Local media visit at Ballys Colombo |05 December 2013

A casino which is simply the best!

The Seychellois journalists on the familiarisation tour of Colombo was also offered a night out at Ballys Colombo, a casino that offers what it claims to be the ‘Highest Winning Percentage in the World’.

The local media group also discovered something very innovative going on at this prestigious casino situated in the heart of the capital city adjacent to Colombo's most beautiful Berria Lake - also the entertainment hub with all of the five-star hotels in the city at close proximity.

Apart from the usual gambling activities that normally go on in casinos, Ballys Colombo promotes gambling tourists and it is a thriving business. When we normally speak of casinos we refer to people living in the country who go in there to gamble and then either come out with the loot or empty-handed! But Ballys Casino has gone much further than that. Gambling tourists are on the rise there and they are bringing in big money!

“Influential or very high profile people from foreign countries especially India, fly in private jets or yachts, gamble at the casino for some days and then leave,” says Johnny Perera, manager international marketing at Ballys Colombo.

The casino, which has been in operation since 1995,  has a VIP section which accommodates the influential guests, houses around seventy gaming tables, an elegant bar and a classy restaurant for fine dining. It also includes a state-of-the-art board room for luncheon meetings. The VIPs are accorded very strict privacies as no photographs are allowed in the casino.

Those high profile people love gambling but as they have an image to keep they cannot afford to be seen doing such things in casinos in their own country. They do not even fly on ordinary planes as they consider privacy a huge priority.

The Ballys Colombo gives away a total of R1.5 million in cash at a grand draw which is held every Saturdays of the month. All membership card holders would find themselves routinely entered into the draw with coupons deposited towards the member's number. This would depend on the game played during the period. Every coupon holds a monetary value.
Some other very interesting features of Ballys Colombo are:

Ballys is the only casino that permits any two cards to be doubled at the blackjack game, special jackpot with 678 or 777.

Ballys is the only casino that pays (9 to 1) in the game of baccarat.

All cards are naturally and openly hand shuffled with every card game, machines are not used for shuffling.

The only casino with manual spinning at the rapid roulette. On a game of roulette that ends with a single zero an even payment of 50% is refunded to the player at the end.

It is the company’s policy not to charge a single cent for any credit card withdrawal.

At Ballys they also do pay a percentage as a soft credit to help the guest stay in the game and enjoy the luxurious services and the star class entertainment at Sri Lanka’s most talked about deluxe casino. The casino firmly believes that its success is due to its commitment to the aspect in hospitality services. It believes in continually training in customer care and guest relation as per their vision.

Ballys basic package starts from US $8,000 which enables the guest to patronize the casino as a VIP with accommodation provided at any of the five-star hotels in the city.

 He/she will also be entitled to a reimbursement on the air ticket, luxury cab service to and from the airport plus unlimited food and beverage during their stay at the Ballys Colombo.

More details on the Seychelles media group’s visit to Colombo in our centrespread of this weekend’s edition.

M. Julie