Barcelona (Spain) Casino receipt

Since the Spanish Word of the Day thread has moved elsewhere, and since my question is about a non-Vegas casino as much as it is about Spanish, I thought I would just start a new thread in the "Off Topic/Other Casinos" forum.

As part of our recent travels, my wife and I visited Barcelona, Spain on October 18. While there, we took the opportunity to drop into the Casino de Barcelona, where I played a little blackjack and collected a souvenir chip, an image of which will be posted some day in the appropriate thread.

The main, street-level portion of the casino is all machines, while there is a lower level with table games. At the entry point of the casino are a security desk and a coat-check room. Visitors must check all coats, bags, cameras, etc., prior to entering the casino, and we encountered the same thing at other casinos. At the security desk, they asked whether we would be playing machines or table games. My impression was that if a guest were only playing the machines, they would just pass through.

Since I wanted to collect a chip from a table, the entry process was more complex. We were required to provide our passports, from which the security rep entered info into their computer and scanned the photo/name page. We were each then issued a "receipt". In order to pass a second security desk and go down to the table games area, we had to present our receipts.

I have provided a copy of my receipt below, and I am hoping someone here can tell me a bit more about what this receipt really says/means. I have deleted my full name, which appeared below the "Nom", and my passport number which appeared beside the "No Document" and below the bar code (which I suppose may reveal my passport number to those tech nerds who really care).

I know essentially no Spanish, and I can only try to guess what the abbreviations mean. My impression is that this is a receipt for an extremely small amount of money. It seems there might have been an entry charge of 0.0083 Euros plus a 21% tax of 0.0017 Euros for a total of 1 Euro cent for each of us. I should note that we didn't actually pay anything at all.

It is my guess that there is some sort of miniscule fee required by law for entry into a casino table games area, perhaps to cover the cost of tracking who is playing such games, and that in reality the casino just pays the 1 Euro cent themselves rather than collecting it from each player. That, of course, is pure speculation on my part. Does anyone here know what this was really all about, what the requirements are for casinos in Spain, and what the various terms on this "receipt" mean? Thanks.

Could it be their way of screening out criminal record holders, and "black book" entrants? However, it is odd that the same procedure wouldn't apply to machine players.

Casinos in Macau and Singapore charge locals a fairly steep entrance fee, but "tourists" are not charged. Maybe it is similar in Spain.

Yeah, that's not Spanish. I think it's Catalan (Catalonian?).

I can make out the text at the bottom. it reads "RESPOSIBLE GAMING. Gaming stops being fun when it becomes an addiction. If you think you have problems with gaming, turn to..." And then I'm not sure.

Oh, IVA means "Impuesto al Valor Agregado" or "Value Added Tax." "Preu" has to be "Price."

Quote: Doc

It is my guess that there is some sort of miniscule fee required by law for entry into a casino table games area, perhaps to cover the cost of tracking who is playing such games, and that in reality the casino just pays the 1 Euro cent themselves rather than collecting it from each player.

That 1 Euro cent isn't making anyone rich. Therefore, it wasn't implemented by any government ruling.

My guess is that, for whatever reason that they need to enter the info, the computer program isn't designed to do a receipt for a zero value. So, they make it one cent, and print it.

Hey, Doc, I just type these things into google starting with "translate:"



Of course Nareed didnt much need that, but this confirms it

Quote: odiousgambit

Hey, Doc, I just type these things into google starting with "translate:"

You can use the google translate to convert to English (read spoiler in odiousgambit post) or from Catalan to Spanish . Normally ethnologists consider it closer to the French language than to Spanish, but that decision is disputed. The language has no official status in France, since French was declared the only official language of that country in 1958. Catalan is as old as Spanish, but obviously not nearly as successful since there an estimated 11-12 million speakers today, and the majority of them know a lot of Spanish.

El joc deixa de ser una diversio : Catalan
El juego deja de ser una diversión :Spanish

quan es converteix en una addicció, :Catalan
cuando se convierte en una adicción, :Spanish

si creus que tens problemes amb el joc, :Catalan
si crees que tienes problemas con el juego, :Spanish

truca a Sanitat Respon :Catalan
llama a Sanitat Respon :Spanish


Latin broke down into dozens of languages, including Asturian, Leonese, Catalanese, etc. Some of them became dominant. The descendent of Latin called Castillian (Castle was the kingdom) became what we most people call Spanish.

Thanks for the language help. I hadn't even thought about it being something other than "Spanish".

I still don't understand why any sort of "receipt" with a monetary figure on it was issued for our entry into the casino. If they really need to check/record/scan our passports in order for us to go into the table games area, I don't see why they didn't do that at the entrance to that area, rather than doing it at the main entrance and printing a "receipt" for us to show security at the second post. Since the receipt shows a "price" and a value-added tax, it doesn't sound like just an excuse for printing a ticket.

I was hoping that someone on the forum would be more familiar with the way that European casinos operate. There was nothing like that at the Funchal, Portugal casino, and the main barrier I encountered at the Casino de Monte Carlo was the outrageous arrogance of the employees. They played the role of the stereotypical French, but to an extreme. More about that when I eventually get around to posting that chip image.

Quote: odiousgambit

Of course Nareed didnt much need that, but this confirms it

Some Romance languages can be rather easily be understood in writing but not when spoken. Portuguese is like that for Spanish speakers.

BTW in Mexican "casinos" you're not allowed to bring in bags or purses, and cameras are ranked a bit worse than cheating.

Catalan independence is a very contentious issue in Spain. I think I remember seeing something about a referendum in the near future.

Quote: pacomartin

The descendent of Latin called Castillian (Castle was the kingdom) became what we most people call Spanish.

The kingdom was named Castille, or in Spanish Castilla.

It appears to be a proper receipt with VAT charged etc. Probably some stupid rule that says that the casino must have an admission fee to enter the casino (or table games as you say) so they decided to put it at Euro 0.01 and comp it. So you got some comps as well !!!!
I have been to other European casinos with entrance fee. Some have entrance fee but also give you chips of the same value as the entrance fee. Like charge you Eur 25 for entrance and comp you a Eur 25 chip. One of the reasons for that is to get in only people interested in gambling.

I recall that in England, the casinos require "membership", which for tourists, can be purchased for a single visit. Perhaps it is something similar.

I always just tell them to put it in Geoffrey Hall's tab. Works at the bar too.

I don't know if the fee is required by law, but the Barcelona Casino's website indicates that the entrance fee to the table game area is 4.50 Euros. If you want to go to the "engine" area, (a.k.a., "Machine"), or have a reservation at the restaurant, there is no fee.

This is the Bing translation of their FAQ:

Quote: Bing translation of Casino Barcelona FAQ

WHEN I HAVE TO PAY ENTRY?

Depends on where you want to access, or if you already have some promotional input or invitation.
To enter the engine room is not paid entry. If you want access to the game room (Roulette, poker, tournaments...) Yes. With this entry you will have free access to the game room and the machinery, as well as to our restaurants.

If you're only going to dinner at any of our restaurants (prior booking) you will invite to the entrance of the casino.

So, it appears you got a discount Doc. Maybe cruise line customers get a deal. Did they ask you if you had a reservation for the restaurant?

Yes, if the normal entrance fee is 4.5 € (each?), then we got quite a deal with a 0.01 € fee. Or, for those more accustomed than I to the European decimal radix, paying 0,01 € for a 4,5 € fee.

They did not ask whether we were on the ship, whether we were staying at the adjoining hotel, or whether we were going to a restaurant; just whether we wanted to go to the table games area. I note that the translation you provided refers to a "promotional input or invitation", while the receipt I received has the line "Caducitat.: DIARIA INVITACION". Not knowing either Spanish or Catalonian, I just assumed this meant something equivalent to "Date of Admission", though they might have some sort of invitation-we-give-most-anyone-on-the-spot that reduces the fee. Perhaps it also has something to do with time of day -- I was at the casino in the afternoon instead of at night.

Quote: Doc

Yes, if the normal entrance fee is 4.5 € (each?), then we got quite a deal with a 0.01 € fee. Or, for those more accustomed than I to the European decimal radix, paying 0,01 € for a 4,5 € fee.

They did not ask whether we were on the ship, whether we were staying at the adjoining hotel, or whether we were going to a restaurant; just whether we wanted to go to the table games area. I note that the translation you provided refers to a "promotional input or invitation", while the receipt I received has the line "Caducitat.: DIARIA INVITACION". Not knowing either Spanish or Catalonian, I just assumed this meant something equivalent to "Date of Admission", though they might have some sort of invitation-we-give-most-anyone-on-the-spot that reduces the fee. Perhaps it also has something to do with time of day -- I was at the casino in the afternoon instead of at night.

According to Google Translate: "Caducitat.: DIARIA INVITACION" = "Expiry Date: DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS".

I suppose one should be glad that "Diaria" doesn't refer to the reason for a comp after eating at the restaurant.

Quote: Nareed

The kingdom was named Castille, or in Spanish Castilla.

It is sometimes spelled Castile with one 'l' in English, but I believe always Castilla in Spanish. The name is presumed to mean "land of castles".

Map in year 1210 when "castellano antiguo" was spoken (see Catalan to the East)

Quote: Old Spanish

Very difficult to understand without training (just as Old English is impossible to understand

De los sos oios tan fuertemientre llorando,
Tornava la cabeça e estavalos catando;
Vio puertas abiertas e uços sin cañados,
alcandaras vazias, sin pielles e sin mantos,
e sin falcones e sin adtores mudados.

The Song of El Cid

Quote: ahiromu

Catalan independence is a very contentious issue in Spain. I think I remember seeing something about a referendum in the near future.

Worldwide people are more aware of cultures and language if they are associated with nations. Catalonia is larger than Denmark. The nordic countries were frequently united in the past as kingdoms changed.

Franco was very hostile to the historic nationalities in Spain, and tried to wipe out their culture. After he died they were given much more autonomy, and permitted to teach their language in school. Initially, I thought that the Euro was going to pave the way for the break up of many countries in Europe into their historical kingdoms, but it hasn't happened.

10 separatist movements in Spain on a map

Just as a follow-up to my question about what this receipt from the Casino de Barcelona means....

I just turned the receipt over and looked at what is printed on the back. Here is an image:

This appears (to a non-linguist) to be the same thing in both Catalan and Castillian. GoogleTranslate interprets it this way:

Quote: Clumsy translation

Visitors have requested an admission card at the casino, acknowledge their regulations, sample identification documents are required and asserts that certain data reported.

This card is personal and not transferable.
The holder will be forced to submit at any time whenever that may be requested by employees of the casino. (Art. 24.6 Regulation of Casinos. Decree 204/2001. D.O.G.C. 01.08.2001).
The buyer accepts the rules of the card exposed to the casino reception.

I did a Google search on that Regulation, and it came up with a couple of hits, one of which I let Google translate. I wasn't clear whether that article was the actual regulation or a discussion of the regulation. The translation of that was a bit rough, too, so I couldn't pull out a clear understanding of the rules about entering casinos.

Quote: AceTwo

Some have entrance fee but also give you chips of the same value as the entrance fee. Like charge you Eur 25 for entrance and comp you a Eur 25 chip. One of the reasons for that is to get in only people interested in gambling.

It was similar to this when I went to a casino in Vienna, except they gave you MORE back in chips. I believe I paid EUR32 to get in and received EUR35 in what I think amounted to non-neg chips, which are basically worth face value. It was about 1.5 years ago and I was not familiar with the different types of promo-chips, but from what I remember they played just like regular chips but were a different color, probably indicating that you couldn't cash them. It must be a loss-leader for them, just to get people in and then hope the average customer gives back more than the bonus money.