Casino Reviews

This topic of Best Casino Bonuses
was inspired by an online question we read recently. Basically, a player was wondering if you had $1000 to play with, would you be better off from a casino bonus or comp perspective playing a nickel machine or a dollar machine? The answer that was given was a simple answer in our opinion and basically indicated that the casino might give better comps to the dollar player vs. the nickel player. This answer was based on the fact that if the dollar player plays for a few extra minutes he or she will go through more money than the nickel player and the casino could benefit more as a result. All things being equal as the expression goes, this statement would probably be true. However, there are a lot more variables to consider than just this one aspect. Let’s explore a few of these.

Best Casino Bonuses

There are other factors and we will go through each of these factors that determine how much you might be comp’d based on a fixed amount of play.

How Much You Bet Each Press of the Slot Button

Every machine has a maximum bet and a minimum bet. I have seen some dollar machines as high as $10 per press of the button and some nickel machines as high as $5 if you play all lines to the maximum allowed. Some people believe they can play longer if they play the minimum and others feel that they might lose out on a major win if they do. Bottom line is that you can still earn the same number of slot points, regardless of how long it takes you.

How Much or How Often Do You Win

Some slot machines pay a lot of small jackpots. Most players just keep playing until they win a large jackpot or until their money is gone. I once play blackjack for 3.5 hours. I started with a $20 bill and walked away with $15.00. Although I did not win any money, in fact, I lost $5, I was comp’d for over $200 in food that trip because I played so long. I won a lot of small stuff which kept me going for that length of time.

How Fast You Play

Some people play at a sedate pace, while others play as fast as they can. If they both win the same amount they are going to gain the same number of slot points. However, to the slot host, the faster player has a betting rate that is a lot higher and will attract more attention as far as comps are concerned.

How Many Different Machines Do You Play

Do you try different machines all of the time and do you make sure your slot card is always inserted?  If so this is a good thing, since you are getting all of the points that you should. But many people routinely forget their slot cards and miss out on points that they would have otherwise gained. Make sure that this is not you.

Payout Rates of Machines

Not all slot machines have the same payout. They seem to definitely go in cycles and some are just plain set higher to attract attention and gain interest, particularly with new machines being introduced to the players. Playing a losing machine for a long time is just not going to cut it as far as points and wins are concerned.

Special Points Days

Some casinos will have days during the week when they know that business is regularly slow. They will have bonus days where you can gain 2 times or sometimes even 3 times points. On these days the players can gain a lot more points towards their slot comps than on other days. It can be definitely worth your while to play on these days. In many casinos, these points add up towards free meals in restaurants that you can deduct right off your card at the cashier to pay for your meal without having to charge it to your room.

How Well You Know the Slot Host

Get to know your slot host especially if you go to the casino often. They cannot always help you with comps since it does depend on your play, however, they sometimes can bend the rules a bit to get you tickets for a show that is sold out or reservations at a restaurant that is already full. It never hurts to ask them for help. They will be glad to help if they can.

Other Variables Beyond Your Control

There are lots of things that occur during travel and trips. Sometimes knowing the slot host, having a slot card, or just grabbing a quick meal can really make a difference in your trip. If you are a high roller, there are lots of comps and ways for a slot host to assist. We cannot name them all here since they are as varied as the number of people that go to the casino.

The new hotel at the Akwesasne casino looks like it is on schedule. We were told that it is supposed to be ready to open in March of 2013 and we expect that they will meet this deadline. They are working on the inside now that the walls and roof are up and the windows are all in closing off the interior from the cold winter snow. The construction crane is gone and they are doing the finishing touches. However, this project is a complex one. Not only are they building a new hotel, but they are also expanding the casino floor. Also updating the buffet and changing all of the carpeting. In addition, they are moving the table gaming area, moving many slot machines around. Also converting the tent portion of the casino to a bingo hall. A lot has been completed and everything looks great and on schedule.

Expanded Casino Floor

The expanded casino floor is already open in the new area and they are updating the old casino area with new rugs and new machines. The tables for blackjack, roulette, etc have all been moved into the newly expanded gambling area.

Even the old tent area is being updated. There is only a small area open in the tent with a few slot machines and a poker area at the time of writing this post. The rest of the tent area is under construction and the rumor is that they will add a large bingo hall to this area. It is all supposed to be done by March 2013. We think they will make it.

There is a lounge area behind the new bar where people can sit and relax to have a drink. They have a disc jockey in this area who was playing rap music. Which we do not care for. However, the management is still experimenting with entertainment. It was very loud and you could barely hear anyone close to you. The price of drinks has been raised, however, they are still very inexpensive compared to many other places that charge for drinks. At $1.50 for a draft beer, we really cannot complain at all.

Akwesasne casino hotel – Dinner

We enjoy going to the Akwesasne casino very much and usually make a day of it. Mondays and Wednesdays are senior days where you can have the buffet at half price. The buffet is excellent and one of the best around. It is even better than any of the Canadian Casinos in the Ottawa area. We always use the points from our slot cards to pay for the meal. As a result, we seldom have to pay anything when we eat, unless we are having a drink with our meal.

They have a brand new slot comp area near the main entrance now which is much more open and bright.

There is also a Comfort Inn next door. You can stay for the night if you plan to stay over. Note that there are no taxes on rooms and meals while staying in this area. Since it is on Indian Land which is another large savings. Once the hotel at the casino opens, they will have a lot more competition at the Comfort inn. We expect the prices for rooms to become much more competitive.

More to come on the Akwesasne casino. For more posts about this great location, click here.

The Showboat Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City is located at the far north end of the boardwalk next to the Taj Mahal on one side and the new Revel Hotel on the other. The Revel Hotel is the last and is next to the boardwalk’s end, seven miles long. The location is fine; however, if you are interested in visiting some of the other casinos, such as Caesars, Bally’s, Tropicana, Resorts, etc., you are in for a long walk. On a sunny warm day, walking along the boardwalk to these hotels is very pleasant, but not so much on a cold winter day. Recently the Showboat filed for bankruptcy in 2014. It reopened in 2016 as a noncasino nonsmoking hotel and has been doing well. Rooms start at $129, with higher-priced rooms having balconies.

We have stayed at the Showboat Hotel several times, and it is quite satisfactory to stay at. There are two towers, and if you wish to pay for the upgrade, guests should consider the tower next to the boardwalk for better rooms and being closer to the boardwalk. The Showboat was part of Harrahs, so your Total Rewards card could have been used to book hotel rooms and pay for meals if you had earned sufficient comps. Not any longer.

They also face the beach; however, some construction is taking place along the beach. You would probably want to visit the beach a little to the south, with fewer peers and much more sand. There is also a large peer close by with rides and arcade games to try out; however, we understand this is open all the time during July and August but only on the weekends during the warmer months of June and September.

Showboat Casino – Slot Machines

There were over 2000 slot machines of all varieties. There was a large casino floor with various machines, including many poker machines.

Table Games

Same thing with table games. Lots to choose from, and all types of table games are available for patrons to consider.

Restaurants

This is a pet-friendly hotel that also has three restaurants: Atlantic City Eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Canal Street Coffee offers made-to-order espresso beverages as well as prepared salads and sandwiches; and Worship Surf Bar caters to the bar crowd with lunch, dinner and live music on the weekends.

What We Liked

• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• A safe environment in the hotel and parking areas
• The coffee shop offers free refills as long as you have your receipt

What We Did Not Like

We do not like the $5 / day parking charges and the $13 per day state taxes that all of the hotels are forced to charge their customers. We also decided that since we like to stroll the boardwalk, visit the beach and go to the outlet malls, we will not be staying at this particular location again. Ballys or Caesars is a better choice for us based on these criteria. It is also a long walk from the car park to the check-in counter and the elevators. But then, all of the hotels seem to be laid out this way.

Parking

There is ample parking at the  Showboat Hotel in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled regularly, protecting your car from the weather.

Directions:

Getting to the hotel is pretty easy once you come off of the Atlantic City Expressway. There are many signs to direct you to either valet parking or self-parking, whichever you prefer. For more information about Atlantic City, click here.

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The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino opened another section of the new wing of the casino on Nov 9^{th, 2012}. The Cascades bar has opened. It is modern, it is high class, and it has the same machines as the bar that was in the tent. For the information of readers, the old bar in the tent was being dismantled when we arrived on the 9^th of Nov. The new section has about 50% of the floor occupied with slot machines, the high roller area, and the Cascades bar. I am sure the rest of the floor will be filled in the next few weeks, and we will write about this over the next month or so.

The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Cascades Bar

The new hotel is progressing and is still expected to open in March 2013. As far as we know, it is still on schedule. The front desk personnel at the Comfort Inn next door tell us that the rates for rooms will be higher than theirs; however, we feel that it will depend on supply and demand. If the casino is not busy, they will be sending people invites with free rooms attached. We have discussed this in several of our posts, where customers can expect free rooms and meals from casinos as long as they use their slot cards in the slot machines when they are playing.

Drink Prices on the Rise at the Casino

The casino has also started raising prices for drinks. Formally we paid one dollar for a draft beer on the floor as well as at the bar. Now the price is $1.50, a fifty-cent rise in price. The price is still not high, and we cannot really complain, but just the same no one wants to see a fifty percent rise in price. They also no longer serve popcorn at the bar. I guess they think that it is not as cultured to serve popcorn. They did tell us they plan to serve something soon but are not sure what that will be.

Patrons Coming from Canada and the Surrounding Area

Lately, we have done well at this casino; however, that may all change as they strive to generate more revenue to pay for all of the expansion. The last time we were at the casino was on a Friday, and it was quite busy with many people coming from the area as well as from Cornwall, Ottawa, and Montreal. One patron I spoke to had been at the casino three times that week. Said she did not like the casino in Montreal and preferred to come to the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino instead.

Restaurants are Getting Better Too

The restaurant Sticks has also improved a bit with a nicer entrance to the main lobby of the casino entrance. Rapids, a fast food place, serves up pizza, burgers, and salads. The buffet, which we also wrote about in a previous post, is great, with excellent food quality and decor.

We have been going to this casino once or twice a month for a while. Pretty soon, we will make our annual trip to the southwestern area of the US and write more about the casinos in this area.

Caesars Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City is also part of the Harrahs chain of hotels and casinos. As a result, you can use your Total Rewards slot card at this casino and possibly receive room and food comp’s as well when you visit the casino and hotel. It is centrally located on the Boardwalk, beside Bally’s casino and facing the boardwalk and the ocean. We have not stayed at this particular hotel, however by judging the look and feel of the casino, attention to detail, etc., we feel that the hotel will likely measure up to most people’s standards. Next time we go to Atlantic City, we will try to stay at this particular hotel and give you a first-hand review of the hotel as well as the casino.

Caesars is located near Michigan Ave, which leads directly to the Tangier outlet mall, which has over 250 stores to shop in. Atlantic city has cleaned up its image in the past ten years with many upscale outlet stores to shop in. The outlet mall is only three blocks away just past the hospital on Michigan ave, so it is within easy walking distance.

We mentioned that Caesars is centrally located on the boardwalk. There are roughly eight casinos along the boardwalk, with Caesars and Bally’s in the middle. The other hotels are a quarter mile or half a mile away from Caesars in either direction along the boardwalk. Location can be everything in real estate and also in business ventures. Caesars casino is in the right location compared to many that are in the process of filing for bankruptcy protection.

We also added a picture below of the Caesars hotel taken from the water’s edge at low tide, which shows the sandy beach and just how large this beach really is. On a beautiful sunny day, warm water, low ind, what more could you ask for? We enjoyed the beach, the boardwalk, the restaurants, and the casinos during our stay in Atlantic City.

Caesars Casino – Slot Machines

There are over 2000 slot machines in this hotel, and they have all of the current models and types of games. Harrah’s hotels are not known for having many keno machines, preferring to have poker machines of all types instead as well as the new variety of penny machines. There are lots to chose from.

Table Games

There are many table games as well, with all of the standard variety of table games.

Restaurants

We have not eaten at any of the restaurants at Caesars. They do have a buffet, and all customers interested in a buffet at Bally’s are being referred to Caesars.

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
• Great beach front area as shown below in the picture

What We Did Not Like

We do not like the $5 / day parking charges and the $13 per day state taxes that all of the hotels are forced to charge their customers.  Caesars is no different in that regards, although apparently diamond total rewards members apparently get to park for free. You can also use your comp dollars to pay for your parking, but you must get a comp ticket before you leave the parking garage.

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Harrahs slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at Harrahs Caesars hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Getting to the hotel is pretty easy once you come off of the Atlantic City Expressway. There are lots of signs to direct you to either valet parking or self parking whichever you prefer.