Last week, all members of the Wild Card Rewards player’s club at Hard Rock Atlantic City received a letter from Mike Sampson, the property’s vice president of marketing. The message, first, was meant to assure that the property’s most loyal customers remained connected to their favorite resort.
“As one of Hard Rock’s core mottos states, ‘All is One,’” the letter said. “Please know that now more than ever, we are all in this together. One thing is certain—we miss entertaining you and providing you with respite from the vigor within your everyday lives, and we sincerely look forward to better days ahead.”
It was the type of message that’s appeared on the websites of operators across the industry since casinos worldwide shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, this message, sent directly to club members, had a more important message, one that also is being repeated by operators across the industry: We’re not forgetting what you’ve done for us already.
Hard Rock is among many operators freezing all earned slot-club rewards, so when the industry does ramp back up—whenever that might be—for club members, nothing will have changed in terms of their accounts.
“Please be assured that we are prepared and look forward to welcoming you back with a calendar of events that we are confident will meet your expectations,” Sampson wrote. “To that end, the future remains uncertain; therefore, if you see events and offers within your account, please be patient with us and know that those offers may be subject to change… Last but certainly not least, while there may be future events, promotions and entertainment modifications, we can assure you:
- Comp Dollar expiration is frozen; therefore, you will not lose earned Comp Dollars during the time of closure.
- Your Tier Status will be extended through 12/31/2020.
- We will offer a daily 2X tier point promotion upon opening that will run through 6/30/2020.”
Hard Rock is by no means alone among operators in maintaining loyalty awards for all its customers.
“Even though our doors are currently closed, our hearts are open, and we hope this note finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy during this difficult period,” wrote Station Casinos COO Bob Finch to Boarding Pass club members. “With all of the uncertainty caused by Covid-19, including the temporary closure of our properties, we wanted to assure you that you need not worry about your Boarding Pass loyalty program account.
“Effective immediately, we will be pausing the expiration of all Boarding Pass points that expired, or are scheduled to expire, between March 17 and December 31, 2020. In addition, your card tier status as of March 17 will also remain unchanged through December 31, 2020.”
GGB News surveyed casinos across the U.S. and found this sentiment to widespread. “All scheduled Reward Credit expirations have been paused until at least September 1, 2020,” reads a message at the website of Caesars Entertainment. “As a result of the temporary closure from the Covid-19 outbreak, certain offers like promotions, events, and entertainment will expire or be canceled. We are working on rescheduling these and other offers and will communicate the new details as soon as they are available. Please be sure we have your current email address to receive the latest updates and communications.”
Caesars also assured customers that any sportsbook wagers made on events and/or tournaments—like NCAA March Madness brackets—will be refunded.
“Your player’s club card will remain active and your tier status will be maintained,” said a message on the site of Oklahoma’s Winstar World Casino, which boasts the largest slot floor in the industry. “All earned points and entries will be kept in your account. Your tier status will be extended based on the length of our temporary closure. During that extended time, you will be able to continue earning points in order to retain your status. All Premier and Elite offers and invitations will resume as soon as we reopen.”
Similar policies abound in the industry, as noted on the websites of several major operators. For example:
Boyd Gaming
“B Connected Points will not expire during our closure. This will allow you the chance to use them once we reopen without any penalty. If you had offers expire during the closure, you will have new valid offers after reopening. New offers will be sent to you closer to the property’s scheduled reopening.
“We appreciate the impact our temporary closure will have for earning your 2021 tier level. We will be awarding Tier Credits to you upon opening to assist securing your 2021 tier level. Please check your inbox or BConnectedOnline in the coming weeks for more information.
“We are actively working with our partner Holland America Line regarding additional sailing options for you. As we have more sailing options, we will include them on your BConnectedOnline page. We will keep BConnectedOnline and our social pages up to date with additional sailing options as they become available and when the travel advisory is lifted.”
Foxwoods Resort and Casino
“Any points that were due to expire on March 31, 2020 will not expire. We have rescheduled many of the gifts, events, and entertainment. We have frozen guests current play so any offers will count toward future offers.
“(We have) evaluated guest play and auto upgraded guests who were close to the next Tier, (ad) extended Tier Credit earning period to May 31, 2020.
“While we are extending your tier credit earning period through May 31, 2020, your reward card may show incorrectly on your home log-in page.
“Any Tier Credits you earn once we open will also count toward your October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 Tier Status.”
Ocean Casino and Resort (Atlantic City)
- “Extended Tier Earning Period—We’re excited to announce that Ocean Rewards members will have additional time to earn status. Members will now have until December 31, 2020, to earn points. We are also changing our earning year to January 1-December 31 from what has historically been October 1-September 30, extending your benefits an additional three months and moving to an easier-to-understand calendar earning year. That means any for status that you have earned October 1, 2019-December 31, 2020, you will receive those benefits through December 31, 2021.”
- “Extended Comp & Same Day Free Play Expiration – Expirations will not occur during our temporary suspension of operations. Your balances will remain intact upon reopening and all balances will be extended until September 30, 2020.”
Keeping the Lines Open
Operators are stressing the importance of maintaining these connections with their best players.
“It’s critical that we keep communication with our customers open and transparent during these unprecedented times,” Hard Rock Atlantic City President Joe Lupo told GGB News. “While the future remains unknown, one thing for certain is that the safety and well-being of our customers, team members and community is paramount, and we want them to know that.
“We feel that it is important to speak to all of our customers, especially as we anticipate the high summer volumes, which will assist in ramping up the reopening of the Atlantic City tourism market,” Lupo said. “Atlantic City has always been a player’s market with a competitive landscape, and when we look at reopening, we anticipate that will continue to be the case.”
“Our guests will continue to be at the center of every decision we make,” Michael Donovan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino, told GGB News. “We look forward to continuing our best-in-class offers, free resort stays, dining dollars and more unforgettable memories.
“While we don’t know a reopening date yet, we do know that we’ll be ready for you on your next trip.”
Sampson at Hard Rock Atlantic City summed up the sentiments across the industry in his letter to club members: “Stay home, stay safe and let’s weather this storm together. We look forward to seeing you again soon.”
