The wait is over for members of the Las Vegas “Couponomy” Cult.
Distribution of the 2019 edition of the Las Vegas Advisor Member Rewards Book, generally considered the best collection of gambling/dining/drink/entertainment discount coupons in Sin City, began on Friday.
Scores of LVA subscribers showed up at the Procyon Street headquarters of the newsletter-website to get their copy. Thousands of the pocket-size books were readied for mailing to others wanting to get the most time possible to redeem its 126 coupons, which are good throughout the year.
The Member Rewards Book goes only to those who buy a one-year subscription to LVA; an online subscription costs $37, while those who also want a hard copy pay $50. Subscriptions are capped at two per household, and various security measures ensure that each coupon can be used only once.
The annual book is the brainchild of LVA publisher and former professional gambler Anthony Curtis, who has gained national fame for his knowledge of everything Las Vegas and his emphasis on helping visitors get the most out of their trip. His “Couponomy” column and a list of the city’s 10 top values are staples of the monthly LVA.
The number of coupons in this year’s Reward Book is down by one from last year, but the number of table-game match plays and slot free play or match play increased by 10, to a total of 43. They include table-game match plays of $10 or $25, slot free play offers, and slot bonuses.
The book has 24 buffet discounts, typically two-for-one offers, and 48 non-buffet dining deals. Most of the deals on shows were moved to LVA’s “printable rewards” website https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/printable-member-rewards/. Curtis said several were not unique to LVA and most subscribers are more likely to use the additional gambling coupons. The printable rewards site includes dining, drink, and other entertainment offers as well.
Station Casinos’ vast Las Vegas locals properties are the top participants in the Rewards Book, and every downtown casino except Golden Nugget Las Vegas is represented. Strip resorts are noticeably absent, which Curtis called a “big disappointment.”
While the book includes offers from Caesars Entertainment properties such as Paris, Harrah’s, and Rio, he labeled MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming “the two Evil Empires.” MGM operates 10 Las Vegas Strip resorts, including MGM Grand, The Mirage and Bellagio, while Penn owns just the Tropicana on the Strip and M Resort in Henderson.
The companies did not respond to a request for comment.
“They want to charge for everything, and they don’t want to give a damn thing back,” Curtis said. I don’t think that model’s sustainable.”
He said a casino makes a small profit even when selling two buffets for the price of one.
“And you get two customers through the door,” he continued. “Anybody who doesn’t look at that dynamic … isn’t doing their job. They’re not thinking.
This year’s book also lacks what once was its most valuable coupon: an all-purpose discount of up to $50 at the Palms, which had been around since 2002 when then-operator George Maloof wanted to have the book’s best offer. It originally could be applied to almost any casino purchase, but Curtis said restrictions were added as outside bars and restaurants began to operate in the Palms.
Station Casinos, which bought the Palms in 2016, has rebranded the location as part of a $620 million renovation to be completed this year. The rewards book includes a coupon for a buy-one, get-one Palms buffet or half-off a single buffet.
Subscriptions to Las Vegas Advisor are holding steady between 14,000 and 15,000, Curtis said. He said LVA members – his preferred term – are good customers for casinos because they have above-average incomes and are serious enough about visiting Las Vegas to spend money on the newsletter. Compared with typical tourists, he said, they tend to visit Las Vegas more often, spend more, and stay longer.
Curtis said his sales pitches to large and small casino operations make him upbeat about the prospects for the Las Vegas gaming industry.
“There was a much more receptive atmosphere, even with some of the big (companies) we didn’t get,” he said, including MGM. “I think it was busy year with a lot of planning, with people deciding what to do with these big go-go years of 2019 and 2020.”
A dozen projects totaling billions of dollars are due to be completed in 2020, including the $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas, the $860 million expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the $1.8 billion football stadium that will become the home of the National Football League’s relocated Las Vegas Raiders.
