Casino Reviews

We are staying at the Goldstrike Casino owned by MGM resorts in Tunica Mississippi. We travel to this area at least once a year and stay at the Goldstrike for a couple of days. It is interesting for us to see the changes that the hotel has made each year. They did not disappoint us this time and have completed several new improvements that really add to the comfort and experience of staying at this hotel.

Goldstrike Casino Buffet

The picture on this page shows the brand-new buffet, called the American buffet, which they just opened in the last few months. It is new, it is modern, it has many different food stations and they offer high-quality food with gorgeous presentation. We really did not enjoy the previous establishment that much, however this one is a huge improvement.

It was truly a pleasure to dine in this restaurant. Many people will scoff at eating at a buffet however the newer modern buffet restaurants offer fantastic food, and lots of selection, with excellent crowd control.

We enjoyed what for us ended up being brunch. However we paid for breakfast around 1030 and were able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch as they transitioned between these two meals. Although we did not plan this it worked out very much in our favor. There was a huge selection of breakfast foods and the lunchtime menu. This is a tip for anyone who does not mind eating a bit late in the morning and wanting to enjoy a selection from both meals.

If you’re ever passing through the area, we can strongly recommend the Goldstrike Casino Hotel as an excellent location to stop over. The prices for hotel rooms are reasonable, and the meals are fantastic. There are also two other casinos within walking distance of the Goldstrike Casino. We have stayed at both of them and found them to be acceptable. However we prefer this casino to the others. If we can get a room, in other words it is not sold out this is where we will stay.

All casino bonuses are not the same and not all casinos provide the same complimentary gifts and rooms along with meals. You really have to check each casino to confirm what promises they provide in terms of comps for things like food, rooms and shows. These comps can actually end up being part of your win at the casino. Think of it this way. You go to the casino, you have only so much money to spend for gambling, food and whatever you plan to drink along with accommodations if you plan to stay the night. If the casino arranges to provide you with free meals and a free room, this can amount to several hundred dollars in savings.

All Casino Bonuses – Casino Business is Competitive

The casino business is very competitive. Ultimately they are trying to attract customers to the casino from other casinos and trying to make money at the same time. Based on the business and we’ve seen the complementary bonuses of the receipt along with how nice the casinos are, we think they’re making lots of money.

For example at one casino that we go to where we play nickel and Penny slot machines, we never have to pay for a meal. We also get free rooms during the week almost every week of every month of the year. This is a really great service and the bonuses are very attractive. They are what keep us coming back all of the time to this casino and not to others.

In markets where there’s only one casino serving a population of 1 million or more people, the bonuses are usually not that great. A good example of that is a Rideau Carlton racetrack Casino in Ottawa Ontario. They are well-known for not providing very good bonuses, or free meals and they cannot even provide a free room at any hotel. Another casino, the Akwesasne casino in Hogansburg New York provides many free rooms at a very nice hotel, and with a point system on their slot card you can pretty much guarantee that you will have enough money for paying for meals such as the buffet or at Sticks, one of their restaurants.

Casino Bonuses

All of these casino bonuses are part of your package in terms of your win loss ratio and should be considered when you discuss or account for how much money you’ve won or have lost during your time at the casino. Take into account the total package when you consider your net wins and losses at the casino.

In North America, the casinos in Las Vegas are pretty much considered to be the top casinos in the country and on the continent. Some casinos have over 5000 rooms. There are over 120,000 rooms available in Las Vegas. The city is the place to go for gambling and entertainment as well as great dining. In terms of dining, Las Vegas has some of the best restaurants in the country. There are more five-star restaurants than any other city altogether.

Following Las Vegas, the next major gambling center would probably be Atlantic City. Located along the Atlantic coast in New Jersey. Atlantic City has approximately 10 casinos that are approximately 3000 rooms each. Some are older and have been revamped while several are brand-new modern glass structures. Combining Ocean Beaches, Dining, entertainment, and gambling this is the place to go in the summertime.

Top Casinos – Other Locations

Most other locations have a smaller number of casinos and they are not as large. Tunica for example in Mississippi has quite a few casinos. However, they are not nearly as grand as those in Las Vegas. The next location would be Biloxi Mississippi and these are very nice as well located along the coast. Throughout the country and in almost every state there are casinos that provide gambling services to clients so that people do not have to drive very far and the state can collect revenue.

However many people rate casinos from a different perspective. Fundamentally, gambling patrons will rank casinos from a different perspective. They may be looking for less distance to drive. They may be looking for nice restaurants, or entertainment, or places that they feel pay much better. In addition, patrons also look for great comps in terms of free meals free rooms, and entertainment.

Rating of a casino could be convenient i.e. how close is it to your home. It could also be the end number or amount of complimentary meals, rooms, etc. that you receive.

You can also rate the ability to go to a number of shows and entertainment that is offered at the casino.

And it could be the total ambiance of the casino when you take into account the casino, hotel, surrounding venues, and even considering being able to go to the beach, such as in Atlantic City. For our money our first choice, of course, is Las Vegas Nevada, the next choice would be Atlantic City and surprisingly another place is Laughlin Nevada which is just southeast of Las Vegas on the Colorado River.

There are approximately 10 casinos in this area all within walking distance and providing all of the standard things that you would expect at a casino. They’re not as modern, nor as new but they offer great service with great entertainment and the slot machines don’t pay too badly either.

We visited the Hollywood Casino Hotel in Pennsylvania at the national racecourse for the first time this year. We found it to be a lovely casino with many different kinds of slot machines, poker tables, and great restaurants. Of course, there’s also the racing venue although we did not look at it.

They have ample parking for surface parking as well as in the garage.

Hollywood Casino Hotel – No Hotel

The only complaint that we have is that they do not have a hotel next to the casino or the racetrack. We spoke to one of the security guards. They told us there was too much competition in the area and there were lots of hotels and motels a couple of miles away. We prefer to stay at the hotel at the casino rather than have to get in a car and drive to the motel.

We enjoy having a couple of drinks while we’re gambling and after even two drinks you’re probably over the limit and therefore should not be driving from the casino to a hotel.

Slot Machines

We also noticed that they have very few Keno machines, as well as poker machines in the casino compared to all of the other slot machines that they have. For those of you who enjoy playing these types of games, you may be a bit disappointed. This is a typical race track oriented casino.

Other than that this is a great place to spend a few hours gambling and enjoy playing slot machines, the races when they have a horse racing night or just having a drink and enjoying the atmosphere. With little in the general area, paying a visit to the Hollywood Casino can be a nice evening out. As always, patrons must be careful of how much they wager on the horses or the slot machines. It is easy to find yourself losing more than you planned.

One thing that we’ve noticed recently at the Rideau Carlton Casino is a lack of automation concerning comps and the slot card. The only way to really find out if you have enough points to cover a meal, cashback, or qualify for draws is to go to the winner’s desk. Find out if you qualify for any comps.

They do have machines throughout the floor where you can have coupons cashed. You can also find out how much cashback you’re entitled to. But if you want to have a meal and have it paid for by the casino you have to go to the winner’s desk. Find out if you have enough to qualify for a meal.

Rideau Carlton Casino Competition

Other casinos that we are going to have everything automated on the card. All you need to do is go to the restaurant of your choice to give them your slot card. They will automatically deduct the points that you need to pay for the meal.  You cannot use your points to cover drinks at any time. We find this much easier than having to stand in line and ask if you qualify for a meal.

It is about time that the Rideau Carlton Casino updated their slot card system and made it friendlier for their patrons. It is almost an attitude thing. You get the impression that big brother is watching over you. The other thing we really do not like is the two guards in uniform standing at the entrance. They check if everyone is of the proper age. It is not very friendly. All casinos have the same thing. However, the guards are dressed in suits. They show a little class. What is wrong with the Rideau Carleton Casino?