Posted on 12/12/2024 6:09:44 PM PST by PJ-Comix
It wasn't all that long ago that casinos had fairly inexpensive buffets. For example, here in Broward County, Florida the old Hollywood Seminole Casino (still there) had $6.99 prime rib buffets. And most days had theme days so in addition to buffet prime rib on Asian theme day you got a variety of Asian food or there was Latin theme day with Spanish type food to go with your buffet. Oh, and when you swiped your Player's card a lot of times you got half price prime rib buffets or free prime rib buffets.
Then the prices started slowly rising and sometime after the prime rib buffet rose to $9.99 they eliminated that buffet altogether.
About 12 years ago I remember they had $2.19 breakfast buffets at the Coconut Creek Seminole Casino. And it was a YUUUUUGE spread, not simple bacon and eggs. Stuff like smoked salmon, bagels, and a lot of other stuff. Again, no more such buffets at that casino.
A friend of mine lived in Las Vegas for years and he told me the Casino buffets were such good deals that he never cooked food at home. He ate exclusively at the casino buffets.
So what happened to the casino buffets? Yes, they still have them but the prices SKYROCKETED. My guess is that casinos no longer use buffets to attract people into the casino, most of whom inevitably stick around to gamble. Instead they probably look at buffets as profit centers. Charge over a hundred bucks at the Bacchanal at Caesar's Palace and make a YUUUUUGE profit because nobody can eat more than about forty bucks worth of food.
We had turkey dinner at the “ Belle “ before they closed it.
$80 bucks and the girl dropped $50 in the slots
Cheap buffets in Las Vegas went away at least 20 years ago.
A friend of mine lived in Las Vegas for years and he told me the Casino buffets were such good deals that he never cooked food at home. He ate exclusively at the casino buffets.
Then you asked:
So what happened to the casino buffets?
You answered your own question. The casinos were losing more money on the buffets than they were winning back at the tables from those same diners.
People who come to the casino to gamble don't care too much about a cheap buffet. Those who come for the cheap buffet don't care too much about gambling.
I went to Vegas in the 80’s. I thought “Dinner Buffet” was a night club act.
Rather than give free/cheap food to penny pinching seniors, casinos changed their model to comping free meals to people who are actually gambling. They track your gambling with their “membership cards”. If you gamble a lot you can get almost anything comped. Rooms, shows, meals, anything. Had a friend who got rooms for our group of 8 as well as dinner at their steakhouse comped.
our local Golden Corral is still open ,food is okay.
People who gamble (and lose) subsidize the buffet for others. But because of the economy people aren’t gambling anymore - not in the numbers they were before.
Rise in prices for casino buffets pre-dates Covid.
I think people would go to these buffets but not gamble, so it wasn’t worth it.
I have never been big on Vegas. It is a place built on a foundation of vice. My impression of the food there was you got what you paid for.
We picked up Chinese food yesterday. I made three meals out of mine, including the soup which we intended to have later. (My husband got two meals) The total was $28. No drinks as we had them at home. It was alot of food. We are done with most fast food. Aside from the tip, sit down is less expensive, and healthier. (most can be take out)
in las vegas casinos, where is the cheapest place for a shrimp cocktail or hotdog and beer
For budget-friendly options in Las Vegas casinos, here are a few recommendations:
Shrimp Cocktail:
Slots A Fun: Located in Circus Circus, they offer a shrimp cocktail for $2.
Lanai Express: At Fremont Hotel & Casino, they serve a shrimp cocktail for $2.99.
Hotdog and Beer:
Stage Door Casino: Located on Flamingo and Linq Lane, they offer $1 Michelob or $2 draft Bud/Bud Light, and $2 hot dogs.
Slots A Fun: Also in Circus Circus, they have a hot dog and beer deal for $3
Sloe Joe and The Hoe happened!
Most of the cheap buffets are at strip clubs now.
Yeah, I think you’re right, but one of these opened somewhat near me...haven’t tried it out yet:
Once the Vegas hotels started charging for PARKING and adding mandatory RESORT FEES, I was through with them. While I’m not a big fan of the feds, but at least they require airlines to tell you UP FRONT what you’ll be paying if you fly them.
Modern technology ended the cheap food gravy train. The whole point of the cattle call of gut for was to bring in pensioners for the food and then fleece then at the tables for way more than some cheap carb loaded buffet would cost. They are after all a business who must profit.
Once casinos went to individual personalized membership cards that tract every gambling play they knew who played big money and who didn’t. If you are a high playing person you will get “free” everything , free rooms, free food not buffet garbage real food steakhouse food. Valet parking even airfare.
The rule is $1000 an hour in play will get you “platinum” status which is really mid level , you will get a junior suite and valet parking plus a dinner to two at the celebrity chef knockoff in the casino. Up your game to $5000 at any single table and play for at least an hour that’s entry level to real comps, full suites, private car pick up at the airport and return. Steakhouse with bottle service and access to a booth at the night club also with bottle service. This is the new Vegas, having lived there for years in the 2000s and a rather heavy gambler then and now I never pay for a room or even airfare to go back for a week of shits and giggles. Rule is don’t ever play with money you don’t want to lose let alone afford to lose. But who wants the be the richest corpse in the cemetery live a little or a lot.
Corporations ruined the town in the hopes of profits. They are about 2,000,000 tourist below levels they were at a little less than a decade ago in 2016. link Maybe they will learn what they are missing out on? In the meantime, we will not be staying there.
Sure as hell ain’t Wynns Casino! Eighty bucks!
Watch the specials fast food restaurants have. Wendy’s has their Biggie Bag. You could have had a bacon cheeseburger, fries, chicken nuggets, and a drink for $6. Same bag but a chicken sandwich is $5. We never order off the specials menu anywhere.
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