Some people, instead of scoring three points for cards, award two points to the player with most cards and one point to the player who made the last capture during the game. The three largest (and most valuable) issuer rewards programs offer flexible points, a wide range of credit card options to earn points and a solid list of transfer partners. Chase Ultimate Rewards TPG values points at 2 cents each, and you can redeem points through Chase’s portal (with a redemption bonus depending on which Chase cards you. Earning periods: January - June and July - December. Every 1,000 points are converted to $1 in free play at the game. Redeem 1,000 points for $1 in the outlet by presenting your card and your valid photo ID. Each player then scores what was won as follows: 1 point for each sweep, ace, and little casino, 2 points for big casino, 1 point for taking the most spades, and 3 points for taking the most cards (unless tied). Game is 11 or 21 points. Three- and four-handed casino games follow the same rules, with four playing in two partnerships.

M life is the casino rewards program from the MGM group and you can earn points when you play at a number of MGM owned properties including Aria, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, NY NY, Luxor and The Excalibur in Las Vegas.

Through M life, players receive points when they play at slots, table games or spend money in MGM properties, and these can be exchanged for rewards including meals, free play, retail, experiences and a whole lot more depending on your status.

The M life program has 5 distinct levels that each offers a different range of benefits to the player. Perhaps one of the biggest annoyances with this program is that it’s hard to figure out how it all works since it’s relatively confusing. It doesn’t offer easy guidance on how to earn points, tier credits, progress levels or help you figure out what you’re entitled too. Because of this, we’ve broken down the program (below the casino sites table) to help you understand everything you need to know about M life rewards.

Overview of M life Tiers and Requirements

Below we’ve provided a summary of the levels included in M life and what each tier qualifies you for. Scroll down further in this guide for a complete breakdown of each level, how you earn M life points, how you redeem points, and tips and tricks to get the most out of the program.

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A Thorough Breakdown of Every M life Tier

Sapphire M life Tier (0-24,999 points)

Complete List of Benefits Earned:

• Dedicated reservation lines
• Book personalized offers on Mlife.com
• Access to M life Moments
• Exclusive access to mobile check-In via MGM Resorts mobile app
• Access to benefits and offers from M life Rewards Preferred Partners
• Earn Express Comps™ for playing slots and redeem at all M life Rewards destinations nationwide
• Earn points for playing slots and convert to FREEPLAY® or Express Comps
• Earn Holiday Gift Shoppe Points for playing slots in Las Vegas
• Exclusive discounts on hotel rooms
• 5% exclusive M life Rewards member discounts at participating retail shops (exclusions apply)
• Pre-Sale ticket access to select events, concerts, and fights
• Discounts to select shows at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide (subject to availability)
• Avis rental car discount

The Sapphire Tier is the entry-level tier of the rewards program. All you have to do in order to get into this tier level is apply at an MGM casino property, be over the age of 21, and have a pulse. One thing we really like about the entry-level tier is that you do actually get some benefits that are worthwhile. Other rewards programs just give you the card, and it really doesn’t do you much good until you level up to the next tier.

But, with the Sapphire level, you do get personalized offers sent to you online for future stays, dedicated reservation lines, pre-sale access to tickets, show, and car rental discounts, as well as access to mobile check-in. For us, these are the benefits that stick out the most and make getting signed up for this program a must-do if you’re going to be spending any time at an MGM property.

Pearl M life Tier (25,000-74,999 points)

Complete List of Benefits Earned:

• This tier includes all of the benefits of the Sapphire tier
• Extended expiration for points and Express Comps
• Invitations to Members-Only events, tournaments, or promotions
• 10% bonus on points earned playing slots at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• 10% bonus on Express Comps earned at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• 10% exclusive M life Rewards member discounts at participating retail shops (exclusions apply)
• Dedicated line at the buffet
• Complimentary self-parking

The Pearl Tier offers all of the benefits you get at the Sapphire level plus a lot more perks that we think are pretty nice. First, you’re now going to earn points and express comps faster once you achieve the Pearl level. Second, and we think it’s pretty important for those that drive down to the Vegas casinos, is free self-parking. Additionally, you’re going to get dedicated buffet lines, invitations to special events and promotions, and your points and comps will last longer before they expire.

Gold M life Tier (75,000-199,999 points)

Complete List of Benefits Earned:

• This tier includes all of the benefits of the Pearl and Sapphire tiers.
• 20% bonus on points earned playing slots at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• 20% bonus on Express Comps earned at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• Priority hotel check-in line at the front desk
• Room upgrade (subject to availability at check-in, excludes suites)
• Dedicated line at participating restaurants
• Fine dining priority reservations
• VIP line access to select nightclubs for you and a guest in Las Vegas
• Complimentary valet parking

When you hit the Gold Level Tier, you really start to see some great benefits roll in. First, you’re getting all the benefits of the previous two levels. Now, though, you’ll earn points and comps faster than Sapphire level members. Additionally, you’ll get complimentary valet parking, priority reservations and dedicated lines at more restaurants than just the buffet, priority check-in at the front desk, and VIP line access for you and a guest to select nightclubs during your stay.

Platinum M life Tier (200,000 + points)

Complete List of Benefits Earned:

• This tier includes all of the benefits of the Gold, Pearl, and Sapphire tiers
• Annual complimentary cruise for qualifying members on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises
• 30% bonus on points earned playing slots at Ml ife Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• 30% bonus on Express Comps earned at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• Priority access: pool cabana, spa, and salon reservations
• Platinum experience upon check-in at Las Vegas resorts
• 15% exclusive M life Rewards member discounts at participating retail shops (exclusions apply)
• Priority access for valet and taxi service

When you’ve reached Platinum, you are almost at the top tier. As such, the benefits you receive will be pretty dang awesome. As always, you get everything from the prior levels plus a whole lot more. You’ll earn points and express comps faster than Sapphire level members, get priority access for pool cabanas and at the spa and salon, and 15% off at participating retail shops. Did we mention you also get a free cruise? Yes, it’s at this level that you can really start to enjoy the fruits of your entertainment labor.

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Noir M life Tier (Invite Only)

Complete List of Benefits Earned:

• This tier includes all of the benefits of the Platinum, Gold, Pearl, and Sapphire tiers
• 40% bonus on points earned playing slots at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• 40% bonus on Express Comps earned at M life Rewards Destinations Nationwide
• Increased Express Comps earning limit
• VIP lounge check-in
• Guaranteed advance hotel reservations
• Guaranteed advance restaurant reservations
• Guaranteed show reservations
• Complimentary limousine service to/from nearest airport with hotel stay

This level is the top of the mountain. In order to make it to the Noir Tier, you’re going to have to be invited, and no one really knows what you have to do to make that happen. We assume it involves gambling a lot and spending a lot of money, but we don’t know exactly how much. But when you do get here, you can expect to start collecting a lot more great rewards.
Again, we’ll beat the dead horse and remind you that you get everything from the previous levels. In addition, though, you’ll get 40% bonus points and comps, VIP lounge check-in on property, guaranteed hotel, restaurant, and show reservations, and complimentary limo service to and from the closest airport when you stay at an MGM property. It’s probably also safe to say that anyone at the Noir level will be getting a ton of additional perks that aren’t even listed on the website or haven’t been disclosed publicly yet.

How Do You Earn M life Tier Credits and Base Points?

Now that we’ve covered the different levels in the program, let’s look at how you can earn points to progress through the different stages of M life. As a customer, you can earn points when you spend on hotel rooms, dining, entertainment, spa, slots and table games at any MGM owned casino property.

• For hotel, dining, entertainment and spa you’ll earn 25 tier credits for every $1 spent
• For slot machines, you’ll earn 10 tier credits for every base point earned (base point is earned for each $3 coin in on slots)
• For video poker, you’ll earn 10 tier credits for every base point earned (base point is earned for each $10 coin in on VP)
• For play on table games, base credits are determined by average wager and time played

In order to earn tier credits by playing in the casino, you’ll need to earn base points which are then matched by a multiplier in tier credits and used to determine your rewards. For every $3 you wager on slots, you will earn 1 base point (10 tier credits) and for every $10 wagered on video poker and speciality games you’ll earn 1 base point equal to 10 tier credits. For table games, the formula isn’t published on the site but it’s rumored that you’ll earn around 300 base points per hour at blackjack with a $25 bet.

You’ll also earn $0.01 in FreePlay and Express Comps for every base point that you earn in the casino, and we’ve explained these systems below which are unique to the M life program:

Free Play – One of the cool things about M life is that you automatically accumulate free play as you gamble in the casino since you can convert your points into free play for slot machines at a rate of 1000 base points for $10 in free play.

Express Comps – These also automatically accumulate as you gamble and can be used against charges back to your room including food, beverage, show tickets, retail and so on. Basically how this works is at the end of your stay you would use your express comps against your final bill to reduce your charges.

Examples of How to Earn Base Points

Let’s say that you visit Aria and spend $2,000 on your hotel room, food and drinks while staying at the hotel. You also play in the casino and wager $10,000 on slots, $1,000 on video poker and play $25 a hand of Blackjack for 1 hour. Under this scenario, here is the breakdown of what you would earn:

Base Points (for casino play):

Tier Credits Summary:

• Casino Play – 37,333 Tier Credits
• Hotel, Dining, Entertainment – $2,000 spend
• 25 tier credits for each $1 (2,000 X 25 = 50,000 Tier Credits)

In the above example on this trip the customer would’ve accumulate a total of 87,333 tier credits and would qualify for Gold status in M life. For their play in the casino, they would also earn $37.33 in free play and $37.33 in express comps that could be used towards any charges at the end of their stay.

In addition to the automatic benefits we’ve described above, every member also receives an account on Mlife where they can access room booking and comp offers that are populated in their member area. This is all above and beyond the regular rewards you’ll get from the program and includes things like comped rooms, free show tickets, experiences, food and beverage credits and a whole lot more.

Nope. There tends to be a lot of confusion around rewards programs where people think they are credit card offers and tend to run for the hills. The M life Rewards program is strictly a rewards program. It is not a credit card, requires no credit check, and is available to anyone over the age of 21 that wants to play and earn points in an MGM group casino, such as the Luxor.

Where the confusion comes in, though, is that M life does offer a credit card known as the M life Rewards Mastercard, which is separate from this program. Applying for or getting this card is NOT necessary to get an account and rarely is it even mentioned when you’re signing up for the program.

There are perks that come with the card, though. You’ll earn 3x points and tier credits at M life Rewards Destinations, 2x points and tier credits spend on gas and groceries, 1 point and tier credit per $1 spent everywhere else, and 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first three billing cycles. Additionally, you’ll automatically be given Pearl level status before you make your first transaction.

Should you get the M life Rewards Mastercard? That’s completely up to you. If you’re someone that loves going to MGM properties and would love to get a little VIP treatment there thanks to the money you spend normally, it might be worth it. You can always get the car, run all your purchases through it, and pay off the balance monthly if you don’t want to carry a balance but still reap the rewards.

M life Moments

M life Moments is an element of the M life Rewards program that you get access to the second you join Sapphire level (entry-level). M life Moments are unique experiences that members can cash in their Express Comps to enjoy. Some of the “simpler” things available are experiences like swimming with dolphins or a day at the spa. At the other end of the spectrum, you can do things like going to the MLB All-Star Weekend, having a private dinner for two with Julian Serrano, or a private showing just for you from Thunder From Down Under or the girls of Fantasy.

Basically, you get the opportunity to do some really cool stuff that you might not be able to without being a member of the M life rewards program.

Pearl Status for Military Members

If you’re a member of the active military, National Guard, Reserves or a Veteran, the MGM M life program wants to thank you for your service. You can receive a special military players card that automatically upgrades you to Pearl status regardless of whether you have played or spent any money at any properties.

M life Rewards Preferred Partners

Mlife has partnered with just under a dozen other brands worldwide to offer their members some added discounts and benefits at other places around the world. These include things like discounts on rental cars at Avia, discounts and preferred seating at Cirque Du Soleil shows, and special benefits and pricing on golf and cruises. These benefits become available immediately after you join the program, Sapphire level (entry-level).

Comp dollars and tier credits offered through player reward programs at casinos may be one of the most overlooked aspects of gambling. These reward programs will be your key to unlocking exclusive offers such as slots dollars, comped rooms, free parking, dining credits, flights, contest entries and so much more.

Even though the sole purpose of a player rewards program is to get gamblers into the casino and spend money, if you use them correctly you will actually be able to get a great deal of value out of them – especially if you follow our free guide below.

When you first enter a casino – whether it be in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or anywhere else in the world – there is usually a desk or electronic kiosk near the main entrance for the company’s players club. Every gaming company, from large conglomerates like Caesar’s Entertainment and MGM Resorts to smaller, local properties like Station Casinos each have some type of rewards program in place for their players.

To participate in any casino rewards program, you must first obtain a player’s card. This card is your key to earning comp dollars and tier points at the casino you will be playing at. There are many different ways to earn comp dollars and tier credits, but some will earn you points quicker than others. We have outlined (in full detail) the most effective ways to accumulate these points below, so you can get the most out of your next visit to the casino.

The Basics of Earning Reward Points & Comps

Let’s start off with the most basic way that players can earn comp points; gambling at the casino. When gambling, you should always make sure that you are using your player’s card – whether that means giving it to the pit boss at the tables or making sure it’s properly inserted into a slot machine. This will ensure that the casino can properly keep track of how much money you’re wagering at slots, video poker or table games. In turn, this will result in you being rewarded proportionately to your play.

If you’re playing slots or video poker, always make sure that your card is inserted correctly. Sometimes the machine will not be able to read your card on the first insert, and hence won’t be able to track your play. When this happens, the machine will usually display a red light around the card slot.

When playing slots or video poker, comp dollars and tier credits will be earned based on the amount of money you wager on the machine. A common misconception among players is that comps are awarded based on losses, while this is in fact not true in almost all cases. The amount of time you play at the machine also has no effect on how many points you will earn.

Most, if not all gaming machines in a casino will have a small electronic screen with a countdown towards the next point(s) that you will earn. The countdown will go down after every hand or spin you play, and will be based on the amount of money you wager for each hand or spin. Once the countdown hits 0 it means you earned points for your play, and it will restart again.

The process will continue in the same manner for the entire time you are playing. This should be your main focus if you are trying to maximize point earnings, and it will also give you a general summary of how many points you have earned on this session. The most common electronic machines that people play include slots, video poker, virtual blackjack and electronic roulette but there are some others as well.

The First Visit to a Casino is Key

The first day’s worth of play on a new rewards card can make all the difference when it comes to the value of the offers you receive from a casino. Most casinos will look at the action of all their new players and base the value of the promotions and offers on how much a person wagered to encourage them to come back. Some player reward programs even have “new player” promotions, where gamblers can earn comp dollars or tier points at an increased rate. A perfect example of this is Caesars’ Total Rewards Program, which offers new players the opportunity to earn 3x the normal rate on tier credits.

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For this reason, we encourage players not to sign up for a new players card if they only plan on spending a few minutes giving action at a specific casino. We recommend waiting until you can get in a full day’s worth of play before signing up for a new players card.

The first mailer a player receives is often the best one they will ever receive. Mailers have historically been sent through the U.S. Postal Service, but today they may also be received by email or even text. The offer may include free slots play, table game bets, comped hotel rooms, and meals.

Playing Low House Edge Electronic Casino Games

One of best ways to earn comp dollars and give the casino a lower house edge is to play multi-hand blackjack machines. Not every casino will have this game, but if they do and you are trying to rack up points quickly, you should go fire away. The concept of multi-hand blackjack is fairly simple. You pick the denomination and credits that you want to play (similar to that of any machine), and then you play 7 hands of blackjack at once versus the dealer all in one dealt hand.

The aspect of this game that makes the casino edge relatively smaller than most other machine games is what it allows you to do. In multi-hand blackjack, one can split, double, and get paid 3-2 on blackjack, something that is a rarity even at the low limit blackjack tables themselves. On top of the reduction in casino edge, by playing 7 hands you are playing that much more money in the game. Because of this and knowing that multi-hand blackjack is a machine game, you will be raking in the additional comp dollars and tier credits, and possibly some profits too.

Playing Low House Edge Table Games

Other than playing electronic machines at a casino, you can also play table games (such as blackjack or roulette) in order to earn comp dollars and tier points. However, the difference between the two is the number of factors involved with how many points you will earn. For table games, the amount you buy-in for, the time you play at the table, and your average bet size per hour all have effects on the points you earn while gambling, with the latter two being the most important.

Your Fate is Decided by the Pit Boss

When you go to sit down at a table game, you will always start off by buying in and giving your player’s card to the dealer who will then hand it off to the pit boss (manager of the table games). The pit boss will then enter into the system the amount of money you bought in for, and continue to update your average bet size during your time playing at that table (which will lead to you earning both comp dollars and tier points).

This is all very important if you are trying to earn points, since your fate is in the pit boss’s hand. He or she will not be able to watch every bet you make, so the average bet they enter into the system for you may not be accurate. There is usually just one pit boss on duty, and he must keep track of players at several tables.

Checking in with the Pit Boss

It does not hurt to get friendly with the pit boss since he/she can sometimes be on the generous side when entering your average bet into the player reward system. Regardless, you should always be checking from time to time what he/she has for your average bet, especially if you are altering your sizing.

On top of the average bet, the time you spend at the table is crucial for earning points. The longer you stay the better, as points are increased in exponential form based on time. In fact, certain casino companies will reward you with a higher status if you earn enough tier points during a 24 hour period, which generally means for you to have a reasonable average bet, along with playing for at least 4 hours at once, usually more.

Getting a VIP Host

The policy on VIP hosts changes from one casino to another. Some set a specific players club tier where a host becomes the reward. Others wait for a player to ask for it. Some casinos have hosts scour through data to determine if a player’s action warrants special attention. Once a serious player is identified, a host will introduce himself to the gambler.

What Does The Casino Host Do?

A host gives players a personal experience while in the casino. They also give players a reason to visit when he may not otherwise. This includes special perks like a limo ride from the airport, hotel room upgrades, show tickets, and visits to resort amenities on the house.

It never hurts to ask a pit boss or slot attendant to call a VIP host after a big session. This can include large wagers, long playing times, or a big win or loss. At the very least, the host will simply say no. There is nothing to lose.

Earning Points and Comps Without Gambling

Besides gambling, there are other ways to earn points. Those include staying at the hotels themselves, dining or shopping at places inside of the casino properties while using your player’s card, and more. In addition, if you have gambled in the past and used your player’s card, you may get promotions for free comp dollars and tier points that you can earn without having to gamble.

So if your goal is to earn comp dollars and tier credits in the best way and as quickly as possible, make sure to carry around your player’s cards and use it whenever possible. One note if you are trying to save up your comp dollars. Certain casino properties have stipulations where you must gamble at least once in a certain period of time to continue to keep your current comp dollars earned, and some also have it so your comp dollars will expire in a certain time period. In order to avoid having the casino take away your unused comp dollars, make sure to see what the casino policy is first.

Make sure to read our article on how to get Diamond in a Day at Caesar’s properties.

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