How the Boxman can help you win (money and comps)

The boxman/boxwoman is your key to your relationship with a selected casino. A goodboxperson will offer serious players a Player Card so the casino can track theirplay and offer comps such as free buffets, show tickets, or free/discounted rooms.All players can earn these bonuses, but you often have to ask for them unless you’rea high roller, and the boxperson is your key to getting them. S/he coordinates thedata entry of your initial and ongoing investments into the game and will also trackyour average wager. This will have a dramatic effect on the comps that will be providedto you by your casino of choice.

In situations where people are obviously playing as partners (as with a spouse),a good boxperson will gang your action into one player card so that you can receivemaximum casino comps in a shorter period of time. This can have a big effect onhow much comps you get, especially if you’re limited in the amount of time thatyou play.

By tracking your action you also can receive certain advantages when it comes taxtime, especially if you score a major win. Gambling winnings are taxed but you candeduct the amount of your losses from the amount of your winnings. (No, you can’tdeduct losses in excess of winnings, to show a net loss, so that you’d geta tax deduction. The IRS isn’t that stupid.) If you had a big win at the casinoand had to fill out a tax form, the casino can provide you with a list of your lossesfrom your other sessions because they tracked your play when you showed your player’scard. Having this handy record of your losses makes it easy to offset losses againstwins to reduce your taxes.

The boxperson can also help you win by making sure the dealers provide you appropriateservice and information about the game. The amount of actual helpfulness dependsnot only on the specific boxperson but also the limitations of specific casino policieson disclosing such information.

In short, remember that the boxperson is your friend!