Back comp question.

I know I can ask a host for a food credit at X restaurant in advance, but I'm only talking about back comp here.

When I stay at a casino, I would charge everything to my room. It seems like my host is only willing to comp all the meal. He won't comp anything other than meals, like massage or retail charge.
I play exactly the same amount in these two scenarios:
If I have accumulated $1000 meal charge on checkout day, she's happy to comp it.
If I have accumulated $200 massage charge and $300 meal charge, she's only willing to comp the $300 meal charge.
Why?

Another question, is "charge to room" the only way to back comp my meal?
One time I didn't spend a lot at the casino's restaurant, but didn't charge to room and paid by credit card. I showed my host the receipt, and she seems to have trouble comp it, I don't understand the logic.

Quote: WalterW

I know I can ask a host for a food credit at X restaurant in advance, but I'm only talking about back comp here.

When I stay at a casino, I would charge everything to my room. It seems like my host is only willing to comp all the meal. He won't comp anything other than meals, like massage or retail charge.
I play exactly the same amount in these two scenarios:
If I have accumulated $1000 meal charge on checkout day, she's happy to comp it.
If I have accumulated $200 massage charge and $300 meal charge, she's only willing to comp the $300 meal charge.
Why?

Another question, is "charge to room" the only way to back comp my meal?
One time I didn't spend a lot at the casino's restaurant, but didn't charge to room and paid by credit card. I showed my host the receipt, and she seems to have trouble comp it, I don't understand the logic.

There is no reason you cant ask your host this question. The answer may be innocent enough

One possibility is the spa is run by an independent retailer and the comping/reimbursment situation is more complicated

It's been my experience that spas are a 3rd party vendor, and while there are some very high rollers who get the services, us medium people either get a spa-specific comp or discount in advance, or we pay cash.

Most spa admittances are comped to high tier cards, as well as exercise areas, for things like saunas and whirlpools. But actual services like hair, nails, massage, facials, only very top tier, and specific appointments in advance, not back-comped usually.

On-site food, gift shop, some of the other on-site merchandise, they will back-comp if you have the play in. Other stuff, not so much.

What about tips charged to the room? I've only experienced one place, Harvey's in Lake Tahoe, which comped tips and that was many years ago. Some properties also balked at room service as well. Thanks.

Years ago, I read that casinos generally don't comp in room movies. Is that still true?

All comps are not the same. There are differences between "hard" comps and "soft" comps. Even soft comps have differences. A high roller with a million dollar credit line wants a helicopter tour ride to the grand canyon, and let's say it'll cost $2,000. The casino will have to cough up 100% of the cost to comp the high roller. This is an example of a "hard" comp because the casino has no discounts.

"Soft" comps are something a casino prefers to comp players. Even "soft" comps have different levels. Let's use casino restaurants/establishments as examples. Normally, there are three types of categories of establishments in a casino:

1) Casino-owned restaurants. These are your buffets, coffee shops, center bars, and etc. Because these are casino owned, a $10 drink or food they charge you and comp you would only cost them fractions in actual cost. They would love customers to gamble and rack up charges on center bars, buffets, and coffee shop because it's not costing the casino very much, but they can claim that they comp'd you X amount.

2) Restaurants/establishments that pay a lease to the casino, however has a contract to charge the casino a discount on room charges and comp. If you order a $10 drink or food at these establishments, it will cost the casino maybe 50% - 75% of it, so it'll cost the casino anywhere between $5.50 - $7.50 of comp.

3) Restaurants/establishments that pay a lease but do not give a discount to casinos and if a patron charges $10 to the room, the casino will have to give $10. A lot of the nightclubs also fall in this category. Because the casino does not get any discounts, this is basically like a "hard" comp, but it's easier to do the accounting since patron can charge to the room unlike the helicopter ride which the casino has to generate paperwork and approvals to purchase something outside of their normal accounting system.

As far as your massage goes, BBB is likely correct that the casino either does not or only gets a small discount on charges, therefore they're not willing to comp you at your rate.

Example 1) If a patron charges $1000 in just food and beverage comps from buffets, coffee shops, and bars, it might actually cost the casino maybe $50-75 in actual cost for food (minus operating cost and etc) because they up charge everything. A bottle of bud light is purchased for roughly $0.35-0.50 per bottle by the casino due to large quantity purchases, however the casino will charge you $7 a bottle.

Example 2) If a patron charges $200 in massages and only $300 in buffet and coffee shop, It'll probably cost the casino $150-$175 for the massage and $20-25 for the food which ends up costing the casino $200.

See the difference? I'm not saying it's fair as casinos advertise and entice you to come and play to earn comps. However, not all comps are the same.

Different casinos have different policies when it comes to movies in room service. Typically, the movies fall under the hotel accounting, and it's normally not the easiest thing to get comp'd. Also, casinos do have policy to discourage you from watching movies as they want you to go downstairs and gamble.

I do have an experience with an host I'd like to share. I was making a trip reservation with my host to Atlantic City and she offered me upfront $150 of food a day. However, for that particular trip, I was bringing an additional couple of people and needed around $250 a day to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner for 4 people. She wouldn't give it to me until I promised her that all our meals will be at the buffet and the casino cafe. I ended up getting my $250 a day and stuck to buffets and the casino cafe.

Quote: SiegfriedRoy

There are differences between "hard" comps and "soft" comps.

Great answer. Exactly how I was going to put it, except not as well done and without such good examples.

Quote: SiegfriedRoy

See the difference? I'm not saying it's fair as casinos advertise and entice you to come and play to earn comps. However, not all comps are the same.

It's perfectly fair. The less costs for the business, the less costs for the customer.

Quote: SiegfriedRoy

She wouldn't give it to me until I promised her that all our meals will be at the buffet and the casino cafe. I ended up getting my $250 a day and stuck to buffets and the casino cafe.

For both the higher and lower rollers, knowing how it works can help a lot for negotiating a better deal. Even in the spa, a day pass where you just use the hot tub, sauna, shower, etc., can be easy to get and doesn't always cost the casino much, even when they usually charge $50. But the massage type services can cost the casino much closer to full price. In Las Vegas there are a few places that will give me one or two breakfast or lunch buffet comps and never care, but movie tickets cost full points. So if I'm going to eat and the movies, I know to ask for the buffet and pay for the movie with cash.

It's unusual for the casino, until you reach a certain level of play, to comp tips. When I worked at a casino this topic actually came up and they did it as a security thing so that some wise guy couldn't come in and tip his waitress friend $1,000, have it comped, and then spilt the money with his friend later on.

Strange, but true.

If you ever want anything comped, either ask ahead of time or charge to the room. Once you pay with your credit card, everything becomes a hard comp. The $100 meal at the steakhouse costs roughly $25 if they comp it, but if you pay $100 and then they have to reimburse you, the cost goes up to $100.

Quote: billryan

Years ago, I read that casinos generally don't comp in room movies. Is that still true?

I used to get them comped at some places easily and some places not so much. Bigger question, who needs to rent $10 in room movies nowadays when movies are free online? I guess sometimes the internet is a bit slow.

Quote: TomG

It's perfectly fair. The less costs for the business, the less costs for the customer

I think that comment is a bit out of touch with reality. When was the last time a casino said “We’ve exceeded our quarterly goal on revenue and profit, therefore we are going to give more comps to the players and take out 6/5 blackjack!” Most of the casinos are publically traded companies and are about maximizing profits. As a shareholder for some of these companies, I personally don’t have any qualms about their comp practices as I know the ins and outs and Id prefer my stock prices going up. However, per the perspective of the OP, it’s not totally fair for rec players to be lead on believe you will have $200 in comps and to come find out they’re limited to where they can use the comps. If a player wanted to take his/her spouse to a nice dinner on comps, but later turned away due to the casino not explicitly advertising upfront where they can use the comp or not can ruin a night.

Quote: SiegfriedRoy

I think that comment is a bit out of touch with reality. When was the last time a casino said “We’ve exceeded our quarterly goal on revenue and profit, therefore we are going to give more comps to the players and take out 6/5 blackjack!”

Quite often. All businesses charge whatever prices maximize profits. Sometimes higher prices do that, sometimes lower prices do. Comp programs are constantly changing trying to maximize profits -- if it only changed to the bad, all comps would be close to zero by now. A lot of times the 6-5 blackjack games are either cheaper or the same price for most players than the 3-2 games at the next table. That's mostly an inflation issue.

Quote: SiegfriedRoy

it’s not totally fair for rec players to be lead on believe you will have $200 in comps and to come find out they’re limited to where they can use the comps. If a player wanted to take his/her spouse to a nice dinner on comps, but later turned away due to the casino not explicitly advertising upfront where they can use the comp or not can ruin a night.

That would be unfair. But that isn't what happened, according to his story.

Quote: FCBLComish

If you ever want anything comped, either ask ahead of time or charge to the room. Once you pay with your credit card, everything becomes a hard comp. The $100 meal at the steakhouse costs roughly $25 if they comp it, but if you pay $100 and then they have to reimburse you, the cost goes up to $100.

Thanks for the good answers. I understand hard comps and soft comps.
What I don't understand is why it becomes hard comp if i eat at casino buffet and pay by credit card? The casino can certainly refund the food bill back to my credit card, I think it makes no different than charge to room cost wise

Years ago (about fifteen years ago), I used to get Everything comp'ed, spa treatments, food, beverage, in-room movies (I mention because someone asked about this), at the resorts that had mini-bars I even used to empty the Entire contents of the bar into a plastic bag each day of my stay, and fly it all home in a huge duffle bag with anything breakable wrapped in hotel towels, and I would never see the bill. Airfare reimbursement turned into a money maker of its own, through some techniques I think I pioneered. There were trips when I even had TIPS comp'ed off, which is unheard of.

But...back then I was playing average a few thousand dollars a hand (table games only), often playing hands to the fifteen thousand dollar limit they had back then, and...more importantly I think...that was then...this is now. Casinos are tighter with comps now, even for the same level of play versus years ago.

Nowadays I average probably only a few hundred a hand (and my max bets are more like a couple thousand versus fifteen thousand), (however my credit lines are just as high or higher than they ever were) but even so, I think even if I were playing the same as I used to play, they are just tighter with comps these days. Nowadays for my play lately anyway, they always comp the suites, most of the food, none of the spa.

All this talk about "hosts" for example - back then a pit boss could write you a comp for a restaurant, nowadays, seems that pit bosses can't even hand you a cigar from the cigarette girl without getting approval to apply it on the computer to your comps. This answers your question** about how hard it is to get a comp from a host applied to a charge that you paid cash for (but...that has always been the case, when I won and wanted my airfare reimbursement in cash, it was always harder to get than on those infrequent occasions when I lost, and I wanted my airfare reimbursement applied to my outstanding markers).

** if you may understand that nowadays a pit boss can't even hand you a cigar without computer level approval against your account, then you should understand that: when the charge is not on the hotel system, and the host is not merely making a request to remove the charge, but instead having to get an okay to hand you cash, that's a lot of work, and a big deal. Try to avoid getting into that situation! Also, once you've checked out, charges that already have been applied from you hotel folio to your credit card are a little harder (more work for the host) to get comp'ed off.

They are simply tighter these days, and as another member has pointed out, probably one big reason is that they have gotten used to collecting non-gambling money from club goers, bottle service drinkers, non-gambling hotel guests, plus the ubiquitous resort fees. This has babied them so much that they have started to think that they don't Need to comp as much just to keep gamblers happy, that the resorts will make money anyway, from non-casino related activities.