lax01

Corporate paid via travel agent (Concur)

Have Bonvoy Gold and have already started the process of status matching via Ceasars TR via Wyndham Platinum. Was going to try to see if I can match TR to mLife but not sure if that will work based on posts I read

Any other tips or tricks I can do before or during the stay (to earn free stuff for future Vegas trips)?

I will obviously give them my mLife number for the hotel room but I'm guessing I won't earn anything on it since it was a corporate booked hotel stay (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Been to Vegas a bunch of times but never joined any loyalty programs so new to that side of things - do you present the mLife/TR card at tables when playing games like craps/roulette? Do they scan or hold onto it during play? Is your play then tracked for win/loss (gain/loss)? Can that be used against you for tax purposes (in the case where you won a big bet)?

Didn't see any wiki or FAQ here so asking some pretty basic/dumb questions - Thanks in advance!

Zorak

I haven't played table games in a while but assuming nothing drastic has changed, they will usually ask for a players card when you buy in. They'll enter you into the system and return the card. They'll track your buy-ins, bets and win/loss and rate you and comps will be based on that. This used to be done by eyeballing your chips as you play and when you leave the table, but nowadays there are technologies like RFID-enabled chips etc. But I don't know if Aria uses them and if so whether at all tables or just at certain games and limits.

If you play machines then there's a slot for you to insert the card when playing, which will track everything.

If you hit anything that requires a W2G you aren't going to get paid until you provide a SSN anyway whether you use the card or not. (I won't tell anyone how they should fill out their tax return, but will merely note for the record that all gambling income is reportable and taxable in the US whether you receive a W2G or not)

lax01

Interesting - thanks - its odd I've never been asked for a card at table games before (or maybe I just never realized they were asking when buying in)

Anyway, appreciate the info

easy_money

From TR/CR to MLIFE is possible, but only at MGM in Vegas (MLIFE hasn't done matches in LV in a while. They only do it at MGM for new members according to some data points). You would also have to be a new member for it to work. If you are already a member, in order to match from TR/CR to MLIFE, you can only do it local markets like Atlantic City, National Harbor, and/or Springfield. YMMV there since the tier match promotions are on and off, but at AC they've always matched and continually matching (was at AC last week and saw that they still do match).

For TR/CR Diamond, I assume you know about the $100 celebration dinner. Most of the benefits are listed on their site. Outside of it, besides the line cutting privileges, on the casino floor you have better options of drinks (ie; Fuji water instead of bottled tap, top shelf liquor), also some bars give free drinks to Diamond members. There's no consolidated list anywhere. Just politely ask if diamond members get any benefits there etc.

That's correct, most 3rd party reservation don't receive credit. Very few exceptions. It never hurts to ask. But you should still receive credit for hotel spend. The only tip I have for that is, that it's probably best to get receipts and present it at the MLIFE desk. This way, you will definitely receive credit for it. I've heard and seen data points where it's charge to the room, when room was booked through 3rd party and hotel spend/credits didn't post and you would have to contact MLIFE to resolve the issue.


They usually, or will always ask for a player's card. It's in your benefit to provide to them since you would accumulate points, which leads to future offers. The only feasible time you may not want to provide your player's card is when you're usually a big bettor, and you want to just play a few minutes or at a significantly lower amount than you usually do. Reason is you don't want to ruin your average, account standing, and future offers.

In reference to tracking and win/loss, the only reported winnings the casino is responsible for to the IRS will be given on a W2G. All your other winnings are not reported by the casino, but you are responsible for reporting it.

izzik

If you want mLife status, use the Hyatt pathway (Explorist/Globalist get mLife Gold) https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/e...tnerships.html
That said, if your primary goal is to get free stuff (aka "comps") for future Vegas trips, then it won't matter what your mLife status is.
Comps is completely driven by gambling - table play, slot play, video poker play. Someone who books a bunch of rooms and spends a bunch of money on spas, dinners, and bars will earn lots of mLife tier credits toward status, but that status will not get you free rooms unless you gamble.

Table games - give your card to the dealer or pit boss during your play time. They'll estimate what you spent based on avg bet, etc.
Slot and VP - obviously tracking is much more precise here, vs dealer estimates.

Again, if you are NOT a gambler and all you want is free stuff for future trips, you are better off just paying for it. What you spend on a room will almost always be less than what you spend on gambling.. unless you are a phenomenally lucky person. This is not a loyalty program where you are rewarded based on how much you stay/play with them. It's a dance between getting what you want and them trying to get you to come back and be profitable.

lax01

Thanks - around what level of gambling are we talking here? I'm assuming a few hundred spent/wasted just does not start to meet the min spend for any type of comp, correct (just looking for general guidance)?

I've done recreational gambling and lost a few hundred in a sitting...but I would call myself a tourist at best

mudpuppy

Comps aren't based on how much you win/lose, but on what your theoretical average loss would be based on your average bet, the length of time you played and the house advantage on the game you were playing. Say you're playing three card poker (I vaguely recall the house edge is around 5%)... If you bet $15 per hand for 50 hands, your theoretical loss (theo) would be $15 * 50 * 0.05 = $37.5. The casino will then pay back some portion of that theo in comps (I've heard things around 30% or so, but they're not going to tell you outright.) So you'll probably get around $10 in comps back from your hour of playing three-card poker at $15/hand, regardless of whether you won a $1000 royal flush hand or lost $700 in the process.

Slot machines generally are tracked by coin-in, but the concept is the same--comps are based on how much you gambled regardless of the amount won or lost.

To answer your question, if you're playing casually for a few hours and losing "a few hundred" at a sitting, you may qualify for more comps than you realize. $500 in losses on slot machines could easily equate to several thousand in coin-in, which may very well qualify for a marketing offer with free weeknight rooms at a minimum. On the other hand if you're playing $100 blackjack (less than 1% house edge) and lose your $500 in a few hands you're going to get diddly in comps.

As izzik pointed out, it's not a good idea to gamble just to chase comps, but if you're going to gamble for fun anyway then make sure you get all your play tracked. Also charge everything you can at any mlife resort (most restaurants, show tickets, etc.) to your room bill. At the end of your trip go to the mlife desk and ask them to look at your play and see if anything can be comped, and they'll probably take something off your bill (this is known as back-end comps).

After your trip you may get marketing offers with discount or comp rooms and potentially free play and resort credit, based on your historical play. At lower levels these offers will only come by e-mail rather than snail mail, or better yet just check your mlife account online. These marketing offers assume when you come back you'll play at a similar level as before. In my experience Caesars properties have been much more generous with comp room offers than mlife, but as I've become more established with mlife over the past couple years the marketing offers have gotten better.

lax01

Wow, thanks for the education! Truly appreciate it...

Annoyed that I didn't sign-up sooner for the reward program...we definitely spent a couple of hours at the blackjack and roulette tables in April

Also good advice on charging to the room - fortunately, this is a conference and work is paying for most things (or its just generally free anyway) but good to know for upcoming personal trips

Thanks again!