Change 'home' casinos within MLife?

I've been a semi-regular at the MGM Grand the last few years, and after a long time of being ignored by casino marketing, I finally have a pretty regular standing offer of 3 nights comped, plus a $250 resort credit at the MGM. I play blackjack, average about $150-200/hand, and play 4-5 hours/day on most trips. This level of comps works well for me, since I don't need a fancy suitd or anything on my trips. Also, MGM is the only property I get any love from -- not even the lower-tired properties in Vegas will comp me anything, since I haven't ever played there.

I like the MGM (good food, nice enough rooms, great dealers, good blackjack rules, Whiskey Down is pretty sweet), but I really want to change it up a bit on my next trip (probably October). Ever since Hakkasan opened, the clientele at the MGM kinda drives me nuts.

I'd really love to stay at the Aria or Bellagio for a change, though I don't want to give up my up-front comp. I haven't played at either the Aria or Bellagio in a few years, so basically I'm not even a blip on their marketing radar, and they won't do any up front comps for me.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to gracefully shift home properties, at least for a trip, and not have to pay out the nose for a room? I know my level play probably won't get me the same level of comps at A or B, but I'd at least like something.

Thanks in advance!

 

I'd also even be open to jumping ship to Wynn/Encore, but I don't think my level of play would even be a blip on their radar screen, and their BJ rules are generally pretty crappy… but love the hotels.

 

I have been staying at NYNY for several years. Recently I received an email from a host at the Bellagio out of the blue a little over a month ago.

He stated that he knew I usually stay at NYNY but wondered if I might like to have a change of scenery. We emailed back and forth a few times and I let him know what my normal host does for me. I get a suite, limo transfers and they take care of my food and beverage.
He informed me he would get me a fountain view room, limo transfers and he would give me $500 for food and beverage. He said he would also look at any other room charges above and beyond that on the back end. It turns out I have a meeting the week of September 15th at the Bellagio. So I called him last week and booked it. Im considering calling my normal host at NYNY to let her know what the situation is. The last thing I want to do is offend her. She has taken exceptional care of us the last several years. I just figure things will be much easier staying at the Bellagio since they are hosting the meetings I will be attending.

 

To switch properties and still have an upfront comp: first, call the property you are interested in. Give them your dates and ask what they can do for you. If they can't do anything then what you can do is stay at MGM one last time, take them up on their comp, free play, resort credit, etc and then go and gamble at the property where you want offers from in the future.

The MLife program is pretty much that simple: they give you your best offers from where you gamble the most. So on that note you don't want to divide your play up between Aria and Bellagio, but would be best served to just give one the majority of your play.

But you should make sure that your level of play would warrant offers - if you are mainly a $10-15/hand blackjack player and you never touch slots or VP then you probably aren't going to get much from either Aria or Bellagio, if anything. And from that there is always the risk: if you low play MGM they might not give you an offer in the immediate future and if you don't play enough at the new property then you might not get anything from them in the future either...

 

Thanks -- LIke I said my original post, I'm about a 150-200/hand player, 4-5 hours/day. Based on my readings on this forum, that's barely enough for a marketing offer from Aria or Bellagio, besides a casino rate room. Unless someone wants to chime in and correct me here.

 

If you can find a host and contact info for the property you want to try just reach out them and they should be able set you up. I have been very lucky that my host at the MGM Grand had become a friend and will always give me one of her friends at the other properties of I want to give them a try. I always end up coming back.

Something to remember, your host gets credit for your play at their casino, however as long as you play at a mgm mirage property you get credit for that play on your stay and any back end comps.

 

It is going to depend on when you go. Not going to get much on a fight weekend but midweek you can probably get close to what you get at mgm on a weekend.

 

Thanks. I don't have a host at the MGM -- just regular marketing offers, so I don't feel any pressure to keep my host happy (I tried reaching out to a host at the MGM one time, and she gave me the blow-off). So I might just take the MGM comp, and play elsewhere and see how the offers come up for next time.

 

I play around 60/hand for around 6 hours/day for four nights, and I stay at one of three places: CP, PH, or Paris. I get a fountain view room, a little bit bigger than the average room. I get around 300 in free-play, I just don't get The F or B of the RFB. But the main thing is that I am not limited to a specific property. I get to choose the property within the corporate umbrella. The MGM properties do have higher-end clientele, so I probably won't be jumping ship to one of their properties anytime soon.

 

Its always hare to tell: my wife and I are mainly penny slot players (1-2 credits per line mostly) and we can get 3-4 nights comped from Aria up front with a couple of hundred in freeplay and some resort credit or free buffets (nothing from Bellagio though).

But for us we do play slots and we do play a lot - many hours a day.

 

Augie, that's interesting that you get that comps for playing lower level penny slots. Howmany days do you play for? I'm thinking of doing more slot play this trip.

 

We play every day, but we also play a lot.

A full day of gambling for us might start with leaving the hotel at 10AM and not coming back until 2-3AM and doing almost nothing but playing slots all day.

We do play a fair bit where we are staying but I've got no problem seeking out a better place to play if I seem to be having no luck somewhere.

 

What Auggie said - call Aria and see what they'll do. Playing over $100 a hand for the magic 4 hrs a day, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get 3 nights in a regular room comped up front.

If not, stay at MGM and play 100% at Aria. Pain in the ass but it should do the trick.

 

If I currently have upfront comps from Bellagio and Cosmo but want to change up and go to another property, say Wynn/Encore, does the host I contact at Wynn/Encore have access to my play if I give them my Bellagio and Cosmo card numbers ?

 

Likely not.

 

I don't know if hosts have direct access to play history at most all casinos, or if they contact and speak with hosts at various properties, but I know a mlife host who was able to find out historical play from my local casinos and from various strip casinos.