[thlf]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Source, please. I've never heard this.

I totally agree. I have worked for the gaming companies and the machines were exactly the same shipped all over the world. The only exception were the bingo type slots where they were the only type legal in that jurisdiction. This is just another example of OLE spewing his wisdom. NOT.

[justthe2ofus]

one observation about seeing a concert/show. prices here are higher than most other places.
but that is balanced by the opportunity to see all the great acts that come through LV.
we are the entertainment capital of the world, and there is never a time that you say,
"there's nothing to do".

[kimba01]

Misconception: that everywhere in Las Vegas you see 3/4 naked people. Not true.

That you can not raise a decent child there. Not true.

That there are months on end of 110+ degrees F days. Don't think so.

COL is about the same or less than in MI.

The Strip is Vegas. Not true. Much more to LV than the Strip if you want.

Some things that ARE true: (at least compared to SE MI)

Overall I find the people to be much kinder, nicer, friendlier. Maybe because they have hundreds of sunny days?

Most of the roads are well taken care of. You do not have to worry about falling into a pothole! And, IMO, just overall more clean.

Children DO graduate and there are valedictorians.

You can get a decent deal on a home. (this you probably can in MI too)

Beautiful scenery and you can be a part of it, climb it, ski it, boat it...(never mind about the two-legged beautiful scenery, JFK!!!!!)

Although my electric is higher in LV, my gas is higher in MI in the winter and electric is high in MI in the summer...so LV wins there.

I definitely miss the lakes that MI has. Lake Mead doesn't come close. But, the ocean is close enough!

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Source, please. I've never heard this.

There was a todo about it a couple of years back. It is rationally simple to control the payout in video poker by making the appearance of cards less than random. Trivial. Illegal in Nevada and perhaps other well regulated jurisdictions...that would not extend to many casinos and certainly not to the Indian ones.

There was a big mess a few years ago in Las Vegas when one of the route guys gimmicked his machines. The programmer involved ended up dead...

[airics]

Originally Posted by Nolan05

One that we hear a lot from people in Ohio is about the terrible high cost of living, which actually was about the same as Ohio. The only bills we had that were more were car insurance, yearly tags and trash. Trash was a wash basically because they only come once a week in Ohio; water was about the same; electric was even; gas was even and it was cheaper to fill your car in Las Vegas because everything is so close to you. In Ohio, we just prent $100 for one week as everything we need to do is 45 min away and the kids play sports that we have to drive too. Going to a movie is the same price; even going out to eat may be cheaper in Vegas...

i'm from ohio and i've been here 20 months.. here's what i have found

property tax = much much lower (about 60-70%)
sales tax = 8.1% in clark - was 8.0% in cuyahoga
car insurance = mine went down $398 every 6mos full coverage
car reg & plates = much higher here $286 clark county - $80 ohio
water = less here
electric = about the same, maybe a smidge less
gas (heat) = less
gas (car) = slightly higher here.. maybe i dont notice it. my cars get 50-70mpg
trash - was part of property taxes ohio - here cheap
movies - much more here - ohio $6, here up to $24 depending on seat
food - cheaper here
walmart - everything cheaper here
total cost of living IMO here is much cheaper...
sunshine - i didn't know the sun shines in ohio, rarely saw it
things to do (fun stuff - non educational) much more here
(educational) more in ohio

everybody's an addict to gambling here - not true
schools - worse here (does not affect me)
jobs - easier to get here (don't care what anybody else says)
paychecks - much better here....

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Maybe I'm completely unobservant, But I have never seen a slot machine in any grocery store that I've been in, and that includes Smiths, Vons, Albertsons, Sunflower, and Fresh & Easy. I've seen plenty of VP, but no traditional slot machines.

Well, then you haven't been here long enough. Not that long ago, before video poker became so popular, it was all slots. Most of us locals don't distinguish between the two anyway. They both were originally designed with coin slots ...thus the name. Slot machines operated mechanically, so poker wasn't possible. With the advent (onslaught?) of computers, then "poker" machines became possible. Nearly ever grocery store, bar, etc., had them, but with the relatively new anti-smoking laws, they were relegated to separate rooms, so you might not see them if you aren't looking for them. It is probably more of a fact that locals get so used to them that we don't even see them as they make no impression, good or bad, on us; unless we want to play in a store, which is stupid anyway.

The fact is that the machines pay the rent, and they pay taxes. Lots of places only have a few just to keep people busy while they drink or whatever. Most people will drop whatever change they have in a machine if it's right in front of them. I had a buddy that owned a beer bar, and he made his rent money on the one pinball machine, and one pool table. There is a lot of money in coin operated machines. Most of the slot/VP machines you see outside of casinos are owned by companies like Terrible Herbst who service them, and split the profits with the stores.

I once watched a crew cheat a slot machine in a busy store, in broad daylight, so obviously that I couldn't believe it. I went over and told the change lady what I saw, and she just shrugged, and said when the service guy came out to pay the jackpot he'd probably catch it. Didn't matter to her.

[dynimagelv]

WHAT?!!!!!!!!!They have slot machines here???????WOW

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by WannaliveinGreenville

When I grew up there, I heard there were a lot of bodies in Lake Mead..

I always wondered if it were true....

In the days of the mob there may have been a few bodies dumped there with cement shoes on. But keep in mind that the mob tried to keep that stuff out of Las Vegas for fear of drawing too much attention from the Feds (Disobeying this rule got Tony "The Ant" Spilotro whacked in a cornfield in Illinois).

Many of the big hotels had/have cruisers on Lake Mead for their guests. Hollywood stars do too since it's not a long commute. An experienced reporter that I worked with told me that there were a few local girls that went out there with married men and never returned. Don't know where he got it from though. I don't remember ever hearing of a body being found of some murder victim in Lake Mead, but there have been dozens of drunks that got themselves drowned out there, and maybe a few that weren't found. In the news we've heard a couple of times of drunks at Lake Mead that thought playing with rattlesnakes would be fun too. Being that they were drunk when they were bitten, they didn't live to tell about it.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by kimba01

Misconception: that everywhere in Las Vegas you see 3/4 naked people. Not true.

That you can not raise a decent child there. Not true.

That there are months on end of 110+ degrees F days. Don't think so.

COL is about the same or less than in MI.

The Strip is Vegas. Not true. Much more to LV than the Strip if you want.

Some things that ARE true: (at least compared to SE MI)

Overall I find the people to be much kinder, nicer, friendlier. Maybe because they have hundreds of sunny days?

Most of the roads are well taken care of. You do not have to worry about falling into a pothole! And, IMO, just overall more clean.

Children DO graduate and there are valedictorians.

You can get a decent deal on a home. (this you probably can in MI too)

Beautiful scenery and you can be a part of it, climb it, ski it, boat it...(never mind about the two-legged beautiful scenery, JFK!!!!!)

Although my electric is higher in LV, my gas is higher in MI in the winter and electric is high in MI in the summer...so LV wins there.

I definitely miss the lakes that MI has. Lake Mead doesn't come close. But, the ocean is close enough!

Reps to you. Couldn't have said it better mesef.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Well, then you haven't been here long enough. Not that long ago, before video poker became so popular, it was all slots. Most of us locals don't distinguish between the two anyway. They both were originally designed with coin slots ...thus the name. Slot machines operated mechanically, so poker wasn't possible. With the advent (onslaught?) of computers, then "poker" machines became possible. Nearly ever grocery store, bar, etc., had them, but with the relatively new anti-smoking laws, they were relegated to separate rooms, so you might not see them if you aren't looking for them. It is probably more of a fact that locals get so used to them that we don't even see them as they make no impression, good or bad, on us; unless we want to play in a store, which is stupid anyway.

The fact is that the machines pay the rent, and they pay taxes. Lots of places only have a few just to keep people busy while they drink or whatever....

Okay, I'm officially confused.

Are you giving me a history lesson or are you telling me that grocery stores still have slot machines (as opposed to VP) and I just haven't been observant?