Casino players card rules are often confusing. This makes it harder to compare one to another. It seems that may be intentional. Here are some suggestions for determining the value of one casino players club when compared to another.
US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Some casino players clubs are not transparent about earning rates
One of the biggest problems when comparing one players club to another is when the casino is not transparent about how points are earned. This can apply to tier points, slot points, or both. Examples of this are Grazie, which covers Palazzo and Venetian in Las Vegas, and Boyd Rewards.
Points at these casinos are related, at least in some way, to the theoretical loss of the game. How this is determined is anyone’s guess. It could be related to the exact theoretical amount of the game being played. The better the video poker pay table, electronic table game rules, or programmed slot return, the fewer points awarded to the player.
Another way of calculating this is the average win of the machine, regardless of how much it should have held. Whichever option the casino chooses to use is impossible for the player to determine in most cases.
How points are earned can be difficult to compare
Some casinos pay a slot point for every dollar you wager. Others may require more wagers per point. For example, one casino may pay a slot point for every $3 wagered, while another may want you to play $5 or $10 for one. The one that awards a slot point faster is not always the one that is better for the player.
What really matters is how you convert slot points into cash or its equivalent in the form of a comp, like free slot play, meals, or a hotel room. How quickly you earn the points is not relevant to the value when you spend them.
An example that came up last week was how a player earns one slot point for every dollar in slot play at Sahara in Las Vegas. At Caesars Rewards, it is $5 for one point. At first glance, it looks like Sahara is better than Caesars Rewards for slot points. However, that is not the case.
At Sahara, a player must earn 1000 slot points for a dollar in comps or free slot play. At Caesars Rewards, it takes only 100 points to get $1 in food, hotel, or retail comps. For free slot play, it takes 200 points.
Players who want to spend their slot points on food or other purchases at Caesars will receive double the value that Sahara patrons receive. At free slot play, it is a tie, even though a point is earned five times faster at Sahara. That is because the value of the point at Sahara is $0.001, while at Caesars, it is $0.01 That is a 10 times difference.
Slot points should be the least of your worries
While slot points are a nice perk, these offer little value in the overall picture at most casinos. The rate for slots is typically 0.1% up to 0.4%. However, most slots hold 8-12%. This means that slot points do little to overcome the massive house advantage.
Video poker usually returns much more than slots. Casinos know this and often cut slot points on those games. The rate can be half or worse than what traditional slots earn. The better strategy is to find the best games to play. This can help your return substantially better than finding the best slot point payouts.
A bad video poker game can hold 4% or more. A game like 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe has a house edge of just 0.36%. You will never find enough slot points to overcome the massive house edge on bad video poker games.
This is not as easy to do at slots. Most games do not make it easy to figure out the return of the game. It is safe to assume that most slots with the same title will return similar paybacks to players.
Convenience is another factor. It is not worth the drive to find better slot returns if you must burn a tank of gas to get there.
Comps are usually the best slot club return
Most casino players clubs will send active players mailers. This may include free slot play, hotel rooms, or meals. The value of these mailers is often much more than what was earned in points during the session that triggered it. Regardless of what you do, make sure to have fun. If it is not fun, it is time to stop. Read more about responsible gambling here.
