Imperial Casino is a solid spot for a night out in NZ
Been to Imperial once, maybe I'm being dumb but the floor vibe was way more my speed than I expected for a smaller venue 😅 Saturday was buzzing like you say. How quick is the cage on a packed weekend? Only went on a quiet arvo so keen to hear if it holds up.
Learning to clear wagering, go easy 🙏
Cage speed on a packed Saturday? Mine was sorted fast, honestly. Walked up with the ticket, got paid at the counter, no queue drama, back on the floor inside a few minutes. That was my one visit though, so take it for what it is.
Only caveat I'd add is the usual. Whatever you cash out, count it before you leave the cage window, and keep your tickets flat rather than folded in a pocket. Small venue like that the floor gets tight on weekends, and the pokies area especially, so you're weaving a bit between spins. Vibe-wise I agree, way less sterile than I expected.
Hype isn't a payout.
Gotta say the cage experience matches mine too. Turned a small night into a decent cashout there once, walked up expecting the usual weekend scrum and it was sorted in minutes. Reminder of the old-school grind days when you'd queue half an hour just to pocket your winnings 😄
What I'd add for you newbies, xSpinValue, is that busy Saturday floor actually helps the cage run smooth. They staff up for it because half the floor is cashing out at once. Only gremlin I've hit is when the Friday footy crowd piles in late, but even then it moved. The venue itself holds up well, the pokies floor gets loud in a good way. Do a lap before you sit down though, cheaper machines near the bar tend to pay better on a weekend than anyone admits 😉
Ok this might be a dumb one 😅 when yous say "walked up with the ticket", is that the printed slip from the pokies or a chip cage thing? Only been to Imperial once myself and just handed cash over the counter like a total noob, felt a bit awkward haha. Cheers Paul and NapierMad, that cage speed sounds promising 🙏
Learning to clear wagering, go easy 🙏
Nah mate, the slip is just a printed piece of paper when you hit the cash-out machine or if you redeem chips you won on the pokies. It’s basically proof of what you banked so they know how much to sort for you at the cage counter. I once walked up to the cage after turning a few small wins on the floor, gave them that slip and got my NZ$ out quick, ah well, we grind on.
Busted more than you've deposited 😉
Everyone singing the cage's praises in here and not one of you had a queue longer than two people? Either yous are the luckiest punters in the country or Imperial hires extra staff for Saturdays 😄
Don't get me wrong, my couple of visits there the counter was quick too, ticket in, cash out, no fuss. But I've been around long enough to know a venue can run like a dream one weekend and fall over the next. Remember turning 50 into 5k on the old high-volatility stuff years back and the cage being smooth, then going back a month later and standing around waiting while some punter argued over a slip. Same floor, different night. Ah well, we grind on.
It's all hit and busted before, folks.
Only been once but same experience, cashed out my NZ$ win at the cage in no time 😄 maybe Saturdays they just staff up properly? Keen to test it again!
New here, soaking it up.
Haven't waited long at the cage either time I've been, even with the floor heaving 😅 Guess I got lucky like WageringReq says. Saturday crowd there is something else though, half of Queenstown seems packed in around the pokies. Is the bar queue just as quick or is that where the real wait happens? 🍻
New here, soaking it up.