I don’t even track what my husband loses in a year - but let’s put it this way . It’s between $10-$15K most years. He gets comped rooms and food and sometimes flights - but not enough nights to live in casinos full-time. And if he doesn’t gamble enough , the comps get cut off. They aren’t going to comp him 365 nights if he loses$10-15K a year.
What casino are you talking about that gives your friends coupons for comped rooms that they can give to you? Never heard of that. My husband can get other people rooms at a discount- but he has to call his host and make the arrangements. And it’s only a discount - free rooms have to be in his name and he has to check in.
And if this rare process is abused, your friends can lose their privileges. Frankly, I think you would have to be gambling a lot more than you claim to be treated like the whale you say they treat you like.
As to whale or not, I suspect the sleazy dive casinos in the Midwest that cater mostly to degenerates ( ) have rather lower standards for everything than does one of the big hotels in Las Vegas. So getting a room comp for a $100 loss is not inconceivable in e.g. Keokuck, whereas at some fancy Vegas joint you gotta lose $5K to get a “free” room.
I also would not be surprised at any venue regardless of (lack of) grandeur that the generosity of room comps varies a lot along with their paid occupancy rate. IOW a usually-full hotel gives out few comps and only to serious whales. A usually half-filled hotel would give out more, since the marginal cost of using an otherwise-empty room is pretty nil, and they hope to make it up on food & booze purchases and casino losses.
No non-trump casino has ever gone broke by persuading high-frequency gamblers that they’re getting something for nothing.
Now whether the OP is overall making a profit or is slowly sinking into economic oblivion is a different question.
It’s normally free when you’re gambling but not if you’re doing anything else - in a restaurant or club or show or at the pool. Or even if you just want better quality booze or wine which you will have to get at a bar.
Spend a lot, lose a lot = whale
Spend a little, lose a little, you’re just a minnow; no comps for you.
Yes, some casinos will have cocktail waitresses who will walk around & take your orders for (free) booze. Typically well liquors or mass-produced swill beer (Bud, Miller, etc.). You want good stuff? That’s going to cost you…unless you’re a whale.
Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?
Generally a whale means a customer who’s a big spender. That could be someone who buys a lot of jewelry from a shop or is one of the top donors to a charity or gambles a lot in a casino. Regardless, you give them perks and kiss their ass.
You’re looking at it from the wrong side of the coin. The casino is a huge winner. They want someone like you to come back & will therefore give you perks, meal, rooms, concert tix. They especially like to give away rooms as it means you’ll be there longer & probably make them even bigger winners.
) have rather lower standards for everything than does one of the big hotels in Las Vegas. So getting a room comp for a $100 loss is not inconceivable in e.g. Keokuck, whereas at some fancy Vegas joint you gotta lose $5K to get a “free” room.