Whether visitors to Las Vegas are in town for a quick one-off weekend on the cheap or repeatedly travel for more lavish vacations, membership in a casino's players club can be beneficial.
The clubs are primarily for those who gamble, but just by taking a few minutes to sign up, the benefits are immediate and accrue with play in the casino.
"You have to equate a players card with a frequent flyer," said Anthony Curtis, a longtime Las Vegas gaming expert and president of LasVegasAdvisor.com. "Anybody who's done anything like that -- frequent flyer, frequent visitor at a hotel -- it's just value added. If you don't do it, there are going to be things you could have gotten that you're not going to get offered."
Even if a visitor doesn't intend to be a regular on the casino floor or even be in Las Vegas frequently, it can make sense to become a member of a players club. The process is simple and free: Visitors present an ID with a mailing address at the club desk in the casino and receive a card that unlocks benefits. Casinos usually provide an extra incentive, such as a free drink or a free spin at a machine, for a guest's birthday or email address.
From there guests can simply show the card for entry-level discounts at restaurants and buffets without ever having to play a penny. Two of the best buffets in town, Palms and Palace Station, for instance, are several dollars cheaper for Station Casinos' MyBoardingPass members, according to Curtis.
When a visitor inserts the card into a slot machine or shows the card to the pit boss at a table game, benefits begin to accumulate quickly. They can include restaurant, store, spa, transportation and entertainment (movies and bowling) discounts; invitations to special gaming and sporting events; priority access, service and seating around the resort; and complimentary parking.
Among the largest clubs that offer constantly changing benefits: MGM Resorts International's M Life Rewards program; Caesars Rewards; the Venetian and Palazzo's Grazie Premier Loyalty Program; the Wynn Red Card; and Boyd Gaming's B Connected Club Card.
Players’ clubs have tiers of benefits. The more guests play, the more points they achieve and more generous discounts become available. "You shouldn't gamble simply to achieve a higher level," Curtis said. "But if you achieve those higher levels naturally, then the more you play, the more you'll get."
Contrary to some beliefs, Curtis said, inserting a card into a machine does not change the machine's payout schedule. Casinos will typically track time played, average bet and game type.
Those who sign up for the club cards will receive offers in their mailboxes or notices via email that encourage them to make a return visit to Las Vegas.
"A casino needs to fill rooms," Curtis said. "When times get tough, let's say during a recession or even a cyclical [slow] time during the year, when they're going to start promoting to a database, they're going to promote to people whose names they have."