Recently I wrote the article below for a newsletter than goes mainly to casino executives. However, I thought it might be of interest to some of the players who read this blog.
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Back in 1995, the news crew of 48 Hours followed Brad and me around Las Vegas, filming as we played video poker and reaped comps all over town. On the air, Dan Rather dubbed me the “Queen of Comps.” By then I had been honing my comp skills for more than ten years and after retirement, and Brad and I were staying in comped casino hotel rooms in Las Vegas for months at a time. Our low-roller play on quarter video poker not only provided us with a free places to stay, but comps covered our food costs, gave us myriad entertainment choices, and provided gifts galore. It was the golden age of comps.
Plowing our gambling profits back into our small starting bankroll, we then were able to slowly go up in denomination, to dollar and then five-dollar machines, from single-line to multi-line. As our coin-in grew so did the level of our comps. The basic rooms of our early days turned into luxurious suites. The food comps that covered snack bars, buffets, and coffee shops were now large enough for the gourmet restaurants. We still got gifts of logo jackets and sports bags, but we also got shopping sprees at upscale merchants, cruises, and high-end watches and crystal.
Then things started going downhill sometime in 2008. I’m not sure exactly when because it was a slow decline, barely noticed at first. We would check into one of our usual casino haunts and the welcome basket had shrunk from gigantic to merely large. But by the time of our next trip it was quite small and finally we were welcomed by a small package of caramel corn. The casino parties started shrinking too. No more lavish sit-down dinners in a decorated ballroom, with a band and dancing, where they announced the winners of a tournament. Maybe just a short cocktail party and then maybe no party at all – look for your name on a list posted outside the players club.
Discretionary comps started disappearing quickly at this time, even for high rollers. Unless you were a whale, your host had no choice but to tell you to use your points for whatever freebies you wanted. Then “maybe” he/she could get you something extra if you kept playing and lost a lot of money. The accountants, who knew nothing about the mindset of gamblers, had already started taking over casino policy – and comps were in the cross hairs. The Great Recession pulled the trigger.
In the view of most players today, the comp system will never go back to the free-wheeling days when casino hosts had almost absolute discretion in who got comps and how much. I see both sides of this issue. Upper management must look at the total financial picture of a casino. They know the math and they cannot allow hosts, who usually don’t know that total picture, give away the store. Even the Queen of Comps doesn’t want a casino to go broke by giving away too much; my gambling buddies and I need a place to play. But management needs to listen to the hosts, who know that the casino must give some incentives to their players, most of whom are losing a lot of money, or those players will leave their casino – or horrors, take up some other form of entertainment.
So this balancing of interests will always be at work – and comps will never go away. However, the present day player will need to adjust to this brave new comp world. New players will have it easier to adjust; they don’t remember the “good ole days.” It is we oldsters who will find it difficult, especially those of us who have been used to combining good games with good comps.
Recently I talked to an old hand at this endeavor. For many years he and his wife have spent six months every winter in Vegas, staying and eating free in casinos, just as Brad and I did before we settled down and bought a home here in 2000. I asked him if he was still able to get everything comped. He frowned and said it was getting harder and harder. In fact, he was thinking they were going to have to rent a small place next winter instead of moving from casino to casino for comped accommodations.
I really don’t think it is the casino’s place to provide anyone with a permanent home that includes all expenses paid, and almost no players expect that from comps. But most players do expect some rewards for their play. And those who have learned to work the comp system can still score a lot of extras, even the low-roller table or machine player. With the economy getting stronger, the higher-level players are seeing a bit of a bump in their comps and hopefully this trend upward will continue. And perhaps the casino bean counters will realize that, although there needs to be reasonable limits, giving out comps is one of the best ways to attract and keep customers.
Casinos have always been an ever-changing environment. Casino executives will always be tweaking their comp policies. Therefore the wise player will always be adjusting their strategies to cope with these changes.
I used to go out to the flamingo and play mid level blackjack. I would call my host and get my room and some food comped. Of course I would get a welcome basket when I checked in. That was in the early 2000’s. Then every thing changed. I called my host for a room and was told I could not get one. I asked why and he said my level of play was now too low. I asked him what my average bet was for my last visit and he said it was about $55 per bet for several hours per day for 6 or 7 days. He now wanted $100 minimum average bet for 4 hours minimum play per day. I decided at that point that I did not want to buy a room, just stay there! Now I still go there but use my mailing for 2 nights and get casino rates for the remainder. Sometimes I will stay off strip for several nights also. Those are fully comped. Life has changed!
Has anyone really taken a look around. We found that both in AC near where we live and in Las Vegas the video poker machines are always empty. All the regular video poker players, both high and low are gone. The players found that they just could only lose so much until they realize losing all the time is not gambling anymore.. it is losing.
Las Vegas especially is now catering to the younger party and drinking crowd that overrun the hotels. The music reflex this in it’s pumped up pounding music 24 hours a day.
This is what the casinos want which will make them eventually stop being casinos and just be one big night club!
Also I believe the average gambler had became very smart at choosing good machines and value games. The casinos are not interested in the Value Players anymore. That is what they call us in Atlantic City. There are not that many gamblers out there who can just throw money away week after week and keep losing at poor playing games.
i visit vegas 3 to 4 times a year. my host would always comp room and meals. my april 2013 visit changed, room was comp’d but they didn’t want to comp my meals that i charged to my room($120 total). my host had always told me to charge them to my room and she would take care of them upon checking out. this time i was told she could not do that because my play didn’t justify it. i only play vp in the $1 to $5 range and my play have not decease from previous trips. while planning a october trip i call the same host about booking a room. she then in formed me she would have to check to she if THEY?? would allow her to comp my room. she came back with 3 nights comp’d but i would not get the free play on the mailer i had received in the mail. i took 2 nights and stayed the other 3 nights down the strip all comp’d by my new host who had no problem with me coming and staying there. also my wife had been wanting to stay there so that was a plus. since then i have been staying there and playing there the last 2 trips. i won’t name the casinos but i went from the north end of the strip to the south end. sometime change is good.
For years we flew out to Vegas 3 times a year and always had free rooms for the 3 or 4 nights we stayed, even at the high-end hotels. Then we started noticing the bath giveaways were missing the sewing kits and toothbrushes. Then the buffets started cutting back on the choices and other meals became more and more expensive. The hotels quit giving you coupons when you checked in and free nights went to 2 free nights and now, with a beautiful new Indian casino an hour’s drive from our front door (closer than the airport!), we are reconsidering our Vegas trips. We were never looking for shopping sprees, cruises or tickets to shows. We just wanted to gamble, win a little and have a few good meals. Not much of a fun vacation when you can’t do that anymore.
Jean,
Great article that brought back many memories of the not so distant past. The whole idea of no “discretionary comps”, limited host authority, “resort fees” [for a casino???] and the complete loss of good games; has had a significant effect on gaming. I see few winners (even high dollar) in slots or table games. There used to be so many, people would play 2-3 Sizzling Seven Dollar slots, for hours on end. The dinners & events were magical and you got good value with your dollar.
No most revenue comes from non-gaming revenue and from what I have heard, gaming only accounts for about 1/3 of Vegas income. The town has pushed gamblers away: for $20 poolside drinks, $150-300 celebrity-chef dinners, $1,000++ bottle service, $500+ pool cabanas, $300 spa services, $50 dinner buffets, $175+ shows, $35 resort fees, and on & on.
The “New Vegas” is a very expensive place, the total bill could easily be a trip to Europe, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Thus gaming will continue the decline and the town needs to be careful of becoming another Atlantic City. I read recently that the $2.5 Billion Dollars Rivel, is now only valued at around $45 Million Dollars.
Perhaps there is a lesson here, for Vegas?
I saw this happening too in 2008 and appreciate your perspective as well. Multiple States see casinos as a surefire revenue generator but the pie can only be sliced so many times. There is growing competition for Las Vegas.
The mindset of the mid-2000’s has also changed and not to the casino’s advantage. Yes the Las Vegas casinos will still attract a significant crowd but many like myself no longer book based on the availability of comps but book a place based on the quality of the room, restaurant and experience. The main reason is the economy – it isn’t very good and not all people can be fooled by the talking heads propping up the politicians. Many see dark financial days ahead. I do. I think the casinos do and part of their tightening may be preparing for a financial slowdown.
The good times (big comps for reasonable play) may never return.
great article jean!! boyd has certainly jumped on this bandwagon. the constant swiping of the clubcard..the constant changing of multipliers..it’s very aggravating. I wonder if they want to DISCOURAGE us? the latest twist is multiple points between 9:00 PM and MIDNITE!! oh really? thought you were for the locals? guess some of us are out at that time…the other 90% are home.
Nice article, I agree totally. Have found Vegas not to be the value vacation spot it once was. I really enjoyed “earning and playing the comps”. Now it is a sure thing that you will lose and most likely not get much back in the way of comps. Everything has gotten very pricey. I can afford to do anything I want, but must say, vegas has lost it’s luster for me. I only visit once a year now for 3 nights, used to go up to 4 times a year.
Jean, as we have discussed, as a Diamond and $1/quarter player at VP I still get some good comps at various Caesar’s properties, thanks to some good hosts. However, recently I’ve seen some additional tightening of the belt, Lake Tahoe being one. And of course, for those who are borderline Diamond, the increases (two) in the points needed to maintain their Diamond status may be too much/require too much gambling for their bankrolls. As you have always said, don’t overplay your bankroll just for comps. Caesar’s/Harrah’s still gives out free rooms, is lenient on the points when you check out (host give you much more than just the points are worth), we still get a free show every month, they still have drawings and tournaments (though, as you say, the lavish dinner/dance awards ceremonies are about gone). So, although some of the higher end amenities have about disappeared, there’s still plenty of comps out there if you know where to look.
A casino can only squeeze the players for so much before they simply stop coming back. Then revenue tanks and debts cannot be paid, and the shareholders start selling off the stock for pennies on the dollar. Soon enough the casino goes belly up, and a new group takes over with a whole new philosophy.
As casinos are now in overdrive to populate the world, Vegas will now have to compete with States legalizing gambling, more Indian casinos, and foreign casinos who will simply make an offer to the Vegas Whales that they cannot resist. Already the Canadian casinos are flying elite players from east cost area to their local casinos. It is only time before we see cheap flights to out of the country casinos for all levels of players. Might even see gambling on the flight itself!
I predict that Las Vegas will take a hard look at itself, give the bean counters the Bum’s rush, and bring in people who know the gamblers mindset and offer them what they want. I really don’t think Vegas has much of a choice in this.
Don’t blame the recession; the decline in comps actually started well before 2008. What happened was that many casino mega-operators–Harrah’s and Stations being the most prominent–became so enamored with build ’em, build ’em, buy ’em–viewing casinos as sure-fire, can’t-lose money machines–that they became heavily in debt. The result was a pressure to increase monthly cash flow in order to service the mountains of debt. Harrah’s first slashed comps, amenities, and services, then held their breaths to see if doing so would affect their market share. Their premise (hope) was that its “signature” properties had enough cachet that people would still, baaing and mooing, file in the front door even though the price of everything had increased, the gambling had gotten worse, and comps and amenities had been slashed.
It worked. The main reason Harrah’s and then every other Vegas casino was able to raise prices and cut the quality of the product IN A RECESSION (!!!) was that gamblers didn’t do what they should have done–stay the hell away. Then Harrah’s was rescued by every other casino colluding to create a universal no-comp crappy-gambling environment. In a very real sense, we gamblers are to blame for the current awful environment, because when the casinos were first starting to rip everyone off, we should all have voted with our feet. Now, Vegas is a gambler’s wasteland.
Another possible alternative to hotels is RV parks. We picked up a book from Camping World called “Casino Camping” that lists almost all of the RV friendly casinos in the country. The book doesn’t talk about comps, but so far every casino RV park we’ve stayed at has been willing to comp RV spaces or allow us to use points (usually for much less play than needed for a hotel room). And many casinos have sister casinos in different parts of the country that share the same comp system (Sam’s Town and Harrah’s for example). Also, if you get coupons for hotels, some casinos will turn a one night hotel stay into a two night stay in the RV park. Surprisingly, some casinos will even let you use hotel coupons from their sister casinos for RV stays. All you have to do is ask. We became full-timers in our RV about a year ago and we haven’t had to pay to stay anywhere yet. We do have to move from RV park to RV park on occasion, but we welcome the change of scenery and it’s nice to have our pet along too.
Hear, hear! Great column, Jean. Balanced and intelligent, as always.