Tomorrow Brad and I have only one freeplay pickup and one small promotion to do and that finishes off our November calendar. Now it is time to tackle our December schedule.
I already have entries filling in many days of December, since I process casino mail as I receive it and some casinos send offers well in advance. I love that because it makes planning easier and I don’t have to use my eraser so much. (Yes, I still keep a hard-copy calendar – as I have for 54 years, since I went away to college. I tried a computer calendar but I just didn’t like it. So I jot everything down in pencil and erase away when changes have to be made – something that happens frequently!)
December has always been a good month for casino promotions – the casinos have to work hard to get customer minds (and money) off holiday shopping. However, I was wondering what they might do in this economy-challenged year. It would seem logical that promotions should be even stronger than usual. However, this last year or two many casinos, surprisingly, have seemed to be coping with the economic downturn by decreasing rather than increasing incentives for players to visit them: cutting comps, downgrading games, and reducing the number of promotions.
Happily, although some casinos still are sticking with their cut-cut policies, there are many others that are pulling out the stops to win our business. Here is a sampling at some of the casinos where we regularly play.
The Palms has always been promotion-happy and is offering an incentive almost every day in December: some bonus-point days; video poker bingo cards on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays; Swipe-and-Win’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and Play-and-Earn gift cards on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Tuscany also has ramped up their promotion offerings: 10x points on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and you can earn gift cards on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Silverton has a swipe promotion every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for cash, gift cards, free slot play and other prizes plus there is a Secret Santa Giveaway on Wednesdays starting December 8. These are in addition to their weekly Tuesday slot tournament and Thursday video poker tournament.
As with all promotions, the devil is in the details and you need to get the complete rules for each promotion at the players club before you start play:
What are the times for collecting, earning, and/or redeeming?
Are slots and VP both eligible?
Are some machines excluded?
Are there any limits?
Do you have to redeem your points to get something, or – better – can you keep the points to redeem later for free play or comps.
Not everyone will find every promotion makes a “good play” for them. We certainly don’t play them all. However, wise players will add up the value of the base game and the value of the extra benefits, and only then can they make an informed decision based on their own situation and goals.
Hi, Jean!
Do you get the days of the Palms promos in your mailings? Or where do you find them? I’ve looked on the Palms websites and found nothing
Jean, Can you tell me specifics about the Tuscany gift card promo? I’m not in town or I’d check myself. How much action for what denomination card? And what are the hours on Mon-Tues-Wed? I looked on their website and it just says to check the players club.
thanks!
Jean
Have you ever considered a white board with calendar squares? You can write on it and erase easier than pencil also you can hang it on the wall and reuse it each month. This would keep extra paper out of the landfills and might save you money. They also tend to be bigger that regular calendars for easier reading.
Just a frugal suggestion.
Hi Jean–
Can you explain the details of the Palms gift card promotion? Are the rules the same as last year?