In Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino, Robert De Niro’s character Sam “Ace” Rothstein introduces the audience to a high roller named K. K. Ichikawa and laments having to comp the Japanese businessman everything from a ride in a private jet to toiletries in order to get him to gamble large sums of cash at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas.
“He plays fast and big and he has the cash and the credit to turn out your lights,” Rothstein says in a voiceover. “About a year ago, he cleaned out a couple of casinos in the Cayman Islands. Downstairs, he takes us for two million and upstairs he takes free soap, shampoo and towels. Another billionaire cheapskate who loves his free rooms, free private jets and two million of our money.”
Per Rothstein, Ichikawa is a “whale” who “plays 30,000 dollars a hand in baccarat” — and he’s exactly the sort of big fish mammal the Ocean Casino Resort is hoping to attract to The Loft, a first-to-market luxury gaming suite for high rollers in Atlantic City.
Recently opened at the three-year-old resort near the end of the boardwalk in AC, the 2,000-square-foot private suite provides its invite-only customers with custom cocktails from a top-shelf bar, a personal security detail and a private butler who can go pick up steaks from American Cut, sandwiches from The White House or pizzas from Tony Boloney’s. Offering high-limit players the chance to test their luck at blackjack, roulette and baccarat, the six-table suite is located 44 stories up and offers fetching floor-to-ceiling views of the Atlantic Ocean.
After taking in $183.5 million from gamblers inside its casino last year (good for a gross operating profit of $21.8 million — up 224% from a year earlier according to The Associated Press), Ocean decided to open The Loft as part of a larger reinvestment of $15 million into the resort.
“Private gaming suites are synonymous with Las Vegas, but up until the debut of The Loft, they had never existed in Atlantic City,” Ocean Casino Resort senior VP of gaming operations Steven Pfann tells InsideHook. “We saw a major opportunity to cater to our high-end clientele and wanted to capitalize. This was an opportunity to be trailblazers in the space and be on the forefront of high-end gaming in the Atlantic City market. The Loft is the personification of our dedication to being cutting edge and we are thrilled to present our high-end guests with an evolving gaming experience that is completely unique to Atlantic City.”
In addition to the private butler, security detail and tailored bar, being invited to play at The Loft also can include perks such as travel, extended credit lines and access to VIP events as well as a comped stay in a high-end room located in close proximity to the gaming suite. Though there is no set minimum in The Loft, the wagers that are placed in the exclusive suite, which rarely holds multiple players at once, are in the top 1% of the bets made at Ocean.
“The casino players at Ocean Casino Resort who consistently play for a high amount of money are presented with ultra-luxe accommodations to ensure that their playing experience is tailored to their every need,” Pfann says. “The Loft is exclusively for our top-tier customers and it is incredibly difficult to be invited; however, this adds to the exclusivity of the experience. The Loft at Ocean presents a premier casino option for clients seeking an exclusive experience.”
Though booking plans for the suite — which was designed with COVID-19 health and safety protocols top of mind and undergoes a full deep-cleaning after each use — are often made well in advance, it can be readied for business in an hour or less, as Ocean has a number of employees who are on call expressly for that purpose. Players at The Loft thus far have generally been from the Tri-State area, but Ocean will certainly welcome West Coast gamblers who want to eschew Vegas and make some whale-sized wagers alongside the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Our ability to devote coveted hotel real estate to gaming raises the bar for high-limit action in Atlantic City,” says Ocean Casino Resort CEO Terry Glebocki. “The Loft at Ocean presents a premier casino option for guests seeking an exclusive experience on the East Coast.”
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