What Perks Do Casinos Give To High Rollers?
You may have heard about high roller casino players before. And if not, then we’ll shed a bit of light on them for you. High rollers are those players who like to spend a lot more on playing casino games. Their bets are usually higher. Their bankroll is often a lot bigger. And their average spend is more often than not very high, too.
These types of players are sought out by casinos for obvious reasons. Anyone spending big is likely to lose a large part of their money. Land-based casinos want to be the recipients of this. And it is due to this that they provide extra perks for these VIP players.
The question is, what sort of perks do they get to enjoy? Different casinos tend to offer different incentives for these high rollers. And in locations like Las Vegas and Macau, there are many casinos to choose from. It is thus not uncommon for them to try and outdo one another.
This leads to the high rollers getting the best out of their chosen venue. Here, we will take a look at some of the inviting perks for high rollers at different casinos.
What Defines A Casino High Roller?
Before we move on to the perks that come with being a high roller, it would be good to know what constitutes a high roller first of all. After all, you can’t enter a casino for the first time and have it consider you a big player. High rollers sometimes go by the nicknames of whale or cheetah. But the definition of such differs from casino to casino.
You will need to know what forms a high roller status at the casino you’re visiting. Whatever the case may be, high rollers tend to always have very high table limits. In this respect, you need to prepare yourself to lay a lot on the line. But casinos also have table limits in place, which is something else to consider.
In Australia’s Crown Casino, for example, limits of £300,000 per table are common. That casino has been the subject of many investigations of late, though. And some of those relate to high roller players. Some reports suggest it remained open for high rollers during COVID-19 lockdowns. That breached the governmental rules in Western Australia. There could be an explanation behind this, though. High rollers at the Crown need to bring between $50,000 and $75,000 to the table. It’s likely that the casino didn’t want to miss out on getting its hands on some of that.
In Las Vegas casinos, limits of between £150,000 and $300,000 exist. Macau venues allow limits of up to $500,000, though. Only the richer casinos can accommodate such high stakes gambling. And that’s because of the volatility of the game results.
Yet it would be true to say that the bigger the spend, the closer that person is to being a high roller. And with a higher spend, they are closer to receiving extra perks from a casino. In fact, it may even be customary for the casino to extend credit to high rollers (although not in the UK as credit for gambling is no longer legal). This allows them to continue betting and that brings the potential for more money to come to the casino, too.
The Perks You Can Get as a High Roller
If you do enter a land-based casino as a high roller, what sort of perks are available to you? Well, as noted, this does depend upon the casino. Different establishments have different perks for you to experience. Some of the smaller rewards that these players may get to enjoy include:
- Exclusive use of the table they’re playing at due to their higher stake limits.
- Rebates on betting turnover or losses.
- Exceptions from rules that affect the average everyday player. High roller rooms at the Crown Casino are not subject to the smoking ban, for example.
- Access to rooms that only offer high roller gaming tables.
- Transport to and from the casino.
If a casino knows that a player is going to be spending big, they’ll go all out to cater to them. While whales do not add so much to a casino’s income, they can make a difference. And if casinos know they can be in profit for the month with a high roller, so be it. They want to get as much as possible from such a player. And this is why they get to enjoy extra benefits beyond the standard gamer.
We have highlighted some of the general perks that a high roller can get. But what about the perks that extend beyond this? How else do cheetahs benefit at their chosen casino? Well, it may actually stun you to understand that they can negotiate for certain perks. If a gambler of this nature wants to be chauffeur driven each way, they may get that. Other gamers may only request the best rules at the table they’re playing at.
That can be best highlighted by the story of Don Johnson. He is a famous blackjack player who managed to outdo Atlantic City casinos for $15 million. In 2008, the world was experiencing a financial crisis. Casinos grew so desperate to bring high rollers onto their floors to make up footfall. And in the course of that, there was a hope that they would bring in some profit.
Johnson received offers to play at the highest stakes in 2010. He accepted the offer under the condition of changing some of the blackjack rules. The rule changes gave him a mathematical edge over the house. Dealers had to stand at 17, six decks should be in play, aces were re-split and more. He even negotiated a 20% casino rebate on his losses beyond $500,000.
Under the negotiated conditions, Johnson played at the Tropicana first. There, he managed to get his hands on $6 million. The Borgata lost $5 million to him, and Caesars ceded a further $4 million. This hurt casino profits in an extreme way. Yet because he was a high roller player (sometimes wagering $800,000 at a time), he got away with it at the time.
Thanks to Johnson, such extreme rule changes are not welcomed by casinos anymore. Other exceptional rewards are still on the table, though.
High-Quality Transport and Accommodation
High rollers don’t often like to have to get to the casino by themselves. And if they’re flying to a casino location, they don’t want to be in the economy section. Making them feel special is what the casinos want to do. And this sees high rollers booked into business class or even supplied with a private jet. That takes them from home to their accommodation. Of course, rather than settle for a standard hotel room, high rollers also want the very best.
This sees casinos arrange top-quality accommodation for them. Hotels usually have penthouse suites, serving as their best rooms. These suites aren’t open to anyone and everyone. They’re reserved for the most important guests. Casino resorts supply high rollers with access to their penthouse suites. After all, they will be the ones spending big money on the games.
Star status also means very little when it comes to being a casino high roller. You only need to take a look at the time Bill Gates was staying in the Westgate penthouse in 2015. At the same time, Larry Flynt was due to arrive for his stay. While both men are big names in their respective industries, this meant little. Casino mega-host Steve Cyr knew that Flynt was a bigger spender. So, in a slightly hostile move, Cyr threw Gates out of the penthouse and moved Flynt in. That’s the sort of business that high rollers manage to influence. And along with the best rooms, they get more perks. This includes private pools, fantastic views, spa treatments and so on.
It’s also common for the best liquor to be on hand for the high rollers. The common Bud Light and Carlsberg brands are not utilised. Instead, the biggest spenders get the best quality drinks. Usually, deliveries of this go straight to the gambler’s room or suite. This way, they don’t have to leave their table to get a drink from the bar. Bottle service is also sometimes provided. Champagne and other expensive bottles come out at their request. And they even get the pick of the best tables in the casino restaurant(s).
Perks Within the Casino
Rule changes of the kind that benefitted Johnson aren’t available to negotiate today. That doesn’t mean that certain adjustments can’t take place. Sometimes, high rollers negotiate small reductions in the house edge, for example.
A more recent example of this taking place surrounds Phil Ivey. He and his partner “Kelly” Sun entered into negotiations with two casinos. The first was Crockfords of London and the second Borgata in Atlantic City. Ivey said that he would make a deposit of $1 million at each casino. And because of this, both venues were accommodating to his requests. Those demands were for:
- A Mandarin-speaking dealer
- A special deck of purple cards made by Gemaco
- The cards on the table to be at a 180-degree angle
Both casinos believed that these requests were due to the players being superstitious. And because $1 million was on the line, neither questioned the requests. Yet Ivey and Sun were actually utilising a card counting strategy known as edge sorting. The requests they had made were in place to make this strategy easier. The duo gained more than $20 million this way. And that was all thanks to the accommodating nature of the casinos.
Both Crockfords and Borgata filed lawsuits against Ivey and Sun later on. The outcome of the court cases meant that neither player saw any of the $20 million. Judges did rule that Ivey was under the belief that he wasn’t cheating. Yet the fact that his special requests went beyond standard play worked against him in court. Ivey appealed the judgements but lost those appeals.
And Ivey’s case isn’t singular to the world of high rollers, either. Many other high rollers have engaged in crime to gamble beyond their means. The promise of the lavish lifestyle has led many people down the wrong path. High roller Terrance Watanabe reportedly lost over $220 million in Vegas over 5 years. It’s believable, considering Wynn Las Vegas banned him for compulsive behaviour. Caesars Entertainment sued Watanabe for failing to pay up on markers he took out. The total sum of those markers was £14.75 million.
Extra Rewards
Entertainment has always been something that casinos are synonymous with. And it is because of this that they can offer high rollers tickets to top events. Back in the early days, high rollers may have obtained tickets to see Elvis Presley live. But today, the event ticket rewards remain a key effort of casinos for high rollers.
Whether it’s Lady Gaga or Ed Sheeran, VIP tickets are often provided for high rollers. And it’s not only music, either. Circus events, sports events, theatre tickets and more aren’t off the table.
Free casino merchandise is often given to high rollers, too. Someone who spends big advertising your brand is a perk for the casino itself. Free parking in a designated, popular space is often available, too. Casino employees will also bend over backwards to cater to your every need.
Some high rollers also get cash cards to cover their shopping up to a set amount. The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to high roller players. Casinos are always ready to open negotiations with such gamers.
Is it beneficial to you to become a high roller? Well, the perks provided may suggest so. But in the end, when it comes to your finances, it isn’t a great idea. First of all, the everyday person doesn’t have such huge amounts of money available. Further to this, casinos know exactly how much they can comp a player. You may get to experience some exciting rewards as a high roller. Yet, you’re most likely still losing out to the venue at the end of the day.
If you want to be driven in a limo in Las Vegas, for example, you are better off just paying for it yourself, it will cost you a lot more to get it as a ‘free’ perk from a casino.