Vegas Poker Rooms

There is a debate brewing over at 2+2 on the poker comps that have recently been changed so they expire. Previously they never expired so players were saving them up.

Im not here to debate that. But more interestingly understand why a casino even bothers to have a poker room. On a $ per sq ft basis, surely the poker room is the worst performer. I get the fact that it may attract players, but surely they would visit eventually anyway. Is there a bigger reason to have a poker room? If you were to replace the same floor space with slots, would the casino make more money? They would lose players that just want poker, but would the slots compensate for this?

Thoughts?

They want to attract young players with a poker room. Young players don't like slots.

It's not like they could double the number of slots they have and double their slot revenue. I was in Vegas in June and the slots were pretty dead at Venetian.

More machines = diminishing returns for the casino. Having five $100 WoF machines may as well be the same as having ten $100 WoF machines.

Poker rooms certainly don't make much money (if any) directly, but they bring in much more than just poker players -- they bring in poker player's girlfriends and wives. The men head over to the poker room (or blackjack & craps tables) and their dates go play slots.

Quote: RS

More machines = diminishing returns for the casino. Having five $100 WoF machines may as well be the same as having ten $100 WoF machines.

Poker rooms certainly don't make much money (if any) directly, but they bring in much more than just poker players -- they bring in poker player's girlfriends and wives. The men head over to the poker room (or blackjack & craps tables) and their dates go play slots.

+1 And if they did not offer poker in the mix, these players (and their entourage) would go to a joint that did. There is also some table and slot revenue generated by players waiting for tables to open. Gamblers are degenerates after all.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

They want to attract young players with a poker room. Young players don't like slots.

I don't think that's true nowadays.

Quote: RS

The men head over to the poker room (or blackjack & craps tables) and their dates go play slots.

Or the stores.

Quote: Rigondeaux

Or the stores.

Or to find new guys.

99.999999% of poker players are degenerate gamblers, even the "winning" ones. Good way to get them in the door.

Quote: mcallister3200

99.999999% of poker players are degenerate gamblers, even the "winning" ones. Good way to get them in the door.

Hehe... except me of course...