What does a casino host do?

Hi everyone, with my upcoming trip to Vegas I was wondering what a casino host does, and how their services are received. Just for fun I have been calling around a little. I spoke to the Aria (where I am staying) they said they need action of $150/ hand for 4-6 hours a day (minimum total bet of $36,000 yikes) or 3,000 slot points a day ($600). I tried calling El Cortez where the good blackjack is and I got bounced around between a lot of people only to find out you need a ruby or better card, and I asked him if table play increases your rating and he put me on hold, so I just hung up, they seemed a bit disorganized there. I just want to have one provide some kind of service, even if they just introduce themselves. I have heard one can get better comps through a host, but I doubt with my bankroll for the trip ($1,000) I can play safely enough to get one.

Yeah I don't think you can get much in comps with a $1000 bankroll. It's free to meet a host though and they don't know what your bankroll is.

One trick is to arrange for a good sized line of credit in advance of your trip.

I did it with ten grand, and a host called me and hooked me up, no questions asked, without my having given them any play.

For an entertaining read about casino hosts, read "Whale Hunt in the Desert," about one-time super-host Steve Cyr.

With casino credit don't you need to be able to write a check that will clear for the total amount to the cage before you can get your markers throughout your stay? How does credit work, do they check your bank account?

Quote: NicksGamingStuff

Hi everyone, with my upcoming trip to Vegas I was wondering what a casino host does, and how their services are received. Just for fun I have been calling around a little. I spoke to the Aria (where I am staying) they said they need action of $150/ hand for 4-6 hours a day (minimum total bet of $36,000 yikes) or 3,000 slot points a day ($600). I tried calling El Cortez where the good blackjack is and I got bounced around between a lot of people only to find out you need a ruby or better card, and I asked him if table play increases your rating and he put me on hold, so I just hung up, they seemed a bit disorganized there. I just want to have one provide some kind of service, even if they just introduce themselves. I have heard one can get better comps through a host, but I doubt with my bankroll for the trip ($1,000) I can play safely enough to get one.

Re the El Cortez, the help can be somewhat clueless, but the fact of the matter is that they will comp you if you give them any decent action at all. Once you achieve Ruby card status (not difficult at all), you will basically be comped for all eternity from then on. I am Ruby card, and they send me quarterly offers for three free nights, $50 free slot play, and $50 food comps. All I play is .25 VP, maybe $5000 coin-in per day.

Getting rated at BJ should be pretty easy there, as the average player thinks that a $10 bet is bold and reckless. With a $1000 bankroll, you should be able to give them enough action to comp your room at the very least. They are reluctant to comp up front, but once you show them some play, they are very generous. Half of the people in there are playing one nickel every five minutes and trying to suck down as many free drinks as possible, so if you are an actual player, you will get treated very well. Just make sure you get a player's card, get rated, and keep in contact with the floorman. Don't sweat getting a host per se--it's more along the lines of getting recognized by the floorman and the player's club supervisor.

I don't think that a BR of $1000 is going to get you very much anywhere else, with the possible exception of MSS, Gold Coast, Four Queens, or South Point. Just about every place is really tightening the screws on comps these days, and the small bettor is becoming invisible.

You mentioned 2 very different hotels so I'm not sure where your priorities are.

1) If you are normally going to stay at a place like the Aria, you can pretty much ignore the rest of this, as no casino on that level will even care about your play.


If you have no issues staying at a place like the Cortez, or I'll add in Famingo/Harrahs/Excalibur/Monte Carlo, then it may at least be useful to get a card at any casino you play at. You may not get free rooms, but you may get some discounts on your next trip. Even cutting a room from 80/night to 50/night pays for some of your meals.

Quote: NicksGamingStuff

With casino credit don't you need to be able to write a check that will clear for the total amount to the cage before you can get your markers throughout your stay? How does credit work, do they check your bank account?

The term "casino credit" is a bit misleading. Basically, a casino wants to know how much money you have in your checking account over a long period of time (six months I believe).

For example, if you have an average of $100,000 sitting in your checking account for over a year, a casino would be willing to establish a line of credit for that amount. However, if you have an average of $1,000 in your checking account, you will not be able to get a line of credit for $10,000 even if you have a net worth of several million dollars. Also, a casino will not establish a large line of credit if your six month average is $1,000 and then a week before you go to Vegas you toss in another $100,000 into your account. They want to make sure you are not trying to scam them in any way.

I personally like casino credit a lot. I used to send in front money (a cashier's check to the casino) before I arrived. However, as I started to play more often and for bigger amounts casino credit works just as well.

Quote: NicksGamingStuff

I have heard one can get better comps through a host, but I doubt with my bankroll for the trip ($1,000) I can play safely enough to get one.

Yes, my experience is that having a host is a wonderful thing, but then again I am a big loser (and gambler) and donate tens-of-thousands of dollars to Las Vegas every time I travel there. Unfortunately, I do not think that having a $1,000 bankroll is going to be sufficient enough for you to get the attention of a host.

Here is my suggestion: Call ahead to the casino of your choice and instead of asking for a host, ask to speak with someone in VIP Services or VIP Relations. The person you speak with there is normally not a host, but rather someone who provides general assistance to mid level gamblers who do not warrant the attention of a full time host. Tell them the follow:

"Hi my name is __________. I am traveling to Las Vegas from _______ to _______. I normally play craps/blackjack/etc a total of 4 hours per day with an average bet of $_____. How will I be treated at your casino? Can I expect to get a break on my room? Free food? Etc."

Take for example the Stratosphere casino. For a while, they were running a promotion where if you had an average bet of $25 per hour for 4 hours per day, they would comp you a night in a standard room. I am not sure if this is still the case, but it doesn't hurt to ask.