Melco Club, the loyalty programme at Macau, now earns points at half the previous rate for baccarat players. The refresh took effect Thursday across City of Dreams and Studio City. Slots now earn one Tier Point per HK$400, down from HK$800.
Melco Club loyalty programme was refreshed at Melco Resorts’ Macau properties from Thursday, with onsite checks confirming the new tiers and earning rates. Baccarat play now earns one Tier Point per HK$2,000, down from HK$4,000. Slots earn one point per HK$400, down from HK$800. The Melco Club app was also updated, and redemption thresholds for equivalent rewards could not be confirmed.
- Melco Club Loyalty Earns Points at Half the Old Rate
- Melco Club Tier Structure Stays Intact
- Management Cites Macau Softness as the Refresh Lands
Melco Club, the loyalty programme at Macau, now earns points at half the previous rate for baccarat players. The refresh took effect Thursday across Melco Resorts’ City of Dreams Macau, the firm’s wholly-owned property, and Studio City, which Melco majority-owns. Both sit in Cotai.
Onsite checks at the two venues found the new earning rates in place. In-app messaging carried the line “Accelerated Earning: Level up your play with lightning-fast points earning.” Baccarat play now generates one Tier Point per HK$2,000, or US$255. Slots now generate one point per HK$400. Chinese-language marketing materials used the slogan “Earn points easier, upgrade faster” in relation to tier progression.
Melco Club Loyalty Earns Points at Half the Old Rate
The change is substantial for players who previously banked on the old thresholds. GGRAsia’s Thursday onsite checks confirmed that the baccarat threshold had been HK$4,000 a Tier Point. Slots had been HK$800 a point. The new figures cut both in half, and the marketing messaging describes the change as accelerated earning.
The Melco Club app was updated as part of the overhaul, so the new tiers and rates should be visible to holders immediately. GGRAsia could not determine whether point redemption thresholds for equivalent rewards changed under the updated programme. That gap matters: the headline story is about earning faster, while the value of the points collected is a separate number.
Management had already signalled the launch before it happened. On Wednesday’s third-quarter earnings call, Melco Resorts president Evan Winkler mentioned a “new player’s club” due to ship Thursday. GGRAsia approached the company for more detail following the launch. The firm had not responded at the time of publication.
Melco Club Tier Structure Stays Intact, Signature Club Above It
The refresh did not disturb the tier architecture. Melco Club retains its three ascending tiers: Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Above it sits Signature Club, which keeps its own three tiers in ascending order of status: Ruby, Dragon and Emperor. The top two tiers of Signature Club are said to offer member privileges on an invitation-only basis.
Each club offers three tiers, with different levels of gaming and non-gaming rewards attached. The refresh therefore changed the earning rate within an existing framework rather than replacing the framework. For players working toward Diamond, the arithmetic changes immediately, since the HK$4,000-to-one baccarat rate no longer applies.
Management Cites Macau Softness as the Refresh Lands
Melco Resorts described Macau demand as soft on Wednesday’s earnings call, with Winkler noting weakness among top players as well as the wider floor. He pointed to the strong competition between the city’s six gaming concessionaires. That framing sits alongside the faster earning rates, which suggests a deliberate push to keep players engaged in a contested market.
Seaport Research Partners’ analyst Vitaly Umansky added a different note. On his calculations, player reinvestment in Macau was higher in the quarter. He observed that “buying business” remains a strategy across the Macau gaming market, and said Melco management described itself as the “leader in rationality.” Umansky did not expect promotional activity to expand from current levels, but warned there was no expectation that player reinvestment would be reined in across the market.
AGBrief has tracked Melco Resorts’ Macau operations for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Melco Club?
Melco Club is the loyalty programme at Melco Resorts’ Macau properties. It has three tiers: Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Signature Club sits above it with Ruby, Dragon and Emperor tiers, where the top two are invitation-only.
What earning rate applies now?
Baccarat play now earns one Tier Point per HK$2,000, down from HK$4,000. Slots earn one point per HK$400, down from HK$800. The new rates took effect Thursday at City of Dreams and Studio City. The Melco Club app was also updated.
Did point redemption thresholds change?
GGRAsia could not determine whether redemption thresholds for equivalent rewards changed under the updated programme. The confirmed change was in earning rates, with baccarat and slot points earned at half the previous value per unit of play.
Which venues does Melco Club cover?
Melco Club operates at City of Dreams Macau, which Melco Resorts wholly owns, and Studio City, which Melco majority-owns. Both properties are in the Cotai district. Onsite checks at the two venues confirmed the refreshed rates in force.
Why is Melco refreshing the loyalty programme?
Melco Resorts president Evan Winkler cited market-wide softness in Macau demand, not only among top players, and the intense competition among the city’s six concessionaires. The faster earning rates appear designed to keep players active despite that pressure. Management had called the refresh a “new player’s club” ahead of its launch.
How do analysts view the refresh?
Vitaly Umansky of Seaport Research Partners calculated that player reinvestment in Macau was higher in the quarter. He said “buying business” remains a strategy across the Macau gaming market, and that management called Melco the “leader in rationality.” Umansky did not expect promotional activity to expand from current levels.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
