As you all know, I recommend play on days when a casino offers bonus-point multipliers. But you must be careful that you know the details of any these promotions. Each casino’s system has its own quirks and here are some of the things you need to watch for:
–Just what is multiplied? For example, Harrah’s multipliers only add to the base Reward Credits, not to the bonus Credits or to the Tier Credits. And if a casino is running another promotion at the same time, like the one at the Palms this month in which you can earn cash or free play instead of comps, those benefits can be earned only on base points, not on any multiplier points.
–What are the limits? Some casinos set no limits – you can play for bonus points until your fingers freeze up. However, you need to check. For example, Silverton usually sets a limit of 60,000 bonus points (on top of the regular single points). This means that if you play there tomorrow, President’s Day, you can get their 5x points only on the first 15,000 points you earn; after that you are earning single points. The Palms usually (not always – read rules for each promotion carefully) has a limit of 40,000 bonus points.
–What are the hours the bonus will be given? Often bonus promotions run from midnight to midnight, but there are exceptions. Silverton ran a 9x promotion this last January 1st from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
–Are all machines included in the promotion? Tuscany, Cannery, and Ellis Island exclude some machines from their multiple-point days. Fortunately, they do have labels on those machines so you know this before you start your play
–Are the multipliers for everyone? Station Casinos sometimes sends out cards to individual customers with a promotion only for those that get the mailer. Green Valley Ranch has a multi-point promotion for only seniors on Wednesdays this month. Harrah’s multi-point promotion is only for players with Platinum cards and above.
As I warn over and over again when I talk about promotions – the devil is in the details!