WHY DOES A CASINO OFFER A BONUS?

This is the bit it’s easy to understand. By offering bonuses, typically in the form of free chips or money, casinos aim to attract and retain players. In effect, the casino uses the bonus as a type of competitive promotion to woo your patronage. It’s like a retail store offering a free item with a regular purchase.

TYPES OF CASINO BONUSES

Casinos offer two basic kinds of bonuses: first deposit and loyalty bonuses.

As a first deposit bonus, the casino gives you money to thank you for becoming a member. This type of casino bonus is usually paid after you’ve signed up and paid your first balance into your Real Money account. The casino will frequently match whatever you deposit up to some maximum amount, which could be $100, for example. Or your bonus may be a percentage of your deposit up to a specified maximum, such as a free 50 percent of the first $250 you deposit. These figures may differ considerably at various casinos, and individual casinos may periodically alter their bonus offerings.
Casinos strive to keep their current customers by offering a loyalty bonus, which is a type of promotion used by the casino to thank you for your continued patronage. For example, the casino may add an extra 20 percent to the first deposit made in a particular month, or it may add 10 percent or so to however much you deposit during a month.

WHAT’S EXPECTED OF THE PLAYER

In essence, the casino expects you to identify yourself honestly, refrain from cheating, observe the casino rules stipulated in the terms and conditions, and agree to the conditions that apply to cashing in when you win.
It should be understood that you will continue your visit and play for some time if you have accepted a bonus from a casino. There will be a “wager through requirement” – a clause requiring that you must bet a minimum amount of money before you can qualify to receive your bonus. This minimum stake is usually equivalent to some multiple of your initial deposit, or equal to whatever straight bonus you have been granted, or it may be the sum of both these amounts. You’ll generally find details on this “wager through” in the published terms and conditions of the casino. Your minimum total bets may need to be anything from 3 to 20 times the amount of your first deposit. By and large, a bigger bonus means a bigger wager through requirement, but there are many exceptions.

WHAT’S EXPECTED OF THE CASINO

As a player you will expect the game play at the casino to be fair and your winnings to be paid honestly and promptly. This much should be self-evident. But be aware that the nature of the games and payouts may change over a period and you’ll be expected to comply with any corresponding changes in the terms and conditions.

The nature of the games may change if the casino upgrades its software to enhance various features of play or finds it necessary to modify its payout percentages from time to time to keep fair control of the “casino hold”, which is the average profit the casino may be entitled to earn from money paid in by players. Payouts are most likely to change in Slots and Video Poker.

The terms and conditions of a casino are like a contract between you and the casino. They reflect the manner in which the casino undertakes to deliver service to you, the player – so be aware that the casino may need to adjust and tune its bonus and wager through conditions at various times.
The golden rule: PLEADING IGNORANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IS NO EXCUSE!

The casino player development organization must be a well-oiled team that has systems and programs in place that provides the guest with an experience that is seamless and flawless. From the moment the guest calls in and books a room to the time they get in the limo to return to the airport, the player development team must not skip a beat. No ” I ” can go uncrossed and no ” I ” can go un-dotted. It is the most simple details that must be checked and double checked to insure that the guest has an experience that is not just pleasing, but most importantly, extraordinary.

This team of executives must be led by a dynamic leader, most often the player development director, who understands not only the importance of having a systematic, analytic method for tracking the performance of the department, but also the intricacies and delicacies of servicing players in a way that is personal and efficient, yet fun and lively. This director must have the capability of putting themselves in the position of the general manager who must account for all the dollars being spent to recruit and retain the high roller and yet, they must also understand the position of the host who has to face the player and serve as the representative of the casino who’s loyalties must at least appear to lie with the player even though the casino is actually the employer of the host. It is a fine line to walk for any and all player development executives. And as the casinos become more cost-conscious, this line does not become easier, but rather tougher.

Nonetheless, the group of player development folks is inevitably the most personable and noticeable of any of the employees at the casino property. They are the ones who love what they do so much that they are willing to answer their phones 24/7 just to make certain that a player never goes unnoticed or unappreciated and always has someone to call about any desire or demand they wish to be fulfilled.

It is the casino player development team that truly does serve as the heartbeat of the casino. They are in the middle of the action, whether it be the VIP Party, the sporting event, or the hot action on the casino floor. They constantly strive to maintain the loyalty of their current players while relentlessly seeking new players as well. They are known by name more than any other employee on the property. It is these loyal casino employees who make the casino a place high rollers wish to be.

By: Betsy Modglin