High-Roller Perks in Las Vegas

© MGM Mirage/Tabu Ultra Lounge

Unlimited cocktails on the house. A killer room upgrade with wrap-around views of the Strip, a private Jacuzzi and round-the-clock butler service. A personal driver picking you up at the airport in a Bentley. Gorging on steak and fine wine at the hands of a celebrity chef, gratis. Private gambling rooms and VIP nightclub treatment. Being a high-roller scores you major perks in Las Vegas.

It may seem counterintuitive to have a casino shower you with gifts for gambling, but it makes sense when you sit down and do the math. Casinos are fiercely competitive and they want to attract and keep a large number of serious gamblers, so they offer up enticing goodies to get the high-rollers (who are also called "whales" in the casino industry) inside and then keep them happy with free food and drinks while they're betting. Last year, Las Vegas casinos gave away $10 billion in free rooms, upgrades and goodies, and the trend is only expected to continue.

For instance, the presidential suite at the Bellagio often goes to high-rollers. It has a 14-foot ceiling, a fireplace, a bar and a stunning reflection-pool entrance. Plus, it includes 24-hour butler service, reservations at MGM restaurants and VIP seats at Cirque du Soleil's O. With all that pampering and entertainment at your fingertips (not to mention the bustling casino downstairs), why would you ever need to leave?

The Palms is the premier purveyor of over-the-top specialty suites. High-rollers could snag the Kingpin Suite, a nearly 5,000-square-foot space, includes two bedrooms, two personal full-size bowling lanes, a large-screen media room and a pool table. The hotel also offers Sky Villas suites, which boast indoor waterfalls, private spas with saunas and steam rooms, and a rotating bed. A Sky Villa lair would cost a mere mortal $25,000 a night, but for high-rollers looking to gamble at least $500,000 during their stay, the hotel will happily comp the room.

Even if you don't have a cool half million to wager, room upgrades are standard practice at most casinos and high-rollers can revel in major goodies. At Harrah's, for example, anyone can sign up for a frequent-gambler card and redeem his or her points for free meals, theater tickets or even vehicles. At the MGM Grand, high-rollers skip the line at all of the nightclubs owned by the gambling palace and get free passes to the buffet. At Treasure Island, serious gamblers have been treated to a night of sushi and sake at mouthwatering Social House, where you might be seated next to Eva Longoria Parker or Paris Hilton.

Your best chances for scoring a comp are traveling during the low season (weekdays and during the window between Thanksgiving and New Year) and asking outright what's available. You'll party like a rock star (or a whale) with these sweet high-roller perks.