Hi Vegas fans,
Harrah's canceled its IPO and has officially changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp. You can read the details of the transaction in the
LA Times and
Las Vegas Sun articles.
By any other name, it's still the same megacorp with Gary Loveman at the helm. As you may have read in my previous posts and in my
forums, I'm not a huge fan of entertainment and gambling at Harrah's (oops, I mean Ceasars Entertainment Corp or CEC). The rules are not good for players, and the experience tends to be very generic.
The hotels in the chain (Bally's, Paris, Caesars, Harrah's) are pretty nice. The rooms I've stayed in are clean, comfortable, and a good value. Well, with one exception: the Imperial Palace, or as my wife calls it, the "IP freely" (because of the smell), which is a below par for a mid-Strip hotel. Now as the old saying goes, "how much time do you spend in your room in Vegas?" Not much, but people
do typically associate their vacation with their hotel or hotel chain. Vegas Today and Tomorrow has a good map of
Who Owns What.
For example, if you're staying at the Flamingo, you are probably going to spend time there and in surrounding properties for convenience, and they are all owned by CEC. Most of your other options on the Strip include MGM properties, Wynn, or Sands (i.e. Shel Adelson... think Venetian and Palazzo). MGM has a huge grip on the South Strip (Excalibur, NY NY, MGM Grand, etc.) and is a better proposition than CEC, but I'd like to see more $5 tables at their properties. A lot more.
The funny thing is that it doesn't have to be like this. I prefer to play at the Stratosphere. Now, it's not the most glamorous place in the world, so if I'm going with my wife and want a nicer hotel, we may book somewhere else. However, I can gamble at the Strat all day - either at the blackjack tables, the sports book or the craps tables. If I want to venture out to other places to eat, see stuff, or take a break, I just hop in the car.
On our last trip, my buddy Steve and I drove out to M Resort. Nice place, good rules for gaming. A little bit out there, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I don't mind cruising to to other places - like downtown, the Riv, the Trop, Excal - for a change, but it would be nice to have even more opportunities on the Strip to spend my entertainment dollars.
I would guess that I'm typically the exception rather than the rule; I would bet that most people play where they stay. But remember the Golden Rule; you have the gold in your pockets, and you decide where to spend it (which should be the places with the best rules). It's time we start telling these megaresorts the real deal. We're educated. We know that CEC owns a majority of the mid-Strip properties and MGM has a lock on the South Strip. We're not going to be held hostage by limited options. Give us better gaming, good deals, and a unique experience. Otherwise, we'll go somewhere else.
Vegas fans, I urge you to think about these things the next time you book your trip to Las Vegas. Regardless of where you stay, please don't play somewhere that has bad gaming rules. Don't eat in a restaurant just because it's in your hotel. Don't go see a show that's not really your style just because it's within walking distance. My biggest Vegas tip? Rent a car. It will open up your world to other venues and will remind you that Las Vegas is more than MGM and Caesars.
Viva!
Mike
