Payfiniti, not Infiniti.

Genesis Gaming Solutions is the parent company of Bravo, which purchased Payfiniti. So it's all under one umbrella.

Yeah.. I think that was an autocorrect thing. lol. Thanks for the info.

20 more days to go for WSOP opening event !!

Online Registration is still not open !!!

UK player here
Just in case this helps anyone

The cost of a wire from a regular UK bank account isnÂ’t worth it imo
I did maths earlier and itÂ’s actually cheaper for me to just buy in using my global currency card (debit/credit card option on bravopokerlive) and absorb the 2.95% fee . I get such a closer rate to spot doing this which is better than the wire even after the 2.95% fee.

Last year I used this option as I tried to wire using my HSBC global card but realised at the other end it had failed as my currency card sends everything via ACH so wasnÂ’t an international wire - of course this could be different for other currency cards or accounts .

Of course cash remains the best option and would probably save me about $25 per 1500 buy in after exchange rates but then IÂ’ve got to carry larger uncomfortable amounts and fill in forms at both airports and add in another queue at Las Vegas end for the brief interrogation .

ThereÂ’s always the chance of a profitable trip too in which case I only need to enter each event the day before and not send a huge wire or bring huge cash out with me.

I have entered an event using this method today and it works . Just need to do the verification when I get there .

Does anyone know if the m and ms store still has the tiny fee ATM on the top floor ? I used that once last time but might use it more this time if convenient to save a few $ when I get time and am near the area anyway.

Also is there a section on 2+2 where early series foreign big cash winners post about possible $ exchange in person over there at spot ?

Thanks in advance

Good info in that last post and am also curious on the latter...

As a side-note/rant, God is it ever f**king tilting to deal with all these logistics as a Canadian And lest not forget the 30% withheld on most cashes henceforth...

www.BravoPokerLive.com/venues/wsop is very much open for business. I registered several days ago.

Unless you’re a professional gambler, you ought to be able to get all of those withholdings returned with a little work. But I do understand one would prefer not having to go though the process.

I wouldn’t say I am anywhere near an expert in Canadian tax law, but I do find it interesting how it’s basically the opposite of how things
work in the U.S. with regard to gambling. No tax on winnings, unless you are a professional gambler. And folks who take gambling (or poker for instance) seriously by tracking results closely, developing skills, etc are more likely to be deemed professional gamblers and subject to income tax.

In the U.S., amateur players have to keep close track of their results in order to be able to deduct losses from winnings, and the IRS is pretty skeptical of people claiming to be professional gamblers in order to take advantage of favorable business tax deductions.

Even if you are a professional poker player in Canada, there are still very little precedents of players having lost to the CRA in court. Only one, in fact, last year but he is fighting it in higher courts. If Jonathan Duhamel won his case in appeal (he had lost in lower courts), imagine how little success the CRA will have moving forward with such a (counter) judicial precedent... In fact, about 10-11 years ago, when (the name escapes me...) won against the CRA and forced the latter to pay back his taxes, a myriad of pros asked to get refunded what they had paid... and did Nowadays, you will not find an accountant that will suggest that you should pay taxes on your poker winnings. So yeah, much different than USA land of the fee


edit : I was about to forget, but yeah, getting that 30% back is mostly a time hassle (within 2-3 years, usually) and a bit of fees (better to use a company specialized in doing exactly this), but just another nuisance, you know!!!

Or just go to a branch. A couple things make that better than using an ATM.
1. No ATM fees.
2. Nobody in the casino will see you withdraw the money and try to rob you.

Which one near Strip would you recommend?

Thx

Yup, my plan. Any recommendations as far as being to withdraw bigger amounts/having less fees?

That's only if you have an account at that bank. If you don't they may or may not serve you but you will not pay less in fees than if you use the ATM in front of the bank. The US actually has pretty tough laws in that aspect so chances are you will be turned away as a foreigner.

So the best option would be to simply absorb the $9 feel or whatever on the strip and withdraw 3-5k per clip, or is it worth it to leave the strip and save on the fees??? Not even sure if the latter would be feasible if you can only withdraw 500-1k in the Walgreens and the likes (that charge, what, $3 fees...).

I suppose it depends where you are staying and if you have transportation available. If you stay at the strip and have no plans to go off-strip, have no car, and don't have any better options to get USD cash available in your country, then yes, just eat the fees. If you stay in an off-strip hotel or other place you may or may not have decent options available near you. I mean you can take the bus, I know someone who has done a long time in Vegas. But in the US it's a lil bit dodgy option, if you go for an Uber/lyft just for that yeah, you will spend more than you save.

Alright, thx friend! Am staying at the Rio, so probably just better to eat the fees, assuming that I can withdraw more then 1k at once...

You might check the Gold Coast Hotel (and resort?) across the street. They may have lower fees than Rio.

Found these budget motels for under $700 dollar per 7 days and are walking distance from the WSOP, Howard Johnson by Wyndham Las Vegas or Motel 6 Las Vegas, NV - Tropicana

Is there a different alternative for a private room and bathroom than this at this price? I see that the area is sketchy and have terrible reviews, but I wouldn't mind, I want to play 2 tournaments and then cash all days and looking to stay for as cheap as possible coming from Eastern Europe to play for the first time a WSOP event.

I would recommend to either pay a little more and get a better option on the strip (Rio Hotel is just over $100/night, for example) or simply pay much less and get an AirBnB in a safer residential area and Uber everyday. My 2 cents though, you might get better advice from peeps that have done the WSOP more often than me, but such has been my research thus far ; GL

Is this your first time coming to Vegas? Those are horrible choices for actually enjoying your visit.

While it is walkable, its a long walk & it will be triple-digit heat and no good route to dip indoors for some a/c without adding time and distance.

imo, you'll have a better experience staying someplace nicer but farther away and using uber/taxi. I'd look at: the Strat, Excalibur, Gold Coast, Orleans...or downtown - Fremont, 4 Queens, Plaza. Orleans & GN downtown have their own series also, so those options would have poker available.

You might get a better rate at Harrah's, Flamingo, or LINQ than those off-strip properties. Register for Caesar's Rewards and see what the prices look like.

Off strip, Ellis Island is very close to the Horseshoe, usually pretty cheap, and not horrible room quality.

I agree with Dogface. Check out Flamingo's rates. It's an easy walk to Horseshoe/Paris. Use the code for WSOP (I think it's WSOP2024) or better yet sign up for a Caesars Reward card (it's free) and use your member number to probably get better rates. I have a room at Paris for 7 nights in early June and with the resort fees it came to $1,040 total. I'm guessing a room at the Flamingo has to be at least $200 cheaper.

Good advice above
Have you tried looking at packages on Expedia or similar site . They often give fair discount when booking flight and hotel together - also if it’s similar in your country , look at cash back sites like Quidco to get a few % back .
Factor in the uber or taxi x2 trip cost per day if you stay off strip and the travel time x2, they quickly add up and make it more worthwhile staying mid strip

Also, if you want to save money on transportation, consider taking the Deuce Bus or regular buses. Much cheaper than an Uber or a cab.

Last year, somehow, I ended up paying less than $700 for 7 nights at the Horseshoe. I tried the WSOP code first and got a rate of $900-something, but then used my Total Rewards number and got the low rate. Maybe last year was an outlier. The last year at the Rio cost me over $1,000 for a week there.

Like a lot of people have said, try getting rates at different times and days. Also, it may help to use incognito windows in Chrome in case the hotels track you. I'm not sure on that.