Hello Friends,
I'm going to Las Vegas. Sin City. Wedding capital of the world (I know this from personal experience). The place where no secret leaves.
It will not be as glamorous as all that—I have a work thing. Historically, August is the slowest month in Las Vegas, and the number of visitors to the great city in the desert is the lowest it's been in years. Except for people attending conferences. That's gone up.
And that's why I'm going.
I'm going to spend 3 days sitting in an air-conditioned meeting room listening to people essentially trying to sell me something. It's okay. It'll be 110 degrees outside, and I'm not much for spending my time in a smoky casino.
Now, I have heard that Vegas has been suffering a little bit. It seems nobody is really going there these days. In response, the businesses have started to raise their prices. That seems like just the opposite of what you'd want to do to attract tourists. But American businesses are not known for their long-term thinking.
Luckily, I'll be on my company's dime.
Going there has got me thinking though,… (a slow film shot of me looking skyward in contemplation). What if I did spend some time gambling? Could I make some money?
From what I can tell, the odds are not good.
For example, most slot machines have around a 90% RTP (Return To Player). This means that for every $100 I lovingly place in the slot machine, I can expect, on average, to get only $90 back.
It'd be as if I bought a roll of quarters and rolled it down the street into the gutter.
In terms of table games, apparently mini-baccarat has the best RTP at around 88%, followed closely by blackjack (86%).
Craps and roulette are further down the list at 83% and 80%, respectively. This seems about right from my experience—I lose at all of these.
Vegas gambling odds seem only slightly better than throwing pennies into the Bellagio fountain.
I have considered spending my time (and a little money) at a sportsbook—every casino has one, and at least I can watch a game and have a beer while I flush my money down the toilet. Plus, I might learn some new sports, like Padel (seriously?). Or finally figure out the rules of Cricket.
If I manage to sneak out of the conference, I want to take in a show at The Sphere, go to the new 3-story Puma store, check out the Pinball Museum, and perhaps explore The Mob Museum. They've even opened up a year-round BattleBots show called Destruct-A-Thon.
Who needs video poker?
Although I could pretend to feed a slot machine and see if I can score one of those free cocktails—now, that's winning!
Happy reading, happy writing, happy winning,
David