Do Not Miss Out On Your Casino Entitlements
Unless you are only the once-yearly kind of casino patron, you should know by now that you are entitled to "comps" and other privileges. After all, casinos everywhere recognize the value of loyalty programs, i.e., inducing moderate or heavier spenders to return rather than try out competing casinos. Recognizing that a handful of heavy spenders and repeat customers routinely generate the lion's share of revenue, marketing tacticians in retail, food-service, credit card financing, air transport, leisure and entertainment have long leveraged this promotional channel.
In overseas markets dependent on gaming-minded tourists, the most basic frequency program is targeted at the travel agencies and tour operators who strongly influence the activities of inbound travelers. Hence, a chain like Casino Filipino in the Philippines emulates restaurants, clubs, shops and resorts in paying commissions to tour operators and agents. Typically, this might be ten percent of the tour group's net loss (total losses less total winnings). The players themselves may receive no comp's or other amenities.
More structured incentives might be offered to savvy gaming tourists. A group counting at least five players with a minimum playing capital of $5,000 each is entitled to complimentary F & B and room nights, for example, as long as each gamer ends up with a net loss of $3,000 or can show they have wagered their playing capital at least six times. This time, incentive for the travel agent or tour operator is calculated as 3 to 5 percent of the group's playing capital. Net promotional cost for a casino-hotel winds up at about 7 to 10 percent of disclosed playing capital.
Really it is immaterial whether you arrive as part of a player club or group. Remember that every casino in the world cares more about the size of your bankroll. Show up alone but with from $3,000 to $19,999 in playing capital and you may be eligible for at least 6% in loss rebate even if you have a thoroughly bad run of luck.
Free individual travellers who fly in with rather more playing capital (say, $20,000) can count on comp rooms and F & B for a three-day stay, as well as reimbursement of economy class airfare. In these days of budget airlines, such an incentive package may amount to a face value of less than $600 (3 percent) for an American going on a Las Vegas jaunt. But the airfare reimbursement represents a $700 to $800 value if the same American or a European looks to do some gaming in Macao, Manila or Genting.
High rollers who disclose $25,000 or more in playing capital can, in some casinos, get a rebate of around 10% on whatever they lose in addition to the room, food, drinks and reimbursement for economy class airfare. Show up with from $50,001 to $99,999 in playing capital and you can afford to fly in on Business Class for free, besides earning an upgrade to a Junior Suite and double the F & B comps on top of the 10% loss rebate.
Flash a hundred big ones on checking in and you get back the price of your First Class plane ticket, an upgrade to a real suite and unlimited F &B. Should you be so completely luckless you lose your entire bankroll of $100,000 you may still leave town consoled by a rebate of at least $10,000.
So next time you do visit a casino, forget the free show tickets. Investigate the maximum you can get in comp rooms, F & B, cost of your plane ticket, and loss rebates.