We asked Jean Scott to answer this question several months ago and she just threw up her hands and groaned. "If these casinos don’t quit all this merging, I'll never be able to retire!" However, recently she said the fog was clearing, though not completely and certainly not quickly. Here, she shares with us as much as she has found out so far:
First, I can get the MGM-Mirage Mandalay conglomerate out of the way quickly. Although MGM and Mirage merged some time ago and now have one player's card, they've not absorbed the Mandalay properties as yet. You still use your One Card at all the original MRG properties. However, if you want a comp at an MGM-Mirage property, you could ask a host at a Mandalay property and, depending on your play level, this should be possible. And the same is true going the other way: Mandalay to MGM-Mirage. Benefits and comp policies vary from property to property, but a host at any should be able to clue you in.
I wish the new giant, Harrah's, was as easy to put away in a single paragraph. One aspect is simple: You now use and earn points on one Total Rewards players card at all 30-plus properties now under the Harrah's umbrella, even if the casino is still called the Horseshoe, Caesars, Bally's, Paris, Grand, Sheraton, Harvey's, or whatever new brand they acquire in the future. What can still be complicated for someone who has earned points at more than one of these casinos is seeing that all the accounts are merged, you have only one account number, and that none of your points are lost in the transition. For many people, it has taken a lot of phone calls or letters to get this done.
You earn basic Reward Credits at the same rate wherever you play: One Reward Credit for $5 coin-in on slots and $10 coin-in for video poker. However, at the same time you also earn bonus points. And the rate for these varies greatly, depending on the location of the casino, the machine you're playing, and many other factors, most of which are proprietary secrets that even I, with 16 years of experience, can't figure out!
Each property has its own menu for redeeming your Reward Credits for comps, and it varies greatly between properties. However, there's an across-the-board company policy whereby any benefit you're offered in a mailed offer (room, show, meal, airfare) is really free. In other words, your Reward Credit isn't docked for it. Still, you must use Reward Credits for all other benefits you wish to enjoy. This last policy is causing an uproar, especially at Caesars in Vegas. Some of us who play at the highest levels, are invited to the top events, and are used to being RFB, are now docked from our Reward Credit accounts for something as little as a hamburger in the food court. This doesn't give you a VIP feeling.
The above information is correct at the time I'm writing it, based on my own personal experiences. But heed my constant warning: Things change rapidly and you should always check before you assume too much.
A poster on an Internet board reported receiving a letter from a Harrah's executive that contained this advice:
"When you receive an offer for complimentary nights via email or postal mail, Reward Credits should not be deducted from your account. When you are offered a complimentary room via a Casino Host or via our Reservation Team, it is always suggested to ask if you are being comped based on your play or based on the Reward Credits you have available. Typically, you will be set up as comped based on your play with Harrah's Entertainment. Your Reward Credits are generally used at check-out to cover incidental charges and any room charges that were not comped based on your play."
Like I write all the time: "Just ask!"
Better known as "The Queen of Comps," Jean is author of several HP titles, including Tax Help for the Frugal Gambler,
