This analysis appeared in the February 2017 LVA.
As of the first of this year, the Plaza’s “$500 on Us” rebate-on-loss offer was discontinued, with nothing noteworthy taking its place. But one week after it was stopped, a new rebate showed up at Cannery and Eastside Cannery. The Cannerys have run rebate deals before, always with restrictive rules, but this time it’s more straightforward. The offer of up to $200 in gambling losses reimbursed is for new members only and both out-of-state and local players are eligible. Either slots or video poker can be played on the front end and the rebate can be played on designated free-play machines. The distribution of the rebate is where it gets a little sticky. It comes in two bounce-back offers sent via email—50% the first week after you play and the rest two weeks after. Both have a seven-day window for redemption. The time between redemptions makes the promotion highly targeted toward locals, as most visitors don’t figure to be in town for 14 days or more. There’s a rule that you must have a minimum loss of $20 to qualify for the rebate, but that shouldn’t bother anyone, given that the value of this deal is in playing until you hit the maximum loss allowed. In other words, play until you either walk away with a big win or lose the whole amount. The optimal route for accomplishing this is to play at the highest denomination possible until you hit or bust. If you want more time at the machine, playing for 50¢ or $1 will accomplish that. If you lose and get the rebate, run the free-play through at your normal playing level.