Understanding Comps

Birthday Free Play in Las Vegas

Luxor Las Vegas sphinx at night
Written by Joshua

Sometimes, comps are earned on the back of your casino play. Other times, you can get free play and Advantage Play opportunities just from buying a coupon book or membership. Other times, playing an app can unlock comps. But how about free play for living another year?

Many casinos will have promos that celebrate your birthday. My favorite home casino sent me a food offer, and then when I started playing slots a bonus voucher offering me $10 in additional comps printed out.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has changed things for the worst, as some of the best opportunities, at three of the Mlife casinos, appear to have been discontinued as of this summer. Luxor, Park MGM and Excalibur were offering free play, but stopped as of June, multiple readers have reported.

So here are the casinos still making an offer available:

A Free Play Wynn-Win (for Higher Tiers)

At the beginning of 2021 Wynn revised its players card program in Las Vegas, implementing a multi-tier program that follows the lead of Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts. Birthday perks are among the explicit guaranteed perks given, but at a higher tier only.

Platinum and Black card members can get guaranteed birthday perks each year, but this comes at the expense of the birthday perk for all that had been around for some time. If you are a Platinum or Black card holder at Wynn, the birthday perks are much more generous now.

The New Course for MGM Rewards

It appears a birthday month offer has been the go-to for MGM Rewards in recent years. If you book one of your standard casino offers within your birthday month, you’ll likely qualify for an additional free play reward on top of it.

During my 2022 birthday trip to Las Vegas, I was offered bonus free play on top of my standard offer if I booked a casino offer during my birthday month. The birthday freeplay was a 50% bonus on top of my existing offer. (At home the MGM properties give me a 100% bonus, but it’s always different between regional and Vegas properties when it comes to offers anyway.)

So if you’re a regular MGM Rewards player, keep an eye out for an email around birthdays and offers that come through something like six weeks before your birthday month.

Downtown for Plaza Players

If you are a bronze level player or higher at Plaza, you’ll qualify for a birthday free play reward at the kiosk. I stayed for the first time on my birthday month at Plaza in 2022 and found the offer on the kiosk, which I wasn’t expecting.

I suspect the amount varies based on your level of play, but Bronze isn’t a particularly difficult level to achieve (3,000 points a year, which is $3,000 of wagers on slots, win or lose) so if you’re a regular player at Plaza, you’ll likely qualify for this opportunity.

Off Strip Free Play On Demand at Ellis Island

Ellis Island offers a similar deal to the Wynn’s old deal – show up on your birthday and you can get yourself $10 in free play from them. It may not be worth a special trip just to claim it, but if you have time and/or are nearby, it could be a nice bonus to pick up.

Sahara Will Give You… Something

Each year, Sahara refreshes their birthday offer. For 2022, their website lists a kiosk game that could issue some sort of prize. These can include:

  • Free Slot Play
  • Points
  • Dining Credits

It sounds like ultimately you get some sort of comp – certainly not bad, but who knows how much or how valuable. One good thing is you have the entire month of your birthday to swipe, so that’s a broader range than some.

It’s important to note any of these birthday offers aren’t ones that have to be earned or do anything other than show up to the players club desk. If you have built up offers at casinos, they may have other things in mind that fall outside the basic playbook seen above. But for those who don’t, or just want a something a bit extra, it’s nice to know these offers exist!

About the author

Joshua

My name is Joshua, and I’m a slot enthusiast who works in tech as a marketer by day, and dabbles in casinos periodically during off-times. Know Your Slots will reflect my interests in understanding the various ways you can play slots, travel, casino promotions and how you can get the most out of your casino visits.

12 Comments

  • I do not know if it is still offered since China invaded the planet but Boyd Corp. / Coast branded casino’s last year offered a kiosk pick game during the month of your birthday the size of the prize was weighted based on your total play up to that point. I have never gotten more than $10 house credit, free food or slot or match play but saw a player win $2000 in house credit once. Prolly call first to make sure it is on. Also, try Silver Sevens, South Point and Silverton.

  • I just remembered there are also several other places that offer free food on or around your birthday too. Hooters (now inside OYO) had buy a drink get an entree (choice of 4), Silverton buffet BOGO, Tuscany pub BOGO, Golden Gate free shrimp cocktail, Friday’s desert (Orleans), Gordon Biersch bogo (for both must sign up through their app first) plus local fast food locations just like everywhere else, Firehouse Subs, Port O’ Subs, Famous Daves, Ruby Tuesday burger or salad, Schlotsky’s 4″ sandwich, IHOP, and of course, Denny’s.

    • Thanks Ray! I aimed to focus mostly on the more guaranteed opportunities, but you’re right that there’s a lot of other value to capture if you dig in enough. It’s worth doing the homework and deciding what deals to collect while visiting! Thanks for sharing your experiences around them!

  • wynn requires you to be platinum status to get the birthday free play $10

    visited on 3/15/2021 on my bday and was denied the bday free play since i was not platinum or above status.

    • Hi Jeremy – thanks for the update! Wynn revised their players card program in the new year and it looks like the birthday perk was impacted. I will update the article accordingly.

    • Thanks Kevin! I had updated the post in late June having seen some rumblings, but couldn’t find anything conclusive. I will make sure the post is more explicit about that.

  • Ok Joshua it’s the beginning of Oct. 2022 and I don’t know why Las Vegas touring, but I went everywhere you stated for My Birthday Freeplay and I have neuropathy hard as hell to get around, especially on the bus…. I’m in pain constantly anyways I got $3 for Sahara, 2000 points = $2 from Report World and a voucher from 4 queens for a 2 for 1 dinner on my actual bday. Everywhere else great big goose egg.

    • I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you Lisa. I had another report recently of Sahara not giving much for a birthday, but the offer is there. Many of the offers mentioned in my article require status or other offers to qualify; this is new and wasn’t the case before the pandemic shutdowns. I hope you otherwise had an enjoyable birthday though.

      • Thank you for replying! Yes I actually had a good day and while playing at Ellis island cause I had Freeplay and gave an extra 10 for bday, I met a really awesome guy, that is taking me out this weekend…. As for Vegas, yes it has comeptely changed+. I miss the old days, but it is what it is…. Thank you again!

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