Question of the Day - 19 June 2018

No real reason to be concerned.

Like key cards for hotel rooms, players cards are the center of an urban myth as to how much information is stored on them. They’re apparently of so little value that they’re beneath the purview of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The NGCB’s Michael Lawton wrote us, “I just spoke to the Audit Division and the Board doesn’t currently have controls over what licensees put on the player cards and how they are used. Unfortunately, this question is outside of GCB  purview and would be best  answered by a gaming licensee.”

So we asked one.

Take Boyd Gaming’s B Connected card. “The only thing encoded on the card is a sequence of numbers that links the card back to the customer’s account in our systems, and allows the customer to earn and redeem points. No other personal information is on the card,” says company spokesman David Strow.

“Even if someone does find your card,” Strow adds, “and attempts to use it to redeem your accumulated points and comps, they'll be unable to do so without your unique PIN.”

When you consider the number of permutations an identity thief would have to go through to find your PIN, it would be enough to discourage anyone but a complete obsessive from even trying. (Based on recent history, identity thieves prefer to hack into the database directly.)

“So in a nutshell, no, they shouldn't be too concerned about losing the card, and it is relatively easy for them to get a replacement card at any property,” Strow concludes.

Deana Scott, president of casino customer-focused Raving Consulting, confirms Strow’s reassurances. “None of a players’ personal information is stored on the card,” she says.

Your points could be played (and drinks ordered) if you leave the card in a slot machine, but the only information on the card proper is your player account number. Scott recommends getting a new card and PIN if your card goes AWOL.

While it’s best not to lose your loyalty card (or room key), it’s not the end of the world. But keeping a tight hold on them will spare you at most a little grief.