4 Platforms Building the New VIP Economy for Consumers

There was a time when being a “VIP customer” mostly meant collecting points faster than everyone else.

That definition is changing quickly. 42% of consumers see personalized rewards as a sign of a more mature loyalty program, and two-thirds say loyalty programs have become part of their everyday lives. The message for brands is clear: people still like discounts, but they now expect loyalty to be personal. 

Across gaming, entertainment and premium consumer services, the best loyalty programs are not cheap rewards schemes but more like a membership to a heightened version of a product. The perks are more personal: someone to call, somewhere exclusive to go, experiences that cannot simply be bought from a rewards catalogue.

Here are four platforms showing where the VIP economy is heading:

1. American Express Platinum — The Blueprint for Selling Access

American Express provides a useful blueprint for where premium loyalty is going.

Platinum Card membership stretches well beyond earning points. Cardholders can access more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries, alongside hotel benefits and dining perks including access to exclusive tables and events through Resy.

Airport lounges, hard-to-get restaurant bookings and premium hotel treatment are all variations of the same thing: access. A customer is paying to have certain parts of everyday life made easier, more comfortable or more exclusive. VIP has clearly moved well beyond financial services.

2. 1win — Building a VIP Brand Around the “High-Lifer”

The model is also moving into crypto entertainment and gaming platforms.

1win, which serves more than 30 million registered players across 100+ countries, has built a 20-level VIP structure divided across six groups. At the lower levels, users still get the familiar rewards associated with gaming loyalty, including weekly cashback.

Top-tier users can gain access to dedicated personal managers, 24/7 assistance, concierge services, closed tournaments, private travel and events. 1win is making the relationship itself more personal.

Private travel, invitations to closed events or having a personal manager who understands a customer’s preferences is a new level of VIP treatment. The program places the platform closer to a membership brand.

VIPs want somebody available when they need help. Moreover, they want the benefits of being a valuable customer to extend beyond the screen.

That is what makes 1win’s travel, concierge and personal-manager model interesting. For players, the attraction of moving up the VIP ladder is not only what comes back financially. It is what becomes accessible once they get there.

3. MGM Rewards — Blurring the Line Between Gaming and Lifestyle

MGM has an obvious advantage in the VIP economy because gaming is only one piece of what it sells.

A customer can gamble at an MGM casino, stay in an MGM hotel, eat at its restaurants and spend the evening at a show without really leaving the same ecosystem. MGM Rewards connects those experiences through a tiered program where members earn across play, stays and dining, with higher levels unlocking additional access-oriented benefits and dedicated reservation channels.

For the biggest customers, the product is the entire trip. The casino floor might bring someone in, but the hotel suite, restaurant booking, entertainment and personalized treatment are what turn that visit into a lifestyle experience.

4. DraftKings — VIP Treatment Beyond Bonus Bets

DraftKings’ loyalty system shows how online gaming is moving in the direction of access.

Its newly revamped DraftKings Rewards program spans participating DraftKings products as well as Golden Nugget Online Casino and Jackpocket, allowing activity across different parts of the ecosystem to contribute toward the same status.

The tiers run from Bronze through Silver, Gold and Diamond, with Onyx sitting at the top as an invite-only level. The rewards get more interesting as users move upward. Diamond members can gain access to VIP hosting, Elite Rewards gifts and experiences, and exclusive live experiences alongside the more conventional rewards and earning multipliers.

VIP hosting and real-world experiences create a relationship that is much harder to replace. It is the casino host model translated into an online platform: the best customers increasingly expect to be recognized as people, rather than simply accounts with larger balances.

The New VIP Perk Is Being Treated Like a VIP

Gaming loyalty is starting to borrow from the industries around it.

American Express sells access. DraftKings offers hosts and exclusive experiences. MGM combines gaming with hospitality and entertainment. 1win is bringing personal managers, concierge service and travel into entertainment.

At the top end of the market, loyalty comes down to something more human: recognize me, make things easier for me, and give me access I cannot get everywhere else. That is the new VIP economy.