The thrill of gambling doesn’t only lie in winning. Gambling has other perks that players love, one of them being casino comps. You don’t have to be a professional player for this to happen. Almost any player willing to invest a little bit of money and knows different tips and tricks can get perks such as free lodging, food, entertainment, and even travel to and from different casinos worldwide. But how can one get these casino comps? What are the things that every player needs to know?
What are casino comps?
The term “comp” is short for “complimentary”. It denotes all complimentary presents and perks that a casino offers to different players. In the gambling industry, comps are free stuff that the casino offers to attract new audiences and incentivize players to gamble with them. Based on the odds behind the game you are playing, casinos can estimate the expected long-term losses, all of that based on your hourly action. As a result, they can calculate the percentage of that to give it back to the players in the form of comps.
Different types of comps
It’s important to know that comps are usually awarded based on the player’s value to the casino. The most common and most basic comp casino offers is a free drink. One of the reasons why casinos opt to give this comp is because inebriated gamblers have lower inhibitions. This means that the profit casino makes from a gambler is very closely connected to the amount of time they spend playing. Apart from that, casinos also offer complimentary food, which is a small step up from free drinks. At traditional casinos, you will easily find multiple restaurants on site. The free food is usually awarded in the form of a coupon. It requires the player to put more money into action to be rewarded with free food. Sometimes this depends on the generosity of the pit boss. However, there are also more exciting casino comps than free drinks and food. Casinos also offer a room upgrade and even paid expenses to get to the casino and back.
Know how much you’re betting
The first thing that a player needs to understand is that casinos base their comps on how much money the player is betting. It doesn’t matter if you play table games or slot machines; there is a basic formula that can calculate if you’re getting a casino comp or not:
Bets per hour x Average bet size = amount of money wagered per hour
The casinos track your spins per hour via your slots club card and decide based on that. For instance, if you play between $10 and $100 per one hand, the pit boss can easily rate you as a $10 per hand player. If you play 70 hands per hour on average, this means that the casino can award you comps based on the $700 per hour that you put into action. In this case, “action” refers to how much money a player is risking. This is very important, as comps aren’t awarded based on your losses but on how much action you’re bringing to the game.
Get a partner
In order to maximize the casino comps, you should get a partner, such as a wife, husband, partner or friend. If you want to minimize the loss, your partner and you will play games that offer offsetting bets. In this case, if you win, your partner will lose and vice versa. This is easily done in games such as roulette, where one player can bet on red and the other one on black.
Make it look like you gamble a lot
Sometimes you have to act a little bit if you want to benefit from a situation. The second step to getting casino comps is by making it look like you gamble more than you actually are. This will make the pit bosses in charge rate your play as if you were betting more than you are. In most cases, pit bosses usually watch your action’s first 2 or 3 bets and fill the results as your average bet. To capitalize on this, you and your partner should make bigger bets for the first couple of bets.
Create the illusion you are playing longer than you are
In order to do this, you will have to play while the casino is crowded, preferably in the evening of a weekend or during a big holiday. The crowd will help camouflage the players, and many will become unnoticed. On top of that, you will be willing to retract from making any bets before the dealer stops the bets in roulette, or before the shooter rolls the dice in craps.
Dress to impress
Although this might not seem an important task, dressing nicely can definitely help you get casino comps. You should never wear a casual dress when you’re in a casino. In case of gentlemen, a suit and tie is the best combination. Remember that your goal is to dress like someone who has money to lose. If you dress casually, the casino pit bosses will not treat you as the other guests, which can take its toll on the casino comps you are trying to get.
Deal with people nicely
A final piece of advice: be friendly and polite with the pit boss and tip your dealer regularly. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t complain a bit when you lose (this is an excellent tactic as it will create the illusion that you are losing more money than you actually are), but make sure to do this politely and not overdo it. When you’re starting to win, make sure you keep a low profile and don’t show it.
Conclusion
These methods will help you hack the comp system and start accumulating great comps over time. If you live in the town or city where the casino is, you will get coupons for food or free drinks, free play and even show tickets. If you live out of that city, you might receive offers, including free nights at the resort and free play. Every comp system is different, but following these tips and tricks will get you one step closer to getting them.
