I'm back!

Well it has been some time since my last post, as I have been held completely hostage to the wonders of the Spring Racing Carnival. I even managed a quick break from work to get down to Melbourne, and it was simply fantastic! A little bit more luck on the first Tuesday in November - I backed three horses at decent each way odds that went down by little more than an inch - and it would have been even better. 

Now invariably on a male trip away, sans wives, girlfriends and acquaintances, there are few opportunities for respite. After a long day in the sun at Flemington race course of making donations to the bookies and paying an arm and a leg for entry, food and drink, there really is only one option for the evening. That is to go to Crown Casino to win it all back. 

I have been to Crown once before with my wife in 2007. We stayed in Melbourne for the weekend just to get away from home. There had been a family tragedy and we just needed a break. Punching well above our weight, we booked in to Crown Towers for accommodation and the place was truly outstanding. However, neither of us being the casino type, we refrained from visiting the gaming floor on this occasion.

Fast forward to October 30, 2011. My first thought on walking in to the gaming floor was simply, wow. While others were thinking red or black, odds or evens, I couldn't help but start to wonder. How many people walk through here every day? How much do they spend? What are the margins? Is it always this busy? The floor was simply buzzing and I just smiled and thought, wow, I'd love to own some of this. 

What price would I pay? Hmmm, interesting question. That's for another post, but I can say that with the price hovering at around $8 a share I haven't bought any yet.