Replying to "How casino comps work?" hinges on a single number. Most casinos hand out loyalty points on every stake, often called comp points, and let them be exchanged for credit, spins or items in a shop. The exchange rate is where their value lies, and it is rarely shown next to the points balance. Working out what a single point is worth in money turns a vague reward into a percentage of the stakes that earned it.
Redemption has its own rules. Many programmes set a minimum number of points before any exchange, and some convert only in fixed blocks. Credit bought with points may arrive as cash or as bonus funds that carry wagering, and the difference matters as much as the rate. Shops that sell spins or physical items price them in points, so comparing the shop price with the cash conversion shows which option gives more.
Points expire. Some programmes wipe the whole balance after a few months without play, others expire each point a fixed time after it was earned, and a few reset everything once a year. A balance left to build toward a larger reward can vanish before it gets there. Checking the expiry rule when joining, and redeeming small amounts regularly where the rules allow, keeps the points from turning into a number that never pays.
Often they earn nothing, or earn at a reduced rate, and the loyalty terms state which rule the programme follows.
The account page usually shows the balance and the points still needed for the next reward, though the conversion rate is often listed elsewhere.
Sometimes it is cash, and sometimes bonus funds carrying wagering; that difference matters as much as the conversion rate itself.
Divide the credit a block of points buys by the stakes needed to earn them; one point per ten staked at a hundred points per unit returns a tenth of a percent.
Rates often get better as a player moves up a loyalty tier, and the gain can be measured with the same stake to credit calculation.
Slots usually earn the most points per stake, while table and live games earn a fraction as much because their lower edge leaves less margin to share.