What is the point of this add-on in this tourney?

[growlers]

Sorry if this is low content, but I was just reading the "strip poker" section on card player and this is a quote:

"Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:30 p.m., Mizrachi is available in the Planet Hollywood poker room for a question-and-answer session. The tournament begins immediately afterwards at 7 p.m. It is a $50 buy-in that gets players $1,500 in chips, but players receive an additional $2,500 chips for an extra $10 add-on"

So it is clearly silly to offer 2500 chips for only 20% of what the buy-in is for 1500 chips - no one would be stupid enough not to take it. Why not just make it $60 for 4000 chips?
What do they structure it this way? Is there some silly obvious thing I am missing?
I understand when tourney's like Binion's is say $90 with a $60 rebuy, so people will think it is a "cheaper" $90 tourney, but I've never understod this add-on stuff.

[Cornell Fiji]

doesn't the $10 add on usually go to the house?

[redfisher]

I don't think the add-on ever goes to the house, but it frequently goes to the staff. Weirdly disproportionate add-ons are frequently for the dealers/staff.

[growlers]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think the add-on ever goes to the house, but it frequently goes to the staff. Weirdly disproportionate add-ons are frequently for the dealers/staff.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it does go to the staff, why not just make it $60 and then in the "fine print" state that $10 goes to staff? Why even differentiate? Seems like this format discourages people from tipping more since they paid a "separate" $10. Not that I want a tipping thread here....

I just don't understand why there is even add-ons at all. Every tourney I've ever played with an add-on it was hugely -EV to not take it based on the structure and chips you get. Actually that applies to single rebuy tourneys too but I can see the marketing angle for that at least.

[fatshark]

You nailed it. At least in CA, the Gaming Agencies require that any add-on that will go to staff as sort of a tip must not be required. So the way it is with getting more chips for the add-on than the actual buy-in essientally make it a requirement as a player, the gaming agency sees it as the player has a choice to give the add-on or not which is public knowledge of a "tip" of sorts.

[bav]

This is very common for Vegas tourneys. They create an add-on that is SOOO +EV you have to do it, and the money from that goes to the dealers. Yes, it'd be easier for all concerned to just take it up front, and some places do that in Vegas. If you go to Wynn, you pay $330 for the tourney and a percentage goes to the dealers. You go to Sahara and you pay $42 and $2 goes to the dealers. Others you sit down and cough up an extra $5 or $10 at the table which goes to the dealers. Whatever.