Love is in the air this month at New Jersey’s industry-leading online casino, Golden Nugget.
The operator debuted the second leg of its Half-Million Dollar Race today, which will see 500 players win a share of $25,000 in bonus dollars.
The clock is already ticking on this Cabaret Countdown, so don’t miss out. Here’s what you need to know.
Opt-in and win
The beauty of Golden Nugget’s month-long promotions is that eligibility is a breeze. Simply opt in (no promo code necessary), make a deposit of $20 or more and start playing your favorite games.
As this is a leaderboard promo based primarily on volume, the more players grind out their favorite slots, video poker, and table games the better their chances of landing high up on the charts, and scoring a top prize.
The prize structure for this month’s race, the appropriately themed Cabaret Countdown, is exactly the same as last month’s, with a top prize of $5,000 and a minimum payout of $5 for anyone who lands in the top 500. The total prize pool is $25,000.
Golden Nugget has announced that on select “mystery” months, the prize pool will be ramped up to $50,000. Stay tuned.
Earning points
There are two primary ways to earn leaderboard points. The first is to earn loyalty points (Golden Points) by either making deposits, or primarily, through playing games.
Golden Points are accrued at a clip of 5 GPs per $100 wagered on online slots, and 5 GPs per $100 wagered on all other games. Players can also earn a smattering of daily points by placing at least one wager and making deposits of at least $50. Every Golden Point earned also counts as one leaderboard point for the month of February.
In addition, Golden Nugget Casino has rolled out Weekly Points Mission, which as the name implies, enables players to earn extra leaderboard points. Missions vary from week to week, with this week’s mission tasking players with the following:
- Earn 20 points per $50 – $99 deposit
- Earn 40 points for every deposit of $100 – $299
- Earn 100 points on deposits of $300 or more
This facet of the promotion runs until February 1, and caps out at 500 points. Weekly Points Missions are a much welcome change to this year’s year-long event, as they allow casual and budget conscious players to close the points gap between themselves and the site’s hardcore base.
Be on the lookout for a new mission on February 2 — perhaps wrapped around a Groundhog Day theme.
At the end of each month, the rankings are finalized, and prizes paid out in accordance with a player’s final standing. All prizes are awarded as free play bonuses with a bottom barrel wagering requirement of 1x on slots and 5x on other games.
These turnover requirements also apply to Golden Nugget’s Weekly Coins Mission promo, a separate sweepstakes offer that gives active players a chance to win a share of a $1,000 weekly prize pool. Double dipping is allowed and encouraged.
And remember, all leaderboard points earned in monthly promos apply toward a player’s year-long leaderboard, which offer a top prize of a Bentley lease or $30,000 in bonuses.
Do I have a realistic chance to win?
Yes, even recreational players with modest budgets stand a good chance of landing on the leaderboard, as Golden Nugget Casino allows players to earn a couple thousand points each month via the Weekly Points Missions.
Based on data collected from last month’s race, that should be enough to net them a $5 or possibly a $20 prize. However, to move into the top 100 is going to require a good amount of play. Last month, it took roughly 6,000 points to reach 100th place, worth a $50 bonus.
And only truly hardcore gamblers will find themselves in the top 10, which generally requires earning 25,000 points or more. Last month’s top prize went to a player who earned over 150,000 leaderboard points, which works out to a handle of $3 million on slots, if that was the only way the player earned points.
Given this, players are advised to manage their expectations, and to not play solely to move up the leaderboard. Instead, view this promotion as a added perk to what is already a fair gaming experience, where players will find games with far better returns than what’s found on most land-based casino floors.
