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However,
with the rise of monumental, thematically designed
gambling palaces in recent years, such as the MGM
Grand, Mirage and Treasure Island in Las Vegas and
the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, to name just a few,
the overhead or "nut" is tremendous. Entertainment
alone costs these hotels millions of dollars per
year, and the free drinks, cheap food, and other
services offered the players to get their "warm
bodies" into the casino runs into more millions.
To feed this constant nut, the big and opulent casinos
need action from gamblers, and their definition
of action isn't players who are going to try their
luck at the tables with a series of $2 and $5 bets
for a couple of hours. The casinos do make money
from these players, but what they really want are
the big bettors, the high rollers, who will think
nothing of losing $50,000 or more at the tables
in the course of a couple of days.
If they can't get the $50,000 players, the $30,000
gamblers will do as well, and if they can't get
them, a $10,000 limit player is still preferable
to a grind that loses $40 at blackjack after getting
three free drinks, eating the special buffet lunch,
and cashing in a free coupon for a lucky buck or
a roll of nickels.
Of course, people who run casinos aren't stupid.
In to discourage grinds or, conversely, to get small
be gamble at higher stakes, they raise the minimum
limits tables. In the bigger, grander casinos, the
minimum bet table game such as craps or blackjack
may be $5 or $10. There also will be $25 minimum
tables, or $100 minimum tables. Now, a $100 minimum
table isn't going to attract a $2 but a $5 table
might.
Even for $25 minimum bettors at blackjack, many
hotels will set aside a private space. For example,
through the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas,
you may notice the baccarat pit, with a private
area within it for $25' minimum blackjack players
at a few tables. This holds other casinos. Casinos
want the big bettors to feel important so they are
given privacy and extra attention. But the still
the same, and all the trappings of grandeur can't
that. You must know how to play blackjack correctly
to win the long run-that's the bottom line for players.
At one time, the various hotels in Nevada, especially
on the Strip in Las Vegas, established junket programs
the high rollers into their casinos. Junkets were
planned excursions from a faraway point to the casino,
organized operators called junket masters, who gathered
together a group of qualified gamblers and accompanied
them by plane to the-casino where they'd gamble.
These junkets usually about four days and were only
open to "action players' met the criteria by
previous play or who were recommended by junketeers.
It was great while it lasted, for those on junket.
Everything was free as long as they gave the casino
and the bills the casino picked up, such as the
air fare, meals, and beverages, could run into thousands
of dollars.
Today, alas, junkets are a thing of the past. Now,
casinos catering to premium players, each player
is dealt, individually. His action is watched by
the hawk like eyes of casino personnel in the various
gambling pits, and he is accordingly. If he meets
minimum standards for that casino he will be given
free RFB, that is, free room, beverages. If his
action is really whale like, the casino will pick
up his air fare as well.
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