Total Rewards inflation

[21forme]

Rumor has it that the Evil Empire™ will be upping the Diamond card qualifying total next year. It used to be 10K rewards point. This year it's 11K. I've heard either 13.5 or 15K for next year.

[shadroch]

Wow.
A business tighting its belt in a time of an economic downturn. I'm shocked.
Apollo overpaid for Harrahs. It's ambitious development plans have fallen along the wayside. It owns lots of land it can't afford to develop. It's reduced the Diamond Lounges to a shadow of what they were. In todays business model, they no longer care for the Diamond clientale. If you aren't Seven Star, you might as well be Gold.

[moo321]

Originally Posted by shadroch

Wow.
A business tighting its belt in a time of an economic downturn. I'm shocked.
Apollo overpaid for Harrahs. It's ambitious development plans have fallen along the wayside. It owns lots of land it can't afford to develop. It's reduced the Diamond Lounges to a shadow of what they were. In todays business model, they no longer care for the Diamond clientale. If you aren't Seven Star, you might as well be Gold.

It was a gamble on their part. If the economy hadn't collapsed, they might have been geniuses.

I still don't think that slashing comps is the way to make money. Adding revenue is always better than cutting costs.

[Automatic Monkey]

Originally Posted by moo321

It was a gamble on their part. If the economy hadn't collapsed, they might have been geniuses.

I still don't think that slashing comps is the way to make money. Adding revenue is always better than cutting costs.

That's true. The comps don't cost them jack-diddly-squat, especially lodging comps. Liquor and transportation, those are the only things a big establishment pays more than a small fraction of what you or I would pay.

Although, I don't see how anyone gets above Gold level without being a CG. I spread green into multiple black and I get about 20% of the way to Platinum every year.

[shadroch]

Originally Posted by Automatic Monkey

That's true. The comps don't cost them jack-diddly-squat, especially lodging comps. Liquor and transportation, those are the only things a big establishment pays more than a small fraction of what you or I would pay.

Although, I don't see how anyone gets above Gold level without being a CG. I spread green into multiple black and I get about 20% of the way to Platinum every year.

You've got to think outside the box. I did it for awhile, but the difference in comps between Gold and Diamond aren't worth it any more. The only benefit Diamond offers that is worth it, imo, are the free water taxis in Laughlin and the seperate line at check-in.

[21forme]

I made it to Diamond in about 6 months, with that goal in mind. Reason for doing so is I'm going to be moving away from AC-land next year and want to have room comps available in LV. If it is 15K next year, that could be pushing it for me...

I've already heard a lot of grumbling from people about it. I think it would have been smarter to leave the threshold numbers as is, but cut the rate at which they issue Rewards Credits. It would be almost invisible that way.

[shadroch]

Originally Posted by moo321

It was a gamble on their part. If the economy hadn't collapsed, they might have been geniuses.

I still don't think that slashing comps is the way to make money. Adding revenue is always better than cutting costs.

They gambled and lost. Thats not what casinos are supposed to do.
I don't think they've cut comps, just raised the amount of play needed to reach certain levels. My Gold comps have not suffered, and Harrahs as a company doesn't seem to have cut back their drink services or their marketing offers.

[EasyRhino]

Originally Posted by Automatic Monkey

Although, I don't see how anyone gets above Gold level without being a CG. I spread green into multiple black and I get about 20% of the way to Platinum every year.

I got platinum in a few months from play at a local shop, before I was barred. So diamond would have been doable with LOTS of blackjack play.

But most people would do it on the machines. In the old days, when it was more of a no brainer, I guess people would find a decent video poker machine somewhere, pound the crap out of it for around 3k points in one day, and voila... instant Diamond.

[shadroch]

Rewards for table games are very hit and miss. One thing I used to do was check my account daily and see if the pit was generous or tight. I also figured out that most pit bosses credited you with your original bet in Let It Ride, even though you usually end up with only a third exposed on bad hands.
Of course, you used to be able to double book in two casinos, bring along three buds and tell them the room is free but I need you to play an hour or two on my card in order to get free rooms next trip.

[Thunder]

Forget about playing there. Their casinos suck and their comps are even worse. The games they have are some of the worst in the country. Playing one hour there at a $10-$15 min bet, you can expect to only get $1 in comps.