The already valuable MGM Rewards program added even more benefits, most notably including a complimentary five-night Oceanview room cruise with MGM Gold status with $75 in freeplay and a complimentary seven-night balcony room cruise with $100 in freeplay (up from a shorter duration, an Oceanview room, and $0 freeplay). See their recent press release for more information.
In addition to cruise benefits, those who earn MGM Gold status will start the next earning year with a bonus of 7,500 Tier Credits, and those who earn MGM Platinum status will start the next earning year with a bonus of 17,500 Tier Credits. America still loves math.
It’s nice to see an excellent rewards program improve rather than devaluing benefits or claiming upgrades are coming but instead devaluing or making benefits more difficult to use. I’ve earned MGM Platinum status for several years thanks to great tier-earning potential with the MGM Rewards Mastercard, especially since I use the credit card to fund BetMGM in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Recent Insights
A few weeks ago, I was happy with my Celebrity cruise experience. Now, I am looking forward to an even better MGM Platinum status cruise experience with a longer duration and bonus freeplay in 2026. Those who will only gain MGM Gold status or weren’t focusing much on the MGM Rewards program may now consider earning Gold status, especially using the MGM Mastercard to earn Tier Credits for a bonus cruise.
It’s especially rare for a credit card, especially a no-annual-fee credit card, to give a complimentary cruise without the need of transferring points, so with these new enhancements to MGM Rewards, the value of the MGM Mastercard significantly increases.
War on Happiness
The casino status matching game has also gotten more difficult (war on happiness) due to Wyndham Rewards, Caesars Rewards, and other programs making casino statuses harder to attain through matching, so the MGM Mastercard is a surefire way to earn MGM Rewards statuses without changes taking away statuses.
In the press release, MGM also announced “a new credit card coming in the near future” that “will unlock an enhanced level of rewards and travel perks and allow members to earn points and Tier Credits faster than ever before.”
Something New
A new credit card indeed would add more value for MGM Rewards fans, and MGM Rewards members may be able to have the existing MGM Mastercard and the “new credit card” for even more tier earning.
It’s an excellent day for MGM Rewards, and it will likely improve in months to come. Kudos to MGM Rewards for positive announcements and great benefits for loyal customers.
As always, gamble and use credit intelligently and responsibly.
Learn more about how to gain MGM statuses in 2025 by listening to a recent Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast episode with my co-host Darren Remsburg.
