Category: Lifestyle & Travel Tips

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Tier Match at MGM Properties

Once again, MGM is doing a tier-match promotion, this one through June 2026. These promos usually give you tier status for three months and you need to meet the actual tier requirements to continue at that tier level after the three-month period.

This one is different. At MGM, I had about 100,000 tier points when I applied for the tier match. 75,000 is Gold and 200,000 is Platinum. I used my Caesars Diamond Elite card and was given Platinum status. But on my card, it shows Platinum status for the entire year.

Here is a link to the status-match program.

Here are the challenge rules.

Here is a link to all the MGM Tier match offers by state.

You don’t get the really good benefits (airfare, cruises, etc.) until you actually get to the point level required for the given status.

So what does Platinum get me that Gold doesn’t? Lounge access (but only for one person). 30% slot point bonus (20% for Gold). $100 in cruise ship free play ($75 for Gold). There are also some gift shop bonuses, expedited valet and taxi service, etc., but these are minor benefits.

The rules say only one status match lifetime, but this is the third one I’ve done with MGM.

Is it worthwhile to do? You should consider the following factors.

  • How much do I use MGM properties?
  • What is free parking at MGM worth to me?
  • If I am a current MGM player, does moving up a level really benefit me?
  • Should I use it now or save it for next year?

Now, I don’t know what the lounges in Las Vegas are like. The lounge in Detroit is functional. The food is good, but the lounge is small and alcoholic drinks are about the same price as on the casino floor. I’ll be checking out the Las Vegas lounges at the beginning of June and will report back.

I’m using the match as a stopgap until I get full Platinum status. There is enough value in that for me and there is enough to play in Detroit. Your situation will vary greatly based on your state and situation.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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$20 happy hours on The Strip that are good. I mean, really good.

Las Vegas Happy Hour Deals on the Strip - April 2026

Five Strip happy hours where $20 (or less) gets you world-class food, top-shelf drinks, and a venue experience that most people save for special occasions.🌟

APRIL 2026 – Buried deep within 125 happy hours on the Strip are a few stand-outs. These aren’t special deals – they’re discoveries! The kind of places and menus that make you feel like an insider the moment you walk in. Check out our top 5 below and see them all at Las Vegas Advisor Happy Hours page.

🍱 TAO ASIAN BISTRO HAPPY HOUR: The Venetian Casino
The math here is almost offensive. Everything on the happy hour menu is $10. Which means a Spicy Tuna Tartare on Crispy Rice + a Sake = $20.
TAO is legitimately one of the most iconic dining brands in Vegas and their happy hour runs like a secret the Strip forgot to hide. Reviewers call it one of the best deals at the Venetian, which is not a property known for deals. Go before someone in accounting notices.

🥩 STK STEAKHOUSE HAPPY HOUR: Comsopolitan Casino
Every food item on the STK happy hour menu is $7. Every single one. The Grilled Chimi Filet — a real steak at a real steakhouse is $7. Add a top shelf martini at $12 and you’re at $19 and eating better than most people at the table next to you who are about to drop $190 on dinner. Recent guests keep flagging this one as “the best kept secret at the Cosmo.” It’s not a secret anymore, but go anyway.

🌮 TOCA MADERA HAPPY HOUR: Shops at Crystals (Aria)
Inside one of the most expensive malls on the planet sits a $14 Sea Bass taco that will ruin every other fish taco you eat for the rest of your life. Add a $5 Modelo or Corona and you’re at $19 – A buck under budget and significantly over expectations. Toca Madera is a modern Mexican concept with serious culinary credentials and a happy hour menu that makes absolutely no sense at these prices. Don’t question it. Just order the sea bass.

🍣 KUSA NORI HAPPY HOUR: Resorts World Casino
Modern Japanese lounge, gorgeous space, and a happy hour menu that reads like someone genuinely thought about it. Here’s your $20 move: Ikari Salmon Hand Roll ($7) + Droppin Yuzu Sake Bomb ($8) + Artisanal Mochi Ice Cream ($3) = $18 and change. Three courses. Under $20. At Resorts World. Guests have been raving about the quality of the fish and the vibe “felt like Tokyo, priced like a Tuesday” is the energy here. 

🏀 BLONDIE’S HAPPY HOUR $20 AYCD: Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile
And now for something completely different. Blondie’s is the only All You Can Drink happy hour on the Las Vegas Strip. $20. AYCD. Done. Is it the most sophisticated entry on this list? No. Is it family-owned, genuinely friendly, and the best possible answer to “I just want to get in the left lane early”? Absolutely yes. Sometimes the $20 move isn’t a hand roll — sometimes it’s a cold drink, a sports bar stool, and zero decisions for the rest of the afternoon. Respect the classics.

Want to be the first to know about new Happy Hours in Las Vegas?

Check out the new Las Vegas Advisor Happy Hours page for up to date and accurate Happy hours. Or, subscribe to the Happy Hour Vegas newsletter (Free) for curated, verified happy hour deals including new finds and quiet standouts straight to your inbox. Every week, thousands of members get first-in-line access to happy hour deals, events, and giveaways. Plus, local experts tracking 500+ happy hours with updated menus, prices, links and tips for the week.

👉 Sign up for the free Happy Hour Vegas newsletter

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A Surprise Bonus to Online Gambling


This example is specific to my location and circumstance, but the idea is most likely applicable to a lot of situations.
I’m in the Detroit area and play at Motor City Casino (MCC). The video poker is the 98.5%–99.0% variety. Between free play, comps, and mailers it’s an OK recreational play. One big perk is Signature status, which gets you and a guest into their Signature lounge. I would pay $75 a person for the meal there. The food is that good.

Now, to get Signature status, you need to earn 15,000 Signature points in six months. For video poker, $5.60 coin in gets you 1 point, $3.35 on slots. You need 90 regular points for 1 Signature point.

So in six months, you need to play $1,350,000 through on 99% video poker. The cost would be $13,500. The food is very good, but not worth $2,400 a month. There is 0.18% in free play and 0.112% in comps. That gets the cost down to about $10,500 (cashing in the comps for free play). That’s still too much to pay.

But recently, MCC started making comps redeemable at 1-1 for free play (formerly 3-1). Now, if I play the best VP game at 99.0% and add in 0.18% for base free play and 0.112% for comps converted to FP, we’re at about 99.29%. Add 0.05% for mailers and we’re up to 99.34%. But a 0.66% loss is still too much to give up on $1.35 million.

Another promo MCC runs pretty frequently is on Saturdays, if you earn $10 or more in comps, you get the same amount in free play. Comps for VP are 0.112%, so you need to run about $9,000 through on video poker. Slot comps are 10 times that, so finding some advantage slots is the much better play. That makes the VP free-play return up to about 0.4%.

Getting there, but still not enough.

Enter online play. If you play on FanDuel Detroit, you earn Signature points and comps at the same rate as live play. The best game is NSUD at 99.72%. Add the cash value of the comps (0.11%) and we’re at 99.83%. At level 4 on Fan Duel, you get a 15% loss rebate weekly up to $35. That adds about $50 a month (estimated). Now we’re getting close.

FanDuel also gives about $300 a month in bonuses.

Let’s add it all up:

For $1,350,000 coin in over 6 months on Fan Duel

Base game loss = -$3,780

Converted FP = $1,497

Fan Duel bonuses = $1,800

Loss rebate = $300

I’m down to a cost of $183. Playing at that level on FanDuel gets me to their VIP level. The loss rebate increases to 25% to $125 per week. Also, as a Signature member, the secret code bonus at MCC (twice a week on average) increases from $5 to $20. I’m sure there will be some other perks as well. I expect the Fan Duel bonuses to increase. I expect the Motor City mailers to increase.

What was once too expensive a proposition to attain Signature status via live casino becomes viable using their online casino partner.

A lot of conditions must line up for this to work. Even if you aren’t a typical online player, it’s worth checking out. Throw in the new-player sign-up bonuses and the convenience of getting in action whenever you feel like it and it might just be enough to gain status at your local casino.

I will report out how good the Fan Duel VIP program is as I gather more info. This will be the real test to see if this online play is worth it or not.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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Foodie Happy Hours: Where the Food Actually Matters

foodie happy hours las vegas 2026

Most happy hours are built around drink deals. This category is different.

Foodie happy hours are where the kitchen comes first with menus driven by chefs, not just pricing. Think better ingredients, sharper execution, and dishes you might not order at full price made available at happy hour prices.

It’s one of the most anticipated happy hour updates, because it changes often. New chefs, evolving menus, seasonal ingredients and new food trends keep our editors busy and our audiences happy.

For Las Vegas Advisor readers, this is where the value shifts:

  • Better ingredients
  • More thoughtful menus
  • Pricing that rewards timing instead of compromise

You’re not just saving money—you’re ordering smarter.

Below are five foodie happy hours worth knowing about or, view all 42 Foodie Happy Hours (Updated March 2026).

Stubborn Seed Happy Hour » Resorts World

🌿 Chef Jeremy Ford has a Michelin star and zero interest in playing it safe. His Social Hour (daily 4–6 PM) brings that same energy to the bar at happy hour. Order the Crunchy Truffle Bravas ($14) and try to explain to your friends why potatoes just made you emotional. Full details & menu →

Weera Thai Happy Hour » Four Vegas Locations

🌶️ Authentic Northern Thai food at happy hour prices. Four locations across the Valley with different menus, hours and prices in the $7-$8-$9 range. Sahara location Mon-Fri, 4-7 PM. The move here is the Nam Khao Tod ($9) crispy rice salad that you won’t find on any Thai menu in Vegas. Reviewers keep coming back just for this dish. Trust them. Full details & menu →

D’Agostino’s Trattoria » Summerlin

🍝 Chef Dan Thompson built D’Agostino’s Trattoria in Summerlin as a love letter to his Italian heritage — and his Happy Hour is where that love shows up at a very reasonable price. No shortcuts, no chain-restaurant energy — just scratch-made Italian bites and $12 cocktails in a neighborhood spot that earns its regulars the old-fashioned way. The House-Made Pesto Chicken Egg Rolls ($12) are stuffed with roasted chicken, pesto Genovese, and three Italian cheeses — the kind of happy hour bite that makes you wonder why you ever settled for wings. Tuesday–Sunday, 4–6 PM. Full details & menu →

Todd’s Unique Dining » Henderson

❇️ Family-owned since 2004, Todd’s has been Henderson’s best-kept secret for over 20 years. Creative fusion flavors, daily-flown-in seafood, and a menu that doesn’t look like anyone else’s in the valley. Happy Hour is Tue-Fri 4:30-6 PM, with bites starting at $5. The must-order: Goat Cheese Wontons with raspberry basil sauce ($6). As local food legend Al Mancini put it, they should be declared Henderson’s official appetizer. Hard to argue. Full details & menu →

Petite Boheme Happy Hour » Arts District Las Vegas

🇫🇷 A French bistro in the Arts District with the soul of a Paris boîte and a late-night happy hour that goes until 11 PM. The Raviole de Dauphine ($12) – short rib, comté, béarnaise gastrique is the kind of bite that makes you question every other happy hour menu you’ve ever seen. Oui. Full details & menu →

Estiatorio Milos Happy Hour » Venetian

🐟 One of the finest Greek seafood restaurants in North America runs a daily Mid-Day Happy Hour (3–5 PM at the bar) built around a raw bar that sources fish from the Mediterranean and Hawaii’s auction markets. The Bigeye AAA Tuna Tartare ($45) is the one. It has its own dedicated fan club on Yelp, and rightfully so. This is what “foodie happy hour” actually means. Full details & menu →

Why Foodie Happy Hours Matter

  • You get access to chef-driven dishes at reduced prices
  • You avoid the trial-and-error of ordering blind
  • You experience better restaurants without committing to full dinner pricing

That’s the advantage—knowing where quality and value overlap.
👉 Explore more Foodie Happy Hours in Las Vegas

This free newsletter is your insiders guide to Las Vegas Happy Hours.

Every week, thousands of members get first-in-line access to happy hour deals, events, and giveaways. Plus, local experts tracking 500+ happy hours with updated menus, prices, links and tips for the week.
👉 Sign up for the free Happy Hour Vegas newsletter

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Bobby Vegas — This Renaissance Neanderthal’s Totally Free Vegas

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

“Vegas is dead! There’s no hope. I brought $1,500 and I’m going to party till it’s all gone!”

OMG. Go eat some worms

What’s your Vegas trip goal? Be a high roller? Tuck dollars in G-strings at Spearmint Rhino? Ecstasy at Sphere or Zouk? Hit the Deuces Wild royal? A legendary 30-minute craps roll? It’s all good.

For me it starts with the Six Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance

Planning and preparing my Totally Free Vegas Trip start with Southwest and Chase points for flights. Then I search Priceline or Turo for my car hack. I’ve even rented $20-a-day U-Haul pickups. Of course, I take advantage of LVA’s no resort fee coupons and a great hotel rate.

Result? $500 out of pocket for a week in Vegas.

Then there’s a pretty good chance that with matchplay runs, positive-expectation video poker, and most food and entertainment comped, I’ll cover my nut. So rather than being $1,500-$2000 out, I’m ahead by $1,000, before I even land at Reid.

Good friends risk more and score more. $25 VP. Black-chip BJ. $50 craps. Have at it. This scuffler wants to have fun. Being 100% commission my whole life, I’m just not thrilled about losing money. Making money in Vegas is not my number one goal. Relaxing and having a good time for as little as possible are.

It’s okay. Choose your poison. That’s not one of the Six Ps, but perhaps it should be number seven.

Your goals, games, and wins may be different, but with planning and preparing, you’ll know your goals cold, so when opportunity knocks, you can grab it.

One of the lessons I’ve learned in Vegas is respecting my intuition. When to double down on a streak, when it’s time to walk away a winner. Hello Kenny Rogers.

Yeah, I quote Elvis, the Grateful Dead, Bruno Mars, AND Kenny. That’s why I call myself a Renaissance Neanderthal — well-read, well-rounded (in more ways than one) and occasionally, I even take a shower.

What are your goals? What are your successful techniques? Do you play at comp levels? My bud Carolina Mike rolls around town on comp nights and good VP. He knows his advantage games cold and winner winner free steaks for dinner. Ct Rob does it too and has a blast doing it.

What is winning for you? What do you do to win?

You may not get excited about coupon runs as I do. Fine. Maybe your highlight is a gourmet meal or buying your sweety or yourself something nice.

To quote Ed Harris from Apollo 13, “Failure is not an option. No on my watch, people. Work the problem.”

Knowing what winning is before you arrive, setting yourself up to win, even dealing with bad breaks and losing streaks will make for a better trip than the other 125 squares on the plane home. Plan to win you’ll have a good shot at it. Plan to lose and Vegas’ll be happy to accommodate you.

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Bobby Vegas — Elvis, Rolexes for You, and Disco

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

Just got back from a late showing of Baz Luhrman’s exceptional documentary, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.

Do you love Vegas history half as much as I do? Go see the man, the performer, the original superstar made real. It’s a never-before-seen backstage view of Elvis’ humor, talent, and peak performances at the International/Hilton/now Westgate.

The reviews are off the chart. My only regret is I wasn’t in town for the Feb 10th FREE showing at Westgate in the same room Elvis performed 636 sold-out shows.

My favorite reveal? Elvis went through the audience and kissed as many women who wanted him to on the lips! Some fainted. Some cried. Some both. Incredible.

My personal Bobby Vegas Elvis story?

Staying at the Hilton for years under a too-good-to-be-true scuffler deal (four nights, including weekends, four buffets, spa passes, and some free play and coupons for $155), I was there so much the valets knew me. Okay, I’m a George, tipping them in and out.

(I’d seen ZZ Top perform in the same theater where Elvis played right off the main floor.)

Anyway, chatting up a security guard about the major missed opportunity/tragedy that Hilton never did justice to its incredible cultural music history, he says, “You want tragic? The previous owners came in, tore Elvis’ suite out, and THREW EVERYTHING AWAY!”

He then casually mentions that in the backstage area, they’d left Elvis’s dressing room intact and asks, “Wanna see it?”

“OMG, yes!”

We went down and I got a private backstage tour. That, my friends, was a Bobby Vegas super-cool moment. It pays to be friendly and curious.

Westgate elevated Elvis’ history with a statue and the free showing on Feb.10. I think Cami Christensen, Westgate GM, should show the move in that theater three to five times a week.

Go see EpiC. Elvis has left the building, but his legacy endures even today, 49 years after his death.

Next. Rolexes 4 U. This month’s Rainbow/Emerald Island contest is a drawing for FOUR Rolexes at the end of this month, two each at EI and Rainbow. Same deal as in my last blog: 200 points per ticket. $200 coin in. If a reader wins one, please tell us in comments or through Anthony’s YouTube channel.

Finally, disco. Yes (again), I love to dance and am told regularly I’m a wonderful dancer, (reference my VIP-given status as unofficial House Dancer at The Pinky Ring).

I grew up playing several instruments, listening (thanks, Mom) to classical, jazz, Motown, reggae, and rock, but dance was it for me and lately, with all the craziness in the world we’re all going through, it’s crucial to find experiences you love, that bring joy.

That’s my family of friends, Vegas, writing, and dancing.

This weekend I went to a “Gimme Gimme Disco” event for $25. Great deal. Total blast. The show is all over the U.S. Google it.

At Spiegleworld’s closed Discoshow space at the Linq, I implored management to do something with the $40 million venue. They did. Check out the Saturday night free disco event, Club Honey. Even if you have two left feet, the ladies love it. So? “You should be dancing.” Go!

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Bobby Vegas — Kid in a Candy Store

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

Wow. Why am I so happy? My MRB arrived!

Yes, I’m that much of a scuffler. Looking through it, planning my next trip, how will I use all these spiffs? A Fremont matchplay run?

Wait! It’s my birthday. Maybe read my own article, plan a birthday run. Go to Eureka, pick up my old-codger free play AND my birthday free play. It’s a tough job. No, it’s not. It’s a blast!

With Bruno in town playing Allegiant, I’ll pop in to the Pinky Ring. Free VIP.

I’m also psyched about the new Saturday night disco at the Linq, Club Honey. “Awww, honey. Sure I’ll dance with you.” And the tickets are free. Look it up.

Some folks want to spend four figures on 1000%-marked-up bottle service. If that rocks your world, fine. Me, I’m into four letters, f r e e.

I’m still recovering from my Christmas eve heart attack, surgical procedure, and the flu in January (talk about a bad beat), and there are many things that motivate me, but top of the chart? You got it. My next Vegas trip.

How’d you do on the Super Bowl? I didn’t have my heart in it this year after a three-out- of-four-year futures run and medical distractions, but I did end up with the Rams and New England in the playoffs (almost perfect) and, thank the sports gods, learned from SF-KC and hedged Seattle.

But I digress.

I ran across a discussion on Quora where the squares were complaining how awful Vegas has become. Yeah yeah yeah. I know, but people, here’s the thing. If it’s bad for the casino’s goose, it’s very good for us ganders. Why? The smart ones (Plaza, Wynn, Rio) try extra hard to get us back. Say hello sharps, scufflers, and advantage players.

Yes, the corporates are greedy. Yes, the Strip vacuums your wallet faster than a Paris pickpocket. SO DON’T STAY ON THE STRIP! Is that so hard?

Back to the MRB, its looking like a very good year. I need to scout new venues. One of my faves has gotten tired of me walking away a winner and the comps are drying up. MRB is my ticket to finding the next Hilton, El Cortez, Plaza, Rio, Downtown Grand —all of which have treated me well … until the head scratching becomes “Hey, this guy rarely loses! Why are we comping him?”

My bad.

I still remember an old-timer sitting next to me, bangin’ away, and I commented,
“I’ve been coming here for a while, but all I do is break even.”

He stopped and looked at me. “You play a lot and you’re breaking even? In Vegas, son, breaking even IS winning.”

Here’s to riding the B/E line, getting some pops into positive on top of enough RFB freebies to keep this scuffler happy. And coupons, glorious LVA coupons. Not sexy enough for ya? Leave em for me.

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Top 3 National Margarita Day Deals + 49 Mexican Happy Hours

National Margarita Day Deals 2026

National Margarita Day is Sunday, February 22.
In most cities, that means one-day drink specials. In Las Vegas, it’s simply a reminder of something locals already know: margaritas are better (and cheaper) at the right happy hour.

Top 3 National Margarita Days Deals:

Hussong’s Mexican Cantina Las Vegas is celebrating National Margarita Day February 20–22, Friday through Sunday, with new $5 margaritas featured daily and half off original margaritas. Add street tacos, giveaways, and rock ’n’ roll mariachis, and you’ve got a full weekend worth celebrating. Hussong’s Happy Hour menu with prices here.

Nacho Daddy is best known for its stacked nachos, award-winning margaritas and “never a dry chip” attitude, is celebrating National Margarita Day on Sunday, Feb. 22, with buy-one, get-one-free margaritas offered all day at all three of its Las Vegas locations. They serve a solid $5 House Margarita during happy hour too!

Station Casinos is not rolling out the Mariachi for Margarita Day this year because everyday is Margarita Day with $1.99 Sauza Margaritas Available at Select Casino Bars inside Palace, Boulder, Sunset, Santa Fe, Green Valley Ranch, Red Rock and Durango. (FYI – Station Casinos has over 30 happy hours every week. Good happy hour deals listed here)

National Margarita Day deals 2026

National Margarita Day is one day, Happy hour is everyday

Vegas does Mexican Cantinas exceptionally well and we take our Margaritas seriously (frozen or on the rocks – we don’t judge). The best part is that the experience isn’t limited to one Sunday in February – Happy Hour Vegas tracks 49 Mexican happy hours across the city where margaritas routinely land in the $5–$8 range during weekday happy hours. See a few examples below and you’ll see why Vegas happy hours are several dollars below the national average of $9.49.

Uno Mass Street Tacos Happy Hour – Uno Mas Street Tacos happy hour at the Sahara open daily until 6 PM serves $5 Margaritas, $10 wine, $7 beer and $8 Cheese Quesadilla.

Taco Escobar Happy Hour – Everyday 3-6PM Downtown Las Vegas. 2 tacos + beer for$8, $20 AYCE Tacos, $4 beers, $6 margaritas.

Alebrijes Happy Hour – Fremont Street downtown Las Vegas. Happy Hours daily 4-6 PM & 10 PM-12 AM. Exceptional menu includes Mexican small plates at $10 each and margaritas $7.

Mas Por Favor Happy Hour – Located in Chinatown and open daily 3 PM-6 PM offering Street Tacos $3, Classic Burro $7, Draft Beer $5 and Margaritas on Tap $5.

La Mona Rosa Happy Hour – Arts District open 6-8 PM Wed-Thurs, 4-6 PM Fri & Weekends. Includes $3 tacos, $8 cocktails, $7 wines. Great menu, kitchen and Cantina Vibe.

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A Case for Diamond Elite Status at Caesars

I’ve had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with Caesars over the years. Early on, in the mid-’90s and early 2000s, there was enough value to get Diamond status. Over the years, however, the value of Diamond has diminished greatly.

Last year, I made Diamond Elite (75,000 tier points). Normally, it would be $750,000 coin-in on some bad video poker machines to achieve that status.  Even if you could find a 99% game that was $10 per point, it was still an expected loss of $7,500. Probably not worth it.

Tier multiplier days changed that. They run frequently at various properties and are between 4x and 10x, with a cap. If you play a good VP machine (99%) and even $20 per point and play only on 10x bonus days, your coin-in now becomes $150,000 and a 1% loss would be $1,500. What do you get for that?

  • $600 airfare reimbursement. Not as good as $600 cash, but it’s a nice perk. Let’s put the value at $400.
  • Four drinks a day with a $25 max per day. It’s hard to put a value on this, since it depends on frequency of travel and how much you value a drink. Let’s call it $15 per drink and 12 per year. That’s $180
  • $75 a month sports bet on Caesars app. You have to run $100 in bets through first. Let’s put that cost at $5 with a pretty big variance. And the $75 free bet is worth about $34. $34 – $5 = $29 per month, times 12 is $348 a year.
  • Celebration dinner ($100 max). Let’s put this at $70.
  • Lounge access (where available). Since this is property dependent, I’ll just call this one nice perk with no cash value.
  • Redeem Reward credits for free play at 1-1 at online casino and sports book. Maybe $50.
  • Free cruise for two. I’ll put a value of $500 on this. Lots of conditions, port charges, etc.

So adding up the value, you’re getting about $1,548 in value for your $1,500 loss. Add in the value of the free rooms and various other offers and it’s a positive play.

This makes a lot of sense if you travel a lot and your travel destination includes Caesars properties. There will also be some additional mailed offers from your primary casino.

To make this work, you have to play mostly on 10x points days and find a decent VP machine to play. That’s the most difficult part.

You may also be able to use the Caesars Diamond Elite for some tier matching at other casinos.

Here the link to Caesars Tier benefits.

It’s worth at least exploring the option. Also, if you earn status, you get it for the current year and the next year. So there’s the potential to double up on some of these benefits. I haven’t fully explored that option yet.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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Bobby Vegas — Good and Not-So-Good Offers and Something Hinky in Sports Betting

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

As a devoted scuffler, I chase deals that collectively work out to being paid $20/hour to visit casinos. And every hour on their dime is good for the old bottom line. 

Heck, I drive to downtown Henderson all the time to my gold at the end of the Rainbow. Free meals, positive-expectation games, and it all grew from chasing MRBs.

As I’ve said before, Rainbow and Emerald Isle are stack heaven.

For decades, the MRB has been solid gold. In a bad year, it’s worth 10-to-one. A good year? 25-to-one or more. And that’s just direct savings and winnings. Add discovering a plus-EV game you hit a royal on, or in my case 4OAKs, and I’ll take that bet all day long.

Anyway, I stopped by Silver Sevens for their little free play re-sign offer, the MRB 3 to  1 on your first natural blackjack and free-gift MRB.

Back at home I got what I call a “non-offer.” Two “comped” nights (Sun-Thurs.). The resort fee​? $42.50. Please. That’s not a comp. Play $20 and get $5, but it takes two days to load?  Sigh … Please work on those, Mr. Sevens.

Now here’s a good offer, Plaza’s 2026 deal: 26% off room rates, $26 free bet, and $26 food credit. And great games.

Also, their $125 all-inclusive is back. Room (with no resort fee), breakfast and dinner, unlimited drinks. Add a slew of MRBs. And bingo is back up to $160,000 monthly. Once again, it “Pays to Play at Plaza.”

Now about something “hinky” (apologies to Tommy Lee Jones) in sports betting

A hypothetical question. Of all the adults you know, how many are legally betting sports? Your mom?  Your dentist? The barista?

The December numbers in North Carolina, $665 million, in a month, stunned me.  SEVEN BILLION in 2025? Our state transportation budget is $5 billion. $2.2 million a day? Who are these people? With approximately eight million adults, EVERY ADULT  wagers $850 a year?

Then I looked at New York. Double that. $1,700 a year per adult.

How many people have sports betting accounts? How many people are in the target population, male 21 to 40? The closer I looked, the higher the per-person number went up. A lot. Frankly I find this odd.

Either a smaller group is betting astronomical amounts or these numbers don’t make sense.

That tsunami of money funneling through legal sports betting? The states and sports books don’t want to kill the golden goose, tens of millions in taxes and profits every month.

How would you launder through this method? Pay individuals for cover accounts? Cash through legal sports books? That’s tough. There are some holes, but the process requires real ID verification, even geolocation, and I’ve written how closely they monitor advantage account activity. But let’s say you could set up cover accounts, run money through, and lose only, say, 15%?  From a laundering perspective, that’s not bad.

I’m just having a very hard time accepting that either everyone is betting or some folks are betting huge amounts. Or is it something Hinky?

The numbers just don’t make sense. Your thoughts. Please.