I have heard that Junkets can offer a good deal on travel and lodging to Vegas, maybe with the stipulation that you have to gamble a certain amount.
Is this true? If you’ve been on one, was the experience positive? Feel free to post pointers, as I am planning a trip in December. Thanks.
Never been on one, but a friend was years ago, so this information is secondhand.
First of all, you’d better like gambling, because you’ll be doing a lot of it–you do have to gamble a certain amount. The junket master “gives” you a free trip and all you have to do is to deposit, say, $1000 with him or her. (I think it was $1000 for my friend although no doubt this amount varies from junket to junket.) You’ll get this back in special chips that cannot be exchanged for cash at the cashier’s; they have to be played–this is how they make sure you play through the amount.
Any winnings at the table are paid off in regular chips though, so if you do hit a hot streak, you can work the special chips into regular ones, thus getting your deposit back in cash.
It didn’t seem to be a positive experience for my friend. He really isn’t a big gambler; he enjoys it from time to time, but he was looking forward to a holiday of a little gambling, a little golf, relaxing by the pool, and so on. Instead, he spent most of his time in the casino, trying to turn the special chips into regular ones. I suppose he could have dropped $500 on each of two hands of blackjack, say, but he’s not that daring.
Anyway, his junket sounded to me like he was being comped ahead of time based on a certain amount of play, rather than being comped after playing that amount. I think I’d prefer the latter; that way I can quit anytime without obligation, and if I don’t play enough to get a comp, it’s no big deal.
I’m sure that not all junkets operate this way, and you may well be one of those who likes to spend days on end in a casino. But this should give you some idea of what can occur, and some ideas for questions to ask ahead of time.
Good luck!
I wonder if you could bet on all the outcomes in roulette and convert all your chips in complete safety?
For example, if they gave me $1000 in chips, I would lay down $28 on green, $486 on black, and $486 on red.
If green comes up, I am paid 35 x $28 = $980.
If black comes up, I am paid 2 x $486 = $972.
If red comes up, I am paid 2 x $486 = $972.
(rough numbers, you get the idea)
So, the trip ends up costing less than $30 and I only “waste” a minute at the roulette table, right?