Page 8 - February 2006 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Only Norwegian Cruise Line Offers Cruise Discounts for Every Coin, Credit or Chip Wagered at Any Casino Nationwide
TPlayers Card Holders From Land-Based Casinos Win With NCL!
oday’s casino players have really hit the jackpot thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) newest innovation in gaming—the NCL Casinos at Sea Players Club Card. As part of its ever-expanding Casinos at Sea program, NCL is the only cruise line to o er cruise discounts to player’s card holders from
any casino nationwide. Whether travelers sign up for a players card at their favorite casino along the Las Vegas strip, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk or their casino of choice anywhere in the U.S., they are eligible for discounts on any NCL Freestyle Cruising vessel in the eet.
use one player card on all ve electronic player tracking ships so they can accumulate points and enjoy di erent sailing experiences. Ships not equipped with electronic player tracking will continue to have manual tracking systems.
Games, too, have been upgraded, both in the variety and in exibility of table limits. NCL’s casino game mix includes Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud,
ree Card poker, blackjack, Let It Ride, pai-gow poker, roulette, mini- and big baccarat, pai-gow tiles and craps with 3x, 4x, 5x odds. Tables have ip tops. A table-top might have a blackjack layout on one side and mini-baccarat on the other, so the casino can alter game mix to serve the demand on any given cruise.
“NCL is also the rst and only cruise line to have an outside agency certify our slots at a 98 percent or higher payback,” said Leibovitz.
Applications for the Casinos at Sea Players Club are available on all NCL ships, or by logging on to www.NCLcasino.com. NCL’s departing cities are Los Angeles, Boston, Charleston, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Vancouver.
For more information, visit www.nclcasino.com or call 1-877-PLAY-NCL (752-9625).
easily set up a 401G with automatic deposits into your special gambling account. is is what I did.
Open a savings account at a bank where you don’t have any other accounts. is way you won’t be tempted to make a withdrawal when you do your regular banking. en set an amount to be directly deposited into this account each week. You’ll be surprised how quickly it will grow. I’ve maintained a
401G for many years now. All the money I win in the casino goes back into this account and as it has grown, it has allowed me to move up in the limits that I play.
You Can Afford It
When I suggest opening a separate gambling account, I usually get the same response,“I can’t a ord it. I already have enough money taken out of my paycheck.”
Butyouifyouplantogotoacasinosometimeinthe year, why wait until the day you’re going to try to nd the money? It’s better to plan ahead and have a few dollars set aside each week than end up using money needed for other expenses. Saving is easy when you have a goal. It’s even easier when your goal is to have fun.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
To redeem a casino rate on an NCL cruise, travelers must simply call NCL’s Casino at Sea Reservations representatives at 1-877-752-9625 and provide a players card number and the name of property from which the card was issued.
“NCL has long been recognized as an industry pioneer, taking several actions to o er the best possible gaming experience for our passengers and make
our casinos more competitive,” Dana Leibovitz,
N C L’ s S e n i o r V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f C a s i n o M a r k e t i n g . “ is new NCL Casinos at Sea
Players Program expansion is one more win for our guests and for casino enthusiasts nationwide.”
In addition to o ering cruise
discounts for playing at land-based casinos,NCL‘sCasinosatSeaprogramalsofeaturesreal- time rewards programs, advanced technology tracking
systems and greater game variety. NCL, o ering one of the most exible and player-friendly rewards programs in the industry, allows passengers to earn “Seabucks” by playing any game in the onboard casinos, which then can be used immediately to purchase any onboard services including shore excursions, spa treatments and beverages, and if certain requirements are met,
even complimentary cabin expenses.
New technology has also helped NCL o er a gaming experience as close to a land-based casino as possible. NCL has implemented a premiere player tracking system to enhance players’ gambling experience on board ve of its ships.NCL Casinos at Sea Players Club features four levels of membership — Blue, Bronze, Gold and Platinum. e ultimate goal for the program is to enable passengers to
Start a Gambling Account—Your 401G Mby Bill Burton
ost serious casino players I know maintain a separate bank account for gambling. is money is not used for any other purpose other than playing at the casino. ere are several advantages to having a separate gambling account. First, you never have to worry that you’ll spend money needed to pay bills or day-to-day expenses. Second, it means
that you’ll always have money to visit the casino. I call this gambling account a 401G.
But you don’t have to be a serious player to have a 401G. In fact, even if you visit a casino a couple times a year, it’s a good idea to start one. at way you’ll have the gambling portion of your trip nanced well ahead of time.
How Much Do You Need?
First, determine how often you plan on visiting the casino this year. Will itbetwoorthreeweekendsoraday trip once a month? It doesn’t have to be exact, but have some idea of how many days you may be gambling. en determine how much money you want to spend per day. Factor in the denomination of the games you want to play. en gure out about how many hours a day you plan on gambling.
quarter slots four hours a day. You usually spend about $25 an hour playing. Four hours x $25 = $100 per day. Six days x $100 and you have a yearly gambling budget of $600. If you divide this by 52 weeks a year you’ll see you only need to save $11.53 a week or $1.65 a day for a year of gambling.
“Open a savings account at a
bankwhereyoudon’thave Many of us have 401K
anyotheraccounts.This way you won’t be tempted to make a withdrawal when
you do your regular banking. Then set an amount to be directly deposited into this account each week. You’ll be surprised how quickly it
retirement accounts, partially funded by direct deposits from our paychecks. is is a painless way to save, as we never have the actual money in our hands. If we had to take the money physically to the bank, chances are the full amount would not always get there because of some unexpected expenses.
For example: Let’s say you visit
the casino three times a year for
two days — for a total of six days. And you like to play direct deposit. If your company does this, you can
will grow.”
Many people get paid by
Start Your Account
Page 8 February 2006
About Gambling with Bill Burton Gaming News (Continued)