Revel Casino (AC) offers slot loss rebate up to 100k in July, revokes offer to many players after big action.

The struggling Revel casino in Atlantic City, just out of a bankruptcy, has just pulled one of the most boneheaded and probably illegal scams I've ever seen. Revel offered (and is still offering) a promotion to rebate 100% of slot losses in July up to 100k via free play for 20 weeks (at 5% per week) starting in August.

Per Revel's website 7/9 "See Revel Card Desk for details. Must be 21 or older. Revel Card required. Minimum cumulative loss of $100 by July 31, 2013. Loss refunds are capped at $100,000. Only slot, video poker and electronic table game play is eligible. Losses are refunded over 20 weeks beginning August 5, 2013 in the form of Free Slot Play."

Presumably, they offered this promotion to try to gain some market share among slot players in AC, but obviously did not understand the ramifications of this promotion. What this essentially amounts to is a huge freeroll to someone in the AC area with a big bankroll who can take advantage of it by trying to go for a big score and getting any losses back (~95% after playthrough). If you lost 100k at Revel in July, you were supposed to be given 5k weekly freeplay for 20 weeks.

To prepare for the promotion, Revel had already removed a bank of $25/credit JOB poker machines just days before the promotion started - but what they did next was much worse.

It has been reported that upwards of 40 players (possibly more) have had the promotion revoked to them after playing in July - many of whom had already accumulated losses of 10k or more. Some players were told they were banned for being on a list of advantage players, while several others were banned with no reason given other than booking heavy action on their slots. In fact, many of the players had their entire players card banned for the month of July and are unable to access comp dollars and promos. One player reported that he was being forced to pay out of pocket for what should have been comped rooms and meals on the credit card he was required to use to check in and was stuck with a $400+ nightly bill. The kicker is that these players are no longer able to use their Revel card, but are not banned from the casino for doing anything wrong and are still free to play there without a card.

There is a 75+ page on the wizard of vegas detailing much of this with some first hand accounts from the players: http://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-t...od-to-be-true/

Really sickening to see the greed by Revel and treating their (soon to be ex) customers in such poor fashion. I highly doubt it is legal to offer this promotion, then pull it after the players had already booked substantial action with the assumption of a loss rebate. Revel's legal team better get ready for a storm of lawsuits and bad publicity after this mess of a promotion.

http://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/sho...ial-bankruptcy
I posted about this in the Revel fail thread in Flying Stupidity, but agree the way the Revel is handling this particular promotiondeserves it's own thread.

This is absolutely terrible, and I will discuss it on the next radio.

Colonel Fabersham may even place a call there during the show.

The stupid seems to just never end with this place. What did they expect when they are a casino, and offer this kind of promotion, advantage players to not go out of their way to show up. Seems bone headed they didn't cover that with a small asterisk or something given this type of promotion.

I also wonder if part of all their fail is because they just aren't part of a bigger Casino conglomerate with much more industry experience. Everything they have done up to this point has just been plain stupid.

The Revel Poker Room is heavily rumored if not confirmed to be closing within two weeks. I know nothing about this place but from what I've heard it's a dump and won't be missed.

It is closing, and in a way never even really got going. The room itself is practically hidden, along a myriad of different ways you can take to get there, none of them really easy to find. So obviously the casual/gambler type would never find their way to this room. It's so remote, only a poker player would go out of their way to find it, which is obviously terrible. They also just didn't focus on it at all it was sort of just there. I went a few times and was mad because I spent the money and time to go there, then trek all the way up to the remote location, only to find a literally empty room, like 11am mid-summer and dead 0 games running. This was mostly last summer, not long after it had opened. The writing was on the wall then.

The general consensus from most people was, place sucks. The location, the offerings, the lack of players etc. It is probably a good thing for the Atlantic City market in a way that they just fold it up. Their is already enough poker rooms and not enough players. It seems they are re-prioritizing their focus, which in time probably will benefit them. And sort of does make sense considering the debauchery of the room itself.

I wouldn't be surprised if in some years they re-introduce a poker room, once they have a better handle on everything else they have been doing wrong. I would guess 3-5 years.

Yes, the Revel poker room is closing (and trying to unload their bad beat jackpot money via high hands and other random daily promotions).

The Revel facility as absolutely amazing -- gorgeous, clean, spacious, good restaurant space, shopping, and amazing ocean and bay views. The whole concept of the Revel, especially considering the way they ran the place, though, was pretty much doomed from the beginning. The poker room, also very nice, was so far off the beaten path to be virtually inaccessible to the casual casino patron. They never got any games going for any decent stretch.

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Originally Posted by garrett

I went a few times and was mad because I spent the money and time to go there, then trek all the way up to the remote location, only to find a literally empty room, like 11am mid-summer and dead 0 games running.

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Even worse, they had their bravo app showing one or two 1-2NL games running, and so when you'd show up and see zero games going, it was definitely a let down.

I did use the hell out of their free rooms, free slot play and free food comps last summer though. (offering such was another poor business decision, on their part).

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Yes, the Revel poker room is closing (and trying to unload their bad beat jackpot money via high hands and other random daily promotions).

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I don't think Revel poker room has EVER been this full before.

I guess poker players can find their way to the room when they are giving away $500 every hour for high hand and have lowered their Bad Beat Jackpot qualifier to getting Aces full beat (and probably no longer taking a BBJ drop either!).

I didn't read the whole thread, but if your new to Caesers properties I believe they have a rebate of this nature too. They don't scam you either.

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Originally Posted by Sandwich

I guess poker players can find their way to the room when they are giving away $500 every hour for high hand and have lowered their Bad Beat Jackpot qualifier to getting Aces full beat (and probably no longer taking a BBJ drop either!).

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I cant even believe that's the same place. All that activity.

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Originally Posted by garrett

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Originally Posted by Sandwich

I guess poker players can find their way to the room when they are giving away $500 every hour for high hand and have lowered their Bad Beat Jackpot qualifier to getting Aces full beat (and probably no longer taking a BBJ drop either!).

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I cant even believe that's the same place. All that activity.

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I put in a few hours of badbeat jackpot and high hand chasing there this past weekend, and I gotta give them credit. For the most part, the dealers were good, and the room was run very well, especially considering their impending closure and far above average attendance.

I think all the hourly high hand money has been depleted, but as far as I have heard, the badbeat jackpot ($234k at 50-25-25) has not been hit yet... They may resort to a "drawing" of some sort, or do what the Atlantic Club (A.C. Hilton) did when its poker room closed -- have one or two poker tables on the gaming floor until the bad beat gets hit. (might make for some crazy waiting lists and long drug-fueled sessions trying to hit the badbeat, imo)

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Originally Posted by Sandwich

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Originally Posted by garrett

I cant even believe that's the same place. All that activity.

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I put in a few hours of badbeat jackpot and high hand chasing there this past weekend, and I gotta give them credit. For the most part, the dealers were good, and the room was run very well, especially considering their impending closure and far above average attendance.

I think all the hourly high hand money has been depleted, but as far as I have heard, the badbeat jackpot ($234k at 50-25-25) has not been hit yet... They may resort to a "drawing" of some sort, or do what the Atlantic Club (A.C. Hilton) did when its poker room closed -- have one or two poker tables on the gaming floor until the bad beat gets hit. (might make for some crazy waiting lists and long drug-fueled sessions trying to hit the badbeat, imo)

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Yeah, that's crazy. People will flock in droves when they think there's something extra to be won.

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Originally Posted by Sandwich

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Originally Posted by garrett

I cant even believe that's the same place. All that activity.

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I put in a few hours of badbeat jackpot and high hand chasing there this past weekend, and I gotta give them credit. For the most part, the dealers were good, and the room was run very well, especially considering their impending closure and far above average attendance.

I think all the hourly high hand money has been depleted, but as far as I have heard, the badbeat jackpot ($234k at 50-25-25) has not been hit yet... They may resort to a "drawing" of some sort, or do what the Atlantic Club (A.C. Hilton) did when its poker room closed -- have one or two poker tables on the gaming floor until the bad beat gets hit. (might make for some crazy waiting lists and long drug-fueled sessions trying to hit the badbeat, imo)

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Aces full of Jacks with a room that full, makes you think it won't be long. Doubt they would need to extend it beyond what they are doing with that many hands flying. And to what Druff said, A.C has plenty of BBJ grinders. I would assume like Vegas, when the beats get real high, they flock in droves. Usually to play the ol' 1/1 limit game obv. Caesers especially, because in A.C the BBJ is actually a property wide beat. So all you have to do is sit and be dealt in a hand at any 1 of the 4 properties. Last summer it was up to I think 800k, all the rooms were full.


Thanks for the updates sandwich, gl getting a piece. I dig the pics and A.C info, makes me miss home.

Here is the statement on Revel's website regarding how they are handling the high hand ($112k) and badbeat ($234k) moneys...
http://www.revelresorts.com/gaming/g...vel/poker-room

"After careful consideration, management has made the decision to close our poker room operations effective August, 2013. The monies in the Poker Promotion Fund are being disbursed to poker players in the form of a High Hand Bonus each hour, until all monies have been awarded. Each bonus will be worth $500.

We have lowered our qualifying hand for the Bad Beat to Aces Full of Jacks. In the event that there are any funds remaining in either the Promotion Fund or the Bad Beat Jackpot going into the final day of business, the remaining monies will be paid out in the form of a drawing with each player on a cash game or on an active waiting list receiving an entry. Names will be called until all monies have been disbursed. Revel will also reserve the option to, in place of a drawing, move 2 or more poker tables to the main floor and offer poker there until the bad beat is hit. All payouts and associated forms will be in accordance with our standard operations for paying out bad Beat Jackpots and the High Hand Bonus.

As of August 1, the Bad Beat Jackpot is over $234,000."

As I mentioned, the high hand money is gone, but the bad beat jackpot has not yet been hit.... If they go through with a drawing, how is it not going to be crazy insane in there on closing day???

Today's update from Frankie the Revel's poker room manager (for the next few more days at least):
"Please be advised that we will be lowering the qualifier on the BBJ to Aces full of 2’S as of 6pm Friday August 9th, both hole cards will be required to play. If the BBJ is not won by Noon Sunday August 11th the qualifier will remain Aces full of 2’s but each player only needs to play 1 hole card to complete the hand (no Kickers). If the BBJ is still available the qualifying hand will be lowered as follows: beginning Monday August 12th at Noon Kings full of 2’s, beginning Tuesday Noon Queens full of 2’s, beginning Wednesday at Noon Jacks full of 2’s. Again only one card by each player will need to play to complete the hand for all those stated times(no Kickers). Please note that only hands that started the dealing process at or after the announced start time for each change will be eligible. Hands that are in progress at time of qualifier change will not be eligible. Please be aware that due to staffing constraints, seating may be limited similar to last week. in addition, after final audit, there is still $700, remaining in the promo Fund. There will 2 High Hands, each worth $350.00 on Friday at randomly picked times. Once the time is chosen, the player having the high hand for that hour session will be awarded the bonus. Thanks! "

Probably better than a drawing... but guaranteed to be a madhouse nonetheless.

0.0 chance that BBJ will last beyond Monday with the one hole card rule.

Yeah, no way that don't get hit and has a great chance to do so if the room is back with aces full of twos rule.

I'm sure Revel will be packed non-stop until it gets hit as I know if I was in that area I'd marathon session that since you know a lot of horrible players are on the tables.

If that does go to one card rule then you can only imagine the chasing that will be going on that you can charge people their stacks to chase down praying they make their BBJ hand then hoping the other person does which becomes a win-win situation for a player.

BBJ went Saturday but card room staying up until 15th.

http://www.pokerroominsider.com/reve...t-jackpot-hit/

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ny-cou...145701976.html

Looks like it's going to court.

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Originally Posted by shortbuspoker

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ny-cou...145701976.html

Looks like it's going to court.

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That article looks like something different. The article makes it look more like they didn't read the small print (losses rebated 5% per week over 20 weeks). The OP was claiming the revel revoked the promotion.

Not sure they will get very far TBH.

They revoked the promotion to certain "advantage" players (by revoking/disabling their Revel card, which was required to participate in the promotion). For the rest of the gambling public, they kept on promoting this "Can't Lose" nonsense throughout most of the summer.

From the Revel 2nd bankruptcy thread;

"The casino is owned by investors who gained control of it during bankruptcy last year, swapping debt for equity in the property. The transaction wiped out 82 percent of Revel's $1.5 billion in debt.

But even with that breathing room, Revel continued to struggle. It acknowledged mistakes in marketing and operations, launching a massive campaign to try to win back patrons. But that backfired when a "You Can't Lose" promotion offering to refund slot losses angered many customers who thought their losses would be refunded in cash. Instead, they were gradually credited to a Revel account, with restrictions on when the credits could be used."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/a...buyer-24218171