As a gambler, the word “comp” is perhaps one of the sweetest words to hear or read other than “winner”, “jackpot”, or “I’m leaving Brad Pitt for you.”
“Comp” is short for “complimentary” and whether you’re playing at an online casino, or an offline casino, comps are the little free perks from the casino that are designed to make you happy. They aren’t just there for the high rollers, either. Casinos value the custom of everyone that plays at their tables, so it’s important for them to keep you happy and keep them in your thoughts for the next time you decide to hit the tables. As business, both in the online and offline world, is so fierce, casinos will often pull out the stops to keep you as their customer.
At a live casino, comps can almost literally take the form of anything. However, the most common form of comp given to players are free drinks, free meals and discounted rates on hotel rooms. Don’t let “Vegas Vacation” fool you, just because you’re winning and rolling the dice well, it doesn’t mean you’ll be given the keys to the classiest hotel room in the establishment. However, if you’re a high-roller, you might just get some bigger perks and that’s when the “anything” part comes in to play.
You see, casinos want to keep their biggest players coming back – I’m sure you can appreciate why – more than they do the small level players. Of course, as I said before, they want everyone’s business, which is why free drinks, free meals and the discounted rooms are par for the course. But these high-rollers expect more and they get more. The high rollers might be offered a limousine service, or even a private jet. They might get tickets to Sigfried and Roy…if they really insist.
But it all comes down to how much you’re wagering. These days, players have their play “rated”. What this means is that they have some form of loyalty card, or a player card which keeps details on how much you’re wagering. Ten, simply put, how ever much you wager is converted into comps for you. The more you wager, the nicer the comps become.
There are, of course, other ways of getting these comps, through a casino host or something similar, but player tracking through cards and then simply cashing them in is become more common for lower level players, while high rollers are still waited on, almost 24/7.
Now, at an online casino, this is where comps become a lot more fun. You see, the online casino marketplace is even more cutthroat than the offline market place, simply because offline, there are a finite amount of casinos in any one area. Online, there is almost an infinite number of casinos you can play at, each with their own wonderful benefits (check our review out if you don’t believe me!) and each trying to get you to part with your cash at their tables.
So, aside from the sign-up bonuses, they need to entice you with their comps. They need to assure you that when you gamble with them, you’ll get a great deal or offer that no other online casino can give you.
Comps at an online casino are obviously slightly different to the offline variety. You have no need for free drinks, as you can go to the refrigerator and get your own Budweiser and a comped room is of no real use to you, as you can be playing at these casinos in the comfort of your own bed, should you feel the urge. No, these casinos deal mostly in “complimentary money”. I guess it’s not strictly complimentary money, but you get the idea.
Online casinos will track your play using comp points, just like an offline casino would. These points can then be exchanged for various things, usually cash. Say, for example, you’re playing at Tower Casino. Their program is simple in that for every 100 comp points you earn, you get $1. Simple! Money for playing, what could be better?
Over at Millionaire Casino you can climb up the levels of their VIP program. The more you wager, the better your bonuses become. You get better deposit bonuses and once you hit the Platinum level, you get rebates on your losses, which is a great offer for the high rollers. The comp point accrued determine which level you are on, so it’s always important to build up the comp points, regardless of what casino you are at. The other great thing is that you can purchase various bits of merchandise with your comp points, something that you can’t do at an offline casino. You can get yourself some branded merchandise, or you could get yourself some state of the art electronics. It’s much more fun having something you use every day comped to you by a casino than it is buying it. Well, that’s unless you’re buying it with winnings from the casino! Most casinos have something similar, but the selection of things you can use your points for at Millionaire Casino really is impressive and they really look after their players, regardless of the comp level, although those at the top end of the comp points ladder do get a few extra flourishes, which are really worth it.
So, there you go. Two different types of casinos, both with the same principle at their core: keep the players happy by giving them something for playing at our casino. They differ greatly when it comes to the end result, but the idea is definitely the same. When playing at an offline casino, don’t be scared to ask what the comp levels are and what you qualify for. Shy kids get nothing! And when playing at an online casino, remember to check out their comps program to see if it’s too your liking. However, as I mentioned, the Tower Casino and Millionaire Casino programs really are hard to beat depending on what levels you’re playing at!
Additional Casino Comp Questions:
Do Online Casinos offer Comp Programs?
They sure do. Actually, some of the comps you get at online casinos are better than offline casinos.
Sure, meal tickets are great, but what about rebates on your losses? Free electronics like cameras and Ipods? Without a large employee base to pay for, online casinos are able to give away a lot of great gifts and rewards for playing there.
A great online casino in this regard for both small stakes players and high rollers is Millionaire Casino.
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