How Comps Work in Gambling (And How to Make Them Work for You)
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Complimentary rewards, or comps for short, are one way that casinos reward their most loyal members. Casinos use comps to incentivize players to stay longer and invest more of their bankroll into the casino’s games. Multiple types of comps are available, and each casino offers different types of rewards for its members.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about casino comps and how they work. I will explain the basics of these rewards and give you tips on how to get the most out of them.
What Are Gambling Comps?
First and foremost, what are gambling comps? As I mentioned above, comps are rewards that casinos offer to players as an incentive to keep playing.
Well-designed comp systems can be a win-win for players and the casino. Casinos want you to stick around and play their games so they can make a profit. The right comp system can help you compensate for your losses while playing the casino’s games.
How Comps Work in Casinos
How you earn comps and the types of rewards they offer make them distinct from other casino bonuses. However, as with other casino rewards, the best comps are provided to the players who bring the most action to the casino.
Why do Casinos Offer Comps?
Giving away free rewards is risky, but casinos also benefit from the comps they offer players. Comps are essentially an investment in player retention and can be great marketing tools. The longer casinos can keep players gambling, the more likely they will lose money at the casino’s games.
Some comps also increase the casino’s chances of winning. For instance, land-based casinos offer free drinks because inebriated players have lower inhibitions and are more likely to gamble. Encouraging players to place larger bets and bet for longer helps the casino win more over time.
A well-designed comp system can attract gamblers who will return to the casino in the future. Free food, such as buffet coupons, also helps attract potential gamblers. Free nights in the casino’s hotel are another standard comp at the top brick-and-mortar casinos.
The profit margin on rooms, food, and beverages (RFB) is typically very high. As a result, the casino can easily make up for any losses incurred from offering comps. More rewarding comps, like travel expenses and entertainment rebates, are riskier investments and typically only offered to high rollers who frequent the casino.
How do I Earn Comps?
So, how do you earn comps from a casino? Some comps, such as free drinks and coupons for free food, will be offered immediately from the casino. Other offers will be sent to you in advertisements from the casino.
Consistently playing at the same locations increases the chances of the casino offering comps to you. However, like all great things in life, the best comps will require some work on your part.
First, you should research casinos to see which ones have comps programs that best fit your needs. Once you decide on the program you want to use, you should create a plan for minimizing your losses. Betting more at the right time or simply asking for comps can also be a great way to access these rewards.
Types of Casino Comps
There is a wide range of comps that you could encounter at modern casinos. Some of the rewards you can expect to be offered include:
- Food and beverage
- Hotel stays
- Entertainment
- Cashback
- Travel perks
As you can see, the common theme with most comps is encouraging you to come to the casino and keep you there as long as possible.
What is Action in Comps?
When discussing comps, it helps to understand the expression “action.” Being “in action” means having money riding on a bet. “Action” also refers to the amount of money you have wagered, and it can refer to the amount of money you wager over a set period.
For example, if you’re playing slot machines and betting $1 per spin, you’re putting $1 into action every time you spin. If you make 600 spins per hour, you’ve put $600/hour into action.
Understanding how much action each player brings in helps the casino determine how many comps each player has earned. It is also crucial for players to know their own action, so they can estimate their expected losses. Once you know your expected losses, you can decide which comps will best help you make up for them.
How to Maximize Your Casino Comps
There are many other strategies for taking advantage of casino comps programs. Reading books like Comp City by Max Rubin or Jean Scott’s The Frugal Gambler are great options for learning more about earning comps.
In general, the best way to maximize your casino comps is to take advantage of the most rewarding bonuses while keeping your losses to a minimum. The value of the comps you receive will vary from one casino to another. However, you can control, to an extent, how much you will lose at the casino.
Playing games with a low house edge, such as real money blackjack, can help you stretch your bankroll further. A successful strategy that enables you to win more than the average player will also help you play for longer and give you more chances to earn comps.
Online Gambling Comps
Comps are easily identified at land-based casinos, but the top online casinos also offer exciting rewards to their players. Casino sites linked to brick-and-mortar operations can offer similar comps, such as travel packages.
Offshore casino sites have to find other ways to reward players, and, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Players at online sites do not get free drinks, but they can take advantage of amazing bonuses.
Welcome bonuses, including deposit matches and free spins, are amongst the most common online gambling comps. Reload bonuses, referral promotions, and betting contests are great ways to get more out of your gambling experience. Top sites like DuckyLuck Casino even have extensive VIP reward programs that include daily rebates and personal hosts at the highest levels.
Mistakes to Avoid with Gambling Comps
Comps can help you overcome the house edge every casino has over any player when used correctly. However, using comps is not a foolproof system. Here are five mistakes to avoid when taking advantage of gambling comps.
1. Playing Tilted or Inebriated
The goal of most comps is to keep you at the table longer, and some, like free drinks, are designed to make you a worse gambler. Avoiding the traps of playing too long or drinking is essential to maximizing your bottom line.
2. Changing Casinos Often
Variety is the spice of life, but switching casinos too often will make it that much more challenging to earn the best comps. Identify the casinos that offer the cops you like the best and stick with them until you get your desired rewards.
3. Betting the Minimum
The best comps go to the players who bring the most action to the casino. This means that high rollers typically have a much easier time earning rewards. You do not need to bet the maximum, but you should avoid betting the minimum if you want to rack up comps.
4. Playing Games With a High House Edge
Keeping the house edge low is always a good idea for maximizing your profits. Playing games with a high RTP will make it easier to overcome your losses using comps.
5. Using Bonuses With High Rollovers
Online players have great bonuses to choose from, but not every promotion is as good as it appears. Bonuses with high rollover requirements are nearly impossible to profit from and are less valuable as comp options.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Comps
The five mistakes above can cost you in your quest to maximize your gambling comp value. On the bright side, here are three tips to help you get more out of comps from your favorite casinos.
- Have realistic expectations: High rollers can expect casinos to go out of their way to accommodate them, but this is not the case for most players. Use comps as a tool, but do not build your whole gambling strategy around them.
- Create a strategy for earning comps: Speaking of strategy, you should have a plan for which comps you want to use and how to earn them. Once you create a plan, follow it to earn your desired rewards.
- Take advantage of online comps: It is easy to rack up comps if you live near a casino, but that is not always the case. Luckily, real money casino sites make it easy to earn rewards regardless of where you live.
What Are Your Favorite Casino Comps?
Comps are one of the most popular tools casinos use to reward loyal members. Every player qualifies for basic comps, such as free drinks, but others are only available to loyal customers and high rollers.
Check out the guide above to learn more about gambling comps and how to use them. Then, read our casino reviews to find the best casino comp programs for you.
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