Escape to (No) Total Rewards

If you are into to casinos and gambling like me, then I’m sure you have heard of the Caesars Escape to Total Rewards Promotion Game that they are running to celebrate the new branding and features of Total Rewards. If you haven’t, then I will give you a brief synopsis.

Basically you are given a slot-machine type spin and get a gaming piece. You can win three ways, you can be entered into the long-term sweepstakes, you can get an instant win, or you can get a game board piece. If you get a game board piece, it’s in one of six categories. Fill up 8 pieces from any given category and you win a prize.

Something happened with the game a few weeks ago, however, and it appeared that no one was winning any instant-wins or game board categories. No matter how many spins you tried a day (your max is 11, using codes), everyone was getting 11 entries into the long term sweepstakes. A click on the Recent Winners link showed that there were no recent winners.

This changed again last week as it appears that some people are now winning Instant Wins and are allowed to complete the Dining category, but no other prizes are showing in the Recent Wins area of the site. So what’s the point of me telling you all this?

I got into the game early enough that I was able to complete three categories before the well went dry: Dining, Entertainment, and Hotels. For Dining I was given $25 in food and beverage to use at any Caesars property. Since I was already planning on going to the Horseshoe in Hammond, Indiana, I decided I would use some of my credit on a drink while I was there.

There was one major flaw in my logic. In the Midwest, most states don’t allow the casinos to comp alcohol for play. This includes the Total Rewards points. I didn’t think of that wrinkle, so when I went to the bar they could put the money towards non-alcoholic drinks or food, but not a beer. It’s not the casino’s fault, but it’s something that people should be aware of.

At any rate, I keep playing the Escape to Total Rewards game every day, hoping to finish my last few lines. We will see if they release any more prizes in the near future. For now I’ll pile up Sweepstakes entries and hope to hit it big. After all, if I’ll gamble to win big, why not try for free?