The best trick for getting comps is to WIN and WIN BIG. Play on their money and walk away with a bunch. 6 hours and $600 profit at Sahara's resulted in free weekend suite offer. Next offer was free weekend deluxe room and next offer was weekday room. I stayed again and asked the host if he could do anything for me and he said no.

I never really played much after the first night when I was a guest at the Stratosphere.

Whale--> Shark--> Minnow --> Worm

I've been going to Vegas about two to three times a year for the past ten years. I can attest that, about a month after you return home, you will start receiving offers for free stays and two for one meals and shows. I agree that the best offers are through the Rewards offered by the Harrah's chain, which includes Flaimingo, Bally's, Paris, Harrah's, Rio and I beleive a few others.

I only play table games (black jack and craps) and as it was explained to me by a pit manager, it is not just the amount of chips you buy in for, but how how large each bet is, and how long you play that determines your comps and/or rewards. I don't know what other's do, but this is what I do:

Put $200.00 down as a chip buy-in at blackjack. Bet $10.00 - 15.00 each bet. This usually lasts me a number of hours. Whenever I'm done gambling, I ask the pit manager for comped meal. They will usually accomodate me, although a few have told me that my game play will not reflect on my player's card until the following day, and that I should wait until then to request my comp.

About a month after I'm home, Harrah's begins sending me offers to stay two nights free. The nice thing is, that I usually travel with a friend that also gambles. They also send her the same offer. Each time we go back to Vegas we combine our offers into one. This way we get 4 nights free and, if we choose to purchase additional nights, Harrah's will give them for a discounted rate.

Because Harrah's continues to treat me well, I will continue to stay with them, gamble at only their locations, let everyone know how great they are!

The only other hotel that has sent me comparable offers is GoldenNuggett, but they're not on the strip and, even though they are a beautiful hotel that has been around a long time, they are surrounded by deteriorating relics that smell terrible and attract an undesireable crowd.

kouichi said:what exactly is a casino host? The front desk person? Someone you call on the phone? The player's card counter person? Which one is it?

A casino host meets and greets guests and is there to identify customers who have a potential to be profitable to the casino The host's goal is to encourage people to do their gambling in their casino.
This is generally done by delivering perks to key customers based on the amount of gambling the individual does in that casino.

Winning or losing is irrelevant to the casino host. What is important is that the total gross amount of the wagers that is made by the gambler over the course of a stay. Someone pumping quarters for eight hours into a slot machine is more valuable than the guy who make 1 bet of $100.

If you are going to gamble in Las Vegas or other venues, it is important to get the casino player's card and to get rated so that you can take advantage of your play.

If you are heading to Las Vegas and wish to find out what comps are available, call the hotel directly and ask to speak to a casino host.

kouichi said:where can I find the casino host in person at the casino?
I have a platinum card and I've never talked to a "casino host" or asked for any comps before.

Which casino do you have a Platinum card from? You can generally get a host by asking the pit boss at the tables you are playing.

BTW - I have been told time and time again that it does not matter what you buy in for and it does not matter what you win or lose. Those are tracked to figure your total win/loss but comps are avg. bet X time. That's about it. And believe me, I've dropped serious coin and gotten just about no comps when I've lost it in a big hurry. I've also broken even over hours and hours of table play and gotten nice comps. It's definitely time X avg bet.

And to agree with others - never chase comps. You'll lose more than you ever planned to and find a host telling you they can give you one buffet (or not even that) if you lose your money too fast or simply don't log enough time playing.

Also - rule of thumb at many nicer strip casinos is 4 hrs a day X $25 minimum bet to be considered for room comps. (I do not mean players rates, I mean comped rooms). And some casinos won't even take your card if your bet is under $25 (Mandalay Bay, Caesar's, Bellagio, Venetian). Wynn won't "rate" you (as it's called) for less than a $50 avg bet.

I have a platinum at Harrahs' properties. So next time I just have to ask a bit boss for a casino host to get comps after I play? Or can I just ask the pit boss him/her-self? Any advice is appreciated as I have never asked for comps before.

Thank you but I was thinking about meal/buffet comps.

You are correct either way. When you sit down hand your card to the pit boss or dealer before you even begin gambling. When you leave, that is the time to ask the pit boss to comp you. THe longer you stay, the better your comps. If you dont get a comp from the pit boss you can ask to speak with a host, who can make offers to you without relying completely on your posted stats.

Most casinos do not updated their computers with player stats until the end of the day, so your information may not be posted until the following day. Thus, it's worth speaking with a host.

The other bonus is the offers for free rooms that Harrahs and their affiliates send you in the mail after you've played with them. Because of these offers and their accessible hosts, I am very loyal to them.

CptSavAHo said:Just to put it out there as a Vegas craps player-

Casino Royale is a dump. It is by far one of the dirtiest casinos on the strip. Their comp system sucks, but as a craps player their odds are unbeatable anywhere on the strip. The backs of most of their tables are worn down, so dice don't deflect randomly like at other casinos (pyramids on the sidewalls). The mini craps table with a half dozen seats around it is where some serious craps players play, and if you just follow their lead on bets you stand a chance at making good money. Be respectful and pass the dice at that table if you don't know what you are doing. If you know what you are doing it is the one place you can really go to play hard at craps. I would rather win money than comps in Vegas.

Totally agree. This place is dirty and so is the restaurants but I come back because of the 100x odds they offer. If you get that hot roller, you can really rake in the dough. But, with low minimums come crappy players who jinx the table who screws things up. The best is the sit down craps. Try to get a bunch of your friends (who know craps) and you will have a great time. Watch out for all those superstitions (dice bounces of table, dealer change, dice hitting chips on table, etc), they seem to always be right. After you gamble here, make sure you grab their free wet wipes at the cashiers cage and clean your hands.

I find a bit embarrassing asking the pit boss for the comp and he denies you. Especially in front of other players.

sandimarke said:You are correct either way. When you sit down hand your card to the pit boss or dealer before you even begin gambling. When you leave, that is the time to ask the pit boss to comp you. THe longer you stay, the better your comps. If you dont get a comp from the pit boss you can ask to speak with a host, who can make offers to you without relying completely on your posted stats.

Most casinos do not updated their computers with player stats until the end of the day, so your information may not be posted until the following day. Thus, it's worth speaking with a host.

The other bonus is the offers for free rooms that Harrahs and their affiliates send you in the mail after you've played with them. Because of these offers and their accessible hosts, I am very loyal to them.

My wife and I are both Diamond club members with Harrah's, we go to casinos free all the time and will be at Caesars next week for free....Free in this sense is PRE-PAID by gambling!!! Don't gamble for comps, take comps if you gamble!

little info on comps that I've learned in my trips.....keep in mind, I'm the type that does TOO much research on stuff that I'm going to take part in--especially comps

**this info comes primarily from pit bosses, hosts, and other big gamblers...also internet and comp books

-most of your 'rating' is based upon avg. bet and hours played

-the 2nd most important factor is what game you are playing!!!
these days the comps are done by computer based upon the casino's expected amount they would earn on your play
ie- the casino has a 33% (think thats right, give or take a few) edge in roulette, so a roulette player that avg's $15 bet per spin will get a higher rating than a player that bets $15 per hand at blackjack where a perfect player can make the house edge only around 1% -- same thing goes for the odds bet at craps, you DON'T get rated much on that bet regardless of how much it is

-Buying in for larger amounts can increase your rating because they do input the amount you bring to the table to gamble and attempt to find out how much you left with....I ALWAYS BUYIN BIGGER THAN I'M PLANNING TO GAMBLE!!!

-Gambling in Vegas will get you LESS comps than gambling in other areas...My wife and I usually go to Tunica, Mississippi where we are treated very well. Before Harrahs took over the Grand there, we even got all of our spa treatments for free... The first time we went to Vegas, we went to the VIP desk to get a couple players cards and the clerk said "you wouldn't have gotten that rating for your play in Vegas!" BUT we are still diamond club and enjoy the perks everywhere.

**TIPS FOR SQUEEZING OUT A BETTER RATING!!***

-once again buyin for larger amounts and pocket some after sitting for a while

-busy games are slower, but they also mean you will play less hands/rolls/spins and will have the chance to lose less, BUT the rating system doesn't keep up with how many hands are being played per hour....so less bets/hour but you get same rating on avg. bet and number of hours

-if you need to go to the bathroom, grab a bite to eat, run to the room, etc...Leave your money on the table and ask the dealer to hold your spot for you with the money! I know this may sound risky to some, but if you don't trust the casino to protect the money then just reserve your spot and say you are coming right back. The reason is you usually don't get taken out of the system during your time away from the table.

-at blackjack, the multi-deck tables where the dealer shuffles the cards (not a machine) will play less hands per hour than other tables.

-the carnival games (let-it-ride, 3 card, hold'em poker) all rate very well and play relatively slow

-slots rate better than almost everything else because it is fast, no dealers are required, and they have a specific house edge that accrues a large percentage of all casino revenues!

-THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HAS HELPED MY WIFE AND I GET A DECENT RATING----BEING FRIENDLY WITH THE PIT BOSSES!!!! My wife plays relatively small bets, but she likes to sit in corner seats and she is a talkative person...therefore, she always seems to know ALL the dealers and pit bosses within a few hours!!! (sshh..don't tell anyone, but in Tunica--one pit boss would keep us in the system for twice our avg bet and after we had left just to be nice!-dont ask for a 'hook-up' just be friendly and hope for the best)

Finally, I want to reiterate the fact that you SHOULD NOT GAMBLE FOR COMPS, but should simply take comps if you are going to be gambling!

gl at the tables!