In previous posts here on Know Your Slots, I reviewed many apps/games that make up the MyVegas family of slot games:
The common thread among all of these games/apps is the ability to earn Loyalty Points across the various games, which can then be redeemed for discounts and comps to use in a variety of locations, most prominent of which are in Las Vegas.
Many don’t understand some of the various aspects of the program, though, so in today’s piece I thought I’d dive in to some helpful notes that can help newer players, or even veterans, navigate some of the key aspects around the comps themselves.
Earning Loyalty Points
The most important starting point is you need to earn Loyalty Points. Generally speaking, they are easiest to earn in the MyVegas Facebook app, and hardest to earn in MyVegas Blackjack. The other mobile apps are somewhere in between.
What makes the Facebook app easiest is you get LPs for leveling up, with no restrictions on how many times you earn it. Get on a good run and you can rack up the LPs quickly.
Most of the mobile apps have a daily LP earning limit. If you play regularly you can get cut off as low as 2,000 LPs. How you earn the LPs on mobile apps has evolved, particularly on Android devices, as a result of Google rules, and can differ from iOS devices.
The apps will show a lock icon when you’ve hit your limit. With the exception of the unrestricted level up for MyVegas on Facebook, there’s no real reason to keep going once you get locked out – you’ll just be betting chips and so on without the benefit of rewards.
So if you plan on racking up LPs, you should have all the apps at your disposal, as well as a plan for maxing out the daily LPs. You’ll need a solid amount of coins for each app to accomplish this, but it’s not hard to rack up coins through various bonuses or the occasional purchase if needed.
You can also follow threads in the Facebook group MyVegas Friends Rocks to be alerted to when chip bonuses are available to be claimed.
Premium Rewards vs. Non Premium Rewards
A newer distinction within the MyVegas system, premium rewards are, generally speaking, free rewards that are tied to an MGM property. This can be show tickets, free slot play, drink credits, or other free items that take place at an MGM casino. The number of premium rewards that can be used in a 30-day window is limited; we’ll get into those limits and how they’re set in a bit.
Non-premium rewards, when it comes to MGM properties, are generally discounts, BOGOs and other arrangements where some sort of spend will still take place. Non-premium rewards also usually are for non-MGM offers, whether the outcome is free or not.
Regardless of whether a reward is premium or non-premium, you can generally only use one type of reward once within any given offer window. So you can’t buy two BOGOs for a specific buffet at the same time, for instance, and use them both in rapid succession. There are, as always, a few exceptions, but this should help govern planning for most.
Understand the Restrictions
The most important thing to understand about Premium Rewards is that every player has a limit to how many Premium Rewards can be used in any 30 day window. Once you hit that limit you can’t redeem any more, regardless of where you are, until the 30 days falls off.
Some rewards require an overnight stay; others don’t. It’s important to check which rewards make sense for your trip. Many times rewards will be offered in two flavors with one not requiring a stay being more expensive LP-wise vs. one that has a stay included.
Finally, some rewards cannot be combined with other MGM Rewards offers, such as the standard free play offers and comp stay offers (you also can’t use an MGM Rewards comp offer and MyVegas comp offer back to back). However, this isn’t universal; MyKONAMI free play can be used without the requirement of a stay, and the match play offers at some hotels, like Luxor, did not require this during my visit in May/June.
The terms and conditions at MyVegas have evolved over time, so be sure to check them before redeeming. Free play didn’t have the no-combination rule for years, and then it was added, so even if you’ve leveraged a reward previously it’s a good idea to see if anything’s changed.
Spending Money in Apps Can Pay Off
Aside from the fun you get from buying coins, and the Loyalty Points you can earn from spinning, spending money in the MyVegas app/games can lead to some additional benefits. By default, you are given the ability to redeem 3 Premium Rewards in a 30-day period. But you can reach 4 with not a ton of spending (less than $100 reportedly, and most likely closer to $50-75), and if you are in an area where Premium Rewards can be used, you can quickly recapture that value. Some players have reported getting up to 6 Premium Rewards per 30-day period, but that’s accompanied with much higher spending.
Those who make purchases in the game also have the ability to unlock higher-end Premium Rewards, such as more advantageous comp night offers or food offers. So while you don’t have an obligation to spend money, depending on your goals, a bit of spend could make a whole more more available.
Remember Your Geography
Many rewards suddenly become unavailable the moment you are geographically close to the locations you’ll be visiting. For instance, many Las Vegas rewards vanish when you’re in Clark County, and that’s by design: They’re attempting to restrict access to rewards by locals.
As such, you should do some planning ahead of which rewards you want, and order them before hitting the road.
Know Your Expiration Dates
Many rewards have tight time frames to use them, either to redeem for tickets (such as show tickets), or to actually visit an MGM Rewards booth and redeem, such as free play. Order too early, and they could expire before you even get to Vegas or other locations.
There’s no complete uniformity to the expiration dates; rewards are renewed periodically and some will be in alignment, especially similar offers for similar properties like MGM properties in Vegas, but it’s not all universal. So, like the other terms, be sure to review the expiration dates.
Rewards Generally Refresh Daily
Many players try to book items that are routinely sold out and fall under the belief that rewards are never available. That’s actually not true, and in another thread within the same Facebook group mentioned before, MyVegas Friends Rocks, group members will post when the items refresh daily.
There is no set schedule when items will refresh – it happens at a different time each day, but it does happen, and a limited number of rewards for each bucket are released. The most popular items sell out nearly instantly, so it can be a challenge to get exactly what you want.
So that also means planning ahead as much as possible, preparing some Plan B arrangements, and sometimes even over-ordering if your LPs allow for it.
You Can Return Most Rewards
If you’re worried over-ordering will mean you’ll waste LPs for the items you can’t or don’t use, worry not – you can even return rewards and get refunded for the LPs! You can return a handful of items every 30 days, which if done properly, and if you haven’t gone too crazy, means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to leverage the return policy and get back your LPs.
As always, read the restrictions, because some rewards can’t be refunded.
It’s Not Just for Vegas…
You can use MyVegas to earn rewards for MGM properties outside of Las Vegas; most MGM properties are, in fact, represented, from Beau Rivage to MGM Detroit, MGM National Harbor and MGM Springfield to the Borgata. The types of offers and features do vary, but you can usually find something handy to enjoy at each property.
…And It’s Not Just for MGM
Within Vegas, third party partners include the Las Vegas Monorail and Madame Tussaud’s. Other casinos, like Resorts World New York, are represented. And there’s even some comps and discounts outside the US, and for cruises as well. So be sure to get familiar with the rewards offered, and check back occasionally, as you may have access to more than you think!
How many times would I be able to use premium rewards if I was going for, say, ten days?
Hi Rodney! The use of premium rewards go in 30 day cycles. So whatever limit (which would be between 3 and 6) is showing in the terms and conditions for your account would be the number. If you haven’t spent much (if any) money in the app, you’d be at 3; on the other hand a significant amount of spend would be required to reach 6. 4 isn’t a huge leap, based on many reports I’ve seen.
Where can I check to see how many premium rewards I can use in 30 days?
Hi Brad! It’s going to appear in the terms and conditions of the premium reward, with a sentence that reads something like “Redemptions limited to any X rewards from MGM Rewards, regardless of type, within a rolling 30 day period.” The X will be your number, and can be anywhere between 3 and 6.
I had booked a My Vegas comp room at the Borgata and unfortunately had to cancel. My chips were redeemed, but now the comp rooms have totally disappeared from the rewards. I’ve never seen this before, is it because I cancelled? I hope they will be back!
Hi Diane! No, it looks like the room rewards, free play and such came down at the beginning of the month. It’s definitely not because you cancelled. While I can’t say for certain as things can always change, there is sometimes a gap between when the old rewards stop being available (these were set to expire Sept. 15) and the next wave going live. So we may just be seeing that right now.
Thank you for your quick response! Hopefully I’ll be able to take advantage of the comp room in the future, such a great reward! Thanks again
Are Premium rewards still limited? It notes in the terms and conditions that it is a premium reward but does not detail any restrictions.
Premium rewards are still limited for MLife properties in Las Vegas. You get between 3 and 6, sepending on your MyVegas account. Premium rewards tend to be the ones that give comps, whereas BOGOs and others like that are not generally considered premium.
My wife and I have separate Mlife accounts and signed up for myVEGAS separately. We both have never paid into the app. I am offered much better rewards than her such as free drinks and tickets. Her rewards are of the BOGO variety. Why?
Sometimes if location services aren’t properly set up on a device, it will limit the rewards shown. It’s worth checking app settings to make sure location is turned on (and that you’re not in or near Las Vegas at the time you check).