It's January, and for savvy residents of and visitors to Las Vegas, that means it's time to purchase two coupon books. Normally I'm skeptical of any deal that involves spending money to save money, but both these books are worthwhile, and most people who buy them should be able to save many times their price by using just a small percentage of the coupons.
There are important differences between the two books. The first, the American Casino Guide, is particularly suited to relatively inexperienced gamblers and visitors to Vegas. In addition to coupons, it contains detailed, reliable information on most forms of gambling. Some of the coupons are good only for players' club sign-ups. For example, we used a coupon for my daughter recently that doubled the $10 in free slot play offered by the Silverton to new members (that one coupon covered nearly half the list price of the book). The American Casino Guide has coupons for casinos throughout the country as well as in Las Vegas and is available in major bookstores and through online booksellers.
The other major book is the Las Vegas Advisor Member Rewards, which comes with a subscription to the Advisor, a monthly newsletter that is an excellent source of information on all things Vegas. The price is $37 for the online edition, $50 for print. Unlike the American Casino Guide, the Member Rewards book contains only coupons that all subscribers can theoretically use –- no offers for new players' club sign-ups only. And the coupons are almost all for casinos in Southern Nevada.
There’s also a difference in the way the coupons must be handled. The Casino Guide is a bigger book, and users can cut out the coupons they plan to use and leave the book behind. The book does come with a cardboard card to identify the purchaser, but we have never been asked to show it. Coupons in the Pocket Book, which fits in a pocket or purse, must be torn out in the presence of an employee of the businesses where they are used. You must bring the whole book with you and leave the coupon in it until you are ready to use it. At a buffet, for example, take the book out tell the cashier you would like to use the coupon. In most cases, she will ask you to tear out the coupon. Do not remove the coupon until you are instructed to do so; in rare cases, an employee other than the one you initially show the book to may need to see the process (for example, a floor person rather than the dealer for a table game match play coupon). This sounds more onerous than it is; you’ll quickly get the hang of how the book works, and the process is usually smooth and fast.
To avoid potential problems or disappointment, be sure to read carefully the general instructions on use of the coupons in each book and on each coupon you plan to use. Many coupons, for example, are not valid on holidays, and some are not valid on weekends.
OK, so what are these coupons for and how much can you save? Both the American Casino Guide and Las Vegas Advisor Web sites list all their coupons, which change from year to year. A few generalizations apply to both books: Smaller, locals' and downtown casinos are represented more heavily than the giants on the Strip. Most of the coupons are for dining or gaming. Typical are two-for-one buffets (or 50 percent off one), free drinks and snack items such as hot dogs, players' club point multipliers free slot play. There also are usually coupons for items such as T-shirts and decks of cards, and discounts on restaurant meals, hotel stays, rental cars and show tickets.
Until this year, both books contained table game "match play" coupons. With one of these, a player can double his bet up to the amount of the coupon. For example: A player puts down a $10 bet and a $10 match play coupon and wins; the casino pays him $20. (If he loses, the casino takes his $10 and the coupon; if there's a push, he can use the coupon again.) This year's Las Vegas Advisor book does not contain match plays, but does have a few coupons for an increased payout for a blackjack. The idea is to discourage the "hit and run" use of coupons -- people playing one hand with a match play, then leaving the casino. The American Casino Guide still carries match plays.
For those with casino players' club points, many coupons can be leveraged. In most but not all cases, buffet coupons can be combined with players' club discounts, and the non-free buffet (or half of the price) can be paid with points. For example: A casino offers $1 off the price of its dinner buffet to anyone with one of its players club cards. Give the cashier your card and a coupon, and in most cases you’ll get the dollar off the buffet you have to pay for, whether you pay with cash or points.
Both of these coupon books have been around for years, and there are rarely problems, but sometimes a casino will refuse to accept a particular coupon, usually because it has been fraudulently reproduced or otherwise abused. The casinos generally reserve the right to alter or cancel all offers, but rarely do so. Occasionally a casino employee will not understand how an offer works, but usually someone is available who does.
Other sources of coupons are the free tourist magazines, coupon sheets of "fun books" given to hotel guests when they check in, the daily newspaper and online sources. Once you’ve signed up for a casino’s players club and gambled a bit there, you may get coupons or other marketing offers in the mail.
Keep in mind that any coupon may not offer the best deal available. For example, a discount show ticket outlet may beat the box office price less the amount of a coupon from a tourist magazine.
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