Now I’m not saying the casinos are going back to those glory days of generous free play, easy comps, and good games. But I am seeing some positive moves.  Wynn/Encore have dropped all parking fees, even for valet.  It hasn’t happened yet but there is now talk that perhaps high and too “hidden” resort fees should be adjusted to attract those that are cutting down – or completely cutting off – their trips to Vegas casinos. And although it doesn’t seem that Boyd is thinking about getting rid of some of the onerous parts of their new players club – like Ruby players not earning points or being eligible for most promotions that are based on point earnings – there are some signs that they are trying to win back some of the customers that have fled.  Must have been a lot of them at the Gold Coast because they have been adding extra bonus-point days for the last few months – in October this runs for four days each week, 11x Monday through Thursday. (Remember, this is like 5.5X for VP players since it now takes $2 VP play to earn one point instead of $1 like under the old club program.)

However, the most common positive note for many casinos is that they are upping food comps. Every free or discounted meal you get, leaves you more money in your pocket.  Now not every casino is doing this increased food comp quite right. This has been a pet peeve of mine for 35 years.  A casino sends out a free-buffet coupon to – it seems – everyone who has ever been a player club member, some who haven’t played there for years and even some who can’t participate because they are dead!

Are you listening, Palms?  Does anyone from the ivory-tower offices in the sky ever come down to the casino floor and see the lines (both VIP as well as the regular one) snaked an unbelievable distance all over the place.  Do you see the tired, disappointed, and often angry looks on the faces of people in those lines who know they are looking at probably more than an hour of boring wait time?  When they finally do get seated and then finish their meal, how many are so mad by that time that the last thing they want to do is go to a machine or a table to gamble.  A food comp is supposed to be something that makes a player happy and glad to be in the casino – not something that makes them mad at a company that doesn’t use good sense in their marketing tactics.  Why can’t they spread out the dates for these coupons?  We no longer even try to use all those free buffet coupons we are getting in the mail; Brad, like many other seniors, just isn’t able to endure such a long wait.

Related to this food gripe, is the gift-giveaways.  These seem to be on the increase and I guess this is a popular perk for many players.  Not my favorite and probably not for many of my fellow seniors – we are trying to size down, not collect stuff.  It would be nice if there was an alternative free play choice.  For years in some casinos we would schedule our time to pick up gifts for late in the give-away period, knowing that if they ran out of the advertised gift, we would be given a gift card or extra free play.

There is also the same long-line problem during gift-giveaways I discussed earlier.  These often take place in cramped crowded areas and the lines have to snake through crowded slot machine aisles.  This should only happen once in a casino.  Someone in authority would see the problem and the next time it would be moved to a less crowded part of the casino and there would be enough staffing that long lines would not develop.  And a personal wish: They would train the employees to smile and act friendly when they are checking in the players and/or giving out the gifts.  So often we feel like these employees actually hate that we have shown up to ruin their day!

End of rant and a last technical note:  Some people have told me that they can’t subscribe to this blog.  We did have some problems with this earlier, but they have been resolved.  So, you might try again.  If it still does not work for you, drop a note to promotions@huntingtonpress.com  and we will subscribe you manually.

LAS VEGAS— (Sept. 22, 2011) – In an ongoing effort to reward the resort’s loyal guests, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore have launched enhancements to the Red Card loyalty program. Red Card provides members extraordinary benefits for unmatched experiences exclusive to Wynn Resorts.  Beginning Tuesday, September 20, guests were able to earn points, free credit and comps faster than before.  The credits may be redeemed for services and amenities available at two world class resorts with the ease and usability of just one card.

Enhancements made to the existing Red Card program include a faster rate of point accumulation.  In the new program, players earn 1 point for every $1.50 played in a reel slot machine. In video poker, every $6 or $15 played (depending on machine type) earns 1 point.

Guests are encouraged to use their Red Card while gaming to earn comps for coveted fine dining or show reservations, cabanas at one of the resort’s magnificent pools, tee times at the exclusive Wynn Country Club, special rates on the resort’s luxurious guest rooms and redeem their points for FREECREDIT that can be downloaded right at any slot machine.

Guests of Wynn Resorts are already members of the program as Red Card also serves as the guest room key. If the guest is not registered at the resort, patrons can become a member by visiting the Red Card desk located on the casino floor or inquire at any table game and present a valid driver’s license or passport to obtain a Red Card. Customers may also sign up online at www.wynnlasvegas.com/red-card.

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Just as happened with the Stations last week, we are given only one number –  and we need two to figure out whether this is going to be as exciting for the player as it is for the casino.

Someone asked me last week to talk about what Internet forums I find valuable.  Well, here’s an example:  On the 21^st, this was posted on the vpFREE forum:

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 The rules of the Wynn/Encore slot club have changed.

Old:

Machines with 9/6 JoB earn zero points.
$9 Coin-In = 1 Point on all other video poker
Free Play: 50 Points = $1 (0.222%)

New:

$15 Coin-In = 1 Point on machines with 9/6 JoB.
Free Play: 100 Points = $1 (0.067%)

$6 Coin-In = 1 Point on all other video poker.
Free Play: 100 Points = $1 (0.167%)

The new rules are on their website.  And now you can create an account on their website.

I noticed that they had converted all my previous points to free play at the old (higher) rate. So I started playing under the new system with a zero balance.  Also found out that locals now get one buffet for each 1500 points earned (after the initial free buffets for new sign-ups). Used to be 750 points. Don’t know if this applies to visitors also.

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I don’t think I need to comment much here.  You all are smart enough to figure out whether the changes will “enhance” your casino visits there!

And the information given here may just convince you that it might be a good idea check out vpFREE. (Subscribe for free at vpFREE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)    Sure these kinds of forums can get bogged down at times with too much useless arguing –  and not all of the information interests everyone, but I scan the posts every day, looking for some kernel of information that might make my casino decisions a little wiser.  And wise casino decisions have put money in my pocket for 27 years!

One short frugal tip: If you haven’t ever got around to joining the Wynn players club, there is a great new-member bonus going on right now. Earn just 25 points and you get one free buffet; earn 50 points and get two. You can choose to use these at the most expensive meal offered. And there may be more perks with further points — just ask. One warning: Slot club-joining bonuses come and go with no warning, so you should always check in advance by phone before you make a special trip. 

I have the surgery on my left eye tomorrow and hopefully I will be seeing clearly enough to be back to regular blogging soon.