Should an average player like me bother with comps?

Hello,

I never bothered with comps because I thought it was only to the super-rich from Asia and the Middle East and because I liked to gamble in different casinos.

Now, me and wife are going to Vegas in one month (from Saturday to Wednesday) to relax so we will mostly stay in one hotel.

Here’s what we’ll be doing:

- Me playing mostly blackjack (mix of $25 and $50 tables) for 4 hours a day or so. Bankroll is $4000 but the reality is I will probably quit for the day if I’m down $1000. I will only mostly play the table minimum unless I’m up for the day or I get a streak.

- Wife will mostly be at the pool taking drinks with little shopping

- Most of our food will be at high-end restaurants of the hotel.

Therefore, I am wondering if I should contact a casino before coming to try to get an offer?

And are the comps based on the casino play only or is it like a loyalty program (you get a cashback on everything you spend at the hotel, including food and rooms).

We plan to go at the Venetian/Palazzo, Encore/Wynn, Bellagio or Aria.

Thank you.

 

The comp programs vary a bit depending on where you stay. but the short answer is yes, you should join the loyalty program wherever you stay and give your card at the tables. You qualify for something. I am assuming you have no play history at these properties, so its probably not worth asking for an upfront comp. But you might get a little something on the back end and will certainly get some future offers of discounts or free stuff

 

Kevin Sweets is on this board from Cosmo. He may have an offer for you and he's a good guy.

 

You absolutely should enroll in whatever casino's player's club you're spending time in. It only takes a couple minutes, and the benefits can be pretty great.

I go to Vegas with a similar bankroll to yours, about $1K per day. I joined Mlife, TR and Identity years back and I haven't paid for a room (aside from resort fees) in over 3 years. This is usually supplemented by freeplay and resort credit of some sort. If you're going to be playing at several resorts your chances of building up any significant rewards on the first trip are smaller since you're spreading out your play, but over the course of a few trips you'll see the benefits. Just have them swipe the card everywhere you go, bars, restos, retail, etc.

Like I say I'm by no means a High Roller but I can pick and choose from multiple resorts comped stays on every trip, and I'd venture to guess a lot of the peeps on this board do the same.

 

Maybe. But, I think he was mostly looking to "match" offers which the OP does not have. I am guessing you better bet are the CET casinos, as they are liberal giving out hotel rooms.

 

Yup. CET for sure. Hard Rock is also pretty generous as well.

 

I agree with nostresshere. Venetian/Palazzo and Encore/Wynn are on their own, but CET has a lot of casino's in the same central area and playing at any of them counts towards possible future comps or back-end comps.

Although the OP didn't mention any CET hotels as an option. From the hotels the OP mentioned (Venetian/Palazzo, Encore/Wynn, Bellagio or Aria), then you might be best off at Bellagio or Aria, as they are both Mlife and then you can play or entertain at the other Mlife properties as well (Monte Carlo, MGM, NY-NY, Mandalay Bay etc) for comps.

 

Comps are nice 'thank you's' from the casino (in addition to the exuberation you feel at raking in millions of dollars at the tables ) . I think even the 'average' player gets some benefit from them...a free dinner ever so often, a room for a couple of nights, etc. It's not just for the guys from Macau and Dubai. We opted for CET some time back and have been happy with what we've used based on our 'average' play.

 

Stay somewhere you want to play. Play where you stay. But sign up for the player's club any time you sit down in any new casino. Ask the pit supervisor after you have played three hours plus if you can get something to eat. That's how it starts. Check in with the casino host before you check out. "Can you do anything for me this trip?"

FYMYAWF (now there's a screen name!) said it correctly too. My bankroll and betting are like his and what you say yours are going to be. I have had the same results as FYMYAMF too. Haven't paid for a room in Las Vegas for years and hardly any food.

Don't play for comps. Just maximize your comps for the play you give.

Casinos pretty much calculate comps the same way. But things cost different amounts at different casinos. A room at Venetian might cost $200/night. A room at Golden Gate might cost $50/night. You have to play four times longer at the Venetian to get a free room. It's not that comps are "easier" to get at downtown places, it just that "things" cost less to start with. A Bellagio Buffet costs $40. A Main Street Station buffet costs $10. You have to play four times longer at Bellagio than you do at MSS, or at a four times greater average bet, to get a buffet.

 

Most definitely GET RATED, get a card and use ALL THE TIME. You won't know what you can get unless the casino knows you are there. Just by signing up you will be in the casino's database and will start receiving offers.

 

By all means get a players card have them track your play, and ask what they can take off your bill at checkout. Worst they can say is nothing.

Just don't change how you play to get more comps.

 

I would highly recommend you mostly play at the hotel you are staying at. You should also charge your restaurant bills and any other incidentals to your room. At the end of your stay before checking out you should check with the player's club desk, hopefully with your play they may deduct some of your charges or even comp you a night or more for your play. Playing $25 or $50 a hand for 4 hours a day may qualify you for comped rooms depending on where you are staying. Not sure if it is true at the hotels you mentioned (since they may be considered "high end") but it won't hurt to ask.

If you are staying at a M Resort property you may be able to charge restaurant bills from M hotels to your room. Same with Harrahs and same with Wynn/Encore or Venetian/Palazzo.

 

Between my wife and I we had a $600 a day budget to cover food, gambling and taxis, tips etc last October. We won some money and played it back through, so I don't know the exact coin in, etc but we didn't break our daily budget, won enough to come home with what we took and gambled at most strip casinos (as well as a day downtown at Fremont).

We have now got a suite, freeplay ($125), f&b ($200) at NYNY, no resort fees and room at Flamingo for our upcoming trip. I do not chase comps but always best to ask 'what can you do for me?' - gives them the chance to say, yes certainly sir or at worst, sorry, doesn't quite cover it yet!

Get the card, email in advance, have fun!

 

BTW: Maybe not relevant to you, as you mentioned you play blackjack, so I don't know if you play anything else besides that. But slot play is more valued (and rewarded) than table play.

 

Far as I know, it's been years since places like Wynn offered nice incentives to first-time players at your level. It all dried up when Venetian refocused on convention business and stopped offering its gigantic rooms free or at deep discounts. You probably missed the boat for properties on that level. If you played at that level at South Point, you would likely be noticed. Then again, you'd be getting comped at South Point, not Wynn or Bellagio.

 

Thank you all for your answers. I will get loyalty cards everywhere I play and will let you know how it goes.

 

You should at least join the club for where you are staying. In your case, maybe charge a meal or two to your room and check with a host to see if they will take something off the backend. It's the lower tier hotels that would be more likely to comp you for your play habits but the length of your sessions is a point in your favor.