Harrah's Total Rewards Delivers Huge Horseshoe Promotion

The tremendous nationwide scope of the Harrah's gaming empire reaches into every major market and population center, something the company took skilled advantage of to not only perfect the art of cross-marketing among its various properties but also make the brand Total Rewards virtually synonymous with Harrah's itself.

New precedent continues to be established, including launching Total Rewards promotions specific to casinos among the vast stable of Harrah's branded properties. Starting this Sunday (Sept. 16) and continuing through November 10, Horseshoe Hammond is giving Total Rewards members the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a Bentley Continental GT, a luxury automobile valued at around $175,000.

Horseshoe guests may swipe their Total Rewards card daily at the Bentley kiosks located in the pavilion to receive one entry into the drawing. Additional entries (one entry per 250 base reward credits earned) will be awarded based upon play with double entries awarded every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The winner of the Bentley will be announced at Horseshoe via a taped broadcast by Tonight Show host Jay Leno at 7 pm on Nov. 10.

Harrah's continues to stoke the power of Total Rewards. The program is driven by a perception among its members that they can build tangible consumer equity in return for the money they gamble. One of the first extensions of the concept was allowing patrons to redeem their points for gifts and other merchandise from a catalog.

Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel has taken Total Rewards to the next level by introducing "Rewards Around Town", a program by which patrons of the casino can redeem their points for gift cards that can be used at participating Chicago area merchants and service providers.

"We launched Rewards Around Town with a few partners, including Bolingbrook Golf Club and the Richard Petty Driving Experience," said Debbie Highland, Total Rewards manager at Harrah's Joliet. "We then expanded it to include Macy's, Mario Tricoci, and even grocery store and gas cards."

Redeeming points for a gift card at a participating establishment is as easy as stopping off at the Total Rewards center in the casino. You'll be issued the gift card on the spot. The minimum number of points required is 5,000.

"Guests have always been very complimentary of the Beauty Rest mattress that Sealy manufactures exclusively for our hotel rooms," Highland noted, "so we have included that product on our Rewards Around Town menu as well."

The program at the present time is exclusive to Harrah's Joliet, but it could very well expand to Harrah's properties in other jurisdictions.

Harrah's Joliet guests will also have an opportunity to use the equity they build from their gambling dollars to do some holiday shopping.

"We're working at the present time on a list of six vendors to add to the menu in October for the start of the Christmas shopping season," Highland revealed.

CASINO NEWS: The Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin has a "Hybrid Hysteria" promotion scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday, September 18 through October 25. Eight winners will be randomly selected at 2 pm and 8 pm drawings each day. Each winner will receive a cash prize and entries into the grand prize drawing for a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid which will be given away following the 8 pm drawing every Thursday.