Marketing a Casino???

In the past few years I have gone to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos multiple times.  I am not a big gambler but I do like to watch people and they have some of the best food a drinks I have ever had.  But I noticed that both casinos have tv, internet, and radio advertisements on many different channels.  What they don't say on the ads is that it is almost doulble the price to stay there than at a hotel in the surrounding towns.  Also the casino hotels book up to capacity weeks in advance for a Friday and Saturday night.  I was wondering how much money they spend on advertising, when they make enough money where they can give free hotel rooms out to "customers" who lose enough money gambling.  I've also been to Las Vegas, and every casino seems to be even more extravagant than the next.  If you can handle the smoke, these are some of the most beautiful buildings and best entertainment you will ever see.
Do you feel that advertising is necessary for Las Vegas or any casino?

In response to Chris's Sale Items

I always shop around when I buy an expensive new item.  Recently I was looking at GPS's in stores around town, and could not find one under $100.  I went to http://www.nextag.com/, Google shopping, and Amazon.com.  Here I found a newer model of the GPS I found in Keene for only $80 with free shipping to my house.  Of these sites, I found that Google shopping is the easiest to use because the ways to define the search and sort by features, brand, and price seem to work the best.  Amazon.com is usually good for free shipping if you can wait a few extra days to get your item, and you can sign up for a credit card to get $40 free dollars on your order.  Sometimes it is easier to just run to the store, but on major purchases its worth the time to check online.
Have you ever tried a website to compare products?