VEGAS INC coverage
If you’re a player with a preference for privacy and you have a healthy pocketbook, the Bellagio may have the gambling parlor for you.
The casino, owned by MGM Resorts International, recently opened a private gaming room named Villa Privé.
But there’s a catch: access to the 2,600-square-foot salon is by invitation only and reserved for high rollers. The parlor is located far from the Bellagio’s main casino floor on the resort’s exclusive Villa level.
“The customer must be willing to risk $300,000,” said Debra Nutton, senior vice president of casino relations at the Bellagio.
That’s because gaming regulations control private play with strict rules.
One of those rules requires players to risk a minimum of $300,000; another requires resorts to run constant surveillance on guests and provide the state with a running tab of every player in the room.
For those with the cash to play, all it takes is a phone call.
Armed with the player’s preferences, a staff of butlers gets to work setting up the salon, which is divided into two areas separated by a foyer.
Inside, players can chose to eat, gamble or perhaps smoke a cigar on an outdoor patio.
Recent guests have requested table games such as baccarat, blackjack, roulette and craps, Nutton said. But players also can request slots.
“If you say you want to be alone, you’ll be alone,” Nutton said.
If no one calls, the salon stays closed. The private parlor has been used less than 30 days since its February debut.