Complementary Gifts from Casinos: Some Aspects

8 min read
Casinos offer comps to help gamblers get more for their time and money. Comps can include drinks, meals or discounted rates on rooms and show tickets. Some comps also cover airfare reimbursement, flyback certificates and tickets for the Super Bowl. Comp programs are meant to encourage repeat visits and customer loyalty. Customers do not need to have high-end gambling habits to benefit from these incentives. Low-mid-level gamblers, however, can still receive surprising discounts and freebies. This is due to the current state our economy. Las Vegas visitor counts and casino bankrolls have fallen significantly. Gaming properties have increased comp offers to attract gamblers. My wife, who is not a high-stakes gambler, and I did not pay for any nights of our nine-day stay in Vegas (late October 2008). Our gambling ventures involve blackjack at minimum 10 to 25 dollar tables, penny and nickel denomination slots, and video poker where bets range from 40c to $ 2.50 per spin.

Comp awards are determined by average play time x hourly bets x house edge x expected return to players. These numbers generally range from 25-40% of the expected win rate by the casino. For example, let's assume you play a decent blackjack game (player favorable rule set and you play accurate basic strategy) and your average bet is 10 dollars per hand. An "average" 6-deck shoe game can see 60-80 hands per hour. This is assuming there are at least 3 or 4 players. Casinos use 60 hands per hour, with a house edge of 22% to calculate their expected dollar returns and comp calculations. fun player games will return approximately 40% of their expected win back to a player in the form of comps. Assuming you play the above game for five hours, and possibly at more than one casino table, a reasonable comp calculation would have $10 (average wager) X 5 minutes (hands per hour) X 60 (comps). X.02 (house advantage) X.40(proportionate casino returns to players). You have wagered $ 3000.00 cumulatively. Earned comps = $24.00 x.02 = $60.00

Complementary Gifts from Casinos: Some Aspects
It is important to remember that comps can be found in Las Vegas or elsewhere. Ask them. In order to be eligible for comps at table games, you may need to wager $15 to $25 per hand at some Vegas properties. There are some casinos off the Strip that offer more generous meal comps than others. On several occasions, I played at the Orleans for 2-3 hours with a $10-20 average bet. When asked, I was able to get buffet comps for two for my trip. There are many differences in the comp programs offered by casinos and corporate gaming companies. Players should decide where they would like to play and take advantage of any comp program details in that area. You shouldn't be surprised when a club representative/host is vague about how they calculate earned compensations. This can happen because of factors like increased patronage, weekends vs weekdays, holidays, major conventions, and so on. These high-traffic situations can make it difficult for low- to midlevel players to be comped. Gamblers should familiarize themselves with the host of their favorite slots or table games. It is a good idea, in general, to request a host from the other gender. Communication with a host can help to increase winnings and minimize losses. It is part of the job of a host to improve the gambler's gambling experience. Pit bosses at many properties can offer meals comps. To play an enhanced-value comp, you must gamble within your bankroll and use games with lower house advantage. You also need to be familiar with the comp program. But "chasing comps" (i.e. playing too long for a meal) can increase your gambling losses. The best advice is to be logical.

Blackjack is an excellent game to acquire comps due to generally lower house odds when compared to all other casino games provided players select games with player-favorable rules and learn accurate basic strategy for the specific game played. If a player avails themselves of these conditions and employs tactics that decrease the speed of the game (fewer hands played per hour), they have employed some basic tactics to enhance their comp accrual. blog can slow down the game by talking at long tables, taking frequent breaks or making calls on your cell phone, as well as playing at crowded table. Increased bet levels at blackjack can help increase comp accrual. These should improve your table play ratings, and allow you to accrue more comp. If you don't want to be scrutinized by casino staff, your bet level may be decreased.

For comps, video poker (VP), play tracking requires that all players ensure their club cards are correctly inserted. This is essential in order to track your points and make sure you check it during each session at a particular machine. Video poker generally offers higher payback return percentages vs slot machines but comps for VP play are generally less for the same wagers / time played as compared to slots. It's a standard casino tradeoff mechanism. technology to find machines with higher payback percentages if you choose a casino you like and have enough time. Generally speaking, the higher denomination machines have higher payback percentages (ie $1 slots vs penny machines); your ability to play these will depend on your bankroll and a money management scheme that involves common sense. There are many payback percentage variations even within penny slots. Common sense and willingness can help you find the highest paying machines. It is important not to get too soaked expecting the next pull..and so on..to earn a large payout. For slot machines, we recommend a stoploss approach. If we reach 40 to 50% of our original buy-in, (ie $20-25 dollars credit left after a $50.00 initial buy-in), then we stop playing that particular machine. Admittedly, the average slot machine will drain your bankroll but if players can identify the higher payback machines (by observation and actual play) these are reasonable alternatives for accumulating comps. Video poker with solid paytables is a great way of accumulating comps. This paytable (minimum 9/6 Blackjacks Or Better or Double bonus) means that the machine will pay a 9 for 1 full house payout and a 6 for 1 flush payout. Although it's slower than many other slots machines, it's still a viable option for comps. You need to recognize machines that have a high payback percentage. These machines are those that pay out almost 100% over time. Individual sessions can, however, result in losses.

Always seek out casino promotions, such as point multiplier, blackjack enhancements, and gambling coupons (blackjack play and first-card ace coupons) when looking for casinos. These coupons will help increase the player's expectation and minimize losses. Even though it is generally down, the current economic climate in Las Vegas is favorable for comp offer purchase.

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