Justin is joined by Darren Remsberg to discuss the newly introduced MGM Rewards Iconic MasterCard.
They dive into the card’s features including a 40,000 point sign-up bonus, benefits for frequent MGM casino patrons, and its potential for earning status like gold and platinum within the MGM Rewards program.
The MGM Iconic card offers valuable perks such as a $200 resort credit, $250 complimentary night benefit, and six times reward points on MGM spending.
The discussion also covers strategic use of the card for online gambling to maximize rewards and status. Additionally, Justin shares his upcoming travel plans and emphasizes the importance of using the card to earn substantial rewards, especially for those in online gambling-friendly states.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Low-Cost Travel with Points and Miles
00:32 Welcome to Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast
01:40 Special Guest: Darren Remsberg
02:46 Introducing the MGM Rewards Iconic MasterCard
03:26 Benefits and Signup Bonus of the MGM Rewards Iconic MasterCard
05:47 Maximizing Value with MGM Rewards and Comps
11:41 Earning and Spending with the MGM Rewards Iconic MasterCard
17:49 Additional Benefits and Strategies for MGM Rewards Cardholders
27:25 Introduction to MGM Card Benefits
27:50 Exploring MGM Status and Cruise Benefits
28:56 Maximizing MGM Card Usage
29:49 Credit Card Strategies and 5/24 Rule
30:44 Potential of MGM Iconic Card
32:43 Travel and Online Gaming Synergy
34:41 Upcoming Travel Plans and Events
38:26 Final Thoughts and Listener Engagement
48:28 Closing Announcements and Future Events
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Rough Transcript:
theme song: [00:00:00] Travel at low cost with points and miles. Credit card rewards bring the smiles. Many adventures tells to be told, make and save money, the world will unfold.
Fight the war on happiness. Pick up the gold. Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast breaks the mold.
Justin Vacula: You’re listening to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast. I’m your host, Justin Vacula, here to help you travel the world in next to no cost with credit card points, miles, benefits, and loyalty programs. Make money, save money, and take advantage of great deals. Thanks for joining me for today’s episode, MGM Rewards, iconic Credit Card. Returning guest, Darren Remsberg and I discuss MGMs new credit card, which offers great potential.[00:01:00]
Visit meetup.com/philly. Miles and points to RSVP for monthly Greater Philadelphia Travel Credit miles and points meetups I host in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The next meetups are May 17th, 2025 and June 22nd, 2025. Find a link in the show notes for more content between podcast episodes. Follow Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast on Facebook and x follow Justin Vacula on Instagram.
Subscribe to Hurdy Gurdy Travel podcast on YouTube where you can also become a channel member for daily content, including travel videos, podcast clips, community and bonus videos. Welcome back to the show, Darren Remsberg.
Darren Remsburg: Thank you Justin. Glad to be back. I understand that you’ve just returned from Las Vegas.
Justin Vacula: Oh, yes, and I attended WrestleMania night one on Saturday.
Darren Remsburg: Oh yeah, the triple threat out there, right?
Justin Vacula: Yes. [00:02:00] Unfortunately, I didn’t enter the ring to make it a fatal four-way. I was not invited, but I got a good view and a ticket of just about $200, so the ticket prices went way down and I was a buyer at that, so I uploaded some shorts on YouTube, lots of pictures all across social media, and it was a pretty good experience.
Darren Remsburg: That sounds like a good time. If you were to have wrestled Justin, would you be wearing. Purple. Would you say some sort of purple outfit? Like a purple Princess Perry or no?
Justin Vacula: Ooh. Or maybe I would come out as an Amtrak devotee.
Darren Remsburg: There you go. There you go. I feel like there’s a train. You could work a train into your name somehow and just run people over.
Justin Vacula: Ooh, that’d be cool. Or some sort of finisher. Yes, we had diesel, the wrestler diesel in the nineties, so maybe that’s pretty close to that.
Darren Remsburg: Speaking of exciting events, Justin, we’re here to talk about the brand new. MGM Rewards iconic MasterCard, which I’m sure our listeners already know. Is a new MasterCard, a new [00:03:00] MGM MasterCard compared to what’s already available.
Justin Vacula: Tell us more. Yes, a shiny new card and it’s a metal card for new applicants at least within a certain amount of time while supplies last. Of course, a metal fart.
Darren Remsburg: You say, oh my goodness, why didn’t you lead with
Justin Vacula: that? They love that for the marketing, I guess it’s a little bit of an incentive to get in early and get the metal card, but the metal card isn’t the big feature to me.
It’s the signup bonus. They’re giving a 40,000 point signup bonus, which is worth $400 in comps, and we’ve talked about in previous episodes how we can use MGM comps for even more value, especially in Atlantic City. Going into the M four lounge at Borgata or the buffet for only 1250 in comps. So that’s quite a good value if you have that MGM gold status or better.
So there’s been a lot of discussion about this, a lot of negativity surrounding the card. So we’re here to make a positive [00:04:00] case for the card that it can be very useful for. Casino patrons, travelers, miles and points people, even if you’re not in person gambling or gambling at all. I still think there can be great value in this card, especially going to places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Darren Remsburg: I think our listeners will be shocked to hear that we are advocating for, in fact, more credit cards as a solution to this problem. Is that something we’ve said before? Yes.
Justin Vacula: The answer to everything indeed is more credit cards and even if you have the no annual fee card, the standard MGM rewards, MasterCard.
I think there’s a good case for getting the iconic MasterCard, as they say, is the premium tier credit card designed to reward big spenders and loyal guests, valuable customers, valuable patrons, all of the PR speak, and of course that’s us. We are big spenders and patrons. I know you haven’t been in Atlantic City as much because the gymnastics events for your daughters did not [00:05:00] come to Atlantic City, but this might get you back in that game.
Darren Remsburg: Very sad. Very sad. Yeah, of course. Summer is just around the corner for us here in Pennsylvania and just a matter of time before it’s beach weather, one of my daughters is turning into a beach bum. So quick trip down to Atlantic City, a little, a little free play, a little, a little comp night, and uh, some time on the beach.
Sounds like it. That would be a good time.
Justin Vacula: Yes. You may be auto spinning to win with the My Vegas games
Darren Remsburg: soon enough. Yeah, not time to. Recruit the farm, the phone army, Justin. Time to recruit the phone. Army.
Justin Vacula: Yes, the phone army. You can combine the My Vegas rewards with the MGM comps and, uh, we’ve discussed that in other episodes.
I have a video showing how to play these free to play games to get real life rewards. So I think that’s a nice stack that you can get complimentary nights, free play food credits, and much more. The reward’s more impactful in Las Vegas, I think compared to Atlantic City, but at least at Borg Gata. You’re typically getting a free night [00:06:00] free play and food credits, so that’s really nice.
But returning the focus on the MGM iconic MasterCard right now, as of recording April 22nd, 2025 through on or around the end of May, they’re offering a 40,000 point signup bonus for spending 5,000 in three months worth $400 in MGM rewards points or comps. There is a $249 annual fee, but some emails are going out for existing cardholders to upgrade the no annual fee card to the annual fee card with a waived annual fee, but this sacrifices the 40,000 point signup bonus because America loves math.
What do you think about that? Not paying a $249 annual fee. Giving up a 40,000 point signup bonus for $400.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, I think on the face of it, the math is pretty easy, right? If you’re gonna use $400 [00:07:00] in points or comps in some way, then the 249, call it two 50 as a reasonable investment, and you still 150 ahead.
I guess there’s the conversation. For those folks that are trying to stay under 5 24, this would be a personal card, right? That would count as far as we know, towards their 5 24 status. Remind us Justin, who’s issuing this card?
Justin Vacula: Ooh, the MGM iconic MasterCard and the MGM Rewards MasterCard, the new annual fee version.
They’re both issued by the First National Bank of Omaha, so there is some competition with the Amtrak credit cards. Another shout out to a Purple Princess Perry on Instagram. Amtrak’s biggest fan. So if you’ve applied for an FNBO card recently, then maybe you don’t get approved for this one. I’m not sure there’s a hard and fast rule, but there is fine prints with this new offer for the iconic MasterCard, the annual fee MasterCard, saying that you can only get a signup bonus once per 12 months.
So if you [00:08:00] recently signed up for the no annual fee card and you received that email upgrade offer, it might be worth. Taking the upgrade offer, sacrificing the 40,000 points for now, because 10 months from now, nine months from now, that offer might go away or lower.
Darren Remsburg: You read my mind, Justin. I was wondering if someone really wanted to go all in on MGM status, could you apply for both cards the same day and sort of a, where you just keep applying until they tell you to stop and try to double dip a little bit here?
But it sounds like that probably is not the case, that there’s some limits in the number of cards that. F and BO, the friendly folks in Omaha would be willing to approve in in a some amount of time.
Justin Vacula: So at least there’s terms against that signup bonus. If you get one card, you have to wait 12 months before getting another signup bonus, whether it’s the iconic or the no annual fee, because the no annual fee also has a signup bonus.
So there’s a little bit of a timer. So if you were recently approved for the no annual fee, [00:09:00] MGM rewards card. You could take the upgrade offer and then wait 12 months and then apply for the next MGM card and have both of them. Seems to be the play. If you value MGM rewards, of course.
Darren Remsburg: Speaking of rewards and maybe tier credits, tell us about that.
Do you get any tier credit for signing up with this card, Justin?
Justin Vacula: Yes. The iconic card gives you a 10,000 tier credit boost just for getting the card. It’s a good start towards gold or platinum status. Gold needs 75,000. Tier platinum needs 200,000 tier. So we discussed these statuses in earlier episodes.
We could just give a quick explanation. Gold status with MGM. This is waiving resort fees. This is giving access to discounted rates at the buffet at Borg Gata. Access to the M four Lounge at Borg Gata for the unlimited food and alcohol. The buffet is just the food. Potentially later checkouts with gold status.
And MGM also added [00:10:00] a cruise benefit for gold status, which is new. This happened a few weeks ago. Platinum Status gives a $600 flight rebate, another cruise benefit and MGM has clarified you get both cruises in a status year, platinum, also giving you later checkout potential room upgrades. I’ve had many room upgrades with platinum status.
So getting 10,000 just for getting the card with a signup bonus, that’s a good boost on the way to the 75,000 tier. America loves math, of course, with the percentages on that, but it’s still a good start.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah. And gold status was what we used to be able to match to right back in the, well, it’s to some extent still in the America round of status matching, oftentimes starting with Wyndham and Caesars and then matching out from there.
That’s correct,
Justin Vacula: yes. So this card gives you an. Interesting opportunity to guarantee status where many lamento, this play died, this match died. You don’t have to worry about matching anymore to get MGM [00:11:00] status when you could just use the credit card and basically guarantee the status that you can earn it each year.
That sounds good.
Darren Remsburg: I’m sure there’s some opportunities here to spend your way towards those rewards tiers or, or tier. What do we call those? Tier benefits? Tier? The status levels, the tier levels. Status levels. I wanna call ’em like gold, like precious metal milestones. My maybe milestones. I think I’m buying too much gold at cost.
All the medals, practice metals. Yeah. All the medals are stuck in my head. Yeah.
Justin Vacula: Hopefully you won’t be like gold member from Austin Powers and having unfortunate smelting incident would
Darren Remsburg: be sad. Would
Justin Vacula: be sad. Yes.
Darren Remsburg: So on the earning structure, I know one of the things that, do you have taken advantage of? In the past with the no annual fee, MGM card has been loading money onto BET MGM during special promos at three x.
Do you anticipate that you’d be able to do something similar with this card, [00:12:00] or what’s the earning structure look like?
Justin Vacula: Yes. You do indeed get at least one x on loads to Bem GM. So this isn’t only 1% back in comps or free play. The way this card works is that. Once the statement closes, a few days later, you see what are called slot dollars in your account.
You have the option to use that for free play, or you can convert it to comps or the MGM reward points. You have some flexibility there. So you get the one X tier and the one X comps or free play with the BET MGM load. And this is a no cash advance play. You use the credit card directly. Funding gambling, which our best friend Dave Ramsey would be a huge fan, of course gambling with credit.
So of course use credit responsibly, gamble responsibly, and you have an edge. He said it’s impossible to beat the house. The house always wins. But in this case, if we’re going to play basic strategy in blackjack play optimally, we’re going to give up about a half percent in the [00:13:00] blackjack multi hand surrender game, which I really like.
So for giving up a half percent, but we’re earning 1% and tier. I max that credit limit every statement, pay off the credit card with the withdrawals and other monies and earn status. I think this is a great way to go with this card. Super easy to get gold status and a little bit of more effort to get platinum.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, it certainly sounds like there’s some opportunities there. It’s funny more and more as we work through this hobby or this game, or whatever you want to call it, I feel like we’re just more and more arbitrage specialist, right. We’re taking something. Some folks don’t value and turning into something that’s more valuable.
So whether that’s classically airline miles for business and first class flights or casino statuses for free cruises, or I know you’ve been able to connect some of those things to fly to somewhere and then do the cruise. It just seems like this is yet another example of that philosophy applied to a smaller subset or a [00:14:00] smaller niche than what people are accustomed to and.
I think when people don’t understand, excluding Dave Ramsey, who maybe does understand, but just doesn’t want to, they see that annual fee. They don’t really see the benefit here. And so I think having you walk us through this and understand what the arbitrage opportunity really is for a card like this is really helpful.
Justin Vacula: But wait, there’s more. Who the, the credit card also gives six X tier and comps are free play. On MGM spend. So if you were to outright pay for a hotel room outright, pay for dining, or perhaps you can buy some gift cards of some casinos, this play I think is largely dead, but there might still be opportunities out there.
You get six x on MGM spend, so maybe that’s not a scalable, but I know past podcast guest Mandy had met in Vegas with various friends. They went to an expensive restaurant. People gave her the cash and she. Was able to swipe the credit cards. So if you have some connections like that, buying show [00:15:00] tickets, all kinds of spend, of course, that you can do in Las Vegas and other places.
So six x is an improvement versus the no annual fee card. That would be three x. I don’t think it’s the biggest deal as, it’s probably not as scalable, but it is still a little bit of a benefit. The card also gives two X Tier and compa free play on hotels, dining, gas, and grocery. So many categories there compared to the no annual fee, probably not worth it using it on the hotel or dining category as many other cards.
Bonus this. But as a volume play for those doing creative spend at gas stations and grocery stores, this could come into play. Personally, I’m still going to prioritize the bet MGM play, but for those outside of online gambling states, maybe they use this card for grocery and gas spend. One x on everything else.
Not interesting, but the one X on Bem GMI think is interesting. And as you alluded to earlier, sometimes the be MGM loads give [00:16:00] you more than one X. They’ve given three x in the past, unannounced and announced perhaps it’s a free roll that if you’re going to be loading anyway, there’s the potential to get bonused tier and comps are free play, especially if it miscategorize it as six x.
And who knows because. This card is brand new. So these are the features of the iconic card and a little bit of comparison to the no annual fee.
Darren Remsburg: You know me, I’m jumping right to the, uh, to the cream of the card. And so I’m thinking about the three x on, on Betham GM here in Pennsylvania where we’re able to do that and some of the opportunities there.
Do the, I’m curious, do the card terms specifically say one X on loads to bet MGM or it just as assume, we just assume that it is. One x,
Justin Vacula: it says that, but in the past, sometimes it miscategorized that it would give more than one X perhaps coding as something different. So there’s that potential, but I think even at one x, it’s positive expected value.
I’m home at 9:10 PM I’m awake. I’m [00:17:00] alert. I decide to play some blackjack. I’m just getting in spend from home and working my way towards status, so pretty happy to do that. Or maybe around noontime lunch is being prepared and let’s play. Attractiveness of spending from home, I think is very high, especially when it becomes more difficult at stores when certain plays die.
I think this has been an ongoing play for several years, so I’m definitely appreciating MGM credit card to bet MGM as Some other rewarding cards have recently stopped working on certain casino sites.
Darren Remsburg: Agreed. Yeah. I think here in Pennsylvania we’re fortunate in that we have a. Number of opportunities to to amass points through a variety of different ways, and certainly online casinos The last few years have been a important part
Justin Vacula: of that strategy and some other benefits of the card.
You get automatic pearl status. This doesn’t give you too much. It’s mainly free parking, but it’s on the iconic card. So if you haven’t had any MGM credit card, you start with this, you get the [00:18:00] pearl status, you also get what they’re calling a $200 resort credit per card member year. The fine print says that if you have a booked stay, you go to the MGM Rewards desk and they load 20,000 points or comps to your account.
I appreciate that they do it this way rather than you have to make a cash booking for a room with the credit card and they offset it with a statement credit because in this case you can use free nights, comp nights, MyVegas nights, whatever you have available. And they’ll just outright load this 20,000 points to your MGM rewards account.
So that’s the $200 resort credit. They’re calling little bit of confusing language, but we’re here to dispel confusion. Of course.
Darren Remsburg: I was just gonna say the important part here is that pearl status does not result in resort fees being waived like gold, platinum, or the famous noir status does. So these, this is one way that even with Pearl status, [00:19:00] if.
You take a trip before you’re able to spend your way to a gold status, you still are able to offset, to your point, some of those resort credits, perhaps through comps at a restaurant, or I guess you could convert that to free play. Is that correct as well, or no?
Justin Vacula: I don’t think you can go from the MGM rewards to free play, but you could go from the free play to the MGM rewards.
Got it. I could be wrong. There could be some limited promotions, but usually when these opportunities. Are available, you don’t get full value, so it’s usually not worth it. So yes, you can use the comps to pay for the resort fees, pay for taxes, pay for food, pay for shows, and so much more. So it’s nice. They give the flexibility and this is pretty standard with MGM, at least with the platinum status.
You get this $600 flight rebate, you have present a receipt. Of a flight and they just add to the comps to your account. So it’s nice that they do that. They give you the flexibility because of course you can use something like United Travel Bank [00:20:00] to book the flight and you don’t have to directly use a certain credit card to do it.
So it’s a nice thing. They also give a new benefit on the iconic card. They’re calling it a $250 complimentary night benefit. If you spend $25,000 on the card in a card member year on the iconic card. And some of the reviews, some of the articles in this. Oh wow. You have to spend so much money to get that.
If you’re loading to BET MGM, I don’t think that it’s much spend at all. I have a 20,000 ish credit limit on the card, and I could spend that in two statements maxing out the credit limit, or of course, for those that only have about. 10 15 K. It’s not gonna take long to max it out. Again, if you’re in that online gambling state or you travel to one, and we’ll talk a little bit about the value of traveling to an online gambling state to have more value from this card.
This includes the BET MGM loads for the $25,000 spend. Like the other benefit it seems to [00:21:00] indicate, have a stay go to the MGM Rewards desk or players club and they’ll just add. That to your account. The fine print’s still a little bit confusing, and this card is new, so we don’t have data points of people using these credits.
But the 200 resort credit, the 250 complimentary night benefit, the 40 K signup bonus looks to be a slam dunk in year one For those, of course, going to MGM properties.
Darren Remsburg: Wow. So with. The initial signup, we’re talking $400 in comps or points plus an annual benefit of $200 resort credit and a $250 complimentary night benefit at A MGM property.
So it seems like all, all four a 249 annual fee, it seems like anybody that’s spending any amount of time in an MGM casino, this car becomes a no brainer.
Justin Vacula: Yes, I think pretty easy. Value there. Little bit of credits, maybe a little bit of [00:22:00] organization or calendar notifications, whatever it might be, but I think pretty easy to redeem the credits.
We’ll see how this 250 complimentary night benefit plays out, but the 200 resort credit seems clearer that they’re just going to add that to your account. It’s just some confusing terminology, I think, on this. So in time we’ll get more clarity as to how these benefits work. I looked at the fine print and that’s the assumptions I’m making out of it.
There’s another benefit. You get a 10 K tier bonus every anniversary year, so it looks like you get 10 K tier for signing up and another 10 K tier at the anniversary year. So unsure about whether that pulse on the first year as well. But upon renewal, I’m assuming that it will post some parts, the card that aren’t so interesting.
But I’ll mention there’s a global entry or TSA pre-check credit. But most podcast listeners likely have this credit on other credit cards, and there’s also a Priority Pass membership, but [00:23:00] you have to pay per visit. And I would think, again, most listeners would have priority pass through other cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve or other credit cards.
Darren Remsburg: So I was just doing a little Googling here, Justin, to see when the MGM tier resets to see if, in fact, if you signed up. At a time where your signup bonus and then your, like the first year at least, your signup bonus, and your anniversary would be in the same year, but I guess it’s still 12 months apart, so maybe this is a Fairfield’s math moment that I’m failing.
Justin Vacula: Yes. I suppose you wouldn’t want to sign up for the card in November because then your tier will probably post towards the current calendar year. That could be awkward. October, November could be awkward. So maybe you’d wanna get this card early in the year rather than 10 K tier posting at the end of the year that wasn’t so meaningful.
Right now we’re recording April 22nd, 2025, so it’s pretty [00:24:00] early in the year. You’d have several more months to earn status rather than signing up for the card towards the end of the year, and then that tier wouldn’t be as meaningful in most cases. That makes sense.
Darren Remsburg: I think probably, like you said, a good reminder that if this is a card that you think you would use and would benefit and keep year after year, probably signing up in the first half of the year would make sense.
Justin Vacula: Yes. And other benefits of the card priority. Checking at mg. At MGM Resorts, I’ve seen signs at many casinos that would show a picture of the at least noal fee credit card. You get to skip lines, that’s really valuable. I’ve skipped many lines in Vegas and Atlantic City, and I mentioned earlier in the episode, WrestleMania that I walked from Allegient or Allegient Stadium to Luxor and Luxor was very packed at the public house restaurant and I was able to skip the line with platinum status and there were about 20 people in the line who probably didn’t like me after I did that.
But [00:25:00] you get separate lines in many cases. Status. So the priority check-in at the hotel could be very valuable, and the lines are long. Extra lines or separate lines at the restaurants can be quite valuable. So just from the credit card, sometimes you’ll see other lines. And then when you spend your way to status, you’ll have expedited lines as well.
No foreign transaction fee on the iconic card. Free parking MGM resorts, again, thanks to Pearl Status. So a lot of benefits I’m seeing for this 249 annual fee or zero annual fee if you have the upgrade offer to go from the no annual fee card to the iconic card.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, and I think a number of good benefits.
I think many folks or some folks, maybe just some folks are wondering, and I think I asked you the same question when we did the MGM, no annual fee credit card, but. What are some examples of MGM properties and locations that that folks may be either interested in staying or have stayed in [00:26:00] already and may not have realized it was an MGM property?
Justin Vacula: Ooh, forgotten. Atlantic City, we’ve mentioned we have the MGM Grand in Detroit, Bellagio, aria Park, M-G-M-M-G-M Grand in Las Vegas are several. I’ve also received lounge access in Vegas. Now the lounges in Vegas aren’t as good as the Borgata Lounge in Atlantic City, but there’s usually an espresso or specialty coffee machine, some light snacks, bottles of water, some soda for those who want it.
So I’ve had access to the lounges, which also usually double as VIP check-in rooms. So it’s more line skipping and a little bit of a better environment to check in.
Darren Remsburg: With no foreign transaction fees. Is this a card that if folks like to travel and also visit MGM properties, whether that’s in Japan or Macau or China, other places in the world, [00:27:00] seems like it would be a
Justin Vacula: potentially good card there as well?
Yes. With no foreign transaction fees, if you were to travel to overseas MGM destinations. If would work and hopefully they’d honor that six X at MGM properties. That’s not only in the United States, but that could be another case for looking at the fine print. I didn’t look at that, but hopefully it’s all MGM properties.
I
Darren Remsburg: mentioned Macau. I don’t actually see an MGM property in Macau that, oh yeah, nevermind. Yes, I do. I lied. What? I was right after the
Justin Vacula: magic of Google or chat GP team.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah. I, this is just good old fashioned Google. Yeah. I think this is a compelling, a compelling card if you have the space and uh, and you’re interested or playing or have stayed in A MGM property in the US or around the world.
You talked a lot about benefits per status comps. What are the things, you mentioned something about a, a cruise, maybe tell us more about that, Justin.
Justin Vacula: Yes. MGM status became more valuable a few weeks ago. Gold status now gives a five night ocean [00:28:00] view comp cruise. The cruise benefited platinum was increased.
Now it’s a balcony stay with seven nights up from the previous ocean view and a shorter cruise. Gold also gives a hundred dollars dining credit redeemable for comps. We mentioned gold waves resort fees and gives discounted buffet entry up or and M four a lounge, access 4 12 50. So lots of benefits with status.
We’ve talked more about the status benefits earlier and in other episodes, but adding the cruises I think is incredibly valuable, especially at gold. Maybe listeners won’t get to platinum, but for 70 5K tier. Getting a complimentary cruise, I think is a really big benefit. I can’t think of too many other cards that give that, unless there’s some other strategic matching going on, and we know that’s died with the Wyndham business credit card matching to Caesar status, we can’t do that anymore.
So now having a reliable method to get the gold [00:29:00] status or platinum with high enough spend, and particularly online gaming. The MGM iconic works pretty well, and I’m looking forward to having both the iconic and the no annual fee card for even more capacity to load to BET MGMA 20 K credit limit on one card, maybe a 10 K or more on the other.
That’s a lot of spend. That’s a lot of progress towards status, and I really like the opportunity to have iconic, in addition to the millennial fee card for the benefits as well.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, I was just gonna ask, would you consider dropping your no annual fee card and getting this, but I guess that would be no different than upgrading and we already decided that wasn’t a good play.
Justin Vacula: Yes, if I can get the signup bonus rather than upgrading, I’d rather get the 40 k signup bonus rather than upgrading with the no annual fee offer. You did mention 5 24. We went past that a little bit. For listeners that might not know Chase. Has an unwritten rule that you’re not eligible for Chase cards if you had applied for [00:30:00] five or more cards in the last 24 months, reporting to personal credit.
So for those still concerned about that, perhaps if they had the personal no annual fee, MGM card, that an upgrade would not add, it would not be a hard pull, it would not add an open account as there’s some drawbacks of opening new accounts, that it’s going to slow your progress toward getting other carts.
So that, I think niche situation there for someone concerned about 5 24, who has the MGM card? ’cause that would probably be something people would get after they were finished with chase cards. That’s a good strategy. Just
Darren Remsburg: session. Justin. Yeah, that’s something to keep in mind. Maybe some benefits here without, without having to jeopardize your 5 24 status.
Justin Vacula: Yeah, so I see a lot of potential with both cards, especially the iconic as being a status accelerator, especially with that six x. That’s a benefit compared to no annual fee. And maybe they would even give better credit limits, but we don’t know. If it’s so [00:31:00] iconic and it’s metal and it’s flashy and there’s an annual fee, maybe they would give higher limits, but that’s not always clear.
Although from previous experiences getting cards like the US Bank Altitude Reserve, that was a Visa Infinite card, and my understanding is that the minimum credit limit on that card is $10,000. The Chase Sapphire Reserve the same way. So maybe people applied for the no annual fee card. They got a low limit.
The iconic might give a better limit, but this is just speculation. It’s hard to say as the card just released, but it’s something that might be true.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, it’s a good point. I Hadn hadn’t considered that, but yeah, like you said, a lot of the attributes of this card, at least from the cachet they’re trying to attach to it.
Mm-hmm. You like that, that maybe that it’s gonna accompany a larger credit limit, which to your point, increases the opportunity for you and other cardholders to maximize tier
Justin Vacula: your earning per month and per year. Yes. More tier, more status. That’s what this card is really [00:32:00] about. Otherwise, if you weren’t concerned with status and you were just using it for two x and converting that to free player comps, that’s not as great.
Versus other cards that are giving four x five x sometimes better. So you’re really looking for the status in addition to the comps are free play on this card, especially spending toward gold status. Or for those that can make platinum, particularly those in online gambling states. I think especially when that three x promotion goes, usually what happens, they’ll send out email and say, limited time your MGM credit card loads to bet MGM will give three x tier and comps or free play.
The three X promo is so valuable. I think it’s even worth traveling to places like Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, going to Atlantic City, maybe Detroit and maybe Philly area casinos or other things in Pennsylvania like Steamtown. I was recently there [00:33:00] in the Scranton area. Lots of YouTube videos I put up from that.
So you can combine travels with the online gaming, especially during a three X promotion. It might be a bit eccentric and we’ve known, we’ve been known to do eccentric things, of course, to just travel for online gaming. So I would say travel for online gaming and other opportunities if possible, especially with a three x promotion.
So if you have a $20,000 credit limit, you’re able to max that credit limit, that’s 60,000 tier just from the loads and given the 10,000, they’re just giving you or giving you on renewal. That’s super, super easy mode for gold status, which can be incredibly valuable, especially considering the cruise benefit.
Agreed.
Darren Remsburg: I was just thinking about a scenario where someone wanted to take a family vacation and maybe see the independence hall and all the great things at Philadelphia, and oh, by the way, they have some Hilton gift card. They, they stay in a local, local, I don’t know, Hilton Garden in or something. Not too [00:34:00] fancy, but something with a pool.
The kids can go swimming in the afternoon and. Geez, what are you gonna do? Read a book maybe or maybe just pull out your phone. Play a little blackjack on on Be MGM either. Either way could work. So
Justin Vacula: yes, you’re a lots of
Darren Remsburg: opportunities there.
Justin Vacula: Dell laptop, we might not be getting as much.
Darren Remsburg: I believe I missed that stacking opportunity.
My, oh,
Justin Vacula: you might hop on SEPTA in Philadelphia or Amtrak.
Darren Remsburg: Ooh, maybe does the T come all the way down to Philly?
Justin Vacula: Oh, you have to get on the Amtrak, just the Boston area. But you could take Amtrak to Boston, I’m sure. So that’s, there you go. There
Darren Remsburg: we go.
Justin Vacula: That’s okay. Do a T connection. Yes, and I, I will be in Boston after the recording of the show.
So a big part of that is meeting with the Purple Princess Perry herself for a podcast episode and video included is the plan. So looking forward to Boston. I. No online gaming in Boston, at least not with Beta MGM, or maybe it’s just [00:35:00] sports. So the rules change from time to time. I find it silly, I suppose.
You can bet on horses, play the lottery. You can drink alcohol, you can buy cigarettes. But online blackjack, no, can’t have that.
Darren Remsburg: It’s a funny world we live in. I’m just thankful that you decided to do the video with, with Princess Perry and not me. I think that’s a much better selection criteria.
Justin Vacula: Moving on my plans, I absolutely plan on getting this card.
There were some ups and downs with my credit score from last month as I’ve maxed out credit limits for some creative plays, so I’m waiting on my scores to rebound. It’s taking a little bit longer than usual. Usually it takes about two weeks, four scores to rebound, but unfortunately. I’m pretty low at the moment, so hopefully the credit bureaus update soon.
The initial 40 K point offer and the metal card is good through a good portion of May, so I’m hoping to apply before then. I’m hoping to apply before. I go to Europe on a cruise. It might be strange if I tried [00:36:00] applying for the card overseas and it gets flagged as a weird application and then I get denied because I was on a princess cruise.
That would be strange, but we’ve definitely seen things like that happen. I log into a bank account on a cruise ship and then I get an alert and the account gets locked, which may or may not be a special road made of flowers. Laurel Road. We both had our problems with them and their suspicions.
Darren Remsburg: Uh,
Justin Vacula: so hopefully I’ll have both MGM cards, the no annual fee and the iconic annual fee card for more be MGM capacity, some benefits that will overtake the annual fee.
I think it’s a great investment if I can pay $249 for so much more capacity for be MGM and the resort credit and what they’re calling the, what is it? The free night credit, the complimentary night credit.
Darren Remsburg: I think it, the resort credit and complimentary night credit are both seems pretty lucrative. I wonder how long the, I wonder.
And one interesting thing would be how [00:37:00] long they’re willing to continue that you’d hope that would be a benefit they would continue in, into, into, per perpetuity. Ooh. Easy for me to say. Lots of Ps
Justin Vacula: there too. Lots of these.
Darren Remsburg: But we’ve seen other, other cards launch with pretty exciting offers. Pretty exciting.
Benefits and then start to ease those back over time, depending on how many arbitrage specialists engage in arbitrage using their cards. So
Justin Vacula: yes, the US Bank Smartly card hasn’t been so intelligent recently that got really downgraded for new applicants. What could go wrong 4% everywhere with, yeah. Come on.
Who would possibly max out credit limits on that? That’s That’s crazy. Yeah. Nobody’s gonna do that.
Darren Remsburg: Nah.
Justin Vacula: So hopefully the iconic remains. Iconic and some nice thing I did mention earlier is the capability of tier matching that it seems like every few months a new casino offer is coming out where? Show your MGM Platinum status and [00:38:00] we’ll give you a $250 birthday dinner, as was recently the offer at Philadelphia Live Casino Vegas casinos like Win Las Vegas.
We’re offering complimentary cruises, complimentary nights. These come and go. So having the MGM Platinum ready to go, or even MGM Gold possibly will be very helpful for potential matches in the future.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah. Fantastic. Justin, is there anyone that you would caution? I know we, again, we’ve already decided that the solution to most problems is more credit cards, but is there someone you would caution about getting this credit card and instead maybe direct them to a different credit card?
Justin Vacula: Yes, it would seem odd for non MGM people to get this card that if you weren’t planning on going to Vegas, Atlantic City or other destinations like MGM National Harbor, or maybe you’d go one time a year, probably not worth it, but if you went at least a handful of times a year, I think you’d get [00:39:00] good value.
If you’re very early on in the credit card journey, perhaps you would start with cards that had more flexible points that weren’t tied to a casino. You might be starting with Chase, as we’ve talked about earlier, getting business cards to keep your personal credit cleaner so you can get more Chase cards.
So indeed not for everyone. And these were some of the Lamentations on X and other places. I wouldn’t be recommending a Virgin Atlantic Airways or airlines card to people if they weren’t planning on flying Virgin. So it seems weird for some to lament this card. Oh, not everybody’s gonna go to MGM. Yes, it’s not going to be a card for everyone, but I think it has a lot of power, especially for us in Pennsylvania and especially for people going to Las Vegas.
Darren Remsburg: Makes sense. Don’t get the, uh, Hilton card if you’re not gonna stay at Hilton’s. Don’t, don’t get the American Airlines card if you’re not gonna, maybe there’s some other things there, but yeah, that’s, I think it general generally [00:40:00] makes sense
Justin Vacula: and for people who were to gamble in person and earn status through in-person gambling.
Perhaps this card isn’t as valuable because a big portion of this card is earning the status through card spend, but if you were to do a combination of the in-person gambling that didn’t get you there, plus the card spend, then that could be very helpful. Hopefully, I can convince listeners to play on bed MGM if they can.
I’ve seen in many groups, oh, I’m not really one for online gambling. Oh, I like playing in person. Instead, I see it as more of a tool that if I can use this card to fund online and get all the. Status plus free player comps from it. Then I’ll do it. I’ll just play through one x, be done with it and just move on.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah. I think we’re oftentimes buying some convenience, right? That like you say, you don’t have to go to the casino to, to start earning tier or reward credits with this card and with online gambling that’s available in our state or Commonwealth more accurately. Yeah, [00:41:00] the Keystone State, Pennsylvania. Yeah.
That’s right. So you’re all in. I’m probably a, maybe on this one I think there’s value, but we were discussing before we started recording about an upcoming probably Aama that I’m gonna be engaging in. I just finished up some signup bonuses on some Amex cards as one does, and looking to see what other opportunities that there are.
Try to diversify my portfolio of cards a little bit and look for some cash back cards is, and the cards that you can earn three, four, 5% cash back on as part of some of the hobbies and games we play are pretty, pretty attractive and fairly lucrative.
Justin Vacula: Yes, for those starting, perhaps the points will be more valuable, but for us, deep in the game, we have lots of points sitting around.
We’re looking to cash out some of those in ways or just use straight cashback. Especially when the multipliers are quite high. Or we can stack things to get around four or 5% versus using a points earning card that’s [00:42:00] a 1.5% everywhere. So always looking to up our game, add to the credit card portfolio, have more options, and in some ways this card does give cash back.
If you were to just straight up, use the free play, play through the funds one time withdrawal, it has worked on video poker. I was just in Las Vegas. I went to the high limit room at Park, MGM, totally non-smoking, and they had premium cocktails. So I sat at a hundred play video poker machine that started at a pretty low denomination.
I believe it was 25 cents. So you can play one hand, five credits for a dollar 25 per hand. If you really wanted to sit there, get the Fiji water, get the better cocktails compared to the main floor and play your free play through. That way.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah. I really like
Justin Vacula: those a
Darren Remsburg: hundred, what do you call ’em? A hundred hand games.
A hundred play games. Yes. A hundred hand, either one. Yeah. And that, I think that helps diversify the risk. It takes out some of the really high highs, [00:43:00] but for the most part, you and I aren’t going there trying to buy a house or buy a car or walk away with thousands of dollars. Mostly what we’re trying to do is.
What’s the, my anomic phrase, get rich slowly type though, or do the minimum to get the
Justin Vacula: maximum,
Darren Remsburg: do the minimum to like my whole life, man. Do the minimum.
Justin Vacula: Yeah. Get rich slow through miles and points, that’s for sure. There you go. Or at least augment our income, right? Yeah. It’s not gonna be like totally miles and points for most listeners, and not even for me, there’s a lot of things I have going on rather than resting all my hopes on one ship.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah,
Justin Vacula: for
Darren Remsburg: sure. And, and again, it’s a lot of, it’s about. Increasing your enjoyment or the opportunity for your enjoyment. Either doing more things or having the resources to travel and business instead of economy, pay up to the bigger suite or getting upgraded to the bigger suite in a hotel with family, stay a little nicer hotel, whatever it might be.
Those are the things that oftentimes we’re looking to do. Take the crews [00:44:00] that you just have to pay the taxes and fees on instead of the whole thing. So lots of
Justin Vacula: opportunities in that regard. Yes, and potentially two cruises coming from this card, which is really powerful. Speaking of cruises, what do you got coming up these days?
Justin? Ooh. First though, I’d like to know from listeners, are you getting the card? If you can comment on Instagram, YouTube X or Facebook, if you have any other thoughts on this, I’d like to hear from you, but for me, yes. Traveling, I’ve built quite the reputation. I’ve shared that through a meme. When people ask you what’s coming next, which travel is coming next, then you know that person’s traveling a lot.
So I have the Emerald Princess Cruise coming up April 29th. I’m going to be going to Boston, April 24th. So I’m staying in Boston two nights and then going on this Emerald Princess Cruise. I’ll be staying two nights in Rome and then headed to this cruise. [00:45:00] So I will not be driving in Boston. U is the quote from Purple Princess Perry.
Once again, follow her on Instagram. If you’re not, I’ll be using the T to get around. I’ll be using Rideshare, a hotel shuttle and then overseas. I look forward to taking some trains to get around Europe as the rideshare situation there is not as good, and this should be a cool experience. So it’ll be a nine night European Explorer cruise.
And then after that, staying in South Hampton, it’s a one-way cruise. It’s Rome to South Hampton on the Emerald Princess. It’s stopping in Florence and Pisa, Italy, France, Los Smar, Tulon, I’m probably botching that pronunciation. Barcelona, Spain, Gibraltar in the uk, Lisbon, Portugal, and ending in South Hampton.
So that’s a comped cruise. I’m paying the taxes, fees, and I purchased a cruise package, which is [00:46:00] rare, but the package with Princess, the Premier package lots, a piece that includes gratuities, meal upgrades, drinks, including specialty coffees, gratuities, wifi, and much more. So looking forward to the Premier Princess package.
All the pops, all the peas. So I’m looking forward to those trips, and later in the year will be Amsterdam and I’ll also be speaking at Zork Fest in December. So December 5th through seventh in Las Vegas. Early bird tickets still available, so lots happening also in Alaska, cruise in July, and many other trips.
I’m sure some Las Vegas in between there. That sounds perfect.
Darren Remsburg: All the peas, all the peas. That sounds excellent. I look forward to hearing and following along and on all the social media, and I hope you have a great trip. Another good Zor Fest trips for me. [00:47:00] Upcoming. Yeah, a couple. Let’s see, so our family trip this year is to Greece.
We’ll be flying over there in July, and then my wife and I have a 20th anniversary trip down the Bon Air. We’re gonna be doing some scuba diving, something we used to enjoy quite a bit prior to the kids and so we’ll, we’ll spend a week doing a fair bit of diving down there and enjoying our 20 years of matrimonial bliss, so it should be a good time.
Those are the two next coming up and a couple other work trips, I think from myself and my wife, but not as exciting on those.
Justin Vacula: Alright. Any other thoughts on MGM or the iconic MasterCard? I just wish Mavis, were still around
Darren Remsburg: Justin, so you’ll get her $500 gift cards. That’s Oh
Justin Vacula: yes, that was the old play that died.
Imagine six x buying a $500 gift card every day, converting it to video poker, free play, and cashing out. That would be some really quick status [00:48:00] earning.
Darren Remsburg: Yeah, that would be fantastic. Shoot, we don’t even know. Maybe you could go. Load that onto a, ah, there’s just so many opportunities.
Justin Vacula: Dead deals. We won the Dead deals.
Yeah. Dead deals. Yeah. No more happy moments. We used to buy those, those happy moments. Gift cards. Yeah. So the war on happiness continues, but we’re trying to fight back. That’s right. Still fighting
Darren Remsburg: back. No nothing else. And always enjoy the opportunity to talk with you. Always learn something along the way and hope our listeners enjoy our conversation.
Justin Vacula: All right. Very good. And we look forward to hearing people in the comments on social media, Instagram, YouTube, X. Or Facebook. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for future episodes, some closing announcements. Ticket sales for Zork Fest 2025 A Miles Points in gambling event are live@zorkfest.travel zork.com.
I hope to see you at Zork Fest 2025 and Las Vegas December 5th through December 7th. I’m also looking forward to other events in 2025 and had a successful [00:49:00] 2024. Speaking at events with Award Travel 1 0 1 Travel Resort, frequent Traveler University, and both Chicago Seminars events. If you’re an event organizer and would like to have me speak in 2025, please contact me.
Visit meetup.com/philly miles and points to RSVP for monthly greater Philadelphia travel credit miles and points meetups I host in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Find a link in the show notes. For more content between podcast episodes, follow Hery gerdy Travel podcast on Facebook and x follow Justin ULA on Instagram.
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