Visitreno

[BC Dave]

Zydeco is the grand champion. Congratulations! And as per your wishes I will hold the tee shirt for the next contest.

[stan_allen]

So as you see, BC, "Probably too easy" is never a sure thing, just like a throw of the dice, a shuffle of the cards, or a spin of the reels (the Blazing 7 reels, of course).

Let the contests roll!

As for the artifacts, the "Reno Flamingo" logo is still visible on that towel I still use, but just barely.

I loved the Fitz and the whole giveaway era, too, but one should never blow a couple hundred dollars in an establishment just because they give you a keychain.

[BC Dave]

Up 'til somewhere in the mid nineties one could walk the "Strip" and amass a veritable fortune in giveaways. No need to gamble. Let's see how many I can remember. I know that with the presentation of out of town ID. Harold's Club and Fitzgeralds would give you $5 in total - enough for a breakfast buffet plus the keychains, squeeze lights or folding frizbees etc. The Fitz and Harold's had a nightly birthday draw - I won $100 at the Fitz on that one. Janice and I saw American Superstars at the Flamingo twice with free spins on their giveaway slot at "Club Flamingo". And there was quite often a guy outside the Horseshoe handing out tickets for fun-books at the Comstock and Riverboat. Out of towners could get daily free drinks at the Cal Neva and two for one dinners too. I'm sure there was more - it's enough to make your head spin!

[mjames1229]

[Mammothgambler]

Yes, that's the cardinal rule. Don't ever play solely just to earn comps, who'd wanna? Just let 'em roll in and let them be a perk of being a gambler. I bumped into a couple of people recently who were blowing like ten million dollars specifically to get enough Reward Credits to get the bonus Baccarat Crystal decanter this quarter at Harrah's, but it only has a street value of like $200. They could've gotten about 500 of them at a Baccarat outlet with cash, and jeez, they're already giving away crystal each month just for being a Total Rewards member!

Agreed, one way to look at it is "The $125 Bloody Mary," which is why I don't do drink service in casinos anymore...seems like they get you every time by having it take forever. The "free stuff without spending money" promos I'm referring to are the promos, like Treasures and Peppermillions, where you can do a card slide and get something without having to spend money to earn 50 tier credits to do it - that's why I'm never at the Atlantis, or the SL, or more recently, the GSR, because nothing comes for free at any of those places. Examples: The Pep gave out a free pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and and a free bottle of Crown Royal in January, just for doing a card swipe, no play needed. The Atlantis required 50 tier credits for their pie and their vodka! SL will tell you in a heartbeat their promos have always been based on tracked play, the more the better, ie, geared for the Elite and 5 Star members (and it's very evident, as it's always those same people getting called over and over again!) so no, I'm not gonna blow ten million just to play Plinko or go to a car drawing, and now another ten million to have the chance to play it twice! It's a shame they went that direction, but oh well, the Mansion was awesome (and free...) Just sliding your card and being eligible to get called for the Big Spin at the Pep (although bonus entries require play) is a little more my style, where you can be a Purple or a Chairman and still have an equal chance.

JD - no new jackpots since that last run, but always hoping for another miracle or five, especially for those that come off the free play!

Although most of this stuff probably wouldn't be arriving at all if one wasn't a player (yeah, in reality, one does pay for it, in a sense), cheers to the Reno casino mailers WITHOUT the fine print that reads, "Must earn 75 tier credits within promotional dates/times mentioned to redeem offers/prizes." Again, who'd wanna? Free is good!

Off to do the comp/free play schedule for July. It's been so intense lately, I'm plugging it all into my iCal program so nothing gets missed! Damn, I need a job...

Mammothgambler

[stan_allen]

Mammoth, I have a feeling your picture will hang in one of those "Winner's Gallery" walls at a major casino - that is, if it hasn't already.

(Remember that one in the Fitz, along the escalator? Not a bad way to ensure "views", and it wasn't even a website.)

Yes, that arsenal of possibilities you're stocking will deliver lady luck to you, who will not only smile on you, she might just plant a big ol' smootcheroo on your lips.

And when she does, be sure to tip her with at least a two-dollar bill.

BCDave, your contest is a wild success, although ironically, the prize seems to have gone unclaimed. For the next prize, how about offering up some of that local Canadian beer? Though I guess shipping it is the real problem! But boy, I'd enter into as many promotions as Mammoth, if I thought the prize was some of that superlative Canadian brew. Sorry, Brews Brothers, I love ya, but we Americans are not yet ready to allow the heady stuff that the rest of the world enjoys.

Remano and John, how's the heat wave treating you?

Whew, all this heat is making me thirsty - JD, I'm gonna get us a round of bloody marys - you got $250 on you?

MJames, I hope you at least loaded up on whatever the most expensive dish at the $500 buffet was.

Zydeco, you are vistreno.com trivia master of the week - or month - or, well, until Lily's or BCDave's next contest.

[BC Dave]

Here is my original picture of Foley's Irish Pub. Many thanks to them! I hope this little contest creates enough interest in our readers to drop in to Foley's and have a pint or two. A google map link ... http://goo.gl/maps/KpNRg

[john]

Guess where this historic landmark is located. First prize: hearty handshake and a pat on the back for a job well done.

[BC Dave]

Take heart John, even Microsoft and Google had humble beginnings.

(Did Charlie and Higgins do that?)

[john]

Dave, I don't have a garage like those other guys, so I rented this cute little fix-er-upper for the corporate headquartirs.

If Charlie and Higgins were involved in the renovation, it would be a pile of toothpicks.

[CaSwede]

I really like the budget office. You should get a refund with the sign company. If I am reading it correctly I see- Headquartirs. Headquarters is the correct spelling.

I suppose a spray can of paint should fix it.