Author: Jimmy Jazz

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Tier Match at MGM Properties

Once again, MGM is doing a tier-match promotion, this one through June 2026. These promos usually give you tier status for three months and you need to meet the actual tier requirements to continue at that tier level after the three-month period.

This one is different. At MGM, I had about 100,000 tier points when I applied for the tier match. 75,000 is Gold and 200,000 is Platinum. I used my Caesars Diamond Elite card and was given Platinum status. But on my card, it shows Platinum status for the entire year.

Here is a link to the status-match program.

Here are the challenge rules.

Here is a link to all the MGM Tier match offers by state.

You don’t get the really good benefits (airfare, cruises, etc.) until you actually get to the point level required for the given status.

So what does Platinum get me that Gold doesn’t? Lounge access (but only for one person). 30% slot point bonus (20% for Gold). $100 in cruise ship free play ($75 for Gold). There are also some gift shop bonuses, expedited valet and taxi service, etc., but these are minor benefits.

The rules say only one status match lifetime, but this is the third one I’ve done with MGM.

Is it worthwhile to do? You should consider the following factors.

  • How much do I use MGM properties?
  • What is free parking at MGM worth to me?
  • If I am a current MGM player, does moving up a level really benefit me?
  • Should I use it now or save it for next year?

Now, I don’t know what the lounges in Las Vegas are like. The lounge in Detroit is functional. The food is good, but the lounge is small and alcoholic drinks are about the same price as on the casino floor. I’ll be checking out the Las Vegas lounges at the beginning of June and will report back.

I’m using the match as a stopgap until I get full Platinum status. There is enough value in that for me and there is enough to play in Detroit. Your situation will vary greatly based on your state and situation.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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A Surprise Bonus to Online Gambling


This example is specific to my location and circumstance, but the idea is most likely applicable to a lot of situations.
I’m in the Detroit area and play at Motor City Casino (MCC). The video poker is the 98.5%–99.0% variety. Between free play, comps, and mailers it’s an OK recreational play. One big perk is Signature status, which gets you and a guest into their Signature lounge. I would pay $75 a person for the meal there. The food is that good.

Now, to get Signature status, you need to earn 15,000 Signature points in six months. For video poker, $5.60 coin in gets you 1 point, $3.35 on slots. You need 90 regular points for 1 Signature point.

So in six months, you need to play $1,350,000 through on 99% video poker. The cost would be $13,500. The food is very good, but not worth $2,400 a month. There is 0.18% in free play and 0.112% in comps. That gets the cost down to about $10,500 (cashing in the comps for free play). That’s still too much to pay.

But recently, MCC started making comps redeemable at 1-1 for free play (formerly 3-1). Now, if I play the best VP game at 99.0% and add in 0.18% for base free play and 0.112% for comps converted to FP, we’re at about 99.29%. Add 0.05% for mailers and we’re up to 99.34%. But a 0.66% loss is still too much to give up on $1.35 million.

Another promo MCC runs pretty frequently is on Saturdays, if you earn $10 or more in comps, you get the same amount in free play. Comps for VP are 0.112%, so you need to run about $9,000 through on video poker. Slot comps are 10 times that, so finding some advantage slots is the much better play. That makes the VP free-play return up to about 0.4%.

Getting there, but still not enough.

Enter online play. If you play on FanDuel Detroit, you earn Signature points and comps at the same rate as live play. The best game is NSUD at 99.72%. Add the cash value of the comps (0.11%) and we’re at 99.83%. At level 4 on Fan Duel, you get a 15% loss rebate weekly up to $35. That adds about $50 a month (estimated). Now we’re getting close.

FanDuel also gives about $300 a month in bonuses.

Let’s add it all up:

For $1,350,000 coin in over 6 months on Fan Duel

Base game loss = -$3,780

Converted FP = $1,497

Fan Duel bonuses = $1,800

Loss rebate = $300

I’m down to a cost of $183. Playing at that level on FanDuel gets me to their VIP level. The loss rebate increases to 25% to $125 per week. Also, as a Signature member, the secret code bonus at MCC (twice a week on average) increases from $5 to $20. I’m sure there will be some other perks as well. I expect the Fan Duel bonuses to increase. I expect the Motor City mailers to increase.

What was once too expensive a proposition to attain Signature status via live casino becomes viable using their online casino partner.

A lot of conditions must line up for this to work. Even if you aren’t a typical online player, it’s worth checking out. Throw in the new-player sign-up bonuses and the convenience of getting in action whenever you feel like it and it might just be enough to gain status at your local casino.

I will report out how good the Fan Duel VIP program is as I gather more info. This will be the real test to see if this online play is worth it or not.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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A Case for Diamond Elite Status at Caesars

I’ve had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with Caesars over the years. Early on, in the mid-’90s and early 2000s, there was enough value to get Diamond status. Over the years, however, the value of Diamond has diminished greatly.

Last year, I made Diamond Elite (75,000 tier points). Normally, it would be $750,000 coin-in on some bad video poker machines to achieve that status.  Even if you could find a 99% game that was $10 per point, it was still an expected loss of $7,500. Probably not worth it.

Tier multiplier days changed that. They run frequently at various properties and are between 4x and 10x, with a cap. If you play a good VP machine (99%) and even $20 per point and play only on 10x bonus days, your coin-in now becomes $150,000 and a 1% loss would be $1,500. What do you get for that?

  • $600 airfare reimbursement. Not as good as $600 cash, but it’s a nice perk. Let’s put the value at $400.
  • Four drinks a day with a $25 max per day. It’s hard to put a value on this, since it depends on frequency of travel and how much you value a drink. Let’s call it $15 per drink and 12 per year. That’s $180
  • $75 a month sports bet on Caesars app. You have to run $100 in bets through first. Let’s put that cost at $5 with a pretty big variance. And the $75 free bet is worth about $34. $34 – $5 = $29 per month, times 12 is $348 a year.
  • Celebration dinner ($100 max). Let’s put this at $70.
  • Lounge access (where available). Since this is property dependent, I’ll just call this one nice perk with no cash value.
  • Redeem Reward credits for free play at 1-1 at online casino and sports book. Maybe $50.
  • Free cruise for two. I’ll put a value of $500 on this. Lots of conditions, port charges, etc.

So adding up the value, you’re getting about $1,548 in value for your $1,500 loss. Add in the value of the free rooms and various other offers and it’s a positive play.

This makes a lot of sense if you travel a lot and your travel destination includes Caesars properties. There will also be some additional mailed offers from your primary casino.

To make this work, you have to play mostly on 10x points days and find a decent VP machine to play. That’s the most difficult part.

You may also be able to use the Caesars Diamond Elite for some tier matching at other casinos.

Here the link to Caesars Tier benefits.

It’s worth at least exploring the option. Also, if you earn status, you get it for the current year and the next year. So there’s the potential to double up on some of these benefits. I haven’t fully explored that option yet.

Also see my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for more ideas.

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Hugo’s Cellar’s Split-Plate Deal

I’m a big fan of Hugo’s. It’s a step back in time and walking down the steps seems to take you into a different world. The noise of the casino is replaced by the conversation of people enjoying a great meal in a classic setting. Call it dated if you want. I view it as a tribute to old-school Las Vegas, where the customer was king.

Now, you can order two complete dinners and I’ll bet you will have plenty of leftovers. Sometimes, however, you don’t have a fridge in your room for the leftovers or just don’t want to bother with boxing stuff up and taking it with you.

If you order just the tableside salad, it’s $28. Ordering a split plate gets you the tableside salad, plus all the normal dinner accompaniments (bread plate, sorbet palate refresher, dessert platter) and the cost is $40. Plus, they split the entrée for you. This is one case where one-half plus one-half is more than one. We’ve done this move several times and it sure seems like we each get more than half of an entrée.

Wait people rarely mind splitting an entree, especially if there’s no split-plate charge. That way, they can bring you a lot of food for the price of one meal and most people, except for the worst stiffs, will tip like they paid for both meals. Also, if the waiter tips out the kitchen staff generously, they get in on the deal too.

While you’re at Hugo’s, if you’re brave, order a martini. They bring you a full martini, plus some extra in a little pitcher on ice. You get almost three full martinis out of it. Last time I was there, it was $14. It’s probably higher now, but that same drink at Circa would be $65.

Also, the wine list is tremendous and very reasonably priced. I’ve seen the same bottle of wine cost $100 more at other steakhouses downtown. Jon the sommelier is delightful and makes ordering wine a pleasure. He doesn’t try to upsell you and really enjoys his job.

Finally, the Kona coffee experience for two is $14. Well worth doing at least once.Overall, Hugo’s for dinner is a wonderful treat.

Also, check out my Las Vegas Savings Tips page for further suggestions.

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Hi Matthew Promotion at Circa and the D

The Hi Matthew promo at the D and Circa is for real.

Admittedly, it feels a little strange walking up to a slot booth and saying, “Hi Matthew.” You think they’re going to look at you like you have three heads. But I’ve done this several times without any issues.

The promo is good twice lifetime at the D and Circa, but only once per day. You receive one $25 matchplay chip. Just walk up to the booth and say, “Hi Matthew,” or ask, “Is the Hi Matthew promo still going?”

And as long as you’re doing this promo, you might as well hit the D boarding pass promo and the El Cortez boarding pass promo. The D gives you two $25 matchplays if you show them a Southwest boarding pass within 24 hours of arriving in town. I think this is good each time you fly in, but I haven’t confirmed that.

Show any boarding pass and the El Cortez will give you $25 matchplay, a free drink, and a wheel spin for $10-$1,000 in freeplay ( usually $10). You can’t do the El Cortez MRB coupons and boarding pass offer in the same day; it’s one offer per day per person.

If you combine all the offers, you have $125 in matchplays , $10 in freeplay, and a free drink.

It’s a little walking to hit all three casinos, but worth about $70. Even if you skip El Cortez, you’ll have $100 in matchplays, worth about $48. Plus, you can also use the Members Reward Book for various downtown offers.

Elsewhere on this site is “Las Vegas Savings Tips,” with a table that shows other ways to save money on travel to and in Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas Savings Tips

Welcome to the Las Vegas Savings blog.

Ever since Gambling with an Edge came to an end, I wanted to create a spot where I could list cost-savings ideas for Las Vegas travel, while readers can contribute their own cost-savings ideas. Anything that saves you time or money when traveling to Las Vegas is what this page and the accompanying blog are all about.

The Las Vegas Savings Tips page with the table has money-saving tips in chart form. Various sites list potential savings tips and I will reference some of them there. But in my travels to Las Vegas over the years (an average of five a year for the past 35 years), I’ve learned some things that I haven’t always seen in print and I’m sure you have ideas as well.

There will be more extended discussions and descriptions of the listings in the table in this blog.

I look forward to your ideas and suggestions.