Jumping Caesars

So Alan mentioned making the switch from Caesars to MGM, or Station casinos. Now I personally love Station casinos. Especially Green Valley Ranch and Aliante Station. However, my significant other will not allow us to stay anywhere that is off strip. She absolutely hates downtown, and did not have a good experience at Palace Station.

She loves Caesars Palace and Ballys. But, like Alan, I am considering making a switch from Caesars. However, I am a little scared to do so since Caesars is the first company I have spent a good amount of money with.

Alan, lead the way my friend and let us know if the grass is truly greener!

Jamie--this is a tuff one. Been with Caesars 25 years. I would actually switch in a minute but none of my local casinos have Vegas strip properties. Without local play, you can't accumulate the necessary points for comps in Vegas anymore.

Here's what I told my host about a week ago:

There is no reason for me to make a special trip to Vegas, including Caesars, for a promotion valued at $850 (which was the last promotional offer I received for December). Each time I made a trip to Caesars/LV during 2012 the offer was for $2500. When my offers were cut to $1500 and then $1000 I didn't go, and I'm certainly not going for $850. It just doesn't make sense.

I will be going in November for the Great Gift Wrap Up. I have enough "points" to get exactly $1,440 of Shell gas cards. That's worth a ride up, having lunch using comp points, and immediately driving back. I've made round-trip drives like that before without a problem. A little stop-over at the Gold Strike at Jean, NV to play some $3-min craps will be included. I also have about $60 in gas comps from previous play at Gold Strike that I would use.

For the most part, I like to play video poker more than craps. I don't have to go to LV to play video poker, and I told my host that. In fact, Rincon (also part of TR, and which also gives points for the Great Gift Wrap Up and is also good for 7 Stars credits, etc) has 8/5 Bonus Poker at lower levels. Caesars only has 8/5 Bonus at $5 and higher.

So really, the only reason for me to go to LV is to "throw dem bones" and now that I know the fire bet is at Mandalay and the Stations Casinos group, I could just as easily "throw dem bones" there. Oh, I would still stay at Caesars because my 7 Stars status still gets me free rooms and my 7 Stars will renew in March of 2013 and continue thru till March of 2014 even if I don't make another bet at any Caesars property.

So that's my plan for the immediate future. The bottom line is this: without a Bar Mitzvah or wedding or business deal coming up (I do have clients in Vegas) there is no reason for me to go to LV, there is no reason to go to Caesars without a "good offer," and there are other options when I want to play craps or video poker.

Caesars needs me more than I need them. And $850 isn't worth the drive.

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Originally Posted by JamieV

So Alan mentioned making the switch from Caesars to MGM, or Station casinos. Now I personally love Station casinos. Especially Green Valley Ranch and Aliante Station. However, my significant other will not allow us to stay anywhere that is off strip. She absolutely hates downtown, and did not have a good experience at Palace Station.

She loves Caesars Palace and Ballys. But, like Alan, I am considering making a switch from Caesars. However, I am a little scared to do so since Caesars is the first company I have spent a good amount of money with.

Alan, lead the way my friend and let us know if the grass is truly greener!

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My wife won't "cross the street" to stay at Caesars and to switch to MGM (Mirage) won't fly either.

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Originally Posted by regnis

Jamie--this is a tuff one. Been with Caesars 25 years. I would actually switch in a minute but none of my local casinos have Vegas strip properties. Without local play, you can't accumulate the necessary points for comps in Vegas anymore.

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I play a bit at MGM Detroit which gives me a small amount of points but to make the switch completely to the M Life program in order to reach a comparable level with them as I have w/ Caesars will take a while. I guess the bottom line is I won't change until Caesars TR program becomes totally worthless to me. Right now, they're merely in the "I'm disappointed but whattaya gonna do" department.

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Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

"I'm disappointed but whattaya gonna do".

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Consider this: your tier score level and whatever benefits you have continue for a given period of time. If you get free or discounted rooms during that period, you will continue to get free or discounted rooms even without additional play. Take advantage of those offers while they last, and while you stay at a TR property, you can also visit another casino and sign up for their players club and play there. The offers from the competing company will soon follow.

Don't forget that the income of your casino host is based in part on your play. While marketing doesnt care if you show up, your host does. Vic, you might want to get the email of that host and send him an email expressing your disappointment that he did nothing. But be honest with yourself here: did your play warrant some kind of an incentive? And if it was above normal, or what your regular "tier benefits" call for, you certainly do have a right to complain.

There are all kinds of reports of casinos cutting offers, promotions, benefits. So there is another question to ask here: are casino loyalty clubs a one-way street? Are they nothing more than you the player being loyal to the casino but the casino not being loyal to you?

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Consider this: your tier score level and whatever benefits you have continue for a given period of time. If you get free or discounted rooms during that period, you will continue to get free or discounted rooms even without additional play. Take advantage of those offers while they last, and while you stay at a TR property, you can also visit another casino and sign up for their players club and play there. The offers from the competing company will soon follow.

Don't forget that the income of your casino host is based in part on your play. While marketing doesnt care if you show up, your host does. Vic, you might want to get the email of that host and send him an email expressing your disappointment that he did nothing. But be honest with yourself here: did your play warrant some kind of an incentive? And if it was above normal, or what your regular "tier benefits" call for, you certainly do have a right to complain.

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Part of the "Vic - host" equation is that he sought me out (remember: someone allegedly told him I was coming to Las Vegas). I suspect that these people do a certain amount of fishing but he did have access to my playing history before I arrived. There would be nothing there that would indicate I would suddenly increase my play so any expectation he had for me or category he put me in was clearly all on him. It's just a little disingenuous to seek out a new client upon arrival with a "Welcome back to Las Vegas and I made a point to have the desk call me" and then ultimately he didn't even pick up one morning's tab for a coffee at the Java Coast. The impetus for this example of a small courtesy should come from the HOST (which appears to be a misnomer) and not from the GUEST in the form of a complaint.

Vic-they have neutered the hosts with their "use your points first" policy, but that host you had shouldn't even be a host. What ever happened to the "kiss your ass" hosts we used to have who did everything to keep you happy and gambling. I can answer that actually--mob bosses treated you better than corporate directors--they understood the psychology.