Casino Reviews


Casino Slot Cards & Comp’s

Casino Slot CardsMany people use casino slot cards all of the time, while others are afraid of them and have misinformed ideas about these cards.  For starters it is a good idea to understand exactly what they are so that there is no misconception.

The cards that casinos encourage their customers to use are plastic cards similar to a credit card that you place in a slot machine while you are playing  the slots or playing the tables. The casinos use this card to identify you while you are gambling and keep track of how much you gamble, how long you gamble and what kinds of games you like to play. They are not a credit card!

What do they do with all of this information, you ask?

Like any good marketing company they use this info, plus the personal info you give them when you sign up in a number of ways , basically to increase customer loyalty, to ensure they have the right games for their customers and to reward their customers for the time they spend in their casinos. This is a very competitive tool with some casinos using this feature more than others. Many casinos in a competitive market will provide better rewards to their customers based on their play than those in non-competitive markets. Las Vegas and Atlantic city casinos probably have the best rewards comp’s , while a small casino at a racetrack without another one for miles around will not provide very much in the way of comp’s.

The Canadian casinos are notoriously poor at providing good comp’s for their patrons. The Canadian provincial governments have a strangle hold on casinos, will not allow any more to be built and will not allow any competition to their government sponsored casinos.

How Do Casino Slot Cards Work?

Signing up for a slot card is easy and it is free. All you need to do is go to your casinos reward desk, fill in an application, provide photo id and the casinos will provide you with a personalized slot card.  Some will even reward you for signing up with a free gift , free slot play or a free diner buffet.

Before you begin to gamble , place your slot card in the slot machine card reader. The system will search for your name and when it finds your name will provide you with a welcoming message.

Next just start playing the slot machine as you normally would. The casino will now record how much you are betting, how frequently you bet and how long you play at that machine. Move to another machine and repeat the same procedure.

After awhile the casino will build up a profile on you about the type of machine you like to play, how often and how much, etc. They will design a customized rewards plan for you to attract you to their casino.  You will receive these rewards in the mail or by email depending on what choice you made when you signed up.

What Kinds of Comp’s Can I Expect?

The answer to this question really depends on how much you play however in general you should expect the following from time to time.

  • Free meals
  • Free play
  • Point play
  • Meal and merchandise discounts
  • Complimentary rooms
  • Free airport pickup ( High Rollers)
  • Complementary airline tickets ( High Rollers )
  • Free gifts
  • Invitations to slot tournaments or table games tournaments
  • Free tax report( more on this later)

Frequent players can expect more while less frequent , or low denomination players will take longer to build up their comp’s.

How do I Actually Collect the Comp’s

Every casino is a bit different and the best approach is to ask the rewards desk how and when you should expect to receive comp’s. Having said that there are two very important things to know about getting your comp’s and taking full advantage of your casino players card.

First, if you played sufficiently, the casinos want you back and they will send you various promotions in the mail or by email if you gave them your email address. Sometimes you need to check your junk mail file if you have this feature set up on your email system since new senders usually end up in the junk mail file. These promotions will consist of offers for discounted rooms or free rooms, free meals, free play and either discounts or free tickets to various shows. There will be a telephone number to call to book your next stay and all you need to do is give them your slot card number and your promotion number off the mailing that you received.

Ask for Comp’s

The second way to receive comp’s is to ask for them. Generally what we do is we will book our hotel stay through the casino host ( the number can be found on the back of the slot card or players card) and they will give you a room reservation at a rate that is consistent with your players status. Sometimes they will be at casino rates while other times you will receive a number of rooms nights free.

While you are at the hotel and playing at the casino with your slot card inserted in the slot machine, charge all of your meals etc to your room. Before you check out, go and see the players rewards desk, tell them you are checking out and give them your slot card. They will review your play and decide on the spot if they will comp you for anything. On good stays I have had my rooms and meals all comp’d. This is like winning a jackpot! Don’t try to negotiate, since they have their rules and formulas to follow, just be thankful for having a slot card. After you have been comp’d just check out as you normally would!

Casino Slot Cards – Free Tax Report

One other advantage of  of slot cards is that the casinos can provide you with a tax report. This report summarizes your losses. This is important and perhaps a bit scary at the same time. If you should win a jackpot over $1200, you are supposed to declare this as income and pay the appropriate tax. Some casinos will deduct the tax immediately and provide you with the appropriate IRS form to use in filing your taxes. Your tax loss statement from the casino can be used to reduce the amount of tax you pay on your slot machine jackpot!

Note: In Canada, casino and lottery winnings are not considered taxable!

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11 Responses to “Casino Slot Cards & Comp’s”

  1. […] Vegas is the place to be. We have slot cards at all of the major hotels. We have talked about the value of slot cards in past posts, so if you have not read this post, it is time you do. They can be invaluable and save […]

  2. […] my play and will give me comp’s as usual based on my play. If you are new to this, check out our post on slot cards to get the full details and learn why you always want to have a slot card. There are many benefits, […]

  3. […] They have added “Express Comps” to the screen readout. These Comps can be used at the restaurants to pay for your meals. MLife  Comps cannot be used for merchandise. You can use these express comp’s at any of the MGM properties all over the US and also at one property in Canada. A great convenience which their competitors have had for some time. Watch our next post for an article about a competitors improvements to their casino slot cards. To find out more about slot cards in general, click here. […]

  4. […] We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay here, also again because of the slot card that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here. […]

  5. […] Frequent players can expect more while less frequent , or low denomination players will take longer to build up their comp’s. With all of these features everyone should have a slot card. More information can be found by, clicking here. […]

  6. […] posts about why you would want to have a slot card and the benefits of having a slot card. You can click here for more […]

  7. […] They have added “Express Comps” to the screen readout. These Comps can be used at the restaurants to pay for your meals. MLife Comps cannot be used for merchandise. You can use these express comp’s at any of the MGM properties all over the US and also at one property in Canada. A great convenience which their competitors have had for some time. Watch our next post for an article about a competitors improvements to their casino slot cards. To find out more about slot cards in general, click here. […]

  8. […] Well if you feel that if you lost a great deal of money in the tax year that you won your jackpot, you can claim this loss against the jackpot that you won and reduce the amount of tax that you paid. The only way to be able to request a win loss statement is to ask for one from the casino that you play at. To do this you must have used a slot card which identifies you to the casino and tracks the amount of money you pay into the machine as well as your winnings. For more information on casino slot cards and all of the benefits of a slot card, click here. […]

  9. […] We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the Aquarius hotel while we stay here in Laughlin, Nevada for a few days, also again because of the slot cards that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  If you would like more information about the Aquarius Hotel, click here. For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here. […]

  10. […] We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay here, also again because of the slot card that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here. […]

  11. […] playing the slots at any of the hotels and if you would like more information about slot cards, click here. We have also taken advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay in Laughlin, […]

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