A new proposal to ease some of the rules and help the Nevada casinos to attract more high rollers to the private gambling rooms was endorsed yesterday by Nevada state regulators.

The rule changes were initially approved by the state Gaming Control Board and are expected to receive the Gaming Commission approval in November, 2008. The proposal was backed by several Las Vegas hotel and casino operators who claimed that the actual rules lack of “business sense”. Under the current rules, not every casino in Nevada can offer high rollers the treatment they expect, a situation that takes most "whales" to visit the same few properties on the Las Vegas Strip that operate private areas aimed for high-rollers and VIP players.

The private salons were authorized by the 2001 Legislature, which modified an old law that required all gambling rooms and salons inside the casinos to be open to all customers regardless of the level they play.

According to the proposed modifications, any customer who shows up $300,000 in cash could ask a private salon. In addition, each casino could set their own minimum bets on live games. Under the current rules, the minimum live-game bet in a highroller salon is $500. The minimum established by the actual rules on slot machines would remain the same.

"It's probably best to allow some discretion there now that we've seen some of the betting patterns in the rooms" said the Nevada Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander.

The regulation change would allow mixed betting patterns to keep the highrollers at the table. Neilander said some high rollers might want to switch from high bets to very small bets to burn the remaining cards and recommence the action with a fresh deck.

Also, other gamblers who might not be betting large amounts, could make lower-stakes wagers. They also could keep gambling in the salons for a maximum of six hours if the high-roller takes a break from the action.

If the new rules are approved, all the Nevada and Las Vegas casinos would have to notify the Control Board when a private salon is in use so the state regulators can monitor the action using surveillance technology.