What’s the Cost of Keeping Poker Media Caffeinated, Quenching Thirsts?

(Image: courtesy of not telling)

Every once in a while, in the course of doing our normal job, we discover something that isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s curious and telling about how casinos operate. 

In this case, it was a catering invoice … for the media room at the World Poker Tour World Championships, which ran at Wynn Las Vegas (Encore to poker players) Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. 

Don’t ask us how we saw this, because at Casinos.com we protect our sources, but we got a glimpse of an expense that goes into putting on a major poker tournament at a luxury resort. 

Price of Poker Tournament Content

Believe it or not, just because your event brings in a lot of high stakes gamblers at a notoriously slow time for Las Vegas casinos, you can still expect to pay minibar prices with no bulk discount for food and beverage.

According to one day’s bill for an Encore ballroom in mid-December, when the WPT main event was going on and Las Vegas tourism is at its slowest, there’s no charge for a converted banquet room, but coffee, teabags and hot water cost $464/day. 

“And they never refilled,” said my source one member of the poker media. “When we were done with that three gallons of coffee we were done.” 

I dunno, seems reasonable to me.

Perhaps most shocking and/or kind was the cost of soft drinks. Really, $8 each? And we thought $7.59 for a 12-pack at Target was kinda pricey. But regardless, add $600 for sodas. Then round down, because surely not every can gets drunk. 

Overall, it looks like the WPT was paying about $1,000/day (during the main event) to keep the media awake and hydrated. 

Drop in the Proverbial Bucket? 

Despite beaucoup online accolades and setting an attendance record of 3,850 players in the $10,400 main event (with $9,800 going to the prize pool), the tournament still fell short of its $40 million guarantee (the largest such prize promise in history), creating a $2.4 million overlay. 

Good for the players ($18,700 min cash, $5.7 million for first), and good on the WPT for just paying the guarantee, as reputable poker operators should, instead of adjusting it before cards went in the air.

Good for poker media, too.