Originally Posted by gudugan

To be explicitly clear:

With hotel and airline status, you invest a specific amount (time and money) and then you qualify for a specific status level and get free upgrades based on that status level.

With casino status, you invest a specific amount (time, but mostly money). The status level (card color) is largely irrelevant because it is all based on spend. You get perks based on the amount of spend and "free upgrades" as a % back of what you spent. You do not get "free upgrades" based on the status level. If you stop playing at that specific level even if you are a high status level, your "upgrades" will get smaller and smaller.

It is a lot, lot cheaper to directly purchase the suite/VIP transportation/etc with cash than trying to chase it through gambling.

(I'm avoiding terms like comps, theo above just for simplicity)