Slot Hosts Salary | Las Vegas Advisor

I have a slot host at Harrah's who really seems to earn her pay. She works long hours, remembers every detail, keeps her promises, and is always warm and cheerful to boot. Any idea how much she -- and others like her -- get paid? I guess what I'm asking is, is she/they on a salary? Does she get a commission? Both?

A few independent hosts, such as Steve Cyr, the main character in Deke Castleman's book Whale Hunt, are freelancers/independent contractors, steering high rollers to one or more casinos with which they have a contract or working arrangement. They’re not paid a salary, but earn a commission from the casino, usually based on the actual losses of the players they bring in, but sometimes based on the mathematically expected loss of their overall play (this is known as the "theoretical" or "theo").

However, most casino hosts are salaried employees. Steve Cyr, again, was an employee of the Las Vegas Hilton for many years before he went independent.

Some companies don't pay hosts any bonuses, commissions, percentages, or incentives above their regular salary. However, many do, usually quarterly or annually. Where bonuses are paid, what they’re based on can vary considerably. Usually, they're given out individually and depend on the amount of play and/or the number of room nights of the customers who are "coded" to one host. Sometimes, the host bonuses are based on the losses of their customers. More infrequently, they're based on new business that a host brings in. A few companies work more on the team concept and host bonuses are based on the success of the whole player-representative department in reaching corporate goals.

So you can see that it varies considerably from host to host and casino to casino. That's why what your host earns in salary, commissions, bonuses, etc. is hard to quantify and would be a guesstimate at best. But if she works as hard as you say she does and is as good as you write that she is, we imagine she does well for herself, given that she seems well-incentivized.

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David Miller Jul-03-2020

In other words...

No one wants to say.

Dan McGlasson Jul-03-2020

bringing in the losses

I read in another publication that the commission system on losses is one that casinos do NOT want to discuss.  The host knows that the more you lose the more they make, and that makes an interesting dichotomy of the host having to look happy when you win but really being happy when you lose.  Still, a quality host can help make the losses feel less stressful with good customer service, comps, and bonuses.  

A good question might be a comparison of how much action it takes at casinos to qualify for a host.  It would be interesting to compare a major strip property and a smaller locals property in this manner.

Benjamin Jul-03-2020

Action required?

An excellent suggestion Dan McGlasson. I'm interested in such a comparison.

Kevin Lewis Jul-03-2020

Happy happy happy

When you get pounded through the floor playing slots, Mister Gladhand the slot host commisserates with you. Then he goes back to his office and breaks out into a little dance.

To answer Dan's question, I've been assigned a slot host at places like South Point and Boulder Station for as little as $4000 a day action on video poker (which seems to be generally considered as equivalent to slots in that regard). The same action in Strip casinos has never even gotten me a glance.

IdahoPat Jul-03-2020

From what I know ...

... many bonus plans are heavily based off theoretical, and not actual. At least one major player in the industry doesn't pay their hosts a quarterly bonus.

Your top host(s) at any Strip casino, who carry their own book of players, can negotiate better salaries than someone who got promoted in-house from another position, say the players club or casino operations. Those top hosts should be making 6-figures plus annually.

I would be very surprised if your established hosts on the Strip would bother with a player who doesn't have a minimum $500 average daily theoretical. Even then, other factors come into play, like frequency of visitation and largest loss.

Question of the Day - 03 July 2020

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