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MGM Rewards is the loyalty program for MGM Resorts. By signing up, you can earn points and unlock perks at MGM’s hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, across the United States, and in Macau. For Canadians, the most interesting part is the partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, which opens up a clear path to book MGM properties with points earned in Canada.
Fans of Las Vegas will recognize iconic MGM properties like the Bellagio, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, and New York-New York. Whether you visit MGM regularly or you are planning your first trip, the MGM Rewards program adds real value to a stay that is already going to be memorable.
In this article, you will find everything you need to know about MGM Rewards: how to earn and redeem points, how Tier Credits work, the five elite tiers, the new Rollover Tier Credits feature, the Milestone Rewards, and how the Marriott Bonvoy partnership lets Canadians get the most out of the program.
To start earning MGM Rewards points and perks, you need to sign up for a free membership on the MGM Rewards website. As soon as you are enrolled, you can earn rewards and enjoy benefits at participating hotels and casinos.
The program is layered, but the basics are simple. On most non-gaming spending, members earn 1 MGM Rewards Point and 4 Tier Credits per $1 USD spent at eligible MGM properties. Gaming earns a different rate (more on that below).
Points are redeemed against your hotel folio (i.e. your room charges) for expenses like nightly rate, eligible dining, live shows, and more. Tier Credits are used to calculate your MGM Rewards elite status, which unlocks added benefits as you climb the tiers.
MGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits can be earned in the following ways:
At participating MGM properties in the United States and Macau, MGM Rewards members earn 1 MGM Rewards Point and 4 Tier Credits for every $1 USD they spend on eligible expenses.
To earn MGM Rewards points and Tier Credits, add your MGM Rewards account number to your hotel reservation when you book directly with MGM. Once your account is linked to your room reservation, you earn on eligible charges such as your nightly room rate, resort fee, and add-ons like early check-in or late check-out. You also earn on eligible food and beverage charges at MGM-owned restaurants, bars, lounges, and nightclubs.
Two important booking rules to keep in mind :
Finally, you also earn MGM Rewards Points on eligible shows, attractions, spa and salon services, retail purchases, cabana rentals, wedding expenses, and business centre services. Make sure all eligible purchases are charged to your MGM room so they appear on your hotel folio with your MGM Rewards account number attached.
Members who are not staying at an MGM property can still earn points on a number of expenses incurred while visiting. You can earn the standard 1 MGM Rewards Point and 4 Tier Credits per $1 USD spent on eligible dining, shows, and attractions just by showing your card at the box office or establishment.
You can also earn Tier Credits (but not points) on eligible spa and salon services, business centre services, and wedding services at MGM properties, even when you are not staying in the hotel.
MGM Resort guests can earn points on ticket purchases for eligible shows and attractions when those charges are added to their room. Members not staying at an MGM property can still earn points and Tier Credits by showing their MGM Rewards card at the box office.
Eligible events include shows like Blue Man Group and “O” by Cirque du Soleil, as well as attractions like the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur and the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay.
You can earn MGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits when you play slots, video lottery terminals, electronic table games, and table games at participating MGM Rewards properties.
The earning rates on gaming are not the standard 1 point and 4 Tier Credits per dollar. Instead, the number of points and Tier Credits depends on your wager, game type, and game denomination. For slots and machine play, you simply swipe your MGM Rewards membership card at each machine.
If you play table games, present your member card to the pit boss when you sit down. They will keep track of your play to calculate the points and Tier Credits you earn, based on your time played, average bet, and game type.
Additionally, when you play slot machines, video poker machines, and video lottery terminals, you also earn Slot Dollars based on your wager, game type, and game denomination. Slot Dollars can be redeemed for Freeplay credits at participating MGM Rewards destinations.
As you can see, the earning rates on gaming are not particularly transparent. They are essentially calculated on the theoretical loss of the bet (the amount the house statistically expects to keep). If you have specific questions about gaming earning rates, ask at any MGM Rewards desk on property.
The MGM and Marriott Bonvoy partnership is the most relevant earning route for Canadians. There are three main angles to it: point transfers, MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy bookings, and elite status matching.
You can transfer points in either direction between MGM Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. The transfer ratio is 10:8 in both ways, which means:
The minimum transfer is 1,000 points per transaction, and the maximum is 30,000 points per calendar year. This bidirectional transfer is what makes MGM Rewards accessible to Canadians, who can build up Marriott Bonvoy points (or transfer in American Express Membership Rewards points) and then move them to MGM Rewards.
Keep in mind that you lose 20% of your balance with every transfer in either direction. A round-trip transfer of 1,000 points would leave you with just 640 points (1,000 → 800 → 640). For Canadians, this generally means transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to MGM Rewards only when you have a confirmed Vegas trip booked and you need points to cover room charges, dining, or shows. The reverse transfer (MGM to Marriott) rarely makes sense unless you’re topping off a Bonvoy balance for a high-value award stay.
MGM properties are bookable through Marriott Bonvoy under the brand “MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy”. This means you can use your Marriott Bonvoy points to book free or discounted nights at iconic MGM hotels like the Luxor Hotel & Casino, Park MGM, Vdara, Excalibur, New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Bellagio, ARIA, and more. See our complete guide to MGM hotels with Marriott Bonvoy.
To earn Marriott Bonvoy points on your stay (instead of MGM Rewards points), simply book through Marriott rather than directly with MGM. Once again, you cannot earn both at the same time on the same booking.
The partnership also provides one-way elite status tier matching from MGM Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy. In March 2025, the matching was expanded so that Pearl and Gold members are now eligible (previously only Platinum and NOIR qualified). The current matching grid is as follows:
Note that the match is one-way: Marriott Bonvoy members cannot match their status to MGM Rewards. To activate the match, link your accounts through the MGM Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy website.
MGM Rewards members who sail with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises can earn MGM Rewards Points, Tier Credits, and Slot Dollars on casino play the same way they do at Las Vegas properties.
Onboard slots and video poker earn points, Tier Credits, and Slot Dollars. Table games earn points and Tier Credits.
To earn while on an eligible cruise, add your member number at the time of booking and use your SeaPass card when you play in the casino onboard. Any play that is not tracked by your SeaPass card will not be eligible for rewards.
Fans of online betting can earn Tier Credits and BetMGM Rewards Points (which are different from MGM Rewards Points) through eligible gaming spend on the BetMGM online platform.
BetMGM Rewards Points can be transferred to MGM Rewards Points through the BetMGM Rewards store, or redeemed for bonuses, odds boost tokens, and exclusive promotions. Note that BetMGM operates in specific US states and is not available everywhere; check the BetMGM website for jurisdictional details.
MGM Rewards offers two co-branded cards:
Both cards are issued in the United States only by First National Bank of Omaha, so Canadians cannot apply. However, holding either card is one of the main ways US residents earn elite status and prevent their MGM Rewards points from expiring.
A few key rules to keep in mind as you earn and redeem MGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits:
Redeeming your MGM Rewards points is quite easy. To redeem, visit the MGM Rewards desk at the property where you are staying and ask for a redemption.
You can redeem points to cover eligible expenses charged to your room (i.e. anything that appears on your hotel folio). Each MGM Rewards point is worth 1 cent USD when redeemed this way.
There are also occasional opportunities to redeem points for Slot Dollars, VIP events, show tickets, and more through limited-time promotions. Check with the Rewards Desk when you arrive at the property, or contact them ahead of your trip to see what is available.
Thanks to the partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, you can also transfer MGM Rewards Points to Marriott Bonvoy at a rate of 10:8 (1,000 minimum, 30,000 maximum per year). For Canadians, the more interesting redemption path usually runs the other way: transfer Marriott Bonvoy points into MGM Rewards to pay for room charges, dining, or shows on your Vegas stay.
One of the most common questions Canadian travellers ask is whether to book an MGM property directly with MGM, or through Marriott Bonvoy. The answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
For Canadians who do not have MGM elite status and who do not gamble much, booking through Marriott Bonvoy is usually the smarter play. You earn Marriott Bonvoy points and Marriott elite night credits toward Bonvoy status, both of which are easy to use later. If you do have MGM Gold status or higher (waived resort fees alone can save $50 per night at the Bellagio), the math may favour booking direct.
One of the best value plays for Canadians is using Marriott Bonvoy annual free night certificates (35,000 or 50,000 points value) at MGM properties. Several MGM hotels regularly price below the certificate value on weeknights, making for an excellent redemption:
Free night certificates come with several Canadian Marriott Bonvoy credit cards each year. Check the current offers in our Marriott Bonvoy guide.
You can earn and redeem MGM Rewards points at the following properties in the United States (including Las Vegas) and Macau.
Las Vegas:
Regional United States:
Macau:
The MGM Rewards program has 5 elite status tiers based on the number of Tier Credits you have earned in a calendar year. Each tier comes with an increasing range of benefits.
The 5 MGM Rewards elite tiers and the Tier Credits required to reach each level:
As a reminder, you earn 4 Tier Credits for every $1 USD spent on eligible non-gaming expenses at participating MGM properties. Gaming Tier Credits are based on theoretical loss and vary by game type.
MGM Rewards introduced Rollover Tier Credits as a way to accelerate status climb across years. You can carry over up to 25,000 Tier Credits into the next earning year by hitting two milestones:
Rollover Tier Credits launched as a 2025-to-2026 feature, and MGM has indicated it is evaluating whether to extend it as a permanent program benefit. Check the current promotion at the start of each year.
MGM Rewards now offers Milestone Rewards that unlock additional perks between tier achievements. Examples of milestone perks include:
Each of the 5 MGM Rewards elite status tiers comes with a wide range of benefits. The full list is on the MGM Rewards Tier Benefits page, but here is a quick overview of the featured perks at each level:
All Sapphire benefits, plus:
This is where things get interesting. All Pearl benefits, plus:
All Gold benefits, plus:
The invitation-only top tier. All Platinum benefits, plus:
Across all elite tiers, MGM Rewards members also enjoy a dedicated reservation line, exclusive member-only offers and discounts at MGM properties and with travel partners, an annual birthday gift, and more. The MGM Rewards Tier Benefits page has the full list.
Since the two MGM Rewards co-branded credit cards are only available to US residents, Canadian travellers should bring a Canadian card optimized for US spending. Three cards stand out depending on your priority: building Marriott Bonvoy points (which transfer to MGM Rewards), avoiding foreign exchange fees, or stacking insurance coverage and travel credits.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the most direct way for Canadians to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, which can then be transferred to MGM Rewards or used to book MGM Collection properties directly. The card also comes with an annual free night certificate (worth up to 35,000 points), which makes it a strong fit for Canadians who plan to stay at properties like the Luxor, Excalibur, or Park MGM. American Express Membership Rewards points also transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at a 5:6 ratio, giving you a second route to build up your Bonvoy balance.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ waives the standard 2.5% foreign transaction fee on every USD purchase. On a $1,500 USD Vegas trip, that alone saves you $37.50, which more than offsets the annual fee on most reasonable stays. The card also earns Scene+ points, which can be redeemed against travel purchases.
The National Bank World Elite Mastercard charges the standard 2.5% foreign transaction fee, but offers a $150 annual travel credit and comprehensive travel insurance (including trip cancellation and interruption coverage). It is the card to bring if you are concerned about insurance more than foreign exchange fees. It is also the card we have ranked as the Best Travel Credit Card in Canada for several years running.
The bottom line: if your Vegas trip is mostly USD spending, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite usually wins on raw savings. If you are travelling with companions or want better insurance coverage, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard makes more sense.
MGM Rewards is a layered program, but for Canadian travellers, the most useful angle is also the simplest: the Marriott Bonvoy partnership. You can build up Bonvoy points in Canada (through co-branded cards or American Express Membership Rewards transfers), use them to book MGM Collection properties like the Luxor, Park MGM, or Vdara, and still link your MGM Rewards account at check-in to earn Tier Credits on your dining, shows, and incidentals.
Whether you visit MGM properties regularly or just once, signing up for MGM Rewards is free and worth the few minutes it takes. The benefits, discounts, and added flexibility on your stay quickly pay for themselves, especially when paired with a Canadian credit card optimized for USD spending.
Savings this way:
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