VIP Programs and Comp Points

A casino VIP program, also called a loyalty program, rewards players for how much they wager. Play earns comp points; points can be exchanged for bonus funds, cash or other rewards; and the points earned over a period place the player in a tier with its own perks. The value of a program is the reward it returns per dollar wagered.

How are comp points earned?

Most programs award points per amount staked, not per amount lost. A typical structure awards one point for every set amount wagered on slots, with fewer points for the same stake on table games. Games with a lower house edge usually earn more slowly, because the casino expects to keep less from them.

What are comp points worth?

The terms set an exchange rate: a number of points per dollar of bonus or cash. Combine it with the earning rate to find the return per dollar wagered.

Set that against the house edge of the game played. A 0.1 per cent return on a game with a 4 per cent edge leaves the player paying 3.9 per cent on average. If points convert to bonus funds with wagering, the value is lower again.

How do VIP tiers work?

Tiers are reached by earning a set number of points within a period, and many must be kept by earning them again in the next period. Higher tiers can offer faster point earning, better exchange rates, higher withdrawal limits, cashback, reload bonuses or a personal account manager. Tier rules and thresholds are set by each casino and can change.

Are VIP rewards worth chasing?

Only as a side effect of play a player would do anyway. Every tier perk is paid for by turnover, and turnover carries the house edge. A reward worth less than the extra expected loss needed to reach it has negative value.

Where the almanac stands

The almanac values loyalty schemes from their published terms: earning rates, exchange rates and tier rules, worked into a return per dollar wagered, with every changeable fact dated. The casino's current terms always apply.