Dear Mark,
With the upcoming election, which candidate is the gambling industry backing?
Ainslie M. Carnelian Bay, CA
As a point of reference, Ainslie, in the past few decades the gaming industry
has funded the Democrats substantially more, though that changed in 1994
when the GOP took control of both the House and Senate. In the upcoming
election, I suspect that industry leaders will sit on both sides of the
fence.
Take for example the largest private employer in Nevada and the most influential
gambling operator in the country, Steve Wynn. Last year he organized a lunch
for Bob Dole that raised almost $500,000. In early June he flew to Washington
to play 18 holes of golf with Bill Clinton.
Now for those of us in the gaming industry, you would have to be from the
shallow end of the gene pool not to realize the carrot at the end of the
stick is not presidential politics but a forthcoming commission on gambling.
This commission will have a broad mandate to examine the social impact and
staggering growth of the industry. Besides the commission itself, which
scares the industry, add the amount of subpoena power (fodder for another
column) they will receive.
So how do you limit the power of a commission mandated to possibly witch
hunt through the nation's gambling dens? Cover all your bets to best influence
who is going to be appointed to the nine-member committee. With the President,
the Senate majority leader and the speaker of the House each appointing
three members, plan on the gaming industry vesting their interests in a
bipartisan way in both parties.
Funny thing, Ainslie; mathematically the casino controls all the games in
the casino, but outside the green felt jungle world, they are forced to
back all the horses they can.
Before I Shuffle: In the movie, Field of Dreams, the belief
was "build it and they will come." Las Vegas has that down to
a science. Volcanoes, pirate battles, etc.-- decent attractions for FREE.
But the new trend is to charge for anything the mesmerized consumer will
pay for. Take for example the newly opened Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas
with the roller coaster on top. Granted, I'm price conscience (cheap), but
seven dollars to go up to the observation deck and five dollars, per ride,
for the roller coaster and the Big Shot (a ride where you're strapped into
a chair and shot straight up 160 feet in 2.3 seconds, experiencing four
times the force of gravity, then free falling)? And are these rides worth
it? For the price, you'll have to decide. But after scanning the internet
forums on gambling and after talking with at least 25 people who forked
over the cash, I'm getting mixed reviews. As for the roller coaster, the
general consensus is that it's very weak. A friend, Karl, summed it up best
by stating he would have had more fun being pushed around in a shopping
cart on the roof of the Tropicana. And the Big Shot? Most reviews were positive.
The view, well, many casinos offer panoramic vistas of the Strip from either
their restaurants or rooms-- albeit not as high. Three additional thoughts.
First, they offer no rain checks on your travels up, so even if the rides
are out of commission-which has been often-- you're out of luck. Second,
avoid cocktail hour at all costs. Example: A Double Kahula and cream will
cost you $13. This is NOT a misprint. Third, because of the casino not meeting
fiscal expectations, layoffs of casino employees have begun. I always thought
the casino business was based on how many people you get to come through
your front doors. I would suggest, in my humble opinion, that the Stratosphere
give away, FREE, both the elevator ride up plus the two amusement rides.
Then I think they would have the fortunate problem of turning people away.
And me, the only time I have ever paid to go in a building was when I slipped
a maintenance man $5 to let me go up to the sixth floor of the School Book
Depository building in Dallas. I'll pass and give this attraction, until
prices are drastically reduced, thumbs down.
Got a question about gambling? Write to: Deal Me In, 774 Mays Blvd.
Suite 10, Incline Village, NV 89451 or e-mail:winners@winner.com
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