#32 Posted: 6/5/2011 4:05:07 AM I'll respond in pieces to your...exceptionally well written.....thoughts.
I go back to when Vegas had SPORTSBOOKS...and not these areas in a hotel/casino that took bets on sports and racing. Some of the sharps/runners would hang around; but the vast majority of bets were made by clients who would bet and then go back to The Sahara, Riviera, etc and catch a show, dinner or whatever.
The corporate suits thought that they should bring these sportsbooks into their casinos, over this as a much better "convenience" to their customers..and, if run by someone who knew what they were doing, make a few bucks.
We have reached a point where the suits would get rid of every book and replace them with slots if they could...since they cannot, the next best idea is to lease the area to Cantor, Hill, or whoever, take a piece of the action and rid themselves of having to run something that they have minimal ability to do.
Since these new operations are NOT connected to the casino/hotel directly, then the more that they can eliminated internal charges (drinks, food comps, room comps)...they will. They will focus on taking bets....at whatever level....period.
And, trust me, no sportsbook that I know of in this town wants someone drunk or high placing bets....it, ultimately, becomes a problem. As Lee Amaitis was quoted recently,,,"The days of the 25,000 square foot sportsbook are over."
As far as room/food/limo/show comps....Baccarat, Craps, and Blackjack take care of that....and most operations are creating severe tier levels in their "rewards programs" that limit the level of comps being given out....As to SB comps, there are ways that it gets done....100 dimes on a game does count for something still. However, the guy betting that much on sports is, typically, putting much more into the casino also.
Be back later today.... |