www.CostaRicaTicas.com

The only stat I've been told (by Greg...one of the owners) is that the room rentals are down 20-25% year over year. He said that the food and booze revenues are the same. (questionable in my view)

thanks for the info. With this global economy the way it is now the crowds
in del rey and blue marlin reminded me of days of old as in early 2000.
Back then you could walk in and book a room sun-thur with no problem.
my observation is you can do that now also. i heard 25% occupancy from someone i was sitting next to at the bar. that from earlier in the week.
second the info posted earlier about the bigger crowds at sportmens lodge. I heard down on my trip, tourist numbers are down 30% in san jose and 60% in Jaco.
IMHO presented identical hotel rates from del rey or sleep inn, I would go with sleep inn in spite of chica fees. brand new property with breakfast.

Does anyone think the medellin venue has had a sizable impact on lowering gluch tourist numbers?
I sampled medellin and found the chicas/food /hotels a cut above to san jose.
I think a number of tourists have just burned out on san jose and are going other places.
fred757

trying to catch up on this post. Will be coming to SJO for a quick weekend 8/28-8/30. In my minimal free time, I wouldnt mind finding a little poker action.

Does anyone have any insight on the poker room at the DR? limits? buy-in?

Also, is there any poker at the Colonial? Last time i was in CR was 2 years ago and no poker that I saw was happening.....

thanks in advance...

Currently there is a $1-2 game at the Colonial (upstairs) and one at the Horseshoe. The Clarion still has their game which varies from 1-2 to 2-5. The Herradura Casino at the Ramada off the highway in Heredia on the way to the airport has the largest poker room with 19 tables. I think that if they do it right (customer service and reasonable rake) the DR will take away most of the Gultch poker business.

Really VB? I wouldn't have thought that. Would have thought serious gamblers would stay away from a circus atmosphere. But I know you know your gambling spots in SJ.

If you look at the setup you will see that the "poker room" is set up at the far end of the old restaurant section with a door to the room. it will be VIP and NO chicas as I am told. However I assume that if a Gringo wants to BRING IN a chica to watch or play with him,I assume it will be OK.Gambling will be the priority. I don't know what the limits will be yet but I will find out soon enough.

ahh that sounds good, a VIP poker room. I just wouldn't want to be out in the open with chicas lurking and grabbing. Would welcome a guy that brought a chica, probably would be easy money yeah? As his mind is divided.

great to try new ideas with a unique hotel/business-i.e. adding new games/tables/etc in the back bar area.

I know del rey- they went away from sports and race book operations more than five years ago. everyone baggage was always in the way,
looked kind of low tech.
they should look at how many people show up at the Veneto hotel and casinos sport and race book in panama city? they pack them in to run up a large bar tab/bet/food bill.

Maybe add a sports and race book somewhere (key Largo or in the
del rey) somewhere. there is a boatload of big tv's in del rey right now to put sports on.

albeit, maybe the licensing is to onerous to go into sports betting.
just a thought.

fred757

Both the HDR and Colonial sports books were shut down by the San Jose municipal government om Super Bowl Sunday 2004. The reason given was that the casino law did not specifically authorize a sports book. Interestingly enough neither did it prohibit a sports book. Another interesting thing was that they did not bother the sports book at the Morazan which at that particular time was located on the main floor of the hotel just as the HDR one was.

The HDR supposedly decided that the sports book did not really generate that much revenue so they made no effort to reopen it.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Has there been any clarification of that law since, ID? Or are other sportbooks just operating in a grey area still?

Really do not have an answer. Not being a gambler I did not follow the outcome, if any, that occurred. I know the HDR decided to fold, the Morazan moved the book to the second floor which makes it less visible and what the status is at the Colonial I can't say.

There are gringo places that book bets on a more informal way then the sports books.

I do not think there has been any significant change in the law so it would seem that "selective" enforcement could be repeated.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

The Colonial has been running their sports book in a clandestine manner since they Govrnmrnt shut them down in 2004 as ID pointed out. However,they will soon be opening their sports book in the Sleep Inn Casino. It will be out in the open. I have no knowledge of any laws being changed. i guess they just decided that they won't be bothered this time around.

sleep inn nonsmoking casino is underutilized now. maybe with
a race and sports book it will fill up with some bettors and the bar will be better utilized.

that upstairs colonial casino looks like sleppy hollow alot of times
never saw the poker tables busy up there.
fred757

OK more changes in the reporting on the new VIP room at the DR casino. I had an interesting conversation with Bob yesterday. Bob is running the entire Blue Marlin operation along with the Hotel. Chad continues to be in charge of the casino,but Bob will run the poker operations. The VIP room oficially will have 3 poker tables,one roulette wheel (American style not canasta) one blackjack table (American style not rummy) and one Carribian Stud table (not Tute though it is the same game). The room officially opens at 7pm tonight. Bob tells me that they will have at least one $1-2 table with other tables of 2-5,5-5 and possibly an occasional 25-50 depending on what the customers want. They plan on being flexible and offering whatever the traffic will want. He wasn't sure what the rake is yet since that was mostly a function of Chad. The minimums for the other table games will also evolve depending on usage. I didn't talk to Chad,so I guess I'll stop in tonight or tomorrow to find out the rake and the minimums. if the rake is competitive I will play there myself.

In reference to the hotel operations,he said that he did a survey on the biggest complaints of the customers who stay there. The number 1 complaint was the mattresses in the rooms. The hotel has replaced ALL the mattresses. It's interesting to note that Bob tells me that he is a lifetime member of CRT,so our voices are being heard at the highest level of the Del Rey, although he admits that he has been so busy lately that he hasn't kept up.

Thanks for the info VB.

I'm curious to see if they will adopt the normal 10% rake (up to $4), or get greedy like I kind of expect.