Sometimes you suspect the casino takes away something when it gives you something. This is an example of one of those sorts of questions:
When I get a free stay at my local casino I find that I don’t seem to be getting the usual amount of comp points for my current play. Is my play that day going towards the hotel room?
Harris G.
No, usually comps are based on your past play, not your current play. Comps are designed to get you to come out to the casino, with the hope that you’ll play at the same level you have in the past.
That includes the hotel room you book, which would be part of those offers. So the meter isn’t going to be taking into account you’ve booked a room.
There’s a few things to consider when it comes to comp point earnings though. Some casinos are transparent: Gamble $X, get Y comp points. But some are more opaque, and the games you choose to play can have something to do with it.
In the situation of the latter, you may be opting to play slots that don’t earn as quickly. But even if in the former, sometimes people play differently when they’re staying for the night vs. an afternoon or evening trip, just because they know they’ll be there longer, and so play might be spaced out.
It’s worth thinking through that scenario – are you more likely to play more heavily in a short window because you’re headed home afterwards? Do you move around more, take more breaks, grab food or hang with family when staying the night?
It can be easy to not notice some of the more subtle changes that occur when your visit looks different, but that’s more likely to have something to do with it than anything else. But casinos don’t change how you earn comps based on whether you’re using a comp or not, so you can rest assured you’re not being penalized for booking a room.
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