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Wynn Slots App Changes Analyzed

Wynn Slots VIP level
Written by Joshua

This site has only been live a few months, but the most popular article since its inception has been the review of the Wynn Slots app, which was the first app review published. The game offers the ability to get rooms at one of the most luxurious hotels in Las Vegas, so it’s not surprising that the popularity of it has been growing by leaps and bounds.

A series of changes introduced seems to have aimed to slow down the accessibility of the freebies, and will likely turn away some of the more casual players. For those who are committed, not all is lost, but it is important to know the changes so you can understand what to expect.

In today’s post I’ll go through all of the major updates the game has had, and remind you about the Facebook group I recommend if you plan on spending a lot of time in the game earning the comps you want. The biggest change will come at the end of the article, the new VIP program, which new players in particular should understand as it can take awhile to reach the point of earning the best comps now.

25,000 Gem Earnings Cap

One of the earlier recent changes was a series of efforts to implement a 25,000 gem cap. It initially started as an outright stop once you’ve earned 25,000 total gems, including spent gems, and then made it deliberately hard to earn more gems (1 billion coins bet per gem). They backed away from this over time, but this was one of the first signs to deliberately limit the liability of the app based on the number of gems that had been earned in the game’s ecosystem.

The more recent version of this is a bit more generous: You can have 25,000 earned gems in your bank before you’re cut off until you spend some. If you make a reservation, since the gems are removed from your bank at the time of the reservation, you can then earn more gems until you’re back to 25,000. Spent gems also don’t count towards the cap, like it did in the original attempt to cap players.

Gem Devaluations

Multiple times throughout the spring and summer, the cost of a room went up universally by 200 gems per night, regardless of the previous cost. A few gem devaluations have happened since the game was first released. More recent changes seem to explain in part the reason for this, but ultimately it is a way to get players to burn through unused gems more quickly.

Similar to other loyalty programs, like hotel programs, where unused points slowly get devalued over time as a way to keep the program’s overall burden in line, this is likely going to continue to be the case for games like Wynn Slots, as it was for other apps like MyVegas. If you’re holding on to gems waiting for a better deal, you may be disappointed to discover the deals get worse over time.

Earnings Devaulations

Twice in the past few months the coins bet per gem requirements increased, particularly once you’ve earned a certain number of gems. Levels that once gave you a gem per 20 million coins bet are up to 30 million coins bet, a 50 percent reduction. Again, this seems to have been done in an effort to slow the overall compiled liability of the gems earned in the system.

What hasn’t changed is that gem earning rates are based on total gem earnings and not your balance. It doesn’t get easier if you spend gems, so that has remained consistent. And your earnings per gem has nothing to do with your game level.

Mini Tournaments: Quick Coin Wins

The game introduced a couple of ways to earn coins alongside spinning. One is Mini Tournaments, which live in each game and run for 15 minutes at a time, with 5 minute breaks between them. (They start at :00, :20 and :40 of each hour.) Rankings are based on coins won; higher betters will of course have a better chance of placing than lower winners. Placing in the top 30 earns you coins, but the prizes balloon in the top 3.

Not every game has tournaments, but for those that do, it’s a nice addition and can throw a bit more coins your way.

Harder Scratcher Events

Some changes to the scratcher events came a little while back that raised the level of difficulty a bit for the scratcher events. However, the prizes for completing scratchers also went up accordingly. Bronze scratchers, which were the weakest of them and with it payouts as little as 50,000 coins, have largely gone away.

Gold scratchers, with a 3-12 million coin prize, are much more prevalent – they’re the predominant scratcher now. You’ll see an occasional silver still, and the platinum scratcher event is still the primary way to earn those, with their 12 million to 40 million coin prize.

Bingo: Another Way to Earn Scratchers

Wynn Slots bingo

A new Bingo game was introduced, and with it the opportunity to win more scratchers. Each Bingo game lasts about 10 minutes. Based on the scratcher you can win, you get a ball based on coins bet:

  • Bronze Scratcher: 1 ball per 500k wagered
  • Silver Scratcher: 1 ball per 1 million wagered
  • Gold Scratcher: 1 ball per 10 million wagered
  • Platinum Scratcher: 1 ball per 50 million wagered

The scratchers that are available are identical to the ones earned during scratcher events, so the same prize options pop up. Players will be familiar with those who have been playing awhile.

The New VIP Program: Massive Changes

Wynn Slots VIP rankings

The most recent of the changes came a week ago as this gets posted, in which a new VIP program was introduced. There are six VIP levels, from 0 to 5. Level 0 is where new players start; a 90-day window is initiated to attempt to level up, or maintain your level if you’ve achieved a level up previously. Leveling up unlocks new features; one of the biggest is the ability to get a buffet at Wynn when you’re level 1. [Update 11/14/19: Buffets are now available. Learn how that works here.]

VIP points tier at the following levels:

  • Level 0: Entry level.
  • Level 1: 2,500 VIP points.
  • Level 2: 10,000 VIP points.
  • Level 3: 20,000 VIP points.
  • Level 4: 40,000 VIP points.
  • Level 5: 75,000 VIP points.

Room bookings now require level 2 [UPDATE 2/26/20 And now VIP level 3 – learn more by clicking here], meaning new players must work their way up, either by playing the game (and estimates indicate it’ll take 3-6 months to earn the level outright with consistent, focused play), or $100 spend, or some combination of both. The two bed room type is also being made available now as a room option for room bookings, another change. Previously that wasn’t available unless you paid for an upgrade upon arrival.

Clearly this is designed to stop players from racking up a lot of gems early and booking 4 expensive nights at the Wynn, but the flip side was there wasn’t any explanation of the upcoming changes before they were launched, just a teaser that the program was coming. So many players were frustrated to be placed in level 0 or 1 without a way to spend their gems on rooms. Those who had spend history were placed in their appropriate levels. I did a quick calculation (I was placed in level 2) and it was consistent with my spend.

One other change is if you reach level 3 or higher, you get discounts on the gems required to book a room. One benefit of this change is it heavily offsets the previous gem devaluations, so players at that level can book more nights more often, a pretty valuable perk given it’s the Wynn, especially if you go to Vegas often.

Earning VIP Points: A Quick Primer

Wynn Slots VIP info

To earn or maintain a level, you earn VIP points. VIP points can be earned through three core actions:

  • Collecting the Gold hourly bonus (once every three hours)
  • Collecting the wheel bonus (once every 12 hours)
  • Completing a scratcher event (5 gold scratcher events and one platinum scratcher event each day; the platinum event earns significantly more than the gold events)

How many VIP points you earn for each action varies based on your VIP level (this data was based on info collected from various player reports at the time this article was posted, which is now out of date. Click here for the latest as of 2/26/20):

  • Level 0: 3 for gold chest bonus, 10 for wheel spins, 6 for gold scratcher events, 20 for platinum scratcher events
    Level 1: 5 for gold chest bonus, 15 for wheel spins, 9 for gold scratcher events, 25 for platinum scratcher events
    Level 2: 9 for gold chest bonus, 30 for wheel spins, 14 for gold scratcher events, 50 for platinum scratcher events
    Level 3: 18 for gold chest bonus, 60 for wheel spins, 28 for gold scratcher events, 100 for platinum scratcher events
    Level 4/5: 32 for gold chest bonus, 100 for wheel spins, 50 for gold scratcher events, 180 for platinum scratcher events

As you can see, you earn them faster at higher levels than lower levels, so maintaining an existing level can be done in most cases with regular play (and not insignificant regular play at that – a regular, daily commitment would be ideal to accomplish it), and/or coin purchases. The ability to earn or renew a level comes in 90 day windows.

Temporary Actions Due to the Changes

To try to help some players, the developers placed some players in level 1 with a chance to renew it within 28 days, with the ability to take advantage of the higher earning pace of level 1 vs. level 0. Regardless of whether level 1 is achieved or not, a new 90 day window begins after that, but other than that all players are now on a 90-day cycle going forward around the VIP levels.

If a player booked a room before the institution of the levels, and is now under level 2, the reservation will be honored. Presumably, this continues if you book while level 2 and slip below before making it to the Wynn in the future.

One Last Change: Cancellation Fees

The final change is one that was likely introduced to resolve a sneaky way some players were getting around the 25k cap – booking a room they never intended to use, cancelling the reservation after earning more gems, and sitting on them. Or, for other players, they would book a couple of nights, earn more gems, and then cancel/rebook. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the cancellation rate was high from the app and messing with the hotel’s way to gauge room availability and other data points.

So, with the new update, a 25% cancellation fee was introduced, and will be charged if you cancel your reservation. If you spent 10,000 gems and cancelled, you’d only get back 7,500.

I’m sure this will discourage some from making reservations until they’re ready, but will probably also help Wynn Slots lower the cancellation rates. But players can at least cancel rooms. I suspect some may still consider it to switch from a single king bed to the two doubles, or to add/subtract nights, but it certainly encourages a more conclusive decision.

The other thing that may require this is that you can’t rebook if you’re no longer level 2. So if you booked a reservation, wish to cancel and rebook, and you’re level 1, you can cancel but won’t be able to rebook unless you reach level 2.

Is It Still Worth it to Play?

Like anything where comps/heavily discounted items can be earned, you’ll need to have an accounting of what it takes to earn the benefits. If you’re looking for buffets, this change may be a welcome update. If rooms were your thing and you’re boxed out of level 2 right now and have to work your way there, this could be a frustrating revision to the rules.

The reality is you can buy your way to level 2 for a maximum spend of $100. That’s less than resort fees for four nights at Vegas properties in most cases, and you get the Wynn. If you’ve got the gems, it may be worth spending a bit to enjoy the perks of a Wynn room.

Those who enjoy playing slot apps regularly may find the earnings requirements not that difficult, or might find a modicum of spending to be acceptable – if you get 80% of the VIP points and need to spend $20 to complete the trip to level 2, you might not care that much at that point. But the reality is unlike many comp programs, it’s no longer as simple as earn enough points and redeem, so players will need to decide whether that additional obstacle is too frustrating to overcome.

Those that stick with it will still find the Wynn rooms rewarding, and the benefits quite high (weekends are generally available, even if at a higher gem rate, vs. other programs like MyVegas where the nights available are very heavily restricted).

I have a room reservation booked, and my 90 day clock will end while I’m there, so I’m seeing how I do with maintaining level 2 or even bumping to level 3 during the window. With the lack of pressure to need to have an immediate booking, I’m finding most of the changes neutral to positive personally, but I know many players who took a step backwards as a result of the changes.

But ultimately, the more generous version of this program is definitely dead – it probably wasn’t destined to last forever given how easy it was to earn gems, and from those gems free rooms – but at least there’s still a pretty clear opportunity to get access to free or heavily discounted Wynn rooms through the app, and now the room type is more flexible and buffets have been added. I suspect a few tweaks will come out of this as players and the app maker alike see how this all shakes out.

Get a Helping Hand

I previously recommended the more serious of my readers to join the Wynn Slots Tips and Tricks group, and continue to do so. The moderator’s FAQ provides a good primer on what to expect, and the group’s players are very savvy at suggesting ways to build gems quickly. Already many group member have been plugging away to determine the best way to handle the changes stemming from the VIP program. There’s some savvy players in there so it’s a good resource to tap if you’re looking to make the most of it.

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.

21 Comments

  • I managed to book a 4-night stay before those changes were implemented. They did not charge me the resort fee and the $40 trick worked like a charm, getting us a junior suite at the Encore. I would be willing to spend $100 or even $200 to get the same deal. The downside of these changes is that now you only get to know how many gems a room will cost after you get to level 2.

    • Thanks for your comment! One note is for those players who aren’t level 2 yet, if you’re a member of a Facebook group like the one I’ve referenced in my articles, you’ll find group members who post the calendars so you can see the cost before spending the money or time leveling to VIP 2. So at least you can avoid surprises 🙂

  • I just started playing Wynn slots.
    Could you tell me how much time would it take to get the free buffet?
    Also, is it any buffet for the day?

    • Hey Jay,

      To get a buffet you have to be level 1, and buffets cost 1200 gems (and at level 1 you can get 2 per month). You can buy your way to level 1 instantly for a $25 spend, so that part is easy (and that happens to be less than the cost of a buffet). Earning gems requires you to place bets in the game, so you would have to bet coins in the game. How much time it would take simply depends on your luck; there are people I’ve seen who can do it in hours, and others do it in days to weeks. If you make a purchase that gives you more coins, it should go pretty quickly and you can have two buffets quite cheaply.

      Hope that helps!

    • Hi Dom,

      You can have a hotel room and a buffet reservation at the same time. However you can’t have multiple of either. For rooms it’s up to four nights on one reservation; for buffets it’s one meal for either one or two people; once the date passes for your buffet reservation, you can book your next one. The number of buffets you can book a month matter by VIP; VIP 1 gets 2 a month, VIP 2 4 a month, etc. So if you’re VIP 2 you can book up to 4 buffets, but if you do a buffet for 2, that’s 2 of your 4.

      Hope that helps to clarify!

  • Hi Joshua,

    I tried to book 3 consecutive nights and it only allows 2 now. Is this the new protocol? Thank you for your help.

    Joe

    • Hi Joe,

      The four night limit is still in place. To book three nights, you click the first night and the last night you want to stay. This is a common confusion point for many players. So if you want to stay, say, three nights from Feb 1-3, click Feb 1 first, then Feb 3.

      Hope this helps!

      Josh

  • Hi Joshua,
    I just reached 2500 VIP Points level 1 with a notice, “VIP Points will reset to 0 in 69 days but VIP level will remain for an additional 90 days! So, if I don’t reach 10,000 (level 2) within 69 days I’ll loose what ever VIP Points I accumulate and have another chance to reach level 2 in 90 days?

    • You’ve got the idea – like a casino status you earn playing at a real casino, you’ve earned VIP 1 for the rest of this cycle, and then get to keep it for the next. With 69 days still to go, you could have a chance to reach VIP 2 before the cycle is over, but whether you do or not, your points will reset to 0 at that time, and whatever status you reached this cycle will be kept for the following 90 days. Then you start earning VIP points again to try to renew, or even reach a higher status.

      Since VIP points earnings are higher for each VIP level when completing tasks, maintaining a level is usually not too tough; gaining a level can be, but it depends on how much you play or buy coins.

  • Joshua,

    Why did my Wheel Spin and Gold Chest VIP point fall back to 1VIP? And the Events also fell back to 8 VIP from 20 VIP? Is this a glitch? Am I progressing to fast? I have 13,000+ gems and very close to level 2.

    Wizard

    • The app developers pushed out new changes, and this appears to be the outcome. They also changed the minimum level of VIP for hotels to Level 3. I have an email in to them, although the canned responses others are reportedly getting aren’t giving me a lot of hope. I’ll have a piece up soon about it once this all settles and we know if this is the new world order.

  • Aloha Josh,

    You should update, so much has changed, now you have to be lvl 3 to book…and alot of points to lvl and bonuses are 1 point from lvl 0, 1, 2, lvls. Not sure on lvl 3.

    • Hi there! As noted on another comment here I did see the changes and I am working on an update. Trying to get a non-canned response before I do but not too hopeful.

  • So, in January, I paid $100 to the app and booked 4 nights for early April at Level 2 before the last set of changes. Now with Coronavirus flight cancellations and Wynn Resort closures those reservations are toast. So will they honor my 4 nights at a later date without being forced to be a L5 now?

    • Hey Jake – at this time there’s been nothing announced regarding all this – since the app developers are a different company than the Wynn I’m sure they’re reacting in real time to the news like the rest of us. I presume when the hotel reopens they’ll announce whatever measures they’ll be offering. For now they’ve extended the existing VIP window by 30 days.

  • Actually, I didn’t realize I still have 60 days in the level-up period so I will be around the usual 700+ mark (just downloading daily) like I was before. 😉👍

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