Is Las Vegas the Next Detroit?

[kickoff-time]

Casinos hate their sports books for the same reason I like 'em. It takes three hours to lose a bet on a ballgame rather than the three seconds it takes at the tables.

Be that as it may, but for me, there's no other reason to go to Vegas. I'm not flying 2,000 miles so I can play casino games; I can do that with a 45-minute drive from my front door.

You are seriously going 2,000 miles to Las Vegas only to bet on sports?

I'm sure you can find a bookie much closer and save the trip.

Not sure how often you go, but it might be wiser to find some friends who are going, give them the money to bet on sports and then you won't have to worry about finding an illegal bookie.

In my opinion, people go to Las Vegas for the same reason they go see movies - it can be surreal and it is a fantasyland where you can be entertained.

 

[SoCalDude]

Been five years or so since I've been to the Orleans and considering it again. Still quality rooms and a nice and affordable casino? Really enjoyed it last time.

I think Vegas will be just fine and remain one of the top destinations. It's still the place for conventions and has evolved into a lot more than just gaming, with high-end shopping, dining and entertainment. It had to, since you can gamble just about anywhere else. The recession, anti luxury/travel rhetoric and 8,000 new rooms or whatever with City Center/Cosmo have been a tough combo to overcome. But Vegas will.

Not sure when your last Orleans trip was, in relation the Gaughan / Coast Casino days & the current Boyd Gaming ownership. It's still a nice bargain, but everything is just a bit....less. Coupon book, the burger joint, the sports book, the abundance of $5 tables, the late night specials in the coffee shop, on & on.

We were 2-3 Vegas trips a year type folks, for close to 15 years. Going all the way back to college, my buds and I used to "junket" out for cheap weekends. Like most folks on this thread, we've found it to be less and less value, for our travel dollar. The irony is that we have far more discretionary income than we've ever had, but are more likely the spend it on something like a cruise now. Just feels like we're getting more for our buck.

When we do go to Vegas (every 18 months, or so), we've also become complete "locals casinos" folks. Last trip, we spent 5 days in town & a total of 3 hours on the strip (for a show). Or...maybe I'm just getting old

I stayed at the Orleans 2 weeks ago. I had never stayed there before, but had been there to gamble and got their players card. Got a room rate of something like $120 for Friday, $98 for Saturday and free for Sunday. Room was basic nice, clean, couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Lots of $5 blackjack tables, just one $100 table and maybe two $25, the rest $5. About two-thirds of the casino was open. Last year when we were there my dad said he enjoyed their poker room, and he usually plays at the Bellagio or Mirage. Can't complain about the drink service.
Food options covered every possible choice, from Subway and Sbarro to their top-of-the-line Cajun place and slightly less-expensive Prime Rib Loft, which has become a favorite for me, a full range of beef (14 oz. prime rib cut is $19, a very drinkable zinfandel for $20/bottle). Their 24-hour coffee shop is great, huge menu, everything available 24/7. They also have a sushi place , TGIF, Irish pub, fuddruckers, baskin-robbins. Their French Market buffet is only $14 for dinner and less for lunch (most of the strip is $35 or so), except for wednesday and saturday when it's $18 because they have seafood. They have an all-day buffet pass for $24.
Casino has a movie theater and bowling alley and the Orleans Arena. We went to 2 hockey games. I've been to a thousand NHL games, but never a minor league game. It was a blast.
I didn't see any sleaze element in the place, even though when you're driving there on W. Tropicana you pass several sex shops.

 

[YankeeFan]

Casinos hate their sports books for the same reason I like 'em. It takes three hours to lose a bet on a ballgame rather than the three seconds it takes at the tables.

Be that as it may, but for me, there's no other reason to go to Vegas. I'm not flying 2,000 miles so I can play casino games; I can do that with a 45-minute drive from my front door.

I have that option too -- not 45 minutes but maybe two hours -- but never use it. People in Indian casinos (and Reno) are more likely to have a palpable desperation, the cashing-your-paycheck-at-the-casino kind of sickness that reminds me of gambling's ills and makes the whole thing an unpleasant affair.

Net result is I just end up playing a lot less, which is the best outcome anyway.

Yeah, I went by the new Casino in Des Plains, IL the other day. (Right near O'Hare.) My girlfriend & I were nearby, and we figured we'd check it out.

Physically, it was nice enough. They had a nice center bar, and good buffet, and a couple of nice restaurants. But, the place reeked of desperation. Plus, it was pretty crowded for a Saturday afternoon, and the cheapest minimum for a blackjack table was $15 per hand. (And most were $25.)

I imagine it would be overrun on a Friday or Saturday night, likely with $25 minimums.

Part of what makes Vegas fun is that it's sexy. People are on vacation. They're looking to have a good time. No, i don't like the douche bags or the bottle service night clubs either, but I'd still rather take a weekend trip to Vegas then a day trip to an Indian or local casino.

I lost $100 in 10 minutes. The dealer just slaughtered me. So, we left. In Vegas, if I'm not doing well, there's so much more to do.

If I'm with my girlfriend, we can go to a Cirque du Soleil show, to a nice dinner, do some shopping, and just walk the strip and check out the casinos.

 

[YankeeFan]

Now is a great time to go to Vegas.

When I got married about a decade ago we were going to have my bachelor party there and I wanted to go the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Well, to get a mediocre room at Mandalay Bay would have been $300+ a night during that week.

A friend went last year and got a 4-night stay for $500.

This is the weekend my buddies & I used to go every year. Always had a blast.

 

[Stitch]

Vegas will turn into a dystopian wasteland within 30 years. Just wait until Lakes Mead and Powell run dry.

 

[Layman]

Been five years or so since I've been to the Orleans and considering it again. Still quality rooms and a nice and affordable casino? Really enjoyed it last time.

I think Vegas will be just fine and remain one of the top destinations. It's still the place for conventions and has evolved into a lot more than just gaming, with high-end shopping, dining and entertainment. It had to, since you can gamble just about anywhere else. The recession, anti luxury/travel rhetoric and 8,000 new rooms or whatever with City Center/Cosmo have been a tough combo to overcome. But Vegas will.

Not sure when your last Orleans trip was, in relation the Gaughan / Coast Casino days & the current Boyd Gaming ownership. It's still a nice bargain, but everything is just a bit....less. Coupon book, the burger joint, the sports book, the abundance of $5 tables, the late night specials in the coffee shop, on & on.

We were 2-3 Vegas trips a year type folks, for close to 15 years. Going all the way back to college, my buds and I used to "junket" out for cheap weekends. Like most folks on this thread, we've found it to be less and less value, for our travel dollar. The irony is that we have far more discretionary income than we've ever had, but are more likely the spend it on something like a cruise now. Just feels like we're getting more for our buck.

When we do go to Vegas (every 18 months, or so), we've also become complete "locals casinos" folks. Last trip, we spent 5 days in town & a total of 3 hours on the strip (for a show). Or...maybe I'm just getting old

I stayed at the Orleans 2 weeks ago. I had never stayed there before, but had been there to gamble and got their players card. Got a room rate of something like $120 for Friday, $98 for Saturday and free for Sunday. Room was basic nice, clean, couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Lots of $5 blackjack tables, just one $100 table and maybe two $25, the rest $5. About two-thirds of the casino was open. Last year when we were there my dad said he enjoyed their poker room, and he usually plays at the Bellagio or Mirage. Can't complain about the drink service.
Food options covered every possible choice, from Subway and Sbarro to their top-of-the-line Cajun place and slightly less-expensive Prime Rib Loft, which has become a favorite for me, a full range of beef (14 oz. prime rib cut is $19, a very drinkable zinfandel for $20/bottle). Their 24-hour coffee shop is great, huge menu, everything available 24/7. They also have a sushi place , TGIF, Irish pub, fuddruckers, baskin-robbins. Their French Market buffet is only $14 for dinner and less for lunch (most of the strip is $35 or so), except for wednesday and saturday when it's $18 because they have seafood. They have an all-day buffet pass for $24.
Casino has a movie theater and bowling alley and the Orleans Arena. We went to 2 hockey games. I've been to a thousand NHL games, but never a minor league game. It was a blast.
I didn't see any sleaze element in the place, even though when you're driving there on W. Tropicana you pass several sex shops.

Thanks for the update, SoCal. There was a period of about 3 years, that we stayed at the Orleans 10+ times (between business & vacation). Sounds like it's still a decent joint, reasonably close to what it was. I'll probably never forgive Boyd, though, for taking out the cheap burger stand (Terrible Mike's) that used to be along the south wall of the casino floor. Pretty sure I closed at least one artery in that dump.

We've swung most of our non-Fremont business to the South Point. It's the property that Michael Gaughan ended up with, after the Boyd / Coast merger. Reminds me a LOT of the original version of the Orleans. It's well south, though, down LV Blvd.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Been five years or so since I've been to the Orleans and considering it again. Still quality rooms and a nice and affordable casino? Really enjoyed it last time.

I think Vegas will be just fine and remain one of the top destinations. It's still the place for conventions and has evolved into a lot more than just gaming, with high-end shopping, dining and entertainment. It had to, since you can gamble just about anywhere else. The recession, anti luxury/travel rhetoric and 8,000 new rooms or whatever with City Center/Cosmo have been a tough combo to overcome. But Vegas will.

Not sure when your last Orleans trip was, in relation the Gaughan / Coast Casino days & the current Boyd Gaming ownership. It's still a nice bargain, but everything is just a bit....less. Coupon book, the burger joint, the sports book, the abundance of $5 tables, the late night specials in the coffee shop, on & on.

We were 2-3 Vegas trips a year type folks, for close to 15 years. Going all the way back to college, my buds and I used to "junket" out for cheap weekends. Like most folks on this thread, we've found it to be less and less value, for our travel dollar. The irony is that we have far more discretionary income than we've ever had, but are more likely the spend it on something like a cruise now. Just feels like we're getting more for our buck.

When we do go to Vegas (every 18 months, or so), we've also become complete "locals casinos" folks. Last trip, we spent 5 days in town & a total of 3 hours on the strip (for a show). Or...maybe I'm just getting old

I stayed at the Orleans 2 weeks ago. I had never stayed there before, but had been there to gamble and got their players card. Got a room rate of something like $120 for Friday, $98 for Saturday and free for Sunday. Room was basic nice, clean, couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Lots of $5 blackjack tables, just one $100 table and maybe two $25, the rest $5. About two-thirds of the casino was open. Last year when we were there my dad said he enjoyed their poker room, and he usually plays at the Bellagio or Mirage. Can't complain about the drink service.
Food options covered every possible choice, from Subway and Sbarro to their top-of-the-line Cajun place and slightly less-expensive Prime Rib Loft, which has become a favorite for me, a full range of beef (14 oz. prime rib cut is $19, a very drinkable zinfandel for $20/bottle). Their 24-hour coffee shop is great, huge menu, everything available 24/7. They also have a sushi place , TGIF, Irish pub, fuddruckers, baskin-robbins. Their French Market buffet is only $14 for dinner and less for lunch (most of the strip is $35 or so), except for wednesday and saturday when it's $18 because they have seafood. They have an all-day buffet pass for $24.
Casino has a movie theater and bowling alley and the Orleans Arena. We went to 2 hockey games. I've been to a thousand NHL games, but never a minor league game. It was a blast.
I didn't see any sleaze element in the place, even though when you're driving there on W. Tropicana you pass several sex shops.

Not that you'll ever read about it in the R-J, but there have been more than occasional highjackings in the parking lot, especially at night. The local police (and on-site security) are well-aware of it, and it has been addressed, but it borders an iffy neighborhood, and prudence rules. Use valet, or be very careful if you've got a package in your left pocket.

 

[SoCalDude]

Been five years or so since I've been to the Orleans and considering it again. Still quality rooms and a nice and affordable casino? Really enjoyed it last time.

I think Vegas will be just fine and remain one of the top destinations. It's still the place for conventions and has evolved into a lot more than just gaming, with high-end shopping, dining and entertainment. It had to, since you can gamble just about anywhere else. The recession, anti luxury/travel rhetoric and 8,000 new rooms or whatever with City Center/Cosmo have been a tough combo to overcome. But Vegas will.

Not sure when your last Orleans trip was, in relation the Gaughan / Coast Casino days & the current Boyd Gaming ownership. It's still a nice bargain, but everything is just a bit....less. Coupon book, the burger joint, the sports book, the abundance of $5 tables, the late night specials in the coffee shop, on & on.

We were 2-3 Vegas trips a year type folks, for close to 15 years. Going all the way back to college, my buds and I used to "junket" out for cheap weekends. Like most folks on this thread, we've found it to be less and less value, for our travel dollar. The irony is that we have far more discretionary income than we've ever had, but are more likely the spend it on something like a cruise now. Just feels like we're getting more for our buck.

When we do go to Vegas (every 18 months, or so), we've also become complete "locals casinos" folks. Last trip, we spent 5 days in town & a total of 3 hours on the strip (for a show). Or...maybe I'm just getting old

I stayed at the Orleans 2 weeks ago. I had never stayed there before, but had been there to gamble and got their players card. Got a room rate of something like $120 for Friday, $98 for Saturday and free for Sunday. Room was basic nice, clean, couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Lots of $5 blackjack tables, just one $100 table and maybe two $25, the rest $5. About two-thirds of the casino was open. Last year when we were there my dad said he enjoyed their poker room, and he usually plays at the Bellagio or Mirage. Can't complain about the drink service.
Food options covered every possible choice, from Subway and Sbarro to their top-of-the-line Cajun place and slightly less-expensive Prime Rib Loft, which has become a favorite for me, a full range of beef (14 oz. prime rib cut is $19, a very drinkable zinfandel for $20/bottle). Their 24-hour coffee shop is great, huge menu, everything available 24/7. They also have a sushi place , TGIF, Irish pub, fuddruckers, baskin-robbins. Their French Market buffet is only $14 for dinner and less for lunch (most of the strip is $35 or so), except for wednesday and saturday when it's $18 because they have seafood. They have an all-day buffet pass for $24.
Casino has a movie theater and bowling alley and the Orleans Arena. We went to 2 hockey games. I've been to a thousand NHL games, but never a minor league game. It was a blast.
I didn't see any sleaze element in the place, even though when you're driving there on W. Tropicana you pass several sex shops.

Not that you'll ever read about it in the R-J, but there have been more than occasional highjackings in the parking lot, especially at night. The local police (and on-site security) are well-aware of it, and it has been addressed, but it borders an iffy neighborhood, and prudence rules. Use valet, or be very careful if you've got a package in your left pocket.

It costs one freaking dollar to park with the valet. Why do anything else?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Have found the hookers seem more enthusiastic to show their wares. I got hit up by one while trying to have a very late night beer at the Mirage.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Have found the hookers seem more enthusiastic to show their wares. I got hit up by one while trying to have a very late night beer at the Mirage.

'Twas ever thus, but there are individual bars in individual properties they prefer to use as home bases (like the Gallaria Bar). At the Stardust, late at night, the most aggressive would take shots at you while you were playing in the South slots areas.

 

[TigerVols]

Anyone stayed at the NY NY lately?

That was always my favorite low-frills joint. Great location, 9 Fine Irishmen a great place to meet the ladies...

 

[EStoess]

Occupancy and rates are up significantly in Vegas of late, but still off peak numbers. Industry story if anyone cares: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/7423/Vegas-hotel-performance-back-on-track

Story does not mention gaming or F&B revenues. Imagine those are climbing as well, but still way off. Always amazes me the city runs at that high of an occupancy. Most hotels would kill for that. Also cover the hotel industry, but this story was from a competitor.