The Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas has revamped its slot club – for the umpteenth time in the last year or so. The details are online at http://www.hardrockhotel.com/images/HRH_Rockstar.pdf and, as usual, there are good and not so good changes. 

It still takes $2 coin-in to earn one point playing VP, with only $1 to earn a point on slots. However, the redemption rate has improved a bit, taking only 400 points to earn a dollar, down from the former 500 points needed. 

There are now four card tiers instead of five and you will have to study the details of each tier carefully to see how this might change your plans about how much to play. Notice that your Rock Score to determine your tier is not merely the number of points you earn but is based on your length of play, average bet or denomination of machine and game type. Also remember that Rockstar Cash is not really “cash” but is free play, which you have to run through the machine at least once before you can cash it out and put it in your pocket! 

The most negative change is the way that comps will be handled. Instead of the separate comp bank with a known balance you could access at the slot club booth, your points can now be used for comps by showing your players card at the outlet of your choice – restaurants, retail shops, or salon/spa. That is good so far – no going anywhere to get a comp slip.   However, since your points can also be redeemed for free play -- and there is no bonus for using them for comps -- there is little reason I can see to choose that option over free play. Although I haven’t seen anything about this in writing, there seems to be a “secret” comp bank that the hosts can tap for you after you have used/redeemed all your points. These “discretionary” comps, as is the case at most casinos, depend on the amount of your play, with a range of requirements that are usually unknown to the players. 

This new comp policy was put into effect with very short notice (one reason I counsel players not to keep large balances in their players clubs indefinitely), and many players were caught with huge amounts in their previously transparent comp banks. However, my host personally assured me that players would not lose these comps. They now would need to go through a host to get them instead of being able to automatically be written a paper comp at the slot club booth. She did say that you should plan to use your comps within 90 days of earning them, although hosts might take into consideration special circumstances, such as illness preventing your timely return to the casino.

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