Photo Courtesy (Nevada Casino History)
No matter the temperature, Vegas is still the hottest gaming venue in the world. Although there are plenty of places to gamble and Macau may be leading in gaming revenue, no other place can or ever will be VEGAS!
If you've never checked out the Las Vegas Strip, nothing compares except Times Square in NYC - and it doesn't have gambling. Pretty simple choice for me. Today I even caught a view of the Strip than I had never seen. Since I've been known to play a little poker, the Bellagio casino isn't a new spot for me, but the poker room is situated along Flamingo Road, across from Ceasars, and I often stay at Ceasars and walk across to the Bellagio, so, I never stopped outside the Bellagio hotel front desk and looked back at the Strip. My mistake
From that vantage point you can look through the exploding water fountains and across the Strip to see Paris (the casino) and the Eiffel Tower. Now up close, Paris is fun, and the outside of the building is nice, but from inside the Bellagio it really looks great, especially with the water leading up to the bank of trees and then the Tower. You really should get the view!
In other Vegas news, I'm staying in a terrace studio at the Cosmopolitan and I've got to say that the room (620 square feet) and private terrace (110 square feet) are both awesome and quite comfortable. Rates, of course, vary, but right now I'm in the nicest room under $200 I've ever stayed in and it's not even close. If there was a poker room the property would be perfect, but then I would have missed that veiw of Paris!
Comments
Wow….it’s good.
http://bit.ly/rnuVLs
What is so great about the casino games offered in Vegas? It has 6-5 and other very poor blackjack games. The table minimum bets–especially on the Strip–are high. Craps games with high or higher odds can be found in other venues.
Its slot machines are no looser than those found in other gaming destinations throughout the country.
Customer service in most of the casinos is mediocre or poor. The worst for customer service is the El Cortez. The only casino I visited that was exceptional in this respect is the Cosmo.
No other gaming destination has so many panhandlers, and there are the people shoving the x-rated pamphlets in your face as you walk on the Strip.
And there is the crime: my car was vandalized there in December. recently, several people were murdered on or near the Strip. Finally, I became very ill after eating at the Riviera: maybe the bankrupt casino was serving old food in an effort to reduce costs.
Bottom line: the city and its casinos have seen much better days.
I like to vegas
Yes, there are some of the same problems in Vegas that every large city has. That shouldn’t be a surprise, but actually, it is a lot safer in Las Vegas now than it has ever been.
There are a lot more clubs to choose from now, many that cater to locals and middle-income gamblers who don’t want the expenses of 5-star resorts and offer plenty of penny and nickle machines, $3 to $5 blackjack – and not the 6-5 blackjack payoffs.
As for the El Cortez, well, that’s an older (1940’s) small property in the downtown area that caters to a clientele interested in minimal comforts and high value (read: cheap). As everywhere, you do get better service where you pay more than $2 for a table game bet.
Maestro:
Most of what you say is true, and especially in my case when I try to find decent video poker on the Strip. I have much better payouts at my local Harrah’s and Horseshoe in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
But, having said all that, the writer of the article is exactly right when he says there is no place on earth like Las Vegas! If you choose to concentrate on the negative side then you’re right, the panhandlers, porn peddlers and costumed characters are very annoying, but I prefer to think of them as part of the Vegas experience. Walking from casino to casino I know they will be there but they fade away when I walk into another casino.
I love talking to “Vegas people” when I run into them. I mention that I have recently been / am planning on going soon / am saving up to go back again and when I see their eyes light up, I know I’ve found another Vegas person. Within a few moments we are comparing shows we’ve seen, stories of fortunes won or lost, and stories of our first Vegas experiences. I’ve just made another Vegas friend!
I actually am going to Vegas in six days, staying for 2 nights each at the Green Valley Ranch, the Rio, and one night at Harrah’s, all comped with relatively little play on my part. Now is a great time to go because rooms are extremely cheap or even free! More money for gambling. And my Southwest flight is free for having gotten their credit card and having charged a mere pittance on it.
Wish me luck!
Pete from Omaha
Maestro:
If you are going to make editorial comments about a subject, you should at least have some knowledge regarding the subject. Your are dead wrong with your statement “Its slot machines are no looser than those found in other gaming destinations throughout the country.” The average payback percentage of LV slots is about 92%. Atlantic City is about 90%, even though the gaming regulations specify a payback that is typically 85%. They do this to remain competitive with the other casinos. However, the individual states basically have no local competition and will only payback the minimum required (85%). A difference of 5% is a huge disadvantage for the player because this number is not linear. Also, LV and AC were established a gambling venues, while the states brought in gambling as revenue generators.