Robert Weinstein

Las Vegas Sands: Providing a Good Customer Experience

I have not noticed a change in air from MPS to Vegas over the past three or four years except maybe a little bit higher. The room rates are at the lowest levels I have seen since right after 9/11. Table stakes are somewhat lower. I have seen $10 craps and blaickjack at the Venetian which shows that they have small stakes available which also shows that they gaming is softer than perhaps two years ago. The crowd was thinner but still busy. It appeared to me that the staff level was neither too large or too small. I never had the impression that the Venetian was short staff compared to my other visits and the standard for Vegas. My most important question that I wanted to answer for myself was "does this appear to be ready to go under?" That question for me is a "no" and so I am a seller of put options and a buyer of stock. One read of my blog and its pretty clear that I am a hardcore shorter of stocks. Well over 90% of my trades are shorts so if I thought that LVS was about to fail I would be the first to short the stock. At this time I am comfortable with my 'bets' that LVS will not go under and stay under $5 per share. We already know Las Vegas is very good at separating customers from their money. I also believe that with the quality of management in Las Vegas that they will figure out what it takes to get the customer in the door. Detroit should take lessons on how to execute and build brand value.


On Jan 13 06:38 PM emperorsten wrote:

> What did all of this cost? Plane tixs, room, dinner? What were the
> stakes at the tables? Higher, Same or lower then usual? What was
> the crowd. American, Asian, Euro? Did places have enough people to
> service the crowd?