PLAYERS TALK
AMAZING LITTLE PLASTIC MARVELS Don’t Ever Leave Home Without Them!
My friend has been on my case about not using a player’s card for a very long time. She even convinced me to write in to you. I have been going to the casino for over 25 years now and I have never once used a player’s card. I just don’t want to give out my personal information to the casinos and I’ve heard so many people complain that when they use their cards the machines don’t pay out. I’m stubborn but I’m willing to listen to what you have to say. Dee Hogue—Phoenix, AZ Dee, you should never ever play at a casino without using a player’s card! You have to understand that the casinos are competing against each other for your business. The incentives they provide to you in the form of free merchandise, rooms, food, entertainment, and cash back are just opportunities to entice you to come back and play at their casino. You’re missing out on so many goodies by not playing with a card! The bad rap that player’s cards have received is unfortunate. These amazing little plastic marvels were first established in Atlantic City in the mid 1980s as a way of rewarding the slot players for their continued loyalty. Up until then, only the wellknown high roller table game players were given special treatment by casino personnel. As revenue from slot machines started to increase, so did the importance of keeping the slot players happy and coming back. So, with the invention of card readers, slot machine enthusiasts were able to get in on the reward system. The actual slot machine games don’t recognize if player’s cards have been inserted and therefore the performance of the games cannot be compromised. The random number generator in a slot machine is the ONLY factor that determines the outcome of every spin. The card readers, ticket printers, and bill validators are all separate mechanisms that are part of a slot machine designed to perform independent functions and one has absolutely nothing to do with the other! Trust us! Every single member of the AZ Gaming Guide team has worked for a slot machine manufacturer designing, programming and testing the games, so we know! Playing with a player’s card will have absolutely no effect on a game’s outcome.
And, the most intimate information on the very short registration form that casinos care to know about you is your address, so they can send you promotional material geared towards your interests, but you can even request to have your name taken off the mailing lists! Dee, play with a card and start enjoying all the freebies that you have earned because you deserve them! I just turned 21 last month and I can now go to the casinos which I’m super excited about. Me and my friend love your magazine. We went to all your back issues and read like twenty of them. They’re really interesting. Question, do you think it’s worth for us to get a casino card? We have other friends that play and they say to not bother because we won’t be spending enough money on slots to make enough points. Stacey & Trish—Via Email Hi Stacey & Trish, Happy Birthday and welcome to the gaming world! Casino gaming is a very exciting entertainment option! Thank you for your interest in our magazine. We’re very thrilled to have you as a new fan. Please make sure to sign up for our monthly e-news and you’ll get the magazine directly into your inbox along with other exciting offers. We’d love to see you on our social channels as well! As far as your question about player’s cards, casino industry statistics show that the number one reason casino visitors aren’t using players cards is because they think they don’t spend enough money to earn anything. The biggest misconception amongst gamblers is that players club cards are only worthwhile for the big bettors. What players forget to take into account is the aggregate total amount of ALL the wins they get while playing a slot machine. It’s not uncommon for a player to put $20 into a slot machine and play through $200! The card reader records all the money played through the machine and not just the initial money inserted by the player. Therefore, points do add up very quickly during a play session, even when placing low bets! It doesn’t take long to build up enough points for a couple free buffet tickets and some free play. The benefits of playing with a card start to be realized after your first casino trip. Your friends that are not playing with cards will definitely be envious of you and all your freebies! $
Thank you to our readers for your questions and comments, we appreciate you! Write us at Editor@AZGamingGuide.com or by mail at Editor, AZ Gaming Guide, PO BOX 20636, Mesa, AZ, 85277.
06 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2023 | azgamingguide.com
