One of the most common misperceptions of visitors to casinos is that you have to wager tens of thousands of dollars to tap into the world of free meals, rooms, and other perks commonly called "comps."

Not true.

Almost anyone who wagers more than a couple of hours a day, including slot players, is a customer a casino wants to coddle. But you have to know the rules.

1. Make yourself known. If you sit down at a blackjack table at a major casino in Atlantic City or Vegas, a pit boss may approach you to ask your name. Or he or she may ask if you "would like to be rated." First-time visitors often decline to give their names, perhaps thinking the casino is tracking their play for the IRS.

In fact, the casino would like to know who you are so that if your play warrants it, you can be offered freebies. Why? So you don't wander down the street to the competition. Unless you're just making a once-in- a-lifetime visit and don't intend to gamble more than a couple of hours, give you name.

2. Play in one place. If you would like to be rated and receive benefits, don't hop from casino to casino. If you stay in one establishment, you'll be evaluated (and rewarded) according to two criteria: how long you play and the average size of your bets.

It's that simple. All casinos measure your play using an A to D or a one to four scale. Casinos in smaller markets will have different criteria than those in larger ones, but generally, an "A" player will bet $500 or more per bet and play for at least four hours a day. A "D" player may bet $25 per hand at blackjack for at least four hours a day.

3. Time is important. A casino expects a player who wants to be comped to spend at least four hours betting during a 24-hour period. The theory is the longer you play, the more likely the odds are to favor the house. So even if you walk into a casino and make one, million- dollar bet at craps, don't expect a free pass to the buffet line. By the same token, if you play for an hour and find yourself winning big, quit and don't worry about qualifying for a comp.

4. Size matters. When a casino measures the size of your bets, your first bets count the most. That's because you're generally paying with your money. Someone who starts by placing a $25 chip on a blackjack bet, builds his bank up to $3000, and starts placing $100 bets will most likely be rated a $25 player.

If you only have a few hundred dollars to wager, starting out with anything larger than a $10 bet at a game such as blackjack is foolish. So don't begin by wagering $100 a bet just to impress the computer.

5. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose. When it comes to comps, it's all about length of time you play and the size of your bets--not whether you win or lose. Some players think if you win, a casino won't do you any favors. In fact, you're even more valuable at that point because a casino doesn't want you taking its money home or to another casino. If it can keep you on its turf by arranging a free room or a gourmet meal, it will.

6. Be blunt--ask a casino what it takes for a comp. Many casinos have slot clubs that measure a player's action and bestow comps accordingly. Table games are more subjective. But if you've spent four or five hours making bets of at least $25 each, you can expect the casino to offer you a free dinner in a mid-priced restaurant. Wager $100 per bet and you may get a free room. Other factors may enter into what you receive. If there's a big convention in town and hotels are full, you may not receive as generous a comp as you would during a slow week.

But don't by shy about asking. Other things within the power of a casino to grant are show tickets (at ANY showroom), spa treatments, cigars, limo transportation to and from the airport, and even reimbursement for your transportation costs to fly to the casino. Of course, real high rollers--such as Hustler magazine owner Larry Flynt, who regularly wagers $85,000 a bet at blackjack in Vegas--can ask for just about anything: Transportation by private jet, a $60,000 bauble in the window of the hotel jewelry store, and even a rebate on a percentage of losses.

That, however, is a league in which most of us don't play.

April 2001