You can oftentimes get perks for just signing up for loyalty programs. Hotels will give free WiFi to even base members of their program, and having a rental car membership can help you skip the line at the airport counter. While people will usually sign up for these if they travel occasionally, one other place to join loyalty programs is often overlooked. Las Vegas.
This article isn’t for the people who spend hours upon hours at the casino. Those people already know to get a club card to track their gambling. After all, that’s how casinos can tell how much you’re spending and provide you with comps for meals, shows, rooms, or all three, depending on how much money you bet.
I’m also not talking to those who know how to parlay one type of hotel status into top tier status at one casino and then match that status at all the casinos by hopping from one to another and then turn that back into a different top tier hotel status. For those of you who do this, I salute your dedication.
This article is for people like Sharon and me. The ones who don’t really care that much about Las Vegas. We’ll visit every couple of years, spend a few days checking out some shows and see some sites we’ve never visited before, like the Neon Museum and the Pinball Hall of Fame. For people like us who don’t gamble, what’s the value in signing up for the Vegas loyalty programs? Turns out, quite a lot.
Here’s a breakdown of the five most common programs you’ll find in and around Vegas:
MGM Rewards
MGM Rewards is the loyalty program of MGM Resorts.
In Las Vegas alone, that includes the following resorts:
- Bellagio
- ARIA
- Vdara at ARIA
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
- MGM Grand
- The Signature at MGM Grand
- Mandalay Bay
- Delano Las Vegas
- Four Seasons
- Park MGM
- NoMad Las Vegas
- New York-New York
- Luxor
- Excalibur
You can join the MGM Rewards program by filling out the form at this link.
Just by signing up, you become an MGM Rewards Sapphire member.
According to the website, this gives you:
- Earn Points and Express Comps Redeemable at all MGM Rewards Destinations
- Exclusive Access to Mobile Check-In via MGM Resorts Mobile App
- Personalized Offers and Room Discounts
That doesn’t sound too exciting but get this. Just by logging into your account, you’ll have access to reduced prices for hotel rooms and shows.
One other perk with MGM Rewards is that they’re a partner with World of Hyatt. You can match your Hyatt status to MGM Rewards status. That means that even I can become an MGM Rewards Pearl because of my Discoverist World of Hyatt status I have just from holding the co-brand World of Hyatt credit card.
Caesars Rewards
Caesars Rewards is the loyalty program for the Ceasars Entertainment hotels and resorts.
That’s not just Caesars Palace anymore. Caesar’s empire now includes:
- Caesars Palace
- Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino
- Harrah’s Las Vegas
- Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
- Paris Las Vegas
- Horseshoe Las Vegas
- The Cromwell
- Nobu Las Vegas
- The LINQ Hotel & Casino
- Flamingo Las Vegas
If you’re not a member, you can sign up at this link.
New members are issued Caesars Rewards Gold cards (Since when is entry-level Gold?)
Being a gold level gets you the following:
- Free or discounted hotel stay
- Earn Reward and Tier Credits when you stay at Caesars Rewards resorts
- Get exclusive pre-sale access for select shows
- One free night in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin or Reno for every 5,000 Tier Credits earned in 2023, up to seven nights
Not as exciting as the MGM Rewards/Hyatt partnership, Caesars partners with Wyndham Rewards.
Identity
Identity is the loyalty program for Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.
To sign up for the program, click on this link.
Being associated with only one hotel, there would seem to be limited use for bothering to sign up for the Identity program. Entry-level members are given Velvet status.
Without joining, there isn’t much info about what you’ll receive.
Your membership starts at Velvet. Unlock special offers as soon as you join
The nice thing about Identity points is that the Cosmopolitan is affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy and you can transfer your Identity points to Bonvoy points and vice versa. 10 Identity Points convert to 8 Marriott Bonvoy Points, and 10 Marriott Bonvoy Points convert to 4 Identity Points.
My Rewards (Boarding Pass)
The My Rewards program, also called Boarding Pass, is the loyalty program for the Station Casinos. These locations include:
- Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa
- Green Valley Ranch, Resort, Casino & Spa
- Palace Station Hotel & Casino
- Sunset Station Hotel Rooms & Casino
- Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
- Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino
You can sign up for a new Boarding Pass account here.
Starting members are given Preferred status, which provides a 10% discount at the gift shop. I’d imagine they’d send additional offers once you’ve signed up but that’s all they promise.
Boyd Rewards
Boyd Rewards is the loyalty program of the Boyd Gaming casinos and hotels. Their locations are off the strip and downtown.
- Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa
- The Orleans Hotel & Casino
- Gold Coast Hotel & Casino
- Suncoast Hotel & Casino
- Sams’s Town Las Vegas
- Cannery Casino Hotel
- California Hotel Casino
- Fremont Hotel & Casino
- Jokers Wild Casino
- Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel
You can sign up for the Boyd Rewards program here.
I have a place in my heart for The Orleans as it’s where I learned how to play blackjack. They had a $2 table open on a weekday with the nicest dealer available. Both she and my friend taught me that the goal wasn’t to get to 21 but to make the dealer bust, unlike the game I knew. Betting $2 a hand, I slowly learned the proper hand signals, when to hit and when to stand, why I should never sit on the last seat of the table and why it’s usually never a good bet to double down. After 20 minutes and going from up $20 to down $20 and back, we played a hand and I lost. The dealer apologized to me afterward, saying she wasn’t paying attention and would have told me I should have never hit when she was showing a 5 and I had 14 (or something like that, please don’t hate if that’s wrong).
The Boyd Rewards program’s entry-level is Ruby. Those members get the following:
- Personalized offers and events
- Best Room Rate Guarantee
- Advance Show Tickets
An interesting benefit of Boyd Rewards is the ability to transfer points into the HawaiianMiles loyalty program.
Other Programs
Every casino/hotel has a loyalty program. Here are some others.
- Club One – Circa, The D, Golden Gate Casino
- Wynn Rewards – Wynn Las Vegas & Encore
- Grazie Rewards – The Venetian & Palazzo
- Genting Rewards – Resort World
- True Rewards – The Strat
- My Club Serrano – The Palms
- Unity by Hard Rock – The Mirage
- Momentum – Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Final Thoughts
If you’re going to visit Vegas and stick to the major tourist areas on The Strip, it makes sense to sign up for at least MGM Rewards and Caesars Rewards. Those can save you money on hotel rooms and show tickets just for being a member. If you’re headed off-strip or downtown, check out those other programs as well. You might be able to pick up some cheap show or concert tickets during your stay.
For us, we’ll go to Vegas every 5 years and remind ourselves that we really don’t like it that much. Your Mileage May Vary.
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6 comments
Identity rewards offers aren’t that great at the lowest level, basically just discounts on hotel stays. You do get $5 in freeplay slots or video poker at the Cosmopolitan, however, which is a nice small benefit. And if you do play blackjack again, learning basic strategy would be helpful. Some casinos will even let you have a basic strategy card on the table, especially at the $2-5 tables.
Caesar’s Rewards has really gone downhill in terms of service and value. Yes, you can earn points on stays, gambling, purchases, etc . . . BUT the payouts are small. You get back just 1% when you try to use your points. At some other restaurants, it’s only .5%. You can get freeplay on slots, but that also is at .5%. I used to use this program a lot and I built up a lot of points (close to 140000), but they stopped giving comps and they weren’t very welcoming at all. I decided to use up my points and quit the program, so we got a list of restaurants that take the rewards points. We had a very nice meal at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. When I tried to pay with my rewards points though, they said they don’t take those anymore. I’D JUST GOTTEN THE LIST FROM CAESARS REWARDS. Anyway, you’re better off going with a rewards program that gives better than a penny to a half penny on the dollar.
When will I receive my card
Few of these programs will mail you a card. You have to pick them up at the casino in person.
Should be any day now. Sit tight.
The easiest way to earn comps/discounts is to play “MyVegas”! It is on Facebook and very easy to play. I have received so many freebies form MyVegas. You can sign up for MGM Rewards on line as well, so you play MyVegas earn some things before going to Vegas.