Part III: Business & Regulation · Casino Marketing & Player Management

Comp (Complimentary)

Comps & Incentives

Any goods or services provided free of charge or at reduced cost by the casino to a player as a reinvestment incentive based on their gaming activity. Comps include rooms, meals, beverages, spa services, entertainment tickets, transportation, and other amenities. The fundamental purpose of comps is not to reward past play but to incent future visitation and increased gaming activity—comps are a marketing expense, not a reward. Comp authorization is governed by strict guidelines (comp matrices) that correlate comp value to player ADT or actual loss. Excessive comping relative to player value is a significant profit risk and a focus of management controls.

In practice

The evolution of comp philosophy is important—modern operators view comps as a calculated reinvestment of a percentage of theoretical win rather than a discretionary gratuity.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.