Some players believe that casinos track hot/cold players in an effort to see who may be winning or losing, including perhaps those winning or losing too much.
STATUS: They do track every player, and how they’re doing, but the reasons are generally more benign than some players believe.
Players have many superstitions when it comes to the player tracking systems. I’ve previously covered that the tracking systems are separate from slot machines and can’t control the game’s outcome.
But casinos of course track the win/loss information, amount bet, etc., for various purposes. One is of course to calculate your offers, but another is to spot players who might be worth approaching. What could trigger this?
- Players who are betting a lot; hosts may get out on the floor to introduce themselves as a way of building their book of business.
- Players who are really hot – a casino might want to throw out a room comp or something to keep the player around longer to try to get that additional play time and hopefully win some of the money back.
- Greeting players who are important to the casino. Once in Atlantic City I had a host approach me mere minutes after inserting my card the first time to say hello and share some new things about the casino’s app. Niceties like this can build affinity for a property.
Hosts and players desks (such as Mlife in Las Vegas) can access this information when reviewing play for players at the end of a casino visit as well, which allows them to issue back-end comps for players who put in a solid amount of play.
So, ultimately, it should be no secret casinos are tracking everything you do when your player’s card is inserted. This includes if you’re on a hot or cold streak. But there’s no nefarious purpose or attempt to change your payback, but rather is simply a way to make sure you get the proper credit for your play.
