Below is a picture of a billboard advertising the Chumash Casino near Santa Barbara. The billboard advertises free play for new members of the casino's slot club. Specifically the rules of the promotion say: "Residents of Los Angeles County receive $100, Ventura and San Luis Obispo County residents receive $50 and all other areas receive $5 in Slot Free Play."
Okay, that's pretty clear and the billboard's message is pretty clear. It says "up to $100 in Free Play." So I am not questioning the promotion. In fact, a few months back and I joined their slot club and I received $50 in free play on the spot, with a coupon for $50 in free play when I returned. I am a Los Angeles County resident so I qualified for the $100 free play promotion.
But what really caught my eye -- in addition to free play which draws me like a fly to a bowl of sugar -- is the illustration of two fifty dollar bills.
$50 bills? Hello? Doesn't their advertising agency or marketing company know that gamblers here in the West think $50 bills are unlucky? I know you folks in the East use and spend $50 bills. Heck, $2 bills are popular in Boston but don't dare give a $2 bill to a cab driver in New York City because cabbies think they're unlucky. But in casinos in these parts $50 bills are a no-no. I don't know of any cage in Vegas that would give players a $50 bill. I don't know of any cage at a casino in the L.A. area that would give a player a $50 bill.
If ever a cashier tried to give me a $50 bill I'd refuse it.
I am sure there are others like me, and I wonder if the graphic of the $50 bills on the Chumash billboard makes them think the casino won't be lucky? The casino's ad agency easily could have used the illustration of a $100 bill just as they use a $100 bill on their website.
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