Boyd Gaming Corp. began the re-launch of its player loyalty program Monday, offering different levels of new reward tiers and exclusive new benefits for the company’s customers.
Among the benefits now included in the B Connected program are annual cruises on Holland America Line and vacations to Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.
By next year, Boyd’s loyalty program will connect some 29 casinos and resorts in 10 states.
“With the all-new B Connected, we sought to create a player loyalty program that is truly distinctive and compelling,” Matt Ryan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Boyd Gaming, said in a statement this morning.
Earlier this month, Boyd announced an agreement with gaming equipment provider Aristocrat Technologies for a management systems contract to unify the company’s loyalty program in all its casinos under one structure. The Aristocrat system includes several casino management features to better reward players. Once fully installed, Boyd customers will be able to earn rewards while playing at any Boyd Gaming property.
Boyd currently operates 24 casinos in seven states. However, several properties, including the two Las Vegas-area Cannery Casinos and Aliante in North Las Vegas that Boyd acquired in 2016, as well as several of the company’s Midwest casinos, haven’t previously been linked to the B Connected program.
Also, Boyd is in the process of acquiring five casinos in four states in two separate deals that are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The all-new B Connected is currently available in Southern Nevada at Aliante, California, Fremont, Gold Coast, Main Street Station, The Orleans, Sam’s Town and Suncoast; in Louisiana at Amelia Belle, Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs, Sam’s Town Shreveport and Treasure Chest; in Illinois at Par-A-Dice; in Indiana at Blue Chip; in Iowa at Diamond Jo Worth; and in Mississippi at Sam’s Town Tunica and IP Biloxi. Boyd Gaming plans to roll out the program at additional properties nationwide in early 2019.
The awards program was expanded to five player tiers – Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Onyx and Titanium. Rewards and perks increase as players move up through the tiers.
Once a tier upgrade is earned, the player immediately receives their new card – and keeps that tier level and its associated benefits through the next full calendar year. All current point balances will carry over to customers’ new B Connected accounts following the transition.
Boyd is acquiring the operations of four properties from Pinnacle Entertainment – two Ameristar casinos in Missouri and the Belterra gaming brands in Indiana and Ohio – for $575 million. Boyd will sign a lease agreement with Gaming and Leisure Properties, a real estate investment trust that is the landlord for the Pinnacle-owned casinos.
Boyd is also acquiring the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania for $280.5 million.
The transactions will open Boyd to potential customers in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Kansas City – four major metropolitan cities.
