The situation I'm going to describe probably won't last, and I'm almost hesitant to disclose it, but here goes:
Golden Entertainment owns Arizona Charlie's Decatur and Boulder, the Strat, the Aquarius and Edgewater in Laughlin, and other casino/hotel properties. They recently purchased these properties from the Icahn Group.
Earlier this year, I played at both AZC properties as well as at the Aquarius. In all cases, I put in several hours of .25 VP action on the best machines available (+EV fullpay at AZC; 9/6 100% JOB at the Aquarius). I probably totaled $20,000 coin-in all told. My aggregate results were in the +$900 range.
Since then, I've gotten ongoing offers of one night at Boulder, two nights at Decatur, and three nights at the Aquarius. It's also included some small ($10) food credits and once, $50 free play. What has surprised me is that using one offer immediately generates an identical subsequent offer that can be used the following month (and usually has a duration of at least four months). This has rolled over four times for me so far.
I also received an offer for one night at the Strat (WTF? since I've never even set foot in the place), with a $25 food credit and free admission to the Top of Bob Stupak's Substitute Penis (from which the view, I'm sure, is spectacular).
Now, I play nothing but good VP and the action I give is modest--plus, though it shouldn't really matter, my results have been strongly positive (much better than expectation). I can't help but compare these offers with the complete stinginess I've seen from other, similar Vegas properties. Recently, the best I've seen from Stations and Boyd has been a 2% off room coupon (Sun-Thu ONLY) and a voucher for 25% off a donut (no sprinkles) when I purchase six cups of coffee at the regular price. I exaggerate only slightly. I expect to at some point get a mailer from them saying "We don't miss you at all. Stay away."
Now, AZC has the last of a dying breed: fullpay deuces and Joker machines, which I don't expect to be around much longer at all, since Boulder just removed five of the eight they had. Similarly, Aquarius recently torched their VP inventory; they now have exactly four 9/6 JOB machines, and everything else is now crap. So you might want to jump on board True Rewards and milk it for all you can. I'm sure their properties will soon be VP wastelands like everyplace else.
FYI, the Decatur AZC rooms are nice, the Boulder AZC rooms are meh but OK, and the Aquarius rooms are pretty roomy and nice as well. (I see no reason to go to Laughlin any more, since there is virtually no decent VP anywhere now and food options are sparse and overpriced--though the Aquarius Cafe was fine.)
