If winning was the only thing that went into a fun casino trip, most of us would stop going. With the exception of a few advantage players such as blackjack card counters, nearly everyone has more losing sessions than winners.
But service, amenities, and game selection count, for better or for worse.
I emailed a number of regular players to ask them what was important to them besides winning in making a fun day at the casino.
- KARA: You caught me at just the right time on this. Or is it just the wrong time? I just got back from a casino with restroom problems. There were two women's rooms. One had four stalls. One door was missing, and one had a broken lock. The other had three stalls, and one had a broken lock.
I told a casino employee, and she said, "Oh, they know that." If they know, why haven't they fixed it.
I won a few dollars. Nothing big, but the games were fine. I still came away feeling like I'd try a different casino next time. Broken bathrooms are a big red flag for me.
- TED: I want to feel like I have a chance to win. I don't have to win all the time, but I don't want to feel like everything's stacked against me.
My main games are blackjack and video poker. Blackjack rules and video poker pay tables have to be reasonable. If I'm seeing 6-5 payoffs on blackjack and 6-5 Bonus Poker, I'm out the door.
- ALAN: I like to eat almost as much as I like to play, and I like options. So many places have closed their buffets. I'm an old-timer who plays in the daytime on weekdays, and I know better than to expect the steak houses and high-end restaurants to be open when I play.
But a place with more than one restaurant open in my hours can win my heart through my stomach. They don't have to be fancy. A coffee shop is pretty standard, but if there's also a noodle bar or a burger joint or even just a snack bar, I'm good.
- MIA: The first thing I do is walk around to see what slots are available. I want some selection in types of games and ways to play. Most of the newer slots have minimum bets on 50 cents on up. How do they get away with calling those "penny slots," anyway? A selection of older games with 20 or 30 paylines and 1 cent per line bets is good to see.
I also want to see some of my favorite themes. There are enough Goldfish variations that there ought to be some available. I like the Crazy Money games, too, and I want to see some of those. I don't really care about progressives. I've never won a big one, just some of the minis and minors everyone wins, so I don't go looking for progressives. I'm fine with just some cool bonuses to shoot for.
- KARL: Just plain friendly service goes a long way. I made my second visit to a casino that had sent a free play offer in the mail. When I went to download credits at a game, there was nothing there. The players club booth was really friendly about it and made it right.
Then in the coffee shop, the waitress remembered me from the first time, told me I was there on the same day of the week so the specials were the same, and asked if I wanted an iced tea like last time. I was impressed.
