The idea of $10,000 on a hand of blackjack might sounds outrageous, but in the Stargazer Casino at Foxwoods it happens more often than you might think. Big bettors bring big business for any casino.
"Probably 90 percent of our revenue comes from 10 percent of our players," Scott Rider, the vice president of player development at Foxwoods, said,
Rider described high rollers as a "funny crew." The requests might seem extreme to anyone who's not used to this lifestyle.
"They'll call a couple days out and they may need a private jet or a private helicopter to bring them in," he said.
When high rollers get to Foxwoods, they're offered a special suite -- one that can't be reserved and remains vacant if no one is gambling enough in the casino.
The Mashantucket Villa is a 5,000-square-foot space designed just for high rollers -- people who drop a minimum of $250,000 per visit.
To call the space luxurious is an understatement. A private butler staff of eight is available 24 hours a day to meet any needs a high roller might have.
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The bathroom next to the master bedroom suite includes gold plating on fixtures that are worth more than $80,000 and a large walk-in shower next to an large flat screen television.
The bedroom suite includes fine Egyptian cotton, a private bar includes with top-shelf liquors and champagne.
There are about 1,000 elite customers in the country, according to Foxwoods. Casinos in southeast Connecticut have to compete with casinos in Las Vegas and Monaco for high-end customers who can drop millions in just hours.
"The competition for the premium players is as hot and heavy as it's ever been," said Joe Jimenez, senior VP of marketing. "Everyone goes after these customers."
Besides a stay at the exclusive villa, high rollers can get just about anything they want. Whether it's a trip to the World Series, or Super Bowl, or even a stroll down the red carpet at the Oscars, casinos will try to facilitate any request.
In the Stargazer casino, which has extremely high table minimums, a private craps room is available to gamblers with at least a 6 figure bankroll. The table games at Stargazer have minimum bets of at least $200 with maximum bets of $10,000. Exceptions can be made, of course, for gamblers who wish to gamble with even more.
With a down economy, casinos are working even harder to get a select few in the door. According to Foxwoods, competition has never been bigger for an elite few that are so vital to casinos.
