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There's a Bay Street trader who occasionally likes to escape to Las Vegas with his buddies and relax by playing craps at $1,000 (U.S.) a roll.

When he arrives at the airport, there's a purple Cadillac Escalade waiting. It takes the young, single trader to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where he commands a suite overlooking the pool. The limo and the room, and the bird's-eye view of the young and restless milling about the pool, are all free.

Well, free might not be the right word. The room and the limo are "comped" by a hotel that caters to hip twentysomethings and thirtysomethings who spend days sunning and mingling, and nights at the gaming tables. The cost of the suite - starting at $379 a night - and the purple ride are more than covered by sessions at the craps table that can see the trader drop up to $30,000.

"It is quite the scene, with Ben Affleck playing blackjack at a roped-off table, all the beautiful people by the pool, and hotel staff fussing over us because we'd been there before," said another poker-playing trader who is part of the Hard Rock pack. He says: "Even if you're playing games like Texas Hold'em, where the house isn't making as much, you just seem to have to smile at someone to get 50 per cent off your room rate."

As casinos become increasingly popular getaways and competition increases on the strip, Las Vegas and its gambling destinations are rolling out the welcome mat as never before to reel in high rollers.

Two blocks away from the Hard Rock, deep-pocketed guests can take their pick of freebies from the biggest and most expensive Las Vegas resorts, such as Wynn, Caesars Palace, the Palms and the now-classic Bellagio.

Caesars, in the process of bringing Cher to the stage that Celine Dion ruled for years, reaches out to Canadian clients by offering private jets to fly them down to Las Vegas - the Alberta oil patch's new rich are among its frequent fliers. That's a complimentary service worth $20,000 or more, before catering. Forbes noted that one Boston hedge fund manager recently spent $5,000 to nosh with five friends on Japanese food from the acclaimed Nobu eatery, while flying to and from Las Vegas on a chartered Gulfstream - that was an $86,000 junket.

Wynn tracks gaming by issuing guests red cards - imagine an extremely distinguished-looking debit card - that slips into slot machines and the blackjack and roulette tables. Those who play big and play often - reinvesting their winnings, as it were - can look forward to VIP treatment that starts with great seats at the casino's shows: Monty Python's Spamalot or Cirque du Soleil knockoff Le Rêve, each of which is valued at $179 a ticket. The casino also ferries its VIPs about town in chocolate-brown Rolls-Royces and has villas along its golf course that are exclusive to high rollers.

Like everything in Las Vegas, comps are done to a formula. The casino knows that over time, guests will lose money gambling. A player wagering $1,000 over a night of blackjack is up against 3-per-cent odds in favour of the house.

So over the course of the evening, a player with $1,000 worth of chips will likely lose $30 to the house. To help keep that guest happy, and away from rivals, the casino will rebate anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent of that amount in complimentary services, or up to $12 - that's the free drinks.

Like any system, casino comps can be played. One retired Toronto entrepreneur - he sold his private company a decade ago for more than $40-million - took his extended family to the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. He deposited $100,000 in an account at the casino, giving every indication of being a high roller, and got VIP treatment, but barely touched the tables. That's why resort operators try to track the frequency and the size of bets made by guests.

There are whole books on how to play Las Vegas freebies - the best is The Frugal Gambler by Jean Scott. Her first tip, echoed up and down the strip, is don't be shy. Ask for a comp card and introduce yourself to a casino host on arriving at a resort. Flag an interest in gambling, and the casino will respond with freebies. The more zeros in the wagers, the bigger the comp.

"Issuing comps is one of the greatest marketing tools that the casinos have devised. Everyone enjoys being recognized and made to feel important and appreciated," says Bill Burton, a Las Vegas-based gambling writer. "Some players erroneously equate their self-worth with the level of comps they are receiving from the casino. Nothing could be further from the truth. The casinos issue comps based on your theoretical loss. The players with the most comps are the biggest losers over all."

awillis@globeandmail.com