In the Status Match Merry Go Round™, I often talk about what we call “onward matches.” It’s a reason to grab an available status match (if it’s not a once per lifetime match) in case you wind up being able to match that card to something else that your other cards wouldn’t get you.
Example: In the recent ITA Airways status match, I was able to nab top tier Executive level status through 2025 via my Delta Platinum status. If you recall the match (or click the link 😉 ) you’d see Delta wasn’t even on the list! But British Airways had a match earlier in the year and gave be BA Gold for my Delta Platinum. Lo and behold, that BA Gold worked to get me the ITA Executive.
In the casino world, the actual Merry Go Round itself relies on constant onward matches – i.e. Caesars to Hard Rock to Ocean. Hard Rock is the card you need for the “onward match” to Ocean, since Caesars Diamond itself won’t get you Prime at Ocean (while Hard Rock Icon will). And during the April/May Las Vegas Merry Go Round, onward matches were instrumental in taking the best advantage of the Fontainebleau and Wynn offers.
At the Chicago Seminars a few weeks ago, I figured I would check out the nearby Rivers casino (it’s right by O’Hare airport) and see what was on offer for a match. They’d only started matching recently (and only for brand new members) and had a very interesting set of casinos they would match from. Very different from what they match in Philly (when they are matching), BTW.
I tried my MGM card. Nope! Wynn? Nope! Hard Rock? Nope!
Finally they ask if I have Ballys. (I later discovered there is a brand new Ballys casino right smack in downtown Chicago – whoa!). Clearly that is why they are on the list.
And guess what? Ballys Superstar gets top tier Black!
Where oh where have I seen Ballys Superstar before? On the Atlantic City version of the Status Match Merry Go Round, of course, as the “optional” match.
The crazy thing was that I had every card with me – except Ballys! But I was able to login on my phone and they accepted that.
So I have top tier Rivers status through Dec 31.
Now what does that get you if you aren’t local?
Honestly not too much 😉 Maybe this match was more for the love of the game than anything. If you live in the area, though, you get unlimited access to their sit down dining room for 3 course meals (I can see some people really getting some use out of that!) as well as the usual perks like earning comps faster, free parking etc.
The brochure does call out an Atlantis stay in the Royal – but they flagged to me that both that and the cruise required the tier credits and wouldn’t be available to me. Not to mention the status ends rather quickly as they run on 6 month cycles. (Note that another Rivers had indicated to me that if you match, that qualifies you through the NEXT 6 month cycle).
I’m really not sure if one or the other is true or if it varies by casino since the Rivers casinos do NOT share one loyalty program. I mean, they do have the same PROGRAM, but a card a one casino is only valid at that casino.
My real hope is that Philly’s Live! reopens matches (since the Jade tier there comes with a Baha Mar stay and Rivers Black would surely do the trick) but I won’t hold my breath.
We also know know (thanks to Angela in the MilesTalk Facebook group confirming) that Ballys Chicago will match your Hard Rock Icon card.
We still need a datapoint on matching Caesars Diamond at Ballys Chicago.
If you live in Chicago, you know what to do….
Thoughts?
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