I think that your pretty close. Here is my take,

I would say some Slot Managers or Directors looked at the program a couple years ago and said, strikes are going for $7.70 per strike...........They would look at it as the machine is set to 0.00% which would calculate to $000.00 dollers per day...plus the $2.30 that they would get if the customer keeps the strike.......they saw money signs....lol. Some never did the 200.00s because they didnt see the value, turning in 20 10's and giving someone a 200? did they even happen to think that the recirculating 10's are making them extra $$$ in the machines? hassle at the cage? upfront money? One director told me that the customers are taking his strikes and he's getting sick of re-ordering them ?!?! WTF? etc

fast forward to 2 years ago silver strike price went up ($10.00 our cost for a strike) and with the above thinking they arent making nothing....plus the hassle.....

If you ask ten Directors where a machine "should" be placed on the floor, I bet you'll get ten different answers. Each Slot Director that I have ever met, is very opionionated when it comes to what they think they know best.

There have been a couple strikers that have helped me with ideas as well as my old Director/friend (Don Hallmark), Shaun and I have talked and his ideas are what I based the Palms strike program off of now. If you work the # correctly and have a small interest in designing the strikes then it would be profitable for any casino in Vegas......it's just a matter of time, money and caring.

As for the mint........I don't believe anyone really knows whats going on there ...it used to be 8 to 10 weeks its turned into 4 months. I hope that they can close that window a bit. Don't get me wrong, the people at the mint are very nice....it's just the leed times that are killing us.

As for some of the other programs not doing gold plating? I hated the sticker, silver didn't do the 200s any justice, and the extra cost I figured I could cover. Some of the programs are a bit more strict and maybe couldn't pass off the extra cost....who knows, I can't speak for the rules and regs at other casinos. And remember, the Palms isnt corperate, and I bet that that has something to do with it too.

In the next few months, after the car strikes, me and Mike Farinella my right hand man over here at the Palms (who has been a unbelievable help), have some pretty cool ideas.....we are going to mix it up a bit for everyone and it may make it a bit more fun for us as well as the strikers....or maybe everyone will hate our ideas and we'll get bashed on the boards :).....who knows...

but I will say that nothing like this has ever been done......and it will be for the next 5 sieries of 200s. There will be no short relese dates.....everyone will know way ahead of time when the 200s will be coming out. Till next time ;)