Get your share and MORE of the millions in comps casinos hand out each year.

Comps (short for complimentaries) occur on two levels. One, standard comps, drinks, coffee, even snacks, coupon books, and other freebies available to anyone.

Two, Premium comps such as free rooms, meals, show tickets, casino souvenirs, and even free airfare are given only to qualified players. Comps are earned when you gamble, at the slots, the tables, the wheel, no matter what game you play in the casino. And the amount of the comp is proportionate to the amount of action you give the casino (action is the money you bet in any game). The more action, the more comps.

Whenever you visit any casino, be sure to get a player's card.Once you have the card, use it whenever you gamble. If you play slots, there is a place to put the card in as you play. At tables, simply hand the card to the dealer when you get chips. The dealer will hand it to the pit boss who will log you in. At this point they track the amount you bought in the game with and the table stakes. When you leave, they record the amount you won or lost. All this information determines how much comp credit you get. 

How to get better comps!

First, always dress well! Players in sloppy tee shirts, ragged jeans, or very casual inexpensive clothes don't really interest the pit boss. How is he dressed? Usually in a coat and tie, almost always upscale. Dress well and wear your more expensive clothes, and be sure to have the accessories! A good looking watch, ring, chain, bracelet,all contribute to the overall image. The pit boss will be more likely to be more generous in handing out comps to players who look like they have money to spend - oops, make that lose!

First, always get noticed. Buy in for a few hundred dollars when you sit down at the blackjack table. The dealer will notify the pit boss and hand him your card. When the pit boss looks your way, call him by name (from his nametag, ask him if you cannot see it. Hi Boss, said with a smile works, too) and thank him for logging you in. Ask him what comps you can expect for a hour or two of play. Just chat if you can. Be friendly.  

When he is watching your table, try to make your biggest bets. Play a second spot on the table if possible. When he's not, bet the minimum, if it is to your advantage to do so. Tip the dealer too! After an hour or so, make a few large bets when he comes around. Tell him you are getting hungry, then ask him if you have earned any comps yet for the buffet.

Play only busy tables and play slowly. Fewer hands played equals fewer potential losses. Look for a full table with a social atmosphere. When players are chatting, join in with them. Tell stories or jokes. Sit out for a hand occasionally (never when the pit boss is around!). The idea is to let the log build your playing time. Only use these tactics when the pit boss is not around. And be sure not to ruffle the other players, who may just comment on your play when the pit boss is around to hear it. If you see the pit boss is on a break, take one too, head for the bathroom, or go and get somethng to drink.

Needless to say, be friendly all the time, do not yell at the dealer or complain at lot.

Secret tactics to get more and better comps!

Get two (or more) players cards. As a rule, two people using the same card account will build comps faster then two players on separate accounts. If one of you is playing slots while the other is playing blackjack, then you can build comps faster. Some casinos frown on this, but most will allow it. You would be amazed at how many times I have seen people at the slots playing two machines at the same time, one with a players card and one without. All the comp play is lost in one of the machines. Several times I have been tempted to stick my card in for them!

Make it appear you haver lost more than you really have. During the course of play, find a way to move chips from the table to your pockets. Be sure the pit boss is NOT watching when you do this! Just take a chip, and if the dealer notices, put it in your pocket and say (with a sad smile) I better save this one for dinner. And then as you play, add a few more to it secretly. Stack your chips, leave one in your hand and then reach for something in your pocket. Drop the chip in as you do this. I use a lip balm in my back pocket for this. I cache a chip in my hand, reach back in my pocket for the balm, and drop the chip as I bring it out. Lighters and cigarettes, if you smoke, also work. It is easy for a woman to sweep one in her purse sitting on her lap. Practice this first! Casinos do not like players putting chips in pockets or purses. The idea is that when you leave the table, you will appear to have lost more than you actually did. This will raise your comp level.

When you leave the table, and you have colored up (traded your smaller chips for bigger ones), casually stroll around the tables for a few minutes, as if you are looking for a place to play. Then head for the bathroom. On your way back, stop at the cashier and cash in your chips! Then the next time you sit down to play, buy in with cash! Never bring chips to a table, and always get your chips only at a table. This way the casino only knows that you bought in again, and you have put a few bucks back in your pocket. Overall, the casino thinks it is getting more action than it really is.

When you are done gambling for the night, leave your player card (or cards) in a slot machine! (Don't worry, your comps are safe, it takes ID to redeem comps) Here is how to do this, and it works much of the time. Find one of those big slot machines, the ones that people try an occasional bet on. Put your card in and play it once, then leave the card there. If the next player does not have a card, then anything they play will go to your account! And the next, and the next. I once left a card in a machine overnight at the Excalibur and it was still there the next morning, with over $100 in comps added to it! Don't overdo this! If the casino finds you have gotten 20 cards, and finds them all over the place, you may lose your comps cards membership!