Thank you also, Charlie.
That article hits the nail on the head: I've disliked Vegas for eons-- between the gist of the article & the way the BJ situation's deteriorated in so many ways, as well & even worse: ditto for comps...
And it will only get worse with the mega-consolidations AND dependence on share prices: if you think bean counters rule the roosts now...
Also, the thesis-- that increased online plus recent California % other land-based competition, will prod Vegas back on the right path-- is not practical: other jurisdictions tend to emulate Vegas, rather than blaze their own path, & to boot a great proportion of them are partnered with and/or managed by Vegas corporations.
Vegas has bought some time by raising the prices of and/or focusing on high-end: F&B, entertainment, & retail-- however, those prices can't keep rising both indefinitely & w/o a corresponding drop in volume, this will eventually set loose a downward domino effect-- of possibly epic proportions, because of their inherent Achilles Heels:
individual casinos have to constantly be increasing profits AND upgrading / rebuilding themselves to the tune of billions of dollars-- HOWEVER, they've now made themselves dependent on the fickleness of Wall St, which can be merciless if profits don't increase quarterly by the expected amount, never mind if they don't increase at all.
Little by little Vegas is losing a lot of the features that traditionally made it an attractive destination:
Low prices
Good betting options
Personalized attention
Good comps
If you're not willing to apply for casino credit or pre-deposit a large chunk of change, to draw upon as you need, you're a nobody-- and a Vegas vacation can be one of your most expensive ones, IF you want to have a good time & answer questions when you get back home, re did you go to this club, see that show, eat at this restaurant, etc.-- you'd better set aside a few thou just for expenses, not counting any gambling stake.
Being from NY i'm used to being a sport & paying high ticket, but you really get raped out there by everyone. You can't even sit down at a casino bar & play its video poker, expecting to get a free drink-- no siree: it's $7.75 for a cocktail plus tax & tip equals $10 thank you very much...gee, make that a Beck's instead. That'll be six dollars for the imported beer, sir.
We're not even talking about wanting to hit one of the trendy nightclubs with their high cover charge and $12 cocktails. Afterwards, the twenty-spot fare for the relatively short taxi ride to catch your show, for which you shelled out a few hundred for EACH ticket, will seem like a bargain in comparison. And we haven't gotten into eating out.
Now, back to gambling-- hard to find a seat at a table game for less than a green chip minimum-- at those betting levels your bankroll better be in the thousands.
So, you wanna have a grand time & be able to truthfully brag to your acquaintances? You'd better have with you five figures. OR you can do the 'schmuck vacation'-- not do much of anything & NOT tell anyone you went there.
Back to the gamling limits mentioned in the article: if those continue when they implement their internet betting, now way would i consider moving back there. There are already too many other minuses there besides the higher cost of living-- skyrocketing real estate & overloaded infrastructure: crowded & hard to get into schooling for children, bad smog, insufferable traffic-- besides the future & ever-present dilemmas re water supply that's running out & the potentially massive California earthquake that would likely also level Vegas...
No thanks-- one way or the other, they're due for their comeuppance... it may get further delayed if our national economy goes into a protracted boom cycle, but eventually the piper will want to get paid.
