Resorts World Las Vegas is set to open on June 24. You can bet I’ll be there in the first few days to check things out. If I find anything playable, I’ll play a lot and sit back and wait and see what comes in the mail. I suppose you could say that’s my standard M.O. at casino openings.
Some of my best results ever have been at casino openings. Often the new slot director was an assistant slot director at the last place worked and doesn’t understand how much of a difference there is between the two positions. The net effect is that new casinos sometimes open much looser or more generous than is profitable for them — and that’s good news for the players.
On the other hand, the two newest casino openings in Las Vegas, the Circa and the Mohegan Sun at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, have been video poker wastelands. Well, Circa does have 8-5 Bonus, but that’s the only game above 98% I found there. And the slot club only pays 0.2%. I did play at Circa when it opened, primarily because they have a $400 sign up bonus if you’ve never played at the D or Golden Gate previously, and I qualified. I played $60,000 in coin-in, which was three times the amount required to get the signup bonus. Several months later, I received eight weeks of $25 free play and $150 in food. That was nowhere near enough to make up for 8/5 Bonus, so that’s not a place I’ll be returning. Not to mention, it’s the loudest casino in town and I’m far too old to appreciate that.
At the Mohegan Sun, I had received $20 free play before the place opened but went in and found no games at all worth playing. I didn’t even get my card and play off the $20. I’ll check again in six months or so to see if they’ve loosened up any.
So, with that recent history of Las Vegas casino openings, I’m not really optimistic about the video poker at Resorts World. But I won’t know for sure until I go there and look. Which I will do.
I’m willing to be pleasantly surprised, but prepared to find the place unplayable. That seems to be the direction video poker is heading these days.
I’ve been wrong before. Hopefully I’m wrong this time.
