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AccessVegas.Com Las Vegas Tips: Players Club Cards |
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Las Vegas Players Cards
(Slot Club Cards)
You may have a frequent flier number. Perhaps that credit card that gives you cash back. Maybe a card or number at your local grocery store for savings. Las Vegas wised up to "loyalty cards" and took it one step further. If you walk into any casino, you will see promotions for their players card (often known as a slot club card).
This card tracks your play. If you sit down at a slot machine, you insert it in the machine. At a table game, you give it to the dealer who takes it or calls the floorman over to take it. Then the machine (slots) or casino personnel (table games) keeps track of how much you bet and how long you play.
Reasons To Get A Card
Your moves and bets are tracked, and you earn "points" that can be used for free food, merchandise, rooms, show tickets and more. Play a little bit here and there, and you may earn enough points for a free buffet or shirt from the gift shop after a couple of visits. Play often and/or bigger bets and you earn free rooms, show tickets, and fine dining.
Plus, the casino will often send you discount room offers, 2-for-1 or free night offers, and other incentives if you play there on your visits (depending on how much you play).
It is all to get you back in and garner your loyalty. Sure, you can sign up for every card in town and tote a huge stack around. But casinos know you aren't going to gamble in 50 casinos on your visit. Casinos are banking that you will settle down to being loyal to a specific one or two because if you don't play, they probably won't do much for you.
Reasons To Avoid The Cards
Your moves and bets are tracked. Not for one who likes their privacy. Past that, casinos never give away anything from free. That card gets you thinking of every $5, $10, $20, or $100 more you play isn't money but "points" toward a reward.
You wouldn't book a flight to nowhere just to rack up frequent flier miles. But you probably will put more money in the a slot machine while justifying that you are closer to a free buffet or free room, completely ignoring the fact that $10-20 could buy you the buffet or that extra $50-100 could buy you the room. A room that probably was otherwise going to go empty or a buffet that cost the hotel a couple of bucks tops wholesale.
With table games, they have to get a floorman or pit boss over first to get your card, mark it for the records, then get your card back to you. In the meantime, that $100 stack of chips you started with dwindles to $65 before you even get going.
But you don't walk away (like you normally would when losing) because they are going to rate you! Then you will probably keep playing hoping to impress "Vinnie" (the pit boss in the expensive suit) with your bets so he notes this in the computer they track your bets with.
If these cards didn't pay off for the casinos many times over, the casinos would discontinue players clubs. Sure, they'll send you that cheap or free room offer. They know you will probably give them extra play that pays for it and then some.
Remember ... that card makes you think in terms of "nice casino ... they give me stuff ... what the hell ... play just a little more and rack up more points" while you hit the ATM again.
What To Do?
If you think you have the discipline to stick to your gambling budget and are going to gamble a set amount when you come to town, sign up for the card at your favorite casino. If you are going to play, grab what they offer since you know you won't be giving them a dime more than planned. If everyone was like you, the "card club" would be out of business!
However, if you tend to get caught up in "good deals" and want to keep yourself from going overboard, getting a players card might be something you think twice about. Not unlike a credit card, it can put you in an "It's OK" mood to spend what you hadn't planned on, especially if you aren't a higher roller.
They didn't invent casino comp card clubs for the bigger players. Those people already get taken care of. They were invented to get the regular guy or girl to part with more money.
You may be better off checking out and booking decent discount room rates and staying closer to your vacation budget once you hit town. Whatever you do, we hope you have a great time here in our home ... Las Vegas, Nevada!
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