Coupons - Part I

We've been talking a lot about our bankrolls and more specifically, how to stretch our money. Using coupons is one of the most fun and frugal ways to do this.

Q: I hear you can make a lot of money with coupons in Las Vegas. True?

Queen: This is a subject near and dear to me. Before I was the Queen of Comps, the Las Vegas Advisor named me the Queen of KuPon. Brad and I have been couponing in Vegas and other gambling venues for 16 years; and yes, we have made a lot of money doing it.

Princess: There are many types of gaming coupons that we took advantage of when we spent a week in Las Vegas last winter. Here are some examples of the types of coupons we especially liked, where we got them and where we used them.

Las Vegas Advisor: When you subscribe to this extremely useful monthly newsletter (call 1-800-244-2224), you get a thick coupon book. Some examples are:

1. Ellis Island -- Get $5 when you join the slot club.
2. Sahara -- Receive $50 in chips for $40 buy-in – these are special casino chips that you must play on table games, not cash in – but by using them you are now playing with the profit edge in your favor.
3. Vacation Village – full house on video poker pays double.
4. Sunset Station – blackjack dealer doesn't take your money (up to $25 bet) if you lose that hand. (Queen's note: This coupon is no longer honored; it was "too good" and a few bad apples spoiled it for everyone by counterfeiting a lot of them.)
5. Golden Gate, Imperial Palace -- $10 and $5 match play – if you bet $10/$5 and win, then you get paid $20/$10, instead of $10/$5.

WinCard promotions: We found this promotion at the cashier's cage counter and/or the slot club booth at both Lady Luck and Sunset Station. You will get $15 in chips for a $10 buy-in – just like at the Sahara with the LVA coupon. Look for posters or brochures advertising this valuable promotion – it can be found in many cruise-ship casinos, native American casinos, and many other casinos around the country, both land-based and on riverboats.

Casino Funbooks: These coupon books are often given to you when you check into a casino hotel, join a slot club, or ask at the promotion booth. Sometimes you will be given a book when you buy an air/room package from a travel agent or as you walk by a casino. Some examples of coupons we used from funbooks:

1. Frontier, Imperial Palace -- $5 match play on blackjack, roulette, and craps – if we won, dealer pays us $10 instead of just $5
2. Hard Rock Casino -- $10 match play
3. Vacation Village – 3 for 2 roulette and blackjack (win, paid $3 instead of $2), 1^st card an Ace in blackjack, and 7 for 5 blackjack – we also got to spin a wheel for a chance to win half of our airline fare when we showed our ticket at the promotions booth within 12 hours of our arrival.
4. Orleans – Get $20 for $15 buy-in – this is purely free money and you are under no obligation to gamble with it – also a $2 keno ticket for $1 (we played this during dinner and our kids enjoyed picking the numbers!)

Queen: Coupons are everywhere! You can find them in the freebie magazines left in your room or at the bell desk, in the local newspapers or even on the Internet (e.g., http://www.lasvegasfunbook.com/nrb or http://www.billhere.com/coupons-lists.htm). Keep an eye out for discarded fun books lying around – some people don't even take the time to look through them. I still look in trash baskets as I saunter by, trying to look casual; Brad has threatened to never walk beside me again if I go back to pawing through catsup-soaked garbage like I used to in my younger more eager days!!!! After subscribing to Casino Player you will find a packet of coupons in your mail, and Steve Bourie's yearly-published American Casino Guide has an extensive coupon section in the back for casinos in Vegas and in many other jurisdictions.

We will be continuing this discussion about coupons in the next installment of the Frugal Underground. Until then, get creative and search for coupons wherever you can find them! Remember, using coupons is one of the easiest ways to stretch your bankroll, and it's fun too!

Something to thing about: "The creators of video poker did something that no other gambling game developer has been able to do. They made a push, which is a tie, seem like a win." Anthony Curtis, Publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor

Gambling tip of the month: Don't throw away your expired coupons. Ask the casino if they will still honor them and they will often extend the date.