Hail (and Farewell) Caesar

For a long time now I'm devoted a not insignificant amount of time writing, and Tweeting, about why the Strip is no longer for me. The odds are bad, CNF (and other) fees suck, the place is now just a tire-fire of people wandering around losing money on bad games etc.

Now Caesars Entertainment has decided you cannot visit their Sportsbooks without paying for a seat. (h/t Marc Meltzer)

Whatever. 

Caesars is currently leading MGM in the race to the bottom. They offer worse odds, no longer grandfather players in at tables when the minimums are raised, and now they want $80 to sit in a chair and bet on football?

And, let's face facts, it is not as if Caesars properties are the crown jewels of Vegas. The images of dirty rooms, hallways, elevators, parking garages and other common areas are legion. They are rapidly deteriorating properties that offer nothing for those wanting to have a good time. Even Caesars Palace is a shadow of it's former self. Limping along on a past reputation offering up very expensive "experiences" at the cost of actually having a good time.

Not to mention all of the news reports showing the Strip has become a tad bit fighty and shooty of late.

There is still, just, The Cosmopolitan, WynnCore and Venetian/Palazzo that are nice, and I'm still a believer that Treasure Island is somewhat underrated. Resorts World shows promise, but not for gambling, and the jury is still out on whether or not Phil Ruffin and company are going to do anything worthwhile with Circus Circus, or if they can capitalize on being adjacent to the Strip's shiny new toy.

What is somewhat clear is that the former winner of the Strip wars, the South end, and even the middle, is all but a no fly zone. Maybe, in a non-gambling mode, you check out the Linq Promenade from time to time and see the Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory but outside of that?

Any future forays onto Las Vegas most famous tourist trap are going to be limited to the North end, and Cosmo. More frequently however, you're going to find me Downtown and off-Strip, far away from the fees, the overcharging, the short-pouring and the general nastiness that has become the Las Vegas Strip.

You certainly will not see me frequenting any Caesars property. Their customer unfriendly business decisions since the merger have made them unvisitable. I don't care if they offer to pay me to go. (Which, they won't because I'm not an #Influencer.)

It's really too bad, because I used to like visiting Caesars Palace, walking through the Shoppes, eating at Trevi, getting a cigar at Monte Cristo.....No more.

It's not me Caesars, it's you.