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John Katsilometes
Binion’s at night, on Fremont Street.
Published Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 | 9:39 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 | 10:11 a.m.
What's happened to Vegas landmark Binion's over the past five weeks reminds one of the Mark Twain quote, "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
Wait. That's not the line. I'm thinking of the famous quote, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
It seems a great many Binion's customers — past and potential — across the country and even the globe have wrongly deemed one of the city's most famous hotel-casinos as lacking a pulse. Out of business. As in, forever.
No.
It's like this: On Dec. 1 Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel announced it was losing that "hotel" for a time and closing its 365-room tower. The closing date was set at Dec. 14. About 100 hotel employees would be out of work. Binion's Restaurant & Bar, downstairs, would close, too. All of that did happen.
Binion's Cafe, home of the $5 burger.
But crucial to this announcement was that the casino itself — including the poker room, all the gaming pits, the great Binion's Ranch Steakhouse and the somewhat great Binion's Café — would remain open for business as usual. The usual being that the steakhouse would be shut for a time in December for its annual two-week scrubbing, but is again open today. Still on the 24th floor, great view, warm wheat bread, flavorful beef-age, all that.
The problem has been that the closing of the hotel has resulted in the following thought pattern from those who have read or heard the news: "Binion's. Hotel. Closing." The reports have been accurate, but as Binion's General Manager Tim Lager said earlier this evening while sipping a Michelob Ultra at Benny's Bullpen Sports Bar and Cigar Lounge, multitudes of tourists have mourned the closing of a casino still open.
"The power of our brand is such that whatever happens here makes news," Lager said, "and the news was that the hotel was closing. People saw that in the headlines, or heard it, and felt that was it for Binion's. This happened all across the world. We've received word from Australia that people were under the assumption that Binion's is closed."
The sports book at Binion's: Serviceable.
Throw another mattress on the barbie, mate.
The evidence is mostly anecdotal, but it has mounted ever since the sad news was sent out Dec. 1: Loyal Binion's guests from tiny towns in Texas who received mailers from the hotel, only to have the postal worker remark, "Sorry to hear that your favorite hotel is closing." The longtime visitor to the poker room who bumps into Lager on his way to cash out his Club Binion's player's card because he wants to reap the benefits before the casino's doors are chained shut.
"I get it all the time," said Lager, who spends about as much time on the Binion's casino floor as I do these days.
The sagging business at the Binion's Ranch Steakhouse is a particular concern, as it is one of the hotel's most famous draws and a popular restaurant in times when it is not rumored to be out of business. Just a year ago, TLC Casino Enterprises, which owns the hotel (Terry Caudill being the owner of TLC, which also owns Four Queens) renovated the steakhouse with new carpet, wallpaper, china, even a new menu. The new ownership also topped the old hotel with an $800,000 roof, as even the finest resort is worthless if rain is pooling on the Pai Gow tables.
These moves were to indicate long-term commitment to Binion's, which has a very big casino floor — 80,000 square feet, more than double that of Four Queens — and needed a lot of vacuuming, to say the least. Caudill's plans were to tackle those rooms, too. The ownership knew it was buying into a hotel that needed some serious work, but those plans were mothballed during the subsequent economic cratering. Binion's operated at a loss as it offered rooms at $19 for a time, even less than the $29 rates offered at such Strip hotels as Imperial Palace. But guess what type of clientele a $19 room attracts: Cheap. These folks aren't lighting Macanudos with $100 bills at Benny's Bullpen, put it that way.
Caudill also has jousted with some of the owners of the land on which the resort sits. About a half-dozen different interests own the Binion's land parcels, many of whom inherited ownership from the original families who bought the land in auction back in 1905. There are dozens of ownership partners tied into those parcels, and TLC has been sued for failing to comply with terms of its lease of the Binion's land. TLC has been attempting to negotiate more favorable lease terms for nearly a year, arguing that if it continues to cut costs to meet the bottom line, customer service would suffer so acutely that guests might stay away even if they know the casino isn't closed.
Lager says the hotel one day will be reopened, but can't yet calculate what the economic indicators would be to start movement in that direction. Many consecutive months of robust business would be a start. There is hope that some powerhouse, one-off PR event — Mayor Oscar Goodman announcing he will or won't run for governor from the Steakhouse, for instance — would jar the public's perception of the hotel. It doesn't need any more name recognition, just a removal of the headstone from the entrance. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Meanwhile, those who had reservations to stay at one of Binion's dilapidated hotel rooms have been "absorbed" by Four Queens. Now, that's a hotel-casino that's doing pretty well. It's still open, and most important, everyone knows it.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
I used to gamble a LOT and when I did, the suites, restaurants and whatever other perks and comps they would throw my way were very important to me.
Back when there was no limit, and Binion's had a good single deck blackjack paying 3:2 where they would not shuffle constantly, it was worth gambling at Binion's even if I were not interested in staying in their hotel rooms.
But for the average gambler, I would think that the prospect of being comped at most a steak dinner in a casino that today doesn't even have that great odds (single deck blackjack pays 6:5 just like the Strip and they handicap your bet so that you can't bet more than 3X whatever your initial bet at the beginning of the shuffle was, AND they shuffle their decks constantly), would lead him elsewhere.
Split the place in two and call the west side The Mint...
Hey Kat. I used to practically live at Binion's Horseshoe back in the days when the old man , Teddy and Jack owned it. It was the center of the gambling universe! absolutely the best gamble on the planet! Best food, best comps. I didn't care about the rooms, cause I was hardly ever in them. Did you know that the original brick building which Binion's occupies, was the original Apache Hotel built in the early thirties which boasted the very first elevator in Las Vegas? Anyway I always say the Binion's really closed the day Teddy was shut out. Sad , but all good things come to an end at some point.
I miss the Mint.
Havnt been in a few months,, use to go and eat the ham and beans with cornbread.. Last time I was there I hit a royal...Just to busy lately and I dont live downtown anymore...
binions was to me a ghost casino -would go in there and no noise. In the back a few years ago - my mom and I were playing some slots and a lady was sitting by the door - whe was on a wall phone - her pocketbook was on another chair - some guy from outside must have seen the pocketbook and opened the door and took it - ran down the street. She started to yell - someone took my pocketbook - we looked that way and noticed a figure running - we looked at each other - cashed out our machine (there were coins then) took our coins and left - that was the last time I ever went into that place. Dont know what it is like now - but when I go to vegas - I usually just walk by.
Benny at least knew how to run a casino compared to today's CEO's
You got it, GrandmaCrabby.
The Casino's these day are trying to make their money on Hotel Rooms and are compensating their shortages on the odds of the gaming tables.Back in the day the casinos built hotels to accomodate the gamblers and gave them a good rate to allow the gambler to spend more money on the tables.
As far as 19 and 30 dollar rooms that is a little ridiculas you are drawing the wrong clientel at those rates which in turn the middle class tourist does not want to be around.
Binions should have offered a nice moderate decor room for a rate of 75 dollars which keeps alot of the rifraf out.Small renovations to the rooms with updating that was needed.
Binions should have offered top notch coustomer service.Treating that mid range consumer like they were high end.Giving really good odds on the tables.Being frivolous with comps to bring the gambler back.If the gambler stayed in their rooms or played on their tables and the casino new who they were They should have comped a 1 or 2 night stay at their hotel No matter what they gambled or comped 50% off room rates.
When I first arrived in vegas my wife to me to Freemont Street I had never been to Vegas and I wnated to see Binions partly because when Binions came to Mississippi they ran a constant and huge marketing campaign that lasted for a long time after they opened featuring Jack Binion on the advertising.
I know that they offered a great pkg in tunica and drew alot of gamblers to their resort.
This was what made me want to see and visit the gambling Icon that was built in the south about Binions in Vegas.I will say that I dind not stay in their rooms but I love the resturants food and the uniqueness of the gamming floor had a blast.I noticed although the emplyees seemed as though they did not want to be their.
I do understand that the Binion family was forced to sell or close for a breif period of time but I will say even though it is still openn it lost its charm that I could tell lived their before the mishaps it may have encountered.
What a shame and tragedy this has had for Las Vegas as a whole.
No it was not on the strip and did not have the glitz of a mega resort but you could tell that it was a fun place to go at one time.The owners of Binions need to go back to the old school concept of One Big Party Place.To do this they need to start at employee ralations and the public relations and market Binions as the Old Vegas.
The most important thing is clean up downtown of all the beggers That place needs to be crawling with law enforcement and not to harasse the guest but let the criminal element know they are not welcome.
To continue Binions has lost its Maketing focus and they really need to invent new ways of drawing the customer back to their venues
Binions is still has the best steakhouse in town.
Environprotector: I enjoy reading your posts when you share some of the really old history of Vegas. I really wish I could have seen a lot of it myself, first hand. I did get some of the flavor of bygotten times but really enjoy it when people share the really classic times...Thanks
I thought you needed 250 hotel rooms to open a casino in clark county, They should not be allowed to close rooms and keep gambling.
sorry.. I meant bygone times not bygotten (duh on my end)
Poor Marketing!!!
No value to customers!!!
Casino Mananger trying to squezee every last dime out of customers.
Poker room is being run by a bunch of out of control former dealers - basically no real management or business savy.
Before the new owners took over and brought in their management, the tournament poker room was hopping - now it looks like a bunch of empty banquet tables.
The coffee shop closed because the food and service became an insult. I ate there in early November and was so disappointed compared to the days of old.
I have been coming to Binion's for more than 30 years and long for the days before Becky!!
I am now a part-time LAS resident and come downtown several times a month. Each time I seem to encounter a new poker management scheme which I am sure continues pushes to away what regular customers still exist.
Just go across the street and see how the poker room and special events are really hopping at the Golden Nugget.
In closing, the 3Ms apply - Marketing, Money & Management. Without anyone of these three components things will, much to my dismay, continue to deteriorate.
bhumphrey22 :
If you want a real treat, go to youtube and type in Las Vegas 1956 and enjoy Mr. Lindstrom's self narrated home movie he made of Las Vegas in 1956 ! It's fascinating what a beautiful place this valley was..
I remember when they paid 16 to one on a Yo. Benny Binion started the 16 FOR one.
I complained and got a free escort to the door.
At least this report is accompanied by a photo of Binion's and not the Horseshoe. Good job, Kats!
Steakhouse is great.
Used to be great in the old Horseshoe days when you'd occasonally get a hello and a handshake from Jack Binion, Even though he didn't know me fron Adam, certainly made us common folk feel welcome.
I still like Binions.
I have some old B&W photos of my wife and me with the million bucks in the horseshoe.
Relying on nostalgia to draw the crowd - to reminisce the days of comps-long-gone - is not the best business model for a hotel/casino. There is a big difference between old school charm and a rundown dump. I don't know what the Shoe was like when Ted was around...but for last decade, it was just another dump.
No way would it had been wise to charge 75 a night for a room at Binions-L.O.L
OMG--at least not without a drastic remodel
maybe you havent seen the rooms lately??that was just funny-rodtig:)
but the service there is lousy now-we were there at Christmas and the week before , and a few days after-yep there were many people in Binions.
But the cocktail waitress spent more time standing at the bar talking then she did going around for drink orders.
I finally asked her if she was taking orders and she said she would be right back-never came back.
my husband was playing poker and i was going to play slots during that time.
but after that i just waited for him and told him lets go lose our money where we at least can get a drink.
i was sad about binions having any trouble --seeing how it is something of a landmark/legend
after that i agree with those that say it has never been the same as once was and is a dump--there are other places to play poker and slots thats for sure.For more people then they may thing good friendly service is a big plus---i odnt see why they dont get that it is so simple--i guess that is the problem if it is simple it is over thier heads...
Binnion's had it's first nail in the coffin when Benny passed away. No one like my fellow Texan Benny. 2nd & 3rd nails in the coffin when Ted forced out and killed and brother Jack bought out by sister. Final death was when sis did not have the know how to run the hotel/casino like papa and two brothers. Today, Binnion's is just a shadow of itself. No Benny's in the official name, no Benny, no Jack not Ted. Just another joint run by corporate jerks who only see's the bottom line and not the customer who are the lively hood of the company.