Two years ago I did a post comparing Mlife and Total Rewards tiers. A lot has changed in that time, so I though I would revisit it.
On a very basic level, I view Mlife Pearl and Total Rewards Platinum as being similar and Mlife Gold and Total Rewards Diamond as being similar. Mlife Platinum is also similar to the Total Rewards Diamond level, but with a few more benefits than the Mlife Gold. Mlife Noir and Total Rewards Seven Stars are comparable to each other, but I’m not going to discuss those tiers since they require a very high level of action and are by invitation only.
The benefits of Mlife Pearl and TR Platinum are very basic. Both give you a buffet line pass, players club check in at some resorts and a discount at participating retail outlets (usually the lobby store and gift shops). The retail discount for Total Rewards Platinum is 15%. The retail discount for Mlife Pearl is 10%. TR Platinum also gets you 2-for-1 show tickets and spa discounts. Mlife Pearl status gives you a 10% bonus on Points and Express Comps, making it easier to achieve the next tier or maintain your current status.
You do get a little more from TR Platinum status than you do from Mlife Pearl status, but it is a lot easier to get Pearl status. It is difficult for me to imagine a time when I would not have at least Mlife Pearl status.
If you are a video poker player I see the benefits of Platinum status being worth the price difference. If you are looking to achieve your status through dining and entertainment purchases, Mlife Pearl is far and away the best option. Please note that the Mlife purchase amounts are based upon the 25 credits per dollar rate in Las Vegas. If you are at Beau Rivage, Gold Strike Tunica or MGM Grand Detroit, you only earn 8 credits per dollar.
|
Tier |
Tier Credits |
Slot |
VP Coin In |
Purchases |
|
Mlife Pearl |
25,000 |
$7,500 |
$25,000 |
$1,000 |
|
TR Platinum |
5,000 |
$25,000 |
$50,000 |
$5,000 (changed April, 2014) |
You can get Platinum status in a single day by earning 2500 Tier Credits and the 5000 Bonus Tier Credits. That brings the required coin in down the $25,000 in a day for VP and $12,500 for slots. Another shortcut to Platinum would be to earn 1000 Tier Credits in a day 3 times. You would get 1000 Bonus Tier Credits for each of those days, giving you 6,000 Tier Credits. It requires $30,000 total coin in for VP or $15,000 coin in for slots, but spreading that over 3 days can make it more manageable.
The benefits of Mlife Gold and Total Rewards Diamond are a bit more equal. They get you buffet and café line passes, priority dining reservations, nightclub access, players club priority check in, room upgrades, show seating upgrades and casino cage priority. TR Diamond status gives you a 20% discount at the gift shop. Mlife Gold gives you a 10% discount. TR Diamond status also gives you priority taxi and valet service. Diamond status also gives you access to the Diamond Lounges, but the lounges in Las Vegas are not the as much of a perk as they used to be (I miss the days when they offered a small breakfast buffet). Total Rewards has added Diamond Aspiration benefits when you hit certain levels between Diamond and Seven Star. The Aspiration Level 1 rewards is a $100 celebration dining credit when you achieve Diamond status.
|
Tier |
Tier Credits |
Slot |
VP Coin In |
Purchases |
|
Mlife Gold |
75,000 |
$22,500 |
$75,000 |
$3000 |
|
TR Diamond |
15,000 |
$75,000 |
$150,000 |
$15,000 |
Note that you can also get Diamond in a Day by earning 5000 Tier Credits gambling in a single gaming day plus 10,000 Bonus Tier Credits. Another option is to split that into 2 days with 2500 Tier Credits on each of those days with the extra 5000 Bonus Tier Credits for each of those days bringing you to a total of 15,000 Tier Credits. Using either of those options will get you TR Diamond status for $25,000 less coin in on VP than it takes for Mlife Gold.
There are a few more things you should take into account when comparing the two systems. The Mlife tier calendar is October 1 through September 30th. On October 1st, your tier points are reset and your new tier will be determined by the number of tier points you had on September 30th. Total Rewards resets its tier credits on January 1st, but they offset your status expiration until January 31st (changed 2016). If you time it right, your Total Rewards tier status can be good for about 2 years with no additional play.
You also need to factor in what you like and where you play (which casinos as well as geographic location). If Las Vegas were the only place I played, Mlife would be an easy choice for me. I prefer MGM Resorts and Mlife properties. It would be as simple as that. Since I tend to split time between Las Vegas and Atlantic City, I get a lot more value from Caesars Entertainment and Total Rewards status.
For more details about the Mlife program, visit their website mlife.com
For more information on the Total Rewards program, visit totalrewards.com
I’ve got TR Diamond status, and I really enjoy some of the Diamond Lounges as a getaway from time to time. Recently, I got Mlife Gold status, so I’m wondering, do they offer anything similar to the TR Diamond lounge?
Mlife doesn’t have anything that really compares to the TR Diamond Lounge.
Purchases….referring to the total rewards credit card? Although I knew that if you spend 5k you can be Platinum which I got for spending over 5k last year. But can you confirm that spending 15k on the TR credit card gets you diamond? That would be awesome! I was weight pros cons of playing slots to become diamond. I risk losing some or a lot of money doing that though. 15k on a credit card is easy. I don’t gamble so this would be great.
https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/tr-visa.html
No. Not referring to the credit card.
I am referring to purchases made at participating retail, dining and entertainment outlets at Total Rewards properties. Things like the lobby store, room charges and Caesar’s owned restaurants and shows. This has nothing to do with the Total Rewards credit card.
Also, to clarify, in the comparison with Mlife, Mlife does not give you points for retail purchases. Mlife only counts spending on rooms, dining and entertainment.
Thanks for this article. I am curious though about room comps. I don’t know if it has to do with my actual coin in on trips, average daily theoretical, or just the fact I earned Platinum status but I often can get a basic-to-mid comp room at most Caesars’ Vegas properties. How does M-life compare on that count?
Comped rooms are generally based upon your average daily theoretical. That isn’t a hard and fast rule, though. Many factors can come into play. Not playing at a property for a long time can sometimes trigger nice offers.
Total Rewards tends to be looser with comped rooms than Mlife. Total Rewards also makes it easier to see since you can look at their Casino Calendar when making a reservation to see what they will comp with or without an offer.
Mlife offers tend to include more freeplay and resort credits upfront, though, so they have more value than just a comped room.
Total Rewards is also good about giving very low rates for players when you don’t quite qualify for a comped room. I’ve seen rates as low as $19 per night when not comped. I think the lowest I’ve seen Mlife go is about $38 per night.
Mlife does give you a tier discount which can help if you don’t have on offer for the dates you need.