National Casino VIP Programme: Levels, Comp Points and Rewards

Years ago, a casino I played at promised that its VIP host would "be in touch personally" once I'd played enough. I never found out how much enough was, and nobody was ever in touch. Since then I've had a soft spot for loyalty programmes that simply show you the numbers.

National's is one of those. It publishes every level, the points each one needs, the reward it pays and the rate at which points turn into money. You can sit down with a coffee and work out exactly where you'd land after a month of play, which is precisely what I'm going to do further down this page. First, though, here's how the whole thing works.

How You Join and How Points Build Up

There's no application form and no invitation. Your first deposit is your membership, and that same deposit starts the clock on your first two-month cycle.

From then on, you earn Comp Points, or CP, as you play. The terms are as follows. One Comp Point is credited for every C$100 bet on slots. Only slot bets count; live casino and table games do not earn points. Bets placed with bonus funds are also excluded.

In everyday terms, that means your points come from your own money on the reels. Every bet counts, including winnings you put back into play, so a C$100 point isn't the same as depositing C$100. Spin at C$5 a time and a single point takes twenty spins. A relaxed evening of 250 spins at that stake earns you 12 or 13 points without you having to think about it at all.

All Fifteen Levels

This is the full ladder. The slot wagering column is simply the points multiplied by C$100, so you can see what each level represents in real play.

Reading the Ladder Sensibly

I'd rather you read that table with clear eyes than get carried away by the bottom rows, so here's how I see it.

The first four levels are the everyday part of the programme. Level 1 arrives after C$2,500 of slot play, which plenty of regular players reach within their first week or two, and Level 2 isn't far behind. Levels 3 and 4 bring the first cash rewards alongside more spins, and they're well within reach for someone who plays most evenings.

Levels 5 to 7 are where committed regulars and bigger spenders start to separate from the pack. The rewards turn into straight cash, and the exchange rate for your points gets noticeably better at each step.

Beyond that, the ladder is built for high rollers, and I'd be misleading you if I pretended otherwise. Level 9 represents C$10 million of slot wagering, and Level 15 represents C$350 million. Those rewards are real, and so is the scale of play behind them. For most people, the top levels are best enjoyed the way you'd enjoy looking at a very expensive car: with interest, and without feeling you ought to own one.

A Worked Example

Numbers in a table only go so far, so let's follow three imaginary players through a single two-month cycle.

Anna plays slots a few evenings a week at modest stakes, and her bets add up to about C$3,750 a week. Marek is a keen regular who wagers around C$15,000 a week. Sofia is a high roller whose slot wagering comes to roughly C$325,000 a week. Remember that wagering counts every bet, including winnings that are played again, so none of these figures is the same as the amount they deposit.

Because every level pays its own reward as you pass it, the rewards stack up. Marek, for example, picks up 25 spins on reaching Level 1, another 50 on reaching Level 2, C$50 and 20 spins at Level 3, and C$100 and 40 spins at Level 4.

What I like about this example is that each of them gets something that makes sense for how they play. Anna isn't chasing anything, and she still ends up with 75 free spins she wouldn't otherwise have had. Marek picks up a bit of cash and a healthy pile of spins. Sofia's rewards are larger, as you'd expect, but the programme treats all three by exactly the same rules.

Turning Points Into Money

Reaching a level isn't the only way to benefit from your points. Comp Points can be exchanged for real money or for bonuses, and the rate depends on the level you've reached.

At Level 1, 110 points make C$5. At Level 5, it's 90 points. From Level 9 onwards, 60 points are enough. To put that in context, Marek's 1,200 points at the Level 4 rate of 95 would come to about C$63, and Sofia's 26,000 points at the Level 7 rate of 80 would come to C$1,625.

Cash obtained through a Comp Point exchange is subject to 5x wagering. Only after that can it be withdrawn.

For most players, the exchange is a pleasant top-up rather than a reason to play, and I think that's the right way to see it. Points gain value as your level rises, so if you're close to the next level, it can pay to reach it before you exchange.

The Two-Month Cycle

Comp Point balances return to zero at the end of each two-month cycle. Your first cycle begins with your first deposit, and a new one starts each time the countdown ends.

This is the rule I'd most like every player to have in their head, because it quietly shapes how the programme works. Points don't pile up forever. Whatever you've earned in a cycle is there to be used, either by reaching a level or by exchanging it, before the count starts again. My own habit is to glance at the countdown in the VIP section a week or so before it runs out, and decide then whether to exchange what I've got.

The practical upside is that the early levels come round in a way that suits people who play steadily. You don't need to have been at National for years to get something out of it. You just need to be playing regularly within the cycle.

The Rules That Come With Rewards

VIP rewards follow a fixed set of terms. Prizes and free spins are credited within 24 hours of reaching a new level. Every reward is subject to 10x wagering. Bonus funds received from VIP levels can be used on slots only. No-deposit spins must be activated within 3 days, and the wagering must then be completed within 7 days. National's general bonus terms apply, and the casino reserves the right to change the terms of the VIP programme.

I know that paragraph reads like the back of a train ticket, so here's the part that matters day to day. When you level up, check your account within a day or two and activate any spins straight away. The 3-day window is short, and it's a shame to lose a reward over something as small as not logging in.

Sunday Boost for VIP Players

The best recurring perk in the programme doesn't appear in the level table at all. On Sundays, VIP players can receive up to 50 Mega Spins, each worth C$5.

That value is what makes them special. Most free spins are pinned to a stake of a few cents, so a C$5 spin carries a very different kind of potential. Fifty of them is a proper session in its own right, and for many players it's the moment the programme stops feeling like a points counter and starts feeling like a reward. The Promotions page covers the Sunday Boost alongside the rest of the weekly calendar.

Making the Most of It

After watching a lot of players use programmes like this one, I've noticed that the ones who enjoy it most do a few simple things.

They let the programme follow their play rather than the other way round, so their points come from sessions they were going to have anyway. They play slots with their own balance when climbing matters to them, since live tables and bonus-funded bets don't count. They check in within a day of reaching a new level, so no reward lapses. And they keep an eye on the cycle countdown, exchanging their points before the reset rather than a day after it.

What they don't do is chase a level they weren't going to reach. That road leads to spending more than you meant to, for a reward that's worth far less than the money it cost.

VIP Questions

The FAQ page brings together answers on every other topic too.

Players on the VIP Programme

A few players on climbing the levels.

Players share plenty more on the Customer Reviews page.

A Programme You Can Actually Plan Around

The thing I appreciate most about National's VIP programme is that it doesn't ask you to trust it blindly. Every level, every reward and every exchange rate is out in the open. Regular players get a steady flow of spins and cash from the early levels, high rollers get rewards that match the scale of their play, and everyone plays by the same published rules. That kind of clarity is rarer than it should be, and it's a good reason to take the programme seriously.

A Ladder, Not a Target

Loyalty programmes work best as a thank-you for play you'd enjoy anyway. The moment a level starts to feel like a goal you have to hit, it's worth stepping back. A reward is never worth more than the money it takes to earn it, and no level is worth chasing past the budget you set for yourself.

If you'd find it helpful, National's support team can put a cap on how much you deposit, lose and wager, and on how long you play, and self-exclusion can be requested through live chat whenever you need it. Crypto payments sit outside the deposit limit tools, so if you pay that way, track your spending yourself. For free, confidential help with gambling, you can contact GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous or Gambling Therapy. The VIP programme, like everything at National, is open only to players aged 19 (18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec) and over.