Slot Club
Spotlight by Jeffrey Compton

Checking Out the New Kids
Mandalay Bay, The Venetian, Resort at Summerlin and Paris |have worked out their bugs and are ready for the year 2000

1999…It was a very good year! And in terms of new Las Vegas casinos and slot clubs, it was a record year.

In March 1999, Mandalay Bay debuted, The Venetian (soft) opened in May, followed by the soft opening of the Resort at Summerlin in July. And the grand finale was provided in September by Paris. Late 1999 also saw the opening of the Hacienda and the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas, both located outside of Boulder City.

It's all guaranteed to keep a slot club writer busy—and even busier when two of the new casinos, Mandalay Bay and the Resort at Summerlin, make major changes to their clubs within weeks of opening their doors. This isn't a bad sign; it shows that management is listening to their customers. No casino gets everything right on the first try, and this is certainly true of today's multi-faceted megaresorts.

Now that 1999 has officially become old news, it's as good a time as any to give each of the new clubs a close look. Besides my own personal observations (and those of other players), I also called each casino's marketing department to ask about current benefits or new ones in the works.

Mandalay Bay—Club Mandalay
Mandalay Resort Group (MRG, formerly Circus Circus Enterprises) took a lot of risks when they opened Mandalay Bay. The property, located at the very end of the South Strip, is aimed squarely at Boomers and Generation Xers, complete with a House of Blues (including special themed suites and the private Foundation Room). Not a traditional Circus Circus crowd.

To attract the true upscale market of all ages, five floors near the top of the Mandalay tower comprise the Four Seasons Las Vegas. It’s a separate property with a separate entrance, creating the town's first hotel-within-a-hotel. Chicago is the first Broadway-via-Las Vegas musical presented with a complete script, set, and score, thus allowing only one performance per night.

The bets have paid off. The Four Seasons was just awarded the Five Diamond designation by the AAA, a Las Vegas first. Both Chicago and the House of Blues are doing well. So are the table games, a sign that the casino is attracting a high-spending, under-50 crowd. And from all appearances, these customers represent new business for MRG, not bodies cannibalized from their other nearby properties.

Unfortunately, one innovation that did not pan out was the casino's slot bonusing plan, a variety of schemes designed to reward slot players in addition to any jackpots won playing the machines. Not only did it force Mandalay to install tighter-than-normal slots (to pay for the bonusing), but many of the schemes were unduly complicated, especially for a tourist property attracting a high number of once- or twice-a-year visitors. Compounding the problem, many of the special Club Mandalay's benefits tied to the bonusing system were not up and running when the casino opened, thus members were stuck with a club that could pay only comp dollars valid in a limited number of restaurants.

The powers that be at Mandalay quickly saw the light (through the many unoccupied areas on the slot floor), eliminated most of the bonusing, installed considerably looser reels, added to the pathetic video poker inventory (including a few 9/6 Jacks or Better machines), and converted the slot club to a straightforward cashback-plus-comps formula, which now pays a .67 percent cash rebate for slots (67¢ for every $100 played), and a .33 percent for video poker. (Note: Within the last two months, all MRG properties in Las Vegas, including Circus Circus, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, and Luxor, reduced their cashback to .67 percent and .33 percent).

Food comps to all Mandalay restaurants, including Red Square (look for the decapitated Lenin stature) and Trattoria del Lupo, a Wolfgang Puck creation, can be obtained at the booth, though I recommend asking a host.

According to Rich Marino, vice-president of slots, active Club Mandalay members receive a variety of special invitations, including a complimentary slot tournament and monthly birthday events.

The Venetian
The Venetian had one of the toughest debuts on record. Though the casino opened with one of the better slot floors and players clubs found on the Strip, most of the publicity focused on how much of the property was not finished.

As this article goes to press, I'm happy to report that The Venetian is complete and breathtaking, especially the San Marco Square/Doge's Palace exterior, the interior Galleria, and the Grand Canal Shoppes, a quarter-mile of fine boutiques and shops. Every one of the 3,036 standard guest rooms is a 700-square-foot suite with a marble foyer entrance, canopy-draped bedchamber, and a 130-square-foot bath finished in fine Italian marble.

Of course, what turns me on at the Venetian is the casino floor. It’s one of my favorite places to play on the Strip. Not only a visual delight, it offers good plays for everyone, whether you're into reels, video slots, or video poker.

Traditional reel lovers should check out the Treasure of Venice game, where the popular IGT Double Deluxe reel game has been turned into a work of art. State-of-the-slots types will find one of the few dollar Elvis games available. As you walk around, notice the signage above the machines—not for the latest progressive jackpot, but for the way it combines Italian art with Las Vegas casino.

And if your game is video poker, you're in luck. Without much searching, you can find quarter, half-dollar, and dollar versions of 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus, and 9/7 Double Bonus. Even if you don't play these games perfectly, you'll at least lose your money at a slower rate than elsewhere. Big nickel ($5) and above players will appreciate The Venetian's large high-limit salon and nearby VIP lounge, another "best" on the Strip.

The Venetian Players Club currently rewards cash rebates at a rate of .67 percent for slots and .4 percent for video poker, though I've heard that management may restructure this. Though the club does not spell out how comp dollars are earned, you can obtain a free meal (depending on your play) at any of The Venetian's many fine restaurants, even though they're all privately owned and operated; this includes the Grand Lux Cafe, a 24-hour delight run by the Cheesecake Factory. Within the next few months, famed New York chef Andre Soltner will be opening a Las Vegas branch of Lutece.

Recently, the casino ran a month-long cash and car giveaway promotion, as well as a special $50,000 invitation-only giveaway for Venetian Players Club members.

Resort at Summerlin
One of the most intriguing properties to open in recent memory, the Resort at Summerlin is trying to attract both high-end tourists and local northwest Las Vegas residents. As the Resort quickly found out, this is not an easy trick.

The property resonates class, with large (at least 560-square-foot), luxuriously appointed rooms, great views, and a world-class health spa. But its remote location makes it a questionable choice for many out-of-towners, with the exception of golf enthusiasts, who may or may not gamble. And though the casino is located in the middle of Summerlin, the fastest growing pre-planned community in the United States, it's also near three casinos (Fiesta, Santa Fe, and Texas Station) hustling low-hold video poker, lower-priced restaurants, and easy-to-earn comps.

When the Resort opened, local players were greeted with lots of slots and a few video poker machines with tight schedules. The customers voted with their feet and management quickly got the message. Within weeks, several 9/6 Jacks, 10/7 Double Bonus, and an increased number of Triple Play machines quietly appeared on the floor.

The casino recently opened two European-style Salon Prives for high-roller play, one for tables, another for slots. The slot salon has two large fireplaces, several attractive seating areas, a full bar (complete with seats), plus a private cage and credit window. You'll also find an attractive selection of slots, both traditional and state-of-the-art, as well as several $5 Triple Play games with 99 percent schedules. On my last two trips, I thought the service was superb.

After a brief half-life as a "don't-ask-won't-tell" secretive slot club, Sertus (Latin for "All in One") now pays a straightforward .50 percent cashback for slots and .25 percent for video poker. Customers wanting to eat at any of the Resort's fine restaurants, including the much acclaimed Upstairs Market Buffet, can ask for comp dollars in lieu of cash. J.C. Wooloughan, the on-site Irish pub, has also developed a strong local following.

One unique benefit of Sertus is that, besides earning points playing the machines, members also receive points with any purchase made at the Resort, including rooms, meals, spa amenities, even a newspaper in the giftshop. The rebate equates to 1 percent of the value of the purchase.

According to Richard Strafella, director of slot marketing, all new Sertus members receive a welcome letter, including a two-for-one buffet coupon. The casino also has a special club for over-55 members. They receive a $5 dinner buffet discount every day (including the Friday and Saturday seafood extravaganza) from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.

Paris
Unlike The Venetian and Resort at Summerlin, when Paris opened, everything was up and ready to go bang. And almost everything, especially the restaurants, got unanimous raves—except, that is, the games and the slot club.

Before I discuss those two areas of concern, I would be amiss not to rave about the decor. Though I'm extremely fond of New York-New York, the Rio, Bellagio, and The Venetian, I find Paris to be closest in capturing the magic of its namesake through attention to detail, such as the Impressionistic spring-flower design in the carpeting, the "Metro-style" signs over the change booths, the bread man riding through the "streets" on a bicycle, and the French porcelain sinks in the restrooms.

Unfortunately, Paris appears to have the tightest slots and most inferior video poker of any of the other three properties. The best game I've found has been dollar and five-dollar 8/5 Bonus.

Club Paris is nothing more than a French branch of the "don't-ask-won't-tell" MVP Club found next door at Bally's, one of the only clubs in Las Vegas basing their rewards on theoretical hold as opposed to coin-in. Unless they go to the booth and ask, members have no idea what they've earned or how they earned it.
In all fairness, it should be stated that the MVP Club has a very good reputation for taking care of its members, especially dollar and up slot players. I assume that the same will soon be said for Club Paris, especially since the systems are one and the same.

Club Paris members are rewarded with cash and comps. If you're looking for a free buffet, the staff at the booth can help you out, but any other requests have to go through a host. Because of third-party ownership, complimentary meals the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi (the cafe located right on the Strip), and Tres Jazz are extremely hard to obtain.

According to Vincent Santiago, slot marketing manager, Club Paris is launching several database-driven (i.e., offered only to proven players) promotions, such as birthday-party invitations and discounted room/food/entertainment packages. "The major upcoming promotion," states Santiago, "includes giving qualified slot players a free companion airfare ticket for future trips."

Regardless of my own concerns, it's obvious that many people enjoy Paris. The casino is always crowded and will remain so for some time—especially since the next new megaresort on the Strip, the Aladdin, is not slated to open until late 2000. In the meantime, you'll frequently find me at Paris' Le Cafe, another wondrous Las Vegas 24-hour eatery that came our way in 1999.