Free stuff in Las Vegas
Las Vegas for free

Promotions and giveaways are a common thing at today’s Las Vegas casinos, yet are the free things really “free” for players?

Las Vegas has always been known as the city of generous comps, that treats gamblers to complimentary rooms, free entertaining shows, free dinners, flights, limos and just about anything else that can be imagined. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch as the old saying goes. All this comes at a high price indeed, or the casinos would have been bankrupt decades ago.

To be rated for comps at blackjack card games, players need for the pit boss to record the length of time they play, at what game and how much they bet per hand. Some games, such as poker, offer practically no comps, since players battle each other and the casino makes a small percentage of each pot played.

But if a player starts betting on blackjack card games, roulette, craps or baccarat, its easy to earn four free $20 dinners in a matter of minutes. To become eligible for free rooms and free airfare, thousands of dollars need to be rolled over before players are rated high enough to qualify. The casinos don’t care if if the player wins or loses, just as long as they are playing.

Winning at blackjack isn’t easy, and requires practice and discipline. While players enjoy all the free perks the casino has to offer, they are usually losing significantly more than the value of the comps received. Playing games with high house odds as roulette, will generate comp points faster than playing blackjack. That’s because the casino has a 500% better chance of winning each roulette spin than each blackjack hand.

And the longer one plays while intoxicated, distracted and not practicing money management, the higher the casino’s edge become. Somewhere down the line, players are sure to pay for the free stuff in one way or another, and even part with a considerable amount of their own money.

In the event a player manages to win big during a single day of their vacation, either by luck or proper blackjack strategy, only a small number manages to not return the winnings the following day. Most linger on, hoping for even bigger wins or unwilling to let go of the ‘action’. Casino management makes sure that the players who do leave with a nice chunk of casino’s money, quickly receive an invitation for a comped suite, limos, show tickets, and airfare.

The casino management understands that in the long term, the player who prefers action over strategy, is drunk or uses losing black jack strategies will always give back more than he wins.

If you happened to have been offered a free stay at one of Las Vegas’ gaming shrines, free food and drink for your time there, and maybe even some free chips to drop on the tables, beware of hidden dangers. Never trust wolves in sheep’s clothes. The casinos will try to make you part with your hard-earned money and everything else they gave you for free, along with something extra for the house.