Expose pt.2: Monticello racino review

This is my follow-up to my review of Resorts World Catskills which was part one of a three part expose.

You can read part one here: https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling-outside-vegas/eastern-us/30357-expose-pt-1-rwcatskills-review/

Ten minutes away from Resorts World Catskills is a small boutique racino called Monticello casino and racetrack. Both this and Resorts World Catskills are located in the township of Monticello which is in the Catskills part of upstate New York

For clarity when traveling to the racino best call it the racetrack. Everyone now refers to Resorts World as the "Monticello casino". Getting into a cab in just the local area proved this as confusion set in when asking to go to the casino named Monticello wasn't enough for clarity

Monticello casino is off exit 104 (versus exit 106 for Resorts World) and is the complete antithesis of that billion dollar monstrosity. There is no hotel much less any plans for a golf course or water park. Standing at any end of the casino you can see the other four walls. The only casino on the east coast I can state is Smaller is valley forge in Pennsylvania however that one makes up for it with not one but two connecting hotels

There are 2 1/2 eateries. A restaurant called the press box which I must admit has some of the best burgers I have ever tasted and very decent prices $12 for said burgers including fries both extremely large and generous helpings

If you haven't figured it out yet that is the place to eat. The other place is the food court -- the smallest food court I have ever seen in a casino. When I bring friends I always take them there for laughs hyping how big it is first just for emphasis. It consists of two outlets that serve standard ballpark food (hamburgers pizza hotdogs soft serve ice cream etc). These are not the same hamburgers from the press box. They taste bland and are much smaller

The two food court outlets are usually not open at the same time which is why I call it 2 1/2 outlets including the Press Box. However they each serve slightly different menus. Cold sandwiches at one while hot food at the other so naturally when you feel like a cold cut hero all that's open is the burger place and vice versa

Onto gambling: slots are older machines for the most part and typical of most casino floors. The players club is located center of gambling floor against the wall where you enter. I find staff to be friendly and mostly knowledgeable about the casino and the amenities

There are two entrances both from the front parking - Valet and Bus entrances. The only bus however are local buses - it's $2 from the bus terminal to the casino

Slots earn points at $76 per point. Staff admitted this was a weird number but had no explanation why. Usually it's a round number. Even $75 per point would have made some sense to me. $76 is what it is

Freeplay is not downloaded at slots but printed out as vouchers from kiosks. There is only one bank of them when you come in the bus entrance. Printing of Freeplay in vouchers is standard for all casino's under the auspices of the NYS lottery. Most of the racinos are regulated by NYS lottery compared to the newer"Vegas style casinos" like Resorts World Catskills

Food offers are also printed from the kiosk. One thing I complement Monticello casino on is their decision to hand out food comps in $5 increments. For example if you have $50 in free food vouchers almost every casino I know will make it an all or nothing proposition so you either waste part of it's value, stuff your face like a pig or try to get a friend to join you. Here you are given ten $5 vouchers. They print all at once but you can use them throughout the offer period (weekly) so if you just want a snack at the food court you can get soda and chips using just a $5 voucher. Kudos to them on that

One annoying contrivance is to announce on the loudspeaker when you win a jackpot over$2000 including the machine you just hit at. Being such a small boutique location it's not difficult to find where and when the hit occurred. This casino hasn't been hit by thugs and riffraff robbing patrons in the parking lot I suppose

When reviewing Resorts World Catskills I forgot to mention what was conspicuously missing:
E-table games. Absolutely zero. It's probably a reaction to live table games being illegal in NYS until they changed the law. Even so that law makes it available only in the newer "Vegas style" casinos

Monticello casino and racetrack is stuck with the Electronic version only. And they don't have a great selection

Electronic blackjack and roulette only! Even the roulette is purely of the digital variety with a videotaped image of buxom women dealers spinning the mechanism. Minimums start at $10

There's a small high limit section (does not qualify as a room) located in center of the floor. Some barrier and walls denote the area. Machines range from $1 to $25

They also have a poker room but i don't play poker so no review of that here

All in all there are some pluses and minuses to playing here. If you are looking for a small quiet place where after a short time every one gets to know your name ala Cheers then this is the place. If you are looking for glitz and glamour then drive 10 minutes more (10 minutes less if driving up from NYC) and go to Resorts World Catskills