Friday, August 12, 2016

Vegas is trying to cheat you out of even more money

NYP

...I thought that being a good mousetrap involved luring in the mice. Vegas gambling dens owned by MGM Resorts International (including high-end spots such as the Bellagio and Aria) now tariff as much as $10 a day to park your car. It doesn’t sound like a lot — but until recently, it was free.
Hopefully other casinos around town — where no-charge valet parking remains in effect — are enjoying a bump from gamblers who realize that steakhouses and slot machines are not all that different from one place to another.

The other giant ripoff for most everyone overnighting in Vegas casinos is the repellent resort fees that Strip properties charge. Check in to a place designed to take your money at the tables and you’re an instant loser when socked with markups of $29 to $32 per night. The fees cover entry to the gym, Wi-Fi, local phone calls, maybe a bottle of water in your room — whether you care to use the amenities or not. The Delano’s fee even includes free notary service. Just one problem: Who the hell goes to Las Vegas on vacation and needs a notary?

These fees might be tolerable if I didn’t feel like I was getting hosed on the casino floor as well. Increasingly, the rules of blackjack games — a gambit where skill can actually trump the house (until they boot you out for being smart enough to win) — have become a drag on player bankrolls. Let’s get technical for a second: We’re seeing blackjacks that pay 6-to-5 instead of 3-to-2, there’s no resplitting aces, and you can’t split on anything other than a 10 or 11. They all crush the dreams of players who don’t want to get brutally fleeced...  READ MORE

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