Poll: Have you ever been over comped?

Have you ever been noticeably over comped? One time I was solicited to go to Caesars Palace from a guy who was previously a lower level host from MLife. Just a hunch, but I think he may have created a client list from an MLife database because, at that time, I had never played at CET & was consistently losing my a** a lot at MLife.

Anyway I got a letter from him in the mail (probably in 2012) inviting me to stay at Caesars. The letter had a gold embossed letterhead and said that I was being offered a comp package that included: 1) an Augustus tower suite; 2) $2,500 in Freeplay; 3) two Celine Dion tickets & 4) $1,000 in resort credits. My first thoughts were, “yeah right, what moron would offer me this. It’s gotta be a scam.” But between the embossed letterhead & his Caesars Palace email address, I decided to give it a shot.

Well it was real & I took advantage of it. I was also able to switch out the suite for two Augustus tower rooms so my mom, my aunt & my family could go. My wife loved Celine! JaDubya scores!

Obviously he became my favorite host because of that ridiculous offer & he was also decently generous on subsequent trips. But about 2 years after that first trip I got an email from another host I knew from Caesars saying “today was your host’s last day, no one knows what happened.”


If I didn’t know it before, I knew from that email that he over comped me & that he wasn’t able to generate enough business to justify his continued employment. I became an ex-CET player that day since I went mostly because of him.

He’s since moved twice to other casinos. At the new places, he seemed pretty conservative with his comp package offers. I liked him but wasn’t enticed by his offers.

Share your story big & small. The criteria is “I didn’t deserve this but they don’t need to know that.”

 

LOL

I have been TOLD I have been overcomped by 2 different hosts but it didn't "feel" that way honestly as I just used marketing offers and really they provided nothing more.

I have however taken advantage of a greater marketing offer based on past play where I didn't feel I was going to come close to the play expectations to get such an offer again. Examples are a Wynn teaser with $1,000 Freecredit and $200/day F&B, and $500 FP/$400 RC from Mandalay where my "normal" Mlife was $100/$100. This is more using your comps and playing "wisely" than being overcomped.

It's a GREAT thing to be overcomped IMO!

 

I think there are some trips where I am grossly overcomped, and other trips that I am undercomped for my theo of that trip. I think it evens out overall. If I do a solo trip where I am churning tons of hours at the table and earning $30k+ theo for the trip, and I am barely eating or using any comps - I am undercomped for that trip.

There have been trips where we invite friends and get a 3 bd Skyloft, or a 2 bd mansion with a plunge pool, with a $5-$7k + per night comp rate, and we have a catered party in the room, Spa days for all the girls, golf days at Shadow Creek for the guys at $500 / round, eating at high end restaurants for 3 days, $5k of FP, and I am overcomped because I did not get in much gambling for that trip. (Note: all this was comped)

There were a few trips last year where I took home over $10k of expensive wine (although at the inflated prices of the casino restaurants), and there is no way that was covered by comps with all the usual room/food/golf/ spa that we do.

IMO, a LOT of this has to do with your relationship with your host. IMO, these overcomp situations have to do with your YEARLY theo, not a "current" trip theo, and nothing to do with losses as some people would like to think. My host looks at the theo I put in over the course of the year, and knows that it will even out in the end. If it doesn't even out, and I am overcomped according to the comp algorithm, then my relationship with my host comes into play. I was his first high end player, and have brought him many other high end players over the years. He overlooks some of my overcomp situations.

** Insider info - another trick hosts use if you are overcomped - if there are other Whale type players in town at the same time that would never use up the comps for the theo that they earn, the hosts can ( not saying that they do ) put some of your comps on to the whale's account so that your account at check out looks clean and in line with your current trip theo. Fun times!!

 

Never asked for or chased but have received some great ones in our time. In my opinion, no guest or player is ever really over-comped. There’s always a reason for receiving them.

 

Kind of agree with this. My CP guy was originally from NYNY. I had asked around & was told “he’s a nice guy, but not the sharpest tool in the shed.” I asked what do you mean. They said he has a hard time understanding the rules.

So his over comp was because of: a) my extraordinary play; b) my charming personality or c) he was a dumba**. I like to think it was a) or b).

 

I agree with @ardee if any casinos offer you generous comps that means they know they can get you at the end perhaps @JaDubya you got the best from Caesars but most of us will fall into “victims” of comps lol Mgm always caters to me: I will be honest, they are good to me & rarely ever says no if I ask for certain things but then again I don’t ask for moon either. I don’t believe in “over comps” they are offering me comps based on hoping to gamble my ass off lol and there’s times I will and there’s time I don’t at all so I think it evens out at most cases (trips). Anyhow so I voted for as for “myth” lol, Anyway this is just my opinion.

 

We had 3 free nights at Gold Coast and when checking in, the front desk girl cave us a suite.
Not sure if this was an over comp, but it was nice.

 

Overcomped to me would be the value I’m receiving is worth more than my gambling losses. With that, I believe I haven’t ever been

 

I honestly think that for a while, for a long while that is, I was getting far more, as in the list price of the comped rooms and free play and such, than I was losing. It's tightened up quite a bit, the only so-called comp I got at CET in the last year was Rio (so-called comp, as I had to pay resort fee) and they seldom send those local $5 free play come-ons anymore.

 

Yes, but only as 'teasers' after my first or second time playing at a given casino. This has happened to me with both MLife and the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, where I've been given way outside benefits after my first time there, then they've normalized to what I actually consider to be fairly reasonable levels.

 

In the long run they know you will lose, sure a long term host is going to give you the moon every once in awhile, because she/he knows you'll be back and they will get thier money, or more of your money, back.

Now if you asked "have you ever been undercomped?" Hell yes, I lose and you want to quibble over to use Express comps on a $20 bill?

 

I was told that I was overcomped because the comp rate on my room (CP LV, Augustus Tower Strip view) had gone up. It was covered though and happened at a fortuitous time, because:

1)My host was leaving (took a marketing position at the Rio)
2)Asian Marketing at CET Las Vegas contacted me
3)I was ready for a change.
4)$60 a day buys a lot (well, maybe) of food.

 

Every time I get a comp I'm over comped. My biggest score? In 2016 on the way out of town, I lost a hundred bucks at Silverton. In like 2 minutes. The next year I'd get a monthly mailer offering 5 nights comped, $100 F&B and $100 FSP. I took them up on it for my December 2017 trip. It was cool because it was during the NFR and they were one of the sponsor hotels. In early December I received another mailer with the same deal. When we arrived I determined that BOTH offers were active so I got 5 comped nights, $200 F&B and $200 FSP. Took full advantage and never gambled a penny of our own money. Haven't seen another offer since, but I wouldn't be shocked if I got a "We Miss You" offer one of these days.

 

@Ty can comment. I don’t know that I HAVEN’T been overcomped. We go. We play. Not sure what we would play with having to absorb food, drink, room, and resort fees. But we play what we play. We are comfortable.
We haven’t paid for a room since 1995. Paid for some food, yes. But only a 1$ per drink and at the low level places we play they are gracious to our attempts at tipping.
I think it is all about the relationship and we work at it but not as “friends” but as respectful business partners. You make some delicious cookies or bring a birthday cake, you can sometimes get (always actually) a 100-150$-2 million$ dinner comps) with our play. Are we friends? Maybe. But certainly respected acquaintances taking advantage of each party’s assets. It is what is is; but I haven’t any idea what “is” is now.

 

Here’s one example of “over comped” (in my opinion) about 3 years over the kids spring break we decided to go Vegas celebrating daughters 17th birthday -sorry @JaDubya this might be my TR lol, anyhow my local host informed me he will take care of everything (he suggested idea taking her to Bruno Mars concert in Vegas) anyhow, it was for 3 nights 4 days at Mgm skylofts 3 bedroom with 4 tickets to Bruno Mars!!! Wife, Me, daughter & her bestie, son total of 5 and when we arrived they had Rolls Royce & Cadillac Escalade ready ...they even made banner (look at the pic lol, it was gift from my local host; I found out he actually paid like $100 for it, also he had enough sense that banner was from "mom, dad and brother" instead of MGM lol and we checked inside the room they had cake with balloon & tickets for concerts all on table waiting for her!!! but I rarely played for that weekend while I was there (I informed my host that I was not likely play due to being there for whole family and he was ok with it; I believe he cleared it with Mgm Vegas) he told me that even tho I may not play but I eventually will whether local or Vegas , and Im loyal Mgm player.

anyhow, here are some photos during that trip again sorry @JaDubya I don't meant to hijack your thread and making it into my little TR lol I just thought bout this trip since we were talking about over comped. Also mgm provided my son w Xbox for the weekend and two tickets for NBA game; it was held at unlv as I recall.

 

I’m going to say that every trip that I take to Las Vegas is overcompensated.

I can stay in a variety of high end rooms for free.

I can eat and drink in a variety of high end restaurants for my whole trip...free.

I can go to concerts or exhibits for free.

Plus a variety of other things...all free.

That’s what keeps me coming back....

 

A myth you say...hmmm...you & I have a completely different understanding of what Bigfoot looks like.

 

Had always stayed at CET properties before August, but gambled quite a lot at MLife properties, particularly Bellagio and New York New York. Looked at the calendars for last August and CET was giving me bare bones, Mlife was offering several 3 night comps. Decided on Mirage and they comped me a 1 bedroom Penthouse Suite and coded my reservation for VIP Lounge. I thought I was overcomped. It was a great stay, met a nice host and the offers have been opened up to all their hotels. Was going to Delano next month but when they said they were only opening Bellagio and NYNY, I changed it to Bellagio.

 

Virtually every comp this low rolling poker player gets is an over comp.

 

absolutely
in fact memorial day weekend of 2018 was the end of great comps at 2 different casinos for me
One lasted 2 months and one lasted 3
At one casino i was getting 300 slot dollars/gift 3-4 times a week for 3 months
The days they had sunoco or shop rite gift cards I would take those
Otherwise i'd use the 300 slot dollars running them through video poker at 5 bucks a hand cashing out after 60 hands
The other place was giving me 200 dollars a week in amazon gift cards a week the first month and 400 the second month
I also got over 7000 dollars in slot dollars which i cashed out for 6500 dollars
Both places gave extra bonuses memorial day weekend including a cruise that cost almost 5,000 dollars ( i had to pay the port taxes of about 300 bucks and got to see the final bill in my account. i'm sure the casino gets some kind of break on that)

In the first place my slot dollars went from 300 each time to 25 each time for june
In the second place all of my offers went to hell

In both places I had played blackjack spreading 25-400 dollars once each
In both places I happen to lose after playing about 2 hours
Both places had me at around a 150 dollar average bet
The second place I am now banned from playing blackjack

But even assuming a 150 dollar average bet as a basic strategy losing player for 2 hours- these comps were absolute insane.
I gave both places 0 action during the months I was collecting all of this free money.