Players won’t need an affinity for hoops to shoot for glory this month. What they will need is an account at Play SugarHouse, and a desire to win.
Beginning March 15, the NJ-based online gambling site is hosting Shootout Madness, a NCAA-themed leaderboard promotion that will award $16,500 in grand prizes and thousands in other prizes, spread across the playing community.
Driving the lane
Participating in this promotion is as simple as firing up your preferred playing device and placing wagers on real-money games. There is no opt-in code, nor are players required to make a qualifying deposit.
Players will earn scratch cards for their play, with the number of cards received each day dependent upon how many iRush Rewards (iRR) loyalty points they earn. For instance, earn 10 iRRs and receive a single Shootout Madness Scratch Card. Earn 150 iRRs and net 10 Shootout Madness Scratch Cards and a special Buzzer Beater Scratch Card.
The most players can earn in one calendar day is 20 cards (10 Shootouts and 10 Buzzer Beaters). To do that they’ll have to earn 600 iRRs — certainly an attainable feat for enthusiastic players.
Scratch cards will reveal either instant bonus money prizes or Scoreboard Points. Accrue enough Scoreboard Points to land in the top 10 at the end of the promotional period and receive a bonus prize in accordance with the following matrix:
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $900
- 3rd: $800
- 4th: $700
- 5th: $600
- 6th: $500
- 7th: $400
- 8th: $300
- 9th: $200
- 10th: $100
This promotion is divided into three qualifying periods, which means the Grand Prizes will be distributed three times. So if you come up short in the first round, don’t fret, there’s more chances to land that three pointer.
Promotional periods are as follows:
- March 15 – March 18
- March 22 – March 25
- March 29 – April 1
Players that don’t land in the top 10 in any tournament, but who still earn at least 100 Scoreboard Points total, will earn a consolation prize in the form of $50. The bonus, and all Play SugarHouse bonuses for that matter, are subject to just a 1x wagering requirement on slots and video poker.
Earning loyalty points
With regards to accumulating iRRs, Play SugarHouse does things a bit differently than most. And may we say that its system is among the fairest we’ve observed.
Instead of earn rates that are tied to the type of game played, loyalty points are earned in accordance with a game’s return-to-player (RTP), with lower returning games awarding more loyalty points per dollar spent.
Examples of a few rates are as follows:
- 94.0% RTP: 1 iRR per $4.17 wagered
- 95.0% RTP: 1 iRR per $5 wagered
- 97.5% RTP: 1 iRR per $10 wagered
- 99.0% RTP: 1 iRR per $25 wagered
Under this system all players are treated equally, whereas under most loyalty schemes a player would earn the same number of points regardless of which slot (or table game) played.
In addition to earning Shootout Madness scratchers for points earned, players can redeem their iRRs at Play SugarHouse’s new Bonus Store. There, they can purchase Wheel Spins, King Cash Scratch Cards, and guaranteed Bingo game invites.
And of course as players climb the loyalty ranks, they’ll be treated to a more and better amenities including an exclusive VIP Calendar, luxury gifts, high stakes bingo events, and free play/dining offers at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.
Swish or brick?
Generally, we’re fans of promotions that task players with doing what they’re their to do at online casinos anyway: play games. Shootout Madness differentiates itself from the pack, however, in that there’s a level of interactivity usually unseen in this type of promotional vehicle.
We also admire the fact that the number of points players can earn in a single day is capped low enough to appeal to casual players, while still giving hardcore players a decided edge. Not to mention, there’s enough of a luck aspect to make things interesting.
We do wish there were more and perhaps bigger top prizes, as the site has swelled enough in popularity to warrant it, but at least everyone who participates and earns 100 points is guaranteed something.
