Comps - I must not Understand?

I was playing at a Harrah's casino recently and had a misunderstanding regarding how comps are awarded.

After playing 3-card for a few hours with the same group, a guy next to me handed his card to the floor manager and said, "Got anything for me?", with the rest of the table following suit. I am by no means a high roller, but have played a number of times without requesting anything, so I figured I'd hand him my card, too.

Since the rest of the table was betting a lot more, I jokingly said, "Yeah, I'm not a heavy-hitter like these guys, but maybe you can throw me a bone." After swiping the card, he offered me a comp to the food court.

What I did not realize is that the comped food was taken from my total rewards credits without being mentioned. I was under the impression that there was a distinction between comps you cash in, and "discretionary" comps. The floor was very polite, and I'm sure it was a misunderstanding, but a bunch of other people at my table were comped several buffets, etc. without any mention of anyone actually using points. I figured, if I wanted to use the points, it wouldn't really be a request as much as it would be me just saying, "I want to cash in for the food court".

I would argue that its the casino that doesn't understand how this is supposed to work. But, yes, that's how most Harrah's/Caesars properties work. For whatever reason, their Horseshoe brand really does have true discretionary comps.

There have been many angry people about this over the years at CET properties. People who have hosts always use their points right away for things like massages and other non food items that way when they ask their host for something they don't take their earned comps first.

Quote: Jimmer

I was playing at a Harrah's ...".

I only read that much and KNEW your post was going to be about a misunderstanding between "giving me something MORE" and "giving me something with presently awarded points".
Happens all the time at CETproperties. Miscommunication in some cases but usually thats the way they work it. They come back saying "Here is something we are GIVING you and don't make it clear that they are charging your present points for it even you would prefer to keep the points and use them for something else.

Some casinos, I think SouthPoint, make it clear that your points that day have earned you a free buffet but they also make it clear that you keep those points as points anyway. Same thing with the M Casino from time to time. They give you something but you keep earned points until you explicitly cash them in.

Quote: Jimmer

What I did not realize is that the comped food was taken from my total rewards credits without being mentioned.

That's pretty chicken shit! Thumbs down to them.

Yeah, at least I learned my lesson the easy way...it was a pretty small comp. They have been pretty stingy with comps in general, but you sure can't complain about the room offers.

I actually have a few more questions regarding comps...The casino I've been talking about is Harrah's Cherokee. Their calendar does not show an available room on a Fri/Sat night through ALL of 2014, when the potential booking calendar ends. Are they really booked that solid, or are they holding the rooms to inevitably comp to higher rollers?

I've also taken an offer to go to Atlantic City on a junket for $250. I've been told if you show them enough action on those trips, that they will waive the fee altogether and send you for free. Anyone know what kind of action that takes?

Jimmer,

The Fri/Sat rooms are being held for higher rollers. I have been both with Harrah's, and it's definitely keyed off your play.

The free flight coupons will come along with the Fri/Sat comp offers, if and when you give them that action. I get those, and I would TOTALLY GUESS (Not know) that you need to expose at least 3000 (not lose necessarily) per day, play at least 4 hours per day, for at least 1 multi-day visit, and if you really want to get those kind of comps for that price, you're going to have to play some serious slots. Not video poker and not table games. Both of those earn credits at significantly lower values. I would TOTALLY GUESS that you would need to expose twice that at a minimum, and more likely 3x that, to get comparable comps.

I say again, these are guesses; their comp formulas are proprietary, except that slots generally earn 1 tier credit for every 5 dollars spent; some more, some less. You can watch the meter on every machine and figure it out easily. It takes 3000 credits to go from gold to platinum, but there are bonus amounts to move you up in tier for heavy play in a single day.

One easy way to get better offers right now is to go to their website and apply for a TR Visa card. They automatically upgrade you to Platinum for the next year and change and give you 10000 reward credits (100 dollars) upon card approval. Being Platinum will improve your offers.

Jimmer,
I take about $1000/day for craps play over a 3 day trip. I will play 4-8 hours a day. Avg bet around $120 ($10 PL , ~$100 in Place bets + presses).

The Harrah's rooms show available for me on the weekends now, but when I was just Gold, they were showing sold out. I never called them to see if there was any availability on a given weekend.

This level of play also gets me free junket travel to AC (I will NEVER go back there) and to Biloxi out of Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte. My wife plays slots, but not 1/10 of my action.
Hope this helps give you an idea of what it might take to earn some freebies.

^Thanks, Beachbum and RaleighCraps. That's helpful. I live in Raleigh, as well.

I have definitely considered getting the credit card, especially since I don't have any sort of rewards card at the moment. Does that also mean you can earn enough credits to reach Diamond or Seven Stars just by spending enough money?

Quote: Jimmer

^Thanks, RaleighCraps. That's helpful. I live in Raleigh, as well.

Sure is nice to have table games at Cherokee now, no? Especially since they have such generous Craps rules.

Yes, the rules in Cherokee are as good as the rules in Biloxi and Tunica. The only issue I have is the players are still pretty unrefined craps players. I have been out on a couple of weekends and resort to playing after 1:00 AM. Up til then, it is just brutal, even on the $25 tables at times.

I just read that another Indian tribe is petitioning to set themselves up to have a casino close to Charlotte. It will be interesting to see if that goes through, and if they will get clearance for table games as well. I thought I had read that the Cherokee deal with NC gave them exclusive rights to casino action. Not sure how that would be legal, but I thought I had read that. Maybe Doc could chime in if he remembers any such thing?

Quote: beachbumbabs

One easy way to get better offers right now is to go to their website and apply for a TR Visa card. They automatically upgrade you to Platinum for the next year and change and give you 10000 reward credits (100 dollars) upon card approval. Being Platinum will improve your offers.

Your offers are still based on play. My wife got the TR visa and she did get the free buffet pass for LV and $100 in RC but her actual offers are still the crappy same. We don't play at CET at all which is why her offers are bad. Her online account does show that she is platinum but like I said, her offers have not changed.

"I just read that another Indian tribe is petitioning to set themselves up to have a casino close to Charlotte. It will be interesting to see if that goes through, and if they will get clearance for table games as well. I thought I had read that the Cherokee deal with NC gave them exclusive rights to casino action. Not sure how that would be legal, but I thought I had read that. Maybe Doc could chime in if he remembers any such thing? "


I heard that, too...Would definitely not be to Cherokee's benefit. Although it's still closer to Cherokee Than it is to Charlotte for people from Atlanta, which seems to be a huge market for that casino.

Quote: Jimmer

I heard that, too...Would definitely not be to Cherokee's benefit. Although it's still closer to Cherokee Than it is to Charlotte for people from Atlanta, which seems to be a huge market for that casino.

Yeah, it's the closest true casino to Atlanta. The racino with Class II slots in Alabama (90 minutes from ATL) got shut down by the state. If Georgia ever legalized casino gaming, Cherokee would be boned. Charlotte would hurt them too. If I still lived in Atlanta, I would consider driving one more hour to Charlotte than Cherokee. Cherokee has nothing else to offer.

I remember the conversation about additional NC casinos, but I can't find it in the search here. IIRC, the State had to allow for additional casinos because tribes other than the Cherokees complained about the exclusivity agreement between the State and the tribe.

Didn't we f/over the indians way back when? Is this their payback?