Use our casino strategy to get the most comps

Every casino uses this method to track your play and determine how valuable an asset you are to their business. You give them your name and address, your birthdate, and usually an email address as well. Then you use the card they give you in each machine you play.

This tells the casino how much you’ve played, what you like to play and lots of other important information. Depending on the amount you play and the generosity of the casino, you’ll soon find your mailbox stuffed with offers from the casinos you’ve visited.

These offers can include coupons for free play, free rooms, free meals and exciting gifts. In my little file box, that resides unobtrusively in the back seat of my pickup truck, I have offers from all the casinos we’ve played at. Anytime we’re planning a trip, I take out the box and look through the offers for casinos on our planned route.

On a recent trip from Louisiana to Ohio I booked a room at the Isle of Capris in Nachez, Mississippi, we stayed a night at the Horseshoe Casino (a Harrah’s property in Tunica) and then we hopped on over to the Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina. On the return trip, we returned to the Cherokee, and we dropped into a new casino we discovered near Atlanta. Then, as we do often, we headed for Biloxi, Mississippi. In Biloxi you will find many casinos falling over each other in the effort to attract your business.

Each of those nights were “comped” (given to us as a complimentary gift) to encourage us to stay at the casino. Each of those casinos gave us free meals, usually a lavish buffet, and most gave us free money to play. Because I organize my casino offers in my little file box, most trips we take incude free rooms, meals and play just like that trip.

This may look like a disaster waiting to happen, but on the average, Tom and I manage to lose less than we win. When one of us loses, the other might win, averaging out to a net win or a small loss. When you add in all the freebies, it means a great time for a meager amount of cash outlay. On the trip to Ohio I mentioned, we stopped at ten casinos, got five nights free and ate seven free meals. We played a couple of hundred dollars of free money, and came out ahead about four hundred dollars.

This is not unusual for us, so we make use of this resource regularly. I have received offers from Harrah’s in Laughlin, near Las Vegas quite regularly. They offer to fly both of us to their casino, put us up in their hotel for three nights, and give us free meals and gifts, all for about $350. The Rio, in Las Vegas, often sends me offers for spa days (think free massages and mud baths), free Leather Jackets, or honeymoon type visits with champagne and fruit baskets in the room.

Yesterday in my mailbox I received offers of birthday gifts from Isle of Capris and several other casinos, an offer for a Jacuzzi suite for two nights and sixty dollars in free play. The Horseshoe, in Tunica, is offering free nights and money to play, and Harrah’s New Orleans wants us back.

To get all these great offers, all you need to do is:

• Visit casinos when you travel.
• Sign up for a players card when you arrive.
• Use your players card in the machines whenever you play.
• Rake in the rewards!

Believe me, the casinos want your business and they’re willing to cough up a lot of great things to entice you to drop in. So do like we do and enjoy yourself!

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