What is the best rewards program as a table games player?

 

It can be extremely difficult for players to choose the best rewards program for themselves. There are too many reward clubs out there and they all cater to different players and different goals. With that said, let’s talk through a couple of the bigger options and why they may or may not be the best place to spend your hard earned dollars. This is not an all-inclusive, complete look at any of these clubs. I have zero desire to give you a thousand words on MGM Rewards, but if that is something you are looking for I recommend you give Michael Trager a follow @TravelZork on twitter (awesome dude and he has all the details). As a general disclaimer, all opinions are mine alone. I am almost exclusively a table game player, so I avoid clubs like Cosmo’s Identity program that do not reward table players.

Benefits of a Player’s Club

The goal of any player’s club is to gather as much information about a player as the Casino can, and in exchange, offer certain benefits to entice that player into continued (hopefully increasing) play. Almost all players clubs will offer benefits along the lines of:

  • Hotel Stays
  • Dining Credit
  • Spa/Golf Credit
  • Free play & comp dollars
  • Tier status benefits, i.e. faster lines, free valet parking, etc.
  • Free Giveaways/Cruises

The value of the player’s club can range in value depending on the specific player and what they seek. It’s easiest to look at the clubs individually and what they are known best for. Worth noting, each person is unique in what they want from a player’s club and their value to the casino. If you want individual feedback, just message one of us on Twitter or the forums and we would be glad to help guide you.

It should also be known that table games players are at the unique disadvantage of not knowing how many tier points are earned for their play. Every casino uses a different calculation; however, it is always based on time played, bet per round and how many rounds per hour. Some properties will also have a component that factors in actual loss, but that is very rare. Pro tip: ALWAYS TIP YOUR DEALERS, but try to also do so when the floor notices. You will almost always be rated higher than your actual play deserves if you are recognized of a heavy tipping customer that the dealers enjoy playing with. Make them smile and talk to the floor and watch your TC’s earned go up.

Caesars Entertainment (CET) – Caesars Rewards

If you are a moderately low roller and your goal is to get a free hotel room, then you should look no further than CET properties. Caesars is willing to throw free or extremely discounted rooms at almost any player that gives them moderate action at a property. Do you play $15-25 blackjack and get a few hours of play in a day? Caesars has a free room available for you. I think CET’s best feature is their online booking calendar that lets you see your price (or comp) at all CET properties in an area on a single screen.

No promo code required (unless you want to book a special offer) – it is all based on your value to them. Of course CET ranks their properties from a value perspective, with Caesars Palace , Nobu (which isn’t really a separate property) and Cromwell being the heaviest swing and The Linq, Rio and Flamingo bringing up the bottom. With locations across the country, it is easy to score a free room in a city you have not visited and are desiring something new.

CET properties are a very good program for many lower level players for a few reasons:

  • Free/Discounted rooms a plenty
  • No resort fees after reaching Diamond
  • Properties in 16 states, Canada and Dubai
  • Frequent promotions, monthly mailers and incentives for visiting the Vegas market and your local market.
  • Tier statutes are relatively easy to upgrade through single day tier bonus awards and “Tier Credit Multiplier Weekends”

Players who advance up to the $50-100 action level or higher may want to stay clear from CET. They assign hosts at the Diamond level by default and to higher players before if it is merited, but most are not that useful compared to other competitors. It is common for them to assign a “marketing rep” who will simply book an existing offer you have and not go beyond it. I reached 7 Star status in 2019 with CET and other than the promised tier benefits, at no point did my local host or Vegas host go beyond the normal offering. This is extremely different from almost all other player’s clubs. From my personal experiences, it just isn’t a place for high limit table game players.

MGM Resorts Intl. (MGM) – MGM Rewards

Not so long ago, MLife rewards were a poor option for most table game players. Getting a free room was much more difficult than with CET, their booking system was not friendly and always required you select an offer before determining your best deal. Although dining and free play is offered, it was typically less than competitors and they put a high value on their flagship properties (Bellagio and Aria) and significantly reduced offers if you chose to stay at either of those two. Fast forward to the present, MGM Rewards is announced and with it came many beneficial changes for most players. They changed their program to effectively mirror CET, offering a $100 celebration dinner upon hitting Gold, no resort fees after Gold and even air travel credit upon hitting Platinum. Most players I have spoken to are happy with the changes, bringing MGM more inline with their competitors. A couple bright spots for MGM Rewards are:

  • Higher quality hotel offerings than CET
  • Better app/technology than CET.
  • Better tier point earning rate than CET on table games

There isn’t a ton that separate MGM and CET now a days, but MGM does expect more play for its offers. They have invested a lot more time ad money into their website and phone app, which is a pleasant change. A lower level, inconsistent player will do better at CET. At higher levels, MGM seems to take better care of their players, assigning hosts quicker, and generally offering better service and support than available at CET. The biggest drawback in my eyes for MGM Rewards is the lack of presence outside of Las Vegas. MGM properties outside Nevada include Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, and New Jersey. Mid-rollers would strive in the MGM Rewards system and I think they are a strong option for most players.

Wynn Resorts – Wynn Rewards

Ahhh, the Wynn/Encore combination is a real doozy. It is one of the most beautiful properties/hotel combos on the strip, offers an East-Coast location in Boston that is every bit as beautiful, and no place in Vegas treats you as well as they do from the ground up. Whether it’s the bellhops, the front desk, the room service staff, maids, dealers, floor supervisors, etc… nothing is like the Wynn. There is a culture at the Wynn that starts from the top down that every guest interaction is important. World class dining options, a golf course, Master Classes and so much more set Wynn apart from all the others. With all that said, Wynn Rewards is not a program for all table players. As a craps player, you will find it almost impossible to find a table under $25, with $50 being the most common on nights and weekends. Black chip blackjack seems to be treated like green chip action at other properties. You really have to earn your welcome at Wynn.

As a player seeking comps, I think it’s important to know that there seems to be two things that Wynn values more than anything – the value of their rooms and transportation. With an average weekend rate of $500-800/night, Wynn does not give out rooms easily. Although it feels strange compared to a CET or MGM property, a room comp itself at Wynn is very valuable. A room + food offer shows you are definitely on their radar and they value your play. Once transportation is offered, you have either hit Black status, or you have a host that really wants to take care of you. So many times people have complained about table limits and room prices, but honestly, those are not the players that Wynn wants. They cater to a big-player market and will treat those people royally to get them back. As stated before, a couple big benefits of Wynn comparatively are:

  • The absolute best dealers in Las Vegas (not even close)
  • Unique experiences like Master Classes
  • A beautiful golf course
  • Unmatched customer service and attentiveness
  • Beautiful properties with impeccable rooms and dining options.

I would not recommend anyone chase Wynn status that isn’t a relatively large player (at least $200/hand on blackjack or a consistent $50 min. crap player). Anything less, I don’t think you will get any real return on your money. You would be much better off at one of the other large properties in town. For those that do fit that criteria, go crazy at Wynn. It is one of the few places I never want to leave and every time I visit I learn or see something new that pulls me in even closer.

TL:DR

Caesars – free rooms across the country for most players

MGM – better properties, slightly stingier at low levels, more Vegas-centric

Wynn – biggest players, best service, not for low rollers.