Poll : 16 July - 29 July 2008

Analysis

Slot clubs are different. Some are generous in room comps, others in food and entertainment comps, and still others in cashback and/or bounceback. Depending on who you are and what you want, different givebacks will have different values for you. For example, if you visit Las Vegas often, a club that gives you free rooms is important. However, if you live in Las Vegas, you may be more interested in cashback. Consequently, it's difficult to pick one single best slot club unless you specify "best for what." This poll did not specify, so it's a mingling of different preferences. Still, with almost 2,000 votes cast, there's value in the blended preferences, but a clear win for Harrah's Total Rewards. Here's some of the feedback you sent us about how you picked:

• "While I read a lot negative of comments about Harrah's and the Total Rewards program, my wife and I have been happy with our experience. Many choices of where to stay, places to eat, and shows to see. Free rooms and we charge dinners and shows to the room, then use reward credits to cover the bill."
• Harrah’s is the best players club for me, although it becomes less wonderful as HET continues to tighten their games. The best thing about Harrah’s is that they are nationwide, so they offer nationwide opportunities. I started playing in their Vegas casinos and then they started sending me frequent offers from their other casinos. This prompted me to visit New Orleans for the first time ever, pre-Katrina. I have now been to wonderful New Orleans five times. Post-Katrina, Harrah’s NOLA was desperate for players so they offered me a free cruise (7-day Western Caribbean, balcony cabins!), which was by far the best comp I have ever been offered. They have since raised their play requirements for cruises, so that I no longer qualify… but I fell in love with cruising again after a 30-year hiatus, and am now buying my own cruises!
  "My second choice would be Venetian/Palazzo. For a while they were very welcoming to Harrah’s refugees, but they have now tightened their VP so much that it appears they are unplayable. Excellent rooms and restaurants, if you pay $0 rather than $5,000, if you know what I mean."
• "I voted for Harrah's because of all the players clubs I have joined, Harrah's has sent me the best offers consistently. I have never been turned down when I've asked for a comp or show up without a reservation. The employees make me feel like family and not just another person.:
• "I wanted to vote for "other" because it's a toss up between MGM Group and Venetian/Palazzo. MGM give you cashback right on the machines and so-so room reductions, and then Venetian gives great room deals and so-so cash back.
• "We live in Florida and stay/play regularly at MGM Mirage properties in Las Vegas and Biloxi MS. We receive mailers and e-mails from the MGM Mirage Players Club on a near-daily basis and eagerly look forward to them. We find the comp offers that we receive to be quite generous for our level of play and we use them every time we visit an MGM Mirage property…They make it easy to redeem offers and often throw in extras without our asking. We like the FreePlay and PointPlay programs, which we think are generous, uncomplicated, easy to understand, and can be easily redeemed at any slot machine with your PIN. We belong to other players club programs, too, (Harrah's Total Rewards, Venetian Grazie, Wynn Red Club, and others) but find that they cannot compare to that of MGM Mirage. The high quality of the MGM Mirage properties, generous offers, and their friendly and professional staff keep us loyal customers."
• "The Vegas Club or Binion's. With the Vegas Club, I received a comped weekend after 2 afternoons of play."
• "The best one for the low-roller has got to be Terrible's. It doesn't take many points to be able to redeem for at least a small trinket on any given day. We stay there once a year and have