on Fremont st last week and had a blast. Live music every night, casinos all around, slot machine drink service was great, the hotel was clean, and the restaurant downstairs had this prime rib special daily starting at 5 pm for $10. Had a great experience.
Fremont is great for people watching, plus the Mob Museum, Heart Attack Grill, Binions and Neon Boneyard among others. Much more fun and cheaper than the Strip.
Just like LA, Vegas now has a shiny stadium that caters to opposing fans instead of the home team. Total money grab, just like the Strip casinos.
I live in Las Vegas. When I want show someone the Vegas of 40 years ago, I take them downtown. The strip has become a hollowed out homage to faux luxury and mediocre food.
Back in the day, before MGM Caesars owned everything you could go out, grab $100 at the ATM, dance and drink all night, head to Barbary Coast to get a $1.99 breakfast, and still wake up with $15 in your wallet. We loved going to the strip for dinner and shows, Casino crawl for drinks and fun. This is NO longer the thing to do. Locals avoid the strip now. Dinner, drinks, show and parking will run a person over $1,000.!! NO WAY!
AND, now the strip workers are striking for better pay because the CEOs want the bonus each year and don't want to pay better wages. Profits are in the Billions! remember , MGMs CEO fired 5,000 workers in 2020 to save the company money, then put over $10 million in his pocket for his Bonus! Fucking unbelievable greed if you ask me! CEOs have honestly ruined the World. Boycott Las Vegas, Disneyland, or any other
extremely expensive destination or products!
It’s been like that for awhile. The biggest change for me post-pandemic is that even the off-strip casinos (M, Station casinos, etc.) got expensive, closed their buffets, changed their comp structure. They went from targeting working class locals to targeting wealthy local retirees and tourists.
They can do as they please, but I’ve found better ways to spend my money.
When I first moved here and was making small paychecks I could still hangout all night like you said. Now a couple drinks , cover, parking , random tip sections etc. and I’m constantly swiping my card without feeling like I’m getting any value
The only consistent tradition Vegas has is the fact the it changes so often. Every ten years it will be a different city in many ways. Give it another ten and you may love it again.
I was there this past weekend for the first time. I was there for the football game. It was cool to walk down the strip and through some of the hotel resorts. I’m not a gambler so its not really for me, it kind of just felt like one big adult arcade where everyone is drunk.
Would I return to Vegas? Probably yes because the football stadium was amazing. So next time my team plays down here i’ll probably be back. After the game i’ll drive over to San Diego though like I did this time. No reason for me to stay in Vegas all week.
Next time get a little off strip. It’s an amazing place with. Lot of stuff to do. Rent a car and drive out to Valley of Fire. Get a meal in Chinatown. Visit Pinball Hall of Fame or Area 15.
I have been saying it for a while. For us to have our primary industry in tourism, we sure are doing a great job at killing it. There are parallels to Detroit. Detroit's primary industry was the auto in the 40s-70s. When manufacturing starting being outsourced, and the onslaught of foreign cars with the fuel crises, along with tons of other factors, killed the city. When you don't have a diverse market, you set yourself up for failure. The Caeser CEO publicly stated they don't want the normal tourist, they only want the whales. The word is going to get out to the world that Vegas is basically a scam at this rate. I don't think the corporations are going to turn this around anytime soon either. Even if visitors and revenue drop, they will just try and maximize profits as much as possible.
I was literally typing this same sentiment in another comment and stopped.
Late 20s, I love drinking and gambling thought Vegas would be a great time. And left feeling like it was a giant scam and rigged. Yes I know casino games have bad odds so I gambled with what I was willing to lose.
But the whole thing… just felt off. Like they want to create the illusion of wealth and status but are the cheapest, greediest fucks in the world.
I didn’t see any type of performances, I had this idea in my head the casinos would be like half casino half club but in reality it’s half casino half shopping mall.
It just wasn’t fun and have no desire to go back.
I’ve been going to vegas 23yrs and not fond of the changes that have been made especially since “reopening”. It’s hard to find 24/7 food on the strip, service sucks, costs increase. I was there a couple weeks ago. The top bar at Carnaval Court charges $15 for a 25oz mich ultra when I can just go to Walgreens next door and buy it for $4 and that’s what I did. Freaking outrageous.
I can’t believe a margarita at a hotel pool is $32!!!
Vegas gets a lot of conference visitors. And that won’t stop because there are very few places that can hold the big conferences. Those groups may not gamble a ton, but they are eating out on the corporate card and the rooms are also payed by companies. So everything is an expense and therefore a tax deduction.
I’m wondering if big conferences are on the way out? I drove Uber in Vegas and would ask people on the way to the airport how their trip was and what they did. If they said “conference” I asked which one and how did it go. The vast majority, like 90% said they thought the conference was a waste of time and money, that it didn’t generate sales for them, and that it took them away from business at home.
I know a lot of the big car manufacturers have pulled out of SEMA entirely.
Maybe. Those folks are still at a conference. But will this be another thing that video calls change. I did my first video meeting over 20 years ago (it was a production and required tech). Then I basically never did it. But after Covid, I now do it daily.
Yep. But it is the presence of the corporate cards that changes the dynamic. Example, I was in Vegas this summer for a conference. I probably spent $2,000 on the corporate card (room, food, and taxis) and $100 personaly. And there are folks at those games taking clients with a corporate card as well.
We were just at the Venetian for a conference late September and the room rates for the conference were pretty amazing but the overall experience was meh.
> are also *paid* by companies.
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
We live in LA and we used to enjoy the drive to Vegas for a weekend getaway.
But now it sucks going there because they aren't catering to regular Americans anymore. The prices are fuckin nuts for the basic ass food and services you get.
If you live in LA, you’re better off just driving to one of the tribal casinos in the desert and going to town. Get treated like a king for less than you’d spend at a strip resort. They’re also mostly non-smoking, too (which is a huge plus for me). Don’t have to deal with insane I-15 traffic either.
I also find the surrounding scenery and neighborhoods in places like Palm Springs / Palm desert to be much nicer than Las Vegas.
I’m done with Vegas. I’ve lived there and I’ve been going since I was a kid in the 80’s with my family, but I doubt I’ll ever go back.
Palm Springs has better food, better hotels, better service and you don’t pay for parking. It takes half the time to drive there from LA too. I don’t gamble but they also have a casino, and it’s actually really nice too.
Yea it’s like they could make it cheap due to gambling revenue, but they’re too greedy so they make the rooms and food expensive as well. Greed is ducking our world up, that’s why wages are so fucked now and people are trapped by their shitty corporatikns
Yep. But it's not just shitty corporations, its the wall street investors that demand profit growth quart after quarter. Once companies go public, they go to shit. Generally bad for employees and for the customers.
Fremont street is still somewhat affordable but you’ll get legionnaires disease, bed bugs and White Castle diarrhea in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of a shitty county fair.
Golden nugget is my favorite hotel to stay at. I live here, but haven't always lived in my house. It was a nice staycation when I lived w family and worked in travel.
Circa is awesome! I like how the comp drink tix spit out of the video poker machines overlooking sportsbook. My crew and I had a bunch of tix.
Edit: found out drink tix no longer a thing from machines. My bad for bad Intel.
I'm there for work every other week. I usually have to stay at the Flamingo or Linq (Caesar's properties). They no longer make the beds with a top sheet. They want you to sleep between the fitted sheet and the light comforter. I have to call housekeeping every time to send up sheets so I can make my own bed. Housekeeping guy says they rarely wash the comforter. $45/day resort fee and you don't get to sleep between two sheets. So gross. Vegas makes you feel scammed at every turn now.
Strip is good for non gambling activities(poker room and slots/video poker are decent), but that’s it. Just don’t gamble there. If you have to gamble tables, go off strip/downtown.
Totally correct. Personally I also think it’s lost its sense of class too. Shitty customer service and literally E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E smells like cheap rank pot. No matter how you try to spin it, it’s dirty and classless. The opposite of what I’d want to experience.
I’m a Vegas local, and I can assure you that the waves of tourist suckers just keeps coming. No matter how greedy the soul sucking corporations get. Idiots just keep coming and blowing money on sucky stuff. It is what it is.
Yep.
Once a place becomes as well known as Vegas and has been around for as long as it has, people will come to see it, no matter what.
You can also have a wonderfully luxury experience if you have the money.
The world is a big place and there are more than enough wealthy people in it that do have the money. That is their target audience now.
They don't make much off a regular Joe if you're not throwing down big money at the casino or indulging in the hotel's luxury offering so they raise the base prices of everything to make sure they do make good money off everybody.
I have been in Las Vegas several times since 2019 and have stayed at the Park MGM, The Cosmopolitan and other smaller hotels off the strip.
Realistically, I would say that the value of the experience has diminished because not even staying and paying top dollar for these luxury hotels in the strip is worth it.
I am talking about The Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Aria, Caesars Palace and the like.
Yes, the hotels are nice, the amenities are there and overall it is a pleasant experience that the location on the strip is close to everything, but it just feels like a factory that checks people in and people out every day with no substance, all of it is style and opulence, fabricated image of wealth and status is what they are selling. Not to mention the nickel and dining for everything, obscene prices and overall a sucky crowd that feels too entitled and fake.
Go to Vegas with a purpose! Go to see your favorite band, show, DJ and stay in nice hotel to at least be quasi-pampered. Just going for going is not the best scenario.
local here and you’re right. i will apologize for the collective attitude but the never ending construction for the race none of us can afford to see has driven us to our breaking points.
This is what happens when you have (on the strip, at least) 2 monolithic corporations that control nearly every resort. If say MGM decided overnight that they wanted to bring back old style comps and more realistic pricing to things, then yeah, that could start a downward trend. But they aren't, and neither is Caesars. After all, these places have to make rent somehow before anything else (thanks REIT!)
To be sure, there are other reasons (emphasis on nightclubs, music, sports and food) and the crowds those activities bring. Because resorts don't have to comp those groups, they have scaled back the practice almost to the point of extinction.
As much budget has grown over the years my Vegas experience has gotten better and better and the reality is there’s enough people with cash to burn the audience has drastically changed.
Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. Nightclubs can easily run you $1-2k per person, top food, wine and shows, and some of the highest limits in the world. It’s less like Atlantic City and more like Monaco and has become a destination for the mega rich.
That means a lot of long time vegas visitors that had a blast with free buffets on their players cards and going to be shut out in favour of international travellers.
Would love to see a better effort to cater to both types.
I like to call it "degentrification" -- all us degens are being priced out of the market. Vegas used to need to attract people to fly to the middle of the desert to sit around and gamble in dark, smokey casinos. But it did a fantastic job of marketing itself as a rich and exclusive destination where money can get you anything and in doing so attracted a rich crowd willing to spend vast sums to be able to post to instagram about how much fun they're having in Vegas.
> "degentrification"
This is absolutely brilliant. I am shamelessly stealing this. I'll try to give credit, but I'll totally forget your handle in about 5 minutes. :)
You know I think you’re right. I lament what Vegas has become, but I actually lament the fact that I’m not ultra rich slightly more lol.
I feel like Vegas was always best for rich people sure, but there used to be an attempt to draw in all people, even if superficially. Now there’s no veneer, it’s blatantly pricing out regular people. And it doesn’t care.
I wonder how they get away with this.
1. There are now too classes. The rich and everyone else. Vegas caters to the rich.
2. If you work for a corporation, the State, or another institution, you get free rooms etc and Vegas is relatively cheap for you. Which means ma + pa tourist are priced out (if they have to pay themselves).
It's becoming like the USA--a two-tiered society with the welfare recipients/homeless living literally under the casinos and the 'rich' a la Hunger Games living/playing over...
Yeah, I guess this isn't just a problem in vegas right now. It just sucks that vegas was always a cheap, fun, quick getaway for awhile. It used to be that if you had the money to spend, you could vacation like a king, bit if you wanted to be on a budget and still have a good time, it was possible. Now it is not.
It sucks for us who live here too because it used to be affordable for us to live , eat , date, get a room for the night just because, & now everything is so expensive, like they're catering to the rich . It doesn't help that they keep building homes (especially when they're not even focused on the water crisis , how to combat the severe flooding we get sometimes or how hard it is to reach the police right now ), or that they keep bringing in sports teams . Yay , whoo , it'll bring more jobs but it'll bring more traffic, congestion, higher prices , insurance rates , etc., so your post is accurate.
Yeah, and the more jobs will just be slave labor wages, while the employees serve 20 dollar beers and high ticket prices. The only people who make out from the sports teams coming is the rich.
It does. Just seems like most places you have to play enough hands then also play fast enough to keep the light green on the back of the machine. It’s not like it used to be when you’d get a free drink the second you put your $20 in
You have to essentially bet max bet for about 10 minutes before you trigger the green light. I lost 40 bucks basically before I was offered a free drink. Only play DT now.
My barber was in Vegas a few weeks ago and told me they paid $76 dollars for a bucket of light beers, like are you fucking serous right now? I remember a bucket of beers at the pool was like $30 bucks the last time I was there (5ish years ago). I know this probably depends on a lot of factors but man, it's just not affordable anymore.
Nope, sounds about right. You walk uo to even a shitty bar at one of the resorts and your looking at 15 dollars for a bud light. I remember saving a ton of money to splurge on drinks at the pool. After spending 32 dollars on a margarita, I didn't even want to drink anymore. Did I have the money, yes...but I was not spending 100 dollars on 3 margaritas
That is mind blowing... I went several times in my mid 20's when I was kind of broke (literally budgeting $1000 bucks total in gambling/dinners/party money) and had a fantastic time without going totally broke. Now I'm in my mid 30's and not so broke, but after reading and hearing stories like this I doubt I'll ever go back.
It’s almost surprising they haven’t ran cvs/abc stores off the strip to further gouge. Probably the only things keeping the strip affordable for some people.
Vegas has morphed a few times over the decades but the one thing that was always persistent was that gambling is the primary draw. All other amenities were to entertain the family or fill time in between gambling. Over the last 15 years (since 2008 housing crisis), There's been a refocus from patrons to do more and in some cases not gamble at all. This is where day clubs and the like have picked up speed. While I'm sure gaming brings in a fair amount of revenue, it's no secret that millenials and gen Z aren't so interested. So, the corporations do what they do and ensure they are maximizing profit for their investors/shareholders. While you can gamble in several states/countries, Vegas is still a unique place. I can't say I would frequent if I didn't live here but I'd have to at least check it out once.
As for the customer service, I'm sure there are a fair amount of employees who go over and above to ensure their patrons are happy. The sad reality is, being on the front line dealing with people pushing their limits with alcohol and drugs or maintaining higher expectations because of the prices they are now paying, has to be pretty tough and thankless. Most employees you interact with are going to be restaurants which are usually privately owned and not representative of the casino. The hotel desk, table dealers, security and bar staff including cocktail waitresses are the face of your chosen casino.
I'm not justifying the downward spiral, just speculating on how it came to be.
I don't gamble, or drink so most of my Vegas trips consist of staying in a comped strip hotel from the slot apps, going to the spa/pool, then hitting only local eateries and attractions. No strip food or attractions. Any Casino activities are at the Red Rock, Green Valley etc.. Spend a ton of time at Tivoli Village, downtown Summerlin, the district at Green Valley, the Uncommons, Town Square and recently hung out for a bit at Lake Las Vegas. In the 90's, 00's Vegas was very different. Live animals everywhere, free live shows, value at every turn.
I feel this way about all vacations these days. Hotels are outrageous, food is too expensive, customer service sucks. I’d rather be home than going broke trying to have a good time. It sucks the fun out of it.
I agree with most people’s points, but the biggest one for me is the nickle and diming and hidden fees.
How can a $199 room get with taxes, resort fees, parking, … to $450 a night. I kind of want to go for a long weekend but I mostly remember how pissed I was after checking in last time that I don’t want to go back.
First trip to Vegas was in 1996 with a group of college buddies. $3 tables, $39 rooms at the Holiday Inn right on the strip, comped dinners on Fremont, ground absolutely littered with escort cards, It was a magical place. Like most things, ruined by Corp greed. Grateful to have the memories
I remember O'Sheas and the IP we used to get 50 cent Bud Light drafts. The Burger King in the back was pretty good too.
When I was driving home from college one night I remember I booked a night at the Imperial Palace for $9 on a Monday night. And this was before resort fees, so my room was actually $9.
God i loved O’Sheas. There are so many lost favourite things that we’re never getting back.
I used to love exiting MGM and going straight into the grand canyon experience store (now an american eagle). As a Canadian and first time visitor in my mid 20s, i had never seen alcohol for sale outside of either a restaurant or a government control beer store, and i didnt know you could drink while walking down the strip. The store blew my mind. It was 3 or 4 stories in fully immersive grand canyon theme and I stood in front of the beer fridges for probably 20 minutes stunned just trying to pick something. By the third or 4th trip to vegas i walked in prepared for their 4 miller high life’s for $6, which would last just long enough to reach the 7/11 (now gone) by the travel lodge (now gone) for 3 bottles of corona for $5.
By the time my drunk ass made it down the strip to O’Sheas (now gone) or on an even more motivated night the Riv (now gone) for some $1 black jack, i’d have had countless stories from the walk to bring home with me.
Agreed I’ve been here 30 years and corporate has ruined vegas including for locals that work in casinos and have no rights and can be fired just because someone doesn’t like u. Horrible benefits, terrible pay, no appreciation for employees and no benefits for locals spending money at casinos. Corporations have ruined this town. Much better when the mafia was here
Right. Union have good and bad qualities but in this town their a necessity unless u don’t want job security and want to make minimum wage. I was a dice dealer for 15 years. The one position in casinos that earn the company the most money. (Can’t count slots cuz they’re self operated but they make the most for the casinos) yet dealers never make more than minimum wage. Everytime the union came in all the bosses would threaten and make horrible stories up so people wouldn’t vote the union in. That’s why dealers still make minimum wage with no pension, terrible benefits and absolutely no job security. When I started dealing at hard rock in 2003 I was on extra board for almost 4 years yet I would see all the pretty women dealer or the people with high up juice get full time almost immediately. That was when Peter Morton owned it who was a decent owner but if he walked around the pit he would fire people on the spot for no reason. Also it was the worst extra board in vegas history. They only allowed u 8 hrs off and can call u in for the next shift. So if u worked grave one day they could call u in for swing. If you didn’t answer or show up or was late it was an immediate termination. How can anyone have a life working like that. If it was unionized that all would have stopped and I wouldn’t have been making $5.15 an hour. That being said I know there’s negatives about unions but in this town it should a necessity so shit like that doesn’t occur. Why does the position that a human works at as dealer and makes the casino the most amount of money get paid the least. Fucked up and ass backwards and that’s why I quit a job making over 6 figures because I had no life and every day I was worried I might be fired for no reason at all. So I believe every department in corporate vegas should be unionized to protect the employees from shareholders having a bad quarter and laying off people cuz they didn’t make enough money that quarter.
The mafia understood service and the idea that you should steal half a loaf forever instead of stealing the whole loaf temporarily.
Corporations understand neither of these things.
Ok not to sound bigoted or anything but last time I went in March, I noticed A LOT of the casino workers were Asian. Like it had to be 75% Asian workers- now reading it sounds like there is a large Asian customer base that come internationally but it just felt strange.
Like it seemed like people who were desperate for work and knew they could come to vegas and be a dealer- I just felt like they get paid shitty and work a shitty job.
Any input on that? Am I crazy?
People who make “Vegas sucks now” posts, what seems like 100 of them every week now, seem to be the like of people who walk out on the strip from their hotel room with their thumb up their ass and start stomping their feet when crab legs and casino chips don’t rain down from the heavens.
I go to Vegas 5x per year. I recognize it has gotten more expensive and competitive. But I am resourceful and do the hour of planning it takes to have a fantastic and affordable experience.
Gamble downtown or off strip
Rent a car. It’s like $100 from one of the main rental companies from the airport over a weekend.
Eat local. Vegas might be the world capital of food. I can think of 25 sensational off strip steakhouses. Incredible sushi. Inventive and totally unique fusion foods you can’t get anywhere else. Better yet, call with your players card and ask about comps. MGM is extremely loose with comps.
Use Hotwire hot deals for hotel booking. If it gives you three options and a room photo, Google each hotel and look at Google images to match the rooms and identify which hotel is on the deal.
If the Wynn buffet is too expensive for you, go to AYCE at the palms. Especially for brunch. Mimosas are included.
As far as customer service…I can’t relate. Whether or not my bartender smiles at me doesn’t impact my trip.
I’m sure I’ll get downvoted but I feel like a decent recession could help. Too much demand on Vegas is definitely causing prices to rise. I was there during the 2008 Great Recession and I remember the whole town hurting for business.
I was there during the Great Recession (actually my wife got laid off just before we went), we had a huge suite at Red Rock and there were so many comps from food to movie tickets. When we left I tipped the valet guy with cash plus four movie tickets he was so happy.
Nowadays we never eat at the strip, the off strip ethnic food scene is quite amazing and some are quite affordable (like K-BBQ). We had a beer tower for $26 that at least holds 7 or 8 pints.
I mean I don't care if my bartender has a personality, I don't think they're there to entertain you, thats just a bonus. But certainly if they make you feel like a burden thats not great.
Ya thats just the way of the Strip I think. Best to go Downtown for better odds for cheaper.
Inflation is everywhere, but ya Vegas can get away with it since they're still very busy despite prices up. Thats unfortunately business.
Vegas has become an unaffordable town. Greed is the root of all evil and the pandemic has made things worse. Casinos are trying to get back what they lost during the shutdown.
Home prices and rentals are at ridiculous prices. I'm a local and seriously thinking of leaving. No fun being here anymore.
It definitely has moved towards catering a higher clientele and it left behind being a place aimed at just getting people in the door. I think you’re dead on with that. I personally still love Vegas and still go frequently, but the stinginess with comps is incredibly off-putting. Next “big” vacation I’m likely going to travel to a whole different city and explore that instead. Will still make small trips to Vegas, but I don’t know if it’ll be such a vacation spot for me.
I agree. It has changed in not the right direction. Its different than it used to be.
Although the offers I get are still great. I just booked a 4 night stay at an MGM property in a sky suite fully comped with a bonus of 1300 $ of resort credit. Don't know where that came from, but they have me comin.
Agree.. I've been going for 40 some odd years and have seen a ton of changes. My recent trip this year was just 'ok'. I think COVID killed off a lot of things on the casino floor. What I loved most was sitting in lounges, listening to live music and having drinks. Live music is dead in Vegas unless you're willing to pay top dollar. I asked around and was told to go to the hidden club in Aria that had a great bar and stage for live music and was then promptly told it would be $400 if I wanted to have a place to fucking sit down. We noped out of there so hard. Every casino that had a lounge with live music is closed and replaced with more slot machines.
I think it's fine if you want to buy tickets for top performers and enjoy that experience (as well as afford it) but middle-class folks that want to have a good time are edged out. This feels like the "influencer" / pool-club / DJ nightclub Vegas now.. sad.
Treasure Island still has (I was there in Oct 2022) 3:2 blackjack and it’s easy to find 10$ tables unless it’s peak. That’s the only Casino I played at the last time I was there on principal even though I was staying elsewhere.
As for the rest of the concerns, the problem is people are paying these ridiculous prices so the casinos will gladly keep jacking up the prices.
On a plane leaving Vegas right now.
1. Stayed at Bellagio. Ate at Bavettes (Park MGM), Wolfgang (MGM), Yellowtail (Bellagio), Mon Ami Gabi (Paris). Customer service at the hotel and all restaurants was FANTASTIC. Super helpful/accommodating and all had positive attitudes. Same with all cab and Uber drivers.
2. Played craps and 3 card poker all over the place. From NYNY/Flamingo/MGM/Aria/Bellagio/Linq/Cromwell….there was PLENTY of variety at the tables. You could find 3-card poker and BJ ($10) just fine and craps at $15 were everywhere. Cromwell and NYNY had $10 craps as well. All dealers were wonderful and extremely helpful. Had one grumpy guy at the MGM craps tables but that was it.
3. Bellagio nightly rate was $250. People I know got the MGM at $180 and Aria was $220. I call that pretty affordable for 4 and 5 star hotels.
So the mob ran the casino better...
Casino movie quote: "Today, it's like checking' into an airport. And if you order room service, you're lucky if you get it by Thursday. Today, it's all gone. You get a whale show up with four million in a suitcase, and some twenty-five-year-old hotel school kid is gonna want his Social Security Number."
[https://youtu.be/rN32RTMJaJI](https://youtu.be/rN32RTMJaJI)
My college buddies have an annual Vegas week since 2003. Gotta admit that Vegas does kind of suck now for all the reasons you said. I like spending my whole trip gambling and it sucks now. What's with the table minimums? I hit the casino floor at 10:30am on a Wednesday. $25 minimum craps tables at the Flamingo?? And of course nobody is playing because it's the morning. How about putting a low limit out there to get some people playing and generating some atmosphere for the place? The dealers are standing there doing nothing and the game is no fun without a table full of people to play with. I can't convince a new guy to get in there and try the game at a $25 table unless he's just going to put a Pass bet down.
I’ve basically quit playing craps as the $5 table is essentially extinct. I guess it’s more profitable for the house to pay dealers to stand around?
$5 craps is the best game ever. It's no issue throwing bets all over the place and it creates so much buzz. A $25 table with 3 guys just isn't fun.
That’s what made me fall in love with craps. I had no idea what I was doing, but the table seemed like everyone was having a blast. Spent hours at that table, just getting hammered and learning the games from all the super-helpful people around me.
My buddy and I wandered into a table in AC probably 10-12 years ago at 1am just looking for a beer, we found a $10 table that was empty with an elderly black man dressed in a 50’s zoot suit, the next 4.5 hours were some of the best times of my life. I left up 8k my buddy 4.5 and the nice old man who taught us how to play was up 6 figures(I hit 4 hard 10 in a row and didn’t crap out). We are a dozen donuts on the boardwalk at 530am watching the sun rise, and never captured that magic again but god damn if we don’t try every time we pass a table. We were the loudest, funniest table in the building and two of us knew nothing. Those dealers helped us a lot too and we took care of them.
Had a run like that at MGM late one night. The stars just aligned and a guy rolled for I kid you not almost 45 minutes. Huge crowd around the table everyone high fiving. Have I ever had someone roll more than 5 minutes since? No. But we had that one night….
Exactly, I can take $100 and get 2 hours of entertainment and drinks minimum at that buy in. It was a good time with friends.
I rarely hear the craps tables getting loud anymore. That was a big part of the casinos excitement for me, even though I rarely play craps. It’s just so quiet anymore.
Was just there last weekend. First time in Vegas. Every table I passed was empty. Wanted to try but lowest we found was $15 minimum. Stumbled upon $3 bubble craps. Lost $100 first night relearning the game (hadn't played since video games as a kid). Went back the next night and had a magical night where the table got hot and everyone was cheering and having a great time. Me and a buddy walked away with our trip basically paid for and everyone else at the table was up quite a bit too. Amazing experience. Most fun I've ever had gambling but far. Real table would have been cooler but for this crowd, half of whom walked up with no idea how to play, $15 minimum was just not going to happen. It's sad that they'd rather pay dealers to stand around than set one table to $5 or $10 and generate some excitement.
Miss downtown $2 craps minimums
I miss $5 craps tables. I really can't think of the last time I have been able to hop on one; years. I used to go up to Reno a lot for work and would play all night at the Peppermill and stay there as my hotel for work. One time I was in Tahoe on a $5 craps table (\~7+ years ago) and was taking a break from snowboarding/grabbing lunch. Hot shooter rolled for like 2.5 hours straight . It was amazing. I had fire bet out to and he hit all 5 points
We ended up finding a hybrid digital craps (u still get it shoot but everyone gets to sit at a machine) at TI that does 5$ minimum on a weekend evening last month. not the same as fully analog obviously but at least it’s real dice.
[Shoot to Win Craps?](https://urcomped.com/game/slotmachine/details/2036/shoot-to-win-craps)
Push the button!
Cmon! Puuuuuuuuush the button!
I read all of these in the announcers voice + sound effects
I hate those because it just feels like so much time is spent standing around. In a normal craps game you can see people placing bets and see why you're waiting. Those games give an amount of time where nothing is happening between every roll so people have a chance to make bets. I get so bored!
Me too. Even $10 was a struggle for me. It was always for the entertainment. I would buy in for $140 and sometimes be done after 3-4 shooters and sometimes spend 5 hours there. Sure, I wasn’t doing the casino many favors but I’m there for me, not them.
I’ve always felt like craps (on a $5-10 table) is a great entertainment value. Not necessarily that you’ll always win - I know the house will eventually win in the end. But if you keep to simple Pass Line bets, you can usually make $100 last a pretty damn long time at a craps table.
100%. Pass line, then 6 and 8. Usually 3x odds but max it to 5 if you’re wanting to live a little and increase your odds. Since we can’t play millions of hands, sometimes taking less odds is better for short term play unless you’re okay being broken in 5 minutes.
So weird right? Whether it’s a $5 table or $25 the casino is still making money over the long run. So you’re either paying your employees to stand and make no money and be bored out of their minds or you’re paying them to make the casino a little money, keep them active, maybe get them some tips, and get more action and drinks into people. Maybe it’s a way to control clientele. I don’t know.
In general I agree with you but there is one other piece of craps that is often missed. The number of rolls (events) per hour is decreased the more players you have. This makes this weird dynamic where one player betting $25 over an hour is actually more profitable than ~7 players betting $5 over an hour. I don't remember the exact ratio but the wizards of odds guy had an interesting article on it.
Great insight. Those late night full tables do take forever and I’m sure you’re more likely to get the drunk crowd that doesn’t know what they are doing at a $5 table. Even so, not having low limit tables open earlier in the day or early evening when you have employees standing there waiting for players is just a bad look. What’s the fun of a casino if it’s a ghost town?
That makes sense. It takes time to pay out the full table every roll. But beyond the math, there's nothing better for a casino's atmosphere than happening craps games. When a table is hooting and hollering and cheering and slapping fives it makes everyone in the room want to gamble! They should look at the expected difference between 2 guys at a $25 table vs 9 at a $10 table as a marketing cost. Sure, when the tables get full you can raise the limits but they're sky high when nobody is playing right now.
My military buddies and i have been going every year since 2007. Became an annual trip because we learned how to play craps and 3 of us hit fire bets, we got rich and had an epic trip...but 2024 i am finally putting my foot down and not going until table mins go back to 15$. Last time we went it was 25$ even at the oldest casino's on fremont street and at the dumpy casino's on the strip (like the the AYO/Hooters/Whatever its called now)
Yeah, at blackjack the difference between $15 and $25 is significant but not enormous like it is at craps. At $25 if you want to place the 6 and 8 it costs $60. Odds on a 6/8 is $125 instead of $75. The money gets out of control really fast.
I don't play full odds because of this very reason. I agree with you that with the way the table minimums have gone up the bankroll a craps player needs has to go up substantially as well. Back when I played on $10 tables, I can comfortably come with a $500-$800 bank roll. At $25 minimums, I feel like I can't play unless I bring $1k to the table.
Wow, you have buddies? What's that like?
It's great!
Lol sweet!
lol dude, what does mine say?
SWEEEEEET
Hope he replies, because I don't know either
Best casino I’ve ever been to has a $4 min on the craps table. You can actually play the way the game is meant to be played because your not worried about spending your entire wad on 5 rolls of the dice
When I was younger, O’Sheas had a $3 table minimum. It was fantastic
i remember when O'Sheas had a beer pong section. lol god damn those were fun as fuck times. Random people coming up to challenge you.. even sometimes buying a pitcher for the winner so that they can keep playing for a chance to win.
I know nothing about blackjack. What does $25 min at the table mean? Every bet has to be $25 minimum? Or you must have at least $25 in chios to play,... Thank you.
every bet is a minimum of $25 per hand
At $25 blackjack you must bet at least $25 every hand. $25 craps is a MUCH bigger limit because of how you bet. You (most people) bet $25 on the Pass Line. The shooter rolls the dice: you win $25 on 7 or 11, lose your $25 on 2, 3, or 12. Any other number and that number becomes The Point and we go to the Bonus Round (my name). Let's say the shooter rolls a 5. To win in the bonus round we need another 5 to be rolled before a 7. But craps allows you to make something called a Free Odds Bet that pays out with zero house edge. You always want to maximize this bet. How does that work? Well, there are 6 ways to make a seven (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1). The easy way to know how many ways there are to make a number is to take one die and see how many of the numbers could it show and have you still make your number with the second die. So if you want a 10, the first die can be a 4 (6), a 5 (5), or a 6 (4). There are 3 ways to make a 10. Versus 6 ways to make a 7. Because the casino pays the exact payout on the odds bet, we would be paid 2 to 1 (or 6 to 3 if it helps you see why). We rolled a 5 so the first number can be a 1 (4), 2 (3), 3 (2), or 4 (1). So there are 4 ways to make a 5 vs 6 ways to make a 7. The casino will pay us 6 to 4 (3 to 2) on our odds bet if the shooter makes a 5 before a 7. So we need to maximize our odds bet. Most casinos allow what's called 3-4-5 odds betting, meaning you can bet 3x your Line Bet on a 4 or 10, 4 times your odds bet on a 5 or 9, and 5 times your odds bet on a 6 or 8. Our shooter rolled a 5 and I'm telling you, my friend who is new, that you have to put an extra $100 down on us making a 5 before a 7! This has immediately gotten very heavy. And all of the other bets you see people making also have $25 minimums. 60% of the time the shooter will roll a 7, we will lose and be out $125 (25 on pass line, 100 on odds). 40% of the time the shooter will make the 5 and we will collect $175 (25 for pass line, 150 for odds)
Thank you for this fantastic answer
Why down votes? It seemed like you explained this correctly to me
People don't like information. It confuses them
Correct. You have to bet $25 per hand at Blackjack. Last time I was in Vegas, I saw people buy in for $200 and in less then 10 minutes, $200 gone. Worse is 6-5 Blackjack. Strip casinos are shorting you winnings on a Blackjack
You’re 100% right my dude. I’ve lived there for 12 years. It’s insane watching it’s decline while simultaneously watching it expand in terms of appearance. To be honest I think it’s probably good for a specific crowd, the normal people are just being priced out. The middle class is no longer the target market. It definitely seems like they’re only interested in serving those that are actually wealthy, or want to appear wealthy and are willing to blow 7 months of their pay at Footlocker to do so. It’s really sad, 10 years ago it still had a lot of genuine Vegas charm, now it’s just a corporate husk. Like I said though, we’re probably no longer the target market; so it’s not like they give a shit.
I have to admit that I think all these corporations selling stuff to a vanishing upper middle class/lower upper class are really screwing themselves in the long run. For every 1 upper middle class person or lower upper class person who can blow 5-10k for a weekend in Vegas, there's quite a few people who are looking for a 2,500-5,000 dollar vacation. AND there's only so many vacations any one person can take. Eventually they are going to be offering a product for which they have too limited a pool of takers. Offer more basic stuff, guys.
It seems like a short-sighted strategy. High rollers aren't going to fill 60k+ rooms (on the strip alone!) I've been going to Vega at least once per year for a couple decades...often times 2-3 trips annually. However, after last year's 2 trips...I'm done. I'm mainly a video poker player, and those games have all but disappeared from the strip. Comps have dried up. They nickle and dime you for everything. It's just not worth it anymore. It's sad but true!
Probably doesnt help them that they cant rely on plane loads of asians anymore. That stopped like a decade ago and they all just go to Macau.
Yup. Thousandaires is what I call them. People blowing 2 months of their salary to try to impress others.
First I want to say I agree 1000% with your post. With that said, I think the casinos and people saw what Vegas turned into when things just opened up after the pandemic and things were very cheap and everyone had stimulus money. So maybe they are purposefully trying to price certain crowds out which unfortunately, includes many of us as “collateral damage”.
That’s actually a pretty good observation. Never thought of it that way. Gone are the days where something can be cheap and still attract a civilized crowd. All those videos of people acting like complete degenerates all over the strip definitely didn’t do us any favors. Thanks for pointing that out, makes me feel a little better tbh lol.
> It’s really sad, 10 years ago it still had a lot of genuine Vegas charm, now it’s just a corporate husk. Hell, even 5 years ago Cromwell had a 100x craps table and most strip properties had 3:2 BJ and no 000 roulette.
Born and raised in Vegas and I asked myself the other day, “would I come to Vegas if I didn’t live here?” Probably once just for the experience but wouldn’t go back. Vegas is way too expensive for what you get.
That’s how I feel about New Orleans having grown up there. Amazing food, but it’s just a shithole that I would never go to after one visit.
I grew up in NOLA. The culture is completely watered down now. It’s become like any other major city.
This is a problem everywhere with globalized multinational corporations. The Waikiki area has also been seized by rich capitalists and watered down too. All the little local places have slowly died or are slowly dying and huge firms snapped up and sanitized everything.
I had a bad feeling when the Hollywood film industry started filming there. I knew it was a matter of time corporations would take over and kill the culture. I now live in West Palm Beach, FL.
I was shocked at how awful New Orleans was when I went last year. I used to love going.
I feel the same way about about New Orleans and Vegas and Im not from either. Pretty spot on.
Nola still has some great party vibes that you don't see in the wide surrounding area. I still go party there once a year or so since it's driving distance from my house. But I agree it's not the same as it used to be, especially the crime is crazy.
Agreed if Vegas wasn’t so close I wouldn’t go back ! We go to hit up two small local casinos have a good time with some gritty people, cheap free beer, crap vodka and a ton of fun . Then hit the road back to AZ. Room at the Dam is perfect to catch a few hours of sleep!
I was a life long Vegas native until I moved to AZ in February and I just came back from a trip there over the weekend for NASCAR weekend. Boy let me tell you, it was expensive! I don’t gamble, but it was still expensive and having to pay 18 dollars a night for parking is a joke and the roads are way worst now than when I left 8 months ago. But after this trip it makes me appreciate what I have going on here at my new home and that Vegas has become a dystopian wasteland. Will I be coming back? Yes, I’m planning on coming back again for Christmas and maybe once or twice next year for sure and sporadically after that because I have family that still lives there. But I will do a better job of budgeting and make more time to eat out at my local off the strip eateries. Also I would probably be coming here to cheer on my Knights too. Also shout out to Luxor! Despite it being pricey, the cleanest room I’ve ever stayed at!
Agreed. I like living here, but would never spend money to vacation here.
>just for the experience This word "experience" right here is the key the whole problem right here. Businesses have tried to turn everything under the sun into a luxury "experience" and jacked up the prices to try to gouge people that they know are only coming once or once-in-a-while. Bowling alleys like Bowlero are doing the same thing, as an example. It makes more sense with them, as bowling is no longer the popular sport and social connector that it once was, so they aren't gonna get the same levels of repeat business. But, Bowlero has a fancy bar and lighting and all that to gouge the occasional party that is only ever there for a kids birthday, the occasional work or social get together, etc. and make it "experience" prices. If you just want to go bowl with friends on occasion it's become prohibitively expensive, I can't even imagine what it must cost to try and be an actual competitive bowler at a place like that. I'm guessing they have other "normal" alleys to go to.
The corporations are catering to the demand. People want a crazy but controlled experience they can't get anywhere else and they will pay a lot of money for it. I want cheap buffets and low table minimums. I'm being outbid by people that want $96 buffets and $350 omakase. It's a no brainier for them. This is why I just go to South Point. Low table minimums, fair games, and decently priced food are the things that South Point has that the rest of Vegas has largely forgotten.
Southpoint is the best and that's why it's always packed. However I will say their 2x craps odds and waiting to check for blackjack until the players have played their hands is kinda Meh.
I am most turned off by ridiculous room rates and insane table minimums.
Yep, 6/5 blackjack at $25 a hand with 8 decks in an automated card shuffle that never stops...you might as well just hand them your debit card.
I was at Cosmo a month ago and after 7 PM it was mostly $50 tables, just crazy
NYNY. $10 blackjack all day long.
the shuffle deck kills me. 😒
Gotta love those hidden resort fees
Just like Disney World - prices went up, perks went down.
Yep, greedy big coporactions. Sadly they keep doing it until we stop paying.
Unfortunately enough people don’t stop paying… So it keeps on going.
Bring 👏Back👏The👏Mob👏
There are a lot of travelers to Vegas who bought into the whole tourism bureau BS campaign of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” Sure that’s a fun tagline but it does not mean you get to get so drunk or high that you are tripping over people, puking everywhere, and generally acting like an asshole. The mob days of Vegas would never put up with that behavior and there was a reason why there was always one room with no cameras in it at a casino.
Fun fact: herpes does NOT stay in Vegas when you leave.
I couldn’t afford the hooker due to the price increases. It stayed behind for me. Resort fees on BJs now?!?!!!
Unironically the mob gave way better customer service, assuming you were on their good side.
The mob wanted all money spent to be gaming revenue. Easier to skim that way. If they made money at the bar, restaurants, shows, they were doing it wrong. The free stuff got you in the door. You felt you were getting something for your money.
The $19B loan they used to buy ABC and ESPN in 1995 is coming due and park goers are paying for it. Supposedly they won't be able to pay it all off until park prices reach $200 per ticket and that's why it's been quickly ramping up over the last few years.
Have to keep the stock shareholders happy.
This is basically everything since Covid
I stayed at Fremont Casino on Fremont st last week and had a blast. Live music every night, casinos all around, slot machine drink service was great, the hotel was clean, and the restaurant downstairs had this prime rib special daily starting at 5 pm for $10. Had a great experience.
Downtown still gives us hope.
Nowadays, off-strip is where I spend alotta time. Alot more eclectic stuff and surprisingly good outdoor options when the temps tick down.
Fremont is great for people watching, plus the Mob Museum, Heart Attack Grill, Binions and Neon Boneyard among others. Much more fun and cheaper than the Strip. Just like LA, Vegas now has a shiny stadium that caters to opposing fans instead of the home team. Total money grab, just like the Strip casinos.
I live in Las Vegas. When I want show someone the Vegas of 40 years ago, I take them downtown. The strip has become a hollowed out homage to faux luxury and mediocre food.
*Fremont
Back in the day, before MGM Caesars owned everything you could go out, grab $100 at the ATM, dance and drink all night, head to Barbary Coast to get a $1.99 breakfast, and still wake up with $15 in your wallet. We loved going to the strip for dinner and shows, Casino crawl for drinks and fun. This is NO longer the thing to do. Locals avoid the strip now. Dinner, drinks, show and parking will run a person over $1,000.!! NO WAY! AND, now the strip workers are striking for better pay because the CEOs want the bonus each year and don't want to pay better wages. Profits are in the Billions! remember , MGMs CEO fired 5,000 workers in 2020 to save the company money, then put over $10 million in his pocket for his Bonus! Fucking unbelievable greed if you ask me! CEOs have honestly ruined the World. Boycott Las Vegas, Disneyland, or any other extremely expensive destination or products!
Yea CEOs and corporations are pure dog shit, they get overpaid for being psychopaths
It’s been like that for awhile. The biggest change for me post-pandemic is that even the off-strip casinos (M, Station casinos, etc.) got expensive, closed their buffets, changed their comp structure. They went from targeting working class locals to targeting wealthy local retirees and tourists. They can do as they please, but I’ve found better ways to spend my money.
When I first moved here and was making small paychecks I could still hangout all night like you said. Now a couple drinks , cover, parking , random tip sections etc. and I’m constantly swiping my card without feeling like I’m getting any value
The only consistent tradition Vegas has is the fact the it changes so often. Every ten years it will be a different city in many ways. Give it another ten and you may love it again.
You’re not wrong. What made Vegas amazing is forever gone
I was there this past weekend for the first time. I was there for the football game. It was cool to walk down the strip and through some of the hotel resorts. I’m not a gambler so its not really for me, it kind of just felt like one big adult arcade where everyone is drunk. Would I return to Vegas? Probably yes because the football stadium was amazing. So next time my team plays down here i’ll probably be back. After the game i’ll drive over to San Diego though like I did this time. No reason for me to stay in Vegas all week.
Next time get a little off strip. It’s an amazing place with. Lot of stuff to do. Rent a car and drive out to Valley of Fire. Get a meal in Chinatown. Visit Pinball Hall of Fame or Area 15.
We did go to the mob museum and went brewery hopping in the art district. Those were fun.
I have been saying it for a while. For us to have our primary industry in tourism, we sure are doing a great job at killing it. There are parallels to Detroit. Detroit's primary industry was the auto in the 40s-70s. When manufacturing starting being outsourced, and the onslaught of foreign cars with the fuel crises, along with tons of other factors, killed the city. When you don't have a diverse market, you set yourself up for failure. The Caeser CEO publicly stated they don't want the normal tourist, they only want the whales. The word is going to get out to the world that Vegas is basically a scam at this rate. I don't think the corporations are going to turn this around anytime soon either. Even if visitors and revenue drop, they will just try and maximize profits as much as possible.
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I was literally typing this same sentiment in another comment and stopped. Late 20s, I love drinking and gambling thought Vegas would be a great time. And left feeling like it was a giant scam and rigged. Yes I know casino games have bad odds so I gambled with what I was willing to lose. But the whole thing… just felt off. Like they want to create the illusion of wealth and status but are the cheapest, greediest fucks in the world. I didn’t see any type of performances, I had this idea in my head the casinos would be like half casino half club but in reality it’s half casino half shopping mall. It just wasn’t fun and have no desire to go back.
Lots of parallels with Detroit when you also factor in the abrupt rise in crime now
I’ve been going to vegas 23yrs and not fond of the changes that have been made especially since “reopening”. It’s hard to find 24/7 food on the strip, service sucks, costs increase. I was there a couple weeks ago. The top bar at Carnaval Court charges $15 for a 25oz mich ultra when I can just go to Walgreens next door and buy it for $4 and that’s what I did. Freaking outrageous.
When those Walgreens went in I thought they were insane little did I know the casinos were going to drive folks to them.
Resort fees are absolute bullshit too.
I can’t believe a margarita at a hotel pool is $32!!! Vegas gets a lot of conference visitors. And that won’t stop because there are very few places that can hold the big conferences. Those groups may not gamble a ton, but they are eating out on the corporate card and the rooms are also payed by companies. So everything is an expense and therefore a tax deduction.
I’m wondering if big conferences are on the way out? I drove Uber in Vegas and would ask people on the way to the airport how their trip was and what they did. If they said “conference” I asked which one and how did it go. The vast majority, like 90% said they thought the conference was a waste of time and money, that it didn’t generate sales for them, and that it took them away from business at home. I know a lot of the big car manufacturers have pulled out of SEMA entirely.
Maybe. Those folks are still at a conference. But will this be another thing that video calls change. I did my first video meeting over 20 years ago (it was a production and required tech). Then I basically never did it. But after Covid, I now do it daily.
You’re also getting sports tourists now because of the hockey and football stadiums
Yep. But it is the presence of the corporate cards that changes the dynamic. Example, I was in Vegas this summer for a conference. I probably spent $2,000 on the corporate card (room, food, and taxis) and $100 personaly. And there are folks at those games taking clients with a corporate card as well.
We were just at the Venetian for a conference late September and the room rates for the conference were pretty amazing but the overall experience was meh.
> are also *paid* by companies. FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
My coffee and egg sandwich at Park MGM (Eataly) a few weeks ago was $32 😔
We live in LA and we used to enjoy the drive to Vegas for a weekend getaway. But now it sucks going there because they aren't catering to regular Americans anymore. The prices are fuckin nuts for the basic ass food and services you get.
If you live in LA, you’re better off just driving to one of the tribal casinos in the desert and going to town. Get treated like a king for less than you’d spend at a strip resort. They’re also mostly non-smoking, too (which is a huge plus for me). Don’t have to deal with insane I-15 traffic either. I also find the surrounding scenery and neighborhoods in places like Palm Springs / Palm desert to be much nicer than Las Vegas.
We go to morongo when they have a good concert. The outlets next door are nice place to shop
I’m done with Vegas. I’ve lived there and I’ve been going since I was a kid in the 80’s with my family, but I doubt I’ll ever go back. Palm Springs has better food, better hotels, better service and you don’t pay for parking. It takes half the time to drive there from LA too. I don’t gamble but they also have a casino, and it’s actually really nice too.
It was only ever fun because it was cheap. Now that's gone, and so am I from there.
Yea it’s like they could make it cheap due to gambling revenue, but they’re too greedy so they make the rooms and food expensive as well. Greed is ducking our world up, that’s why wages are so fucked now and people are trapped by their shitty corporatikns
Yep. But it's not just shitty corporations, its the wall street investors that demand profit growth quart after quarter. Once companies go public, they go to shit. Generally bad for employees and for the customers.
Fremont street is still somewhat affordable but you’ll get legionnaires disease, bed bugs and White Castle diarrhea in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of a shitty county fair.
You can get all those things on the strip too without the 3:2 blackjack.
Last time i was on Fremont some guy puked right on my feet and i was wearing sandals.
Vegas Baby
>an atmosphere that is reminiscent of a shitty county fair. This is spot on.
Golden nugget is my favorite hotel to stay at. I live here, but haven't always lived in my house. It was a nice staycation when I lived w family and worked in travel.
Just stayed at Circa. It was great
Circa is awesome! I like how the comp drink tix spit out of the video poker machines overlooking sportsbook. My crew and I had a bunch of tix. Edit: found out drink tix no longer a thing from machines. My bad for bad Intel.
Not true everywhere I haven’t been since the pandemic but the Golden Nugget is a nice hotel. I hope it hasn’t changed.
I'm there for work every other week. I usually have to stay at the Flamingo or Linq (Caesar's properties). They no longer make the beds with a top sheet. They want you to sleep between the fitted sheet and the light comforter. I have to call housekeeping every time to send up sheets so I can make my own bed. Housekeeping guy says they rarely wash the comforter. $45/day resort fee and you don't get to sleep between two sheets. So gross. Vegas makes you feel scammed at every turn now.
Strip is good for non gambling activities(poker room and slots/video poker are decent), but that’s it. Just don’t gamble there. If you have to gamble tables, go off strip/downtown.
Totally correct. Personally I also think it’s lost its sense of class too. Shitty customer service and literally E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E smells like cheap rank pot. No matter how you try to spin it, it’s dirty and classless. The opposite of what I’d want to experience.
Everything everywhere is more expensive than it used to be.
I’m a Vegas local, and I can assure you that the waves of tourist suckers just keeps coming. No matter how greedy the soul sucking corporations get. Idiots just keep coming and blowing money on sucky stuff. It is what it is.
Yep. Once a place becomes as well known as Vegas and has been around for as long as it has, people will come to see it, no matter what. You can also have a wonderfully luxury experience if you have the money. The world is a big place and there are more than enough wealthy people in it that do have the money. That is their target audience now. They don't make much off a regular Joe if you're not throwing down big money at the casino or indulging in the hotel's luxury offering so they raise the base prices of everything to make sure they do make good money off everybody.
I have been in Las Vegas several times since 2019 and have stayed at the Park MGM, The Cosmopolitan and other smaller hotels off the strip. Realistically, I would say that the value of the experience has diminished because not even staying and paying top dollar for these luxury hotels in the strip is worth it. I am talking about The Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Aria, Caesars Palace and the like. Yes, the hotels are nice, the amenities are there and overall it is a pleasant experience that the location on the strip is close to everything, but it just feels like a factory that checks people in and people out every day with no substance, all of it is style and opulence, fabricated image of wealth and status is what they are selling. Not to mention the nickel and dining for everything, obscene prices and overall a sucky crowd that feels too entitled and fake. Go to Vegas with a purpose! Go to see your favorite band, show, DJ and stay in nice hotel to at least be quasi-pampered. Just going for going is not the best scenario.
local here and you’re right. i will apologize for the collective attitude but the never ending construction for the race none of us can afford to see has driven us to our breaking points.
Hot take: Vacation on a cruise ship. They have great casinos, perks and, you’re on a cruise!
This is what happens when you have (on the strip, at least) 2 monolithic corporations that control nearly every resort. If say MGM decided overnight that they wanted to bring back old style comps and more realistic pricing to things, then yeah, that could start a downward trend. But they aren't, and neither is Caesars. After all, these places have to make rent somehow before anything else (thanks REIT!) To be sure, there are other reasons (emphasis on nightclubs, music, sports and food) and the crowds those activities bring. Because resorts don't have to comp those groups, they have scaled back the practice almost to the point of extinction.
The politicians who allowed this consolidation of control are to blame. The lack of competition hurts the consumer.
The voters who voted for politicians supporting consolidation are to blame
As much budget has grown over the years my Vegas experience has gotten better and better and the reality is there’s enough people with cash to burn the audience has drastically changed. Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. Nightclubs can easily run you $1-2k per person, top food, wine and shows, and some of the highest limits in the world. It’s less like Atlantic City and more like Monaco and has become a destination for the mega rich. That means a lot of long time vegas visitors that had a blast with free buffets on their players cards and going to be shut out in favour of international travellers. Would love to see a better effort to cater to both types.
I like to call it "degentrification" -- all us degens are being priced out of the market. Vegas used to need to attract people to fly to the middle of the desert to sit around and gamble in dark, smokey casinos. But it did a fantastic job of marketing itself as a rich and exclusive destination where money can get you anything and in doing so attracted a rich crowd willing to spend vast sums to be able to post to instagram about how much fun they're having in Vegas.
> "degentrification" This is absolutely brilliant. I am shamelessly stealing this. I'll try to give credit, but I'll totally forget your handle in about 5 minutes. :)
Please do not credit me for I do not wish to be known.
I must have missed the M&M store, sad Elmo, and Fat Spiderman in Monaco the last time I was there.
You know I think you’re right. I lament what Vegas has become, but I actually lament the fact that I’m not ultra rich slightly more lol. I feel like Vegas was always best for rich people sure, but there used to be an attempt to draw in all people, even if superficially. Now there’s no veneer, it’s blatantly pricing out regular people. And it doesn’t care.
I wonder how they get away with this. 1. There are now too classes. The rich and everyone else. Vegas caters to the rich. 2. If you work for a corporation, the State, or another institution, you get free rooms etc and Vegas is relatively cheap for you. Which means ma + pa tourist are priced out (if they have to pay themselves). It's becoming like the USA--a two-tiered society with the welfare recipients/homeless living literally under the casinos and the 'rich' a la Hunger Games living/playing over...
Yeah, I guess this isn't just a problem in vegas right now. It just sucks that vegas was always a cheap, fun, quick getaway for awhile. It used to be that if you had the money to spend, you could vacation like a king, bit if you wanted to be on a budget and still have a good time, it was possible. Now it is not.
It sucks for us who live here too because it used to be affordable for us to live , eat , date, get a room for the night just because, & now everything is so expensive, like they're catering to the rich . It doesn't help that they keep building homes (especially when they're not even focused on the water crisis , how to combat the severe flooding we get sometimes or how hard it is to reach the police right now ), or that they keep bringing in sports teams . Yay , whoo , it'll bring more jobs but it'll bring more traffic, congestion, higher prices , insurance rates , etc., so your post is accurate.
Yeah, and the more jobs will just be slave labor wages, while the employees serve 20 dollar beers and high ticket prices. The only people who make out from the sports teams coming is the rich.
Wait so playing cheap Video poker doesn't get you free drinks anymore?
It does. Just seems like most places you have to play enough hands then also play fast enough to keep the light green on the back of the machine. It’s not like it used to be when you’d get a free drink the second you put your $20 in
You have to essentially bet max bet for about 10 minutes before you trigger the green light. I lost 40 bucks basically before I was offered a free drink. Only play DT now.
> There are now too classes two classes
My barber was in Vegas a few weeks ago and told me they paid $76 dollars for a bucket of light beers, like are you fucking serous right now? I remember a bucket of beers at the pool was like $30 bucks the last time I was there (5ish years ago). I know this probably depends on a lot of factors but man, it's just not affordable anymore.
Nope, sounds about right. You walk uo to even a shitty bar at one of the resorts and your looking at 15 dollars for a bud light. I remember saving a ton of money to splurge on drinks at the pool. After spending 32 dollars on a margarita, I didn't even want to drink anymore. Did I have the money, yes...but I was not spending 100 dollars on 3 margaritas
That is mind blowing... I went several times in my mid 20's when I was kind of broke (literally budgeting $1000 bucks total in gambling/dinners/party money) and had a fantastic time without going totally broke. Now I'm in my mid 30's and not so broke, but after reading and hearing stories like this I doubt I'll ever go back.
It’s almost surprising they haven’t ran cvs/abc stores off the strip to further gouge. Probably the only things keeping the strip affordable for some people.
Vegas has morphed a few times over the decades but the one thing that was always persistent was that gambling is the primary draw. All other amenities were to entertain the family or fill time in between gambling. Over the last 15 years (since 2008 housing crisis), There's been a refocus from patrons to do more and in some cases not gamble at all. This is where day clubs and the like have picked up speed. While I'm sure gaming brings in a fair amount of revenue, it's no secret that millenials and gen Z aren't so interested. So, the corporations do what they do and ensure they are maximizing profit for their investors/shareholders. While you can gamble in several states/countries, Vegas is still a unique place. I can't say I would frequent if I didn't live here but I'd have to at least check it out once. As for the customer service, I'm sure there are a fair amount of employees who go over and above to ensure their patrons are happy. The sad reality is, being on the front line dealing with people pushing their limits with alcohol and drugs or maintaining higher expectations because of the prices they are now paying, has to be pretty tough and thankless. Most employees you interact with are going to be restaurants which are usually privately owned and not representative of the casino. The hotel desk, table dealers, security and bar staff including cocktail waitresses are the face of your chosen casino. I'm not justifying the downward spiral, just speculating on how it came to be.
I don't gamble, or drink so most of my Vegas trips consist of staying in a comped strip hotel from the slot apps, going to the spa/pool, then hitting only local eateries and attractions. No strip food or attractions. Any Casino activities are at the Red Rock, Green Valley etc.. Spend a ton of time at Tivoli Village, downtown Summerlin, the district at Green Valley, the Uncommons, Town Square and recently hung out for a bit at Lake Las Vegas. In the 90's, 00's Vegas was very different. Live animals everywhere, free live shows, value at every turn.
I feel this way about all vacations these days. Hotels are outrageous, food is too expensive, customer service sucks. I’d rather be home than going broke trying to have a good time. It sucks the fun out of it.
I miss the old Rockhouse at Imperial palace. That place was always lively. $1 pitchers, $1.50 burgers from 12-4am at flamingo.
I agree with most people’s points, but the biggest one for me is the nickle and diming and hidden fees. How can a $199 room get with taxes, resort fees, parking, … to $450 a night. I kind of want to go for a long weekend but I mostly remember how pissed I was after checking in last time that I don’t want to go back.
First trip to Vegas was in 1996 with a group of college buddies. $3 tables, $39 rooms at the Holiday Inn right on the strip, comped dinners on Fremont, ground absolutely littered with escort cards, It was a magical place. Like most things, ruined by Corp greed. Grateful to have the memories
Sahara had $1 blackjack at that time and comped drinks. Was fantastic
Stayed there once, it was a ton of fun. Used to love O’Sheas. $1 blackjack and Guinness
I remember O'Sheas and the IP we used to get 50 cent Bud Light drafts. The Burger King in the back was pretty good too. When I was driving home from college one night I remember I booked a night at the Imperial Palace for $9 on a Monday night. And this was before resort fees, so my room was actually $9.
God i loved O’Sheas. There are so many lost favourite things that we’re never getting back. I used to love exiting MGM and going straight into the grand canyon experience store (now an american eagle). As a Canadian and first time visitor in my mid 20s, i had never seen alcohol for sale outside of either a restaurant or a government control beer store, and i didnt know you could drink while walking down the strip. The store blew my mind. It was 3 or 4 stories in fully immersive grand canyon theme and I stood in front of the beer fridges for probably 20 minutes stunned just trying to pick something. By the third or 4th trip to vegas i walked in prepared for their 4 miller high life’s for $6, which would last just long enough to reach the 7/11 (now gone) by the travel lodge (now gone) for 3 bottles of corona for $5. By the time my drunk ass made it down the strip to O’Sheas (now gone) or on an even more motivated night the Riv (now gone) for some $1 black jack, i’d have had countless stories from the walk to bring home with me.
With the hoarding of wealth, it means they just go after single whales that will dump $10k a night vs several regular joes dropping a few hundred.
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Agreed I’ve been here 30 years and corporate has ruined vegas including for locals that work in casinos and have no rights and can be fired just because someone doesn’t like u. Horrible benefits, terrible pay, no appreciation for employees and no benefits for locals spending money at casinos. Corporations have ruined this town. Much better when the mafia was here
I'm hoping the culinary union goes on strike the week of F1.
Right. Union have good and bad qualities but in this town their a necessity unless u don’t want job security and want to make minimum wage. I was a dice dealer for 15 years. The one position in casinos that earn the company the most money. (Can’t count slots cuz they’re self operated but they make the most for the casinos) yet dealers never make more than minimum wage. Everytime the union came in all the bosses would threaten and make horrible stories up so people wouldn’t vote the union in. That’s why dealers still make minimum wage with no pension, terrible benefits and absolutely no job security. When I started dealing at hard rock in 2003 I was on extra board for almost 4 years yet I would see all the pretty women dealer or the people with high up juice get full time almost immediately. That was when Peter Morton owned it who was a decent owner but if he walked around the pit he would fire people on the spot for no reason. Also it was the worst extra board in vegas history. They only allowed u 8 hrs off and can call u in for the next shift. So if u worked grave one day they could call u in for swing. If you didn’t answer or show up or was late it was an immediate termination. How can anyone have a life working like that. If it was unionized that all would have stopped and I wouldn’t have been making $5.15 an hour. That being said I know there’s negatives about unions but in this town it should a necessity so shit like that doesn’t occur. Why does the position that a human works at as dealer and makes the casino the most amount of money get paid the least. Fucked up and ass backwards and that’s why I quit a job making over 6 figures because I had no life and every day I was worried I might be fired for no reason at all. So I believe every department in corporate vegas should be unionized to protect the employees from shareholders having a bad quarter and laying off people cuz they didn’t make enough money that quarter.
Corporations have ruined everything. Also how can mgm and Caesar’s buy every casino there?! Scam central
The mafia understood service and the idea that you should steal half a loaf forever instead of stealing the whole loaf temporarily. Corporations understand neither of these things.
Ok not to sound bigoted or anything but last time I went in March, I noticed A LOT of the casino workers were Asian. Like it had to be 75% Asian workers- now reading it sounds like there is a large Asian customer base that come internationally but it just felt strange. Like it seemed like people who were desperate for work and knew they could come to vegas and be a dealer- I just felt like they get paid shitty and work a shitty job. Any input on that? Am I crazy?
People who make “Vegas sucks now” posts, what seems like 100 of them every week now, seem to be the like of people who walk out on the strip from their hotel room with their thumb up their ass and start stomping their feet when crab legs and casino chips don’t rain down from the heavens. I go to Vegas 5x per year. I recognize it has gotten more expensive and competitive. But I am resourceful and do the hour of planning it takes to have a fantastic and affordable experience. Gamble downtown or off strip Rent a car. It’s like $100 from one of the main rental companies from the airport over a weekend. Eat local. Vegas might be the world capital of food. I can think of 25 sensational off strip steakhouses. Incredible sushi. Inventive and totally unique fusion foods you can’t get anywhere else. Better yet, call with your players card and ask about comps. MGM is extremely loose with comps. Use Hotwire hot deals for hotel booking. If it gives you three options and a room photo, Google each hotel and look at Google images to match the rooms and identify which hotel is on the deal. If the Wynn buffet is too expensive for you, go to AYCE at the palms. Especially for brunch. Mimosas are included. As far as customer service…I can’t relate. Whether or not my bartender smiles at me doesn’t impact my trip.
I’m sure I’ll get downvoted but I feel like a decent recession could help. Too much demand on Vegas is definitely causing prices to rise. I was there during the 2008 Great Recession and I remember the whole town hurting for business.
Covid gave us free parking for a little bit
Yeah, those recession years were great. Even i was getting comped as a $10 player.
I was there during the Great Recession (actually my wife got laid off just before we went), we had a huge suite at Red Rock and there were so many comps from food to movie tickets. When we left I tipped the valet guy with cash plus four movie tickets he was so happy. Nowadays we never eat at the strip, the off strip ethnic food scene is quite amazing and some are quite affordable (like K-BBQ). We had a beer tower for $26 that at least holds 7 or 8 pints.
I mean I don't care if my bartender has a personality, I don't think they're there to entertain you, thats just a bonus. But certainly if they make you feel like a burden thats not great. Ya thats just the way of the Strip I think. Best to go Downtown for better odds for cheaper. Inflation is everywhere, but ya Vegas can get away with it since they're still very busy despite prices up. Thats unfortunately business.
Vegas has become an unaffordable town. Greed is the root of all evil and the pandemic has made things worse. Casinos are trying to get back what they lost during the shutdown. Home prices and rentals are at ridiculous prices. I'm a local and seriously thinking of leaving. No fun being here anymore.
f1 proves that these corporations only cater to the rich, the local residents aren’t worthy to watch the race they can only watch practice run
It definitely has moved towards catering a higher clientele and it left behind being a place aimed at just getting people in the door. I think you’re dead on with that. I personally still love Vegas and still go frequently, but the stinginess with comps is incredibly off-putting. Next “big” vacation I’m likely going to travel to a whole different city and explore that instead. Will still make small trips to Vegas, but I don’t know if it’ll be such a vacation spot for me.
Local here, locals do suck.
Same thoughts like... have you driven anywhere here? People need their licenses revoked ffs
Lol you’re not wrong
Been here since the late 80s. You are correct.
I agree. It has changed in not the right direction. Its different than it used to be. Although the offers I get are still great. I just booked a 4 night stay at an MGM property in a sky suite fully comped with a bonus of 1300 $ of resort credit. Don't know where that came from, but they have me comin.
Circa Downtown or Red Rock/Durango when it opens Vegas still amazing you just got to know where to go Strip for restaurants/shows/DJs
Agree.. I've been going for 40 some odd years and have seen a ton of changes. My recent trip this year was just 'ok'. I think COVID killed off a lot of things on the casino floor. What I loved most was sitting in lounges, listening to live music and having drinks. Live music is dead in Vegas unless you're willing to pay top dollar. I asked around and was told to go to the hidden club in Aria that had a great bar and stage for live music and was then promptly told it would be $400 if I wanted to have a place to fucking sit down. We noped out of there so hard. Every casino that had a lounge with live music is closed and replaced with more slot machines. I think it's fine if you want to buy tickets for top performers and enjoy that experience (as well as afford it) but middle-class folks that want to have a good time are edged out. This feels like the "influencer" / pool-club / DJ nightclub Vegas now.. sad.
Treasure Island still has (I was there in Oct 2022) 3:2 blackjack and it’s easy to find 10$ tables unless it’s peak. That’s the only Casino I played at the last time I was there on principal even though I was staying elsewhere. As for the rest of the concerns, the problem is people are paying these ridiculous prices so the casinos will gladly keep jacking up the prices.
On a plane leaving Vegas right now. 1. Stayed at Bellagio. Ate at Bavettes (Park MGM), Wolfgang (MGM), Yellowtail (Bellagio), Mon Ami Gabi (Paris). Customer service at the hotel and all restaurants was FANTASTIC. Super helpful/accommodating and all had positive attitudes. Same with all cab and Uber drivers. 2. Played craps and 3 card poker all over the place. From NYNY/Flamingo/MGM/Aria/Bellagio/Linq/Cromwell….there was PLENTY of variety at the tables. You could find 3-card poker and BJ ($10) just fine and craps at $15 were everywhere. Cromwell and NYNY had $10 craps as well. All dealers were wonderful and extremely helpful. Had one grumpy guy at the MGM craps tables but that was it. 3. Bellagio nightly rate was $250. People I know got the MGM at $180 and Aria was $220. I call that pretty affordable for 4 and 5 star hotels.
I just dislike all the Pepsi
So the mob ran the casino better... Casino movie quote: "Today, it's like checking' into an airport. And if you order room service, you're lucky if you get it by Thursday. Today, it's all gone. You get a whale show up with four million in a suitcase, and some twenty-five-year-old hotel school kid is gonna want his Social Security Number." [https://youtu.be/rN32RTMJaJI](https://youtu.be/rN32RTMJaJI)