MGM Resorts, which has seen two Las Vegas competitors align with hotel giants and their accompanying rewards programs, is creating a loyalty program of its own.
Called M Life, the program will launch Tuesday as an overhaul and upgrade of its casino rewards club. Later this year — probably summer, a spokeswoman said — the company will expand M Life into a full loyalty program recognizing guest spending on hotel stays, shopping, dining and gambling.
Most Las Vegas casino-hotels have long had players clubs, but neither MGM Resorts nor Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Entertainment) have had traditional hotel rewards programs.
Last year, the new Cosmopolitan resort in Las Vegas joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection, and the Venetian and Palazzo joined the InterContinental Hotels Group system, giving customers of major Las Vegas resorts the ability to earn rewards with two of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programs.
MGM Resorts' program goes beyond traditional hotel loyalty program, by bringing all of its gaming and hospitality offerings under one umbrella.
"M life represents a major shift for MGM Resorts in the way we are engaging our guests," MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren said in a statement. "We’ve listened to our customers and designed M life to deliver on their preferences, leveraging a caliber of assets no other resort group can offer. In terms of business impact, M life will enable us to retain a larger share of existing customer spend, activate new customers, increase customer frequency and provide better return on investment for promotional expenditure."
The program will have four tiers (Sapphire, Pearl, Gold and Platinum ) with players being able to gamble their way up the ladder. Benefits will include special hotel offers, pre-sale access to entertainment tickets, priority reservations, upgrades and VIP services.
The Express Comps feature will enable guests to use their card anytime to instantly redeem rewards. For instance, if a guest is playing at a slot machine and gets hungry or wants to buy a show ticket, they can instantly redeem rewards at participating venues, said MGM Resorts. Express Comps appear as dollars, making redemption transparent and simple.
The program also uses proprietary analytical technology to track consumer preferences and create individualized rewards.
For instance, if someone attends a Madonna concert, they may receive an offer for a Lady Gaga show. A George Strait concertgoer may receive an invitation to the Country Music Awards at MGM Grand. A fine-dining connoisseur may receive an offer to a private wine dinner. A slot player may receive a free-play offer, while a table-games player may be offered promotional chips.
MGM said the M Life program will cover its 15 resorts in the U.S., which include Las Vegas hotels Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo and New York-New York.