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The Strip, with more rooms to fill and recession-weary customers spending less, is finding ways to lure in younger people, who will be casinos’ new customer base as Baby Boomers retire.
Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Tourists, in surveys by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, say they want value, variety and transparency when they come to Las Vegas. And they abhor hidden resort fees.
Sun archives
- LVCVA focusing marketing, ad strategy on ‘core’ visitors (12-15-2010)
- Technology, social media changing how tourism leaders market Nevada (12-8-2010)
- Las Vegas economy among worst in the world, report says (12-1-2010)
- Is economic relief in sight for Las Vegas gaming? (11-7-2010)
- LVCVA tailors marketing strategy to post-recession visitors (11-10-2010)
- LVCVA report shows Las Vegas visitors spending less (3-22-2010)
- From MGM to Ruffin: Treasure Island changes hands (3-19-2010)
It’s easy to fret that the glory days are over for the Strip — the wellspring of our economy and icon of our global identity.
After all, so much is going wrong. The slow, semistagnant recovery from the recession. Intense competition in the U.S. and abroad for gambling dollars. Aging Baby Boomers spending less. People seeking gaming venues closer to home. And, if only symbolically, the likelihood no casinos will be built for years.
Still, there are the optimists who believe the Strip’s irrepressible entrepreneurship and ability to dazzle and draw will surmount all obstacles and challenges.
In these dismal days, there is much introspection — backed by the beginnings of action — to guarantee the Strip does far more in the future than merely survive.
“Newness, which has long driven Las Vegas growth, will not be part of the immediate future,” said Bill Eadington, director of UNR’s Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming. “Las Vegas may become yesterday’s news unless it can figure out a new way to reinvent itself.”
Many Strip watchers think it has enough new attractions to lure visitors for years to come. Other experts think casino operators aren’t innovating enough to attract customers.
“There seems to be an attitude in Las Vegas that the business will return once the economy comes back,” said Patrick Bosworth, an industry consultant and former business strategist at Wynn Las Vegas. And yet, the Baby Boomers who have primarily fueled Strip profits for the past 20 years are exiting their peak-spending years and retiring, in many cases, with less money to spend, he said.
“Demographic trends worked in our favor for so long,” Bosworth said. “Now they are working against us. It’s a serious problem ... and a bigger marketing challenge to figure out how to get people with less money to spend it in Las Vegas.”
Although Las Vegas can expect a modest rebound as the economy improves, casino operators will be forced to compete more aggressively for business by fine-tuning marketing campaigns for specific audiences, said Randy Fine, another casino marketer-turned-industry consultant, formerly of Caesars Entertainment.
“This is a capital-addicted industry that has looked to money from Wall Street to solve its problems,” Fine said. “There’s anxiety because there’s no more of that money.”
Although savvy marketing can help, “it’s unclear we’ll ever get back to our best year because that was based on a bubble economy” and before the addition of more than 20,000 luxury hotel rooms to Las Vegas, Fine said. “This is a long-term problem.”
Even the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority — which projects confidence about surviving the recession while area hotels maintain a high occupancy rate — recognizes that the city’s long-running “What happens here, stays here” marketing campaign needs tweaking for a post-recession audience.
Surveying visitors
The authority just wrapped up one of its biggest and most ambitious research projects: Seven months of phone surveys, focus groups and interviews with Las Vegas visitors before, during and after their trips here — even arming some visitors with video cameras to report on their experiences.
The conclusion, said Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing: “People want transparency, value and variety.”
Travelers want value packages that allow them to pick and choose what to do and where, Tull said. One example is an all-day restaurant pass that can be used at various resorts owned by the same company. And visitors abhor hidden costs such as resort fees that aren’t fully disclosed upfront.
Research indicated Las Vegas should focus its scarce marketing dollars on people who need an excuse to travel here and those interested in the city who don’t know much about it and need more details to be persuaded, Tull said.
New ads will show specific examples of what visitors can do here, rather than a generic place such as the back of a limo or a hotel room, to evoke a feeling of anticipation, she said.
One recent TV spot follows women in town for a bachelorette party as they eat in a restaurant, take in Matt Goss’ show, descend an escalator at the Forum Shops at Caesars and go to a nightclub, for example.
“There are 41 million people who are not opposed to Vegas and have money to travel, but lack an understanding of what Vegas has to offer,” said Tull, using a figure extrapolated from the authority’s research. “They know we have shows, but couldn’t name them. And they don’t know which chefs are here.”
Still, Tull and other industry executives think the Strip — by changing enough shows and restaurants so that fans return — will be able to rebound from the recession.
Some experts say the Strip might get a bigger boost next year from tourists with a pent-up desire to travel who cut back the past couple of years and companies loosening the purse strings on corporate trips.
“Corporations cut back on travel too much and have realized that to grow business, they have to put people on the road and send them out to shows,” said Jan Freitag, a vice president with Smith Travel Research. Competition is stiff for the nation’s top convention destination, however, as other cities add and upgrade convention facilities, he added.
According to American Express Business Travel, in the third quarter Las Vegas experienced the fourth highest year-over-year increase in hotel rates nationwide after New York, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Those rates rose 4 percent to an average of $124 per room per night. Overall, businesses increased spending more than consumers in general and across all travel sectors, including hotels, cruises and auto rentals, American Express said.
Betting on Las Vegas
Phil Ruffin, owner of the New Frontier, speaks during an interview on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003.
Phil Ruffin, who bought Treasure Island for the discounted price of $750 million in 2009, is among those wagering on a Las Vegas comeback.
That bet is paying off as earnings at his privately owned casino are expected to increase in the first quarter of 2011, he said.
Although casinos are proliferating outside of Las Vegas, the city will attract visitors because of its numerous amenities that can’t be found elsewhere, Ruffin said.
“We have more to offer and at cheaper rates.”
Ruffin seems well situated to weather the next decade: Most of his customers are 40 and younger, have yet to hit their peak spending years and have time to build a retirement nest egg.
Revamping hotel rooms, restaurants and nightclubs may not be enough for Las Vegas — already second to Macau in gambling revenue — to grow as it once did, however.
“In the short term you get more people wanting to come to Las Vegas,” said I. Nelson Rose, a gaming industry consultant and professor of gambling law at Whittier Law School in California. Long term, people will take advantage of more convenient gambling outposts.
Thirty-seven states have some form of casino gambling, and others are pressing for casinos or expanded gambling to grab tax dollars.
Intensifying competition “can only further erode demand for Nevada gaming,” Eadington added.
Slowed growth in the United States has left Nevada’s largest casino companies seeking profits abroad. The stupendous growth of gambling revenue in Macau and Singapore is inspiring other countries, such as Japan, Thailand and India, to consider Las Vegas-style megaresorts. Casino companies are increasingly shuttling customers to Las Vegas from sister casinos in Macau, where taxes are higher and revenue is split with third-party managers. Yet the spread of casinos means more places for Asian high rollers to gamble outside Nevada.
Competing for younger customers
The Strip — and gambling as a whole — face increasing competition from video games and other forms of cheap home entertainment.
A new generation of potential gamblers, now hitting their 40s, grew up with video games and are still playing them for hours on end.
“We haven’t really put them down. Video game developers recognize that and are trying to retain that market with games that appeal more to adults than children,” said Dan Birlew, a Las Vegas resident who has written dozens of strategy books on video games.
Americans spend more on video games, consoles and related equipment than on all casino gambling combined, according to industry sources. And yet, analysts say video games and portable gaming on iPhones and similar devices are capturing time and money that younger generations might otherwise spend at casinos and other entertainment outlets.
“When you play as many video games as I do, it’s nice to get away from a screen and have a real life experience” at a restaurant or show, said Birlew, who gambles infrequently. Still, “if it’s ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ versus going to a casino, someone of my generation may have more fun playing a video game all night.”
Casinos have diversified in recent years with elaborate nightclubs and pool parties that attract younger customers who don’t necessarily gamble. They are jumping into social media, with discounts and events promoted via Facebook and Twitter — although marketers say hotels have yet to merge these new media with the rest of their marketing efforts or personalize them enough for individual customers.
Catching up
Because Strip casinos were so profitable for so long, they didn’t have to spend money on technological innovations, Bosworth said. The recession caught casinos off guard and is forcing them to catch up with retailers and other industries that do a better job tracking customer purchases and preferences, he said.
Despite cutbacks elsewhere, MGM Resorts International is investing millions in a customer tracking program to reward visitors for spending money on hotel rooms, meals and other nongambling amenities. Caesars Entertainment has upgraded its system to incorporate nongambling spending and expand beyond its traditional customer base of frequent gamblers, although it rewards more points for gambling, making it difficult for nongamblers to build up points.
The city’s newest resort, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, gives nongamblers or occasional gamblers the same access to hosts that gamblers have via a loyalty card that can be swiped at restaurants, shops and the front desk. Customers can also earn other perks such as free hotel stays, much like those offered by nongambling hotels, for staying at the Cosmopolitan.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Monday, December 13, 2010.
Some companies are spending money on elaborate hotel pricing systems and gambling technology — all designed to painlessly squeeze more profit out of recession-weary consumers.
Mostly, though, casinos are negotiating lower debt payments, paying off loans and cutting back on frills. Many also are slashing staples, defined as the “maintenance capital” and used for things such as replacing casino carpeting and table felts that quickly wear out.
Even Ruffin, who thinks the Strip has seen the worst of the recession, harbors some concerns about debt-ridden neighbors.
“You have to upgrade your hotel continually. But a lot of these guys are strapped, so some rooms might be getting a little shopworn.”
Catering to the customer
There’s also customer service to consider.
“There’s a natural inclination in many organizations post-downsizing, for employees to duck taking a risk at precisely the time that innovation, creativity and prudent risk-taking are a priority,” said James Berkeley, a London-based consultant who has worked for hotel and gaming companies.
“I question the focus (on customer service) because my recent observations are that outstanding customer experiences, whether it’s an outstanding concierge, croupier, restaurant manager and so on in Las Vegas, has more to do with smart employees doing things through their own volition and personal gratification than identifiable organizational change,” said Berkeley, director of Berkeley Burke International. “I hear more comments that those changes are making life tougher, not easier for those people.”
Although Asia’s world-class hotels benefit from a culture where employees genuinely love what they do regardless of pay, their Las Vegas counterparts can do more with what they have by offering financial incentives to exceptional employees, Berkeley said. Employers should review career goals with underlings and honor workers who not only performed well but “who displayed the right behavior, irrespective of the outcome.”
Fine, the industry consultant, says he has a silver-bullet solution for the Strip’s business woes: “If we could transform the town into a place like Hawaii and Orlando where people go for seven nights, we could fill up all our rooms without adding a single car trip, plane flight or additional customer. Seven-night visits would solve all our problems.”
By marketing Las Vegas as a relaxing retreat rather than a hyperactive party town, the Strip could boost business among visitors who come here in large numbers, he said.
Some experts say that won’t fly and that Las Vegas’ longer-term growth will be hampered by the image that made it a success in good times. Las Vegas is viewed as a fun yet exhausting experience that can’t be sustained for more than a few days, they say.
After flirting with family-friendly attractions in the 1990s, Las Vegas embraced its roots as an adult playground, cementing its image as a brief, whirlwind escape for adults rather than a place to spend a leisurely week with the family.
Despite its many amenities, Las Vegas will have difficulty broadening its appeal much further, said Adam Hanft, an author and marketing expert who has consulted for media giants such as Viacom, AOL and Reuters.
“Perceptually, Las Vegas is one-dimensional. It’s flashy, loud, new and big. If you put people under an MRI, certain segments of their brains would light up when you talk about Las Vegas. You’re never going to expunge that.”
Rather than give Las Vegas a try, Hanft thinks visitors seeking more intimate, personal and less overwhelming environments will likely go elsewhere.
Temptations to spend, crowds and sensory overload make for an exhausting, expensive experience that doesn’t lend itself to a lengthier stay, said David Horne, president of VIP Travel Services, a New York travel agency catering to wealthy clients including celebrities, athletes and Wall Street executives.
“The Vegas experience is being out all night, boozing, gambling and entertainment. I’m 34 and after my third day I’m ready to go home,” Horne said.
Wowing the crowds
Weekends will always be the main draw as they attract a wealthier, more hip crowd “that doesn’t want to be in Vegas on a Tuesday night,” Horne said.
Although the rich seek deals to keep more of their wealth intact, travel experts say the middle class is getting sticker shock as some amenities such as cocktails and night life are “out of whack” relative to the cheap cost of a hotel room.
“Vegas is not a cheap town. If you spend a lot of time on dining and entertainment and night life, tipping this guy and that guy and buying a four-bottle minimum, you’re done after a few days,” Horne said. “And it’s too easy to lose money in the casino.”
Still, Horne doubts that Las Vegas, despite its coming dry spell for new resorts, will lose any of the “wow” factor that attracts both Middle America and the rich and famous.
Some experts think a sports arena could boost tourism by attracting a major league team and other high-profile entertainment acts that could be packaged in a showy way. Critics say it won’t do enough to boost volume. Nor should an arena happen at all if taxpayers are asked to subsidize it given the uncertain payoff of publicly financed stadiums, they say.
When its NFL team isn’t playing there, Dallas’ new Cowboys Stadium has hosted corporate events, religious ceremonies and concerts drawn to its high-tech features and ability to seat 80,000 people. These big events could be held in Las Vegas, with its unique ability to host large overnight groups, Bosworth said.
Competitors opposing Caesars Entertainment’s stadium plans are pursuing “parochial” interests rather than cooperating for the overall benefit of Las Vegas, Horne said.
Having a plan
All is not lost, however. At a time of cutthroat competition, Las Vegas hotel operators are working together on a plan to jump-start business.
One result of the LVCVA’s research has been meetings among the big hotels to discuss the results and develop more citywide events, like the National Finals Rodeo, that end up benefiting hospitality businesses across the valley.
Saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer rides Starburst during the last night of the National Finals Rodeo Saturday, December 11, 2010 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“We’re going to identify three or four events we can embrace as a citywide experience,” said Tull of the LVCVA. “If it’s a Halloween event, we’re going to say, ‘Vegas owns Halloween’ and make sure resorts are offering services and an atmosphere geared toward Halloween.
“And we’re going to talk more about being a destination where we can have major events like NFR, the marathon and NASCAR Champion’s Weekend happening simultaneously.”
It’s all about giving people more reasons to travel in tough times, said Tull, who has overseen frequent changes to the city’s marketing campaign in an attempt to strike the right tone with consumers.
“Before the recession, people spent freely and didn’t need a plan. They were willing to come here and fly by the seat of their pants.”
It’s a new world in Las Vegas, with new rules, Tull said.
“Spending is off and spending will continue to be off. This is a new customer.”
THE PEOPLE OF VEGAS voted Harry Reid, good luck!
It's no secret patrons coming to Las Vegas expect value, quality and a better selection of products and services. Las Vegas never had to compete for business. Now, the customers are telling us what they expect. How they are telling us is by not spending freely, but instead spending selectively.
The new buzz words for the Las Vegas visitors; Value, Quality, and Selection. The new focus for the casino operators; Honest Marketing, Availability, and Presentation.
'Still, there are the optimists who believe the Strip's irrepressible entrepreneurship and ability to dazzle and draw will surmount all obstacles and challenges.'
Liz, Las Vegas execs are still trying to "play it safe" while the ship is clearly going down.
I see it, as putting colorful, new feathers in the same old hat.
New PLACES don't "wow the crowd" (for long) without new IDEAS.
Clinging to yesterday's purported successes (gambling revenues from suckers), while diluting the thrill (no payouts, reducing amenities and trying to be tricky with new surcharges) leads to a shortage of tomorrows.
'Newness, which has long driven Las Vegas growth, will not be part of the immediate future," said Bill Eadington, director of UNR's Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming. "Las Vegas may become yesterday's news unless it can figure out a new way to reinvent itself.'
NOW, you talkin', Bill! Square wheels don't roll very fast, do they?
The beginning of the Internet and American Indians "scalping the white man"... again (LOL) marked the end of excessive gambling profits for Las Vegas. Not to mention Macao (Hey Steve! Hey Shellie!)
Add the American corporate "quiet hoarding" that reduced human labor with computer, machines and automated systems AND their customer base (dummies)...and you have a wrench in the gears of the money machine.
The time for tapping an untapped market that doesn't require growing corn or wheat on sand arrived a few years ago, but nobody appeared to notice.
So, uh...where are these new ideas going to come from?
Answer: Me, Bill. "Brakeout in Las Vegas" is in the works.
And no, Liz...it's not a dream: it's a vision with a solid plan for revitalization.
But it's still a secret"sh-h-h.
Unfortunately by catering to the high end, and asians, Vegas will never recover. After yrs of coming there 1-2 times a year, and then living there for 5 yrs. I watched as this wonderful town go right down the toilet. Its not an attraction any longer, its not even a great place to live, any longer. When you took away the attraction (affordable) to the everyday, consistant visitor you insulted the very people that made Vegas the sucess it was. Its a shame how the strip is turned into this isore of tall, odd sized monster building, that do nothing more than obstruct the beautiful mountains, and just take too much time to walk into..off the strip..thus dissapointing to the visitor. The expense of visiting the strip is just not worth it any longer..and of course we have to mention the gaming...there is no fun there anylonger, with the tight slots, no comps, and bad service, face it we can all travel close to home to get that treatment..again, its a shame..and one more thing..its not that safe any longer..there was a time when you could be confident to walk down the strip at all hrs..and feel very safe..not now..this city is now overrun with gangs,illegals, etc..and this is truly a turn off..sad!!!
1. Put Sin back in Sin City!
2. Companies need to count non-gaming spend toward comp/loyalty points accumulation.
Mr. Fine's opinion to shift to a "Relaxation" destination to save Vegas is perhaps the dumbiest idea yet.
The only good points I got out of this long article were the survey results stating that tourists hate resort fees and other hidden costs, and Mr. Ruffin's comment that hotel owners must continually upgrade their rooms but that is difficult for cash-strapped owners.
The rest of the article seems to be just fluff, with people throwing around buzzwords and other nebulous phrases that probably mean nothing.
My own opinion is that Las Vegas will fully recover: 1. over the longer term if the American economy ever does become strong again. (or)
2. in the short term if owners with deep pockets purchase the debt-strapped casino giants.
Don Desaulniers (Belleville, Ontario)
Legalize and regulate and tax prostitution in Las Vegas.
It is time Nevada, we already have legal brothels.
Add another to the prostitution bunch. City council and Casinos are spending MILLIONS in consulting fees for something that you can figure out for $5. Young people like parties, drinking and women. If you want a draw, give them girls; PERIOD. Stop trying to be this wholesome town and embrace the Sin City moniker you are known for. I assure you that the first casino that has a Redlight District wing will be the first casino with rooms booked at 100% capacity for six months out; and they won't have to comp anything to get people there. People come here to get away from the laws and boredom of places like the Bible belt. Give them sin and they will come.
We've chosen Vegas for our last ten vacations. The reasons we go are: the gambling, the sun and swimming in the warm pools, the world class entertainment (KA at MGM was fantastic!), the awesome restauants and shopping.
My advice: keep the focus on nice, warm pools, loosen the slots and let the player win sometimes, step up the service in the casino and have servers that actually have drinks on a tray to choose from instead of having to sit and wait-sometimes for the server to never return, have some male servers and not just females, keep the rooms clean and the beds comfortable, hotels should shuttle guests to and from the airport, and please let's try a total non-smoking casino hotel. Employees need to remember that the tourist pays the rent, and they need to be treated with kindness and respect.
There is enough sin in Sin City. People know where to find the sexy shows, etc, if they want that type of thing. Most of my friends do not want to go to Vegas because of the sleezy image. They are just normal people who are turned off by sleeze.
The bottom line is that Las Vegas has gone away from its core business - gambling. People are spending more money on food, shopping, and other non-gaming expenses.
The hotels are getting just like the airlines, adding a resort fee, much like a baggage fee. Check it out before you pick a hotel. The good deal you got on the room just went up by $15-30 per night. Another rip off!
Ruark - scary enough there are many that do follow the chefs ... instead of betting the $$$ it will be spent on $30 tacos at Bobby Flay's just to say they went there.
I only hope that just one of the corporate morons will read what us readers thinks about how they run their casinos!
My wife's nephew in town this past week staying at Caesars, he and is wife come from Colorado, he is a high school principal, she is a teacher in there 40's. They stopped to play craps on a $25 table, only because that was the only tables they could find open, and said that the dealers were rude, and that they were harassing the player that had the dice, they never saw anything like that in Colorado .! When they asked me about how they were treated, all I could say was welcome to Vegas, and corporate greed!
When asked where they should go and play, my answer was get off the strip, there are no decent games you can play there, the slots do not pay out anything, and the table games are now carnival games.
The food is all over priced, and so are the shows!
Do you think they will be coming back to Vegas, the answer is "NO', they can stay in Colorado, and go to Black Hawk where they are treated the way all players should be treated, with respect!
Until players feel that they are getting something for their dollar, they might come here one time, then get run off by the corporate greed!
What do you think will happen when they get back home, and are asked about their trip to Vegas, just how many players did they just stop from coming to Vegas, when they tell their story?
Then of course you have the resort fees that everybody is now charging, just one more nail in Vegas coffin! Also the bad service with all the cut backs, isn't Vegas a great place to come?
Where at one time you had casinos that were competing for your business, now you have corporations that don't care, they own how many casinos around the world? If they are not making money here, they are making it over seas, just look at where Steve Wynn is going, and it's not here!
Stop spending money on research, and give the players a break, and you will have players coming back...!
The reason people came to Vegas in it's early days is still valid today. People want the thrill they just can't get in Billings or Springfield or Anytown USA. They want to see the Las Vegas Strip, the lights, the glitter, the shows and the whole "Party-like-there's-no-tomorrow" attitude.
Then reality rears it's ugly head. "How much is the room, how much are meals, how much is even a crappy show and how much am I going to lose in the casinos?"
The reason Las Vegas is in a slump in this economy and Disneyland is still doing ok is in the value of the experience. When people go to Disneyland they just forget how much they spend once they're in the front gate and when they leave they think "Yeah, we spent a bunch, but we had fun!" The good memories continue all the time they're paying off their credit cards.
Once Las Vegas returns to giving people a good return on the value of their experience things will turn around. And the best part is it's not complicated. It really is as simple as the old 99 cent buffets and a good show for a two drink minimum. People will spend more money once the casinos stop constantly reminding people just how much they're spending.
Bring back the celebrity greeters to welcome people at the door of a casino, sign autographs and get their picture taken with guests, not this nonsense of paying a Paris Hilton type tons of cash to attend a party just long enough for a photo-op.
Disneyland has had basically the same business model since they opened. Their last major change was dropping the ride tickets in favor of an all-day pass, and that was over 40 years ago.
Las Vegas needs to go back to what it was originally, "Disneyland for Adults".
I suggest to start with something simple as even the longest journey begins with one simple step. Today many are waiting for lost jobs to be refilled. I suggest that each business inspect their surroundings seeking to create just one position that never before existed and seeking to create one that will add sustenance to their business, it can amaze one to discover what's been overlooked. If one city such as yours begins such action and discovers merit what might occur from spread of such idea? It's a small step but it's in the right direction and one simple act can create a ripple that can lead to even powerful transformation.
I come to Vegas every year. I am a baby boomer. I spend an average of 10 days. I limit the amount of money I spend everyday - some days I go to the room with money some days I do not. I rent a car and see all the sites around Vegas (40% of my time). I spend about 20% of my time on the Strip. Downtown is the place to go and stay (40% of my time) - staff have been at their jobs a long time and are very accomodating. I have never had a bad experience because I plan ahead and act like a normal human not some entitled tourist.
Go back to "Themed" casinos(it gives a sense of adventure),cheap drinks and food,and let the player win sometimes,and then and only then will Vegas thrive....It's not rocket science!!!!
When a customer sees 6/5 blackjack & added fees on a hotel bill for services he didn't use-I don't think that bodes to well for LURING in customers.
I have been coming to Vegas every year since 2001. Things sure have changed. This year was the most dramatic change from any prior year. I am not sure that I will ever come back.
Things that have gone so far down hill in 1 year:
Dealer must hit on soft 17
Automatic card shufflers everywhere
6to5 Blackjack
Rude & indifferent dealer/pitboss
Pitboss that can't be bothered to take your player's card, can't correctly rate you
Comps have gone into the toilet
Cocktail waitress never around
Sorry we don't serve that brand of premium alcohol
Outrageous priced cocktails & food (also tasteless)
Many of the restaurants that we have loved now come with sloppy service and very bland food
Waiters that don't give any decent service
Taxi drivers that are trying to longhaul you, & then get mad when you catch them attempting to do it
All this lack of service & then get mad when you don't want to tip them for inadequate service
The mandatory "resort" fee for things that i will NEVER use & the additional 3% room tax
Now the gov't wants to add more for the creation of a stadium
I can go to Hawaii for less, believe it or not
Vegas had better get its act together
The BIGGEST loss of visitors came from one dumb idea. As a convenience to the casinos they eliminated coins. True they saved man hours this way but at the same time they got rid of employees and changed how/where gamblers played. The BEST experience a winner feels is the sight & sounds of what seems to be an unending cascade of coins falling out of the machine, whether it is pennies or dollars. Not a printed ticket with FAKE noises & the hidden knowledge that THE CASINO still has YOUR MONEY HOSTAGE! ! ! ! Big deal the coins give of grime/ dirt. It makes you feel like old Vegas times, a mobster & his DIRTY money
You can do all the tracking, do all the research you want, pay all the outside consultants millions for thier opinions. Its not gonna change the root problem. The only way the strip is gonna survive is to pay the blue collar workers less make them work harder and cut back on staffing while hiring more managers, and demand front line workers be happy if they want to keep thier jobs. Then pay down more of the debt with the extra money saved from the cuts in staffing and increased productivity.
Yeah shrink the sizes of the casinos so it looks packed at all hours of the day....Eliminate most of the table games and slot machines so people have to wait in line to have a chance to never win....Charge everyone a cover to enter the casino and $5 to use the restroom,then charge them again to leave.....Then wonder why no one comes back and Vegas is dead...
I run a Las Vegas travel site. I constantly get the same complaints with number one being the "resort fee" that are sprung on them when they arrive. Second is the cost of food. Third is the fact that the value priced properties are gone or shrinking.
Even though resort fees are legal, they are too sneeky and not worth it. To charge for a bottle of water, that they can buy at the Walgreens or CVS or one even includes free show shine service. That is a great deal for a city that wearing tennis shoes or sandals is the norm. Internet access is necessary for business people not vacationers. They can use their cell phones for email access. Phone service included is a laugh in this day and age of the cell phones. They are forcably charging for thing the regular visitor will never need or use.
When I contacted a few management teams I was told that they have very few complaints about the fees. Not sure if they are ignoring the front desk or just dont' care. Married couples will complain but guys checking in with a girl and not wanting to look like a cheapo will suck it up and just pay it.
Same with food. Way overpriced especially on the strip. Even the lower priced hotels charge and arm and a leg for food. People remember or heard of the cheap all you can eat 24 hr buffets that no longer exist. Not a giant loss but still if you spend all your money gambling you need something cheap just to survive. Starving gamblers remember the Boardwalk buffet. Yuck but at three in the morning and hungry as can be it still served the purpose.
All new casinos are bigger, better and the most expensive to book. That is ok as long as there is a supply of cheaper rooms available. Logic is they just need a place to sleep for a few hours a night. They don't have to be impressed. Sure the older properties are becoming the lower priced but the prices still don't compare to the Westward Ho, Stardust or New Frontier when they were around.
One of the ways for Vegas to survive is to change the gambling age to 19 like it is in other countries. A lot of young couples come here to get married with the groom just turning 21 yet his bride is 19 or 20. He can gamble but she can't even stand or sit with him. This has to change to allow for the ones coming to celebrate their right of passage becoming 21 yet many of their friends are under the age. Drinking isn't as much an issue as just the right to hang around the casino. Look at the Indian Casinos, 18+.
Sure Vegas has to change to survive but you have to let the people have the money to gamble once they are here. Everyone wants to know how to do Vegas on the cheap.
You can only cut the gambling dollar so many times. Today, most areas has some type of gambling close to were the people live. Whether it's state controled, Indian controled or some other type. We have two main things to draw people to Las Vegas.. Glitz, Glambing. Here is the problem. People that come today bring their own coolers, stuffed with food, drinks etc. The glitz is still here but the class of people are gone. Look at your crowd, they are takers, not spenders. Once the machines losen, food prices become more realistic, you will see the people back on the Strip, Wineing, Dining and spending but you will never get back the class of people we lost. Society as a whole, wears Shorts, Jeans, Sandals and expect something for nothing, ergo the problem.
It's simple, Vegas is catering to very wealthy customers instead of the average person. Look at all the fancy stores and restaurants. It's a joke. There's nowhere to shop, and nowhere to eat. It's certainly not like other cities that are ALLEGEDLY expensive, where I can get an amazing meal in an independently owned sit-down restaurant for less than I could in the states! In this particular European city I went to, I could hang out anywhere for a small fee and enjoy the view. I went to Vegas last year because I'd never seen it, and I'm telling you, I have no interest in going back!
The future for Vegas is attracting Asian gamblers both in the US and overseas. Asians love to gamble more than anything else!
Aaronboy, what are you talking about? Even the rich could be considered the "takers" that you so describe. Look at the ratio of CEO pay to the average worker today. It's like 319:1 or something like that.
Anyways, Vegas gained its fame for being a place where you could find cheap meals and cheap hotel rooms, because the casinos wanted to attract gamblers!!! It's suffering now that it has become a yuppie playground! I don't know where you have gotten this impression that people never used to be cheap...in case you didn't notice, the funny money bubble is over...and the economy is only going to get much worse!
Over the past several years, I have cut the number of trips I take to vegas from two a year to none. Now, I know I am not a high roller, but my $500/day budget gets so little in return in terms of food, gambling and entertainment, I just decided to vacation other places. When I get the gambling itch, there are four casinos within a two hour drive, and if I go I am guaranteed free meals a room if I want, for losing just a couple hundred bucks. I know that most people would claim that I want something for nothing, but, hey, $500/day ain't nothing where I come from.
I paid 15 dollars for a vodka diet at Vanity on a Saturday night about two weeks ago. The club was dead and I will be sure not to ever go back with those prices! I think the strip should do more to attract the locals and 15 dollar drinks is not the way to do it!
I agree with Aprilgirl. We travel freq. to LV and are not afraid to spend some money...but not on crap. We want a decent,attractive, clean room and some good restaurants. We are not into clubs but we love bars such as Numb. And bring on the non-smoking hotels and casinos!
I do think the strip has lost some aesthetic appeal. You have the beautiful and bold like Bellagio,City Center, Monte Carlo and even the MGM Grand. Then you have the ugly hotel fronts that completely ruin the view such as Planet Hollywood and the crumby little strip malls next to it.
We don't feel badly leaving money behind in LV if we have had a good experience overall.
I agree with those stating thar "value" and "service" need to be a priority. While it is true that certain levels of service are only available to those willing to pay the price (Wynn, Bellagio, Venetian, etc) where you pay a high rate but are treated somewhat like royalty, those of us who do stay in the low to mid priced places expect prompt service, a clean room, NO RESORT FEES, and simple friendliness. We like Luxor, but resort fees have kept us out. IP is our favorite, low priced, no frills, but the rooms are clean and they are friendly. Might try TI sometime (do they have resort fees?). We don't worry about the overpriced restaurants on the strip all serving the same thing. We bring our car, and have several favorite "off strip" restaurants that the average tourist doesn't even know about (no long lines!). The buffets are all way overpriced now. We will go to one once in awhile, usually as a "comp" on a room deal.
The casinos in other states still serve one important purpose for L.V. They get new gaming customers in the door, and a lot of them will get the desire to step up to Las Vegas because Las Vegas is still the ultimate. Just like a minor league baseball fan has the desire to go to a big league game, or a midwest Six Flags customer desires to go to Disneyland.
I seriously doubt that those calling for legalization of pot, etc. will bring any significant new business to town, it might just run off more of us old timers. While it will likely be legalized in my lifetime, by the time it is, it will also be legal in other states like California, so it will not offer a "reason" for anyone to go to Nevada. A lower drinking age will only add to the number of drunks on the street.
Were are these guys getting their information?
The only time I eat in a casino is drunk at 3am.
I go out of my way to avoid phony "celebrity" chef joints as everytime its been disappointing. My grandma was a great cook but not a celebrity, Id rather eat her food anyday.
Casino restaraunts are WAY overpriced. I can eat better in any city in the world for less. Its robbery.
Casino dining is no better then a fancy chessecake factory chain restaraunt. We dined at Bobby Flays one night and no one liked their entree. If Im paying $50 for an entree it better be delicous! Good thing we stopped at In and Out on the way home since we were still hungry.
Its a far better experience to go off the strip to Firefly or Paradice Road for dinner, someplace with personality, good food and drinks.
Ditto for the lame reality show celebrities hosting nightclubs. If a club has to pay a celebrity to come its not cool. Im not paying $78 for a round of drinks to glimpse a Kardashian. What a scam!
For all the great club spaces in LV the strip clubs are probably the least expensive and most entertaining, thats a shame.
The club I attended NYE was unbelievable, with entertainment and live performances all night, nothing like it in Las Vegas and admission was only $30+ drinks.
If casinos plan on attracting sophisticated young travelers they are going to need more creative food and entertainment and less chesse and scams.
Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert so unless its fabulous no one needs to visit.
Las Vegas' success was always based as a fantasy destination - providing visitors experiences they could not find in their own home town. When resort developers lurched to the high end and took advantage of the false wealth bubble, that is when all the problems began - resorts were built (or designed then halted before completion) for a market that no longer exists. Strangely, people will get on an airplane to see a copy of the Eifel Tower or a pyramid, but not a 'city center'. Vegas would have had continuing success if they would have kept on the track of building themed international icons, rather than homogenized non-descript glass and steel towers exclusively filled with high priced rooms, restaurants, clubs, shows and shops. When is the market coming back? NEVER...operators need to manage for a 2-4% annual revenue increase and forget about the false wealth bubble.
What worked for Vegas in the past will not work now or in the future.
The Baby Boomers are retiring, and large numbers of them are close to being broke. The younger generation is smaller in population, and they do not have the jobs/income to make a big Las Vegas getaway.
The comments have hit on two important changes that will not go away: (1)High food prices-They are here to stay because food & fuel are going to rise terribly in 2011 and 2012. (2) Resort Fees/high room rates. This is because there are, and will continue to be, fewer people who are spending less.
Energy costs will skyrocket, and water will become less available.
There is only ONE solution, if current conditions continue to play out: Las Vegas will have to depopulate and shrink in size. You may have mostly the expensive megaresorts left standing on the Strip, maybe just a few downtown casinos. And there won't be much more than that.
The Baby Boomer generation is a metaphor for America in so many ways. Vegas really boomed with the Baby Boomers. Now that the Boomers are going Bust, so will much of Vegas, and America in general.
Some great ideas/feedback posted...a few are not. Just keep it simple stupid (KISS).... CUSTOMER SERVICE, VALUE FOR THE DOLLAR, FRIENDLINESS! It's that easy. Keep the customer happy,,, and they will comeback... piss them off, you're toast!
I had to get all the way to the last post to hear an intelligent assessment.
Congratulations,JLouise!!!
There is no "going back." "Back" is gone.
Indians casinos, Internet gambling and Macao...
...not to mention the new Las Vegas attitude from employees, who have been reduced to slaves, threatened daily with being fired for some contrived reason and also being thrown out of their (horribly devalued) homes by the truckload...
Employees with hostile and complacent attitudes...what a mystery!
Las Vegas can either de-populate, find something new ...REALLY NEW or be retrieved by the desert.
What?...I'm wrong?...then bring in the clowns for the final act!
I agree with architect, if corporations want their employees to be happy, pay them enough to care!
Las Vegas is what it is. Most people I know love it the way it is. Everyone who works at any of the casinos are friendly and go out of their way to help the visitors. Remember if you change what you are to be more like someplace else, then you become just another generic town. We come there because of the small things, like being able to smoke a cigar while playing a slot machine. Try that in California and you could get arrested, or at least your stay will be unpleasant. Believe it or not, Las Vegas is a great place to relax just the way it is. You might have to visit there a few times to find out that secret, but it's worth it. God Bless you all and my wife and I will see you in the spring..
Sgt. Mike.
Many people may not like it but the fact is that smokers can freely enjoy their habit while gambling. That alone brings lots of visitors to Las Vegas. The biggest complaint that I get from relatives visiting is that the slots on the strip pay terrible. The casinos all know this. The locals casinos actually are doing better since the player knows that the slot payouts are better.
1) lower the gambling age to 18
2) legalize prostitution
3) legalize marijuana
4) lower the drinking age to 18
5) focus on value seekers, not high end consumers
PS: get rid of smoking in casinos. they said it would kill the restaurant/bar industry -- it didn't. smoke free casinos would attract new players, current players who smoke and gamble are hooked (on both vices) -- you won't lose them. i tell you the first totally smoke free casino is going to see a huge boom to their bottom line.
chief wigum, in my opinion, Vegas is already sketchy enough as is. Doing all of that, except for #5, would simply make the place even worse.
Great article, but I must agree with others. Value - Service and ttention to detail will help bring the people back..being in the convention / tradeshow business for years and bringing my company here for tradeshows, I cant tell you how many times rude workers and over priced requirements have just turned the companies off from coming back...this and some diversification in other business coming here and STAYING here will help all in all..
I get so sick of all the whiners on here talking about 1.99 buffets and $29 rooms.. I just returned from LA and stayed at a Roadway Inn that was at least 50 years old and paid $79 + a $12.99 Resort fee and they didn't even have a pool!!! Vegas is and always will be the best place to come and re-charge and indulge in the finer things in life. Its where people can live in a fantasy for a couple days then return to reality.
If you are coming here to make your rent payment or utility bill payment you are going to be dissapointed hence the negativity and disgust with what Las Vegas is or has become. When people start working again and making money Vegas will do just fine!!
Looky Loos? We don't need no stinkin' Looky Loos! Hahahahahahahahahahahah!
No bait and switch resort fees. Iwill be loyal to the palazzo 4 to 5 times a year
Ace 's
I agree--there is "no place like Vegas" to give an ametuer gambler like me a buzz just thinking about it. Las Vegas is a supermall of games of chance, and conditioned reflexes are slow to extinguish. But the high price of buffets and the tightness of the slots, is taking their toll on my Vegas buzz level these days.
For example, the buffet at Bellagio is excellent, but not worth $35 a plate. Dinner for two with a decent tip left teeth marks in my wallet that $90 wouldn't fill. (That would cover several months' worth of Angus Burgers at Mickey D's!)
A Hidden Resort Fee is sneaky!
Just be up front with your room charges , guys. "Your comped room will cost you $16 per night, Sir."
Okay! Not free, but very cheap for a deluxe room.
Coin slots vs printed tickets
I used to feel that the absence of hot coins drippng through my fingers would crimp my ganas for playing the slots--I'm a tactile person who talks with his hands and generally experiences the world through its "feel". But slot tickets turned out to be cool-- when you get a big jackpot, those numbers jump pretty high off the paper, something really nice to show the wife. With a bucket of quarters or dollar tokens, there was always a feeling of "Jeez, exactly what does all that amount to?" and waiting for the drama of the change person to refill a slot was ...(insert your favorite phrase here)
The Big Slot Hold Percentage Mystery.
"Which machines are the loose one, eh? Ask Louie back of the bar. He'll tell you if you slip a fiver in his pocet."
How about this? ALL SLOTS ARE SET AT 100% PAYBACK!
You pay a small cover charge based on the number of pulls. No mystery. No tight/loose chip rumors.
No paranoia. Straight up! Pay up or shut up!
See ya in Vegas in about a year, if I can get my credit card buffet charges paid off and figure out which casinos have the loosest slots.
Las Vegas is and always has been a boomtown. With the boom comes the bust. Anybody wringing their hands over that probably shouldn't be in the game.
Want to get back to a more livable, profitable Las Vegas? Let's shrink to 1,000,000 residents and 25 million annual visitors -- all of whom actually WANT to be here!
I heard that Station Casinos has made plans to change the name of Boulder Station to Tijuana Station to reflect their market. Instead of cocktail waitresses, they will have drug dealers serving customers.
Gaming is actually not beneficial.
People are beginning to smell the coffee.
The charade is drawing to a close.
Bye, bye bright lights and falsies, cheap food, fat bed bugs and sleezy smoking losers.
Great article! All the suits want to spend money doing surveys that will validate corporate themes, but they won't listen to actual -- and, increasingly, former -- customers tell them straight out why they aren't coming. And, until they do listen and change, downhill
I just believe they built casinos like there is no limit, not even the sky seemed to be the limit for their efforts of generating more and more profits.
But it's nothing but simple math: What somebody wants to win, somebody else has to lose. And the more casinos of sizes such as the Venetian, MGM , etc are being built, the more gamblers are needed to feed the greed. If these mamuth builings are built on debt mainly, then it's like walking on dire straits. If you don't reach your benchmark targets, you will lose, even if the players lose, too.
Simply by opening another and another and another new resort it doesn't mean more gamblers are being born and willing to bring their hard earned dollars to these casinos. Wynn and Venetian figured this out a long time ago, so they decided to go to the players (Macau) and not have the players come to them (Vegas). It's only logical. But this is not the end yet. Other countries also want a piece of this cake called "easy money". Vietnam is working on legistation, Japan is also working on legalizing gaming, and Thailand is in the waiting-pipeline, too. Oriental gamblers are the bread-and-butter of the high limit pits, and if they don't make it to Vegas, Vegas has to find alternative solutions. Creating 6:5 b-j or raising higher resort fees will definetely not do the job, dudes.
From Switzerland
Excellent article. Being part of the marketing community here in Las Vegas it is really evident that things need to change as we reach out for a mobile consumer base using Social Media, Mobile Coupons, Green, Compelling Offers, Check-In Loyalty Programs. A better way does exist and I believe this is the year we see a huge shift away from printed promotions and wasteful advertising "spends" to more deliberate, measurable and performance based marketing. This new focus for The Strip, Attractions, Tours, Shows and Restaurants if executed properly can save these advertisers lots of money while bringing value to the consumer and adding to The Las Vegas Experience in general.
As a local I love being part of this community and do my part to share great experiences with my friends and family using Facebook, Twitter and Mobile Coupons that I share on a regular basis.
my tip: get rid of these mexicanos handing out stupid entertainer fliers, and get rid of the vendors on the street. bring back the true good gaming value and the players will appreciate it. a real gambler doesn't want high deluxe suites and 5star meals, he wants value quality food and a clean room to sleep. And no shoe shine service or a daily newspaper on his door in the morning.
Cutting to the chase..... read Joe Rangal's comment.
That IS so true.
In the Sacramento area, there are
a number of casinos with dedicated non-smoking salons set up so that smoke from the smoking areas does not enter. Both smoking and non-smoking areas are equally busy.
A non-smoking casino facility with a full variety of machines would bring me back to Vegas in a heartbeat. Smoky air combined with dry desert air makes my nose bleed. Not fun when you blow your nose the next morning and the tissue turns red. Overtime, my lungs would get sick, if I were to be around smoke daily.
I promise you, a non-smoking casino would bring people. What can you lose by trying?
Friendly Customer Service at a Las Vegas Strip resort? Now that's funny. A nice thought., but funny if you expect to find that.
When the strip is owned by only two, deep in debt organizations and haven't a clue on how to pay for it, we are cooked.
There is enough here to keep a guest busy for days and never touch a slot machine. but the resorts don't like to let the guests know that. (shows, tours, canyons, hikes, trains, etc...)
OK. It is now crunch time. It is now or never. Either the casinos react to all of the comments noted above, NOW, or they go down the tubes. It is that simple.
In my opinion, the above comments (generally) are hitting the right buttons. VEGAS is VEGAS and need not 're-invent' itself continuously, at least not at the same pace as in the past. Regardless of WHAT exist elsewhere (local casinos, overseas megaresorts, lotteries), VEGAS is yet indescribably unique! There is truly, NO PLACE LIKE VEGAS.
My trips to Vegas from the MidWest (since 1974) have always been 4 to 10 days (6 to 9 days in the past 15 years) and I've ALWAYS considered Vegas a 'vacation of relaxation'. Even though Vegas advertises itself as a quickie Slam Dunk town, I've always found it to be a relaxing adventure. Where else can you sleep at any time, eat at any time, dance at any time or play casino games at any time but in Las Vegas. That is a relaxing formula! Vegas is extreme fun... with extreme relaxation (if that is what you desire).
True, Vegas has gotten TOO upscale. But we old-timers seek out the casinos and off-strip eateries to stretch our finances. The RIO and Gold Coast are still a good places to play slots and the Gold Coast yet has a reasonable buffet. The Tropicana, El Cortez, Four Queens and even Golden Nugget are good gaming venues. Vegas has changed... but if you visit the city for a true vacation (seeking the bargains - on and off the Strip), you could spend 7 to 10 days there and have OODLES of fun.
LOVE YOU VEGAS.
Aging Babyboomers?....spending less?....well heck yeah!! When my money returns 1.25 % on my investment,that extra cash isn't there as it was before.And that is all based on the fact you actually have money in the first place.I'm getting the sinking feeling this town has not learned one lesson from this DEEP recession.It's a great town and will continue to be "IF" our elected officials WAKE UP and realize it will not be business as usual and that things ARE NOT going back to the "good ole days". Those days are over...this is their chance to bring us back to the top better than ever.I say lets have a KICK A POLITICIAN IN THE PANTS day.It'll wake them up and make me feel better too !!
The new younger crowd 18 to 40. Yes, I said 18 the Ca
Ifornia Indian casinos are allowing them as we speak. They want bars, dance floors,loud music and girls. The only table games that are of interest is blackjack. This will be a large portion of tomorrows Vegas crowd. Weed will be dispensed by vending machines. Kids are driving 80 miles one way out of los Angeles to get to palm springs area indian casinos. The days of a beach party are gone in sunny california
I just happened to look at the booking for MGM GRAND for killing time. Get a load of this BULL. They are offering to let you check in early for $20. Check out late for $20. OR you can also pay $20 PER NIGHT for a non smoking room. & the resort fee of $20.16 per day. Like I said above. I think that I am done with Vegas. This is foolish, It is only a matter of time before the other casinos get wind of this & start charging for this nonsense. Just like the airlines do, when 1 does it the others follow. GOODBYE to vacations in Vegas!
I hope casino CEOs are watching this comment. You need
to think global, You still have not tapped the fast
growing hispanic population, we are more than 50 million and we are gamblers by nature, we don't save,
we don't care about our financial future, we like fun
and entertainment, we are impulsive, we like a good
deal, and if you lure us we will come by the millions
just like american companies lure us from Mexico and
south america to work, play and spend hard.
Great comments, everyone! And yes, the people in charge ought to READ and UNDERSTAND what everyone is saying and build on that.
But do you think they will? It all has to start ASAP not sometime down the road in the hopes that "maybe" Vegas will come back to it's former self.
The country has changed and most likely will never be back to the way it was 3-4 years ago. Sure, we'll get better again, hopefully sooner than later, but it won't be the same; people have changed. Gone are the days where spending money foolishly was the norm. People will still come to Vegas, but they want what everyone has said - a decent hotel room for a decent price, reasonable costs for a good meal and no more $15 drinks!! (No wonder people bring their own coolers! If you can save money somehow so you have money to gamble with and to go see a show and have a nice dinner - go for it!! Bring the damn cooler!)
Vegas has to change along with the rest of the country or it will not survive. One thing - it has to become affordable again.
i stayed at monte carlo for a few days last month. i was sitting at the sport bar when a couple came up and ordered a hennesy and a beer, the bartender told them it was $35.00. they almost fell off their stools. this is just an example of greed. whatever happened to $2.00 beers. next time bring your own flask.
I may visit again, I may not. I used to go twice per year, but it was fun, then. I started going to Vegas in 1984. It was a college graduation gift. A lot has changed since then, as far as what Vegas offers me and as far as what I have to spend and want to spend in Vegas. Within the last 5 years, the scales have tipped. I no longer want to spend time in Vegas. While they do have top class entertainment, they also have $15 drinks and cover charges. I prefer Deadwood S.D. as a gambling town. Better scenery, more of a blue collar atmosphere that I love, and history that is not thrown away to make room for the mega corperate crap casino. I am looking forward to Reno next month. That is RENO, not Las Vegas. No Vegas for me this year, It is no longer fun for me.
These vending machines on each floor in the hotels selling coke cans for 2.50 or so. Plus then there are these "ice dispensers" of which my parents warned me about many years ago. I wonder how many times these machines are being cleaned or desinfected. Perhaps 1x in 5 years or so, more seldom in the offstrip hotels that are more than 30 years old, probably. They would have to re-new the maintenance contract with the manufacturers, which they of course don't do. So here's my advise: Use this ice just for cooling down your soda bottles, but don't ever put it inside of your drinks....
Well, fortunately the US FED keeps printing dollars and new dollars and some more dollars, so the exchange rate for 1 dollar compared to 1 Euro or 1 Swiss Franc has dropped so much that visiting Vegas now has become a real bargain. Even shopping has become fairly inexpensive for overseas travelers, but these airline agents have no sorry when they check on the luggage, so buying much stuff is not recommended unless you come in town with 2 almost empty bags. Which I usually do :)
Why I am mentioning this all? It's simple, but obviously many US Casinos still underestimate the true value of the situation. They still don't really appreciate these overseas travellers. Instead of starting aggressive marketing in Europe, I hardly see anything alike in the newspapers. But this could be a true opportunity to pump up business in Las Vegas, my friends. Perhaps you don't want money from Europeans. I just thought from reading all these articles that each and everyone is looking for alternatives. I would be more than happy in assisting anybody who's got a good business model in running an overeas office to bring Europeans to Las Vegas. But, as we see once again, they're rather trying to take out the in-debt-Americans than taking chances on the easier targets. That's pretty sad.
From Switzerland