Please explain 'comping' to a Vegas newby?

Hi

We will be staying at the Flamingo for a week in June and have only visited Vegas once before 10 years ago.

Can someone please explain the whole comping thing?

We are not likely to gamble much - jsut there for the experience - and don%26#39;t expect we will be spending enough to qualify for any comps but useful to know how it works and what to expect.

From our previous trip we know you get free drinks when playing at the slots, etc. but good to know how much to tip?

Many thanks for any info or advice.

Please explain 'comping' to a Vegas newby?

Sign up for a players card at the hotels you will be staying at and visiting. Be sure to put it into the machine your playing and you will earn points as you play. Example- Visit the Wynn hotel sign up for their players card, play slots and earn 50 points and get 2 free buffets.

For tips I usally tip a 1 dollar for a coke but if you are drinking beer or mixed drinks you should tip tip at least 2 dollars if not more.

Hope this helps some.

Please explain 'comping' to a Vegas newby?

Thanks Pam. So I can work out if signing up is worth my while against how much we are likely to spend, how much would you need to spend on slots to accrue 50 points?

Thanks for your help.

Tip a buck a drink...definitely not $2 or more unless you have it to spare. You might want to tip a few extra on the first drink, but I get great service everywhere, as do most, with a $1 a drink.

www.cocktaildoll.com for more info.

Signing up is always worth your while. It takes a few minutes, sometimes the casinos are having free giveaways too. And if you decide again to visit Vegas, you would then get promotions sent to you (of course, do the casinos solicit to foreign countries?)

Enjoy!

Sally,

Alot depends on how much is recyled. Say put 20.00 into a machine and maybe win 10.00 and keep playing and then win another 10 or 20 and keep playing, your points will add up in no time - hopefully. of course you will earn points faster at dollar machine then say .25 machines, but your 20 will last longer.

Thansk all - makes pefect sense in Vegas that the accumulation of points is unpredictable!

Will def sign up and see how we go. Thanks again.

In a nutshell you can apply for a %26#39;players card%26#39; at any casino. This will be good at any casino that%26#39;s under that property%26#39;s ownership. Then whenever you play a slot machine or video poker you insert your card into the machine and your play will be electronically monitored. Likewise when you play table games you give your card to the pit boss and he will %26#39;rate%26#39; your play and electronically update your card on the casino%26#39;s system.

The amount you spend on your gambling will then determine what comps you%26#39;re entitled to. This can range from a free buffet, free show tickets all the way up to your next stay at the hotel being free of charge.

Just what you get depends a lot on how upscale the hotel is. A few hours of playing $25 per hand blackjack downtown will see you getting quite a few comps, but the same rate of gambling at Bellagio or Wynn wouldn%26#39;t get you very much at all.

It%26#39;s worth signing up for players cards even if you don%26#39;t gamble much as they often have introductory gifts and you%26#39;ll get put on a database for possible future offers, but always remember that you should NEVER gamble with comps in mind. Gamble what you can afford to lose and look upon any comps you may earn as a bonus.

You should ALWAYS get a card.

However, you should NEVER gamble to get comps. This is a great way to spend more than you want to .

I%26#39;ll admit, I love comps, but I have never gotten a comp that was worth more than I gambled to get it.

Gamble what you want, where you want, when you want, and if you end up with something, great! If not, enjoy yourself and buy what you%26#39;re after.

Have a great trip!

MGG

P.S. As far as tipping for drinks goes, I think it depends on what you%26#39;re playing. If your plugging three dollars a pull in a slot machine, and doing that seven or eight times a minute, then it%26#39;s probably reasonable for the cocktail waitress to get more than a dollar.

I am pretty sure I read that it is $3 per point on a slot machine at the Wynn. VP was much higher. So you would have to play $150 to get the buffet. We had to get 100 points last summer and I am pretty sure $300 in sounds right for that. All I know is that I earned my 100 points and cashed out $60 ahead.

vb