We addressed a variation of this question in the past, and it got a lot of very strong feedback, so let’s return to the topic and go over the details:
If you pull out your player’s card when you hit a bonus, does it affect your theoretical loss, e.g. the win in your bonus doesn’t register against you?
Debbie
There’s a reason we tell players win/loss statements aren’t sufficient proof in the case of an IRS audit, and ideas like this are precisely why.
Casinos are often aware when their players card systems have this loophole. Some systems have the ability to keep a session active until the activity triggered by the wager has concluded. In other words, if the game bonuses and hasn’t delivered the final outcome to the system, it will keep a player’s session active until it receives the final phone home it is waiting for with the outcome of that bonus.
That said, there’s certainly a lot of players card systems out there – during one factory tour we were told there are dozens, if not hundreds, that exist in total that manufacturers have to support – and some might not offer the ability to keep a session active if the card is pulled, and will stop recording data.
So let’s go back to your question – your theoretical loss, based on the game you’re playing and how much you’ve wagered, is not impacted because it’s theoretical – actual results don’t change the theoretical. You could win a jackpot or lose every spin, but if you wagered the same amount in each instance on a game with the same house edge, your theoretical loss would be identical.
Your actual win/loss records could be impacted, but as we noted at the start of our answer, it’s a helpful tool to figure out what what you accomplished at a casino over a certain period of time, but it isn’t a precise record for a variety of reasons – cards can time out, some card readers don’t work (and players keep playing), some players pull their cards when they get a bonus, some players intentionally play without one because they think they’re luckier or will definitely get better payouts (they won’t) without their card in.
Since casino offers are most commonly based on theoretical loss, cards won’t accomplish anything. Sometimes casinos will base offers on actual loss, but to override theoretical loss generally requires losses massively outside the norm, and pulling a card when bonuses happen will only go so far, and probably not trip that threshold anyway.
So ultimately, we don’t suggest doing it, mostly because it likely won’t give you anything more than you already get. And if you forget to put it back in to record future spins, the casino might actually think you gambled less than you did, and ultimately that could hurt your offers.
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Good read here. Thank you.
Thanks Eileen – we appreciate you reading as always!