
The company rationalized that this was done for Michel’s protection; however, all of this seems very contradictory, given that only two days earlier, hundreds of millions of individuals had their personal data stolen. For Michel, it felt like a dream. He saw thieves stealing the coins through the camera while the security personnel failed to recognize that they were stealing from the customers in front of their eyes.
It was a relief for Michel to witness all of this. It provided him a connection to what he later wrote in the article that week regarding casino gamers.
Casino gamers perform exactly the same thing that occurred with the theft of bank information. One example Michel provided was of the Red Rock Buffet casino. There, Michel described how the patrons queue up to receive the coupons due to the promotion stating "one free with every purchase" (even though Michel states he also utilizes them for dinner), he views no problem with this type of business model since it provides him with a savings of $15, which is a reasonable amount.
However, Michel wonders if the gamers will become aware of the risk they assume with respect to their money and whether many are mindful enough to recognize when they acquire those coupons.
Some of the comments included in Michels' report included:
- Whether the gamers initially select the correct games to gamble with when visiting a casino, based on my observations.
- If they begin by gambling at slots, they clearly did not select wisely, since according to their statistics, the slot machines produce a return rate of approximately 93%. In comparison, poker produces virtually a complete return rate, and therefore, if so much less than 97% gets back to the gamers.
-On the other hand, in Blackjack you need to consider how much money is distributed among the gamers who sit down at the table; some may pay a 3 to 2 ratio and others a 6 to 5 ratio; if you calculate appropriately, a gamer who puts in $10 dollars will realize that what he gambled for three hours is equal to $1150 dollars. When calculating properly and adding and subtracting correctly, a gamer will observe that the difference between a 3 to 2 and a 6 to 5 ratio during the period he was playing at the Blackjack table, it was equivalent to spending $15 for dinner: Only a highly attentive gamer will recognize this scam common in casinos.
-Michel describes these types of strategies as excellent designs developed by professionals and consists of three parts: First, you must select the appropriate game for yourself, and this is one of the first items that the narrator discussed; secondly, you must select the appropriate table for yourself when you arrive at the casino. When selecting a Roulette table with two zeros, the casino will gain significantly. On the other hand, if you select a Video Poker machine, you will have absolutely no influence over your fate; you will certainly obtain your $15 dollar dinner, but on the other hand, you will lose $50 simply by selecting the incorrect game.
-The primary knowledge that a player needs to possess is that he/she must select a game with the greatest possible reward, and that will be determined by experience. If a player selects the proper game and develops the proper strategy for that particular game, then it is probable that he/she will have great success; however, if he/she selects a poor strategy, then failure is inevitable. From a business standpoint, for casinos, they encourage players to select their tables/machines inappropriately so they can provide them with complimentary meals/dinners for only $15 coupons, which actually end up costing them $100. This is a method used by all casinos in order to keep their gamblers happy with their games. Free gifts and attention received from casinos are extremely successful in attracting gamblers; casinos do not concern themselves with how much money the gambler plays at first, but rather how long they continue to play.
-In addition, amateur gamblers tend to gamble with other inexperienced players nearby. Therefore, assuming each player has deposited $250 dollars into their respective accounts for an undefined number of times with $1,000 to $25 dollar bets placed per round/turn/hand, etc., they will undoubtedly be granted refunds via coupons for an appetizing dinner.
-Casinos do not view amateur players as poorly as you might think; rather, they see the revenue produced by amateur players as pure profit.
-Hence, it does not detract from the fact that if a player understands how to develop the correct strategies and can utilize more than one coupon for dinner at the buffet, he may possibly escape losing money. Those were the final conclusions drawn by Michel in his report regarding casino strategies.
Michel’s adventure into becoming financially responsible for his mother-in-law residing on the East Coast was complicated. The process of establishing new accounts and initiating monetary transactions between entities located on different coasts was full of obstacles, including unforeseen security issues. Problems arose during identity validation and data security issues during these transactions, resulting in a major data breach impacting millions of people, further illustrating his experiences.
Michel’s thoughts concerning his financial security dilemmas and how casino patrons implement strategies similar to those employed by Michel are interesting and enlightening. Using examples such as the Red Rock Buffet casino and its ‘buy one get one free’ coupons as evidence of how casino patrons potentially misinterpret their financial risks associated with gaming activities is compelling. His contemplation about whether casino patrons understand that their financial decisions within gaming environments pose risk is thought-provoking.
Michel’s observation concerning how game selections greatly affect the financial outcomes of casino patrons is motivating. He stated that slot machines (return rate 93%) represent a less desirable option relative to poker (nearly total return). His stress on being selective when choosing games and tables represents an essential component towards realizing optimal returns and decreasing loss potential. Therefore, Michel's audience feels educated.
Michel recommended that patrons achieve success in casinos through selecting games that present favorable odds and awareness of expenses incurred for each game. Additionally, he pointed out that casinos design ways to lure patrons into less advantageous games through incentives such as gift cards/coupons (meal) in order to generate additional patronage regardless of initial wagering amounts or odds presented. He further illustrated that patronage (revenue) generated from unfavorable games far exceeds costs associated with offering complimentary meals/gifts.
According to Michel, casinos utilize strategies to foster feelings of appreciation amongst patrons through complimentary gifts and attentions regardless of existing advantages (or disadvantages) favoring houses. Ultimately, these tactics serve to retain patron interest/betting regardless of initial wagering amounts or probability of winning. He emphasized that casinos perceive benefits in patron losses at less favorable games versus costs associated with providing complimentary meals/gifts.