Welcome to U.S. Gambling Refund’s blog.  My name is “Lucky Larry”.  Well, it’s not my real name, but for the purposes of this blog it is.  I am a Canadian with an enigma; I like visiting American gambling establishments, but I also strive to SAVE money.  Thus I scour the internet and the various Las Vegas media outlets for whatever promotions they have.  As of now (January 2010), the odds are distinctly in the gambler’s favor.

Since I am making an attempt to being honest, I will say this right now; in the long run, it is almost impossible to consistently beat the odds at blackjack, sports betting, slots, etc.  It is not humanly possible.  If it were, I would never leave the casino, and bargain hunting would no longer be necessary.  There are various tips and tricks to incrementally help your odds, but nothing that can guarantee an income from gambling.

From the time I first ventured south to gamble, I have discovered various ways to save costs.  Sometimes we weight the convenience of flying directly from a Canadian airport to Las Vegas versus flying through a farther, yet much cheaper American airport like Bellingham or Seattle.

Then there are little things like comps and the various buffets.  Sometimes you are not really in the mood for gambling, yet you want that free meal.  You have to impress the pit boss when he/she walks around.  Instead of putting up the minimum bet, you temporarily become a high roller while making eye contact with the pit boss.  It sounds dumb, but we all secretly want that free dinner.

There are also some major pitfalls when it comes to the various hotels in Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City.  Most of them are great.  Some of them are expensive.  Some are downright disturbing.  Sometimes you may get a bargain hotel room.  Sometimes the bargain comes along with disturbing neighbors and images taken from the movie “Leaving Las Vegas”.  Then there are the hotels that are too much for words.

I basically write about these things.  I’m a small time gambler, and I am obsessed with saving money.  It sounds counter-intuitive, but it can be done.  Apart from searching out the most favorable odds on the various games, I generally attempt to find the cost savings for transport, lodging, food, and I try to avoid the various pitfalls too.  Airlines, casinos, etc. can and will add various fees to your costs.  If you avoid needless bank fees in daily life, why would you tolerate very similar fees while you are on vacation?