I don't get this

FYI I am local. So I get a mailing from the Venetion the other day with the following offer. You are invited to play in our gazillion dollar slot tournament 3 days in August Fri thru Sun. Basically that was it. I kept looking for room offers and saw nothing. At the bottom the disclaimer stated that it was expected that I would maintain my current level of play for those 3 days. It did not say or what. I showed it to my wife and asked her if this made any sense to her, and she agreed it seemed to make no sense. So I called the number which was toll free mind you not local, and got a hold of someone and asked to clarify the offer. She restated exactly what the letter said. I said no room offer? She said no, your local aren't you? I said so I am supposed to come down there for 3 days and play for 10 minutes per day in a stupid slot tournament, and maintain my current level of play for all 3 days or else. She say's yes. I say or else what? She say's you will not get any more offers. I said well if this is the best you can do it is the lamest offer I have ever gotten in my life. Then she say's well do you want me to sign you up? I said hell no and hung up. Now is it just me or was this lame? I can't believe they would expect me to hang around for 3 days or even make a trip to the strip for 3 straight days, plus maintain a level of play or else. Kind of like having a gun held to your head. If they would have at least said we'll give you a room for a hundred bucks a night or something but there was no mention of that either.

Haha..I agree. That is the most rediculous thing ever. How did the slot tourney work? Was it "invitation only" to indicate there was potential big benefit to playing in it?

Quote: ruascott

Haha..I agree. That is the most rediculous thing ever. How did the slot tourney work? Was it "invitation only" to indicate there was potential big benefit to playing in it?

It was invitation only, but looking at the prize structure it wasn't anything great. I belive it was 5k for the winner down to $100 slot play to 100th place. No idea how many invites there were, but if it was 3 days on a weekend there had to be plenty.

This reminds me of the offers I used to receive for my birthday from one particular casino in AC.

I used to receive offers to visit and receive a free gift. I received a beer mug one year and another year I received a bottle opener shaped like a dolphin. The tail of the dolphin was the opener.

One year I just received a birthday card.

The insult was that they wanted me to come to their casino to celebrate my birthday. That was it. No free gift or offer.
Just come on down and celebrate your birthday at our casino.

Now I don't even get a card to celebrate my birthday anywhere.

I'll have to try that jazz in my line of work. "The price will be the same today, tomorrow, and next year, and isnt a very good deal anyway. Sign here or else"

Maybe the "or else" means or else we go out of business from stupidity.

Quote: odiousgambit

I'll have to try that jazz in my line of work. "The price will be the same today, tomorrow, and next year, and isnt a very good deal anyway. Sign here or else"

Maybe the "or else" means or else we go out of business from stupidity.

I'm just glad it's not just me who thinks this way. I do frequently get offers from them for rooms from $99 on up, but no room at all? Cmon Sheldon. Are things that bad?

While I agree that it's a lame offer, I think the whole level of play 'or else' thing is not what you're thinking.

I think it means that IF you enter the tourney, and take a shot at the gazillion dollar prize, you are expected to 'give back' with a certain level of play.

It does NOT mean that you won't get more offers if you don't take this offer.

I'd also question the three day thing. If they are not giving you a room, they can't expect you to maintain a play level, or even show up, all three days, can they?

You may have misunderstood.

Such sudden offers out of the clear blue, often for things you've never done before, such as slots or slot tournaments are part of their Artificial Intelligence program that has flagged your account as showing some interest or else is the result of a casino host having been impressed sufficiently to want to cultivate you.

Never waste your breath quibbling about the fine print boilerplate text about maintaining your prior level of play. They won't tell you what it is and they won't waive it. That is in there for ALL offers particularly those that do involve rooms or air fare or charter flights. That keeps people from accepting offers but then suddenly not gambling one whit. All casinos have that boilerplate terminology in their offers.

I've no idea just how slot tournaments are run but it seems to be some sort of button pressing mania on specially rigged machines with a few top winners sharing some money and everyone getting some sort of funny hat or trinket. Its a lure to get you in the door.

I shoot craps but I don't play in craps tournaments. I play slot machines as a social obligation to friends and acquaintances. I sure don't play in slot tournaments. Yet if the artificial intelligence program selects your account its simple: either accept the crazy offer or ignore it. I ignore the Craps Tournament offers, I ignore the slot tournament offers ... and the artificial intelligence program seems to elevate my account number to the next highest level for some reason.

You want a sensible offer? Heck, if they didn't put anything in the offer about rooms, it was for a reason. There is one thing you should know though: the moment you start getting those really weird offers out of the clear blue, you've gone from automatic Mid-Week Comp to Automatic Weekend Comp or else taken a similar upward step in their eyes. If previously you were a two day comp then you are now a four day comp. And no, I have no idea what it is that makes their Artificial Intelligence programs act this way but ask around and see if your gambling friends don't notice that as soon as they get these crazy offers or crazy emails, the casino starts treating them real well.

Quote: FleaStiff

You may have misunderstood.

Such sudden offers out of the clear blue, often for things you've never done before, such as slots or slot tournaments are part of their Artificial Intelligence program that has flagged your account as showing some interest or else is the result of a casino host having been impressed sufficiently to want to cultivate you.

Never waste your breath quibbling about the fine print boilerplate text about maintaining your prior level of play. They won't tell you what it is and they won't waive it. That is in there for ALL offers particularly those that do involve rooms or air fare or charter flights. That keeps people from accepting offers but then suddenly not gambling one whit. All casinos have that boilerplate terminology in their offers.

I've no idea just how slot tournaments are run but it seems to be some sort of button pressing mania on specially rigged machines with a few top winners sharing some money and everyone getting some sort of funny hat or trinket. Its a lure to get you in the door.

I shoot craps but I don't play in craps tournaments. I play slot machines as a social obligation to friends and acquaintances. I sure don't play in slot tournaments. Yet if the artificial intelligence program selects your account its simple: either accept the crazy offer or ignore it. I ignore the Craps Tournament offers, I ignore the slot tournament offers ... and the artificial intelligence program seems to elevate my account number to the next highest level for some reason.

You want a sensible offer? Heck, if they didn't put anything in the offer about rooms, it was for a reason. There is one thing you should know though: the moment you start getting those really weird offers out of the clear blue, you've gone from automatic Mid-Week Comp to Automatic Weekend Comp or else taken a similar upward step in their eyes. If previously you were a two day comp then you are now a four day comp. And no, I have no idea what it is that makes their Artificial Intelligence programs act this way but ask around and see if your gambling friends don't notice that as soon as they get these crazy offers or crazy emails, the casino starts treating them real well.

I agree 100%. I get random slot dollars from AC casinos all the time. Usually around 20-40 bucks. I rarely play slots, and my level of play on the tables is pretty consistent. But randomly the coupons will be $520 worth, or $340. This is rare, and it does not follow a visit where I "hit the slots" more or less than usual. It's just the silly AI program Flea was talking about. I've monitored the offers for over a decade and there is absolutely no pattern. Sometimes they trumpet a $10 match play on a big glossy card, as if I'd make the trip JUST for that. Then I get $500 in match play but it's in a much less glitzy package. Then sometimes the glitzy package will have the big offer. No rhyme or reason.

It is kind of a weird offer. What you didn't mention is whether or not you've ever gotten room and/or free play offers.

They're basically just inviting you to play in the tourney. Since there's really no inherent comp value in that, I can't see how they'd reasonably expect you to play much on your own if you did take part.

It's kind of like if I owned a convenience store and mailed a promotion to everybody in the neighborhood, "Hey come on down to our coin-flipping contest next Monday through Wednesday and flip coins for an hour a day - most heads at the end of the tourney gets to spin a wheel to possibly win a free six pack of Coke."

On the other hand, if you never got anything from them before, at least now you're getting something.

Quote: Chuck

It is kind of a weird offer. What you didn't mention is whether or not you've ever gotten room and/or free play offers.

They're basically just inviting you to play in the tourney. Since there's really no inherent comp value in that, I can't see how they'd reasonably expect you to play much on your own if you did take part.

It's kind of like if I owned a convenience store and mailed a promotion to everybody in the neighborhood, "Hey come on down to our coin-flipping contest next Monday through Wednesday and flip coins for an hour a day - most heads at the end of the tourney gets to spin a wheel to possibly win a free six pack of Coke."

On the other hand, if you never got anything from them before, at least now you're getting something.

It is funny that they put the "threat" in fine print, when you think about it. They have no legal need to do that; they can change what they feel like giving you at any time for any reason. So they put it there so you know about it. So it's funny that they always "hide" it.

Quote: cclub79

It is funny that they put the "threat" in fine print, when you think about it. They have no legal need to do that; they can change what they feel like giving you at any time for any reason. So they put it there so you know about it. So it's funny that they always "hide" it.

I have gotten offers from them before for rooms at $99 and up, and also I get $10 per week in free play. I don't spend a lot of time playing there but I have accumulated over 1000 points on my slot card. That's in probably 3 or 4 years of playing. But when I called and asked the lady what or else meant she said that I would'nt get any more offers. I sure as hell am not going to spend 3 days of a weekend there playing 10 minutes a day in a slot tournament. We like to go there occassionaly and play vp at the bar and drink screwdrivers. That is the way I am going to continue.