Casino Hosts in Vegas

Firstly I am not sure if this question should be in this section of LVA but I'll give it a try...

I have been reading a lot of the comments in the forum pages and notice that many of the members/contributors talk about "their hosts".  So I did some checking and read many articles on what a host is  but they all leave one basic question unanswered.

Question:...How much do you need to be spending to be able to get a host?

Is it $200 a day, $500 a day, $1000 a day or more????

I'm not saying that I want (or need) a host as I do not believe I justify one for the amount of time I spend in Vegas (2 times a year) but it would be nice to know what the criteria is.

Any comments ???

Keep safe

Terry

Terry, that is one of those $64 questions.  It has been asked as a QoD more than once through the years, but basically there isn't one answer.  Ask a Host, and you'll hear "We don't work on commission" or "We aren't paid according to your play" or "We work in teams, sometimes a team might earn a bonus", or a combo of those or other answers. 

Obviously the higher end the property, the more play required to get their attention. 

I'd say not worth it if you have to play higher than you should just to "get" a Host, or if you enjoy casino hopping rather than spending so much in one casino during your two visits.

Candy

As far as getting a host is concerned, well, anyone can "get" a host, regardless of the action they offer. Whether that host will actually do anything for you is a different question. For years now, the standard method to evaluate you has been your "theo," or theoretical loss for the action you will provide. You then get comped at a rate of 20-40% of that, depending on the casino, phase of the moon, atmospheric pressure, or whether your host got laid last night.

So you can kind of reverse-engineer this. If you're staying/playing at a Stripoff casino, you can pretty much figure that the comp rate will be on the low side: 20%. Thus, take the retail (rack) rate for a room, multiply that number by five, and you'll have the amount you need to piddle away per day to be considered for room comps. So to get a room, a player at the Platinum Pigsty, which charges $3 per night plus a $196 resort fee, would need to have a theoretical loss of about $1000 per day--and at slots, this would be equivalent to $10,000 daily action. Table game players are evaluated differently, with a postulated theo of anywhere from 1% to 5%, and VP players seem to be evaluated at roughly 2% of action, at least until they twig to the fact that you know how to play at a much smaller loss than that. Some casinos, such as the CET empire and Boyd, use the optimal payback of the machines you play as their metric, which means that for every $100,000 of play, you get a comped doughnut (plain, no sprinkles). If you wish to patronize locals' casinos and/or off-Strip locales, you'll experience closer to the 40% end of the comp range, and will need to play/lose much less.

You would think that you could shortcut this by asking your host, "How much action do I need to give you in order to get a room comp?" Well, unfortunately, they're about as non-forthcoming, shy, and coquettish when you ask such a question as a blushing virgin at a Mormon prayer meeting. What you'll get in lieu of an answer is "Look me up when you're ready to check out and I'll see what I can do." This is obviously not very helpful.

So my answer to you would be: get a host, simply by calling in advance of your trip. Talk to them during your stay and ask them to evaluate your play when you're done. You'll probably be treated fairly generously at first. Then, as they learn that you're not a diarrheal fountain of cash, whatever offers you've gotten will dry up. But when the bloom is obviously off the rose, you can simply kiss that casino goodbye and move on to another one. The nature of casino hostship is such that in a couple or three years, after doing the grand tour of casinos, as it were, you can pivot back to your original casino and be treated as fresh meat, with the same initial burst of generosity that you enjoyed before.

Candy / Kevin

Thanks for the comments and information. Now I seem to understand why there is no published answer to a simple question.

On my trip in 11 days time I'll speak with a host at the Aria. I'm not holding out very much hope as I am an xxx per diem guy and that's the limit. (Unless of course I win a major jackpot, which has been happening in Vegas over the past few weeks...LOL )

Again many thanks for the info...appreciate it.

Keep safe

Terry

I’ve been trying to get a host for years—pretty much my whole gaming career since 1991 when I turned 21. No matter where I go—South Point, the Strip, Stations, or even an off-strip single property like Rampart—it feels like you never get a straight answer. Most of the time, I end up knowing more about the comp system than they do.

I even called South Point yesterday saying I was bringing $5K, and I guess that’s just not enough. Steve Cyr once called me and texted back and forth, but when I tried to return his call, he never picked up. My impression is that unless you’re bringing in $1M+ action, he’s just not interested.

At the end of the day, why bother? I can pay for my own room, shows, and dining—usually off my winnings. Sometimes I’ve got enough comps to cover meals anyway. I hear a host can do a lot more, but in my experience they’re like financial advisors: they tell you what you want to hear, but half the time I know more than they do about the market or the gaming side. Just doesn’t seem worth it.

Feels like if you’re a Billy Walters, Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, or Don Johnson, then the casinos see you as a business opportunity. But if you’re “only” bringing $5K or $10K, their attitude is basically: come back when you’re wagering $25,000 a hand.

That’s just been my experience. Curious to hear others’ thoughts.

—Dave

Hey Dave.  Wife and I are low rollers and have a host at the Westgate.  He's taken care of pretty much all of room charges and even given us discretionary comps for food and beverage even above our usual comps.  Seems like you should be able to talk with someone from the host office and they can evaluate your past play at the casino you are playing at.

Dave, how much you are "bringing" is the wrong question.  They can't count on you spending what you "bring" at their casino.  It is all about your history, how much you play through during your trips.  It is nice to have a relationship with a Host, but not necessary unless you are a whale, and then they'll be calling you.  I wouldn't bother calling in advance.

And, you say that you've heard a Host (capital H, BTW) "can do a lot more."  How much more are you looking for?  What more are you wanting than rooms, food, some Free Play and maybe the occasional show tickets?  Steve Cyr-type of comps--up front money of $50,000 or more; sky box at NASCAR or the  Super Bowl; deep sea fishing trip; carribou hunt, etc. LOL).

Just use your players card for all play, charge everything to the room, visit the Host office at the end, say "Great trip, great casino.  Can you take anything off my charges?"  The Host you speak with might then put you on his/her list of clients, but don't count on it.  Or a Host might notice your play and contact you.

Years ago a friend told me to see her Host, ask if she could comp me (high end Strip casino).  I'd only been in that casino once or twice and for just a few hours.  That Host did all but ask me to stand back from her desk.  LOL.  Yet after I played there several times I had Hosts seeking me out with comps galore.  I never again sought out a Host.  Just used the marketing comps and waited until they came to me.

Good luck to you!

Candy

Even though the so-called "discretionary" comp power of the host has been supposedly curtailed, the sad truth is that there's still a tremendous amount of subjectivity in the process. It really might depend on whether the host had a good dinner or if his ED is acting up.

Case in South Point: I've been a customer since they opened. Over $6 million coin-in lifetime. Over a dozen times, I've asked my parasitic host a straightforward question: I'm going to be there on XYZ days, how much coin-in will you need to see in order to comp my room? Note that I didn't ask for an upfront comp. Would you believe that I've never gotten a straight answer--save exactly one time (he said $8K per day would do it)?

I know that isn't exactly encouraging. I can only suggest that you talk to a host at a time when he's not too busy (midday; mid-week) and practice your kissy kissy.

Despite that, don't give up. Casino marketing strategy has ALWAYS included an allowance for comps, bargains, discounts, etc. That has dwindled over the years from 40% of what you blow to 20%, but it's still there. And by "what you blow" I mean what you mathematically "should" lose, based on what games you play and for how much.

BUT--for South Point, it seems to be different, anecdotally at least. Future comps are apparently determined by recent losses. Play a near-breakeven game like NSUD, but get crushed: here come the offers. Play a dum-dum game like slots, luck out and hit big--stony silence from the marketing department. Even though the slot player is worth about ten times as much to the casino. Results shouldn't matter. But at South Point, they do.

One thing I've never known is how one keeps up with their coin-in like Kevin and others do.  But I don't feel the need to, since it is what it is and I either get comps per marketing offers or Host approval at the end.   

Oops, I think one way is the win-loss statement, which always shocks me to the core when I get them at tax time.  Damn...I played that much?  No way!  But I still don't know the math to it.  Kevin?

Candy

Keep track of the points you're earning. At my local casino, I get 1 point for every $10 I play at video poker. So if I have 100 tier points, I have $1,000 coin-in.