"How do they do that?" |
I know, I know. You are the ultimate consumer. You research appliances, buy the Entertainment Book from the PTA and drive across town to save a dollar a pound on brisket. But it’s just killing you because you still pay full price for a room in Atlantic City! What can you do?
Your neighbor Doris with the bratty kids “gets” free show tickets. Your brother-in-law Irving can “get” dinner for four in a New York minute. Even your Aunt Lily with her arthritis so bad she needs a wheelchair “gets” coupons and comes home bearing the gift of the month. You listen, ooh-ing and ah-ing at just the right moments, secretly wondering “and what do I “get”? Chopped liver? How do they do that?”
Comps |
Make no mistake. Whether you bring $50 or $50,000 to play with, casinos are fiercely competitive and want your business. Every property has its own “club” for members. They offer promotions - from discounted show tickets all the way up to private planes and Penthouses (you should be so lucky) based on your play. These promotions are known as complimentaries or, as everyone knows from kindergarten if you live in Brooklyn, comps.
Contrary to what most people think, comps are not based on the actual amount you win or lose, but on what you are willing to gamble. A very complicated formula devised by Einstein (this would be Benny Einstein from Staten Island) factors your average bet and the amount of time you play, calculated against the odds of the game or machine, to determine the theoretical casino win.
Simply put, this is the amount the casino will win from you if the odds go exactly the way they should. (Yes, of course the odds are with the house. That’s why they’re in business. But somebody’s got to win and it might as well be m--, er, you.)
So you “get” comps based on a percentage of the theoretical casino win. This percentage varies depending on the property and the level of player.
I’ve given you a headache already? Don’t worry. Benny and the computer will figure out all the numbers. All you have to do is make sure they are recording all your play.
Getting rated |
So how do you make sure the casino and everybody in it knows you’re a hotshot and should be getting comps? Well, you could march up to the Vice President’s office and tell him about every nickel you sunk into that so-called “hot” machine. But, take it from experience, that didn’t work nearly as well as getting rated.
The first step is to get a rating card. Each casino has its own card. A brief application requests your name, address, date of birth, and possibly other information useful to marketing. You get a unique player ID number. You then get a card bearing your name and player ID.
Obtaining a rating card is one of the services that Casino Accommodations offers our customers.
Now are you ready to “get?” Not yet. First you have to play!
Getting rated on slots |
Slot ratings are simple. You just put your card in the machine, check the LED display to make sure it is accepted, and that’s it. Because they are computerized, slot ratings are pretty much black and white. Every dollar you gamble is tracked directly into the Big Computer in the Sky, without even telling your mother.
Did I say check the LED display to make sure it is accepted? Aha! You’re paying attention. Good, because there is no way to track unrated play. If you want to get comped, it’s your responsibility to see that the card is accepted.
If you play two machines at once, or as a couple, you should ask for two copies of your rating card so you can use one in each machine have all your play rated on one player ID number.
Getting rated on tables |
There are two differences between playing at slots and at tables. 1) You are not allowed to smack the dealer when you lose a bet like you smack the slot machine. 2) At the tables, you depend on human beings to rate your play. (This is another good reason you should not smack the staff.)
When you want to be rated at a table, you need to hand your card to the floorperson who is supervising your game. If there is no floorperson visible, tell the dealer you want to be rated. (If there is no dealer visible, look around. You might be standing at the deli counter instead of the Blackjack table.)
The floorperson will open a rating slip for you, noting how much money you are buying in with and the time you begin playing. He or she will watch to see how much you are betting to record your average bet. If you put more money out on the table at any time, this amount will be added to your buyin. You should make sure the floorperson notes the additional buyin. You can do this in a number of ways, with varying degrees of attention-garnering. But we strongly recommend the “nice person” approach. (See Schmoozin Susan’s Tip of the Month.)
When you leave the table, the floorperson will note the time and how much money you are walking away with. Your total buy in, average bet, total time played and win/loss are then recorded into the computer.
Use your card every time |
Whenever you switch machines or tables, make sure you use your card at each and every one. Though ratings accumulate, they do not automatically carry over from machine to machine or from table to table. For slots, that means insert your card in the machine and – you got it - check to make sure it is accepted. For tables, that means introducing yourself all over again.
If you ever lose or forget your player card, do not fill out a new application. That will create a different account and your play will not accumulate correctly. Just ask for another card under your existing account. Most computer systems allow multiple cards to be printed for the same account before they get your mother to lecture you about losing and forgetting things.
Congratulations! By getting rated, you have now elevated from “guest” to “player” status. NOW it’s time to “get.”
What you can expect |
Regardless of whether you bring $50 or $50,000 to play with, the casinos love you. They want you. So they offer you all kinds of goodies, usually with no calories, to come back and see them.
The most common types of comps are for rooms, dining (okay, some calories), shows and transportation. There are also coin coupons, gifts and cash-back programs. Depending upon your previously established play, you will generally “get” something.
Rated players with modest gaming budgets can usually look forward to coin coupons, discounts on rooms and shows, and special offers. You can also buy discounted plane seats on special trips called junkets to the casinos and take advantage of special room packages - or even a combination of both.
A player with just one trip, or maybe only a little bit of play, may be offered a casino rate. This is a deep discount off the regular room rate (rack rate). Casino rate is usually given on evaluation. This means that after you are through playing for your stay, your total play will be evaluated to see if the room can be comped for all or part of the stay.
You’re a sharp cookie. (You are reading my column, aren’t you?) You realize the more you play, the higher your comps. That is why there is something for every level of player. There are various comp plans, from casino rate (reduced rate) to full RFB (room, food and beverage).
The bottom line is that no matter what your level of play, the casinos want your business. And Casino Accommodations wants to help you “get” the best gaming travel experience ever.
So you don’t ever have to feel like chopped liver again.
Questions about comps? Ask Gladys.