Casinos Explained – Comps and Tipping

Your first visits to a casino can be rather bewildering. Traditional casinos are large, busy, and the speed of play can be fast. Sometimes it even seems that people are speaking a different language. If you have ever heard someone talk about being ‘rated for comps’, or something similar, but not quite understood what was meant, read on to learn what that means.

‘Comps’ are a loyalty scheme used by many casinos. The casino pays back to regular players a percentage of what they would expect to win from that player. Usually, the scheme is tracked through a loyalty card that you swipe when you start playing. The speed of play, and the amount you bet, is tracked, and the casino allocates you comp points based on that. You earn the points whether you win or lose, so you could stand to profit very nicely if you have a successful day at the tables.

Comp points can be redeemed for free stays in the casino hotel, free airfares, and lots of other bonuses. Just for being a member of a reward scheme, or ‘rated’, you will get access to a lot of special offers that an unregistered player would not find out about.

Another thing that many people are unsure about is tipping. The accepted etiquette for tipping a dealer varies depending on the game that you are playing. In Blackjack, it is often accepted that you will tip by placing a bet for the dealer, in front of the chips for your own bet. This tip should be a small bet, placed once or twice an hour, or just when you are enjoying a lucky streak. You should only tip to reward good, pleasant service. Don’t expect the dealer to bend any rules for you. Some older gamblers may have stories of the dealer not shuffling when the cards were in the favour of the player, but such occurrences are rare now, as casinos have much clearer rules on shuffling.

Tipping in roulette is rarer, although some people tip when a certain number comes up. Place your tip on the table, and tell the dealer it is for him. Do not hand the tip directly to the dealer.