For the past several years, the Las Vegas Strip has been dominated by two major players: Caesars and MGM. Sure, new properties not owned by either behemoth — such as Resorts World and Fontainebleau — have come to town and other properties including TI, Wynn, and more still exist… but, it’s pretty much a duopoly. I bring this up because, while the relative lack of competition has led to the devaluation of several casino loyalty programs over the years, it looks as though MGM Rewards is looking to make some improvements.
First up, MGM is improving its status match opportunity with Marriott Bonvoy. Now, those with Pearl Status (which is one level above the base) can claim Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status, while those with MGM Rewards Gold can match to Bonvoy Gold Elite. Previously, MGM Rewards Gold only matched to Marriott Bonvoy Silver, so this is a notable improvement. Meanwhile, there’s no change at the top as MGM Platinum members can still earn Bonvoy Gold and those with MGM’s invite-only Noir status can enjoy complimentary Ambassador Elite status for Marriott. Sadly, this matching still only works one way, meaning that those with Marriott Bonvoy status cannot claim automatic elite status with MGM Rewards.
Speaking of partnerships, MGM is also doubling down (see what I did there?) on its relationship with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. As a result, all MGM Rewards members can now earn Onboard FreePlay when sailing on an MGM Rewards loyalty offer, certificate offer, or group cruise. For Sapphire members, this FreePlay amount is $25, rising to $50 for Pearl, $75 for Gold, $100 for Platinum, and $200 for Noir. Plus, an Annual Cruise Benefit is now available for those with MGM Rewards Gold status or higher.
Finally, MGM Rewards is introducing new Milestone Rewards — which are earned in between Tier Statuses — in the form of Rollover Tier Credits. For example, when Pearl status members hit 50,000 Tier Credits in 2025, they’ll earn 7,500 Rollover Tier Credits to give them a head start in 2026. Similarly, Gold members who earn 125,000 Tier Credits can earn 17,500 Rollover Tier Credits.
Alas, one of the best perks of all is only available for a limited time. To celebrate the launch of MGM’s new eGift Card option, MGM Rewards members can get 5% off the purchase of an eGift Card of $300 or more. Although the offer is only valid through March 28th, the good news is that it applies to all MGM Rewards members, including the base-level Sapphire.
Seeing as I no longer have MGM Rewards status, these updates don’t mean much to me. However, the company also teased the launch of a new credit card — which could be of interest to me. Of course, MGM didn’t give many details but did note, “The new credit card will unlock an enhanced level of rewards and travel perks and allow members to earn points and Tier Credits faster than ever before.”
If I had to guess, based on that sentence, I’d suspect this card could be one with an annual fee that includes some sort of credits and other benefits. Meanwhile, in such a scenario, the current MGM Rewards card could stay mostly intact. Again, this is just my rampant speculation and we’ll need to wait on MGM to give us more info on the proposed card product soon.
With all of that, while it is nice to see MGM making some upgrades to its Rewards program, achieving status is still far harder under the current system than it was just a few years ago. Still, unless a different shoe is about to drop, it’s shocking to see their offerings get better instead of worse for a change. In turn, I’m interested to see if Caesars responds — so stay tuned.