As Nevada casinos continue to report declining slot revenues, Gamblers Bonus, the state’s largest slot club, reported that last year it awarded more than 16 billion points to its player members, an increase of over 200 million points over 2008, despite fewer locations.

The points have a cash equivalent of nearly $16 million or more than $44,000 per day.

Gamblers Bonus is the brand name for United Coin Machine’s slot route, the state’s largest, which includes nearly 600 locations throughout Nevada, including many leading bars/taverns and casinos, as well as convenience, drug and grocery store operators.

"With the economic downturn affecting both our location owners and loyal club players, we took measures to be sure our club players continue to get the most out of their play," said Steve Arntzen, COO of United Coin. "To counteract the declining economy, we adjusted the daily redemption limits allowing our players to redeem more per day: along with enhancing the core benefits of the Gamblers Bonus Club to reward more points to our active players.

"As a result, we awarded over 200 million more points in 2009 over 2008 – despite fewer locations," he continued. "It’s a formula that continues to resonate with our players and easily keeps Gamblers Bonus on top as Nevada’s most popular slot club."

According to Arntzen, another key element to the success of Gamblers Bonus is the commitment to stay true to the "cash for play" concept.

"Gamblers Bonus is one of the only true cash-for-play slot clubs, which allows players to redeem points for cash on a daily basis," Arntzen said. "Most of our competitors offer non-cashable credits via programs that are much more restrictive. We built a name for Gamblers Bonus on this concept and we intend to stay true to the very feature that has created its popularity."

Additional Gamblers Bonus enhancements include special promotional tools such as GB Advantage, which awards points to players for hitting specific winning hands, and Four of a Kind Bingo, which gives the player a chance to win up to $60,000 for hitting all 13 four of a kinds. According to Arntzen, these are exceptional tools that help local bar and tavern owners to more effectively market to their players via fresh and new promotions that further enhance brand loyalty.

Because Gamblers Bonus serves such a large locals Las Vegas market, video poker is the popular game of choice for many of its long term customers.

"Players tend to play what they played last week as well as last year," he said.

According to Arntzen, Gamblers Bonus membership grows by about 1,700 new players per month.

"It’s another testament to the popularity of the slot club during a year when many players were curtailing their play," he said. "The significant growth in points awarded and membership is proof positive of the strength and popularity of Gamblers Bonus."