Doug Stanhope spends most of his time trying to make other people laugh with his dark, sometimes caustic, humor. His major influences were National Lampoon and Monty Python, so that gives some indication of his style. Over his career that spans almost 20 years, he has been the subject of controversy for his “unique” shows, but is always looking for a chuckle. However, a recent review of his stay at Caesars Entertainment’s Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino allegedly didn’t result in Stanhope receiving laughs — it resulted in his receiving a ban from Caesars properties.
Stanhope wrote about the incident on his Twitter feed, stating that he received a certified letter from Caesars that was from “Caesars management.” The letter, which has yet to be confirmed as legitimate, reads, in part, “This letter is to inform you that the management of the entity commonly known as ‘Caesars Entertainment’ (together with Caesars Entertainment Corporation, and all of their affiliates and subsidiaries, collectedly referred to hereinafter as ‘Caesars’) has determined that you recently engaged in conduct that Caesars views as inappropriate. As a result, your presence is no longer desired upon the premises of any Caesars property, and you are no longer welcome at any Caesars property.”
As an added kick to his ball bearings, Stanhope also lost his Total Rewards membership and all points he may have accumulated.
The supposed ban comes after a recent review the comedian left for the Rio on Yelp. He said in February, “The Rio is like being in 1986. By that I mean it’s like you were still driving your 1986 Ford Tempo 33 years later, held together with gaffer’s tape and surgical mesh, riding on the rusted rims. Vegas isn’t what it used to be, anyone who’s come here over the last two or three decades can attest. The Rio isn’t even what it was when they last updated their Expedia page.”
He gave the venue just one star, explaining that it would have been two but that no one reads two-star reviews. Banning someone for leaving a poor review seems counterintuitive — if Caesars banned everyone who left bad reviews about the Rio, it would lose half its clientele. According to the Rio’s Yelp page, it only has 2.5 stars.
Casinos have been known to take some strong action against certain patrons in the past, but this seems to go overboard. It’s possible that the letter scheme was concocted by the comedian to drum up interest and get people talking about him. That certainly worked — he’s now being discussed by all news feeds, on Reddit and Twitter and on virtually any outlet available.
