VPFree says MGM properties are $10 coin-in/point. I have no reason to think that's incorrect but I also don't know how often they update things. Can anybody validate that the $10 figure is correct (for VP)? Thanks, Dino
So....after I posted this I thought...why not e-mail our host? So this is what she told me: "It's one point for $2.00 on reel slot games and $10.00 on video poker. Bonus Points are earned at a faster rate. Once you become a Gold player you can earn one point for every $1.75 on reel slot games and $8.75 on video poker. Once you become a Platinum player you can earn one point for $1.50 on reel slot games and $7.50 on video poker." So assuming it is one "tier" credit per $1 coin in, I'd say we'll get to Gold sometime during our trip in Sept and then because it starts over on Oct 1, I guess we'd have to have 2-3 trips next year (Oct 1 - 30 Sept) to get to Platinum. I've obviously been away from MGM for a while because I'm just now reading how the whole Mlife thing works. It's interesting that these tier points drive what level you are and "I think" they also drive your express comps? But in talking to our host, they still look at the bottom line "coin-in" figure when deciding what they can comp. Seems like a lot of moving parts just for a players club but I'm sure there's a method to their madness. So.....do we get express comps to also use along the way that don't affect the up front comps?
For slots, your host is using the old MLife calculation prior to October 1 of last year. This is the new formula from the MLife website: You need to keep the terms "Base Point" and "Tier Credit" separated. It's $3 coin in on slots and $10 coin in on VP and specialty slots to earn 1 Base point (which you don't really do anything with, but it is the basis for all the other calcs), 1 cent in Pointplay, 1 cent in Express Comps, and 10 Tier Credits. Use of the word "bonus" to me implies that the bonus is "added on" to your accrual of PointPlay and Express Comps, as opposed to being a "discount" on the amount of coin-in you have to do, but I don't really know. So when she says that (the old way), your Tier Level would allow you to only do $1.75 coin in to get a base point instead of $2, that implies a discount on coin-in, and I do remember seeing that used on the MLife website. Whether that is still true, I don't know. But these would be the calculations both ways: If "Bonus" means discount on coin-in required to earn a Base point: In order to earn: 1 Base Point $0.01 PointPlay $0.01 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits Sapphire: $3 on slots and $10 on VP Pearl (10% Bonus): $2.70 on slots, $9.00 on VP Gold (20% Bonus): $2.40 on slots, $8.00 on VP Platinum (30% Bonus): $2.10 on slots, $7.00 on VP Noir (40% Bonus): $1.80 on slots, $6.00 on VP If "Bonus" means you still have to have to hit the $3/$10 threshold to earn a Base point, and when you hit it, you earn a bonus fractional point: Sapphire - $3/$10 earns you: 1 Base Point $0.01 PointPlay $0.01 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits Pearl - $3/$10 earns you: 1.1 Base points $0.011 PointPlay $0.011 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits Gold - $3/$10 earns you: 1.2 Base points $0.012 PointPlay $0.012 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits Platinum - $3/$10 earns you: 1.3 Base points $0.013 PointPlay $0.013 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits Noir - $3/$10 earns you: 1.4 Base points $0.014 PointPlay $0.014 Express Comps 10 Tier Credits One reason I think they may be using the second method is because Tier Credits are described as being earned in multiples of 10 for slots and VP, and multiples of 25 for hotel spend. So your Tier Credit balance should always end in either a 5 or a zero. But it doesn't. Which means there's some fractionalization happening somewhere; it may be on Tier Credits earned on table games, it may be accruing on hotel spend (ie. at 25 TCs per $1 spend, if you spend $1.50, you accrue 37.5 Tier Credits), or it may be due to the method I describe above. This second method would be more advantageous for the hotel/casino, that's why I tend to think it's how they do it. If you were charging $1 for a 1 lb bag of sugar, would you rather give a Noir member 1.4 lbs for the $1 or would you rather charge him 60 cents for the 1 lb? You'd give him the 1.4 lbs. Tier level is good for hotel perks and other things, but you are correct that by itself, it has no bearing on what you can get comped upfront. On the back end, the thing to do is go to the MLife desk the night before you check out (or day of), and ask them if they can comp off any amount WITHOUT using your Express Comps.
Thanks Chuck! As I said....they have a lot going on there but in the end since I am going to gamble but don't try to chase a comp, I'll just play like I always do and let the chips fall where they may. My host said to charge everything to the room (which we always do) and to not use the express comps and call her before we check out and she'll apply them to anything left on the bill (she's comping the room and $200/day in food up front).
Sure. In re-reading my post, I think I caught a mistake. I always make some mistake when running calcs on MLife. "Bonuses" only apply to PointPlay and Express Comps. Tier Credits are only earned on BASE points. So in the second set of calcs, although you'd earn fractional PointPlay and Express Comps, you'd still only earn 10 Tier Credits at each level. At the end of the trip, I think you should still ask your host if she can comp off some portion of any room charges before digging into your Express Comps. And sure, you should always play at your regular level and see where the chips fall in terms of Tier Credits. The only reason to play a bit more would be if you get near the end of a trip and see you're very close (like a few hundred TCs) to hitting the next tier level (and have another trip in mind within the same MLife year). Then you'd trigger an additional 10% bonus in PointPlay and ECs and get the next level of perks for your next trip.
Dean are you done with The Wynn or just trying out new waters? Do you have a VP strategy in mind? I'm going to miss you by 6 days.
Jim....we love the Wynn and Encore but I got a call from a host going thru records of people that used to be MGM Mirage regulars and she enticed us to stay and play at Bellagio. All we get at Encore is the room comp so we figured we'd take her up on it, plus it never hurts to change things up. Who knows we might find a new home! I will say all the rude and really drunk kids late night and early morning from the clubs was getting old at Wynncore and I'm hoping Bellagio will be a little less of that going on. With 4'night clubs and the beach club that place gets crazy. Probably fun when your 20 but not so much at 59.
