Play Smart To Get More Comps
Sooner or later, every casino patron receives complimentary goods and services, also known as "comps". You heard me right, I said "every patron". All you must do is register for the casino rewards or patron loyalty program, get your card and start playing.
Even the most casual casino visitor knows by now that drinks are on the house for all players. This includes alcoholic beverages in Nevada and New Jersey. To get all the other perks, get the casino computer network to recognize all your playing activity. Insert you rewards ID card in the slot machine reader, swipe it on the sensors available at some table games, or hand it to the dealer for recording on their smart terminal.
Rebates or cash backs are by far the most popular comps. Free valet parking, meals, room nights, tournament entries, even reimbursement for First Class airfare are pretty much standard fare on the loyalty programs of almost any reputable casino you visit.
But the more you play and repeatedly review how far you have to go to reach that magical trip on your own private jet, the greater your conviction that it takes far too much betting and too long to attain some of the desirable perks.
Then you must learn to play smart. Avoid slot machines, first of all. Between the low payout percentage and unsatisfactory payout frequency set on these EGM's, you wind up paying out of your losses for the minor perks you do receive. Remember, New Jersey regulations allow casinos to set the payout to as low as 83 percent. In Las Vegas and Reno, the minimum payout can be just 75 percent.
Realize that casinos award perks based on the house "net win" (your total bets less any wins) or your theoretical loss, since there is no one looking over your shoulder to reckon your results to the last penny.
In roulette, for example, the pit boss will track your average wager and time or spins played to get your total play. If you bet an average $20 over 100 spins, the casino will reckon your total play of $2,000 by the house edge at roulette (5.26 percent) to derive your theoretical loss of $105.20, regardless of how lucky you actually were. The point is that the casino will now entitle you to comps equal to some fraction of your theoretical loss, usually from 10 to 40 percent.
Third, bone up on playing strategy and make a beeline for the blackjack tables, especially those where the rules are favorable to basic strategy players. Here, you confront a house edge of perhaps just 0.5 percent, compared to 2.0 to 2.5 percent that typical blackjack players deal with in other tables. Playing a $2,000 bankroll, your theoretical loss should be only around $5 (again regardless of how lucky you really got). But the casino will again award you 10 to 40 percent of the $20 to $25 theoretical loss average blackjack players incur. So, receiving up to $10 worth of perks means you are ahead of the game.
In sum, you can get more comps entitlements. You should select games with a less oppressive house edge. And be aware that casinos will calculate your perks based on theoretical loss.