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

Free Play / Promotional Credits

Comps & Incentives

Electronic gaming credits loaded to a player’s card or account that can be used on slot machines or electronic table games but cannot be directly cashed out. Free play is one of the most widely used reinvestment tools in modern casino marketing because it drives direct gaming volume with controlled cost—free play wagers are deducted from the player’s credit balance, and only winnings are paid in cashable credits. Free play redemption rates and subsequent coin-in generated are carefully tracked to measure program effectiveness. It represents a primary marketing expense in the reinvestment rate calculation.

In practice

Free play is particularly effective for driving visitation on specific dates (e.g., weekdays, slow periods) and for reactivating dormant players who may return to redeem their credits.

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.