Mlife and myVegas. Skulking Back Into My Heart.

Oh, so many years ago I was someone who gambled at MGM resorts.

It was a glorious time. Slot machines weren't set to "immediately steal $100" mode, you could sit at a machine and sip worse-than-well cocktails while slowly losing your bankroll, and once in a while, just once in a while, you might walk away from a machine with MORE money than when you walked up to it. Those were such carefree, innocent times. It was so long ago I'm not sure I even have a clear memory (2014).

Whimsy aside, the comps resulting from that play were healthy and helped finance many, many a Vegas trip for the FYMYAWF'er. 3 comped nights at the Luxors or NYNYs or even the Mandalay Bays of the world were common, and were often accompanied by resort credit and Freeplay into the hundreds. This was through MGM's loyalty club Mlife, and it did result in my being very loyal to them. For several years starting in 2013, 12 out of 13 trips I made were at least partially at MGM resorts, on some sort of comp offer. For a low roller like myself, it helped allow me to take as many trips as I did, and as a result I loyally played almost exclusively in MGM resorts.

Now, of course, in recent years the resorts have recouped their losses from the recession, and that lack of having to incentivize players along with reduced or at least more spread out play by myself, meant those offers went away. Loyalty is a two-sided sword. The comp algorithm can be friendly or it can cut you off at the knees, and I was walking around on my thighs for a few years, at least in the Mlife world. MGM cut me back to nada on comped nights, so since CET inexplicably granted me literally a full year of free rooms for minimal play, I took them up on it and waved what I thought was a long goodbye to MGM. I decided to concentrate my play elsewhere. And I held a grudge.

Now market pressures have changed a bit. October 1st happened. Visitor numbers sagged, and lo and behold, the Mlife offers have started to come around again. I cashed in a free night at the new Park through Mlife on the last day of my Xmas trip last year. Then two more nights were available there for my short June trip - booked. Then 3 nights became available at the MGM for my upcoming trip next month, and not a bargain-basement West Wing room but a main tower strip view room. Sign me up. I'm not seeing any RC/FP incentives, but can imagine with some more play at MGM resorts and maybe a return to Pearl status even those may come back.

Then there's myVegas. Oh mV, how I love/hate you. The rewards on the game have changed so little, and are so limited with so many restrictions, that there have been dozens of times that I've sworn I will dump it. I keep coming back, because at the end of the day it's a semi-fun game to play and hell, when it comes down to it free shit is free shit. Last year I cashed out a night at the Mirage. On this upcoming trip I'll be gaining a couple hundred dollars of value from rewards that it cost me nothing to attain. A free Cirque show ticket, a free meal and $50 worth of free slot play. Yeah I've done them all before, so it at some point will just get boring but $200 free is still significant for a middle-classer like me.

I am what I am. I'm probably never going to make much more money in life than I am now. It's exceedingly unlikely that I'll ever hit a $12M Wheel of Fortune pot, as I don't PLAY Wheel of Fortune, and my life just doesn't work that way. So the comps help. They mean something to me. They make it feel like I'm getting some value for patronizing certain resorts over others. I don't expect a Sky Villa and a limo to pick me up from McCarran, certainly not with my level of play, but a few free rooms and maybe a hint of a free meal or some slot play is all I need to be loyal to a resort group.

I know I'm nothing more than a number to them, and I'm exactly as useful to them as the amount I spend. But as long as Mlife seems to be recognizing the history we have by throwing me these low-ball but still appreciated offers, I will work them back into my slot and VP play rotation. Maybe not exclusively, but yeah, play. We can feel each other out again and I'm willing to let the grudge go and be more "loyal", as long as there's reciprocation. Starting next month let's see if the relationship can grow.