You got different priorities than most people though, and not everyone goes with the mindset that they have to win money in order to make their trip worthwhile.

I did a trial deposit of 100$ in gold coins at the mandalay bay yesterday and imho its simply not worth it. It didnt take too long but instead of giving cash like they did at the bank, they go to the back and put in the coin counter and give chips. Ive heard of reports where coin counters dont work so what would you do then...its simply to much work for only a couple miles. Hopefully others can find better ways of geting miles in vegas than i have

Hold the phones -- there may be a way!

I just came across something about SPG on Harrahs website, so I ran a Google search and came up with this:
(sorry - I'm too tech illiterate to figure out how to just post the link)


Harrah's teams with Starwood, Westin offers 5:1 Starpoints for player points

Harrah's has teamed up with Starwood to offer extra incentive to earn Total Reward points.

Total Rewards is Harrah's player's club program, and while gaming at a Harrah's property anywhere in the country, you'll receive points that you can exchange for merchandise or freeplay.

Now, you'll also be able to earn Total Rewards points when you purchase nights at a participating Starwood Preferred Guest hotel property. This includes competitor Westin in Las Vegas, down the street from Bally's on Flamingo.

Through the end of the year, every $1 spent on an SPG hotel will gain you 2 extra bonus reward credits. And you'll still get your regular 2 Starpoints for each $1 as well.

Note also that currently at Westin Las Vegas, if you visit the player's club to link your player's card to your Starwoods account, you'll receive 500 Starpoints for every 100 player points (1 point = $1 coin-in).

To sign up or to connect your Total Rewards accounts with SPG, visit https://www.spgpromos.com/totalrewards.

Sorry - I should have pointed out that most of that was covered in the Harrahs/SPG thread last month; what was new was the statement that you can link your "players card" at Westin players club booth and bang out 500 SPG points for every 100 points you earn.

One thing I'm still not clear on -- the article says 1 point per dollar played on the linked "player's card." Westin must have a different program than TR, because I believe that Total Rewards are calculated as 1 point per FIVE dollars played -- not won or lost; just cycled through the slot machine.

I'm in Las Vegas in a week and a half and now plan to go by the Westin to check on this. I figure it's worth dropping a few dollars in a slot machine there and seeing if I really get SPG points for it.

The Westin LV is offering:

$10 per point for Video poker
$5 per point for slot

so $1 per 1 SPG point for slot machines.

Its ok, but not a deal.

Maybe you should also check out Gaming Loyalty Programs Forum and see what others are interested in.

i guess something is better than nothing....

Please consider giving a course on this:

QUOTE=peachfront;14398450]This cannot be true unless you have some kind of mental deficit. The more time, effort, and energy you put into winning, the more opportunities you will find to profit, be it from blackjack (card counter), the (admittedly increasingly rare) coupons or beatable machines, or from poker. Most people lose because most people DON'T make any effort. The techniques for making money in Vegas are not top secret information, they are widely published, so if you don't make use of them, you really have no one to blame but yourself. Most people feel it's too much effort to win...that's their choice.

Vegas is not a town to worry about earning miles. I go there to pick up cash.[/QUOTE]

At 500 Starpoints for every 100 player points, I would see if I can cycle money through a video roulette machine. If you bet on both odd and even or red and black, your expected payout is 36/38. So your expected loss is $5.26 for every $100 you put in the machine. $5.26 is a good deal to pick up 500 SPG points. Of course, you may also lose less if you get lucky or lose more if unlucky, but play long enough and it should even out.

I'd be curious to know if someone actually does this.

At current rates, $100 through a slot will give you 20 slot points, which can be redeemed for 100 SPG points. You are thinking along constructive lines, though. If you see them put in a video craps machine with much better odds, you might have something there.

????

To Best--There are WAY too many books, videos, and coaches out there already. In my experience, the materials are so widely available and often presented in such easy-to-digest form, that it is probably pretty logical that the guy who is losing WANTS to lose for whatever deep-seated reason a person could have for wanting to lose -- to showboat how much money they have, not caring because the amount they gamble is trivial to them, emotional disorder, who knows, who cares.

To Helenkan-- My "mindset" is not relevant to the fact that I'm responding to a poster who made a false claim. I paid off my house early playing blackjack. So the guy who claims that the more effort you put into trying to win, the more you lose, simply and provably doesn't know what he's talking about. He made an assumption, and we all know how to spell "assume" this time of century.

For those who even think that it is possible to win more than very occassioanny on slots: please read: Bloomberg Business week 8/9/10: p 70: "How to survive in Las Vegas"

Not slots but Video Poker has the best return. there are sites dedicated to this subject including pay tables that approach 100%...there are also sites to tell you where in each casino these machines are located, simulators and courses on how to use correct strategy when playing. This is much like work and takes effort to sit for 6 hours at a time playing to rack up comp points...sortta like ft readers put the effort into getting miles.

Video roulette is dangerous...one 0 or 00 can wipe out your bet and make it not worth the risk... video craps is a better option if you have 2 players...one betting on pass and the other on no pass.

Circus Circus is about the only Casino on the strip that still uses coins...its fun to hear the old sound of a bunch of coins hitting the tray, and carrying a heavy bucket of coins to cash in. It is true they dont take the new dollars.

I plan on bringing $1000 in coins with me on our upcoming trip to Tunica. If luck is with me I will bring back at least that much in cash. If not, at least the flights and rooms and probably meals are all free.

^^