Casino hosts are some of the most mysterious and misunderstood staff of any casino. They may hold one of fifty different titles that casino management creates to instill importance, but they are all working towards the same end goal. A casino host’s primary job is to get big players in the casino and keep them gambling for as long as possible. Every gambler has different expectations for what they deserve in return for their play. It’s the casino host’s job to satisfy the customer, while ensuring they are only receiving what is appropriate for a player of their size. Let’s dive into some of the basics before we discuss the best and the worst, shall we?
Casino Host vs. Marketing/Sales Reps
So as I mentioned in the first paragraph, casino hosts are given a bevy of titles that typically have no meaning. However, for purposes of this article, I am going to split these player liaisons into two groups – actual “hosts” and “marketing reps”. A marketing rep is who most people will hear from well before they are truly hosted. Larger companies like MGM and Caesars love using mid-level marketers to reach out directly to players (typically through mass mailers/emails) offering assistance on their next trip. These marketing reps typically have no more available tools than the player has at their own disposal; they are simply booking your casino offers on your behalf. Although this may be helpful occasionally when an offer isn’t showing as available online, they mostly offer no real value to players. These marketing reps almost always receive zero compensation based on the player’s play and will not be available in person to assist with anything while you are on property.
On the other hand, casino hosts are much more valuable and have a lot more arrows in their quiver. True casino hosts are employed by a specific property (with exceptions like Steve Cyr who are independant and rep multiple casinos) to generate business and increase top-line revenue. Hosts have the ability to not only book a standard casino offer that marketing generated, but also go beyond and offer additional services and benefits beyond what your offer or your tier level has granted you. A host can get you tickets to a sold-out show, dinner reservations to the best restaurant on a Friday night, a round of golf for you or your buddies, room upgrades, or even something as simple as a ride from the airport.
How Do I Get Hosted?
Probably the most common question people ask regarding casino gambling is how a person gets assigned a casino host. The truth is, it varies wildly by property. Each casino will have their own expectations for a hosted player. Downtown, a property may be interested in hosting a $100 average bet player, while on the strip it may fluctuate from $150-300, just depending on the casino. What they would like to see is sustained play (4+ hours a day) at a level that supporst the comps you are seeking. Let’s take for example a blackjack player that has an average bet of $200/hand for 4 hours. That player would generate a theoretical loss of 4 (hours) x $200 (avg. bet) x 60 (hands per hour) x .02 (house edge estimate) = $960. Of this theo loss, maybe the casino will offer 30% back as a comp, so the player would have available $288. Please note these calculations are not exact and every casino evaluates play differently. So let’s continue…
There are a few ways to end up being a hosted player, but the most common are:
- Achieving a Tier Status that includes a personal host
- A host approaching you during play, based on your action
- Visiting the host desk on-property
You can visit the player’s club website of any casino and almost all of them will list a certain level where a casino host is automatically assigned. By reaching Black card status at Wynn, for example, a host is automatically assigned. Although this is the easiest way to get a host to work with you, I personally find it much more advantageous to be proactive and reach out to a host yourself. Numerous times I have walked up to the host desk of a property and explained who I am, how I play, and asked what they can do to help on my next visit. If you meet the criteria for a room, they will likely grant it and determine what else you deserve after you are on-site and actively playing. Not going to be on-site before your visit and looking for assistance? Visit their website and try to find a casino host’s email/phone to reach out to in advance. Nothing on their website? Check Linked In or hop on the phone, call their main number and ask to be transferred to the host desk. The absolute worst response that can happen is they say they aren’t able to help at this time, but nothing is lost in these situations. So let’s discuss what makes a good, bad or horrible host.
What Makes A Good Host
As a player, when I am connected with a good host, I am instantly likely to transfer as much of my play as I can to that property. Even to this day, I have certain properties that I love that I just won’t visit anymore because my assigned hosts (or lack there of sometimes) lesson my value as a player to that casino. Good hosts do a few things that set them apart from all their competitors.
#1 – They ensure the player feels valued, appreciated and welcome at their property
In my opinion, this is the most important function of casino hosts. A good casino host is proactive in communication, prompt to respond to emails/texts, and attempts to visit you on the casino floor upon your arrival (when possible). Too many times a player will have a host that they never see and have a hard time connecting with. Casino hosts are compensated based off your theo loss (or actual in some cases), so your play absolutely does matter to them. Taking the time to talk with you for a few minutes, or respond to a text in a timely fashion just ensures you know they are doing what they can to help you. Good casino hosts will recognize when a player is having a rough trip financially and offer an unexpected perk to keep you engaged and happy. If a player feels appreciated, they will return over and over again.
#2 – They get you the comps that you deserve
Casino marketing offers are great as a baseline, but they don’t always capture a player’s value to the casino. Did you get absolutely killed on your last trip and lose all your bankroll in an hour? Your ADT (average daily theoretical) will take a hit for the short play duration and marketing offers will decrease. Are you any less valuable as a player? No, but in the computer’s eyes you are. A good host will recognize your true value, factoring in your game of choice, average bet, normal length of play and not to be forgotten, your bankroll. A $300/hand blackjack player is valuable if they have the bankroll to play at that level for 4+ hours a day. A $300/hand blackjack player who can’t survive more than 30 minutes because a limited bankroll has extremely limited value in the long run. Hosts that recognize the value of the player will do all they can to get you what you deserve, including but not limited to:
- Rooms & Suites
- Food & Beverage
- Airport Transportation
- Show Tickets
- Spa Treatments / Rounds of Golf
- Free Play (table or slot)
All these perks have tremendous value and should be factored in when deciding the best place to spend your hard earned money. It is usually easy to judge which hosts are generous with their assistance and which are not.
#3 – They surprise you!
This is the one that I think many good hosts miss a lot of the time. A great casino host will do something beyond the norm to make a trip extra special, without you having to prompt them. Maybe they know you are a big fan of bourbon and have a nice bottle in your room upon arrival. They may have heard you are a big sports fan and get you tickets to a big event in town. Maybe they know your significant other is with you this trip so they book you a nicer room than usual to impress her. All of these things aren’t expected by the players, but show the hosts actually cares and wants to keep you coming back to his/her property.
I have a great example from this past week of how a good host is invaluable. On Monday of this week, I decided that I wanted to visit Encore Boston for the first time. I have no play history there and their website has no host information to easily be found. I reached out via email to my host at Wynn Vegas and in less than a day, I had a response telling me he would reach out on my behalf and have someone contact me. That evening, a host from their Boston property reached out, had my profile in front of him, and had setup everything I needed for this weekend and more. The same host followed up the next day just to confirm nothing else was needed. It was top notch service and I already feel great about the trip before I arrive. Not only did it strengthen my relationship with my Vegas host, but also increased brand loyalty to Wynn from the experience, win or lose.
What Makes A Bad Host?
A lot of the time, a host appears poor at their duties because they are stretched too thin and you fell below their line of attention. A bad host ignores your texts/emails, or takes 3-4 days to respond. Bad hosts books the absolute minimum offer available, or even worse, doesn’t even offer the F&B or free play available if you booked yourself. A bad hosts never makes face to face contact with you while on-site and doesn’t review your folio on exit to make sure there isn’t something they could help cover the cost of. A bad host has no idea what your play level was and doesn’t follow up after the trip to thank you or ask about your next trip on the calendar. In short, a bad host gives the appearance of not caring or trying.
An example of a host experience that was poor recently involves a large, popular Vegas property. I had a host there that was relatively difficult to get a hold of most of the time, but he eventually always came through and usually even booked me room levels I didn’t need or deserve. However, last year I had hit a W2G jackpot on a slot machine during the year and needed a copy of the tax document to complete my annual filing. I reached out twice via email, and never heard a peep. I ended up having to go through a long customer service process that took 3 weeks to complete and it left me with a sour taste in my mouth. These sort of situations are extremely frustrating and keep me from visiting this property more often.
What Makes a Horrible Host?
My baseline expectation for a host is that they will be bad, with glimpses of good. I’m not a high maintenance player, I rarely ask for anything out of the normal, and I would never expect something I hadn’t earned twice over in spades. That being said, sometimes you end up with a host at a property that falls below baseline levels and actually damages the reputation of the casino. They seem to actively belittle you as a player, remind you of your limited value, and actually make you uncomfortable as a guest.
The most recent experience with this for me was about a three years ago. I had been approached by a casino host on-site during my drop in visit and after some pleasantries and providing their card, we went our separate ways. I reached out to said host a few weeks later and was going to make a return trip to their property and stay on-site. I sent the email and heard nothing for a week. After following up via email the next week, I received an email back that they would work on it and get back to me. After a few more days, I received an email saying something along the lines of “you’re all set, we’ll see you on XX date.” No confirmation number, details of any offers, or anything further. Fast forward a month and I fly in and hop in the first cab to this property. Upon arrival, I get to the desk and they have no record of my visit. I attempted to call my host’s cell phone and no answer, and no reply to text. I spoke with someone at the front desk who made a call over to the host on duty who indicated she had no record of the trip and couldn’t authorize a room with my limited history. I ended up taking my bags, hopping in a cab and transitioning to another property. Finally, I received an email back a few days later with an “apology” that she had forgotten to finalize the trip and was swamped with other patrons while I was there. You want to ensure I never come back… that is how you do it. I haven’t been back since.
So with all this said, a host can be an amazing partner that increases loyalty and brings you back time and time again. Alternatively, they can ensure you never visit a property again. No matter what, be proactive in approaching a host if you think your play might support it and always remember that you have not because you ask not. You may be surprised at what a host can do for you.
If you want to learn more about this topic, click here to read Josh’s article about the Wynn Rewards program.