[dicipher]

And clearly the answer is, as long as people will pay for it... Why not?

But charging to sit in a sports book to watch a game? That's definitely a new one.

My wife and I were just in town for the second week of March Madness and wanted to visit Circa to see the world's largest sports book. It's a good thing I called in advance and checked as they were charging $150 for a recliner and upwards of $3,000 for a booth. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked. I asked the concierge if they always charged for seats and he said the minimum was $75 to watch a game there. Hard to believe when there isn't a Superbowl going on or March Madness that a 1,000 seat sports book would actually be so booked that they command that type of price (i.e. a week night with just some NBA games or baseball).

Other hotels on the strip we're doing the same. Harrahs charged $76 a person with the promise of a bonus two free drinks (I guess they think that's hard to get in Vegas), lol. The worst part about it was they really didn't have people monitoring the area and people just started sitting in the sports book after the first half was done with very little resistance from the staff (so why charge it if you're not going to enforce it?).

I guess going forward, we'll be watching any sporting events in the room instead.

Heck, I'm still shocked at charging for parking and typically go over to the Venetian Palazzo to park when I get a rental car (even if I'm not staying there). Most of the hotels I would stay at would be close enough that a short walk is fine by me. Just tired of being gouged by casinos.

[Hemlock140]

Very few casinos have Keno any more, but we used to go in the 1980s and sit there with old cards out of the wastebaskets, and get free drinks from the waitresses who thought we were playing. Back then you could also get a buffet meal for $3.99, those days are gone. With their high cost of labor, insurance, government regulations, utilities, they probably have a full staff assigned to think of additional ways to make money and eliminate freebies.

[movin1]

They're not making nearly enough money from people gambling, lol. No wonder people who live here don't go to The Strip very often.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Very few casinos have Keno any more, but we used to go in the 1980s and sit there with old cards out of the wastebaskets, and get free drinks from the waitresses who thought we were playing. Back then you could also get a buffet meal for $3.99, those days are gone. With their high cost of labor, insurance, government regulations, utilities, they probably have a full staff assigned to think of additional ways to make money and eliminate freebies.

Its a paradox, eliminate the freebee's and save money but lose customers. Bring back all the freebees spend the money and gain customers. Ill go with the latter. You attract more bees with honey than vinegar.

[Floridaman777]

when i was a local in Vegas i hardly ever went down to the strip except for the occasional eatery. Tourists get scammed lol.

[longviewJoe]

*Is there anything people in the United States won't monetize?

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by longviewJoe

*Is there anything people in the United States won't monetize?

Uh..yes. And on the topic we're talking about, I don't pay a dime to watch a game in the sports bars in my area.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by dicipher

Uh..yes. And on the topic we're talking about, I don't pay a dime to watch a game in the sports bars in my area.

Perhaps you are paying but don't realize.

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

Perhaps you are paying but don't realize.

Perhaps not. Having a bite to eat is different than paying to sit down and watch a game with nothing more than what you can already get free at any casino ('free drinks'). And I'm certainly not paying $150 for it. Why try and twist this into something that it's not? You and this Longview Joe are really reaching here.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by dicipher

Perhaps not. Having a bite to eat is different than paying to sit down and watch a game with nothing more than what you can already get free at any casino ('free drinks'). And I'm certainly not paying $150 for it. Why try and twist this into something that it's not? You and this Longview Joe are really reaching here.

Nothing is ever really free. All expenses of the casino are covered by customer payments.