If you play in online casinos or land based casinos, you’ll want to get as many complimentaries as possible. These are free items / cash provided by the casino in return for play. Not all online casinos offer comps (but I can highly recommend Dafabet Casino who provide up to 1.2% cashback), so ensure that you should around. Regardless of where you play, there are a few basic rules to consider.

1) Always look for a Players Club desk in any casino. It’s generally the players club desk or kiosk that will redeem your playing points for comps. Join up anywhere that the casino membership is free, whether you’re a local or just visiting the area. Some casinos offer free gifts upon signup or offer lucrative “new player” bonuses and promotions. Use your card every time you’re gaming on the slots or at tables to earn points. Points mean comps – and without earning these points, you’re letting free things escape you!

2) If playing casino table games in land based caisnos, ask a Pit Boss about that casino’s comp policy – i.e. how much play is required for a particular complimentary item (like a buffet etc). They’ll tell you if they have discretion to write comps at the table, or whether all comps must be approved / paid out by the players club. Pit bosses can be very generous. Comp formulas differ from property to property but in the US 2-3 hrs of $10 – $15 a hand blackjack play should get you a food comp. 4-6 hrs of $25 – $75 a hand blackjack play should get you a room for a night. Outside of America, you may find that you need to play higher and longer to get those benefits, due to the lack of casino competition elsewhere

3) ALWAYS use your players card whilst playing slots. Slot players will earn a lot of comps in a casino compared to table game players, because the house theoretical edge is a lot higher, and the rates of playthrough (spinning the wheels) are higher. Check that the machine says the card has been “accepted”. Every point you earn whilst playing contributes towards the comps you want.

4) Some casinos offer BONUS POINT DAYS – e.g. some casinos might give 5x points for playing on a Thursday for example. Find out about those days and maximise your play. Bonus Points Days are normally just for slot machine play – although some casinos may offer table game promotions in addition. I’ve found bonus point days particularly good for accruing food or gift shop comps. Note that online casinos also offer bonus points. For example, Dafabet Casino often has 2x points for promoted slot machines.

5) Provide a physical mailing address and an email address to each casino. These methods can be used to send you marketing promotions by the casino. The promotions are always based on your pay, but you can receive slot matchplays, FREE cash, FREE meals, FREE or discounted casino room rates, or FREE promotional merchandise. All of these promotions are of course designed to bring you BACK to the CASINO, so that you’ll get your freebies but continue to play.

6) Wherever casino competition is high, you might occasionally find casino promotions people giving out literature / flyers on the street for various freebies / promotions. These are less common than they used to be, but previous promotions I’ve had have been for a free coffee or bar drink, sometimes a free pack of cards, sometimes its something more substantial.

7) If you play at a high-level (i.e. blackjack at $50 or more per hand, roulette for $100 or more per spin, slots at $10 a spin or more etc) then ring the casino you want to visit in advance and ask to speak to a VIP Host / Casino Executive Host. If you’re willing to agree to play at those levels for a set time period during your visit, you’ll be surprised at what these people can do for you. They have the ultimate discretion when it comes to providing comps for players. If they think that the casino can make good money from you in the long term, they’ll shower you with good fortune.

Casino VIP Hosts are not for everyone – but certainly ask if you think you qualify – the rewards can be great (dependent on your host, and the casino itself). Most online casinos also offer VIP programmes and VIP hosts – so this suggestion is valid for both land based and online casinos. Whenever I travel to casinos, especially if I’m travelling a long distance or internationally, I ALWAYS have a casino host. They generally will comp my room, they’ll often comp my food, and I generally get free show tickets too.

8) Always ASK, ASK, ASK about the comp policy. Ask the players club. Ask the pit bosses. Ask a floor manager. Ask a slot host. Their job is to keep you on the premises, happy and playing the various casino games that their particular casino offers. If you don’t ask you don’t get – never be afraid to ask!

Keep visiting us here at How to Beat The Casinos to maximise your comp earning opportunities.