Cipriani, for example, recently flew to the Hard Rock in Punta Cana Dominican Republic, lured there by piles of promo chips and a high-stakes blackjack tournament with a comped entry fee. "Since a big baccarat player can light you up for $20 million, we’re constantly assessing his play and calculating what we want to give him." Sometime they even want to leave the country.
Stealing whales (high-rolling gamblers) from competitors in Las Vegas is all about offering better incentives, an exclusive experience, and making them feel like kings and queens. These players can be found in the gambling palaces of Las Vegas, Macau and Monaco and they are BIG. Let’s go see them.’ Meanwhile, I’m afraid of losing him…The goal is to keep players in the building but people want to leave for a variety of reasons." "When this player comes in, there are 30 deal points that get signed off on," says Cyr, making the man’s gambling trips sound more like corporate negotiations than Vegas getaways.
You need to check out these rooms that we just remodeled.’ The player I was with was, like, ‘Oh, really? "I took a big player to dinner at a competing casino and a top guy from there walked up to us," he remembers. The executive adds that new and splashy spaces from hot competitors can make whales particularly slippery to hold onto, especially when they leave the casino. If he loses $1 million and pays in 60 days"—like a lot of high rollers, he plays on markers—"he gets an 18 percent discount. He can switch dealers any time he wants. Plus there will be new restaurants, nightclubs and craft cocktail lounges.
These days, a night at the casino is about more than just the games themselves, and an increasing number of affluent, high-net-worth individuals are choosing to make a break of it.
It’s worth noting that the high-stakes world isn’t always glossy and perfect. But for casinos, it makes business sense. In extreme cases, whales have been known to ask for new games to be added to the floor — and casinos oblige. They’re given access to private salons — sometimes hidden away behind unmarked doors — with tailored lighting, custom chips, and dealers they know and trust. High rollers don’t sit at public tables. And if they want something special — say, a bottle of wine flown in from Bordeaux or their favorite masseuse from Miami — the casino usually makes it happen.
And the casinos go absolutely out of their way to make sure that their high rollers are in complete comfort when visiting these opulent private rooms. The hotel’s only rooftop villa, it typically fetches $35,000 a night and offers unparalleled Strip views, fire and water features, its own private Zen garden, and, of course, signature cuisine personally prepared by Nobu chefs on hand. Unless you’re like Rob and live in Vegas year-round, the high roller experience begins when they touch down. Real whales like him have hosts from all the major casinos competing for the right to manage their itineraries, and these hosts go to great lengths to ensure their stays are as epic as humanly possible. This person’s sole responsibility is to ensure that visiting big shots have the best possible experience…and thus spend the most possible money at their casino.
"If it’s legal, then odds are we can make it happen for our VIPs," Pacheco says. "We want to ensure that their every desire is attended to." These things range from placing them right in the DJ booth alongside red-hot acts like Diplo and The Chainsmokers, and special treatments like arranging grand entrances and carrying them in on Roman chariots. "We do everything we can to make sure that our VIPs have the best possible experience," he says. Andrew Pacheco is one of the premier VIP hosts for Wynn Nightlife (XS, Intrigue, Encore Beach Club), and was recently named one of Las Vegas’ "Power 35" top VIP hosts. Say a high roller wants a last-minute tee time at the wonderful Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite?
Well, lots of free stuff helps like free luxury limos, cash back on gambling losses, and a free credit card to shop with – that’s always good for persuading the other half to come along for the ride. One of his leading casinos lost money for the entire month. Casino Whales have been known to bet as much as $5 million in one night – you can see why casinos bend over backwards to try and entice them through the doors. These players can regularly bet hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in a single session. Casino Whales is an industry term for big spending high rollers in the world of gambling. "Over the course of the trip, my player was up a lot and down a lot and ended up losing $400,000," says the host, making it clear that his whale didn’t mind all that much and will surely be back for more. Chances are then that the Cosmopolitan will not soon be welcoming a wealthy customer who is known for putting ungodly sums of money at risk in casinos.
One whale can generate more revenue in a weekend than a hundred casual players do in a month. Most people have heard about "comps" — free rooms, meals, or show tickets offered to gamblers. One of the first signs you’re not dealing with an average player? Some also turn to the best online sportsbooks for a more streamlined digital experience, especially when traveling or betting across state lines