|
 This page is dedicated to casino comps in the world of online gambling.
We also have an excellent guide to Las Vegas comps which you should read
if you're interested in getting more out of your land based casino experience.
Finding casino comps on the Internet isn't very much of a challenge anymore,
but finding good ones often can be. Online casinos have been springing
up day by day for the past couple of years, and the more that join the
race, the higher the competition between them. This of course translates
into good deals for you, as each casino tries to undercut the next with
the best introductory casino comp.
Simply put, casino comps are complimentary goods and services provided
by the house to the player in reward for either becoming a customer, or
playing as a regular. Most talk on the net revolves around sign up bonuses,
or the initial casino comp they try and catch your eye with. These comps
are of particular interest to those trying out new online casinos, trying
to find a regular place to play. Of course, there are also bonus hunters
on the web, trying to find and milk the value out of any bonus offered.
Because of the ruthlessness and sheer number of bonus hunters prowling
the net these days, the quality of initial casino comps has fallen dramatically.
You can no longer really get something for nothing, without there being
a decent chance you'll play long enough to lose in the end. That's not
to say you can't use an invitational casino comp to try out a new online
casino, this is still their purpose, and they are quite well suited to
it.
Modern online casino comps often come with a fairly lengthy set of terms
and conditions. It's normal for an online casino to require the player
plays the amount of the bonus through a certain number of times. Say you
were given $50 for depositing $50, and the bonus requires you play though
the bonus and deposit 8 times. This implies that you need to play (($50
+ $50) * 8) dollars, which comes out to $800. You may think, boy that's
a lot to wager in order to make a free $50, but we're talking about what
you play though, not what you lose. Playing blackjack at a moderate pace,
even with a $5 average bet, you probably play a few hundred dollars over
the course of an hour. So all the casino is doing is ensuring you're somebody
who has played for a few hours, and so obviously is a real player who's
there to play the game. For this you get rewarded $50.
Let's compare that to a land based casino comp. What the casinos in Vegas
do is require you to play for a few hours (using a slot club card to record
your play and prove you're a player) at least, then you can go to the
host and ask if you are eligible for comp. For a couple of hours of play
at the blackjack table, the most you might get is a meal comp, probably
worth $15 or so.
So how can we make online casino comps easier for you to get, use, and
enjoy? Well we'll advise you on which variables you need to look at in
order to know if the comp is a good one or not. As previously mentioned,
a casino comp will have a set of terms and conditions associated with
it, which is usually linked to from the website of the online casino.
The terms will let you know if there are any games that the bonus is not
eligible for. For instance if you are a roulette fan, you could simply
bet $50 on black and $50 on red until you had wagered the minimum amount.
Cash out at that point and you've made your free bonus cash without wagering
a thing. For this reason any bonus of this type is usually not acceptably
fulfilled by playing roulette, craps, or baccarat, three games where you
can bet on either side of the fence and not loose.
So the difference between online casino comps and land based comps is,
online casinos give you the extra cash to wager with ahead of time (increasing
your bankroll) but to actually receive the benefit of the comp you have
to play for a few hours. Vegas on the other hand, requires that you play
for a few hours, and then decides weather or not you're worth comping.
The real value to people like you and I in these online casino comps
lies in the added bankroll we are carrying. As you may know, a larger
bankroll offers a few more options and a better chance to make some money
if you utilize it right. Playing with a larger bankroll you can either
enjoy yourself longer playing the size of bet you normally do, or try
to make more than you normally would over the same amount of time. Spreading
your bets out and letting your betting session last a few hours is often
a much more enjoyable experience.
Quick tips to make casino comps easy:
1 - Always call the online casino you are trying out and have
them explain their bonus offer to you over the phone. This way if there
is anything you don't understand, they can explain it to you right then
and there. If the casino is not capable of explaining their bonus well
enough such that you understand it, the casino may not be worth playing
at.
2 - Ask on the phone if there are any other offers that you may
be able to take advantage of. The operator can often find another reason
for you to play with them that magically isn't advertised anywhere else!
3 - Always read the terms and conditions to determine if the comp
is applicable to the games you enjoy playing most. Also check the style
of bonus and if there is a minimum amount of play required, calculate
that minimum amount, and try to work out how long it would take you to
play that much through.
4 - Find out how the comp works before you deposit. Some casinos
will add the comp money to your bankroll immediately, which is what you
want because it gives you the benefit of playing with a larger bankroll.
Other casinos you have to call and request the comp and they can sometimes
tell you 'ok it will be in your account in 24 hours'. Not exactly the
instant gratification you were looking for
5 - Find out from the casino or from players who use the casino
if they offer frequent play bonuses. The initial bonus comp is usually
not as nice as the comps regular players get. If you find an online casino
that likes to reward its loyal players, then it may be a good reason to
stick with them.
|
