If you stay at MGM resorts a few times a year, a higher welcome offer on MGM’s premium credit card is worth a look. The MGM Rewards Iconic World Elite Mastercard, issued by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), is again offering up to 45,000 bonus points to new cardholders. The offer runs through January 5, 2027. Several outlets reported it in October, and TravelZork described it as up from a recent 30,000-point offer.
How the bonus works
The bonus is paid in two parts:
- 30,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three billing cycles.
- 15,000 more points once your total spending reaches $7,500 within the first six billing cycles.
Doctor of Credit and TravelZork both value the full bonus at about $450, or about 1 cent per point. What you actually get depends on how you redeem.
Key card details (as of October 2026)
| Annual fee | $249 |
| Earning | 6x points at MGM Rewards destinations; 2x at hotels, dining, gas stations and grocery stores; 1x on other purchases |
| Resort credit | $200 when you open the account and every year on your anniversary |
| Status | Complimentary MGM Rewards Pearl status |
| $25,000 annual spend | A complimentary night (up to a $250 value) plus 10,000 bonus Tier Credits each year |
| Travel credit | Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit every four years |
Outlets describe some of these perks a little differently, so check the terms on FNBO’s application page before you apply.
What about the no-annual-fee card?
TravelZork reports that the no-annual-fee MGM Rewards Mastercard is also showing a higher-than-usual 20,000-point offer. We couldn’t confirm that number from a second source, so check the application page yourself. TravelZork also says the two MGM cards share a one-year waiting period between welcome bonuses, so opening both close together could cost you one of them. We haven’t seen that rule in published terms, so treat it as reported, not confirmed.
Who should consider it
- Regular MGM visitors: If you stay at MGM properties at least once a year, the $200 resort credit covers most of the $249 fee, and the bonus is extra.
- Status seekers near the line: Card spending earns Tier Credits. TravelZork suggests applying in early December if you’d rather have the spending count toward 2027 status, or now if you’re close to a tier for 2026. Confirm with MGM how card Tier Credits post before you plan around this.
- Everyone else: If you rarely go to Las Vegas or other MGM destinations, a general travel card will probably give you more flexible value.
One rule above all: only go for the $7,500 spend if you can meet it with purchases you’d make anyway, and pay the card off in full. A welcome bonus is never worth paying interest or spending more than you planned, and that includes gambling.
Our take
For the right traveler, this is a solid offer. Between the bonus and the first-year resort credit, a new cardholder can get well over the $249 fee back in year one, as long as they actually stay at MGM resorts.
The downsides are real, though. MGM Rewards points are most useful at MGM properties, so they’re far less flexible than bank points you can move to many airline and hotel programs. Doctor of Credit says the resort credit and free night are “somewhat difficult to use,” so read the fine print on how and where they apply. The $25,000 spend needed for the free night and bonus Tier Credits is a lot to put on a co-branded card. And after year one, the card is worth keeping only if you’ll use the $200 credit every year.
If MGM is already your go-to for Las Vegas trips, apply before January 5, 2027, when the higher offer is scheduled to end. If not, skip it.
Related on Points Capital: Las Vegas Airport Lounges: Where to Wait at Harry Reid (LAS) With Points and Cards and Cheapest Gas Near Las Vegas Airport (LAS) Before Returning a Rental.
Sources: Upgraded Points; Doctor of Credit; TravelZork.
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