Gambling Comps Guide

One of the nice things about gambling in a casino is that the casino does its best to make you comfortable. The main thing that you’ll find out when you go to a casino is that there is something very important referred to as “gambling comps”. Comps is short for complementary, and in a casino, the term refers to all sorts of freebies. For gamblers who don’t wager much, comps may be a pen or a baseball cap.  For high rollers, your comps may include free rooms, a limousine, free spa treatments, tickets to shows, and free meals. Almost all casinos give free drinks to every gambler while they are playing any game on the casino floor. While most casinos offer certain things such as a casino rate for the hotel, free drinks, and free food, each casino has a different comps program, and other comps may vary significantly.

Are intended to produce customer loyalty. In any area, casinos are generally fairly similar in terms of which games they offer and the chances of winning, so casinos know that many people will move from casino to casino. In order to prevent this, they offer comps which increase significantly as you gamble more at that particular casino. There are certain things you should know if you want to take advantage of the best possible comps deals.

The first thing you’ll need to know about is the casino host. The casino host is the person whose job it is to develop a relationship with you – the casino patron. The casino host determines what comps you get. There are general guidelines depending on your level of wagering and how long you’ve been coming to the casino, but the host can bend the rules and give you extras.

The casino host’s job is to be friendly. They will always try to make you feel good. If they can’t offer you the comp you want, they can give you something else or tell you what you’ll need to do in order to be able to get that comp. Their job is to please players, but there is obviously a limit as to what they can give. For example, if you’ve wagered $100, they are not allowed to give you the comps they’d give someone who wagered $5000, but they may be able to give you the comps that are recommended for players who wager $150 or $200.

To establish a great relationship with the casino host, you should call the host on the phone before arriving at the casino or you should ask to speak to the host at the casino when you arrive there. It’s good to speak to the host at a new casino before you make your reservation. Explain to the host that you’re a new player at their casino and you want to know about the casino rate, and you would like to know what comps you qualify for. Casino rate is a very common comp. Because casinos know that people who stay in their hotel are more likely to gamble in their casino, almost any casino will give you a cheaper rate in their hotel if you plan to gamble there. The casino rate is often 25% off, and can even be as low as half-price.

Explain which games you like to play and what your general betting rates are. The casino host may be able to get you the casino rate which will save you a lot on the hotel costs. Be sure to ask the host’s name and tell him that you are looking forward to meeting him or her when you get there.

To be sure you get the casino rate in later visits, be sure to call the number on the back of the slots card, when you make reservations. The reservations counter at the casino should be able to use your personal club card number to evaluate how much you played during your previous stay, and they should be able to get you a better hotel rate based on that.

When you’re playing at a casino, you need to be sure that your bets are being rated. The first thing you’ll need to do is to register for the player’s club. When you play slots and other machines, you’ll be able to put your card into the machine, and it will automatically add your points. We’ll talk more about the club card later. When you approach a table game, be sure to ask the dealer how your club card works for their game. Make sure that they know that you you’re your play to be rated. Generally the pit boss will rate your play. When you speak to the pit boss, you can ask to be introduced to the casino host.

When you’re talking to the casino host, introduce yourself, be friendly, and ask him whether you qualify for something. Don’t insist, because it can put the host in an awkward situation if he can’t give you that comp with your level of play. Frequently hosts can offer you a free meal. It’s best to ask for a free meal after you’ve been on the casino floor and gambling for a while. It’s a good idea to meet the host and be friendly at least once before you ask the casino host for any casino comps. It’s a good idea to ask for the host’s business card to make personal contact for future visits.

When you’re ready to leave a hotel casino, be sure you contact the host before you check out. If you haven’t talked to the host before, you should call the hotel desk and ask to be connected with a host. Often players don’t call because they think they don’t qualify for any rate reduction. It’s surprising how little you have to bet to get a room comp. For example, playing table games for just four hours a day can get you a free room! Even if you’ve played less than that, you may find that you’ve played enough to pay for part of your stay or even all of your stay. You may get a reduced rate, even if you haven’t played very much. Besides, you have nothing to lose by asking. Always ask politely. Treat the casino host with respect. Be reasonable with your use of the comps. If you are offered a free meal at the casino, don’t order the most expensive thing on the menu. Your chances of getting a meal again will drop significantly.

If you want a casino host to do his best for you, you should return the favor. Be polite, thank him for the hospitality, and even write a Thank You note or send a letter of recommendation to their supervisor. Efforts like that can help you get the best comps on your next stay, and will guarantee nice manners and good service from the staff in the future.

We discussed club cards earlier, and there is much to tell about them. Since the advent of computerized slots and video poker, casinos have made an effort to give more comps to slots players. Before machines were computerized, only players at table games were eligible for comps, but in the past 15 years, casinos have realized that slots players account for over 75% of their revenues.

In Atlantic City, slots clubs started to appear in the early 1980’s to help maintain customer loyalty. Quickly, casinos realized that by using the same gambling cards for slots and table games, they could maintain a customer’s interest much more easily.

There are a few myths about club cards. The first is that you have to play a lot to get any points. If you start out with as little as $50, you may end up with enough to get yourself some comps. Most players put their small wins back into the machine, and even though you didn’t start with that money, that counts as money that you’ve wagered as well. Casinos refer to this as churning. When you play for as little as an hour, you may put hundreds of dollars through by churning. You’ll be able to make money back on every single pull.

Another myth is that the machines pay back less when you use club cards. It’s simply not true. The system that the machine uses cannot do that. If you’re worried about getting too much junk mail from the casino, you may be able to ask them not to put your name on the standard mailing list, and to only send you offers tailored directly to your needs. You can always ask to be taken off of the mailing lists later. Casinos do not sell mailing lists to other companies without your permission.  Be sure to take advantage of every possible comp! Always use a club card.