Parx Casino

Reviews 3

A

A Private User

Where do I begin with how bad this place is. First, let me start by saying that my husband and I enjoy video poker and were thrilled to have a place to go so close to home. Well, wed rather travel to Atlantic City where they at least know how to treat customers. Let me start with my smallest complaint. You could play every day for a month, but you will not get one more dollar of food money other than the $10 or $15 they assign you for the month. So not only do you spend a fortune in the casino, you have to buy your own food despite spending a lot of money in the place. Even The Sands in Bethlehem adjusts your food comps based on your play. Now for the biggest complaint -- THE SMOKE AND THE SMOKERS. This is one of the most unhealthy environments I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. No designated non-smoking area at all! There are two small banks of "non-smoking" video poker machines and that is it! They are placed at arms length of the smoking area which is essentially the entire casino. The most a non-smoker could be happy about is not having a smoker sitting right next to them blowing in their face. But wait, there are no signs that even designate these pitiful machines as non-smoking. The only way to tell is to practically get a magnifying glass and look at the little circle with a line through the cigarette on the card reader. Smokers sit at the "non-smoking" machine and flick their ashes in the bottom tray of the machines. They give you dirty looks and take their time putting the cigarette out if you have "the nerve" to tell them. The last straw was sitting down and informing a rude and belligerent smoker that he was sitting at a "non-smoking" machine. His response? "So dont smoke" and continued to smoke himself. I complained to staff at the casino (after waiting at least ten minutes to even find someone to complain to -- if you put your assistance light on, nobody ever shows up). First, I got a sympathetic worker who, herself did not smoke and expressed concern for her own health working in this environment. I asked to speak to a "higher" manager about the problem. What I got was an inexperienced woman who knew nothing about customer service. She was impatient and more or less told me that it was impossible for them to police the area for people smoking at "non-smoking" machines. So essentially they want us, the patrons to police the machines for them. I complained about the rudeness I had just experienced from a smoker, as well as the lack of non-smoking signs. She was abrupt, never offered an apology (even if she didnt make the rules, her attitude could have been better). For the amount of time and money I had spent there, I felt as though I were slapped in the face. Parx cares NOTHING about its patrons. All it cares about is taking your money. Most of the machines dont work properly, buttons are never fixed and routinely rob you of hands due to their unpredictability. I hope there are class action lawsuits against these places eventually, that put their clients health at risk and basically tell you "eff you" should you have the nerve to complain. Non-smokers have absolutely NO rights at Parx. This casino has no class at any level.

A

A Private User

This is a cumulative review from opening week in December through last night (2/27/10). High points - the casino is in a great location, convenient to I-95. The building is impressive and there is a lot of excitement. ALL of your favorite machines are there and LOTS of them. Rest facilities are clean and serviced frequently. Cash/voucher machines are spread throughout the facility and the cashier service is professional and quick. There are long lines for the machines which can be seen as a good sign however it has been observed the line is NOT there for cashing vouchers from insanely large slot payouts. Parking is plentiful and free. Low points - People get naturally crazy when it comes to money. Perhaps its the sheer volume of people in here but these are some of the most territorial and adversarial types I have ever seen. This spot is jumping on weekends which means all of the best slots are taken and I have even seen lines for some seats. I have witnessed players playing slower when they realize people are waiting for that particular seat. This joint is CROWDED. Players are allowed to play multiple machines even during peak periods AND are allowed to leave their coats, players cards, ashtrays, drinks, etc. in a seat and disappear for breaks, lunch, etc. which is apparently accepted by some unspoken rule. If you are not a smoker this is not the place for you. There is no waiting area for car/bus groups which means you have to constantly ask people loitering at machines to get up so you can play. The players cards/frequent gaming program is a joke. Of course they cannot provide free rooms like AC however there are no guidelines showing what you are playing for or what you can get in return. At least in AC you get guaranteed comps with play. This place needs another bar - drink service is virtually non-existent. There are NO table games - which should speak volumes about your chances of winning anything in this place. This is a slot hall - slots do not require skill. Table games do. I have recently learned there is no gaming/gambling commission in PA which means this casino is not held up to the same regulations of AC casinos...which means this casino is not required to pay a cent in winnings/payouts from the slots...which ultimately means this casino CAN operate on 100% pure profit. In fact, they do not guarantee a certain percentage in payouts over time like the AC casinos do. I have done well on 2 visits out of maybe 10 which pales by far to my winnings in AC however my own experience shows their payouts on "bonus" machines are quite low. The slots are not tight, but they are tighter than AC casinos by and large. If you are traveling any significant distance to get to this place in Bensalem, PA you would need to ask yourself if the trip is worth it to win MAYBE $100 on average (more or sometimes most definitely less). Visiting any casino is a gamble and THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEES OF WINNINGS EVER however I prefer to gamble where there is some sort of regulation and my odds are significantly better over time. And on that note, this is one casino I will not be returning to. EVER.

A

A Private User

Warning: Parx Casino CHEATS at its own games and regularly commits FRAUD and other deceptive practices involving its table games lines of business. For example, I recall one occasion whereI had lost a few thousand and then after winning the money back, I was approached by EDWARD ELLISON a floor supervisor in the high limit room while playing blackjack. EDWARD ELLISON came across as an uneducated hack who seemed to lack even a baseline understanding of how to successfully manage a modern casino. Mr. ELLISON candidly explained that PARX no longer wanted me to play there since I was winning. Unfortunately this isn’t the first instance of fraud, player deception or otherwise manipulating the games in a way that unfairly disadvantages players at Parx Casino. Over a number of visits I’ve seen dealers who, in collusion with pit supervisors, do not pay a winning hand, instead collecting the player’s bet. I noticed one dealer routinely deal from cards off of the discard pile at a blackjack table. Intentional misdeals are common and so are instances where a manager distracts a player so that another employee can steal from the player. Here are some actions you can take if you were a victim of unlawful, fraudulent or deceptive practices at Parx Casino: Any time anything at a game goes wrong or is not done according to the rules of the game, file a complaint with the PA GAMING CONTROL BOARD. Be sure to note the names of the management involved, the time of the incident, and the table number. Tell your story and point out how PARX has engaged in a pattern of fraudulent activity at the public input hearing for the Parx Casino license renewal held every 3 years. You can register for this hearing on the PA Gaming Control Board website. Reach out to state legislators and push for more regulation and closer oversight of the PA gaming industry. File complaints with the Bureau of Consumer Protection and with the Office of the Attorney General. Contact media businesses that advertise Parx Casino and ask why they deal with this corrupt organization. Parx Casinos majority owner is Watche "Bob" Manoukian, a Lebanese national, who operates Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment which is a partner in the planned Live! Casino in Philadelphia. Act now before this corrupt organization expands any further! Check back for upcoming reviews where I will discuss more specific incidents at Parx and provide more information gained from interviews with Parx employees.

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