Free Play Calculations

[RonC]

I see a lot of different levels of free play mentioned by members of the board. We've personally had $15, $30, and $75 offers at casinos near our home ("near" being a relative term...within three hours driving time).

My question is about how the casinos arrive at the numbers for these offers--is there a general formula based on play? I know that comps are based on ADT and I would guess that these offers are based on the same type of calculation using your recorded play, but I'd like to find out a little more about what is known to this community.

[oleslotguy]

I see a lot of different levels of free play mentioned by members of the board. We've personally had $15, $30, and $75 offers at casinos near our home ("near" being a relative term...within three hours driving time).

My question is about how the casinos arrive at the numbers for these offers--is there a general formula based on play? I know that comps are based on ADT and I would guess that these offers are based on the same type of calculation using your recorded play, but I'd like to find out a little more about what is known to this community.

Hi Ron, there can be a whale of a difference in how EACH casino figures their comps. You'll find all kinds of answers on this board. It can be complicated. Have you ask your slot club how they do it? Some are quite open about it, others not so much. If you have a host, he/she may help too.

[goldengreeke]

The whole comp system is a little crazy. Let's say you are getting $50 every week from your casino. You play there every week and get your FP. Then you skip a month for vacation, financial reasons, or whatever. Your free play could drop down to $30 or more, go up to $75 or more, or remain the same. It makes no sense and has happened to me a dozen time or more.

[RonC]

I know it is a simplistic and general question when the hundreds of casinos have nearly as many different marketing strategies to keep us playing at their particular location. I am just trying to get some basics from people who play often so that I can compare offers along the way. I've read answers to the same type of question regarding comps on other boards and, while no one has the precise answer on every location, the information gained has been helpful.

One example is a call I made to the Golden Nugget asking what they wanted to see for a room comp from a table player. Their basic answer was $100 average bet for four hours play. The reason for the question was that I was considering changing hotel locations in Vegas, I knew what my average bet was, and I knew what offers I had from previous trips. Since my average bet was planned to be lower than that, I opted for a free room elsewhere.

They did answer my question, so calling can be a valid way of getting information but not everyone will answer the question completely. By getting a bit of an idea of "how it works" I can collect info and ask better questions.

I don't play for comps, but I don't want to gamble a significant (to me) amount and not get all of the value for my entertainment dollar that I can!

Thanks again for your help...

[CoushattaSlots]

Hi RonC,

In general, all players who use their card go into a database for direct mail offers. All casinos segment this database into a number of "tiers". I've seen as low as four different tiers and have heard of as many as 50 different tiers, but it's possible that some casinos are doing even more than that. I would guess that the average is between 10 and 20 tiers.

There are benefits and drawbacks to the player for a system with many tiers and for a system with fewer tiers. If there are few tiers, you might be playing near the top of that tier and be getting the same offer as someone playing at the bottom of that tier. So, in that case you're not getting as much as you would in a system that had many tiers. On the other hand, if you're the bottom player in that tier you would be getting more in that situation than if the casino was using many tiers.

Each tier will have criteria that specifies what offer(s) go to that tier. The lowest tier gets no free play. Maybe they get a mailer with the calendar of events or food discounts, etc... The next tier is where the free play offers will start. Casinos will usually use a long period of time to establish offers, like using the prior 3 to 6 months of average daily trips. There is always a delay between the time you play and the offers getting to you. The casino needs about a month to analyze the data and get it to the mailhouse for a mailing. So, if your casino is using a 6 month average, your offers for September would be based upon your play for January through July. August would be the analzation period.

I posted some info in this thread that might be useful
http://www.slotmachinesforum.com/showthread.php?6613-Question-on-Comps-and-Promotions

[pselah]

I have called the Casino plenty of times to find out what the deal is get the MOST for MY $$ after all we are the ones they need to make happy right? We are the customers! And just as u will find different answers here,I did from them and the truth is it varies with them also having meetings they decide in promotions they what with be the comp or draw for that month will be.I'm like if youy dont know how do we know what to do to keep up our level?At CT casinos all the teir levels get FSP.Above comment is very informative and I'm goona read that link...thanx..:)

[pselah]

Hi RonC,

In general, all players who use their card go into a database for direct mail offers. All casinos segment this database into a number of "tiers". I've seen as low as four different tiers and have heard of as many as 50 different tiers, but it's possible that some casinos are doing even more than that. I would guess that the average is between 10 and 20 tiers.

There are benefits and drawbacks to the player for a system with many tiers and for a system with fewer tiers. If there are few tiers, you might be playing near the top of that tier and be getting the same offer as someone playing at the bottom of that tier. So, in that case you're not getting as much as you would in a system that had many tiers. On the other hand, if you're the bottom player in that tier you would be getting more in that situation than if the casino was using many tiers.

Each tier will have criteria that specifies what offer(s) go to that tier. The lowest tier gets no free play. Maybe they get a mailer with the calendar of events or food discounts, etc... The next tier is where the free play offers will start. Casinos will usually use a long period of time to establish offers, like using the prior 3 to 6 months of average daily trips. There is always a delay between the time you play and the offers getting to you. The casino needs about a month to analyze the data and get it to the mailhouse for a mailing. So, if your casino is using a 6 month average, your offers for September would be based upon your play for January through July. August would be the analzation period.

I posted some info in this thread that might be useful
http://www.slotmachinesforum.com/showthread.php?6613-Question-on-Comps-and-Promotions

Wow do u have a backgroung in casinos? ur post in JULY was very informative and helpful,now I see what Bigdaddy was talking about when he said if u run and play a lil morning after ur trip it will cancel out ur trip for comps etc...I will call my casino and ask about that I certainly dont want that!...thanks so much!!!

[minchow]

Wow do u have a backgroung in casinos? ur post in JULY was very informative and helpful,now I see what Bigdaddy was talking about when he said if u run and play a lil morning after ur trip it will cancel out ur trip for comps etc...I will call my casino and ask about that I certainly dont want that!...thanks so much!!!

Hi Pselah (got to be careful of names I keep getting "Gene's" name wrong l0l - For a few months I was getting like $125.00 in fsp than it went down to $50.00 with no change in play and I called and they just told me they gave out more because they were slow that month? huh?! now I am getting weird stuff like
this coming Monday I get 50pts. def. on my card or I can get more when I swipe my card - and than the following Sat. if I go before 12:00 (noon) i will get$75.00 fsp and they will double it so I will get $150.00 in fsp. But.........that is a Saturday. So I have to decide (I haven't gone in awhile) whether I should go Monday for the 50 pts on my card and hope to get more when I swipe my card (that is the minimum I would get) or wait and go super early on a Saturday
when it will become very busy there - . I would love the $150.00 fsp would be during the week -ugh. What would you do?

[pselah]

Now I just called an executive host at Mohegan Sun in Ct and asked her about next day play for a few minutes being seen as "short play".........now SHE says its all calculated as one trip,but what WILL effect it is not how LONG u play,its HOW u play! WHAT!:confused: sooo if u dramatically change how uve been playing the day before like from $10 a pull to 90cents it will bring ur average for the trip down!! I think it ALL sucks and should be all be in one lump sum.:mad:

[minchow]

Now I just called an executive host at Mohegan Sun in Ct and asked her about next day play for a few minutes being seen as "short play".........now SHE says its all calculated as one trip,but what WILL effect it is not how LONG u play,its HOW u play! WHAT!:confused: sooo if u dramatically change how uve been playing the day before like from $10 a pull to 90cents it will bring ur average for the trip down!! I think it ALL sucks and should be all be in one lump sum.:mad:

Geezzzzz - I don't stay over-night so I won't worry about the next day. I just wish they would send me some good stuff during the week again like they have in the past. I did go a few weeks ago and the offers I am getting now I don't like. I did spend like 10 hours there and only lost about $100.00 so I was putting money in and out constantly - so I thought I might get one of those FSP for $125.00 again - but noooooooooo - oh well. Do you think they really know what they are doing?

[pselah]

noooooo shirley $125 gotta do a little more than that...:( plus they prob are lookin at ur play from a while back....check out the link by coushattaslots

[kdk]

One of my local casinos- Fort McDowell- actually started advertising how to get different levels of freeplay. They give out a chart at the players club and put it in their mailers.
They just calculate it by the color card that you have-
If you get at least 300 points per month, you get $25 per week
2500 points per month, you get $50 per week
10,000 per month is $75 per week.
20,000 per month is $100 per week.
Now the catch is you have to hit these levels for 3 months before your level increases, and maintain each month to keep the freeplay for the next month. $1 coin in is one point, so its pretty easy to maintain. I go each week to use my $50 and usually win a little and get about 700-1000 points so after 4 weeks I have no problem maintaining.
I wish the other casinos would do something like this. I think its a smart marketing move for them and motivates people to actually count up their points and play more.

[pselah]

[QUOTE=kdk;89200]One of my local casinos- Fort McDowell- actually started advertising how to get different levels of freeplay. They give out a chart at the players club and put it in their mailers.
They just calculate it by the color card that you have-
If you get at least 300 points per month, you get $25 per week
2500 points per month, you get $50 per week
10,000 per month is $75 per week.
20,000 per month is $100 per week.
Now the catch is you have to hit these levels for 3 months before your level increases, and maintain each month to keep the freeplay for the next month. $1 coin in is one point, so its pretty easy to maintain. I go each week to use my $50 and usually win a little and get about 700-1000 points so after 4 weeks I have no problem maintaining.
I wish the other casinos would do something like this. I think its a smart marketing move for them and motivates people to actually count up their points and play more.[/Q
interesting.......to me reaching my goal seems to be so much pressure...

[Jenn]

We have been consistently getting $150 for MS each month, i.e. $75 each. They have been throwing in free nights with it too. Two host from Empire City are now at MS and they have been targeting their mailings to the zip code close to Empire City. Yesterday, another mailing came with a $75 gift card as well. My hubby said, maybe we need to move closer to MS so we can go often (I am sure that will change). We are about 2 hours away. Empire City which is 10 minutes away, used to give $15, it went down to $10, then $5 and now $00000000000.