I thought this was an interesting article by Bob Dancer: how to pick up free play for other players, and how other players might pick up free play for you.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/bob_dancer/2015/0106.cfm

At all of the Vegas casinos where I've played, you have to go to Total Rewards or to the cage and show your picture ID to pick up free play.

The last time I was at Pechanga, you had to enter a PIN at the slot/VP machine to download your free play. But that was more than a year ago and I don't know what system they use now. That's because I don't get any free play there.

At Chumash Casino, I get coupons in the mail, but I must show a government ID at the cage -- and ironically it's for small amounts such as $5.

At Rincon there is a mix of methods for getting free play and some of the methods involve going to the cage and showing ID, while other free play can be downloaded at the machine or claimed at the Total Rewards or Promotions desk.

At the various poker casinos in LA such as Commerce and The Bike and Hollywood Park and Hustler, there are free play coupons that are sent to players or available online and these always must be converted to chips using a government ID, even though they are for modest amounts such as $5 or $25.

I think the key thing is that Dancer is saying it's okay to download free play at a machine until you get caught -- and then expect a warning the first time. But the reality is for larger free play amounts -- amounts that make a difference -- you are going to have to show ID. Dancer even gives some suggestions about how not to get caught when downloading free play for others.

I don't think the casinos are going to sweat even a hundred dollars downloaded at a machine. But when hundreds or even several thousand dollars are at stake (typical of Vegas offers) you have to have a government ID to claim it.