This casino promotion could be a disaster.

This casino promotion could be a disaster -- for the casino. It comes from Harrah's Rincon casino in San Diego, and the offer came in the mail today.

The offer is called "Take It or Leave It" and it's in effect every Sunday in November.

The post card from the casino says to swipe your Total Rewards card to see your guaranteed prize. "Then, it's decision time," the mailer says, "TAKE your guaranteed prize or LEAVE IT for a chance to DOUBLE IT!"

My mailer says I am guaranteed $200 or I can risk it. The question is -- is this a double or nothing promotion? Or is there the potential for some other "prize" should I not get the "double up"?

There have been other promotions before where you are offered a guaranteed prize and can take a chance to receive a smaller or larger prize -- but you are assured of getting "something."

But when you say "take it or leave it" it gives the impression that you can get your guaranteed prize not only wiped out, but you would not get any other kind of prize.

Details are available at the Total Rewards desk so I am certainly going to ask before I swipe my card for this promotion. Sure, I'd risk $200 of free play for a chance at $400 of free play if I was also assured that as a "consolation prize" I would get $100 or $150.

But if I risked $200 of free play and after my "swipe" I found out I got "zero" I would be a very unhappy customer who just might storm out of the casino and never return.

By swipe your TR card- is that a kiosk? The reason I ask - when we have this promotion at our local, we go to the promotion and event center where a P&E employee asks us if we want to go double or chance to triple sometimes. They explain to everyone what will happen before we take a chance and swipe in front of them.

We have never had one where you lose all your free play. It has always been - keep half of your offered free play at worse.

Sassycat: yes, you go to the promotions desk to swipe but there is no mention of anyone being there or if there are other "prizes."

Just returned from Harrahs Rincon. If you "leave it" you are guarenteed half you free play.
After seeing one guy "leave it" and get only half, my wife and I both decided to "take it".
By the way Alan, after dinner at Fiore, I went and played my favorite game, Super Aces.
And after putting $1,800 in, finally hit the Aces for $4,000 and left with a $2,200 profit.
Good times all around.
JIM

I just returned from Harrah's Rincon and did not understand the promotion at all. My partner, who has a gold card got $10, selected "Take It" and got $5. I have a platinum card and also got $10. Just to see the difference, I selected "Leave It", and ended up with $5. We both walked away confused, but took the $5 slot coupon anyway.

I went to Rincon yesterday. My offer was for $200 guaranteed which I could "take" or "leave." If I "leave it" I will get either $100 or double up to $400. The two players ahead of me got the "half amounts" and I got lucky and doubled up to $400. The Total Rewards people said they don't know what the odds are. I wonder if it's random or if it is pre-ordained based on your play?

jbatdorf, thanks for joining and for posting.

You should always "take it".

These are never even odds.

They are expecting most people to gamble (duh) and most will lose.

You got lucky, indeed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

You should always "take it".

---

I am going to disagree. The math favors "leaving it" and taking the gamble.

Let's say you have $20 of free play guaranteed. If you "leave it" you will either get $10 or $40 and you have a 50-50 chance.
Do the math: 10 + 40 = 50 and with a 50-50 chance the average is 25 which is more than your $20 guarantee.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

I am going to disagree. The math favors "leaving it" and taking the gamble.

Let's say you have $20 of free play guaranteed. If you "leave it" you will either get $10 or $40 and you have a 50-50 chance.
Do the math: 10 + 40 = 50 and with a 50-50 chance the average is 25 which is more than your $20 guarantee.

---

It's not a 50-50 chance, though. That's the part you're missing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

It's not a 50-50 chance, though. That's the part you're missing.

---

You're right: I am missing that point. How do you know it's not 50-50??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

You're right: I am missing that point. How do you know it's not 50-50??

---

I have a friend who knows someone at Total Rewards at the Rio.

I had them ask that person if a very similar promotion there was 50-50, and the person said "not even close".

I assume Rincon is likely doing the same thing. If it were really 50-50, they would probably state it on the promotion.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Druff

I have a friend who knows someone at Total Rewards at the Rio.

I had them ask that person if a very similar promotion there was 50-50, and the person said "not even close".

I assume Rincon is likely doing the same thing. If it were really 50-50, they would probably state it on the promotion.

---

I have never seen "odds" mentioned in any promotion like this. Rincon frequently has these kinds of promotions where you are guaranteed one amount and can "gamble" for an amount higher or lower. usually it's done at the machine using the touch screen.

But if you are telling me that the odds of winning are not 50-50 then I would definitely take the gamble because I think the casino is more likely going to give extra free play rather than disappoint players. The casino is not giving away cash -- it's giving away free play and it knows the free play will be played and it has the edge on all play.

I'm thinking a 66% (2/3) chance of losing half your free play and a 33% (1/3) chance of doubling your free play is the borderline for being a fair gamble for the player.

This is being said off-the-cuff. My math may be wrong.