Jumbotron Ron Gaming Guru

Casino Marketing, I Hate You, I Love You!

I do not play for comps, I play to win money. I do not adjust my play in any way to receive more comps. I do not play longer or bet more in the name of comps. I am not a high roller; I am just an average American tax-paying citizen who enjoys taking the casino's money. I am fully aware that the casino's goals are to get us in the door and then to take our hard-earned money by offering games that favor the house.

The free drinks, free rooms, free toasters, free buffets and so forth are given not because they like me, but because they want to part me from my money. Every day I receive snail mail or E-mails from various casinos with offers designed to entice me to visit their properties in the hopes of taking my money. Do you see the theme here?

I am not a slot player and these days the slot players are the bread and butter of the casinos. From my experience slot players also receive ratings that are fair. You sit down at a machine, put your card and money in and a computer keeps track of how much you bet and how long you played. I find a slot player's rating to be accurate.

A table player's rating is not nearly as accurate. There have been too many times where I bet the same type of money for a certain amount of time and the one guy who likes me will give me a high rating and another who is not a fan will give me a low rating.

The human aspect of rating table players makes your rating unpredictable. That is the reason why I always reasoned with myself not to change my play for comps. The suit doing the rating has the "power of the pen" and can pretty much rate your play any way he wants. So why bet the house just for a more favorable rating when the suit has the ability to give you a rating like you're still living at home.

One thing I have noticed as advantageous is to get "old school" paper comps from the floor supervisor rather than accepting what my player's card reflects. After a few hours of playing a disciplined game, I find I have very little on my player's card but when I ask for a comp I will get $30-$40 for a dinner for two. The floor supervisor usually always makes it a point to let me know that I only had "X" number of dollars but he is bumping me up to "XX." I appreciate that and make it a habit to ask whether I win or lose.

Although I have trained myself not to adjust my play for comps but rather just play my game and take what comes, the truth be told, I love comps. Who doesn't like free rooms, free food, and free gifts? The trick is to take your comps and still win. The mistake is to play above your means and pay a "G" for a "free" buffet.....capisce?

Now there are marketing psychologists who are very good at what they do. Very recently one found my weakness. It happens to the best of us. I just came back from a three day thrashing of Atlantic City and I received an E-mail with an offer that changed my whole game plan.

I do not go to Las Vegas in the winter. I prefer Las Vegas when it is hot and I can lounge by the pool. When not gambling, or at a show, I very much enjoy the bikini summer scene in Las Vegas. It is a big part of the trip for me. I received an offer to stay at the Italian Castle, you know the one with fountains, complimentary with a few other perks thrown in. I haven't played there in a year and a half, but I just couldn't resist. I love that place and always wanted to stay there. I did not have any plans of being anywhere near Vegas until the summer and a complimentary stay, free food, and some of the cheapest airfare I've seen in years will have me 3,000 miles across the country in the middle of winter. These guys are good.

Now don't get me wrong. To fly, eat, and stay at a five diamond resort for basically peanuts is a great deal, but once they get you in the door anything can happen. That is why it is imperative that you do not drink, you know the math of your game, and that mathematically the edge is in your favor

Marketing Psychologist Found My Weak Spot

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I was at a craps table wearing my Yankee hat. After I took my first shot, a man across the table said, "I think you should think about changing your zip code." Oftentimes I've thought the same.

So, the next time you are 3,000 miles across the country in the middle of winter on the strength of a casino marketer who never met ya', you make sure to tell the concierge, "Jumbotron Ron sent ya'."

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.

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