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Casinos by
their very nature are painstakingly designed to be the ultimate
in lavish surroundings, glitter, hospitality and comfort.
If there is not a palpable feel of excitement in the air,
and if you're not convinced that you can find your fortune
within those walls, then somebody isn't doing their job.
Casino management, I should think, is due for a shakedown.
Every member of the casino staff is so nice; so friendly.
They make you feel like you're an honored guest. They pamper
you and cater to your every whim. But as you're leaving,
you might notice that you're exiting with much less money
than when you arrived. Now that's odd! During the course
of your stay, you thought you were winning. But what seemed
to be the perfect escape from the harsh realities of life
came with a price tag after all. Just like all those other
harsh realities.
But how did they do that? What buttons did they push to
get you to spend all that money?
Casino entrapment, as we might call it, has over the years
been studied, perfected, and refined to a science. The casinos
are not guessing when they separate you from your money.
They are a highly tuned machine that executes its craft
with the cold precision and efficiency of a supercomputer.
It all seems so warm, inviting, and appealing. But behind
the façade, it's all smoke and mirrors.
Two of the newest casino megaresorts in Las Vegas cost no
less than $1.5 billion to build (Bellagio, $1.613; Venetian,
$1.SB). That's a lot of money, wouldn't you say? Do you
suppose they'll ever recoup such a huge investment?
Of course, those two properties command fairly good prices
for their hotel rooms (over $100 a night; much more during
peak periods), and both resorts have over 3000 rooms. But
that's not where the real money is made.
Before getting into the casino business, Donald Trump once
gathered some information about the profitability of Hilton
hotels, and discovered that two of Hilton's 150 hotels accounted
for nearly 40% of the company's net profits! Those two were
located in Las Vegas, and had casinos attached. The magic
link! Soon after that, Mr. Trump decided to enter the casino
business. |
