June 2006 (11)

Any which way one sees it, Macau is by now a tremendous success as a gambling venue, for both low rollers and high rollers alike. From 9.

2 million guests in 2000, it hit 18.7 million just last year. Naturally, there are a number of reasons for this, which would assure further growth in the immediate future.

Illegal gambling has been facing severe restrictions from China, I mean restrictions on the mainland, also, they have relaxed their grip on travelling and currency prerequisites. As a result, a consistent stream of high rollers has been going to the place.
Another is the presence of the .

According to the experts, the gambling halls in this place are filled to the brim, even during noon. Then, there is China's economic strength, this is making the middle class wider, a lot of middle-level people are no longer middle level. They may not be high rollers yet, but they have serious money to spare.

Did you know that: the high rollers nowadays get in now via ferry or helicopters? They usually come in from Hongkong (a bridge exists now connecting the mainland)..

.and that is not all. The government is now in process of putting up a set of rail lines and highways, all projected to be done by 2011, if everything goes as planned.

When Wynn Las Vegas started its business not too long ago, I mean...

during its opening day, the world saw opulence and extravagance typified. Well, what did we expect, all of us? The establishment was a 2.

7B dollar site, holding 2700 suites and 19 restaurants (not 1, not 2, not a dozen, but nineteen). Competition among the was shaken up, the way our NBA pros reacted when Yao Ming first appeared on NBA turf. Meaning: new but definitely not a newbie.

The world-renowned Wynn was also the maker of Bellagio, although right now, Mirage owns it. True to form, true to expectations when it was still being built, Wynn Las Vegas has been magnetizing more wagerers to the place (I mean Vegas, not just the casino). Still, we can safely assume that the other gambling sites felt the "pain", when some of the high rolling baccarat buffs transferred their allegiance to Wynn.

It could be said that these people are the "summa cum laude(s)" in terms of casino revenues.
For the past 5 or 6 years, Wynn Las Vegas is the only high-end gaming site that opened its doors for the gambling populace. Naturally, there will be a next one (it could of course be another entity/company), whenever it may be.

Ah-herm, I tried singing the title to the tune of Cyndi Lauper's immortal national anthem (for the feminists during the 80's), it turned out badly. Either due to my voice or because the syllabication factor sets in, probably the first.
Anyway, last June 1 through 4 of this year, the 8th Annual Internet Marketing Superconference happened in Vegas.

I had it from good sources that not a few high-rollers made their appearance in the said event, they probably needed a break from all those gambling. After all, I can just imagine that losing every night of their lives can be quite taxing too, don't you think so?
This congregation featured the so-called "superheroes" of the realm of independent Net businesses.

On its eighth year now, IMS is the equivalent of WSOP for somebody interested in putting up a Net enterprise. For four days, novices, veteran marketing people and plain bored high-rollers (the last 2 can actually be encompassed by an individual) got together for seminars and talks. These of course were given by the superheroes, considered as icons of the Net world, even if they are nowhere near Angelina J's popularity.

The truth was, the congregation was all about money and businesses. Let me just give one of the renowned personalities who helped make this event a success- Brad Fallon. This genius utilized SEO tips/maneuvers to acquire one million (sales) via a new site, all within one year.

That ladies and gentlemen, was a superhero's feat.
We all know about the use of the casino limousine for the established whales frequenting a particular gambling site, and we also know of the which are bigger than YOUR house and MY house combined being afforded to them.

But this you may not know, bowling alleys are part of the VIP "package" nowadays, according to some media reports.
Needless to say, casinos anticipate that the money being gambled away by the high rollers would more than compensate for all the expenses, otherwise, the Big Boss might just say, "Why bother with all this S%^ *t??

"
Other "bonuses" which should interest you, bathtubs which are filled from the ceiling, can you imagine? Suites having these amenities cost more or less 2,500$ (if it is not comped). Still other perks which some whales consider as a matter of course and not really as privileges: silk robes, plasma TV's, a supply of beer/wine that would defeat the worst alcoholic this side of the continent.

According to experts and consensus, high rollers attain their popularity (or notoriety to some people) by the habit of reaching the house limit, and in rare instances, even beyond it. (Very rare in fact, no matter how influential the high roller may be, the act of doing so is usually setting a dangerous precedent.)
Let's see, in a locus globally known for dramatically high bets and the presence of the "whales" (high rollers), Harrah's put in the 'most frighteningly high' wager of them all when they finished the merger with another giant, the Caesars Entertainment, wouldn't you agree?

US$1.87B in cash and US$3.27B in stocks were paid, and to top it all, Caesars financial obligations (3.

86B$) were taken over by Harrah's. Via this move, Harrah's now has no less than forty properties all over a dozen states in the country.
Would you believe it if I told you this: they now have 17,600 rooms in Vegas and in Vegas alone?

In probably the fiercest hotel markets- competition-wise, they now have the number one utilization rate and that my friends, is a fact that would go down the books of gambling history. (Even if it would be beaten sooner or later, all records have to fall anyway, that is my theory on it.)
The crux of Harrah's momentous decision to acquire Caesars is their firm belief that their program (Total Rewards) would fit like a glove to the customer populace of Caesars.

Looking at this development (it is no longer news, let us just put it as development), one would realize just how crucial a good loyalty program could be, run by competent and intelligent managers.
The first story: the possibility that Harrah's Entertainment and the Caesars would join forces have- according to some sources- "turned off" some regular high-rollers, and we could safely assume that they are now patronizing other high-end casinos as of present. Still, these "possibilities" of merging are still technically speculations, and nothing more.

A businessman from Chicago who has been patronizing the Caesars for 2 decades already, admitted that he has been trying out other casinos as of late. He said he has been going to Wynn, but he also said that he has not closed the door completely on Caesars. This businessman said that he would retain his allegiance to Caesars for as long as it is not transformed into another Harrah's establishment.

The second one: Las Vegas' Bally can boast of being the very first hotel to have a in operation. Bellagio has 6 five hundred dollar machines, 2 one thousand units, and indeed, I know of a couple of high rollers who patronize this site just for them. (Of course, they also play poker and craps there, but their reasoning is- "We are here, we might as well play all.

..".

Notwithstanding the priority treatment they get, these persons still have to traverse the casino floor past the "low rollers" and ordinary Joes before they could reach their "domain".
A lot of casinos (not the high-end mind you) are doing their utmost best to minimize the , to minimize the financial risks to the establishment.

One clear example sometime back was the Hard Rock, they disclosed that they would not welcome (anymore) high-rollers to the establishment. More to the point, let me correct myself, the high rollers themselves are welcome, if they would "humble" their action (read: bets) and wager like an ordinary Joe. Since this is like asking Noah to reincarnate and build a 21st century ark in front of us, I guess the two specifications are (all intents and purposes), just one.

These people are the gamblers who possess million-level credit lines with clear potential of winning or losing. According to their president, catering to the high-rollers is not exactly the essence of their business, more so, they do not have the facilities for the so-called "whales".
Truth is, for the more "humble" gambling sites like Hard Rock, a solitary person could tip the scales between a huge loss and big revenues.

Did you know: in '02, the Hard Rock coffers took a beating when a gambler walked out the door with three million dollars.
I don't know if most of the owners of these residences gamble or not. I do not know if those who are most serious in buying these properties gamble or not.

One thing I am sure of though, since these houses are considered as among the most expensive on the face of the globe, this puts them into a , as far as I am concerned. Moreover, it is very safe to assume that at least some of them do gamble, I mean..

.outside their business conglomerates, what else could they be doing in their spare time..

.read Stephen King and Ludlum?
Let us talk of Martin Zweig, he owns the dearest (read: most expensive) condo in the whole United States, a breathtaking seventy million dollar penthouse on top of Pierre Hotel (NY).

In London though, the group of high-rolling buyers is more "assorted", according to one analyst. This analyst knew whereof he spoke, he just sold off a residence to Mittal (tycoon in the steel industry).
This analyst added that London is the focal point in matters of selling/buying of the super-expensive homes, and he is not the only expert saying this.

From the '70's onwards, he said that from experience, he has seen all kinds of nationalities. Each time there is an oil price rise, or a political chaos (read: uprising), the extremely rich nationals of the concerned country would go to the United Kingdom. There, they would go on buying the most extravagant, ergo most costly properties.

One rationale for such: assets such as this would not go down the tube in a currency panic situation or taken forcibly by a dictatorial leadership. Sometime last year, the casino dealership of the Penske Wynn Ferrari Maserati was built, and expectedly, it turned into a great enticement for car buffs. The Forum Shops propelled a dealership for new (and not so new) cars, and it was called the "Exotic Cars".

It was based in, where did you expect...

the Caesars Palace, cementing the claim that this was supposed to be for the high rollers of the too, but definitely not confined to them.
The event showcased a two-layered room at the Forums Shops which had 8,000 square feet of selling space. Hats, photos, model cars and 2 cars of the classic tradition were part of the repertoire.

At the beginning, they anticipated about fifty classics (used) and new ones from entities like Bentley, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin. Twenty motorcycles (collectors' side) were also targeted.
Prior to the opening of Wynn Las Vegas Casino, the insiders kept mum regarding the particularities of the Penske Wynn Ferrari Maserati enterprise.

Really, there exist very few talked about personalities in than the high rollers. Casinos are more than willing to provide more than a few luxuries and perks: incredible suites larger than my house (my house added to my garage), exclusive use of the casino's best limousine and in return, the high roller drops millions of dollars in a single night of gambling.

Of course, if the said high roller stays on for a whole week, it would be millions and millions of dollars. It is an open secret that Kerry Packer won (and lost too) twenty million dollars on a single evening at any of the best casinos in the globe.
A typical casino continues to put up the infrastructure/enticements that would continue to magnetize these rich and famous, notwithstanding the contention by some that the whales are going extinct.

(Hey newbie, "whales" are high rollers, although the literal ocean's whales are going extinct too, but that's a different ballgame.)
Just sometime back, I was at the incredible Verona Villa, arguably the biggest hotel suite this side of the world. (Take note though, in fairness to the competitors, I said "biggest" and not grandest or most beautiful.

) It was on top of the '69 Hilton, where the greatest of the greatest (arguable too) Elvis Presley once stayed in. Indeed, this city is globally recognized first and foremost as the , but in this "New Generation" Vegas, alongside high-end shopping and gigantic hotels, art is turning out to be a bonus incentive.
One of the city's most expensive and elaborate hotels, Bellagio, boasts of its in-house gallery.

To date, they are featuring ''The Impressionist Landscape: From Corot to Van Gogh," showcasing paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston. Another fact: the Guggenheim Museum has an "outlet"/branch in Vegas' Venetian Hotel, and they showcase precious articles owned by the Russian royalty way back in the seventeenth century.
One of the latest high-rollers' hotels, the Wynn, owns a gallery of paintings personally owned by Steve Wynn and his spouse.

Steve Wynn is acknowledged as the trendsetter for this place's new age of Luxury Resorts/Hotels/Casinos when he gave life to Mirage Hotel way back in the late eighties.
This Wynn Collection is impressive to say the least, it gives face to 4 centuries of art (history) and it is not surprising that it is located in a small yet well-secured gallery..

.hey, what did you expect? Ordinarily, there are more or less fifteen painting being showcased, but every so often, some would be sold off, other paintings would be put in as replacements.

independent accounting firm. Payout percentages are calculated by comparing wagers to payouts for all games at the casino. The payout percentages do not of any game.

I know this, it became arrested. This underscores how It is Stephen King dude..

.not the same genre of fiction.


Impressive.

..I will be a rides you mentioned, but I am looking forward to it.

I'm from Texas, and the whole night of those suites, haha.


is really something.