ODDS ‘N’ ENDS:

Jeff Haney just can’t seem to get a fair shake at Harrah’s sports book

Mon, Apr 14, 2008 (2 a.m.)

For some reason, I had always been a defender of the Las Vegas sports betting scene.

Sure, there was room for improvement in some areas. But I figured everyone except the highest rollers had a decent number of betting options in town with just a modicum of hassles.

In a recent interview with talk-show host John Kelly on Fox Sports Radio 920-AM, I described my outlook as “generally bullish, with some reservations.”

I’ve since become a bear.

The pivotal moment came in a disgraceful incident Saturday night at Harrah’s sports book, when I tried to place wagers on three Sunday NBA games.

What transpired is really beyond words.

But I’ll try.

Lame.

Pathetic.

An abomination.

And, as I sputtered to the supervisor on duty Saturday night as my inner thesaurus was running on empty, “really bad.”

After I made the bets, the clerk printed out the three tickets. I examined them to make sure they were correct. They were. I handed over my money. He took it. He put it in the drawer.

Before the clerk handed them to me, a supervisor grabbed the tickets and walked off with them. Not a word to me. I stood there for at least two or three minutes. This is a long time when you’re just standing there with no money and no tickets to show for it. Still no explanation.

Finally, the supervisor returned and announced he was voiding all three tickets because he “didn’t like the lines” I had bet into.

This was flat-out unethical behavior by Harrah’s.

The casino was in effect dealing a “double line,” or a “one-way line.” In other words, casino officials were giving themselves the option of refusing bets on one side of the game while accepting bets on the other side.

This is not illegal, because state gaming regulations afford casinos the right to void any wager at any time for any reason whatsoever or no reason at all.

Upon further questioning, the supervisor, Travis Strege, said he was voiding the wagers because “it’s near the end of the NBA season.”

Huh?

I left Harrah’s without any betting tickets, once again thwarted in my quixotic quest to actually wager money in a Las Vegas sports book. (Boy, I’ve got a lot of nerve! Who do I think I am, trying to pull something like that?)

Strege did not directly address my contention that this was unethical behavior. (How could he possibly challenge it?)

He did agree that it was not illegal. He even explained, ever so helpfully, that the transaction does not become official until the customer is actually holding the tickets in his hand.

Gee, thanks.

So this is the kind of treatment you can expect if you bet at Harrah’s sports book and you know anything about sports or gambling.

If you’re a clueless sucker, don’t worry. Your action remains welcome at Harrah’s.

The next part of the exchange could have been taken verbatim from an episode of “The Twilight Zone:”

Strege said wagering on NBA games the night before they take place is “limited.”

OK, how limited?

Well, one-half of the usual game-day limits.

OK, what are the usual game-day limits on NBA over/unders?

Well, they are $2,000 per game.

OK, great. Since each of my wagers was below $1,000, there’s no problem, right?

Wrong. In short, I’ll get nothing and like it.

But ... but ... but ...

If you were in the vicinity of the center of the Strip Saturday night, the sharp report you might have heard was the sound of my head exploding.

It was all my fault, of course, and a mistake I’ve made many times in the past: I was acting like a logical, sentient human being in a conversation with a rank-and-file casino employee. I’ll just never learn.

Although his decision to void the wagers was wrongheaded, Strege maintained a professional demeanor even as the discussion became more pointed (it never reached the “heated” stage). It’s also to his credit he agreed to speak on the record.

This led me to believe he was likely heeding a call — directly or indirectly — from on high, from empty suits in plush offices who couldn’t “book their way out of a paper bag,” in the immortal phrase of an old friend of mine.

Just last week, a news release went out stating the company that owns Harrah’s, Caesars Palace and a bunch of other casinos will henceforth be known as “Caesars Entertainment Corp.”

Once upon a time, you see, Caesars was the most formidable name in organized gambling.

Yet as long as Harrah’s, and by extension, Caesars, run their sports book in an unethical manner, I will consider them embarrassments to Las Vegas and to the institution of legal, regulated gambling.

And for fearing the sports-betting action of a low-rolling sportswriter, I consider them embarrassments to the once-great Caesars brand.

The only problem, I suppose, is a prerequisite to being embarrassed is that you actually have to care.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By terjen

4/14/08 at 6:34 a.m.

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Foolish writer, the question always from this company is not could you or did you win, it is the company protecting themselves, "Did you have fun" You had fun, not your kinda of fun, yet fun to have something to write about. Now if only a brave writer would write about how this company really changed gaming, as it is no longer about gambling, it is about gaming which is only pay for play, with winning have no part.
By CactusJack

4/14/08 at 9:22 a.m.

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We talked about this. I guess I'll just have to remind you again. Harrah's Entertainment is the scum of the earth. They aren't a real casino company. They are an entertainment company masquerading as a gambling company. You aren't really expecting to be treated as a customer, are you? You are there for their purpose, which is to take your money.

Are there real gambling organizations here anymore?

CJ
By pbjays

4/14/08 at 2:30 p.m.

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I'm a long time employee at Harrahs. As far as I'm concerned this story and others in recent months have been a demonstration of their business practices coming out in public.

The people that run this company have no idea what the word ethics mean. They are some of the most arrogant people that I have ever dealt with. They don't believe that the rules apply to them.

About the time that the company started stressing customer service is about the same time that they started taking away tools that we need to do our job.

But really is this any different from most of the properties on the strip?
By gqbossing

4/14/08 at 2:47 p.m.

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Speaking logically, if they are so unethical then why are they the #1 casino in the US and world, and why are their casinos always filled and performing as well if not better than all of their competitors?

This piece was about a sports book (about 2% of their business), and I agree, Harrah's Enterprise Sports Book rules are quite one sided and their strategy is not very good for the professional money. They aren't as bad as the Palms though, where ties in parlays are losses.

My picks are Station Casions, LV Hilton, Mirage, and Venetian...
By MM4SHO

4/14/08 at 3:34 p.m.

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Jeff's experience is not even mildly surprising to those of us who have endured outrageous rulings and treatment from the nervous and ill-informed supervisors with whom we are coerced to contend in most books. The Hilton is especially guilty of weak management: an egregious example of unwitting behavior occurred with me when they refused to pay a winning future bet ticket, claiming that someone had lost it. It was a stone bluff - someone told them he had lost some tickets, so they challenged evey ticket deemed to be a possible candidate. I had to have Gaming Control Board advise them of the protocol in handling such a situation, and the ticket was paid immediately, but with no apology. Absolute best spot to be treated fairly is Bellagio.
By FleaStiff

4/15/08 at 6:01 a.m.

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"...The pivotal moment came in a disgraceful incident Saturday night at Harrah’s sports book, when I tried to place wagers on three Sunday NBA games. ..."

It seems that they were rude, arrogant, arbitrary and capricious, but that however inexplicable their behavior was, it seems that it was not approaching "post time". If the horses are in the starting gate, any delay, however inexplicable, could cost you money. However, this incident seems to have taken place on a Saturday night and you would have had several hours to hunt-up a decently run Sports Book.

Clearly, if they want to change the line or the limits they can do so, but it should be a relatively simple process for them to simply take your money, print the ticket, hand it to you. That is the business they are in and if they fail to remember that, perhaps you should "vote with your feet".
Perhaps a great many bettors should consider "voting with their feet".
By webhawk

4/16/08 at 12:43 a.m.

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Harrah's sucks. Just terrible.

I hope their arrogance bites them in the a$$.
By flavinw64

4/16/08 at 7:31 a.m.

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I continue to be amazed by the actions of "scared" bookmakers. I worked at a Harrah's property sportsbook many years ago, and they ran scared back then. At least in those days, they flat out refused to accept a wager or had a ridiculously low limit for the "wise guys". The behavior that Jeff experienced the other night was inexcusable. Harrah's should get fined by Gaming for this. I just never understood the thinking of Harrah's, and other like operations, assuming that the gambler is going to win the wager(s). The best bookmakers generate the most handle. Take the wagers and move the "freakin" number. If you don't want the action, don't put the games on the board.
By jackmehoff

4/17/08 at 2:45 p.m.

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How can a columnist for Las Vegas Sun afford to bet what he suggests in this article? Sounds like he might be a runner or he has some preconceived bitterness toward Harrah's. Maybe because Harrah's doesn't sell his paper anymore? Just a thought. I've heard from other sources that Mr. Haney takes his liberty to exaggerate the truth. Typical of media scum.
By kenstarr

4/18/08 at 1:08 a.m.

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I agree with flavinw64........Come on Harrah's MOVE the line!!!!!!!!!!!
By FleaStiff

8/19/08 at 9:41 a.m.

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>he has some preconceived bitterness toward Harrah's.
Now that could be true. From what I hear half the gamblers in town and all of Harrah's employees have a distinct bitterness towards the company and its 'ethics'. Ofcourse he was in their sports book and as any other customer should be treated fairly and courtesly and promptly. They take his money, they print the ticket, they hand it to him. If they don't like doing that they don't have to chalk up the odds that they are offering and tey don't have to put up that "open for business" sign. Once they do those things... they should simply take his money, print his ticket and hand it to him in a prompt and courteous manner. Harrah's seems to have some trouble with that concept.
>Maybe because Harrah's doesn't sell his paper anymore?
Grasping at straws there a bit, I think!
By mikeg

8/24/08 at 9:59 p.m.

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My experience with Harrah's has also been that they have become more arrogant than accommodating. Too bad.

I would like to know something about this article, though, Mr Haney. How did the 3 bets go? Were they winning bets? Just curious...