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

Promotional Chip

Comps & Incentives

A chip provided to a player as a promotional incentive that is used for a single wager only—win or lose, the promotional chip is retained by the house after the bet resolves. If the player wins, they keep the winnings (in cashable chips); if they lose, the chip is taken. Promotional chips differ from dead/non-negotiable chips in that they do not persist through multiple hands. They are commonly distributed through direct mail offers, new player incentives, and event promotions. The expected value of a promotional chip to the player is approximately 49% of face value on even-money bets.

In practice

Promotional chips are most commonly used for table game promotions. Their single-wager nature makes them mathematically similar to free play on slots but with different expected value characteristics.

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.