July 23rd, 2021

Having talked at length in previous blogs about the Family and Friends element and the Gambling aspect of our last trip to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, now it’s time to tackle the Research purpose. Obviously, since the Cherokee Casino is a CZR property, most of the information I gleaned is CZR-specific. However, down through the years I have found that what I learned from one casino experience often transferred to understanding situations in other casinos.

I’m not going to cover the basics of the CZR player benefit programs here. In my June 11^th blog, I gave you several links to check if you needed help with those. But many issues arise that are much harder to find details on, especially for new gambling students or even experienced players who want to expand their casino choices. Some of you have asked for more detailed explanations about subjects that I have briefly mentioned in past casino reports here.

One of these is the question about what is a casino “day.” You often need this information when you are trying to reach certain daily point goals.  Casinos often do not run on a midnight-to-midnight timetable. Actually, I need to point you back to a 2013 blog I wrote about this subject. My explanation there is still valid, but some of the examples are out-of-date. In fact, if you read the comments on that blog, you’ll see there were even some immediate updates were needed. That is a problem I always face when writing about casinos: Their policies, rules, and procedures can change before the ink dries on my words. (I’m still so old-school. In this digital age, I need a new metaphor for that idea! 😊) One reader commented that some of that original CZR casino info in that old blog is still usable, but obviously the list is very incomplete, especially since the merger with Eldorado, and it is always wise to double-check for changes and updates at any casino.

Another subject that generates frequent questions is about the CZR tier system, including whether I think it pays to try for the higher tiers. For many years Brad and I were both at the Seven Stars level and we enjoyed the many benefits it provided: free cruises; the $500 Celebration dinners; the annual retreats to CZR properties all over the country, including up to $1,200 in airfare to get there; special parties, tournaments, and other events; and Brad’s favorite, VIP exclusive – thus shorter – waiting lines for check-in, restaurants, etc. He hates standing in long lines.

Now that we are no longer frequent visitors to casinos as we were when we lived in Las Vegas, we are looking at the tier system from a different perspective, one that is probably shared by many of the readers here. To get to that highest tier, we would need to put in many days of play even if we stayed at the $5 level, and we aren’t healthy or energetic enough to do that. Furthermore, we can no longer take advantage of most of the benefits of Seven Stars. We’ve been on 17 cruises and they no longer interest us. We are not able to travel far or frequently to take advantage of many of the special perks all over the country.

I have decided perhaps getting to Diamond Elite (75000+ tier credits) might be the better option for us. As I talked about in earlier blogs, I thought we could do that in two three-day visits to Cherokee, but found that was too much like a job. Fortunately, I have a supportive family who love the mountains, and Angela just made reservations for the four of us to go back for a watch-the-leaves-turn-color October visit (14-16). That will allow us to leisurely get the 20,000 tier credits I need to become “elite.”

Actually, I have been able to gather a lot of data on the Diamond Elite tier level over the last two years. Brad got to that level back in early 2019 with heavy play at Harrah’s Tahoe, and he is still there and will be until the end of January ’22, thanks to pandemic extensions. Now, perhaps, this is a short-term effort to ramp up customer play quickly after the casinos re-opened, but he has been getting super offers although he hasn’t played any these last two years. Some of the offers have been specifically for Tahoe, his “home” casino, but many have come through the CZR air programs.

Many of you may not know about theses air programs, especially if you live in Las Vegas where they do not operate. I learned of them years ago, because I had friends in Lubbock, TX, who often came to Harrah’s Laughlin on charter flights. When we drove down there from Vegas, we met people from all over the country, pouring in by the planeloads. Now, stuck in GA, we are becoming well acquainted with this air charter program.

Some leave from a large city, like Atlanta, but some come and go from smaller airports, like Macon, GA. We have received offers to fly to Atlantic City and Tunica. All included 4-night comped rooms and air for two people. We have had an invitation to fly to Laughlin, leaving from Birmingham, that also included free play. I don’t know the play requirements to first get and then keep eligibility for these completely comped packages. Brad’s offers, at Diamond Elite, were always free, but I have started getting them, fully comped, at the lower Diamond Plus level. It seems that I remember someone saying once that lower-level players sometimes can get the package at quite reasonable prices if there are extra seats left. But that information might be outdated.

No baggage or resort fees, straight-thru flights, transportation provided straight from plane to casino – great travel benefits, especially for seniors. We haven’t been in a position to use any of these air offers yet, but they are an option for us in the future. And that is one reason why I am planning to reach the Diamond Elite level, which also has a basic benefit of a $600 airfare credit to Las Vegas.

Go to the Caesar Air webpage and get all the details, finding out all the airports in the U.S. this program uses (search by your state) and which CZR properties are included. If you find one or more in your area, you could also check with a host about these charter trips and the eligibility requirements.

This discussion of tier benefits brings us to the questions about an important benefit we all love – free play. And that is not a tier benefit. You can reach that lofty Seven Stars level and get into all the shorter VIP lines you want to. But if you don’t keep playing after you reach that level, don’t expect your free play to stay the same as it was during your heavy-play period. Free play is based on your ongoing play, not your tier level. Quit playing and your free play will go into free fall. You can still get all the brochure benefits you earned – the free cruise, the retreat, perhaps even comped rooms for a limited time. But if you stay and don’t play, your account may be quickly red-flagged and comped room benefits will disappear. And don’t assume you can try to play up fast again at the end of the year to get to Seven Stars the next year. That is a “By Invitation Only” level and soaking up benefits for a year without continued play will often see that level invitation not extended in the future.

I need to discuss free play more at length – how to get more, how to keep it from falling, and when you can’t do anything about either. Tune in next time.