Everybody wants to get comped.
This could be a Jacuzzi suite for the night, filled with a bottle of a favorite champagne and brochures that provide the contact information for the best-of-the-best “entertainment” options for the mature visitor (instead of the seedy material found along the streets).
One might be comped a free meal—even though Vegas has the cheapest eats in the world—or to a show featuring some washed up pseudo celebrity. Whatever the prize, you can feel like King Midas while you engulf free lobster.
Little do most visitors know, however, is that everyone who spends a dime in Vegas is eligible for some sort of comp. While I can’t guarantee that the freebees will be more than a “Welcome to the Flamingo” keychain or watered-down free drinks on the gaming floor, there are a few tips that every visitor should know before walking into a casino.
Confidence is key. Walk, talk and play like a pro--even if you're a novice--and your essence might attract attention.
Don’t Fear the Pit Boss. Schmooze Him. The key to successfully securing a comp, though, is that the patron not be intimidated by the casino host or pit boss. The hosts’ job is to ensure that each visitor enjoys his/her stay at the hotel, with hopes that the visitor will choose the same hotel on subsequent visits to Vegas.
Remember that
the hosts are accountable for what they give to the players; they must watch your play, and then determine what they can offer you. Comps are generally computed based on expected loss. If you played $5,000 at Blackjack with a 3 percent expected house edge, they would presume that you lost $150. They would comp you a percentage of that presumed loss, usually 20-to-40 percent, or $30-to-$60.
This doesn't mean that you have to lose that $150. Actually, you can be a winner and still get comped. Never forget that the premise behind most comps is that they want you to play at their casino (or to continue losing at the casino or to lose whatever you have won at the casino).
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