Greedy, Greedy, Greedy, I know! Backend comps at Mandalay Bay

Hi all, for anyone who has stayed at Mandalay Bay, how good on they on backend comps? I'm thinking of tacking 3 nights onto the end of my trip, and know I can get comps at Monte Carlo, but I've been wanting to try Mandalay Bay. Rates are good at $64 (May 30 - June 2) but I already have nice rooms for the first part of the trip, so I can't justify paying for rooms if I know I can get them comped at MC, along with food and RF, but I don't know how generous MB is on the backend.

Basically I want the lazy river pool at the end of he trip, and both properties have one, but I like the Mandalay Bay bathrooms more. (From pics, I haven't stayed there)

If they're decent with comps I am willing to risk it, but if I know they're chintzy on comps, I'll avoid till I get another universal promo.

Chuck, master of comps, any insight on MB backend comps? (I don't want to go through a host as I usually just hit the mlife desk and ask for the host on duty.)

Thanks all!

 

I don't have a ton of experience with back end comps, mainly because I play at a rate where I know I'm usually not generating excess theo. Aria, I got turned down once, they're fairly notorious for that; Caesars I've gotten a decent amount comped by asking, and Cosmo a host found me and comped way in excess of what I figured I'd be due, but they are being aggressive recently. I stayed at MB on several trips in a row and had a host who was generous on the front end, he would comp my room 5 or 6 nights upfront and I was happy with that and never had a lot of charges anyway, so I never asked for back end.

In theory, there shouldn't be much difference across the MGM properties.

If I had to come up with a formula to figure out whether I had earned back end comps, it would be something like this (and this doesn't mean that you'll get them).

Using theo = 10% of coin in on slots.

Expect total comps to be 30% of theo. I see upwards of 40% thrown around sometimes, but I think that is more likely for much higher players.

Calculate the room value based on Casino Rate, which I'd put at 70% of the rack rate. People have posted that the rate a casino pays for a room doesn't change regardless of the rack rate, and that may be true, but if you don't know what it is, then you have to estimate. Every time I've asked a casino to give me casino rate months in advance of a trip, it's always been right about 2/3rds of the then-current rack rate. So I round that up to 70%.

Express Comps and PointPlay are between 6.7% and 9.3% of your total comps, 7% if you're at the Sapphire level and 9.3% if you're Noir. (7.3% at Pearl, 8% at Gold, 8.7% at Platinum). The calc of this is: you get $0.02 ($0.022 at Pearl, etc) combined EC & PointPlay for every $0.30 of theo ($3.00 coin in). ECs and PointPlay have to be subtracted from the 30% total comps baseline.

So that leaves you between 20% and 22% of theo to work with, to cover casino rate for the room, and any charges. What their method of applying your available comps is, I have no idea. So if you have some oddball amount like $210 available and your room is $120/night and you have two $40 charges and two $50 charges, I would hope they'd cobble together one room night, one $40 charge and one $50 charge, to use it all up.

If you are staying on an offer, start with the same 20% - 22% of theo, and subtract the casino rate value of your room, plus Resort Credit, plus Freeplay, plus tickets or anything else in the offer. I think you probably get dinged for the full amount of Resort Credit in the offer (and probably tickets), even if you haven't used it all, because you can use it right up until the instant you check out.

Given the wide range of people's experiences, I have a feeling your win-loss for the trip may play into a thumbs up or down decision.

I don't necessarily think I'm a comp expert, I just combine my own experiences with bits and pieces of credible accounts from here to add to the ball of string of knowledge, and try to fill in the gaps with common sense assumptions and ballpark numbers. Anytime anyone posts an example with hard numbers, or gets a real insight from a host, it's helpful.

But comps are a moving target, just when you think you have a handle on it, something changes.

 

Very well said Chuck!
You are a real comp expert in the range we care about most.

 

Chuck seems to have covered it for the slots player. FWIW, I once asked my host when I was first staying at MB what level of table play they expected to comp a standard room. He said at least $100 a hand for five hours a day. That was, I think, four years ago he told me that and he knew I was a blackjack and bac player. So the expectations may be different if you play a different game.

 

Hi Chuck, thanks a million, great explanation as always. I just went ahead and reached out to Monte Carlo since I've got a relationship with them (I don't at MB.) They did offer to take care of rooms and resort fees directly since I have the 72 hour Mlife clause, and I really appreciated this, so MC it is!

I just have read too many on this that seem a little disappointed with MB comps. $64 is a great price for rooms, but I've always liked MC so I just can't go for paid when I have "free" in hand.

I also loved the quote above....so true on comps, and it was the deciding factor on staying with a system I know. Thanks Chuck, thanks JeJas (loved your quote too on "comp expert in the range we all care about..." too true), and thanks UK, that was also a big help on your experience with MB.

I am now booked, loaded, and ready to go! (In only I could speed up the clock!)