Why Do Slot Clubs Reward Slot players So Much More Than VP?

I was wondering why the casino slot clubs reward video poker players so much less than slot players?

[Editor's Note: Here's Bob Dancer's take on this question.]

I’m going to use the term “players club” instead of slot club. It’s the same thing.

Years ago, when Jeffrey Compton was composing his The Las Vegas Advisor’s Guide to Slot Clubs (long out of print, but you can find it on eBay if you want to know what the rules of slot clubs were 25 years ago), I asked him about the apostrophe. Should it be “player’s club,” “players’ club,” or “players club?”

Jeffrey responded, "I haven't decided yet." As if he could make a proclamation and all casinos would follow it! A quarter of a century later, he still hasn’t decided.

Anyway, the purpose of a players club (no apostrophe) from the casino’s point of view is to reward good customers and get them to return to the casino. The casino uses the players club to accumulate player data -- age, address, game preferences, total coin-in, wins and losses, etc. -- in order to generate offers to get the player to return to the casino.

Simply put, it’s far easier to get a player to return to a casino the second time than it is to get him or her in the first time.

In general, slot machines have an average return of, say, 94% (6% hold) and video poker machines have a return of 97% (3% hold). This varies, of course, by casino and by individual machines. For a given amount of coin-in, a player on a game with a 6% hold is twice as valuable as a player on a game with a 3% hold.

This means that a slot player in this particular example is twice as valuable to the casino as a video poker player. It’s worth more to the casino to get such a player back again. That’s the main reason slot players get rewarded more than video poker players.

But it’s more complicated than that.

In today’s casinos, each machine has a “theoretical,” the amount the average player can be expected to lose for a given amount of coin-in. A video poker player playing a 97% game has a much higher theoretical than the same player playing a 99.5% game.

Some casinos require a different amount of coin-in to earn a point on the various machines. A slot machine might require $5 a point. “Regular” video poker might require $10 a point. “Loose” video poker might require $25 or even $50 to earn a point.

In addition to earning points, offers are given to players based on the theoretical generated and sometimes their win or loss. You can still generate a high theoretical playing loose video poker if you play lots of coin-in, but per dollar of coin-in, it’s easier to earn a high theoretical playing slots than it is video poker.

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David Miller Apr-28-2022

Reality

  The truth is that the casinos don't want intelligent gamblers in their casinos. By requiring more money being played to generate comp points, the casinos are slowly forcing intelligent players to either seek other places to play or accept the fact that, if they wish to play, they will have to play the lower paying games. Eventually there will be no place or games for intelligent players to play - which is the goal of the casinos. Their greed continues to grow as witnessed with the added fees, higher minimums, rip off resort fees, parking fees, etc. do attest. And today's new generation of players accept these gouging tactics, because that is what they are seeing as the norm.

[email protected] Apr-28-2022

Answer the question.

With all due respect, please answer the question.  I am interested in the answer, along with why comps were so much better in the mid-late 90's?

Donzack Apr-28-2022

Return

Video poker, I think even played at its lowest pay table, gives the casino less profit than slot machines. Add in advantage play and it only gets worse. Many casino players still think vp machines are programmed  like slot machines. A little reading and software practice convinced me there is a deck of 52 cards in vp machines and need to be played accordingly. Your money goes further in video poker. Casino management just follows the math. They let the math play the game and so should we. Lately there is more on line about slot machine advantage play but I’ll stick to video poker. The casino can’t afford to pay you rewards on vp like a slot player.

Tal2 Apr-28-2022

Keno Points

Keno players should receive the same points as slot players, yet they receive the same lousy points as video poker players. Many times the games are on the same machines as video poker. Doesn’t make any sense. Pure luck like a slot machine. Of course, I don’t expect anything to change.

Donzack Apr-28-2022

Keno

I would agree with the bad payback on keno the casino would reward them better. I think it’s funny that when keno lounge play was failing IGT put on a machine and the players loved it.

timtanium Apr-28-2022

South Point

Another reason to support south Point. Same points for slot and video poker players.

rokgpsman Apr-28-2022

Common sense??

You don't have to be business genius to realize that the casino is giving slot players higher rewards than they give vp players because the casino makes more profit off the slot players. Slot machines are pure luck if you win. Video poker players can play smart and increase their chances to something more than a slot player gets. But it takes work learning VP strategy, so lots of players take the easy way and play slots, cross their fingers. VP is still a negative chance to win but it's a much better chance than slots. Of course there are occasionally winners at slots, but if they keep careful track of sessions they are losers overall. Why else would a casino give away free rooms, limo rides and other rewards to slot players - it's because of the big losses that slot players have chasing a jackpot. Those players pay for all the freebies they get by losing at the slot machines. No way is a casino giving you anything without expecting to win a larger amount from you on your gambling.

Roy Furukawa Apr-28-2022

Dollar Amounts

I get that a game with half the edge would get rewarded twice as much, it just seems like the reward system isn't so consistent to me when it comes to table games vs slot/video players. I know ratings on table games vary widely and are subjective to some degree, but it seems if you're not betting black chips every hand on the strip, your play is almost not worth their time. And do they give you a ton more rewards if you're dumb enough to play 6-5 BJ?

Jerry Patey Apr-28-2022

Slot vs vp

That is an easy one. Since the casino is happy that you donate ( lose) more money on slots they are glad to give you bigger return be it cash back comps. Ex return on 25cent slots about 91%. Video poker varies by game and can be calculated by pay table but is 96-100% in general. This explains greater payback on slots b

rokgpsman Apr-28-2022

Players club rewards on electronic craps?

I wonder how the players club rewards you if you play the new electronic craps and roulette machines? They are getting popular at several casinos. There's also electronic blackjack tables with a virtual female dealer. Maybe these electronic forms of table games rate players in a more consistent and better way, especially at lower bet levels? A lot of Strip places won't even rate you at a traditional manually-dealt table game unless you are betting $25 and higher.

Question of the Day - 28 April 2022

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