Introduction to the Hard Rock Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Last year, professional bettor Bill Krackomberger trumpeted about a trip to Florida that went so well he made a return trip. He wagered on baseball and college and pro football at Hard Rock sportsbooks in Hollywood and Tampa before certain offerings had appeared anywhere else. In March, he zipped back to the Sunshine State to bet on baseball season-win totals. Known as “Krack,” the Bronx-born longtime Vegas resident returned in mid-May to take some college football positions.
Early Impressions of Hard Rock
He favored Florida State under 7.5 wins at -110 (or risk $110 to win $100). His blue-chip betting in 2024 earned him a $5,000 limit, and he slapped down another three grand on Seminoles under. “Nobody in the world had college football season wins up, only Hard Rock,” Krack said. “Hard to believe. How can that be the only one? Where do they get their numbers from, before anyone else? I made all the bets I could with all the money I had.” Krack’s initial rave Hard Rock review could reverberate here. The Mirage is gone, undergoing a massive renovation with a new 660-foot purple guitar-shaped tower out front with strings that will shoot beams into the night. Hard Rock Las Vegas is set to open in 2027.
Concerns About Gouging Customers
That a Hard Rock sportsbook in Vegas might offer similar high maximums, with enviable Florida-like odds and prices, was refreshing news. Today, Krack knows the Hard Rock, like so many others, has sliced max bets for certain patrons and banned or barred others. “Let me just say the blunt, honest truth,” Krack said. “I know people have said they’ve had a hard time with Hard Rock. I’d been giving them a lot of credit, but I’ve heard they’ve cut people off or cut them down. However, they’ve been very good to me.”
Prey
Early last week, Louie, a confidant for 40 years, visited from the San Fernando Valley for three days of relaxation, poker and baseball betting. My fraternity brother most familiar with casinos, as the son of a late pro gambler, Louie knows all about angles and odds. He landed at Horseshoe Las Vegas, the former Bally’s that is a World Series of Poker venue. He’d soon check out. The Vultures of Vegas would claim another victim. The exorbitant costs, including resort and other fees, were ridiculous, parking more than $50.
Peanuts
This isn’t news. The Strip’s gouging of clientele, charging any ancillary fee it can conjure, has finally affected bottom lines. The average being bantered about is 15% less business than one year ago. I clap. The extreme avarice of those bean-counter beaks, of MGM Resorts ruling a chunk of the Strip and Caesars Entertainment lording over another, have brought this upon themselves. They’ve tried to extract every penny from every patron, some of whom have answered the thievery by staying away. “Spot on!” Krack wrote me in a text. “Really sad. They have done it to themselves. In this case, greed is not good, Gordon Gekko.”
Transcendent?
Joe Lupo, the Mirage president who will retain that title at Hard Rock Las Vegas, has vowed that the new property will be as “transcendent” as its predecessor. That could happen, should the Hard Rock not charge for parking or resort fees, or otherwise gouge patrons for every penny in -every pocket. Such keen word-of-mouth would spread invaluable goodwill, boosting business, luring Krack, Louie and many others to the big guitar. Making people forget its address, where vultures nest, feast and multiply.
Conclusion
The upcoming Hard Rock Las Vegas has the potential to be a game-changer on the Strip, offering high maximums and reasonable odds and prices. However, the concern remains that it will follow in the footsteps of other casinos and gouge customers with excessive fees and charges. Only time will tell if the Hard Rock will prioritize customer satisfaction and offer a unique experience that sets it apart from the rest.
FAQs
Q: When is the Hard Rock Las Vegas set to open?
A: The Hard Rock Las Vegas is set to open in 2027.
Q: What are the concerns about the Hard Rock Las Vegas?
A: The concerns are that it will follow in the footsteps of other casinos and gouge customers with excessive fees and charges.
Q: What has been the impact of the Strip’s gouging of clientele?
A: The impact has been a 15% decrease in business compared to the previous year.
Q: What is the hope for the Hard Rock Las Vegas?
A: The hope is that it will offer high maximums, reasonable odds and prices, and prioritize customer satisfaction, setting it apart from other casinos on the Strip.
