...getting on a mailing list and receiving junk mail, too much hassle or “I value my privacy”?  Let us take these objections one at a time.

Here’s the worst thing that can happen to you--you get ‘junk mail’ for free rooms or low rates, free food, cash voucher, birthday greetings plus promotional news. I will take that junk anytime!

Mailing lists are ‘gold’ to casinos, so they are reluctant to share that information with other casinos that are not in their corporate group.

I know that Slot Hosts take their favorite clients’ information when they move to another casino job, but so what--more freebies for you.

Gosh, you have to schlump (is that a word?) over to the promotions booth to sign-up and most of the time you get a free gift, cash-food voucher or a casino promotion specifically for new members. Is that any more hassle that going to your bank or lifting up your mattress when you are gathering your gambling bankroll for a casino visit?

In fact, you are adding to that precious bankroll by participating ‘in the club’. Cash back, free food and rooms--all monies that you can add to your gambling pot. By the way, when you sign up, get two cards with the same name, so you and your partner can play on the same card to increase those points.

My friends, as far as privacy--well wake up to the real world--we lost those years ago. You cannot hide within this wired and wireless world. (that’s www. to you). You do not have to divulge your social security number and yes, casinos are ‘tracking’ your play but that’s to determine your qualifications for the many benefits of the card, not to ‘spy on you’. 

I received an e-mail recently from a reader who frequents casinos and has never signed up

for a slots card and wanted to know how. My reply: make a beeline for the promotions booth in any casino and sign up now.

Let us all take a moment of silence for the points and freebies this reader and others have not received. Yikes, I cannot do it--it hurts my thrifty heart too much--ouch!

Do not play just for comps, but do take advantage of the casino cards and the casinos, in this case. I do whenever I can.

(Gayle Mitchell is author of Casino Gambling Made Easier books, E-Books, booklets & Slots Trilogy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)