The intersection of live and online gambling has never been more on display than it is in New Jersey, where just about every NJ online casino site incentivizes players to visit Atlantic City venues.
Yet, some online brands have taken their intimate ties to Atlantic City casinos a bit further, by allowing players to convert comps earned online into those that can be utilized in a variety of ways live.
So, for online players who enjoy the occasional romp in AC, or even for those just curious to see what the boardwalk city is all about, they can enhance their brick & mortar casino experience by playing on these sites beforehand.
Total Rewards: Caesars Casino and Harrah’s Casino
When it comes to casino loyalty programs, Total Rewards is without a doubt the crown jewel.
The biggest selling point of Total Rewards is that earned points can be redeemed at one of nearly 40 Total Rewards resorts and casinos across the map.
That, and players are heavily incentivized to move up the program’s more loyalty ranks (Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars), as with each milestone hit, they’ll unlock a bevy of new benefits. For instance, a Platinum player will receive comped parking at Caesars AC and Harrah’s AC, as well as gift shop discounts, while a Diamond player will earn priority line access, guaranteed rooms, and a celebration dinner on top of that.
Land based Total Rewards players earn both Tier Credits, which are applied to a player’s TR status, and Reward Credits, which can be redeemed for hotel stays, free play, dining, entertainment, and at casino gift shops.
And now, online players at both Caesars Casino and Harrah’s Casino can earn Tier and Reward Credits, just like they do at their favorite land-based Caesars casino resort.
In order to start earning, all players have to do is connect their online account to Total Rewards. Then they’ll earn points at the following rates:
- Caesars Casino: 1 Tier Credit and 1 Online Reward Credit for every $10 wagered on slots, or $100 on any other game
- Harrah’s Casino: 1 Tier Credit and 1 Online Reward Credit for every $20 wagered on any game
From this it’s pretty clear to see that online slots players interested in Total Rewards are better off grinding it out on Caesars Casino, while blackjack and roulette players will receive the best of it on Harrah’s Casino.
Admittedly, players will earn Tier and Rewards Credits at an expedited clip playing at land-based venues, but the gap isn’t overwhelming. That, and online players will have the added advantage of being able to convert their online reward credits directly into cash, which can be withdrawn immediately.
Of course they can also withdraw their balance at the Caesars casino cage in Atlantic City.
Read all about NJ online casino banking options.
Trop Advantage: Tropicana Casino
The ability to earn land-based comps at Tropicana online casino is something of a little known secret, but one well worth knowing.
Tropicana’s land-based casino loyalty program is called the Trop Advantage club, and while it may not have the same prestige as Total Rewards, it’s arguably just as lucrative.
Like TR, Trop Advantage is divided up into tiers (Green, Copper, Gold, Platinum, and Black), with higher tiers awarding better benefits. Reach Copper and earn comped parked, free slot play bounceback, and admission to special VIP lounges. Earn Platinum, and the benefits multiply, with comped show tickets, priority jackpots, and exclusive hotel check in areas par for the course.
Unlike TR, players that sign up at Tropicana Casino will be automatically enrolled in Trop Advantage, and will enjoy Green tier level benefits immediately. They will also begin earning Trop Advantage Tier Points (which as you may have guessed, apply to a player’s Trop Advantage tier status) for all their real-money wagering.
Along the way, online players will also accrue Comp Dollars, that can be redeemed at Tropicana Atlantic City for the following:
- Dining experiences
- Spa treatments
- Concert tickets
- Hotel stays
- Casino gift shop purchases
Tropicana online casino players can easily check their Comp Dollars balance by logging in at MyTropAccess.com. In addition, online players are encouraged to check their inbox for exclusive monthly offers at Tropicana Casino AC.
From what we’ve seen, just the occasional spin of a slot machine or hand of blackjack will earn players comped rooms, discounted vacation packages and free slot play.
M life Express Comps: playMGM Casino and Borgata Casino
Being a member has its privileges, especially for players who are members of MGM’s M life Rewards program.
In terms of reputation, only Total Rewards rivals M life. Personalized offers, VIP tier rewards, point exchanges, destination packages, and above all, flexibility — M life has everything the avid casino player is looking for.
And now, both Borgata Casino and newly minted playMGM Casino are enabling players to exchange their earned iRewards Points for M life Express Comps.
What’s unique about this offer is that the exchange rate varies based on a player’s loyalty tier. To elaborate, playMGM online casino’s loyalty program is divided into five tiers: Sapphire, Pearl, Gold, Platinum, and Noir.
At the Sapphire level, players can redeem 500 iRewards Points for $5 worth of Express Comps at any MGM facility, including the Borgata AC. Reach Noir, and the exchange rate dips to 300 iRewards Points per $5. Borgata Casino follows a similar scheme.
Regular online slot play at playMGM Casino sees players earn 1 iRP per $5 wagered, so Noir players would have to wager $1,500 to earn $5 in comps — equating to a 0.33% earn back rate. That’s not exactly stellar, but still better than nothing.
The other drawback is that players will not earn land-based M life tier status points for their online play.
All that said, the conversion rate into Express Comps on playMGM and Borgata Casino is far better than it is for cash, and equivalent to the casino bonus exchange rate. So for online players that frequent the Borgata, exchanging their earned rewards for comps is a smart play.
