Comped Meals or Paying with Points?

[Quad Deuces]

Lots of the notable names in gambling say things like "It's against my religion to pay for a meal."Are you getting totally comped meals or are you paying with points?The way I see it, I calculate the points earned when I evaluate the EV of a play.  When I spend points on a meal, I'm spending money and it's not "free".And if they're comped and you only play video poker, can you elaborate as to the mechanism by which you obtain the comps?

[shadowman]

Different casinos have different rules. When I used to play at Fiesta you could not use points for much. I used them primarily for meals. However, at Sam's I could get a comp that did not require points and did that regularly. Those were my regular casinos so that is where I ate most of the time. At Sam's I had to find a host. At Fiesta I simply showed my card when going up to pay.
 
I also got free meal offers from SouthPoint and used them each month. At Tuscany the comp points were generated separate from cashback and freeplay and all you had to do was ask them to use those points. I also did that quite often.
 
Where I currently play I get free meal offers every time I go. I just have to print them off at a kiosk. I have also got comps from the hosts for special situations. I never use my points because I can turn them into cash.
 
 

[BillyJoe]

I can only speak from my own experience. I am a top tier at two major casino chains: Harrah's/Caesars (7 Star) and MGM International (NOIR). For both, in most cases, I do not need to use any of my comp dollars for rooms, food, limos, golf, pool cabanas or shows. My airfares are reimbursed, since I always work to keep them reasonable.
That includes both myself and my wife.
 
But it is property specific. The Vegas properties within those two chains  watch my winnings closer, and may trim back a little if I am having a very profitable trip. I find that the non-Vegas properties in those two chains offer more, and don't seem to care as much about your trip results. Also, you need to 'train' your host at each property, and make sure that they are aware that you do have alternatives in gaming.
 
I use my Reward Credits from Harrah's/Caesars for things that I need for the home (bought a home generator and a new washer/dryer, for example), clothes, gas cards and Home Depot gift cards. Since the Reward Dollars from MGM can currently only be used for food (no retail), I use them to pay for dinners with family and friends when they are in Vegas or Biloxi with us.
 
As far as earning those Reward Credits/Dollars, both programs earn at a lower rate playing VP versus slots, and the table games, which I play occasionally, is a whole mystery to me.
 
I agree, Quad, if I am playing at a casino, they can feed, house and entertain me while I am there. The points I earn are my 'money' to spend on other things.      

[cook1947]

I don't mean to be nosey, Billyjoe, but being Seven Stars, I know you have to play quite a bit. How often to you go? Do you have the year to requalify for Seven Stars? Obviously, you play the higher denominations, (oh geez, am I opening up a can of worms) do you think you win more often at the higher amount, or about the same as quarters? I usually allow $500 per session..do you have a certain amount that you play, or does the payouts of the machine determine if you continue or quit? Like I have stated before, being below Diamond, I never had a host at Harrah's, and even during the time I was Diamond, I never had a host, so I am now looking toward the MGM properties to see if they make a difference. It is great that you and your wife enjoy the Seven Stars. Must be really fun.

[BillyJoe]

I don't mean to be nosey, Billyjoe, but being Seven Stars, I know you have to play quite a bit. How often to you go? Do you have the year to qualify for Seven Stars? Obviously, you play the higher denominations, (oh geez, am I opening up a can of worms) do you think you win more often at the higher amount, or about the same as quarters? I usually allow $500 per session..do you have a certain amount that you play, or does the payouts of the machine determine if you continue or quit? Like I have stated before, being below Diamond, I never had a host at Harrah's, and even during the time I was Diamond, I never had a host, so I am now looking toward the MGM properties to see if they make a difference. It is great that you and your wife enjoy the Seven Stars. Must be really fun.
The advantage, Cook, of both 7Star and NOIR is that they are accepted at their casinos across the country, not just in Vegas. The Mrs and I do travel quite a bit, and we have family scattered around the country. This enables us to take trips where we can stop at various properties and play.
 
I live in FLA, so the closest casino area for me is Biloxi, which has both an MGM (Beau Rivage) and Caesars (The Grand) property. I love to play golf, so I get up there about once a month. The Beau has a charter flight from St Pete to Gulfport which I take (on them, of course ), so I stay @ The Beau, and play at both casinos while there. They both have great golf courses that I get to play, and a lot of events.  
 
We like Vegas the best, and make about 4-5 trips a year, depending on what is going on out there. We do a lot of golf, dining and shows. Plus, The Qua Spa @ Caesars and their pool is the best.  
 
The Harrah's/Caesars Total Rewards tiers are earned on a yearly basis, and when achieved, are good through March 31st of the following year. The MLife program at MGM properties have portions of your tier status points expire each month, so you need to keep 'refreshing' them to stay at a particular level. Your status in either of these programs have nothing to do with whether you win or lose, just the amount of play that you record.     
 
As I mentioned, I set Win/Loss Stop Points for myself when I play. These are 'elastic', depending on where I am for the year, but I establish them before each trip, and STICK to them. For example, if I am way up for the year, I may have a fairly broad Win/Loss stop point. If my year is going poorly, though, I reign in to a tighter Win/Loss range. I usually use these on a session level, so, for example, if I have a $1,000 loss and a $2,000 win point during a given trip, when I hit either point, I stop for that session. If I hit a big hand right out of the gate, I quit, and go to the Spa or the Lounge for a while.
 
When playing VP, I do not find that the denomination that you play at has any effect on the hands that you receive. Often, though, you may find a better pay table on a higher denom VP machine.  
 
I use Travelers Cheques to manage my gaming money on each trip, so the worst case scenario would be that I hit my loss stop points in every session, and exhaust the TCs that I brought for that trip. Then that's it for my gaming - no ATM, credit lines, etc. The nice thing about being a higher status, though, is that I still get to enjoy all the comps for the rest of the trip.        

[DaBurglar]

This topic has so many different points of view and possibilities, I love talking about it.  As far as comps go, I personally have one, and really only one overriding concern, free rooms.  I tend to find out what level of play I must minimally attain to reach the point where a particular property(ies) will start sending me free rooms.  After that, its all mostly fluff and fatty crappy food (lol).....well, not really but let me explain. Free food:  When I go to Vegas, or AC, or even Reno, I tend to go for at least 4 or 5 days, sometimes as long as 2 weeks.  I find that most restaurants in most casinos are places I either dont personally like, or are too unhealthy.  I tend to be very fickle about what (and WHEN) I eat, so that means over the course of a week or so, I mix it up diet wise.....I often look for good, local places to eat because I find the food tends to be better quality and more reasonably priced.   If you are being comped for meals at an overpriced, In-casino steakhouse, where you could be applying those comps to free rooms or room charges, I tend to look at that as a bit of a waste.  Now dont get me wrong, not all food choices in casinos are off limits to me.....I will eat some of my meals inevitably in a casino during a long stay, especially breakfast, which i find the most important meal of the day and the one meal in most casinos that offer the best value.  Breakfast buffets are the ONLY buffet I typically touch, and as such, if I have comp meals I will use them for that....also, if I have a particular craving for something and a casino happens to have a good place for such a craving, I will indulge:   example:  The Burger Bar Galaghers at Resorts, they flame broil their high quality burgers (Kobe Beef!) and use canola and sunflower oil on the fries so it is actually a healthy burger in addition to really tasty, plus they have a coconut shrimp appetizer that is ridiculously good (but is overpriced so i only eat it ONCE per trip, too many comp dollars that could pay for an extra night or two in the Rendezvous tower) I hope my point is getting through, this is just my predilection.  I am currently a Diamond (mid level diamond, 30,000+ points per year average), and I am basically the Diamond equivalent at several other companies/properties around the country (like Stations, Borgata Black, Resorts Epic  etc)  I dont want a lot of free crappy merchandise, free wine & cheese meet & greets where I meet the fat overpaid corporate idiots who are stealing my money (lol), I dont play golf (except wheelchair league rules), and I dont collect t-shirts, mugs or keychains.   Just gimme a free room and let me live and eat as I choose while I play in the casinos.    I only deal with hosts when I absolutely MUST....I typically cant stand the hypocrisy that goes with this arrangement, I dont like people being all smiley and friendly and familiar with me when its all BS and predicated on me blowing a lot of bucks at their property.  When I want something in a casino that I feel entitled to based on my play, I usually know exactly who or how to ask for it without dealing with a host....Billyjoe hit it right on the head, hosts need to be "trained" and I simply dont have the patience or need to do so, but I do find billy joes info very helpful and infomative.   He has helped me feel more comfortable with my current strategy of spreading my play around to achieve moderate comps at a lot of places instead of Supreme comps at one or two places.   To each their own.

[BillyJoe]

 
I only deal with hosts when I absolutely MUST....I typically cant stand the hypocrisy that goes with this arrangement, I dont like people being all smiley and friendly and familiar with me when its all BS and predicated on me blowing a lot of bucks at their property.  When I want something in a casino that I feel entitled to based on my play, I usually know exactly who or how to ask for it without dealing with a host....Billyjoe hit it right on the head, hosts need to be "trained" and I simply dont have the patience or need to do so, but I do find billy joes info very helpful and infomative.   He has helped me feel more comfortable with my current strategy of spreading my play around to achieve moderate comps at a lot of places instead of Supreme comps at one or two places.   To each their own.
Thanks for the compliment, Burglar. Having gotten 'beat up' by the 'expert' over the last few days, it is appreciated.
 
I actually find that I eat LESS when I am on a gaming trip, for a lot of the reasons that you mentioned. My wife and I will have breakfast every day, and usually just one night at a premier steakhouse during a trip. Other than that, we avoid the huge, sit-down meals, unless there is some special reason or event.
 
Most of the properties that we visit have 7Star or NOIR lounges that we are able to take advantage of, or little 'hidden' areas in Hi Limit that offer something to eat . (Some even have a butler to serve you, Buff ) The food is good quality, but usually a smaller portion, which I actually enjoy better than a huge meal. Many of the Harrahs/Caesars properties now have menu items to order in their 7Star lounges, rather than a small buffet.    

[DaBurglar]

Let me ask you this then, would you "trade" your seven stars benefits for some Cash/free slot-vp play if it were offered?   If so, what would that Value or level of cash/free play be?  What do you think the dollar value of the various seven star benefits are worth, starting with the Seven star lounge. I ask this because I have thought of telling management at caesars entertainment that, if they are interested in cutting operation costs due to their high Corporate Debt load, this would be a way to do it that doesnt completely tick off their best players.   They could offer their seven stars and even us Diamond players a trade....Me personally, I will take the cash almost every time. As you may have heard Billyjoe, Diamond players now must pay 10 comp dollars for the diamond club lounge free buffet, which isnt free anymore!!!   This blows because now, I must always check my Comp dollar level to make sure I have at least 10 comp dollars if I want to eat......In AC, 9 times out of 10 I choose Caeasars Diamond Club Lounge for food....Showboats absolutely sucks eggs, and Ballys is extremely inconsistent, one night is very good, the next night blows.   I'd accept something as low as $500 for my years worth of food at Caesars Diamond lounge, based on my using it once a week at $10 per visit.  I am sure your Seven stars is worth more than that, but what would you value it as?

[BillyJoe]

Let me ask you this then, would you "trade" your seven stars benefits for some Cash/free slot-vp play if it were offered?   If so, what would that Value or level of cash/free play be?  What do you think the dollar value of the various seven star benefits are worth, starting with the Seven star lounge.
 
I ask this because I have thought of telling management at caesars entertainment that, if they are interested in cutting operation costs due to their high Corporate Debt load, this would be a way to do it that doesn't completely tick off their best players.   They could offer their seven stars and even us Diamond players a trade....Me personally, I will take the cash almost every time.
 
As you may have heard Billy Joe, Diamond players now must pay 10 comp dollars for the diamond club lounge free buffet, which isn't free anymore!!!   This blows because now, I must always check my Comp dollar level to make sure I have at least 10 comp dollars if I want to eat......In AC, 9 times out of 10 I choose Caesars Diamond Club Lounge for food....Showboats absolutely sucks eggs, and Ballys is extremely inconsistent, one night is very good, the next night blows.   I'd accept something as low as $500 for my years worth of food at Caesars Diamond lounge, based on my using it once a week at $10 per visit.  I am sure your Seven stars is worth more than that, but what would you value it as?
Just starting this year, Burglar, they allow 7Stars to trade TR Credits for FreePlay on a $2-$1 basis (20000 points gives you $100). I believe that there is a cap on the amount that you can exchange.  I am not sure if they offer the same for Diamonds - you would have to ask. Many property locations have FreePlay offers that you receive, in mailers or online, tied to particular events or dates. 
 
I think AC properties have the only Diamond Lounges that are beginning to charge. The 7Star members are not charged if they use the Diamond Lounge, at least not last month when I was there.  I cannot think of another property location where that happens. Of course, things are changing all the time, so I could be wrong.
 
I, personally, do not trade the points for FreePlay. You use the FreePlay, and pfffftttt, its gone. I would much rather buy something with the points, or at least get gas cards, which are also 2-1. This way, I feel that I had received something for my play, regardless of the gaming outcome. 
 
As far as what the 7Star benefits are worth in dollars, that is a tough one. There are a lot of tangible things that could be valued (Yearly Trip, Yearly Gift, Yearly NCL Cruise, Yearly Celebration Dinner), but there are many things that I would have a tough time putting a price tag on. The costs of rooms and golf are seasonal, show tickets depend on the venue, food varies, limo charges depend on where you go, airfares vary, etc. Some of these, of course, are not automatic as a 7Star, but are offered to you by your host depending on your play. At the end of a particular gaming trip, I am sure that I could itemize most of the benefits that I received on that trip. I just don't do that.  

[doris13]

i get 2 passes to the diamond lounges at the caesar's atlantic city properties every month burglar,don't you?