Travel Blog

All casinos offer slot cards and they all suggest that each person have their own card to track their play separately. There are several reasons why you really should follow this approach. For example when it comes to cashing in your comp’s, especially free play most people want to play their own free play and not share with their spouse or partner. Also if you win a large jackpot you may need to pay tax on it. The tax slip must be issued to the person that won the jackpot and not necessarily the slot card player. If you need a win loss statement it will only be issued to the person registered on the slot card. A win loss statement can mean that you get a refund on your taxes! Two Slot Cards on One Account is not always the best approach.

Two Slot Cards on One Account

Many couples will ask for two cards in the same name figuring that their points will add up faster. They will receive comp’s faster. While this is true in many casinos, some have decided that this approach is not following their rules. As a result they will discontinue a card if it is not being played in a machine beside the first card. Points are lost and the player loses out on comp’s as a result. If players playing on the same card, are playing adjacent to each other, the casino will usually let this go. If they play on machines that are far apart, the casino may decide that this is really not the same person. They may disallow one or both cards until the player comes to the casino host to discuss the issue.

We suggest that each player have their own card for these reasons. Many casinos will combine two cards if requested to determine comp’s for things like free rooms. Free play and meals are awarded on a card basis only at most casinos.

When can I get the best casino comp’s? The answer is pretty straight forward and only requires a little flexibility in terms of when you travel and a little effort on your part. First and foremost you must be a casino slot card member. Inserting this card into the slot machine when you are playing will ensure that the casino knows you are playing, how long you are playing and how much money you actually gamble with. Based on these statistics, they will offer you a variety of casino comp’s which can include free meals, free rooms, free play and even transportation if you are a high roller. Once you have accumulated points etc, the trick is to know when to use them to maximize your return in terms of casino comp’s.

When Can I Get the Best Casino Comp’s

the absolute best time to maximize your casino comp’s is when they are not too busy. For example, one casino with a hotel attached to it is experiencing a slow period right now. A combination of the weather, the fact that there are no meetings or conferences going on all contribute to a low occupancy rate in the hotel and not many people in the casino. This is the best time to score a free room, maybe a couple of free meals etc, because they want to get people coming to the casino and gambling.

The worst time to go to a casino in terms of comp’s is when the hotel is full of convention attendees. One time we tried to book a room during a major conference and not only were we not comp’d for the room, they wanted to charge us $700 a night because they only had a few rooms left. This is for a room that normally sold for $100 a night and was normally comp’d during slower periods. It really pays to time your visit with the slower periods if you want to maximize your comp’s and save money for what you really like to do and that is gambling.

If you have any flexibility in planning your vacation, the best time to visit casino hotels is whenever they are not busy. This is usually between conventions, off season time frames, and during weather events. If you are looking for an inexpensive vacation and have the flexibility in terms of when you go to Vegas, Biloxi, Laughlin, Tunica, or Atlantic City, this is the best time to get a deal. Combine timing with your slot or table play and you can most likely be comp’d for rooms, meals, and even be provided free play to gamble with. Casinos without hotels attached to them are at a bit of a disadvantage in this regard since they can only provide meal comp’s, free play, and sometimes free tickets to shows if they have that kind of venue.

Best Time to Visit Casino Hotels – Play where you Want to Stay

My wife and I have this discussion a great deal. There are some casinos where she feels that she is luckier or likes the ambiance of the casino better. She would rather spend time at these casinos compared to some others. Sometimes they have hotels associated with them and sometimes it is just a casino and a couple of restaurants.

The basic message is that if you like to stay at a particular casino with a hotel and want to receive comp’s for free rooms at this hotel then you had better spend some time playing the slots or the tables at this casino. They will notice this amount of play through their tracking system and aim to get you coming back again and again. If you are wondering how casinos make these decisions, there are a number of factors that go into the analysis. Each casino will attach more or less importance to some areas than others to make their final ranking, however, the bottom line is to spend time in the casino you want to stay at.

Some of the factors that the casino marketing people look at when making these decisions are as follows:

• Time spent playing at slot machines and tables
• Amount of average bet per hour
• Speed of betting
• Win loss ratio
• How often do you come to the casino
• Do you live far away  from the casino
• How much do you play in terms of time and money each visit
• What games do you play
• Comp’s already received and used.

There may be other factors, but these are the main areas that are assessed.

The best online casino bonus is the potential Freeplay that online casinos can provide to their customers, either as an incentive to join their online games or to reward customers who have played a great deal. Online gamblers should really think of free play as free money. They can use this money to possible win some of their money back, however in practice at most casinos, online or the real thing, this seldom happens. Online Casinos are limited to what they can offer their customers due to the very fact that they are online and not a brick and mortar type of casino. The best online casino bonus cannot compare to what the real casinos can offer.

Customers can be rewarded with meals, free rooms, free entertainment even free travel or rounds of golf depending on how much you play and how much money you spend. The online casinos have a difficult time with these kinds of offers unless they are affiliated with a live casino. Sometimes you can be offered some of the free items we mentioned as long as you continue to play online and frequent the gambling tables online.

Compare Casino Bonus – Best Online Casino Bonus

If you enjoy gambling and like the free things that come with gambling compare winnings and benefits. Compare what you can earn or be rewarded with at all casinos, not just the online ones. In actual fact, your free things are part of your winnings. You do have to eat and sleep somewhere. Most people also take vacations as well, so why not have the casinos pay for it if you are going to spend the money anyway.

Avoid Traps to Spend More Money

The biggest trap is being enticed to spend more money than what you can afford. To some extent free play awards are doing just that. They are enticing you to continue playing. They are enticing you to use you own money once you run out of free play. The classic, I have a hot machine, in most cases does not last. Many people find that their free play and their cash dry up quickly. That is why the writer likes combo’s of free play and other free things. Such as free rooms and meals which are tangible and have value in our opinion.

Good luck with the best online casino bonus awards.

The Aquarius Casino and Hotel in Laughlin Nevada is probably the best hotel in the city to stay at. There are two towers with the casino in the middle. Families and parties stay in the tower on the north side. Couples looking for a quieter room usually stay in the south tower. Both hotel towers and their elevators are located just off the casino floor.

Duet has opened in the last year, it is a coffee shop similar to Starbucks with higher prices because it is attached to the hotel. There’s also a subway and a McDonald’s if you’re looking for something inexpensive. There is also a coffee shop with a full à la cart menu, and the buffet that serves fantastic food at reasonable prices. There is an outback restaurant and also another restaurant called the vineyard which we have not tried. For your money, we suggest eating at the buffet where you can enjoy two alcoholic drinks along with your meal.

Aquarius Casino – Seafood Night

On Friday nights they have king crab legs, and on Saturday night it is a seafood buffet. If you like seafood this is the place to go to and they have the best crab legs that we’ve had in many places.

For those people looking for free Wi-Fi Internet access, enjoy your coffee at the duet and connect to the Wi-Fi for free at this location. If you want to use the Wi-Fi in your room, it’s going to cost you at least $10 a day.

The Aquarius Casino Hotel is located along the Colorado River. There is a walkway that allows you to walk from one end of the casino strip to the other. You can go in and out of all of the casinos and access them by this walkway that runs along the Colorado River past all the hotels with the exception of Harrahs .

You can also catch a water taxi across the river to the other side in Bullhead or down the river to any of the hotels. There are daily jet boat rides along the river to points south and you can also rent Sea-Doo’s to cruise the river. This is a very fast flowing river and the water is quite cold so be sure to wear life jackets and wetsuits for protection if you’re going to go on any of the Sea do’s or if you plan to go swimming. In fact we recommend that you do not go swimming in the Colorado River.

For more details about casino bonuses, click here.

The Wynn hotel and casino is the nicest hotel on the strip in our opinion and we just attended one of the Wynn Slot Tournaments that was recently held there. The Wynn hotel and the casino is beautiful, clean, not smoky and elegant all together. They seem to always have someone going around cleaning, straightening chairs, dusting and maintaining the Wynn hotel at a high standard. We loved getting an invitation to play in a free slot tournament with our rooms comp’d and an invitation to a slot tournament party at the end. It cannot get any better than that all because we always use a slot card when we are play the slots at the Wynn Casino.

Wynn Slot tournaments – Invitation

The invitation included free entry to the tournament, three nights free in one of their deluxe hotel rooms, and an invitation including our guests to the party after the tournament when the awards are handed out. There were 238 people participating with the top prize being $35,000 in free play along with 19 other smaller wins. Just the three nights along are worth about $600 in value alone. This is a great deal and of course you are going to gamble outside of the tournament which you may win or lose. As long as you are careful, this can be a very good deal to participate in this tournament.

Exciting Contests

The tournament was exciting and professional. Our names were on the screens at the top of the slot machine. These are special machines that are set up specifically for the tournament. The slot tournament lasted a total of ten minutes and I think there was about 35 people in our round. I came in 5th overall in our round. Ufortunately that was not high enough to win any of the prizes.

Basically you press the play button all of the time. You must watch the screen for balloons that pop up on the screen from time to time. With your other hand you must touch the balloons on the screen to explode then and earn additional points. My score was around 385,000, while the winner had over 435,000 points. This was all very exciting. I would encourage everyone to take part in a tournament anytime you get the chance.

All casino bonuses are not the same and not all casinos provide the same complimentary gifts and rooms along with meals. You really have to check each casino to confirm what promises they provide in terms of comps for things like food, rooms and shows. These comps can actually end up being part of your win at the casino. Think of it this way. You go to the casino, you have only so much money to spend for gambling, food and whatever you plan to drink along with accommodations if you plan to stay the night. If the casino arranges to provide you with free meals and a free room, this can amount to several hundred dollars in savings.

All Casino Bonuses – Casino Business is Competitive

The casino business is very competitive. Ultimately they are trying to attract customers to the casino from other casinos and trying to make money at the same time. Based on the business and we’ve seen the complementary bonuses of the receipt along with how nice the casinos are, we think they’re making lots of money.

For example at one casino that we go to where we play nickel and Penny slot machines, we never have to pay for a meal. We also get free rooms during the week almost every week of every month of the year. This is a really great service and the bonuses are very attractive. They are what keep us coming back all of the time to this casino and not to others.

In markets where there’s only one casino serving a population of 1 million or more people, the bonuses are usually not that great. A good example of that is a Rideau Carlton racetrack Casino in Ottawa Ontario. They are well-known for not providing very good bonuses, or free meals and they cannot even provide a free room at any hotel. Another casino, the Akwesasne casino in Hogansburg New York provides many free rooms at a very nice hotel, and with a point system on their slot card you can pretty much guarantee that you will have enough money for paying for meals such as the buffet or at Sticks, one of their restaurants.

Casino Bonuses

All of these casino bonuses are part of your package in terms of your win loss ratio and should be considered when you discuss or account for how much money you’ve won or have lost during your time at the casino. Take into account the total package when you consider your net wins and losses at the casino.

Casino bonuses come in various forms. Some are actual physical mailing via the post office, but this becoming increasingly rare. Most today are sent via email, or customers can sign on to their accounts to see what bonuses are available to them. Clients can also call their casino host to confirm bonuses that are available to them! What is the Best Casino Bonus?

Best Casino Bonus

Best casino bonuses are the ones that are free, with no strings attached. These are from past visits to a casino and they are merely urging you to return. These bonuses can be free rooms, free shows, free meals, or free play. These are just the same as winning small jackpots and if you are smart about it, these bonuses can save you a great deal of money.

Most are tied to more play at the casino whether online casinos or the traditional ones. For example, if you earn a certain amount of points you will be eligible for some casino bonus like a free buffet or show tickets that day. If the Buffet costs $17.95 per person which is a typical amount, that is a small $38 jackpot for two people.

Casino bonuses can include:

• Free rooms
• Free meals
• Complimentary shows
• Free play
• Free points to use on almost anything

Every player has a different view of what the best casino bonus is for them! Many would just prefer to be given free play to use on the slot machines. While others do enjoy free tickets to a show. Let your casino host know which casino bonus you prefer and they will update your account to award these types of bonuses to you.

The following is a list of the latest casino bonuses that are being offered by many casinos. Some are better than others. Some casinos offer higher amounts of money etc since they are in a competitive market. Monitor your comps and try different casinos from different competitive companies to see just how much you are being provided.

Latest Casino Bonuses

Free play – this is money that is loaded onto your card and can be played in most but not all slot machines. To activate all you need to do is sign into your account and select free play and then begin playing your slot machine.

Free rooms – are often offered, or at least reduced to some of the higher-rated players. Even if the room is not free, a discount is still saving you money.

Free meals – such as buffets, etc are offered usually through the number of points that are accumulated as you play. The points can be used like cash to pay for meals etc. in other situations you may be offered 2 for one deal.

Discounts on Everything

Discounts on everything – often casinos will offer discounts in the tuck shop or in stores that are part of the casino if you are carrying a slot card. Use your points to pay for these items as well.

Upgrades on rooms – if you do not get a free room, a discount is the next best thing. From 20 to 50% discounts on the price of a room is sometimes offered.

Sky is the limit for whales – big-time gamblers will have their airfare paid for, their rooms paid for, tickets to shows paid for, meals paid for, and just about anything else the casino can provide to keep you coming to their facility.

Free air travel – and free gas for those that drive to a vacation casino property. Usually, people who receive free air tickets are heavy gamblers.

Free show tickets – for tickets to some of the best shows, with behind the curtain opportunities as well.

Complimentary golf – golf round available including golf carts for you and your buddies at some of the best courses available.

Free sports tickets – to sports events held in the casino for the whales.

The list goes on and on. If you can think it and it is within their power to provide it, the casinos will make it happen for their best customers.

How to get free casino bonuses

If you want to receive free casino bonuses, you must make sure that the casino knows that you’re in the casino. That you are playing the slot machines, or the tables. The casinos have automated the approach to tracking their customers. They now use slot cards primarily for people who play machines. At the tables, it is still the pit boss who keeps track of someone playing at their tables. You are at their mercy in terms of casino bonuses. However, if you get their attention and they observe that you are consistently playing without delay without taking breaks they will reward you with extra comps and bonuses. This is including free meals, rooms, etc depending on your style of play, the denomination of your bets, and so on.

Slot cards

A slot card is a simple card much like a credit card but with a different function. It identifies the player to the casino whenever the slot card is inserted into the slot machine. When the card is in the machine the computer will keep track of your play, the amount that you bet, and the time spent playing the machine. Based on the stats, the casino will figure out what bonuses to provide you while you’re in the casino as well as on your next trip. It is these stats that are so important when it comes to receiving free bonuses and patrons of the casino should always make sure that their slot card is properly inserted.

Not all slot cards are the Same

All slot cards work pretty much the same way. Unfortunately, not all casinos give out comps or bonuses in the same manner or the same quantity. As a general rule, if there is lots of competition, the comp’s are going to get better. If there is only one casino in the area, then you may receive mediocre comps and bonuses. I guess something is better than nothing.

A good example is the OLG casinos run in Ontario. They give out bonuses, however, they are notorious for being the worst in the industry for bonuses, simply because they do not have any competition in the markets they operate in. if you are looking for serious bonuses, don’t waste your money in OLG casinos, go to the states or border towns like Niagara Falls and Windsor to receive better casino bonuses.

Types of Free Bonuses to Expect

They all depend on your play and the number of visits to the casino, the length of time you spend playing, and the denomination of your bets. But even a little casino bonus is better than nothing at all.

Free rooms – or discounted rooms can be obtained based on your play
Complimentary meals – free meals, two for one deal, and discounted meals.
Free play – free cash loaded onto your card for you to play in the slot machines
Small jackpot – sometimes small jackpots are awarded based on draws, etc
Free upgrades – an upgrade to a better class of room is sometimes offered
Casino rate – paying the casino rate is always better than someone booking a room with no slot card.

Points Play – based on your play, points are awarded and can be used to pay for meals, rooms, and sundries at the gift store.

Remember to always make sure to have your slot card properly inserted into your slot machine when playing. If you see an error message on the small screen, re-insert your card. Make sure that your play counts towards your casino bonuses.

Sign up for slot cards to receive both casino bonuses online as well as receive them by email and in the traditional way via snail mail. In fact, you can ask the casino to only send your casino bonuses online by email if you are traveling a lot and prefer to receive everything by email. This is really the most convenient way to get our bonuses.

Sign Up for Free Slot Cards

They are free to all casino players. All you need to do is sign up at the slot card desk. They just need proof of address and a couple of pieces of identification and you are ready to go. They will print a slot card for you which you must use whenever you are playing slots. This keeps track of your play and how much you spend to help them decide what casino bonuses to provide to you.

Give them your email id and they will send everything by email. Of course, you must make sure that these emails do not end up in your junk folder. Just go into your junk folder once and while to see what is there and designate those that you know are legitimate so they will appear in your regular mail in the future.

Receive Casino Bonuses Online Offers

Receive email news and offers for casino bonuses to all of your favorite casinos. In some cases, you can sign onto their website. Review all of the offers that are available to you at various properties. These are usually the large chains such as MGM and Harrah’s casinos that have this particular feature. View bonuses online and then select the one that you want to take advantage of. Often free night stays at their hotels are the most common. Book free bonus rooms online or just call the hotel reservations line, give them your slot card number and the online bonus number you want to use to book your free or discounted room.

Players can also view the free play, cashback offers, etc. online as well. This is the best way by far to find out what casino bonuses are available online.

We continually receive casino bonus emails and frankly this is the best way to get them. Some still arrive by regular mail however if you are traveling and away from home a lot, they typically do not get to us in time to take advantage of the offers. Email is much preferred as a method to receive information about casino bonuses. You can quickly review the bonus and then decide if you want to keep it or just delete it. Of course you can also log onto your promotions account and find out what the offers are, however this takes more time etc. We are more than satisfied to receive these casino bonuses by email.

Store Casino Bonus On Your Smart Phone

There is no need to store them or take them with you when you go to the casino. They are all on your smart phone and they are on your slot card as well! Occasionally we need an offer code that must be provided in order to receive the bonus from the casino. Always keep your bonus with you on your smart phone until the date has passed or you have used the bonus.

The casino usually also has all of these bonus offers on file and will be able to provide you with the reward just by scanning your slot card.

What Are the Types of Casino Bonuses?

Casino bonuses include free play which is money that you can use to play on your favorite slot machine, free meals at restaurants in the casino or attached hotel, free rooms at the hotel on specified nights and much more depending on your play. If you are a heavy player expect really high casino bonuses. These can be like small jackpots for many people and sometimes you win a large jackpot on your free play, which is an extra bonus.

Many casinos are corresponding with their clients by email and also by providing links on their websites to user comp’s! Online Casino Bonus is delivered to them regardless of where they are right to their smartphones. This is clearly the way of the future. There are so many benefits to taking this approach compared to the old snail mail approach.

Online Casino Bonus Comp’s

Online casino bonuses include free rooms, free play, and free tickets to shows. Also free meals as well as many other comp’s that high rollers value. These comps are earned by using your slot card and inserting it into the slot machine. It keeps track of the amount of play that you do. They look at time spent, the amount of money you bet, and the rate of betting. Based on these factors along with the number of times and kind of slot machines you play the casinos will determine what comp’s you are eligible for. They will send them to you either electronically by email. Or refer you to their website where you can sign in and collect your comp’s or send a coupon to you via the old snail mail method.

Sending comp’s by snail mail costs much more money than sending an online bonus by email etc. Most casinos deliver their comp’s in this manner now, saving thousands of dollars in mailing costs. The cost of printing, packaging, and postage was astronomical compared to sending an email with attachments or referrals to a website where their customer can log into their account and see what they have in terms of comps.

Free Rooms and Freeplay Online Bonus

The comps we enjoy the most are receiving complimentary rooms, free play, and free meals. This saves us money and allows us to stay at hotels that we might not be able to afford otherwise. The rooms are always great and receiving one of the comp’s is the same as winning a small jackpot. In addition, free play is always fun. This is an amount of credit that you receive on your slot card which you can play in the same manner that you would play your own money. If you win while you are playing your free play, you get to keep the winnings.

Many slot cards also award points to your card as you play the slots or the tables. Customers can use these points for just about anything you would spend money on in the casino, including sundries from the gift shop to paying for meals at the buffet or even the high-end restaurants. All of this is free and if you are not taking advantage of these online bonuses now, you should be. As we said they are the same as winning a small jackpot and who would walk away from winning a jackpot.

Online casinos are also offering online bonuses, however, they do not appear to be as lucrative. They can only offer free play which is great, but sometimes you just want to be able to do something different with your points. The brick-and-mortar casinos with their online bonuses are clearly the way to go for this gambler.

Casino Free Play is another way that the casinos reward their customers based on their play at the slot machines. This is a credit they add to your slot card. It can be used as real money while playing the slots. You cannot cash in the free play. But you can cash in any winnings you might get while playing the slots using your casino free play!

How Much Can You Win With Casino Free Money

We once had received $100 in casino free play and hit a jackpot of $800. Which we cashed in of course! You do not always win like that. But you usually get 75% to 100% of your casino free play cashback from winning small jackpots! The amount you win while playing free play credit can vary a great deal. If you win a jackpot, well the sky is the limit.

On the other hand, if you win a bunch of small wins as you are playing you can expect as we indicated earlier. It will range from 50 to 75% of the amount of free play you received. The amount you win depends on the particular machine you are playing. Also whether it is in a winning cycle or not. We find that the poker machines tend to pay a little better than some of the other machines unless of course, you win a jackpot.

How To Receive Comps

Casino free play can be mailed to you as a coupon or it can just show up on your card as a surprise one day. Most casinos want you to visit the slot host and they will add the casino free play you are entitled to. You will usually have 24 hours to use it and if you do not use it you could lose it altogether. We find the best approach is to see the slot host, have the free play added to our slot card, and then use it right away!

You will also need to enter a PIN number which you must remember and use at the slot machine in order to obtain your free play.  If you forget it the slot host can reset it for you.

Casino free bonus opportunities abound if you know how to find them and take advantage of them. Many consumers visit a resort area such as Atlantic City or Las Vegas. They book their trips through a travel agent for both flights and hotels. If you have never been to any of these areas, this is not a bad way to travel there for the first time. You get a chance to get to know the cities, the resorts, and experience everything that the resort has to offer. Even on your first trip, there are casino free bonuses that can be found.

The main way to take advantage of casino free bonus opportunities is to obtain a free casino slot card if you plan to play the slots. If you play the tables for any length of time, you can also receive bonuses from the pit boss as well. Back to the casino slot cards. They are free to sign up for and all you do is plug them in to the slot machine while you are playing slots. They keep track of your play. Based on your play, the amount you bet over time, and the length of time that you play, you will become eligible for bonuses from the casino.

Casino Free Bonus

The casino free bonus can consist of free play, meal comp’s, show comp’s, and room comp’s. It all depends on how much you play. Some of the casinos are fully automated and you can get your free bonus without needing to see a slot casino host. You build up comp’s as you play. When you decide to dine at a restaurant in the casino, and it comes time to pay, first give your slot card to the waiter and he or she will deduct whatever comp you have on your card. If you still owe money, all you need to do is to pay the rest with your credit card or charge the remainder to your room.

We always charge our meals to our room and then go see the slot host before we check out to see what they will do for us. Many times they will write off some or all of these expenses in addition to the slot comp we already received. For many people, this can be the same as winning another little jackpot. If the casino is willing to give you this slot bonus, why not take advantage of it.

Free Play Casino Bonus

Free play is another casino bonus that can be fun to get. This free play is money that is added to your slot card to be used in a slot machine. The casino adds this free play bonus based on your play. It allows players to play the slots with this money until it is used up. You cannot take the free play out in cash, but any winnings you get while playing the free play is yours to keep.

We have won $800 on occasion just from our free play. This is really a bonus in my mind. You do not always win a large amount, but often you will win the equivalent in free play which you can continue play or take it out and keep the cash.

Casino Free Bonus Rooms

Free rooms are another benefit that can be very attractive as a bonus. You can receive free rooms in two ways. The first is to see the slot host before you check out of your hotel. They will let you know if they will comp you for anything charged to your room including the cost of the room. Again it depends on how much you gamble during your stay. If you play is high enough, they will often give you a night or two free. Which can compensate for any losses that you may have experienced.

The second way to receive free rooms as a bonus is through coupons that are mailed to you. When you sign up for a slot card, typically you will give them your address as well as your email. You can receive coupons with free rooms attached from time to time. Again depending on the amount of play from your last visit. The hotels also use this approach to build visits on slow weeks. They do this when they know the hotel will not be full. This is usually when there are no conferences on or it is just a slow period.

Take advantage of casino free bonus opportunities whenever you can. At least you will get some money back from your slot play.

There are many casino bonus plans available from almost all casinos including even the online casinos, however, not all are the same, and not all are as lucrative. If you are a gambler and not taking advantage of these bonuses, then you are leaving behind a major part of your winnings. Everything from free shows, free meals at many restaurants in casinos, and free rooms at these casinos. When rooms are going for $100 to $400 a night and you are receiving the room for free, this is equivalent to winning a small jackpot.

But we really need to emphasize at this point that gamblers must always be in control and never lose more than what they can afford. The promise of free stuff is just something to make you gamble more and everyone must be careful.

There are major gambling chains and there are major gambling cities such as Las Vegas. We will review these Mecca in North America in general detail and refer you to other posts that provide more detailed information on each of the cities along with the hotels. We will also go into more detail about the slot cards and the entire comp process that the casinos use to entice you to come to their hotels and casinos. They all do it, but some are better than others.

Major Gambling Mecca’s – Casino Bonuses

Almost every state and province in the US and Canada have casinos. In fact, all major cities have one or more casinos close by. This has become huge money-raising opportunity for many cities and state governments, so much so that they continue to build casinos across North America. There are several rather large private companies that run casinos across the country and quite a few more that run individual or small groups of casinos in several cities.

The remainder is run by local Indian tribes and governments to raise money to fund a variety of local initiatives. In general, we have found that government-run casinos do not pay as well as private companies do when you combine payouts and comp’s provided by the various casinos taking into account their market value. The major cities with groups of casinos in order of popularity are Las Vegas, Atlantic city, Tunica, Biloxi, and Laughlin.

Las Vegas –

with over 120,000 rooms and at least 25 to 40 casinos, this is the top city in the nation to visit for a good time. Every year millions of people come to Las Vegas for a vacation, to see a show, go out for a fabulous meal, visit the night clubs, and of course gamble. There are lots to do in Las Vegas from dining at fabulous restaurants, taking in shows that are the best in the country, viewing the décor at any of the major casinos, spending time at the pool or the golf course, and of course gambling at any of the casinos.

In our opinion, the best places to stay are the Bellagio, Caesars, the Mirage, Treasure Island, Wynn, Palazzo or the Venation, or even the Flamingo. These hotels are all very large and offer rooms at a variety of prices. We have picked these hotels because of their location and proximity to each other along with their central location.

Attending Conferences

We suggest that you select hotels to stay at based on where your conference is being held as well as any comp’s that you may be receiving. You may also want to visit down town Las Vegas and see the Fremont Experience. It is a street blocked off from vehicles with a light show on a glassed-in ceiling in the evenings and numerous entertainers that are all free to listen too.

If you gamble, always make sure you are using a slot card for the slots and identify yourself to the pit boss if you are playing the tables for any length of time. This will ensure that you receive all possible comp’s that you may be eligible for.

Las Vegas is within 5 hour’s driving time of Los Angeles and Phoenix and many other smaller cities. They have a major airport that millions of people fly into every year to visit Las Vegas. This is the ultimate place to go if you are looking for an exhilarating over top place to spend a few days of your vacation time.

Atlantic City – Casino Bonuses

Atlantic City boardwalk casinos are located along the ocean. There is a great boardwalk to stroll along and also great beaches to spend your time at. During the summer time, this is a wonderful place to go to. There are roughly 10 casinos along the boardwalk with another 3 or 4 located several miles away near the marina. There are shuttles that run back and to the beach areas and the casinos located along the boardwalk.

Most of the major chain casinos are represented here so you can use your slot card to book rooms and to gain free comp’s during your casino play. The casinos are older and the hotels are a bit more tired looking than what you will find in Vegas, however many are gradually updating both the hotels and casinos.

Condo’s

There are also condos along the ocean and many restaurants along the boardwalk. This is a beach town and most people go for the summer time beach time in June through September. During other times of the year, most people are going to the casinos and or attend conferences at the hotels.

Atlantic City is less than 2 hours from major population centers such as New York, new Jersey, Philly, and other major centers. If you are driving, be prepared to pay a lot in the form of tolls and parking fees.

Atlantic city has seen many upgrades over the years. Just two blocks off the boardwalk it used to be very unsafe and almost slum-like. Now they have spent a great deal of money to improve the area. There are over 200 outlet stores now in the down town area near Caesars and Bally’s hotels.

Tunica

Tunica is located just south of Memphis and there are approximately 10 casinos spread out over a rather large area. You will need a car to get between them with the exception of the Goldstrike, the Horseshoe, and the Roadhouse Casino and Hotel. They are affiliated with MGM and Harrahs respectively. Patrons can easily walk between these three hotels.

We have been to Tunica many times and found that while enjoyable for gambling and meals, there is little to do in the immediate area. Golf, shows and entertainment in Memphis are among the things to do while visiting tunica.

Biloxi

Biloxi is located roughly an hour by car east of New Orleans on the golf coast. Prior to hurricane Katrina, there were quite a few casinos operating in the area. Today there are probably 4 o5 with the Beau Rivage being the flagship and the nicest casino – hotel in the area. It is located right on the coast, is very modern, and is on par with many Vegas hotels although not as large in terms of a number of rooms.

If you are staying at the Beau Rivage, ask for a room looking out on the golf for some of the best views around. We have not stayed at any of the other hotels in the area, although we have visited the Hardrock hotel and Casino. It is brand new and I am sure a very nice place to stay at as well. Biloxi is a resort town with many condo’s and shopping, however you will need a car to get to many of these locations.

All Other States

Virtually all other states with the possible exceptions of Utah, Texas, and Alaska have casinos. These are typically run by Indian Bands or by the State government. They are all designed to try to capture some of the gambling revenue in their state instead of clients going to one of the major gambling areas such as Vegas or across the state line to a neighboring state. As such although enjoyable, we have a general feeling that they are not as competitive in terms of payouts from their tables and slots as well as the comps are not nearly as lucrative.

Millions of people who cannot afford to travel go to these casinos every day and have a very enjoyable time. Again always join the slot club and get as many comps while you are playing as possible. Something is always better than nothing.

Canadian Casinos

Most provinces in Canada also have casinos. Unfortunately, most are run by the government and frankly, they just do not measure up to their US counterparts. They are interesting places to go to and some even have top-notch hotels to visit as well. However, as far as comps and payouts, they do not measure up. The possible exceptions are those Canadian casinos in Niagara Falls and Windsor where they must compete with American casinos located just across the border. They tend to be more competitive offering free rooms and meals to entice customers to return to their premises.

Canada has followed the US example of having casinos close to population centers to grab a portion of the gambling dollars that clients are willing to spend. Many are associated with race tracks and other venues and sold to the general population as a means to raise money for local sports, health and to defray tax increases.

Major Gambling Chains

There are several major companies that offer significant advantages to their customers. This includes being able to visit casinos in many different cities and vacation spots and take advantage of their comps at any of these locations. We will only discuss Harrahs and MGM, although there are others that may encompass two to maybe 10 casinos in their group.

Harrahs – has casinos all over the US and several in Canada as well. Most have hotels attached to the casino and patrons of Harrahs using their slot cards can receive free rooms and meals at any of these hotels depending on their play. The majority of their properties are in the major centers we have already discussed along with many smaller centers as well.

MGM – works, in the same manner, has Harrahs in that they have multiple properties scattered around the US and around the world.

How Slot Cards Work – Casino Bonuses

Slot cards are totally free. They are used to identify you when you are playing at the tables or playing at a slot machine. The casino can then tell how often you play, how long you have played, and how much money you have played. With this information, rewards are given in terms of comps such as free meals, free rooms, and free play which can be used at the slot machines. There is no value attached to these slot cards other than the comps you may be entitled too. Basic information such as your name, address, driver’s license number, and email is all that is required to get set up. Offers can be sent to you by email or by regular mail.

Benefits of Slot Cards

The major benefit of a slot card is the comp’s that you receive from the casino. These include meals, rooms and free play. Many hotels will offer 2 or 3 nights free as an attraction. They get their clients to say at their hotels and into their casinos. They may also offer free meals with that or you earn comp $ towards meals during your stay.

A free room for 2 or 3 nights could be worth up to $300 for a regular room. Much more if you are considered a high roller. This is as good as winning a small jackpot. It is definitely worth the effort of signing up and using your slot card when you are playing.

In addition, always charge your meals, etc to your room. Before you check out, drop by the slot host to see what they might write off for you. All you do is drop into their office. Ask to speak to a slot host. Hand them your slot card. They will ask for your room number and then they will review your play and the expenses that you charged to your room. At this point, they will either write some of these expenses off. Or they will tell you that you perhaps did not play enough for them to comp you for your expenses.

On some trips, we have received free rooms and have not been given anything for our meals charged to our room. On others we have played a lot, won some and lost some, they write everything off including the meals. A nice little surprise!

How to Get The Most From Your Slot Card

Always play with your slot card inserted into the machine you are playing. They track you based on time playing, amount of money bet, and amount of money bet per hour. Whether you are playing penny machines or $25 machines, always use your slot card.

At some casinos they have surprise awards for only their slot players. This is another reason why you always have a slot card inserted. We have had slot staff come over to us with free meals. We have been awarded $750 on a surprise slot award when we have been playing. Not all casinos do this and some only do this sort of thing on special days.

The casinos will also send you special deals either in the mail or by email. These can be great deals for everyone with a combination of free rooms, free meals, and free play being awarded.

Your Slot Host

If you play a lot, get to know your slot host. It is always a good idea to be on good terms with these people. When you are on the edge of getting a free comp, they might just award you the comp because they know you are a regular!

Call Your Slot Host for Your Reservation

Same thing with reservations. Always call the slot host office for reservations. They can get you better rooms and better prices including free rooms. If you go through central reservations, you are going to pay for your room and you may miss a free comp.

Charge Everything to Your Room

As we mentioned earlier, charge all of your meals, etc to your room. Then see the slot host before you leave. If you do not charge your expenses to the room, the slot host has no way of verifying what you spent. They cannot give you any comps.

Before You Check Out

See the slot host always before you check out. As we already mentioned they will review your slot play or table play and then comp you as much as they can be based on their casino’s guidelines. Just say thank you regardless of what they comp even if they cannot give you anything. There is always a next time.

Casinos to Avoid From a Slot Card Benefit Perspective

The worst casinos to avoid as far as slot card benefits are concerned are all of the single casinos run by any government. We find that these are by far the worst. Since they usually are single casinos serving a single area or city and have no competition. Government-run casinos are the worst and we do not spend our money in these casinos.