The growth in the distribution of slot cards to patrons began when casinos realized the many advantages of accurately monitoring the gaming machine play of each customer.  Rewards to individual players could then be given based on many of a number of playing factors:  denomination of the play, amount of time played, and, most commonly, the total cash input as recorded by the slot card system.

Out of this array of data, many casinos, or sets of casinos for joint slot clubs, have created what are termed tier systems which reflect various levels of play.  The tiers or levels of play that are established are designed and based on the observations of the slot club's own customers.  Thus, the individual experience of each club and the vagaries of the management team play a significant roll in the structure of the tier system that is established.

Surprizingly, the benefits to a player for reaching a particular tier are generally not clearly defined.  This is in part because the casino may wish to alter the benefits from month to month without feeling any restrictions.  The casino may also wish to avoid the apperance that a contratual arrangement exists.  Thus, most clubs (only three exceptions) avoid clearly defining the benefits that will be granted.

But out of all these tier systems, certain things are clear.  A player on reaching beyond entry levels will receive some definite benefits that are quite minor.  Among these minor benefits are usually a different colored slot card which often functions as a line pass at most restaurants and buffets in the particular casino.  At some casinos, a player will definitely receive access to preferred parking.  These are non-financial items about which the casino will usually release details.

However, the financial value of reaching higher levels in a casino's tier system is generally its mailing.  For tourists, the mailings are usually offers of gratis room and board for return visits, while for locals these mailings commonly give the player vouchers which are to be redemed for cash, additional machine play, and/or meals during the coming month.

The above table lists all the Las Vegas casinos which have slot clubs.  Many casinos have or claim to have no tier structures.  [The casinos may actually have a tier structure that is available to and used only by management.]  Those establishments that do have tier structures have the names of the various tiers given together with the related criteria for obtaining each particular level.  This is then followed by the related cash benefits if known (only three such casinos).

In examining the above table, there is frequent reference to base points, i.e. bpts, which are points awarded for play that are not multiplied in any way by a promotion.  For example, if some casino has a usual practice of awarding one point for one dollar of gaming machine play, then when playing $1,000 into such a machine, the player will earn one thousand slot points.  If, however, the player were to do the same act during a time period when the casino was offering three times points, i.e. 3x, the player would earn three thousand slot points for use in the casino, but would still have generated only 1,000 base points.

Also in examining the above table, note that a distinction is made between a year and a calendar year.  A year in the above table is, for example, the time frame of April 23 through April 22 of the following year.  Whereas, a calendar year is January 1 through December 31.  Similarly, three months is for example, May 18 until August 17 inclusive, while three calender months are from the first of some month until the final day of the month after next.  Basically, in the above table, the term month and year have variable starting dates, whereas calendar month and calendar year have the first of the month and the first of the year as starting dates respectively.

For several casinos, the entry for Related Criteria has FMrAp-MyJeJy-AgSO-NDJa and JaFMr-AMyJe-JyAgS-OND indicating the 3 cal m are actually specific calendar quarters.

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