Land-Based Bill Hornbuckle

Bellagio

3600 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109

Based on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, the Bellagio is a luxury hotel & casino operated by MGM Resorts.

Facilities

The Bellagio casino has over 2,300 slots, including reel, video reel, video poker, jackpots and progressives. The casino also offers Bellagio Slot Tournaments and MGM Rewards Slot Tournaments throughout the year. 

As for table games, there are 173 tables with live dealers that offer blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, three-card poker and pai gow. There is also a high-limit lounge at Club Privé, which also includes a whiskey and cigar program.

The poker room at Bellagio has 40 tables across 7,000 sq ft and is a regular stop in the World Poker Tour (WPT). There are also two high-limit poker rooms, one being the Legends Room and the other the Villa Privé.

History and Renovations

The original casino was constructed as a Dunes property in 1955. The site was sold to Steve Wynn through Mirage Resorts in November 1992 for $75m.

Despite several attempts to turn the area into a manmade lake, Mirage Resorts announced on October 17, 1994, that it would be building a resort on the land, with the initial costs estimated between $700m-$900m. 

The original design was changed a few times, taking inspiration from French and Italian architecture, before construction began on November 1, 1995. Due to several problems during the building phase, the final price of the project increased to $1.6bn, nearly double the initial estimate. 

The Bellagio was first opened on October 15, 1998, holding a private party for VIPs before allowing the public in just before midnight. The Bellagio has been widely credited with being one of the construction projects that turned the perception of Las Vegas from being tacky to being high-class.

In May 2000, MGM Grand bought Mirage Resorts after unfavourable revenue results. The merger cost $4.4bn with $2bn in assumed debt but gave MGM ownership of the Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Boardwalk, and Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas, as well as others. 

The Spa Tower was announced in August 2002 and construction officially started in April 2003. The $375m project would feature an additional spa, salon, retail outlets and 200,000 sq ft of convention space. It opened on December 23, 2004. 

The Spa Tower at Bellagio was renovated in 2007, then again in 2011 for $70m. The tower would receive $40m in renovations in 2013, an ongoing project that would continue until 2015. The Spa Tower also underwent another $110m renovation in October 2023.

On October 15, 2019, MGM Resorts announced that it would sell the Bellagio to Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust for $4.25bn. The company would then lease it back to MGM Resorts for $245m annually. The deal was closed in November, with MGM acquiring a 5% ownership stake and retaining the position as operator.

Operator Information

MGM Resorts International has operated Bellagio since 2000. The company was founded in 1986 and operates numerous casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as across the US and China.

Corporate Partners

Marriott International: The partnership was announced on July 17, 2003, and was the start of the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy. This would allow customers to book MGM Resort facilities through Marriott platforms. The loyalty programs of both companies were also expanded to include the new deal. 

Non-gaming facilities

Hotel

The Bellagio hotel has a total of 3,933 rooms, with 36 stories in the original tower and 33 in the Spa Tower. The rooms range from the remodeled Spa Premier King up to the Chairman Suite. The hotel also offers the option for customers to bring their dogs to the hotel and have them stay in the rooms, for an additional charge.

Restaurants 

As well as a range of chain restaurants, Bellagio also offers a few signature restaurants, such as The Garden Table, the Bellagio Patisserie and the Buffet at Bellagio. A herb garden, located on the Bellagio's roof, provides ingredients for some of the resort's restaurants.

Entertainment 

There are numerous attractions at Bellagio, including the Fountains of Bellagio, the conservatory and botanical gardens, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and the Fiori di Como glass sculpture. 

In addition to these, the Bellagio also hosts the Cirque du Soleil's water-themed show, called ‘O’. The show is held in a 1,800-seat opera house and includes a mini-lake.

Spa & Fitness Center

There are several spas at the Bellagio, including the Four-Star Spa & Salon, the Kalologie Medspa and the Bellagio Fitness Center. These provide hair, nail and makeup services, massages, skin treatments and facials.

Product Spotlight

CasinoTrac

CasinoTrac is reducing handpay downtime by nearly 90% with SlotSUITE's Self-Pay & W-2 G printing at the slot machine.
GA HUDDLE #087

John Connelly - Interblock preparing to launch online by the end of year

John Connelly, the Global CEO of Interblock, joins the Huddle to talk about:
- The company's conversion to the online space
- The performance of ETGs
- Interblock's new philanthropic efforts
- The trend of companies going private
- And more!
GA HUDDLE #086

Michael Hershman - Dispelling casino 'myths:' New York needs to lose fear of the unknown

Michael Hershman, CEO of the Soloviev Group, joins Tim Poole on the Huddle to put forward his case that the Freedom Plaza is the way to go for one of New York's casino licences. He fields a variety of questions - not shying away from any of them - on why 'myths' about casinos and a fear of the unknown should be dispelled, as well as acknowledging the strength of rival bids and discussing opposition to the project.

As the Tribal gaming sector congregates once more in the Golden State, is it too cliché of me to suggest we are heading for a golden era of Tribal gaming? With the industry set to meet at the Indian Gaming Association t...

10-11-From-the-top
From The Top: Will youth be served by Sports Betting?
Two recent interviews in our Huddle podcast revealed to Las Vegas correspondent Brian Joseph just how young sports betting entrepreneurs are becoming.
12-GA-MAR-10-year-v2
The Global Gaming Awards: Rewarding Excellence
The 10th edition of the Global Gaming Awards took place in Las Vegas last year. Gaming America looks back... and ahead to this year's.
16-18-IGA-Preview
Preview: Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention
Gaming America looks ahead to the 2024 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention and what attendees can expect when they arrive at the Anaheim Convention Centre.
20-22-GA-Mar-888-Holding-article
888 and the US Market: A cautionary tale
Gaming America explores the risk of resting on your laurels and the challenge of remaining relevant in a rapidly expanding market.