I used to love Vegas. Now I couldn't care any less about it.
Vegas has changed drastically over the years.
Las Vegas used to be all about gambling. My Uncle was a "high roller" and was "comped" at most places in town; food at the best restaurants the hotels offered, rooms, golf, shows, etc. .
15 to 20 years ago, friends and I were really into trying to beat the house and did so frequently while we had a blast enjoying affordable rooms, food and "free" drinks. We would make a monthly trip for a couple of days and really hit the crap tables. I enjoyed craps and was successful frequently.
Not having been there for 10 to 15 years, I went to attend the SHOT show in 2011 and was pretty pumped to play some craps. After arriving and having dinner with the crew, I took a cab downtown to Binion's Horseshoe, the hotbed of dice in the old days. You could walk into the Horseshoe and see a literal SEA of crap tables. They used to host big crap tournaments. I don't know how many they had, but it had to be in excess of 40 tables on the floor. I was quite pissed to find two sets of 4 tables run by young kid dealers dressed in referee uniforms. Reminded me of something I'd expect to see at a kid-oriented hotel-casino like Circus Circus.
I spoke with the pit boss and asked what the hell had happened over the years. He said that new owners were taking the place in a new direction....
....as I found out, the entire Vegas I knew and loved had been taken in a whole new direction.
Vegas now is simply geared toward tourists. The gambling now can be had in everyone's home state at a frigging Indian Casino and the novelty has worn off. Indian Casinos suck as far as I'm concerned; none compare to what Vegas had to offer now or in the past.
Vegas is not cheap any longer. Rooms, food and drinks are unbelievably expensive. The Businesses are making money on those things now instead of using them as freebees to draw in real gamblers. Gambling has taken a backseat to tourism. You'll be hard-pressed to find a table where the minimum bet is less than 10$.
I will say that the only reason to go is to see a show on the Strip.
Bring your checkbook and a couple of Visas
