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Long-time Las Vegas-based advantage player, casino critic, and frequent Blackjack Insider contributor LVBear offers his opinions on things that sometimes go wrong in the world of casinos.  Current and past growls can be read, and comments posted, at LVBear's website, TheBearGrowls.com.

Binion’s embarrasses itself

The new 3:2 single decks suffer from shuffling disease, and the pit personnel suffer from severe paranoia syndrome. It feels like being in the Four Queens sweatshop. Maybe the new owner moved some of the Four Queens crew to Binion’s.  It's a shame.  Another ownership change that could have done something positive to bring lost business back to downtown.  But Binion's blew its chance.

At least the place is offering games that appear good on the surface, and are good games for clueless, low-rolling tourists — that’s less bad than many other operators have done. But with the constant shuffling, the hands per hour will be pathetically low, and the intolerance of any play other than red-chippers will not allow the tables to make much money. That’ll be the excuse to get rid of them in a few months. I had hoped for better with the Four Queens takeover — I don’t know why I did, knowing how the Four Queens sweats.

Two things new ownership should take a look at — one cheap to fix, the other expensive, but is a disaster and lawsuit waiting to happen:

(1) The carpet in the elevator to the self-park garage is filthy and smells of urine. I don’t think the carpet has been changed, or even cleaned, in this century. Strange how the entire casino was re-carpeted not that long ago, but not the little patch of carpet in the tiny elevator.

(2) The outside retaining "walls" of the garage wouldn’t hold anything back if hit; they are incredibly unsafe. One could probably kick them down. If a car hit the "wall", the rusted metal probably wouldn’t even slow the car on its way through. In view of the garage accidents in the past couple of years at Golden Nugget and I think the Stratosphere, this is a liability the new owner doesn’t need. It should be fixed, and quickly.

Las Vegas casino greed killing the golden goose

Well, well, well -- Nevada gaming revenues fell more than 15 percent in May, according to figures released by the Gaming Control Board.

Maybe the suckers are finally getting it. With rip-offs like 6 to 5 blackjack, sports books refusing to take bets of more than chump change, short-pay video poker, and many similar insults to our city's visitors, most people can find better quality gaming elsewhere. It appears the other overpriced local "amenities" are among the first things people cut out when times get tougher. Casino greed is killing the golden goose. The Las Vegas casino bosses' business model, which seems to rely on the theory that there'll always be more suckers to plunder, may finally be coming to a screeching halt.

Las Vegas once was a worthwhile destination, not only for a person of average means, but for skilled patrons, too.  The average person has been priced out of the market by the greedy corporate barons now running the joints, and the skilled patron has been effectively stifled by the preponderance of garbage games, existing only on the fringes now.  Usually what is good for the skilled patron is also good for the casino.  Better games will attract more skilled patrons, but will also let the suckers hold onto their money a little longer.  With the "let's bankrupt them all as quickly as we can" attitude so prevalent now, led by the despicable Harrah's, no wonder tourism is taking such a hit.

My personal wish list:

1.    Harrah’s to go into bankruptcy and be forced to divest itself of most of its properties, which could then be acquired by individual entrepreneurs willing to offer the suckers reasonably fair treatment.

2.    Some imaginative and competent owners and managers to take over the failing dumps downtown. 

3.    Wynn to go bankrupt.  The loathsome Mr. Wynn, who knowingly hired an individual who committed blatant perjury in a legal case involving patrons, presides over a sports book that is among the worst-run with the rudest management anywhere, and tolerates unparalleled intrusion into the privacy of patrons via Social Security number harassment of all but the lowest-level players, deserves to be put out of business.

4.    The remaining operators to see this economic downturn as an opportunity to return to giving the patrons some value, instead of just ripping off our visitors with bloated prices on rooms and shows, poor service, bad attitudes, and lousy games.  

Las Vegas has plundered the suckers for a long time now.  The motto for the Convention and Visitors Bureau ought to be, "Las Vegas – a great place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit."  It’s time to get back to the basics of offering value to the average visitor.   "Value" and "service" appear to be words most of the present crop of casino managers are not familiar with – short-term results and today’s stock prices seem to be their only concern.  Right now, they are getting what they deserve.

Stupid comment by sportsbook manager -- Betting intelligently is "taking a shot" at the casino

Robert Walker is retiring after 20 years in the sports book business. Good. It's past time for him to go. In this article, he is quoted as making this idiotic statement:

"The pros that sneak people in here at night ... our biggest parlay card players the last few years have been elderly women who come in with stacks of cards and play round-robins on games that we're 2-3 points off," Walker said. "It's people that you wouldn't normally associate with taking a shot at you. The pros have gotten to our casino players, and they've tried everything."

"Sneak people in here at night"  -- If the sports book is open for business, how is placing a bet "sneaking"? 

"It's people that you wouldn't normally associate with taking a shot at you." ...  -- Apparently to Mr. Walker, betting intelligently is "taking a shot."

What a clown.  Happy retirement.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Office refuses to get involved in criminal abuse of patron by Fantasy Springs Casino

A friend was recently accosted by casino guards and physically forced into the backroom of Fantasy Springs Casino near Indio, CA. His cell phone was grabbed from his grasp by casino guards while he was trying to call 911 for help, and he was subsequently handcuffed. The thugs eventually released him.

The victim tried to file a crime report with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, but was told he had to speak with the tribal gaming commission, even though the Riverside County Sheriff has criminal jurisdiction over this Indian casino. The sheriff’s office refused to recognize that a crime was committed against the player, stating that the Indians "probably made card counting a crime," which of course is nonsense. How can it be a crime to think?

Under the Sheriff’s reasoning, the victim then would have allegedly committed a crime by thinking, so the casino thugs were justified in detaining him. Of course, even if thinking had in fact been outlawed in this casino, the fact that the thugs descended upon him within minutes of his arrival precluded anyone there from making a valid determination that he was counting cards in their casino. But that didn’t matter to the sheriff’s office. Mind boggling.