These days virtually every business out there prizes one thing above all others in its customers – loyalty. That’s because it’s much more profitable to hold on to existing customers than to go to all the effort and expense of recruiting new ones. Even a slight increase in retention rates can have amazing results. It’s true for supermarkets, for holiday companies – and especially for casinos.
Casinos are more competitive for your custom than ever – not just with other land-based casinos, but from online rivals too. One of the main tools at casinos’ disposal for rewarding player loyalty is through the use of comps.
This is short for complimentary offers: gifts that can take a number of forms ranging from free drinks and snacks while you play, right up to hotel rooms or limo rides to and from the airport. Sometimes for an especially valued player you might find that the casino will even pay for the flights themselves. At big Vegas casinos, high-rollers are often comped with exclusive tickets to see the likes of Elton John and Celine Dion in concert.
Obviously, these perks would make your time on the casino floor more enjoyable, plus they’re one of several ways to make your money go further on a casino trip – a big boost to your bankroll.
Everyone likes to feel they are a valued customer, eligible for exclusive benefits and offers. Casinos know this – so they play on this essential part of human nature by having tiered comps schemes, offering the chance to climb the ladder and feel even more privileged with every roll of the dice.
Earning casino comps
Now you’re aware of the ways which high-rollers get their rewards, how do you turn your next trip to a casino into a perk-packed good time?
Just like supermarket or coffee shop loyalty schemes, casinos operate with a points system: the more points you earn, the bigger the comps you’ll receive. The good news is that casinos are pretty open about the rewards structure, so you can be pretty confident about what you’ll be entitled to after a little time at the slots or tables.
The one essential thing that you have to do is register at the casino before you begin to play. Then you’ll receive your Player’s Card, which will be a way of recording just how much you’re playing, ensuring you’ll be able to claim all the comps that are due.
You simply need to put your card into a slots machine when you begin to play. The card will capture the information about how long you play for and the amount you’re wagering. Similarly, if you’re playing table games like roulette and blackjack it’s important to make sure that the pit boss registers when you sit down to play. That way you’ll be starting to earn points towards comps from the very first spin of the wheel or turn of the cards.
It’s important to remember that what casinos really like to see are players who spend the most time at the slots or the tables – even if the actual rate at which they gamble isn’t as high as some high rollers.
Managing your bankroll
Assuming that you don’t have a limitless supply of cash to wager with, it’s a question of managing your bankroll. If you have $200 for the session it could be better sticking to slots and tables that have lower minimum stakes, and playing at a steady rate. You’re better off playing for four hours at $50 an hour, than running through the whole lot in just one hour.
The way comps are awarded for table games is generally calculated at the equivalent of 30% of the predicted loss on your average bet, not your actual loss.
So a handy tip when playing is to make slightly higher bets for your initial round of play when the pit boss will be watching, and then lower them to a more sustainable level after that. That way, your estimated average bet will be higher, and the comps points will start to mount up faster.
Comp collecting: the best games to play
It’s important to get a good idea of which games help you to collect points more quickly, and this very much depends on what you’re expected to lose on each type of game. Slots, for instance, are the most profitable machines for the casino, so you’re obviously going to lose more money as you play. But it does tend to mean longer sessions at the machine, which means more time towards getting comped.
More skill-based card games like blackjack or poker have a far lower house edge, which means more chance of winning. However, this higher chance of success does shorten your chances of being comped – your comps qualification can be as little as 10% of your predicted losses.
Bonuses at online casinos
But this also brings up an important point that many players tend to overlook: it’s generally better to concentrate on games that you have a higher chance of winning than playing for the consolation prize of qualifying for comps when you lose.
We’ve already mentioned that online casinos have been putting the pressure on their land-based counterparts in recent years, but they also have to provide incentives to retain loyalty. Obviously they can’t offer free drinks, meals or accommodation but they can offer bonuses in the form of free spins on the slots, as well as free stake money.
The way comps work at an online casino is very simple. Play your favourite games, get points as you play, then you can redeem your points for cash. The typical conversion rates make for pretty promising reading, too. A £10 wager can get you as many as 1.5 comp points, and when earn 150 comp points you get £1 back to add to your funds. The thing is, it’s one thing to talk about how great these comps are – the only way you’ll get to see this for yourself is, for example, when you play at a fantastic online casino like this one and check out their comps and points promotions.
These kinds of online rewards will push land-based casinos to keep improving the comps on offer if they want to stay one-step ahead of the online casinos. This has helped to create a real win/win situation for any players who want to get that little bit extra to reward them for playing both online and in brick-and-mortar casinos. And the more they play, the bigger those rewards are going to be.
