Players also quickly get used to playing for free and might lose interest when the offer expires, Gallaway said. Gallaway,Ī partner in Global Marketing Advisors, based in Las Vegas. “Too much free play risks customers playing without taking out cash of his own,” said Steven M.

Many players spend about the same amount of time at the machines whether they have free credits or not and might get their fill without dipping into their own pocket. Such promotions seem like safe bets, but too much free play can be costly, specialists say. The initial free credits can’t be redeemed for cash, but any winnings belong to the gambler. At Plainridge, the current promotion reimburses gamblers who lose between $50 and $500 at the slot machines over two return trips to the casino. “Just as a typical retail outlet offers coupons to attract new and repeat business, we utilize promotional credits to compete with gaming facilities in Rhode Island and Connecticut that are years ahead of us in developing patron loyalty,” the company said.įree play is nearly universal in the casino industry, where competition for market share is fierce.

The company said it had planned to ramp up marketing efforts as more patrons enrolled in its loyalty program and that its strategy was helping stop the “decades-long flow of dollars being spent at out-of-state casinos.”

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