Las Vegas - Direction for a rewards card virgin in Las Vegas

Hello everyone,
I did a bit of searching on the forum and I can't seem to find any information in terms of signing up for reward cards...

I have been to Vegas many times, and I have gambled all those times. I have signed up for Zero reward cards, and when I go back in about a week I am planning to do so... 2 other friends are coming as well..
We will most likely spend around $5k each on craps and blackjack tables, and prefer not to play in high limit tables as we don't like the atmosphere...

Are there any cards to sign up for that could instantly earn us bonus's/free play? Where should we play craps and blackjack? Are rewards cards even worth it if you play BJ/Craps?

We're staying at Elara Hilton due to status and points so room comps don't really matter to us... And I am sure we will be back many more times in the future.

We strictly play BJ/Craps but we are also interested in slots, if there are any sign up bonus's for free slots play, we will take em ;)

Sorry for creating the thread, I just couldn't find the right information.

In the strip area (Las Vegas Blvd), there are essentially two systems: (1)Harrahs [Total Rewards] and (2)MGM [MLIfe], these two together count for most of the strip casinos. You should go to the players club desks for anyone of these and get a free card. BJ and other table games are tracked if you have a card, which can lead to getting free cashback (or the equivalent), free food, shows, rooms etc.
Slot players generally get the better deal.
#(1) above has casinos nationwide.
It cannot hurt, so get cards in these two systems, as well as other (off strip systems)--sometimes just having a card, especially if you are not "local", will get you free stuff faster.

Several casinos have loss rebate deals going on right now. Basically, you play slots and if you lose, they give you that amount back in free play. The best one right now is at the Riviera where you can get up to $1K in loss rebates. Palms, Tropicana, and Cosmopolitan are a few others that have these kind of deals, but for lesser amounts. Make sure you check the T&Cs on these deals to maximize the value.

I think your best bet for this time might be to skip signing up for most of the offers. You haven't done it for previous trips, so skipping one more won't kill you :)

The ones that indyscott mentions would be the exceptions. But the reason I suggest this is that with some planning & the right coupon books, you can maximize the bonuses available to you. I think it would require both the American Casino Guide and the coupon book from Las Vegas Advisor. The bulk of those offers would be for off-strip locations.


As for whether or not there's any value in signing up as a table player, that depends on how you play. I believe all places rate on average bet per hand, and track the amount of time you've spent playing.

What properties do you typically play at?
What's your average bet per hand?
How long do you typically play at a casino per day?

what you want is the slot clubs. See my blog post (http://zzdouggo.blogspot.com/2012/05/taking-kids-to-vegas-really-part-6-slot.html) on this.

For updates on the best deals, check out the ACG Vegas Values (http://www.americancasinoguide.com/vegas-values) report and the Las Vegas Advisor Top 10 Values. (http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm) which also sometimes lists them.

In a very "general sense" mLife (MGM properties) is a better program for table players. But, CET (Caesars Entertainment properties) tends to be much more generous with (comp) room offers.

As asked above, additional (important) considerations would be average bet and the amount of time you expect to be at the tables.

Average bets and time of play are the factors that will get you points. If you're consistently betting a $25 minimum, your rewards are going to come very very slowly on table games.

A strategy (not great), it to increase your bets while the pit boss is nearby, then drop them when he/she walks away. The dealer has no control over the comps you get, so if the pit boss perceives you're consistently better $50, 100, etc per hand, you'll get more rewards points.