When people visit any city that attracts many tourists, they expect to pay many annoying fees. Las Vegas had in many ways been an exception to that.
Until recent years, parking at casinos was generally free, at least during the week. In many cases it was free completely because the goal was to bring people.
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It has largely disappeared, with free parking reserved for people with higher levels in the various casino loyalty programs. Having to pay parking fees can be confusing for visitors as most regional casinos offer free parking.
However, parking fees are just one of the small indignities that casino companies at Las Vegas Strip have stacked on its customers. In many ways, it is a case of doing it because they can.
Visits to Las Vegas have generally been strong, and people are used to paying higher prices for almost anything. However, on my last visit to Las Vegas, it seemed to cross a line.
I had no car, so parking was not a problem. Prices everywhere on the strip seemed dramatically higher.
It has long been a tradition that bottles of liquor sold on the strip will cost about twice, perhaps even more than the same bottle in a liquor store. It is the casino companies that offer you convenience over pricing.
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In some cases, however, it seemed just going too far. Starbucks Latte, which cost me just over five dollars at home in southern Florida, was more than twice so that on every Las Vegas stripper I visited.
Now, MGM Resorts International (Mg) Have plans to increase more revenue by increasing the fees and trying to make money with lots of small price increases rather than just raising room prices.
MGM owns several Las Vegas Strip properties including Luxor.
Image source: Shutterstock
Mgm squeezes pennies and raises fees
MGM managers spoke at the end of March at JP Morgan Gaming, Lodging, Restaurant and Leisure Management Access Forum. They were not subtle about their efforts to both make money and save money.
They talked openly about doing things like raising ATM fees and moving furniture between hotels rather than buying new pieces.
“If you have become up to an ATM machine lately, it would not surprise you to know that these fees have risen. Some of its charging based on general volumes, and we were under the market in a couple of cases. We have positioned ourselves, and we already see a return,” said CEO Bill Hornbuckle at the conference, Casino.org.
This, reported the site, is mainly MGM that includes the model that many airlines use. You attract a customer with low frontal prices and then bury them in extra fees.
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It is not a model that deserves you to your customers, which seems to be a mistake in a city where each player is just a short walk from several other casino operators. But it is one that MGM has embraced, with increased parking fees and rising ATM fees.
MGM has traditionally been cheaper than Chief Las Vegas Strip Rival Caesars Entertainment when it comes to parking and ATM fees.
MGM invests in its strip casinos
So far, these changes have not anger MGM’s customers. In fact, customer satisfaction has been high.
“Our commitment and commitment to the guest [happiness] is reflected in our points for Netto Promotor, which set a record for Gold Plus customers during the fourth quarter and for the year. I can’t say good enough things about our people here at MGM, who drive these amazing results day in and day out, other than just “thank you”, shared Hornbuckle during MGM’s revenue for the fourth quarter.
Raising fees is a quick way to turn your customers towards you, but moving furniture around will probably not anger people as long as it is an upgrade.
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We invest in our business and the customer experience. The CEO shared some of the improvements made over the past year.
“In 2024, we continued a broad improvement throughout Bellagio, the renovation of all our suites, new food and drink offers and an update [on] Premium game spaces. In addition, the cosmopolitan Las Vegas was transferred to MGM rewards, and these regular capital investments in our resort operations continued guest visits and increased expenses, ”he added.
