Using your players club card points for food or merchandise
The casino players card points you earn playing the games can be also be used for food or merchandise in the casino's restaraunts or gift shops. These points usually cannot be used for alcoholic beverages at the bar, though. There is no minimum amount of points needed to use your points for food or merchandise at most casinos. At most casinos you can also get a discount in the restaurants or buffets with a player's club card (usually a 10% discount).

More benefits of having a casino players club card
Many casinos will often send coupon mailers or emails to their player's club card members with offers for discounts on resort rooms, free food, or even free money. A typical coupon mailer will give you $10-$20 free money for each week of the month. I personally regularly receive monthly coupon mailers from the two Washington State casinos I frequent the most, plus one from a Las Vegas casino/hotel where I signed up for a players card. The coupon mailers I receive give me free money (in the form of points to use on the slot machines), coupons for free food, and sometimes even free or half price rooms at the resort hotels. Getting these coupons makes it worth signing up for a casino player's card even if you do not use the card while playing in the casino. Of course, the more you wager while using your club card, the more generous these coupons you receive will be. Most casinos will also will give you free "birthday" money and free "anniversary" money each year if you have a players card.

Does using your club card bring bad luck on the games?
There is a common thought among gamblers (who by nature are a superstitious lot), that using your casino rewards card while playing slot machines may bring you bad luck, or reduce the chances of winning. The idea is that since the casino does track your wagering (including the amount you wager and the amount you win or lose) when you have your card inserted in the slot games, they could conceivably have the games rigged to keep you from winning too much while using your club card! Of course, this would be highly illegal, but there have been times when I have found that I do better on the machines without my club card inserted. Usually I always play with my club card to earn the points, but in such instances when I am having no luck at all, I will sometimes try playing without my club card and see if I have better luck. Often times, I will. This of course is all subjective, but it may be worth experimenting with.

The truth about "playing for points"
I have heard some gamblers say that while they usually lose at the slot machine games, they are "playing for points" or "playing for comps" -- meaning that even though they are losing money on the games themselves, they are paying more attention to the points they are earning on their player's card. The truth is, one should never play for points or comps as it is usually a losing proposition! For instance, if you are ahead one hundred dollars and feel like it's time to leave, you may decide to keep playing if your points are close to the 2000 minimum to cash out. However, if you do keep playing just to achieve the needed points, you may lose more than you gain! After all, the most generous club cards only give you one penny per dollar wagered, so if you lose $50 just to get that $20 in points you are playing to lose. I've found that it's best to ignore how many points you have accumulated. If you find yourself ahead $100 and feel like leaving, you should leave and save your club card points for your next visit! That is the winning strategy.