Rio is now completely under Dreamscape’s management. Caesars Entertainment left the casino floor behind early in the morning hours of October 2, 2023. This means that the Caesars Rewards card is no longer used on the property. Rio has a new players club. It is called Rio Rewards. Here are the details.
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Rio Rewards has the best slot point return in the Las Vegas locals market
Rio Rewards gives slot players 0.8% in points back. Binion’s and Four Queens are the only other casinos that pay more when including food comps. Boyd Gaming, Station Casinos, and Caesars Rewards all pay 0.1%. Some locals casinos pay 0.2% up to 0.3%.
This only applies to slots. Keno returns 0.2%. Video poker is 0.1%. The video poker number is about average for the Las Vegas market and double what Caesars Rewards pays.
Other Rio Rewards slot point payouts
Rio Rewards also pays points out on other types of games. Video roulette pays 0.2% in slot points. It is 0.1% for all other electronic table games. This is the same return for estimated wagers at all table games, except 3/2 blackjack, which only pays 0.033%.
We did not see any 3/2 blackjack tables open during our visit. It’s been years since Rio dealt one on the casino floor that wasn’t a requested high-limit table. The fact that it is in the players club details leads me to believe it is returning.
I put all the points into return percentages. The amount required to earn one point:
- Slots: $1.25
- Video roulette and keno: $5
- Video poker and most table games: $10
- 3/2 blackjack: $30
The return rate is $1 in free slot play or comps for every 100 points. Cashback is not an option.
Guests spending money on hotel, dining, entertainment, and shopping receive two points for every dollar spent. These points may only be used on those items. The rate is also $1 for every 100 points. Retail points may not be converted into free slot play. The return rate is 2%.
Rio Rewards points are valid for as long as the player has been active once in the last 12 months. Players maintain their tier for the remainder of the current year and the entirety of the next one.
Rio Rewards perks
Here are the perks from the Rio Rewards brochure. It includes free hotel nights, discounts, and VIP hotel check-in.
Rio changes
None of the potential changes under the new Rio ownership occurred as of our October 2 visit except that the poker room now has slots in it and the sportsbook is branded with William Hill, which uses the same software and lines as Caesars. There were no video poker or electronic table game machines operating during our walkthrough. The table game selection was the same as before, except that the citywide Caesars progressives were removed. All blackjack paid 6/5.
We will return to Rio next week. This should give us an idea of the direction the property is headed. We also visited Gold Coast, Orleans, and Palms yesterday. We will include those details in next week’s post.
