Las Vegas comps are there for the taking. For the uninitiated, the term "comps" refers to the complimentary (hence the name) rooms, meals, concert tickets, etc., casino operators use to attract players and keep them coming back for more. Generally speaking, Las Vegas comps are issued according to a gambler's length and frequency of play as well as the amounts wagered.

If you play anything from roulette to craps to baccarat, tell the pit boss that you would like to be rated. If you are playing keno, mention to the keno personnel you would like to be rated as you place your first bet.

Most Atlantic City casinos combine slot rating with table rating, and use the same card for both. The easiest thing to do when you enter a new casino, regardless of what you play, is to go to the slot club, join, and ask if the same card is used for table ratings. Even if you don't play the slots, just joining the club may get you later mailings offering free rooms.

In Las Vegas, some casinos follow different procedures. The 24 Kt Gold in downtown Las Vegas requires that you join the slot club at the 24 Karat Booth and apply for table rating card at the casino cage. At others, you might sit down at a table and ask to be rated and the pit boss will take your name or ask you to fill out a card. Lady Luck Casino requires you to fill out a card at the table and get an actual "rating card" which records all your play. You hand this to the dealer each time you sit down and pick it up again when you leave the table. At the end of the day you turn this in to the VIP desk.

You can ask for Las Vegas comps as you play, or go to the VIP desk and ask for comps. The slot club (Mad Money Club) has it's own booth, and it's own card. But for your overall rating, the two can be combined. So if you play both slots and tables, don't forget to mention this to the VIP desk or host, so that they will combine the ratings.

The Stardust keeps slot club and table ratings totally separate. This means you could get two mail offers for free rooms, but cannot combine a 2-night free offer from table games with 3-nights from the slot club into a 5-night stay. At the MGM Grand, your table and slot play are combined. You can get a card at the slot club booth or by talking to a host or by asking for a ratings card while you are playing at a table. Always ask what the rules are to avoid losing valuable rating points.

Some casinos, especially in Atlantic City, claim that they won't rate you at table games unless you bet $10 or even $25. However, this does not necessarily mean that they won't offer you a Las Vegas comp for a meal. Even if you are playing for less than their "rating" amount, if you ask the floor person for a meal as you are about to leave, you just might get it. Generally speaking, 2 hours of play at $5 or more will almost always get you a Las Vegas comp. If you fall below the amount needed for rating, a common practice is to combine your rating with your spouse's/friend's, or even pile your friend's bets on top of yours.

Never play solely for Las Vegas comps. If you're told that you need to play longer to get one but you're ready to leave, leave. It makes no sense to sit for a 1/2 an hour betting $5-25 a hand for a comp with a $10 value. It's much more likely that you would lose that much or more in that extra few minutes of play. Since the pit boss can be slow in writing out your comp, you will do well to ask for it about 15 minutes before you really want to go. If you ask for it and it doesn't show up, ask again, and when you're ready to leave, stop playing. Sometimes the pit boss will wait until he sees you get up from the table. Another point worth mentioning is that pit bosses write Las Vegas comps more quickly, and for less betting, than in Atlantic City.

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