South Point Casino

A Welcome Surprise Pop-Up Promotion

A Welcome Surprise Pop-Up Promotion

I hope you all had a safe and blessed family Thanksgiving get-together, following the CDC guidelines.

We wondered how we could do that.  Legacy Reserve, the senior facility where we are now living in an independent apartment, is not on lockdown as many are around the country.  However, they strongly recommended that we not visit family this year for traditional Thanksgiving reunions – and if we did, quarantine for 14 days when we returned to our apartments. We were definitely on board with the concept that we needed to help keep all our senior neighbors safe.

However, our daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Steve, figured out a safe plan for our family.  A few days ago, they planned a big bonfire in their woodsy back yard.  It was a beautiful slightly cool evening, cozy around the fire. The 3 great-grandkids love to hear ghost stories and gobble down hotdogs and chips.  And everyone – adults and kiddies – decided that roasting wieners and making s’mores out in the fresh air was just as good – and maybe better – than a turkey dinner around the dining room table!

Here is a smoky picture of the fun:

I even learned a new recreational skill – axe-throwing!

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And now for a good casino-promotion alert, something I love to share.  For the last month or so, I’ve been talking about how it pays for players who want to find good-value opportunities to check as many resources as they can. Here is one I found, even though I’m far away from Vegas.

South Point Casino is extending their November gift card promo through December 13th.  Get the details on their website.

And you could have learned of it – wherever you are – if you had joined the new vpFREE-Archives.  (I gave the instructions for signing up in my last blog.)

Keep scouting, my dear friends!

More November Bonuses and News

November is turning out to be a good month for gambling bonuses and food specials, particularly on holidays.

VETERANS DAY – Monday, November 11

Boyd Gaming is offering a 11x multiplier for all players with a Sapphire tier card and above.

Silverton is offering 10x on reels and 2x on VP.  They are also advertising a BOGO buffet that day for all players club members.

Many casinos will offer a free buffet for military members and veterans on this day. Most require a players card and verification of their status to be shown at the cashier, with military ID, VA ID, or a DD-214.    This includes the Rampart, South Point, Silverton and Boyd Gaming properties.

The Station casinos also offer a free military buffet, but the procedure is a bit different. You have to swipe your military Boarding Pass at any kiosk to redeem voucher.  If you don’t have the military flag on your card, you can take your official documents to verify your active or veteran status to the players club and get that military card.  (That will also qualify you for extra benefits for the on-going Military Mondays promotions.)

South Point’s offer is the plum one since the buffet freebie is not only for the qualified person but he/she can bring a guest who can also eat free.  The lines are long at all the casinos offering this free meal, even at those who have separate VIP lines, but you might find the wait at South Point excruciatingly long all day long – there doesn’t seem to be any “off time.”

There is another plum offer for all active or retired military personnel with verifying credentials but it involves a bit of a drive for Las Vegas residents, about 90 miles.  The Virgin River and Casa Blanca casinos in Mesquite are offering free buffets all day for both the qualified person and guest.

No free buffet at the El Cortez but you might not have to waste time waiting in line that day to eat – free White Castle hamburgers will be passed out to the active players on the casino floor, both at the tables and the machines.  And you don’t have to even be military or a veteran!

 

THANKSGIVING DAY – November 28

Boyd Gaming is running their 11x multiplier all day – and as usual only Sapphire tier and above can take advantage of this bonus.  So sorry, Ruby players.

South Point is running a Hot Seat promotion from 8 a.m. until midnight Nov. 28.

And almost every casino restaurant is serving a special Thanksgiving menu.  The lines may be long everywhere – I think very few in Las Vegas cook a holiday dinner at home!

 

MONTH-LONG PROMOTIONS

Here is a newly-released promotion, one which was not mentioned in the monthly mailer but which I first learned about from an ad in the R-J.  The Gold Coast is continuing their mid-week multipliers for all of November:  11x all day Monday through Thursday.  Check Scot’s player club bonus list for the varying multiple-point days for other Boyd properties – they are not all the same!   The same warning for Station Casinos:  The Fiestas and the Palms often march to different orders!

South Point is running their popular 1/2 -price player club point “sale,” this month for Amazon gift cards.

Tuscany is having a “Play and Win” promotion:

YOU COULD EARN UP TO $200 IN FREE SLOT PLAY NOVEMBER 4TH – 28TH

Earn 5,000 base slot points once during each week of dates listed, and receive $50 in Free Slot play. November 4th – 10th, 11th – 17th, 18th – 24th and 25th – 28th. Must visit Player’s Club each week to claim.

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An important note for all players who are looking for extra value: Always check out possibilities for double-dipping, combining monthly and holiday promotions.

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And finally, a hint for getting around during the Las Vegas Marathon coming up later this month:

Once again, the Las Vegas Monorail will be the only Strip transportation option available during the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon. The Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon event gives participants a one-of-a-kind nighttime running experience as the only private event to close Las Vegas Boulevard at night. The largest event on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series tour will take place on the Las Vegas Strip at night on Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 16 – 17, 2019. Year after year, thousands of runners and spectators attend the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon and its four days of events, relying upon the Monorail for getting to and from the start and finish lines of the weekend’s races. The Monorail also has a station at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is the site of the events three-day Health & Fitness Expo, held on Thursday – Saturday, Nov. 14 – 16.

November News and Promotions

Before I start talking about November promotions, I need to give you a heads-up about an important December note.  You may have heard for years that December is the best time to go to Las Vegas if you are looking for bargain room rates.   That is still true but only if you are talking about the last half of the month.  While the National Finals Rodeo is in town – this year from December 5th through the 14th – room rates skyrocket, at least double and many triple in price.

This is a phenomenon called surge pricing, something you need to consider all year long when you are booking a Las Vegas stay.  Room rates are definitely not static. Some visitors are more familiar with higher rates during holiday periods, but they can also occur during big convention dates.  It pays to check the schedule you can find at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Now for November news and promotions. But first, a note about all the promotions I mention here in my blog.  I usually give just a summary, with some of the basic details.  But I do not always mention every single limitation or exclusion.  So, to get complete information you must go to the casino websites, where hopefully all the fine-print warnings will be given.  However, sometimes you eventually need to actually show up at the players club desk to check on specifics and see if there are any last-minute changes.

South Point is running one of my favorite promotions this month – with your players club points worth twice their regular value for Amazon gift cards.  You can earn up to a total of ten $50 cards by redeeming $25 in players club points for each card, and this is equivalent to double points during your earning period.

Arizona Charlies Decatur – I am hearing reports – and complaints – about major downgrades in this casino –both in the VP paytables and in the players club and comp benefits.  The only positive thing I hear is that there are some good food specials, especially for breakfast in their coffee shop.

Gold Coast – “Get Your Grub On” buffet special every Tuesday in November.  Earn 10 tier credits and get a free buffet. After you play, print out your voucher at the kiosk; it is good that day or save it and use it the next day.  And by the way, the voucher you get on Wednesday’s Young at Heart for the free breakfast or lunch can also be saved to use the next day.

 El Cortez – Just saw an ad in the R-J about this check-cashing promotion, one that I think has been going on for quite a while.  But perhaps some have missed it.

Cash any Tax Return, Government Check, or Payroll check from any Clark County Gaming property and receive 5% off your check in free play, up to $50. Must be a Club Cortez member. For promotion details, see posted rules at Casino Cage/Slot Club.

And now for a non-casino freebie/discount:

Mob Museum: To celebrate Kefauver Day, Nov. 15, The Mob Museum announces FREE admission (9 am to 9 pm) for Nevada residents and buy one admission, get one free for non-residents, sponsored by Zappos. Throughout the year, it extends free admission to Nevada residents through designated annual Free Days.  Check it out here.

Lots of food and gambling promos coming up for Veterans Day, the 11th, and Thanksgiving, the 28th.  I’ll cover them next week when I have gathered more details.

Pop-up Promotions and News

I must continue to alert advantage-searching players that you can’t just depend on first-of-the-month mailers and research.  Gold Coast is a good example, with a bonus promotion rolled out the second week this month: 11x reels and video poker every Sunday through Thursday in September. This was not mentioned in the regular first-of-the-month September mailer you might have received or on their website if you checked September 1.

So how would you find out about it?  Well, although I am in GA on vacation at the moment, I always read the posts on the vpFREE forum and someone shared that info there. They also posted a special link, which was good info because it didn’t seem to come up under the regular promotional list on their website. Others saw it announced on the big marquee in front of the casino. And finally, wise scouts found it because they check Scot’s bonus point list often, where there can be updates all month as more players send in scouting reports.

Here is other news I have found by sitting at my computer, scouring many sources I have been recommending for years.  Some of this may be new information or just new to me – and perhaps to you.

Boyd Gaming – New terms and conditions in their players club rules specify that after 6 months of no activity all your B Connected points will disappear.  This is an important warning for those out-of-towners who don’t come to Las Vegas often or don’t play at Boyd properties regularly: Don’t try to stockpile your points!  You need to check the expiration rules at all the casinos where you play.

The STRAT Hotel, Casino and SkyPod, formerly the Stratosphere, Casino, Hotel & Tower – A new-member sign-up bonus.  Earn 300 points within the first 24 hours of membership and receive one buffet voucher.  Earn 600 and get a second one. Promotion good through the end of the year. (Hint:  when a casino changes ownership or introduces a new players club, this is a good time to check for new promotions.)

South Point – Seniors 50+ can get $4 movie admission all day on three days: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday – not just on Senior Mondays.

Sahara Casino – After 5 years of being named the SLS, that good old name is back!

Technical note:  Some are still having problems subscribing to this blog.  We are still working on it and hopefully will have a good fix soon.  I’ll let you know.  In the meantime check the LVA homepage frequently.

Food for Thought

I am going to hijack the saying “Man can not live by bread alone” and revise it for the subject of this blog: “You can not gamble in a casino 24 hours a day; you have to stop and eat once in a while!”

It’s not that I haven’t talked about food in previous writings.  I have given many frugal hints for getting good value for casino eats, like scheduling late buffet lunches, with their lower prices, that often spill into the availability of higher-level dinner selections.  But in this blog, I am going to talk about Brad’s and my personal eating habits, mainly because I get so many questions about this subject and realize many people have false ideas about our Vegas life.   They often compare it to their routine  when they come to town for a vacation and stay in a casino for several days.

Most Vegas locals eat about the same way they would if they lived in a non-casino town.  They do not eat in a casino every day but regularly cook meals at home.  However, like people everywhere, they do eat out frequently and, especially if they gamble at all, they often choose a casino restaurant where they play.  And even non-gamblers often look to casino eateries because of the wide choice of high-end and famous choices.  The picture changes a bit if you look at those local gamblers who are earning comps. Obviously, those people will be eating at the casino more often – how often depending on their comp level.

Brad and I did eat in casinos a lot after we moved to Vegas 20 years ago – even almost every day – because we were playing frequently and heavily and earning more comps than we could eat up!  We made a big effort to find friends and relatives to help us with this “task.” But we were never foodies and, even then, much preferred buffets, delis, and coffee shops over gourmet restaurants.  For years we would have hosts who would beg us to let them write us a comp for their top-level epicurean offerings – and they would just shake their head in disbelief when we turned it down.

Things are so much different these days.  First, all casinos have made significant cuts to their comp benefits.  This is true at every level – from the fanciest Strip properties down to the smallest local joints – hitting both visitors and locals. And, for us personally, we do not have the energy to play as much as we used to.  We go to a casino 3 or 4 days a week and are usually able to play only two-or-three-hour sessions.  Therefore, we do not have the flood of comps as in former days.  Believe it or not, my cleaning lady doesn’t just have to dust my stove; my return to some cooking after 35 years gives her some grease to remove!

But all that said, you will still see us eating in a casino fairly often.  You would never catch us eating one of these giant stacked-high-with-whatever “gourmet” hamburgers that seem so popular these days.  We aren’t big beef eaters in the first place, but we would always prefer a single-patty with cheese; Brad wants nothing added but pickle and onion and I would add just lettuce and tomato.  We like those at Steak’n Shake at South Point, combined with half-price milkshakes between 2-4 p.m.  We do hit other casino fast-food places occasionally.  Love the hot dogs at South Point and sometimes stop at the hot-dog cart or Subway at Gold Coast.  We like the sugar-free butter pecan ice cream at Java Vegas Coffee at the Gold Coast or at Kate’s Corner at South Point.  And we can grab a pizza slice at Little Tony’s near the sports book at Palace Station or have a great spaghetti meal to eat there or carry home.  (Stations run a senior special on Wednesdays with discounts on restaurants that vary from month to month.  Check these out on their website and watch for 50% off your favorite place to eat.)

We are a bit picky about buffets.  When we have comps, we take our out-of-town visitors to the widely publicized Caesars Palace Bacchanal over-the-top buffet, but we never choose that just for the two of us even if we have comps.  We aren’t big eaters and just don’t need so many “exotic” choices.  We like comfort food.  The Orleans and Gold Coast are good choices for us, especially their special weekend brunches.  We have mixed emotions about the new buffets at Palace Station and the Palms.  They both usually have sugar-free brownies and good soup selections so that keeps Brad from complaining too much about “weird food.”

Recently we have found a new meal idea that appeals to us even though it involves gourmet restaurants which we eschew.  Going to the Cornerstone lounge at the Gold Coast during happy hour – 4-6 p.m. – has become one of our favorite activities.  We like the idea of sharing small plates which gives us variety even though we are light eaters.  Many steak houses and other upscale restaurants run these with very reasonable prices on both food and drinks in a relaxing comfortable but still “gourmet” atmosphere.  Check  out this frugal option at your favorite casino’s fine restaurants!

Obviously, we eat in other places than casinos.  We always eat breakfast at home – and always the same menu for many years:  Hot oats, with walnuts and flavored with dark chocolate mix, a daily coco extract supplement that has proven to reduce inflammation in the body.  We drink green tea and V8 juice – low sodium – and add fresh fruit, like bananas, oranges, or berries.

Lunch is light – sandwiches or soup.  If we are out and about, we might stop at a fast-food place.  Our favorites include Wendy burgers or chili, Mexican pizzas at Taco Bell, and hot pretzel sticks and  sugar-free Dilly Bars at the Dairy Queen.

If we are having dinner at home, it is often left-overs brought home from a casino or a Nutrisystem selection.  If I am cooking, it is usually a one-dish meal like stir-fry.

We try to eat healthy as much as possible wherever we are.  More fruits and vegetables.  Less sodium. Very little red meat – more chicken.  We take some vitamins and supplements.  Nothing different than if we lived in a non-casino atmosphere.  Brad doesn’t gain weight, but I am always trying to watch mine.  And that is a problem in Vegas – buffets can jeopardize any healthy diet unless you have strong self control!

 

 

July Promos–The Little Things

“Little Things Mean a Lot” …and not just in love songs.

I recently read a comment on the Internet from someone who stated, after reading about all the hoops one had to jump through to take advantage of one casino promotion, that this was too much “bother.” Several successful gamblers chimed in immediately with their mantra, one that has guided Brad’s and my casino journey for over 35 years: “Bothering” with the details is an absolute necessity in order for a gambler to achieve financial success.

Back some 22 years ago, before I had ever thought about writing a book about gambling, friends were hearing us tell about our trips to Vegas and how we were able to make these vacations a low-cost – even free – recreational choice by choosing good games to play and using the comp system.  And of course, they wanted to know how they could do that.  The problem is they wanted the “secret” in 25 words or less.  I tried to explain that there was no “silver bullet” – it was hundreds of little things you had to do.

22 years later, it has taken multiple editions of 5 books to talk about the hundreds of thousands of little things one can – must? – do to be successful.  And it amazes me that there is rarely a time when I am writing a blog that I don’t have some “little” idea to share – either a new one or a reminder of one that is easy to forget.

Although I have been visiting casinos for over 35 years – and try to keep track in my head all the things I have learned over the years – I sometimes forget something important.  For example, Brad and I recently visited the Gold Coast and planned to play because it was a 11x-points day.  I usually visit the kiosk the very first thing and swipe both my card and Brad’s while he is parking the car.  But this day I was distracted because I had to go to the cashier to solve a big-money problem.  That took a long time so I immediately hurried to meet Brad at our favorite machines in the non-smoking area and forgot I hadn’t swiped our cards.

We played about an hour or so when my brain woke up to this distressing thought that we would not get credited with bonus points before we swiped in.  Long story shortened.  I talked to a players club supervisor and asked if there was any way we could get these bonus points put on manually.  She was nice but pointed out that this had happened to me back when this new system was first put in many years ago and they had “fixed” it for me– but they could not do it the second time.  The loss was not huge, but it was a reminder that one has to keep up with those “little things.”  Some properties – like South Point – give multiple points automatically while you play with no players club swipe needed.   Some properties – like the Stations – do require that you swipe but it can be any time that day, before or after you play.  Be sure you know the system, especially if you play at a casino you haven’t visited before.

For this month, as it has been for quite a while, it is important to stay aware of other little details connected with casino bonus points.  This is especially important when dealing with large casino companies that have multiple properties. This is confusing many players, especially with Boyd Gaming and the Stations.  Don’t assume multiple-point days are the same company wide.  And be aware with Boyd that sometimes there are bonus point days ONLY for those that get the monthly mailer promoting those days.  You need to check Scot’s Bonus Point List since his list includes only those that are open to everyone.

And this warning goes for all promotions at these casinos.  You have to read the newspaper ads and monthly mailers carefully to be sure you don’t make a special trip to take advantage of a promotion and find out you are at the wrong casino or there on the wrong day. As I have mentioned before, the Palms seems to be in a Stations category of its own.  That nice fat summer coupon book from the Stations is a perfect example of the need to carefully read the “little” details.  Some of those coupons are good at several properties but many are for only one specific casino.  Same with the list of promotions on the Stations website.  You must check the logo or casino name under each on there – and also in newspaper ads.

Have a great 4th of July!  There will be some gambling promotions but maybe you can fit in some non-gambling fun activities too!

 

More June Promotions – and Beyond

I hope you took my advice last week to make it a habit to check Scot’s Bonus Point List, not just on the first of the month but periodically all month long.  As I have often mentioned, casinos are sometimes offering new promotions or more details about previously-announced ones later in the month.

Case in point this month, Boyd Gaming did not put their multiple-point information in the newspaper until June 2.  This is important especially for those who do not get monthly mailers.  Sometimes there are multiple-point days mentioned in our monthly mailers, but I can’t publish that information until a newspaper ad or marquee message confirms which days are for the general public and not just for those that get a mailer.

Another example is the Stations, which did not announce Palms multiple- point days until a June 3 newspaper ad.  And I almost missed that piece of information because it was added at the very bottom of a full-page ad for another promotion.

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This June might be called Coupon Month. Casinos might not be too interested in giving us better gambling opportunities, but they sure want to be sure we don’t go hungry.  Meal coupons, especially 2-for-1 buffets abound.  Boyd is including them in newspaper inserts for The Orleans and Gold Coast, and I have seen some for Sam’s Town in the past.

And the Station are going all out – with seemingly anyone who plays (or played in the past?) at any level receiving a super-fat coupon book mailed to their address.  Most of the coupons are for food, but there are some match plays and discounts for bingo, bowling, and arcades.  You always need to check the details on casino coupons, but this Stations coupon book is one that you better make a special effort to study.   Each coupon is dated – for June, July, or August.  The coupons at the front of the book can be used in more than one casino – but read carefully because each coupon covers just a few specified casinos.  After this front “general” section, there are color-coded sections for individual casinos.  One great thing is that none of the coupons are specific to a particular player (even though the books were addressed to specific names) so you can give away or trade at will.  It’s just that to redeem a coupon, you have to put your Boarding Pass# in the space provided.  So, if you want to share with a friend who isn’t a players club member, he/she would have to sign up and get a card before using the coupon. (Good marketing move, Stations, to recruit some new members!!!)

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Another food note, thanks to the Seven Stars Insider: Without notice, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace has stopped serving king crab legs to Diamond and Seven Stars cardholders.  (Since I am not a seafood fan, I didn’t know this ever was a benefit!)

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And now for “the beyond” in my title.    Much to my surprise I received this majorly advanced news from a South Point Casino press release.  Not only was I surprised how early I was hearing this, but I was pleased to have bonus points on a holiday, something that hasn’t happened at this casino for a long time.  And the 3rd surprise was a promotion that differentiated between slots and video poker, something I don’t remember ever being done at South Point.  Sounds like a schedule borrowed from Boyd Gaming!

Double Points on Video Poker – Thursday, July 4

South Point Club members who play video poker machines will receive double the points on Thursday, July 4. Players who earn 1,000 base points in video poker will earn $6.

Five Times the Points on Reel Machines – Thursday, July 4

South Point Club members will earn five times the points on slots and video reel machines on Thursday, July 4. Players who receive 1,000 base points in reel play will receive $15.

10 Times Points on Penny Reel Machines – Thursday, July 4

In celebration of the holiday, South Point Club members will earn 10 times the points on Thursday, July 4 on penny reel machines. Players who receive 1,000 base points on penny reel machines will receive $30.

 

JUNE NEWS AND PROMOTIONS

The best promotion in June for many video poker players – both locals and visitors – will be going on at the South Point casino all month: “Half Price Gas & Goods.”  Earn and redeem $25 in slot club points and get a $50 Chevron gas card or a $50 Walmart gift card. It takes 8333  base points to earn each $50 gift card voucher and there is a limit of 10 total cards for each cardholder.  So, during the time you are earning these gift cards (83,330 points if you are working for all 10) that is the same as getting double points.  Since South Point rarely has double points on holidays as in the past, this is a welcome equivalent benefit this month.  See complete details here.

 

Holiday Multiple Points

There is only one holiday in June when you might find multiple points, Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16. That is not a major holiday and not all casinos “celebrate” it.  However, I did notice in my Gold Coast mailer that they promote 11x on reels and VP at some Boyd properties on that day.  Plus, some of their casinos are including a free beer for dad at their Father’s Day buffet.  Other casinos may promote specials closer to the date.  You should check casino websites for these.

As always, you need to check Scot’s Bonus Point List often as he adds information as soon as he gets it from the casino.  The last few months some casinos have been adding promotions mid-month, after their initial first-of-the-month details and after the mailers have gone out.

 

Other News

The former non-smoking casino room on the main floor at Arizona Charlies Decatur  now allows smoking.  There is still a non-smoking area on the 2nd floor.

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Both the Gold Coast and the Orleans have added a brunch on Saturdays, with the same prices as their Sunday brunch.  You  get players club discounts, depending on your tier level, and you can also use your LVA 2-for-1 coupon.  And much to our surprise, they did take our mailer food coupons that exclude “Specialty” dinners.  We were afraid they would consider this a special meal!

We love the one at the Orleans; and although we haven’t tried the one at the Gold Coast, we have heard good reports about it.  By the way if you look these up in the buffet section of the  R-J Neon magazine, you will find it hasn’t been updated to include these new Saturday brunches.  However, they are described on the two casino websites.

The Gold Coast price is $16.99 and runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Free Bellini Champagne and Mimosas for guests 21 years of age or older, your choice of flavors: Blackberry, Mango, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry. The Champagne Brunch at the Orleans is $20.99 and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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One warning about all Boyd buffets:  you usually won’t get a specific tier discount by just waving your card in front of the cashier to show your “tier color.”  The new cards now have expiration dates on them and are supposed to be checked.  So even though your old higher-tier cards may still work in the machines, they might not pass an eagle-eyed buffet cashier!

May Promotions

My, my, I am in shock.  After complaining in this spot for 19 years (“Frugal Fridays,” that preceded this renamed “Frugal Vegas,” started in April, 2000!), many casinos must have got together to decide to shut me up and take my advice and put out their monthly promotional material early so we players could plan ahead.  It’s only April 27th and I have already received many of my May mailings, including Stations, Boyd, South Point, and Silverton.  Flip my calendar page – yes, I still use a hard-copy one – and let the planning begin!

In addition to that good news, I am seeing an increase in opportunities to find good-value plays.  Just when many of us thought that the chance for successful casino gambling was close to complete disappearance, new promotions have been popping up like daffodils in the spring.  Now don’t get me wrong.  This is not happening in every casino in every area of the country.  It will be more likely in areas where there are clusters of competing casinos, certainly in Las Vegas and Reno and perhaps in Atlantic City and Mississippi.  However, those intense scouters are sometimes finding play gems all over the United States, especially in the rapidly-expanding list of native American casinos.

In this blog I mainly cover Vegas opportunities since Brad and I mostly play locally and thus receive those valuable monthly mailers that keep us informed.  I know that out-of-towners usually don’t get those mailings, so I try to share details that they might not ordinally know.  But everyone everywhere should scour the Internet to find information for the casinos near them or those to which they could travel. Check out the casino websites that often give valuable details.  Gambling forums are another useful resource where I often find details about a promotion that I had not run across myself.

Holidays (in May -Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day) are often a time when you can find special events, with gambling promotions like multiple points.  Check casino websites and Scot’s bonus-point list.  And look for just-for-fun ideas, like this Cinco de Mayo party:

The Plaza Hotel & Casino is planning downtown Las Vegas’ biggest party to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Plaza’s Cinco de Mayo party is free to attend and will be under the bright lights of the property’s iconic dome beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The outdoor party will be feature a variety of entertainment, including Lucha Libre Wrestling, a Mariachi band and Folklorico dancers. A DJ will also be at the dome party spinning top radio hits with a mix of Latin music.  The Plaza will again have downtown’s largest piñata as well as authentic food and drinks specials will be available all night long, including street tacos from Zaba’s Mexican Grill, Margaritas, Micheladas, Modelo beer and shots of Patron Tequila.

 SOUTH POINT

A special note on this May promotion below, one that South Point has run in the past.  It is different from another “spin” one they sometimes have in which you spin right on your machine. This one, after you earn the necessary points, requires that you go to a kiosk near the players club desk to do the spin.  It seems that this is not a regular random spin, that is, anyone can get any one of the listed prizes.   From past experience, it seems that “bigger” players will more regularly get the better prizes.  Who knows how they judge the player levels, but it does seem that your results depend on some unknown factors but the results are connected to your individual play.

Beginning Monday, May 6 through Thursday, May 30, South Point Casino hosts a $500,000 Swipe, Spin ‘N Win every Monday through Thursday. Casino club card holders who earn 300 same day base slot points on any slot or video poker machine between 3 a.m. and 11 p.m. are eligible to swipe and spin the wheel on the designated kiosk for a chance to go home with special prizes. Prizes include $50 free play, $25 free play, $25 resort gift card, $15 free Play, 5,000 bonus points, $10 Off Any Restaurant, a complimentary breakfast or lunch buffet, 2,500 Bonus Points, $5 off any restaurant and 1,500 bonus points. All prizes won will expire on Thursday, June 6.

STATIONS

The Station properties continue with many multiple-point days and other promotions, but, as usual, you have to be very careful to check the specifics for each property.  Check the logos under each promotion when you read your mailer, when you go to the website, and especially if you see a newspaper ad.  Some are for 7 properties, but exclude Fiestas which often have their own promos.

The Palms is still excluded from many of the regular Station promos, but sometimes run different promotions on their own. And here is a phenomenon that has not been regularly done in the past.  Usually casinos announce a promotion that starts the first of the month and runs all month.  In April the Palms announced a multiple-point promo mid-month.  I call this a we-better-do-something-fast-because-we don’t-have-many-customers promo.

GOLD COAST

That same type of promo described above showed up at the Gold Coast in mid-April, long after our regular mailers came in the mail.  And it was a surprisingly good promo – 11x every Sunday through Thursday.  Many of us long-time Gold Coast players had bemoaned the extremely negative changes in their players club system and had noticed the customer drop in recent months.  This mid-month promo seemed like a desperate attempt to pump back up the customer count.

And now in our May mailer that same promotion shows up as well as the royal bonus promo being every day, not just on the weekend as it was in April.  Sounds like casino executives may be reaching some of the same conclusions that we players  have been talking about: some casino cuts and downgrades will lead to customers not just complaining but walking away!

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So – how can we keep informed about possible future mid-month promotional starts or those that are only publicized in mailers?  We learned about some of these in the past only by ads in the Review-Journal.  I will try to post the details of any I see there for those who don’t read this local Vegas newspaper.  Others we learned about because vpFREE forum posters were good enough to share that information.

There is a real problem, especially for Boyd properties, in knowing which promos are only for those who get the monthly mailers –that is, those who have a local address.  An example is May’s Gold Coast Sun-Thurs 11x, which is in our mailer.  Scot’s list mentioned above is usually an accurate source since he gets his information straight from corporate and should only include promotions that are open to the general public.  However, once in awhile it seems that he gets inaccurate info from them.  So again, I try to post changes/corrections when I find them out so out-of-towners will know about those promotions in which they are eligible to participate.

We only get a Gold Coast mailer so don’t know as much about promotions that might or might not be going on in other Boyd properties.  Would appreciate input in the “Comments” about this.

Back from Tahoe to Good Vegas Promos

As always, we enjoyed our visit to Harrah’s Tahoe. Although bad hips and arthritic joints keep us from the long outdoor walks we used to enjoy there, we could still soak up the beautiful atmosphere thanks to our corner-suite windows with the picture-postcard view  of the peaceful lake and the snow-covered mountain forests around it. And the indoor pool and jacuzzi was available to warm up our old bones and relax muscles after hours of video poker.

Last week I had told you that a juicy promotional offer had changed our mind, at least temporarily, about stopping play at CZR properties.  So, we decided to do this offer, albeit with some trepidation since it involved higher denominations that are no longer available for our usual play.  No matter how good a percentage advantage, in the short term, results can be very negative – and going back to our regular positive but lower-denomination play can be a long discouraging journey to eventual long-term success.  However, we were fortunate to end up on the up side of this short-term result range and came home with a nice profit.

But there were other benefits beyond financial ones – friendship and camaraderie. It seemed like the old days, when we would see many of our player friends whenever there was a tournament or drawing or special casino promotion.  We chatted with old friends and made new ones, including some of those whom I had previously known only through this blog or internet forums.  It is always good to finally connect a face with a name!  We even met an elderly gambling gentleman that was two years older than Brad and, like him, still going strong – and found that we shared the common interest of faithfully watching the Lawrence Welk Show reruns on PBS.

Now back in Vegas, we can enjoy more good video poker opportunities in April than we have had here for a while. Stations have taken leave of their “up to” mystery multipliers and now have guaranteed their 10x/6x points: Fiesta casinos have multiplier days on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; the rest of the Station properties (including the Palms) have them every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I love when casinos start competing.  Gold Coast has gone wild and is offering 11x points every day Sundays through Thursdays for the rest of April.  South Point is running a good earn-a-buffet offer.

Check Scot’s Bonus Point List  for multiple-point days at other casinos, including some on Easter, April 21.

 

 

 

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