CONSIDER THIS BEFORE COMING TO LAS VEGAS

[stuntmovie]

LAS VEGAS is no longer what it used to be!

Years before the majority of you were even born, one of the original Las Vegas casino pioneers, Mr. Benny Binion, used to walk through his casino, Binion's Casino, and greet his gambling customers buy passing out rolls of nickles to everyone playing a slot machine, and free drinks and meal coupons to the table patrons.

And would always stop and chat if anyone had an interest in chatting with him.

(To discover why he was so popular .... check out BENNY BINION on WIKIPEDIA).

I'd always have some reason to say. "Thanks!"  to Mr. Binion for one thing or another (feee room and board, free nickles, or simply for just making an apperance  to greet his customers on he casino floor.)

And one day when parking was just about free on a world wide basis, we were having a short conversation about the future and expected growth  of Las Vegas and I can recall him saying, "If we ever charge you to park your car, take your business elsewhere.

And when Mr. Binion was home sound asleep, there would be some other 'figurehead' on the casino floor to make you feel welcome .

This was a common 'act of politeness' among all the casinos way back then.

But those good old days are gone .... and the bean counters have taken over.

The casino owners never show up on he casino floor anymore because the casino owners 'ain't' no more.

No one  comes  out to offer a hearty handshake or a thanks, or f free roll of nickles.

And the table games have changed the rules of the games in an effort to take your money.

No more 3 to 2  Blackjack payouts. Now it's 6 to 5 in most of the Strip casinos. That means that the HOUSE keeps some of your money every time you get a Blackjack.

I'm surprised that the Games Commission allows the game to still be called Blackjack.

And now the Strip table minimums are $10+ which enables the casino to take your money faster and leave a vacant seat for the next STRIP casino sucker.

And don't get me started on the BS called "Resort Fees" which will cost you about $20+ a night for nothing you ever wanted .... nor ever needed.

And sometimes you did't even know what a resort fee was until you check out.

And now Mr. Binion is rolling over in his grave!

Casino parking fees are on the horizon!

My suggestion is to STAY AWAy and it staying away is out of the question, avoid the Strip hotel casinos that want to rob you of every  cent  you come to Vegas with.

Check out the local joints. Give them your business and tell the others to go to Hades where even those 'customers' have more decent treatment.

(No parking fee, no resort fee,  and even Lucifer will show up to greet you!)

[Kwon_2]

What? You got Lucifer to show?

[wes]

Never been to Vegas Bill but the whole world has truly gone to shit.   

[Dr.J]

What? You got Lucifer to show?

I'm going to the nugget next weekend for my brothers birthday.

[Azure]

I heard that the free parking is over for mgm hotels. I used to be in Vegas all the time about 10-12 years ago. It's even changed since then.

[ritch]

Paying to park is bullshit.

Gonna get me a hot air balloon for means of transport and let it "hover" tied to a tree. It's not on land, so no parking fee's!

[Chacka]

Mmkay..., the point of your post is to clarify that gambling is a losing proposition?

[Parker]

What? You got Lucifer to show?

He has his own show now.

[HTexan]

What? You got Lucifer to show?

nah, he just lost his rent money like a stupid sucker, and is pissed at the world.

[el numero uno]

Who cares about a hearty handshake when the odds are against you and they know it. Negative expected value of peace.

[Howard]

Great post with some interesting history as well.

I have zero interest in gambling or drinking booze, etc.
Thus, any casino holds little interest for me or my wife.
I'd enjoy some of the Vegas shows, but we rarely go to any night clubs.

My impression is that Vegas has become over crowded and lost it's appeal .
I've heard that the Vegas atmosphere is closer to some adult form of spring break.

My wife and I will be heading to the FL Keys next month and the Canadian Rockies in the summer for our trips.

[stuntmovie]

RITCH, Great idea but if that balloon is tied to a tree that is growing on MGM property, you are gonna have to pay a "tie-up" fee and a rising and lowering fee ... among other fees that will soon be thought of  by those MGM dudes.

HOWARD ... Florida Keys!!!  Great idea and you are going to love it. Look for my footprints on Pirate's Cove Beach. And I gotta assume that your Canadian Rockies trip includes the train ride.

Yea, Las Vegas is too damn big and on the weekends it's too damn crowded. I first arrived when it was still a wild west town with about five legit casinos on the Strip with a short fat guy similar to the Guy's and Dolls motion picture characters would meet and greet you at the front door and buy you and anyone with a short military haircut the first few rounds of drinks and send the ladies to keep you company.

And every weekend there was a new dead body in a desert hole just a short walk from the casino's backside entrance.  And that dead body did not die by chocking on a chicken bone as these front door guys used to claim with an elbow nudge in your ribs.

DR. J, The Nugget..... best downtown hotel and casino, but too bad that the shark tank pool may not be open due to the LV cold season through March. When it is open the kids and most grown-ups love the class slide through that shark tank pool.

You might also enjoy the ZIP Line that runs above Fremont St. And you won't be missing much but LV A-Bomb history ... but braven up a bit and head about 4-6 blocks east from your hotel down Fremont Street and have a drink or two in the ATOMIC BAR and see what that place is all about.

But check first. They may have torn it down yesterday like everything else on that side of town.

Other than that .... all is well.

[Skeletor]

I heard that the free parking is over for mgm hotels. I used to be in Vegas all the time about 10-12 years ago. It's even changed since then.

Yes. The list includes Mandalay Bay, Delano, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Vdara, Aria, Bellagio, MGM Grand and (bb related) The Mirage. Hopefully this will fail miserably and other big names on the strip will not follow suit and do the same after a few months.

[calfzilla]

Interesting read but I will still go. Vegas is still a special place to me, I actually had a dream about it recently and have a hankerin to go.  I haven't had a real vacation in years.

Sad that those things changed but I still can enjoy myself there for very little money. It's not just Vegas, like what wes said, the whole world has gone to shit.

[Grape Ape]

It's not on land, so no parking fee's!

If you continue to practice the incorrect use of apostrophes, Fortress is going to kick the shit out of you.

[Howard]

Interesting read but I will still go. Vegas is still a special place to me, I actually had a dream about it recently and have a hankerin to go.  I haven't had a real vacation in years.

Sad that those things changed but I still can enjoy myself there for very little money. It's not just Vegas, like what wes said, the whole world has gone to shit.

Good for you!  My impression is , that Vegas is one of the few adult playgrounds left to go on vacation.
Cruises have become such "family and kid friendly" vacations, we won't go on 'em any longer.

[pellius]

Nobody goes there anymore.

It's too crowded

[el numero uno]

Nobody goes there anymore.

It's too crowded

 

[andreisdaman]

I will be there in two weeks for a few days with a woman....anybody got any nice things to do or see?....Any nice places for drinks or nice restaurants?..I'll be staying at the stratosphere

[stuntmovie]

HOWARD, The only shipboard cruise I ever took as a civilian was the one where the propeller fell off midway through the cruise. That was fun.

I had way too many 'rides' on US Navy ships of destruction and air craft carriers but the most 'funnest' occurred off the coast of Russia opposite Vladaglaskopf (spelling??) when the ship's captain swore that we were in one of the roughest seas in Naval history.

I don't get sea sick and was too damm dumb to believe that this ship could be turned upside down, but we had to batten down for a day or two and there were only two of us in the galley those couple of days ... me and the captain plus the poor sick navy mess guys who had to wait on us morning, noon, and night.

I'd tell ya more, but then I'd have to kill ya!

Unless you're cleared for "scuttlebutt'.

[Eric2]

This is nothing new. Nothing ever stays the same and the "oldguys" always talk up how great the old days where. Who gives a shit. Vegas is now what it was always to become. Still a fun and cheap place to go for a quick shot of thrills.

[visualizeperfection]

I will be there in two weeks for a few days with a woman....anybody got any nice things to do or see?....Any nice places for drinks or nice restaurants?..I'll be staying at the stratosphere

Haha..


No shit you are staying there, you cheap fuck.

[OB1]

Nobody goes there anymore.

It's too crowded

 
not bad.

[calfzilla]

I will be there in two weeks for a few days with a woman....anybody got any nice things to do or see?....Any nice places for drinks or nice restaurants?..I'll be staying at the stratosphere

Stratosphere is a dump.

[visualizeperfection]

Stratosphere is a dump.

Guess the race.