What is Player Tracking Card?

A player tracking card is the card a land-based casino issues so that a customer's play can be identified and recorded. It is inserted into a slot machine or handed to the dealer at a table, where the pit logs buy-in, average bet and time played. That data feeds a player rating, the casino's estimate of theoretical loss, from which comps, room offers and credit eligibility are calculated. Cards also drive account features such as points balances, tier progress and, in many venues, the enforcement of self-exclusion at the door. Two consequences follow. Rated play is monitored play, which is precisely why exclusion and limit tools can work. And the card rewards volume rather than results, so extending a session or raising stakes to build a rating means paying more house edge for the privilege.