The Gift Giving Season in Casinos
Over the holidays, Las Vegas casinos offer reasons to come back and claim generous prizes
By H. Scot Krause
For the sixth consecutive year, an entire year’s worth of your play at Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas casinos—before the Caesars takeover, these were the “Harrah’s casinos”—puts you in a position to give, or get, some of the best gifts around.
Traditionally, Las Vegas Casinos slows down in November and December, with most of the tourism centered around Thanksgiving in November and NFR (National Finals Rodeo) in December. But if you’ve been playing on the Strip over the past year, you might want to consider a return trip so that you can collect merchandise and gifts from several slot clubs that are offered at no other time of the year—and these are gifts that you must collect in person.
For the sixth consecutive year, an entire year’s worth of your play at Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas casinos—before the Caesars takeover, these were the “Harrah’s casinos”—puts you in a position to give, or get, some of the best gifts around. The 2011 Great Gift Wrap Up has been confirmed, and it’s happening just in time for the holiday season. (Even door-to-door delivery of your gifts will be taken care of.)
The earning period began on January 1, 2011 and has continued all year long, earning players Gift Points in addition to the regular Reward Credits they get as members of the players club. Players have been earning approximately 10 Gift Points for every 7 Reward Credits they get while playing at Las Vegas Total Rewards casinos.
This year’s event dates, times and locations are as follows:
November 10 – 14, 2011
Flamingo Las Vegas
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
and
December 1 – 5, 2011
Caesars Palace
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Some changes have been made to the 2011 Great Gift Wrap Up, and it appears it will be even bigger and better than in previous years. The promotion features a ton of the latest, hottest merchandise that is sure to be on everyone’s holiday wish list. Check www.greatgiftwrapup.com for more information, including an online catalog and additional event details.
Meanwhile, Grazie Gifts takes place at the Venetian from November 19–November 27, 2011. If you’ve played at the Venetian or Encore this past year, you’ve been earning Grazie Gift Points which provide free, high-value rewards to Club Grazie members. Every slot rewards point you earn equals one Grazie Gifts Point. Points begin accumulating after each event in November and continue throughout the year. Grazie Gifts Points give you earning power toward high-end, brand-name electronics, fine jewelry, quality luggage, exclusive handbags, luxurious crystal, and the hottest toys and games, plus much more. Some of this year’s brand names include Tumi, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren, Razor, Howard Miller, Trek, Polaris, Delonghi, Dooney/Bourke, Coach, Capresso, Cuisinart, William & Sonoma, Conair, Nambe, Reed & Barton, Swarovski, Orrefors, Baccaret, Le Creuset, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, RCA, Bose, Bushnell, Calloway, Citizen, Movado, Tag Huer, Uniden, Bulova, Weber, and others.
At the Riviera, every 300 points earned from November 17, 2010 through November 17, 2011 is equivalent to $1 in Mad Money, which can be used for the Mad Money Spree to be held November 17-20, 2011. (The Mad Money you earn is in addition to your regular points and cash back.) You can spend your Mad Money November 17-20 on merchandise, jewelry, chocolates, flat screen televisions and more. Earn double Mad Money for slot and pit play on November 2, 4, 7, 9, 14, 16.
MGM Grand properties will offer their Holiday Gift Shoppe Points extravaganza in December. The year’s biggest shopping event happens in Las Vegas, December 2-11. At press time, the locations have not been announced. Here’s how it works: similar to the Caesars program, you earn Holiday Gift Shoppe Points in addition to your other M life Players Club benefits. You accrue them automatically (no sign up required), and earn Gift Points by playing your favorite slots at any Las Vegas M life Players Club properties between January 1, 2011 and December 11, 2011. You’ll get one Holiday Gift Shoppe Point for every M life Players Club Point earned.
At the year-end event, December 2-11, you’ll be able to go on a fabulous shopping spree. This is your chance to pick up jewelry, electronics, home and sporting goods, gift cards, free slot play and more. To keep up to date on the event, visit https://www.mlife.com/hgs/
Winter Promotions
Tropicana Las Vegas will host “11/11/11” hourly drawings on November 11 from 11am-9 pm. 11 winners will have a chance to play for $1 million—and you must be present to claim your prize. Drawing tickets are earned through play. One winner will be selected each hour and choose 5 envelopes from a game board. If the value of the envelopes adds up to exactly 1,000, the player wins $1 million; and if the value of the envelopes does not add up to exactly 1,000, the player receives the sum of the 5 envelopes in free slot play.
Military veterans can enjoy a free buffet at the Orleans Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11, by showing a military ID to the buffet cashier. The casino will also offer 11x points on all machines from 11 am–11 pm (capped at 11,000 base points.) 11 table game players can win $100 in chips ($5,500 total prize chips) once every hour from 7 pm–11 pm. You just need to be sitting in the “hot seat,” which is chosen via random drawings.
Following months of planning and implementation, Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall has completed a sweeping modernization of its renowned Mystic Falls Park Sunset Stampede Laser Light and Water Show—one of the most popular free attractions in Las Vegas. While minor improvements have been made over the years, this recent upgrade is the first major renovation to the show since its 1994 debut.
Improvements include new, state-of-the-art solid-state laser technology, which creates more powerful and clearer projections while using significantly less wattage; a new laser atop the Mystic Falls mountain, which projects mid-air beam effects throughout the atrium; new theatrical lighting, allowing for more sophisticated effects including LED submersible fountain lights with a wider range of colors; enhanced animatronics; new graphical projections; and refinements to the audio system.
This month, Sam’s Town introduced the all-new Mystic Falls Winter Wonderland spectacular, with festive garland streams, snow-covered lampposts, and more than 50 glimmering trees adorned in lights. Snow floats from the sky while light images and shooting water fountains dance to traditional holiday music.
The Winter Wonderland show will debut prior to Thanksgiving. The free 15-minute Sunset Stampede show plays nightly at 6 pm, 8 pm and 10 pm. Sam’s Town offers free shuttle service to and from the Strip eight times a day, seven days a week. For further information on Mystic Falls and all of Sam’s Town attractions, visit www.samstownlv.com.
Happy slot clubbing!
H. Scot Krause is a freelance writer, gaming industry analyst and researcher. He originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Scot specializes in writing about casino games, events, attractions and promotions. Scot is a former entertainment director and a sixteen-year resident of Las Vegas. His work is regularly featured in gaming publications and the annual American Casino Guide Book. Questions or comments for Scot may be addressed to: krauseinvegas@cox.net
