Las Vegas Casinos

Players Clubs --If you play slots or video poker, or, indeed, just gamble quite a bit, or even just gamble, it definitely pays to join a players club. These so-called clubs are designed to attract and keep customers in a given casino by providing incentives: meals, shows, discounts on rooms, gifts, tournament invitations, discounts at hotel shops, VIP treatment, and (more and more) cash rebates. Join a players club, and soon you too will be getting those great hotel-rate offers -- $20-a-night rooms, affordable rooms at the luxury resorts, even free rooms. (This is one way to beat the high hotel rates.) Of course, your rewards are often greater if you play just in one casino, but your mobility is limited.

When you join a players club (inquire at the casino desk), you're given something that looks like a credit card, which you must insert into an ATM-like device whenever you play. Yes, many casinos even have them for the tables as well as the machines. (Don't forget to retrieve your card when you leave the machine, as we sometimes do -- though that may work in your favor if someone comes along and plays the machine without removing it.) The device tracks your play and computes bonus points.

Which players club should you join? Actually, you should join one at any casino where you play, because even the act of joining usually entitles you to some benefits. It's convenient to concentrate play where you're staying; if you play a great deal, a casino hotel's players-club benefits may be a factor in your accommodations choice. Consider, though, particularly if you aren't a high roller, the players clubs Downtown. You get more bang for your buck, because you don't have to spend as much to start raking in the goodies.

Another advantage is to join a players club that covers many hotels under the same corporate umbrella. Park Place runs Caesars, The Flamingo Las Vegas, Paris, Bally's, and more, and their players club offers discounts and point awards at all of their properties. The same goes for the aforementioned Harrah's hotels, those in the MGM MIRAGE stable (The Mirage, Bellagio, MGM Grand, and so on), the locals' favorite Station Casinos (Palace, Sunset, Texas, and more), and the Carl Icahn properties, which include Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower and Arizona Charlie's.

We're particularly fond of the latter. In 2000 and 2001, Stratosphere offered a guaranteed payback for new members, and offers of free rooms, slot tournaments, meals, and more are common.

One way to judge a players club is by the quality of service when you enroll. Personnel should politely answer all your questions (for instance, is nickel play included, and is there a time limit for earning required points?) and be able to tell you exactly how many points you need for various bonuses.

Maximizing your players club profits and choosing the club that's best for you is a complex business. If you want to get into it in depth, order a copy of Jeffrey Compton's The Las Vegas Advisor Guide to Slot Clubs ($9.95 plus shipping), which examines just about every facet of the situation. Compton gives high ratings to the clubs at Caesars Palace, The Mirage, Treasure Island, The Flamingo Las Vegas, Rio, Sahara, Sam's Town, Four Queens, Golden Nugget, and Lady Luck.

Source: Frommer's 2004