Comp Points
Comp points are loyalty points a player earns by wagering, which can later be exchanged for bonus credit, cash, or other rewards.
Definition
The term derives from the land-based casino practice of offering "complimentaries" — free meals, rooms, or show tickets — to reward players in proportion to their expected losses. Online, comp points are a digital loyalty currency: players accrue them automatically as they wager, usually at a set rate per unit staked that varies by game type and its house edge. Accumulated points are redeemed against a published conversion ratio, most often for bonus credit (frequently subject to wagering requirements) and sometimes for withdrawable cash, free spins, or physical rewards. Because redemption value is typically a small fraction of total turnover, comp points function as a retention and reactivation mechanic rather than a meaningful source of player return.
Worked example
A casino awards 1 comp point per £10 staked on slots, but only 1 point per £50 staked on blackjack, reflecting the lower house edge on table games. Its redemption rate is 100 points = £1 in bonus credit. A player who stakes £5,000 on slots over a month earns 500 points, redeemable for £5 of bonus credit — an effective reward rate of roughly 0.1% of turnover, and one that may still carry a wagering requirement before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Why it matters
For operators, comp points reward sustained play without the immediate cash cost of a direct bonus, and the accrual rate is a lever for steering players toward particular games. For learners and players, the core literacy is reading the conversion ratio and the terms: a headline points balance can look substantial while representing only a fraction of a percent of the money wagered, and redeemed value is frequently bonus funds rather than cash. Grasping that distinction is central to evaluating any loyalty scheme honestly, and to understanding why comps are a marketing instrument, not a return on play.
Related
Note: Operator- and jurisdiction-specific. Accrual rates, game weightings, redemption ratios, point expiry, and whether points convert to withdrawable cash or to wagering-restricted bonus credit vary widely between operators and can change with little notice. Some regulators require clear disclosure of loyalty-scheme terms and restrict how such schemes may be promoted; VIP and loyalty practices are an area of active regulatory scrutiny in several markets, so specifics should be verified against the operator's current terms and local rules.