The enticing treats one can redeem from their M life Rewards makes it one of the most popular loyalty programs in the gambling industry. The program which is a product of MGM Resorts has been rebranded and will be known as MGM Rewards as from the first day of February. While the first name has obviously become a household name for those who use it, the second name gives the program a clear identity.
Some people have a hard time adapting to change and the new brand name is no different. There have been reports of people complaining that they would rather know the loyalty program with its first name.
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M life
The communication that M life would be known as MGM Rewards was delivered through email to all the members of the M life program. The betting operator, MGM Resorts International provided the members with a review of the new program. Some of the aspects that were highlighted include the fact that it will now be easy to earn and redeem accumulated loyalty points with the new rewards scheme.
With MGM Resorts casinos spread throughout the United States, this new rewards program is only going to encourage would-be travellers to sign up. This follows a revelation that the members of the MGM Rewards program will be free to redeem their points in any of the over 20 venues owned by the betting group.
Tiers are an important component of the M life rewards program and members have been added a bit of time to fill up points in their current tier. According to a news item published on the M life web page, the tier credit period has been extended up to the last day of January 2022. This extension will allow casino players to lock in their current tier or level up because what follows after the launch is tier evaluation.
What Are The Critics Saying?
Even though no MGM Resorts customer has complained or requested to be exempted from the new loyalty system, industry analysts are already equipped with a review of what is on offer. One of these individuals is Benji Stawski from The Points Guy which is a media organization inclined to news coverage related to credit card use, travel and leisure.
Given that there are many people who accumulate loyalty points which they then use on travel, Stawski believes that the MGM Rewards program will not be favorable to his fans. He argues that the structure of the MGM Rewards is not at all clear and earning credit for respective tiers is going to be very hard.
Reaching the Elite Status with MGM Rewards
While all tiers offer players an opportunity to enjoy the results of their hard work, most people are eager to reach elite status as quickly as possible. Of particular importance in the newly unveiled MGM Rewards is the changes made to the tier levels.
Starting from 1st February 2022, players gambling on any of the MGM betting venues will be awarded only 4 tier credits for every dollar spent. This system of calculating and awarding loyalty points also applies to non gaming expenses such as dining, spa services, and hotel accommodation.
This is definitely different from the original M life that awarded points based on the regions under which an MGM Resorts property lies. The operator has basically ironed out the system so that players gambling in New Jersey casinos and other locations nationwide earn the same amount of effort.
If you own a M life loyalty card, you must have noticed that the earning rate is 25 tier credits for every dollar spent at an MGM property in Las Vegas and 8 credits to a dollar if you spend it elsewhere. In its defense, the operator has terms this rebranding move as the betting operator’s way of appreciating its players. If a guest of MGM Resorts does not engage in any gambling related activity but takes dinner or personal care services, those expenses also count in rewarding their loyalty.
While MGM is big on the hotel, accommodation and personal care industry, they have a vibrant presence in BetMGM – this is the betting wing of the group. Judging from the fact that BetMG is the largest online based casino platform on the internet and the second largest online sportsbook in the US, there are quite a number of players who benefit from the program on a regular basis.
As Stawski rightfully points out, MGM will also be adjusting the rates of tier credits earned from playing video poker, slot games and other game types. The new rates will be comparable to points awarded to players of table games. Future bets on the new program will be awarded based on type of game, average bet and how long a player has been logged on the site.
Some benefits of M life which will no longer be implemented include awarding of 10 tier credits for each $10 spent on video poker; 10 tier credits for each $3 placed as a bet on a slot machine. The number of people currently registered on the M life Rewards is 34 million making this one of the largest loyalty programs in the betting industry.
Final Thoughts
Mainstream casino operations, loyalty programs as well as other customer experience enhancement programs undergo modifications from time to time. When such changes happen, most people rush to complain without considering the positive effects they bring. The general misconception is that the loyalty program is a huge expense for the company. Any changes made are supposed to cut costs. No wonder Stawski thinks that the new MGM Rewards program is designed to make it harder for customers of MGM to earn points. Sapphire is the lowest M life tier, then Pearl which requires 25,000 tier credits from Sapphire to get bumped into and then Gold for another 75,000 points followed by Platinum where you move when you have accumulated 200,000 tier credits.
