Triple Down Promotion

Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly

When I completed my eighteen hours straight of play, I asked the Floor Admiral what was recorded for my play time. She said I had only 4 hours 20 minutes of play, according to the computer. When I insisted that I’d been at the same table for 18 hours, she was dismissive and not at all helpful, saying I might have forgotten to give them my card. I explained that on being seated I refused to bet until my card was taken. She referred me to her boss who just parroted the same line of “we can’t do anything.” I would not drop the matter and was referred to the manager. The manager was also not very helpful other than he said he would ask for a review and maybe some time in the next two weeks they would get around to evaluating my claim. I stressed that the comp points were not really an issue as I was aware 18 hours of $5 play won’t get you a cup of coffee. The issue was being fairly credited for time played.

I did play through three shifts of dealers, so perhaps the paperwork was temporarily lost. Whether true or not, I was told it would not be possible to review the security camera recordings to verify my claim on the spot. I’m sure the manager thought he’d had the last word, but my wife was not satisfied with the situation and kicked it up another level. She talked with someone probably at the VP level who said she could see that I was playing during the first shift, but nothing was entered for the second shift.

After my wife and the VP chatted, the manager visited us while we were dining at The Birches and gave us a comp check to cover the meal. I’m sure he was unhappy that my wife “went over his head.” While handing over the check he reiterated the same information about the review procedure again, as if to justify his actions and not back down an inch. This was the only flaw in his otherwise professional demeanor. I was happy that we had gotten his attention. I will post here again and let all know what the final resolution is.

This was the only blemish on our visit to MS, and I consider it a minor one that won’t rule out a future visit. I understand that the $5 tables are visited by many players who are difficult customers that won’t hesitate to chisel the casino out of a few bucks, but I won’t accept that as justification for treating every claim with an air of suspicion that the customers can notice.

Quote: long3216

At MS: Until recently, I mostly played craps and almost always was undercredited. Usually I would be don't pass, with $150.00, and take $10 Yo. As soon as the point was established, I would lay $150-300.00 on my $150 don't bet and also bet 6 and 8 for 30 each. The last time I checked my math, $150 + 30+ 30, not counting the Yo bet or the lay bets = $210. I would then increase my numbers bets if numbers started coming in. So my minimum bet was at least $210. (Most casinos don't cound either lay bets or free odds on pass line bets, since there is no house edge on this portion of the bet.) At the end of every session, I always check to see what "average bet" I've been credited with. Invariably, I'm told 80 or 100 dollars. I then end up arguing for the next half hour. All kinds of excuses tend to occur: the previous pit boss just left, the boxman shift just changed, the table was busy and we didn't see these bets. I've suggested that they should just ask the dealer what I've played. They won't ask the dealer, who sets up the bets. I've asked to ask any of the players around me, since it's pretty obvious to the other players, who are playing minimal amounts of money, when you're playing at a 5 dollar minimum table, what a higher betting player is betting. The response is "We don't want to disturb the other players, (who after a few hours play are more than happy to corroborate my claims.)" One pit boss asked me if I thought there was a conspiracy against me personally. I couldn't believe he even asked the question, but I told him that I was sure it was nothing personal, but that probably the casino routinely under credits players, at least at craps.

I switched to black jack, and have generally found that the pit bosses at the black jack tables are much more honest in calculating average bets and therefore, awarding appropriate comps. To be fair, perhaps it's easier to be accurate in blackjack, since most blackjack players are playing just one bet at a time, and don't have bets all over the table.

Quote: Wizard

Thanks again for the trip reports. I'm happy to have helped.

If I didn't make it clear, I think the MS deserves some applause for going through with this. Maybe it didn't hurt them as much as expected, but they still honored their own rules, which sadly is not often the case when any casino puts out a good advantage play. The philosophy here in Vegas is often let's just do any old thing, and if it looks like we blew it, we'll invoke the good-old "all rights reserved" clause, and cancel it early. Another common method of retaliation in Vegas is to cull a list of the "greedy" players who "abused" the promotion, and make them feel unwelcome for any future promotions or offers. It is too early to tell is the MS will do this, but it sounds like they were good sports about it, so I doubt it. This, by the way, is the reason why many players declined to present player cards, to answer the question posed earlier.

From some of the comments it sounds like there was still confusion and inconsistency about the rules and limits. The planning could have obviously been better. Then again, if they couldn't see the mistake they were making to begin with, they likely wouldn't foresee the problems and questions that would arise as a result. However, overall, I have to say BRAVO to the Mohegan Sun. If they had watered this down or canceled it early, I would be the first to rag on them. So it is only fair they get their due praise for doing the right thing.

Quote: Cbivitz

I want to second the comments re: MS not properly rating. It happens all the time. Earlier this year they had me for a $6K win instead of $600 at Pai Gao. Obviously a typo and when I point out that it was impossible to win $6K at the level I was playing in the time noted, they promised to look into it and get back to me (they actually did get back to me after almost a month, but with a shrug of their shoulders). So I'm paying taxes on $5400 becasue MS can't be bothered with such trivial things.

Quote: benbakdoff

BleedingChipsSlowly-Not being rated properly is an all too common problem at Mohegan Sun.That's why I always check my comp points before and after play. The problem is with shift changes. There is no communication between the outgoing shift and the incoming shift. Rating cards are collected at the end of each shift for input into the system. This is where the ball gets dropped. No one bothers to start a new card for the unknowing and trusting player sitting at the table. The new shift couldn't care less what happened on the old shift and the old shift just wants to go home. As you've discovered,you'll get plenty of lip service but not much else. If they tell you they'll back up your time-well- I've got some swamp land for sale. The shifts change at 5AM,1PM,and 9PM. The solution is if you are playing at any of these times, automatically give your card to the new floor person. That should solve the problem. This transition should be smooth without player interaction and that's one of the pet peeves about the casino. At $5 a hand your comps will probably be 10% or $.50 an hour.