*** MIA - *** (10) 25c (3/5 Play) NSUD uprights near Garduno's entrance.

*** MIA - *** (8) $1/$2 (3/5 Play) NSUD uprights beside East change booth.

The 25c non-progressive FPDW are MIA. Removed.

New stickers on Palms' 100%+ machines ... They were put on today, just above the card readers. They say, "This machine is excluded from any promotions."

$62,775 coin-in over 2 days in December play yielded 8 x $40 Free Play and 3 x $40 food coupons.

The Palms has taken steps to insure that "smart" players can no longer hide wins by pulling their slot card when dealt a good hand. The new system also won't let you pull your card after downloading free play. This is how it works. When your card is inserted and you put in money or a ticket, a "carded session" begins. It continues until the credits reach zero, or you cash out. If you remove your card at any time in the middle of a hand, or with any credits remaining, the card reader says, "Carded session in progress." It is exactly the same as if your card were still in the card reader. The "carded session" continues, even during/after a jackpot which locks up the machine. The only way the session ends is when the credits hit zero!

The (3) $1 10/6 DDB are MIA. Removed.

The four GameMaker units that had the 25c/50c DB as well as Pickem have been replaced by 4 Monopoly games. I went to the floor people hoping that had been moved to another area. The answer today is they have been taken off the floor.

4 levels: Club Palms, All Star, MVP and Hall of Famer Points required (in 90 days): none, 1K, 50K, 200K MVP and Famer get VIP parking Buffet discounts (when paying with points) are: none, 25%, 50% and 75% MVP and Famer get restaurant line passes and 1st Available seating (selected restaurants) Most other benefits are described as based on play. Interestingly, only MVP and Famer are eligible for Spa/Salon credit, free car washes, movie passes, VIP window at slot club booth, special events/parties

I just talked to the head of marketing, by phone for 30-40, after talking with 2 slot club supervisors who had limited information but referred me up the "chain of command." I will say that all 3 of these employees were polite and tried to be as helpful as they could be, but I realized in the long run there is proprietary information a casino can not share with their customers. But I did get a lot of helpful information: 1. The tier level you were given in your April mailing was based on your play from Dec. 3 to March 3. Anybody qualifies for a Club Palms card. You needed to earn 1000 points in that 90-day period to be an All Star; 50,000 points to be a MVP; 200,000 points to be a Hall of Famer. (I'm assuming that is coin-in, not including bonus points, but I didn't verify that today - I had already asked a thousand questions and figured that one someone else could ask!) 2. Once you earn the # of points for a certain level, you can keep the card and that level for one year. However, once you earn the # of required points for a higher level, you can go to the club and get the better card at any time. For example, I got a MVP card in the mail Monday, but I had played enough already after the cut-off date to go get a Hall of Famer card right away. 3. Now, before you get all excited about having specific tier requirements spelled out, here is the bad news. Your Free Play and other coupons and benefits have NOTHING to do with your tier level. If you look at the brochure that comes with your mailing - and I suppose it is obtainable at the slot club desk, your tier level has very few "automatic" benefits. The best one is a routine discount on the buffet: 25% off for All Stars; 50% off for MVP's; and 75% off for the top tier. (a la Stations) The All Star level has no other automatic benefits. The top two levels have VIP parking (which I don't think has been established yet - someone needs to report this when it is operating), restaurant line passes, 1st available seating at "selected restaurants," and VIP line passes to Rain on Thursdays. So other than the buffet discount, most of the automatic benefits will be worth zilch to most players. So this tier thing is nice psychologically but of little benefit financially. (Actually being one of the old 4. Now the tricky part. Do you think a check mark means "yes, you have this benefit." Think again. Look at the bottom of the benefit chart and you will see that a check mark under a tier means "based on play." So actually this new system is more mysterious (if that is possible) than the old one. Plus the chart made me mad - because when I initially looked at it, I thought I could get a whole bunch of benefits by playing a lot to get to the top two tiers because they had so many checkmarks. I was really let down when I read more carefully and finally got to the bottom note and realized that they had completely changed the usual meaning of a checkmark. (There is a checkmark beside the VIP Window at Club Palms for the top two tiers. We MVP'ers and Hall of Famer's stand in the VIP line and the clerk looks up our play. Is the club rep going to tell us to go back and stand in the long regular line because we didn't play enough yesterday?) 5. Okay, now how much play does it take to get the checkmarked benefit. Think Harrah's - and that's about how much you can figure out what it takes to get what. Of course, my main goal was to hopefully find out, at least generally, what it took to get certain levels of Free Play. This is probably impossible to EVER figure out because they have a "formula" based on a "whole bunch" of factors. I did get the information that they do NOT put in a win/loss figure as one of these factors. Thank goodness for small blessings - they realize that winning or losing during one short period of time really is no judge of whether a customer is good for their bottom line. 6. As to what factors they do put in this formula, they mentioned type of machine (loose or not so loose), frequency of play, collecting of Free Play and doing promotions and whether you play on those days or not, and DAILY AVERAGE. I gave my opinion that I thought this last factor was hurting the casino's bottom line, because many people would like to play a small amount every time they come in rather than a long time on just a few days. The Palms feels STRONGLY that using daily average HELPS their bottom line rather than hurting it. Reading between the lines, I got the idea that the people who don't like daily averages are more knowledgeable players anyway and, although they are generally welcomed at the Palms, they are not "courted." As much as this impacts me personally, I have to agree that their position is proper for a company which is NOT a not-for-profit organization. 7. There are other factors, I am sure, that go into this "formula," but the ones I have discussed are the major ones, I think. I got no information as to what it would take to get the spa/salon and free movie coupons which were coupons we really liked - or special food coupons. I also did not get the information as to what triggers a "trip," meaning what should you not do on one day at the Palms when you aren't going to play, a day that will figure into your daily average and bring it down FAST. Collecting Free Play is probably a definite "day" - although maybe you are allowed some % of those that don't count against you if you don't play - I'm just guessing there although I got that faint impression. I'm think it definitely (probably?) includes an "extra" mailed promotion, like the postcard days (i.e., yesterday) where you pick an envelope that contains cash or pick up a gift. It probably includes days you play in their free tournament or swipe your card for some promotions - but again you may be al 8. And that is about all I know - or don't know. And if you are more confused now than before you started reading this post, here's something else to put you around the bend. They "fiddle" with these factors often - perhaps every quarter or even every month. Plus human beings look over some of their customers play records and can adjust their benefits "manually." This works both ways - they can adjust your benefits upward as well as downward.

Palms - Their new tiered rewards system just announced is a very positive change from my perspective. The fact that they are using points as the criteria, instead of some super - secret - daily - average - theoretica - loss formula known only to them, is much more player friendly. Their new tiered reward system is very similar to the systems I'm familiar with at Stations, Fiestas and Arizona Charlie's. Good to see the Palms is trying harder to compete in the locals market. And did anyone notice that they took a couple of swipes at Stations/Fiestas in their new brochure? "Every $1 you play on any of our games earns you 1 point. Other casinos make you play up to $2 for the same point." And "Palms Comp Value = 400 Points to $1. Other local casinos Comp Value = 600 Points to $1." Way to go, Palms! Now if they'd just give us information about how to earn more free slot play. It would be helpful to at least know the cut-off points for each of the free play levels.

I played (did not stay) at the Palms in 6/03 for 2 days, averaging $25k each day. The only offer this generated was a special rate of $39 a nite for 12/03. I took them up on it and stayed there for 4 nites last December. Averaged $22k a day and on my last nite asked to see a host. None of the ones that are recommended were working, so I had to take the host that was there. He reviewed my play and comped the room. That was almost 3 months ago and I have had no offers since. I'm told the Palms does not send offers to out-of- towners on any regular basis.

The Palms' hosts have been given flexible "guidelines" on how much play gets what comp level. These are the guidelines: $10,000 Daily coin-in gets Casino Rate; $20,000 Daily coin-in gets Room Comp; $30,000 Daily coin-in gets RFBL; $40,000 Daily coin-in gets RFB.