Introduction to Earning Comps
Earning comps (complimentary gifts) is the most common winning strategy used by millions of slots enthusiasts. From giving away free slots play to food to free (or discounted) travel, casinos loyalty programs give you all kinds of free gifts or “comps”.
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“Comps” as a Gambling Goal
Everyone has a gambling goal. For some folks, their laudable goal is not to gamble at all. Others want to make money, to take home more than the bankroll they arrived with.
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The largest group of gamblers are those there for entertainment value by gambling a small bankroll along with their friends for a fun night out. Whatever a gambler’s goal for visiting a casino, using a players’ club card while gambling earns complimentary gifts, i.e., comps. Such comps can include dinners, gifts, trips, and much more, but that the overall level of comps provided depends heavily on how much an individual plays.
Comps earned are based on two factors: tier level within the club and how much they have played or spent recently. Consider the typical annual cruise complimentary casino gift.
An annual 3-day cruise for two people, i.e., one stateroom, are received by slots enthusiasts achieving the second-to-top tier level in the players club. An annual 7-day cruise is gifted to players that reach the top-tier.
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Cruises are an example of one of the most extravagant comps within most players clubs. Another is travel comps like 2-night and 3-night stays in Las Vegas which, unlike cruise ship comps, includes airfare, room credits, and perhaps a limousine to and from the airport.
Earning Free Food and Slots Play
Other comps are daily, based on amount of play and tier level, rather than just reaching a top tier. Most comps common to everyone are either related to food or free play. It’s so common that casinos have a systematic approach to rewarding comps.
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Players used to routinely approach a host station to ask for a complimentary meal which may or may not be granted after the host checks the player’s level of activity.
Now, players check club kiosks throughout the casino. If a sufficient balance in earned points exists for earn a complimentary meal, they simply visit the casino dining establishment as directed have use those club points for a reduced cost or a free meal. Otherwise, the kiosk could inform a player of a promotional meal, which also happens.
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Kiosks is yet another example of workforce reduction which casinos are moving forward with to automate casino operating systems.
Earning Complimentary Gifts as Compensation
Many slots enthusiasts enjoy “free” comps. Food is an easy complimentary gift for casinos, whatever the player’s tier level. Players at lower tier levels can occasionally buy their friends a nice dinner perhaps once or twice a year.
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At higher tier levels, players may regularly receive free slot play. I’ve personally found this players club feature to be quite entertaining. I’ve tried to explain free slot play to non-gamblers.
It’s like using an ATM to withdraw money, only I’m never sure how much my withdrawal will be. However, I don’t like that free slot play is usually restricted to a specific day and time of the day. Amount of free slot play can be significantly different dependent on the players’ club.
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Availability of free slots play isn’t documented in the players club brochure, so the casino can change, even eliminate it, based on the economic situation. Choosing to invest in a players’ club may result in having made a financial investment in a club which has a lesser return with regards to free slot play maximum weekly amounts.
Tools for Maximizing Comps
To maximize comps, focus on tools needed to achieve a higher tier level while maintaining a high level of play. Use my slots winning strategies to, at least, cycle bankrolls though winning or breaking-even slot machines.
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If targeting certain comps, think about how to get it. For example, a laudable goal is earning a free gourmet burger with fries and a drink once every 5 visits. Another comp is an occasional visit with friends to a casino restaurant.
If your focus is the 7-day cruise for two, then that too is possible. But it requires an investment in the players club to reach top tier. Whatever players’ club is joined, reaching the desired level of comps means knowing how many points are earned for every dollar spent gambling.
It is also important to understand which comps are automatically provided. When might you receiving free slots play, trips, and cruises? And how much of an investment is needed for each players’ club at casinos near you?
Unfortunately, players’ club brochures often don’t explain how many points are earned per dollar and what other comps might be earned. While marketing materials may list points to reach a tier level, it won’t explain the maximum weekly amount of free slot play provided.
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Maximum free play varies with players’ club, where small weekly differences can be significant when added up over long periods. When choosing a players’ club, research may be needed to determine which casino venue provides the best maximum comps. Given shortcomings in marketing brochures, the best approach is to ask a slots enthusiast who is already a member.
Assessing Two Players’ Clubs
There are two casinos in my area which I have frequented with two different players clubs. Both have the cruises available for the highest tier levels. Both have trips available to their associated properties in Las Vegas.
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However, one players’ club provides an annual lease of a luxury automobile at its highest tier. This casino also has far fewer restaurants than the other casino does. It also has less influence with local businesses to obtain comps.
Which should I choose? Which would you choose? Yes, it entirely depends on what you want. It’s an individual choice and should be a careful decision.
It is possible to win $10,000 to $15,000 annually in complimentary gifts. For many, it was their only compensation from a year of gambling. To do this, they fully spent all their bankrolls.
Whatever jackpots they won went back into one slot machine or another. All free slot play was spent. At the end of the year, they had two gambling income sources of income – income tax refunds and complimentary gifts.
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Remember that income tax refunds are only possible if gambling records are kept. The U.S. IRS states we can deduct gambling losses up to our winnings. For more on doing this yourself, see Keeping Gambling Records for Tax Preparation and More.
Disadvantage: Comps are Taxable Income
A disadvantage of earning complimentary gifts as compensation is that it’s taxable income. I am not a tax professional, so please consult with one as needed. But all compensation is expected to be declared as income on U.S. income tax returns.
I understand that casinos are quite quiet on this topic, when giving out comps, but each gift has a fair market value to be recorded for tax purposes. In my mind, this is a negligible issue. Why?
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On average most slots enthusiasts spend more money than they win. In their annual income taxes, therefore, they can deduct their winnings as well as the free market value to their complimentary gifts because it is still less than was spent. Again, if gambling records are kept.
Impact on Your Personal Return
Complimentary gifts have monetary value and can add to the annual return of players. Many casinos report to their state-run gaming commissions that their slots payout percentage is somewhere between 90% to 93% for some months and years. My goal in educating slots enthusiasts is to improve their individual return to the point their annual payout percentage exceeds 100%.
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Earning complimentary gifts can significantly assist in reaching and surpassing a 100% return threshold. Sometimes, it’s the only profit slots enthusiasts see after a full year of play. And a deliberate result which they carefully targeted as their gambling goal.
You need to decide for yourself if the comps being offered by a casino are desirable or even wanted. It can also be difficult to determine what smaller mailer/flyer gifts may be made available through the year. Especially as casinos work very hard to select relatively high quality and useful gifts.
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But these casinos plans don’t always succeed. For instance, I have been gifted with far more (very nice!) electric grills than I quite know what to do with. Eventually, I re-gifted them to family members during holidays and birthdays.
Summary of Complimentary Gifts
Earning complimentary gifts is the most common winning strategy. The first comp is free play when signing up for a players’ reward club card. Whatever a slots gambler’s goal, the use of a players’ club card results in earning complimentary gifts.
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