Players club memberships should be second hand to any casino visitor but they aren’t, especially with sports bettors. Most of us sports bettors don’t start gambling in a casino like traditional gamblers. Furthering the lack of players club knowledge are the fact that younger customers may not even gamble when visiting a casino (GASP!) so they may have never heard of casino players clubs.
Like most of you, I didn’t start my gambling life in a casino. It wasn’t until I saw the riches (free rooms, comp'd dinners, etc.) bestowed on a friend who played video poker that I started to become curious about how these work. Players clubs were great and even though they don't throw comps around like they used to they're still beneficial.
Since I first learned about players clubs they've changed a lot. These aren’t just slot clubs catering to machine players and gamblers. The average players club today more closely resembles your supermarket loyalty club membership than the old slot clubs you may have heard about from the past. Today's players club may reward you for any spending anywhere in the casino from those machines to a pack of mints in the gift shop to a steak dinner or even a round of golf.
Casino players clubs are actually better than loyalty clubs as some will offer discounts on hotel rooms and meals just for signing up. For example, Gold (entry) level members of Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment’s players club) might get room offers before ever staying at one of their 9 hotels in Las Vegas. Some Caesars-owned restaurants will offer discounts for dining when you show a Total Rewards card.
Regardless of how you spend money in a Las Vegas casino, you should be signing up for any players clubs at casinos you expect to visit in Las Vegas.
When you wager on sports at a Station Casinos property and you show the ticket writer a Boarding Pass players club card you’ll receive points that will help you earn a higher status and points that you can use towards meals and drinks.
Not all players clubs are the same so you won’t receive points from betting on sports at all casinos. Make sure you check the rules at your favorite casino’s players club to ensure you're can earn points that are most beneficial with you.
Some sports books, like CG Technology and William Hill, aren’t operated by the casino so casino players clubs aren't accepted. The lack of points can be annoying but if you’re at the Cosmopolitan, for example, you will still receive points for playing slots and video poker and on any meals by using your Identity card. The spending and points can add up quicker than you might think.
When I see that a line is the same at a Station Casino casino and a non-comp sports book I'll usually place my bet with Station. Why not earn a few extra players club points to use for lunch when the price is the same? No players club or casino is perfect so it takes some time to find a mix that works for you.
Every casino has a players club but here are the bigger players clubs that work with multiple Las Vegas casino-hotels.
- Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment): Bally’s, Caesars Palace, The Cromwell, Flamingo, Harrah’s, The Linq, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Rio
- M Life (MGM Resorts): Aria, Bellagio, Delano, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Vdara
- Boarding Pass (Station Casinos): Boulder Station, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Red Rock Resort, Santa Fe Station, Sunset Station, Texas Station
- B-Connected (Boyd Gaming): California, Fremont, Gold Coast, Main Street Station, Orleans, Sam’s Town, Suncoast
- Grazie (Las Vegas Sands): The Palazzo, The Venetian
- Red Card (Wynn Resorts): Encore, Wynn
- Marquee Rewards (Penn National): M Resort, Tropicana
You can sign up for some of these players clubs online so there's minimal time wasted inside the casino. Players cards offer value whether you're getting small discounts on an annual trip or earning bigger comps for future visits. Unless you want to remain entirely off the grid when you're in Las Vegas, there's no reason not to sign up for a players club membership.
Sports bettors shouldn't forget to sign up for casino players clubs
Marc Metlzer explains why sports bettors should take advantage of casino players clubs.
