This continues a series on understanding that began with a definition of Advantage Play and a look at AP slots, and continued with a look at casino promotions. Today we look at another aspect, Coupon Books.
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One of the other Advantage Play scenarios saw their best days prior to the advent of some of the smarter systems now in place at most casinos, coupon books would entice people in with offers of discounted food, attraction tickets, hotel rooms and sometimes even gambling coupons that created a short-term Advantage Play scenario.
Particularly for Las Vegas and other Nevada casinos, there’s still two main offerings that can be worth well more than their cost:
- American Casino Guide: The American Casino Guide has been in print for many years, and their main product is the annual book that bears its name. The full edition includes a complete directory of casinos, gaming tips, and a set of valuable coupons that are mostly Las Vegas focused, but include some other markets where there’s casino competition.
In 2019, they launched a more affordable version than the full-sized print version solely consists of the coupons, while an app covers all the other content that was available. One nice thing about this new edition, aside from the more affordable price point, is the app is updated far more frequently than an annual book can be. - Las Vegas Advisor: The Las Vegas Advisor membership is a great informational source for those who are regular visitors to Vegas or wish to spin up quickly about what’s going on. Incorporating news, ticket prices, great deals and more, it’s a great source for fans of Vegas. But another big selling point of the $37 online membership or $50 print membership is the Member Rewards book, which features a lot of valuable coupons as well. Unlike ACG, the Las Vegas Advisor is all about Vegas, and therefore the coupons are solely focused on that market. In some cases the coupons are also a bit more generous than their ACG counterparts.
Both books have a variety of coupons, such as dining, shows and attractions, spas and drinks. Both also feature a number of gaming coupons, which provide access to match play, freeplay, point accelerators and more. Many times coupons from both books can be combined to use at one time.
The bulk of the value of the books are for non-strip properties; the downtown casinos have enough opportunities in them alone to warrant what’s dubbed by some as a “coupon run,” where you spend a window of time working your way through the area and using each set of coupons in turn.
Coupons, like free play, are short-term advantage opportunities; they won’t give you an enduring way to win. But if you happen to be a bit lucky, they can build your bankroll and give you the chance to pursue other opportunities as you encounter them. Or they can just give you more money to have fun with once you’ve used the coupons.
Either way, for the cost of the books, they provide quite the exceptional value, but only if you’re willing to visit the casinos they provide offers through. Fortunately, both put their offers front and center on their respective websites, so you can know exactly what’s available in each.
Have you ever used a coupon book in Las Vegas? Share your experience in the comments below?
