Gambling and Casino Talk from Las Vegas to Atlantic City

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Week In Review 1

Posted on March 07, 2010 by The Commander

This was a slow week after a fun time in Atlantic City last weekend.  I waited outside of Harrah’s for a cab, without a coat for 15 minutes, and caught a cold.  Oh well, such is life.  I ended up about even and didn’t pay for a meal so the trip was good.  The next few weeks will be off and on since I will be away on business.  I’ll forward out any interesting articles I see on twitter, so follow me in you like.

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Seven Stars Insider – Feb March 0

Posted on March 02, 2010 by The Commander

Seven Stars Insider is a great resource for Harrah’s players looking for information and ways to possibly improve their Total Rewards experience.  The Total Rewards system is a little confusing so the more info the merrier.  As the disclaimer says in the newsletter this info isn’t only for Harrah’s top tier players.

Sign up for Seven Stars Insider on their site.

Seven Stars Insider – February/March 2010

[NOTE: While this newsletter was originally designed exclusively for Seven Stars Club members, there is useful information for anyone who has a Total Rewards® player’s card and/or plays/stays at a Harrah’s property.  Please feel free to pass this on to your friends.]

Planet Hollywood Becomes Part Of Total Rewards April 1

By now you probably know that a subsidiary of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. has assumed ownership of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.  As of April 1, Harrah’s Total Rewards program should be fully integrated, enabling guests to earn and redeem Reward and Tier Credits every time they play at the casino.  Points earned in Planet Hollywood’s loyalty program, A-List, will automatically convert into Total Rewards credits at the time of the Total Rewards integration.  This is similar to what happened when Harrah’s purchased Caesars several years ago.

Harrah’s Cherokee Now Serving Alcohol On Limited Basis

Alcohol is now being served at Harrah’s Cherokee from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 2 a.m. on Sundays. Note, though, that only non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary and you cannot use comp dollars to purchase alcohol.

Aces Closes

In preparation for recently approved table games in Pennsylvania, Aces Diner at Harrah’s Chester closed in mid-February.  Not a big loss, in many guests’ opinions.

Snow Days In Atlantic City

Once again, Harrah’s angered its most valued customers by closing its Diamond Clubs the last Thursday and Friday of February “due to inclement weather.”  Meanwhile, the bars at Showboat Thursday night were packed to capacity, and most other Harrah’s food and beverage outlets around the city were open for business.  By Friday, there were no significant weather problems that should have delayed most guests or employees from getting to Atlantic City.  As a matter of fact, Trump Marina’s Chairman’s Club was open both Thursday and Friday, as was the Borgata’s Amphora Lounge.  Trump Taj Mahal’s Chairman’s Club was closed Thursday, but offered eligible players coupons for the buffet at a reduced rate (10 comp dollars for a lunch or dinner valued at $21).

Seven Stars Insider Site Updated

Google did a wholesale conversion of all its Web sites, and caused a number of sites – including Seven Stars Insider – to lose much of its original formatting.  This has since been fixed, some factual errors corrected, and information on several properties updated.  If you visit a Harrah’s property and find incorrect information on the site – or information that needs to be updated, please send an email to sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com.  In addition, as always, we are looking for reports on properties currently not represented on the site.  If you can provide any insights, again, please send an email to sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com.

Did You Attend A New Year’s Eve Celebration?

Not a big response to this question, but everyone who commented had “raves” (especially for the events at Harrah’s Resort and Bally’s in Atlantic City).  See specific comments below:

  • “My husband and I attended the party at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.  It had a Moulin Rouge theme in one of the upstairs ballrooms.  The dinner was wonderful – an ‘11’out of ‘10’.”
  • “We attended the party at Bally’s in Atlantic City.  It was an excellent event, just as good as previous years’.  [The 12-piece band] played and sang everything from the ’40s through ’90s rap music.  The meal was lobster, shrimp and filet mignon.  We did not expect it to be that good.  Recent events at Bally’s had been very disappointing.  One previous dinner featured a chicken cutlet and one stuffed shrimp.”

What’s Your Recommendation For The Annual Seven Stars Trip?

A lot of new members, in particular, would appreciate your thoughts on where to take the annual trip.  Did you have an outstanding experience somewhere, or, conversely, is there some property you wouldn’t send your worst enemy?  Send me an email (sevenstarsinsider@gmail.com) and I’ll share your thoughts – anonymously, of course – with everyone in a future newsletter.  (Be sure to check out some tips for your annual trip by going to http://sites.google.com/site/sevenstarsinsider/yourannualsevenstarstrip.)

~Darryl

P.S.  Back issues of the Seven Stars Insider newsletter are available online at http://sites.google.com/site/sevenstarsinsider/.  You will need Adobe Acrobat to view them, but this is a free program available at www.adobe.com.

Darryl D. McEwen, Publisher

Seven Stars Insider

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Planet Hollywood Starts Total Rewards April 1 0

Posted on February 26, 2010 by The Commander

Maybe it’s an April fools joke.  Maybe it’s not.  According to @PHVegas on twitter Planet Hollywood will begin using the Total Rewards system on April 1.

We’re rolling out Total Rewards on April 1, so there are plenty of new perks and privileges coming to make our guests feel like celebrities!

Harrahs.com shows Planet Hollywood, but redirects you to the old reservation system and website for Planet Hollywood.  Unfortunately, this may take Planet Hollywood out of my plans for my next Vegas trip.  Oh well.

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Planet Harrahswood Commence! 0

Posted on February 19, 2010 by The Commander

Harrah’s officially begins their takeover of Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas today.  Some things about the takeover are starting to trickle out.

  • …the property should be integrated into Harrah’s Total Rewards database by the end of March.
  • Harrah’s also plans some physical changes to the property, such as moving the high-limit room away from the front entrance and removing some of the slot machines.
  • Harrah’s acquisition of Planet Hollywood does not include some restaurants, Privé nightclub, the Miracle Mile Shops or the new 1,201-room PH Tower By Westgate.
  • A licensing agreement also allows Harrah’s to brand other casinos with the Planet Hollywood name internationally.

So effective immediately will be the movement of some slots and Total Rewards will get going by the end of next month. With a trip in early April, I’d like to see Total Rewards to kick in a little quicker.  I’d still like to stay here if possible.  A friend called reservations last night and they weren’t sure when the players club switchover would take place.  Now we have an idea.

I’m sure pay tables for video poker will be switched out over the weekend.  Can’t wait to play 7/5 Jacks or Better.  At the same time, maybe they’ll add the $5 9/6 Jacks or Better which they have in every other casino on the strip.

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MGM Looking To Improve Players Club 0

Posted on February 18, 2010 by The Commander

MGM has decided to hire two companies to help in improving their comp club, Players Club.

The move may improve MGM Mirage’s competitive position against industry leader Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., which is known for mining its own databases with scientific formulas to produced personalized offers to customers through its Total Rewards Program, which launched in 2000 and now has some 40 million members.

MGM’s Players Club is an improvement of the non-system that they used to have.  I like the direction Players Club is going and found the website easy to navigate and find offers.  Their offers seems to be in line with the amount I play at MGM casinos.  Not great, but something.

Harrah’s Total Rewards get’s a lot of praise in the media, but I don’t think there’s many customers that understand how it works.  I don’t completely understand how Total Rewards works, but I’ve changed how I gamble to get better comps.  I play much more video poker and slots than I used to because that gets recorded more accurately than playing at the tables.

MGM’s Players Club seems to be on the right path with a simple web design and easy to find offers.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this improves their marketing.

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Week In Review 0

Posted on February 07, 2010 by The Commander

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here.  Super Bowl party is at my house this year, so I don’t have much time to blog today.  Here are the stories from the week that passed.

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Total Rewards Could Be Coming To Planet Hollywood In 2 Weeks 0

Posted on February 04, 2010 by The Commander

Yesterday Harrah’s moved one step closer to acquiring Planet Hollywood.  The Nevada Gaming Commission will meet on February 18 to give final approval.  If (once) approved Harrah’s would assume control of Planet Hollywood on February 19 at noon.

This will create some consolidation with Harrah’s cutting about 5% of the Planet Hollywood workforce.  Harrah’s will also induce the property with $30 million in cash.  However, one of the most important things Harrah’s brings to Planet Hollywood is their customer database from all of their properties in Las Vegas and across the US.

It will use direct mail, group sales and try to attract leisure visitors.

Sure this seems unexciting if you’re a marketing geek, but direct mail seems to be what helps Harrah’s and Total Rewards stand out.  Total Rewards is the hub of all Harrah’s marketing.  I have a stack of postcards for upcoming trips to Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

As I plan my next trip to Las Vegas this will influence where I stay.  Say what you will about Harrah’s and Total Rewards, but they’re fairly consistent sending offers to stay at their properties.  The same can’t be said for all casinos.  I’m still waiting on an acknowledgement of existance from Wynn & Encore from my December stay.  I’m told I should see my offers soon.

I haven’t stayed at Planet Hollywood in a couple years and am considering it for my next trip with or without comps.  However, comp or discounted rooms could absolutely turn my attention away from some of the newer, shinier casinos.  We’ll revisit this in 2 weeks.

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