Gambling was Kerry Packer's passion in the way that other men of great means develop big-budget obsessions with yacht racing or art collecting. To quote the Vegas casino executive, who considered the business baron a friend, "Packer needed something to do with his days and nights. As one former Vegas casino executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, conservatively estimates, during the last 15 or so years, the wildly swinging Packer had blithely endured a net loss of more than $20 million on the Strip.Īdditionally, it is believed that he dropped many more millions to the casino operators in London, largely because he spent extended periods there, taking several suites at the Savoy Hotel. He loved nothing more than being in action for sums of money that few people could conceptualize. No doubt, as the 68-year-old mogul expired on December 26, 2005, the casino industry mourned the death of a man, but also the passing of Las Vegas's splashiest player. "I'm running out of petrol and I'm ready to die," he told his doctor before drawing his last breath. He was at home in Australia, lying in bed suffering from a weak heart and kidney ailments. Sixteen years and many outrageous nights later, Packer found himself in a far more precarious situation. After getting ahead a couple million dollars, he made a $100,000 bet on behalf of the dealers.
Famously sporty Packer appreciated the effort. There was only one sensible option: grab a crystal ashtray, smash open the baccarat setup and begin dealing. A graveyard-shift pit boss couldn't find the key to unlock the game at a table that had been reserved for Australia's most notorious billionaire. But one night, in the fall of 1989, after Packer blew into Las Vegas and found his way to the newly opened Mirage, the baccarat crew was not quite ready for him. They all knew better than to keep him waiting when he wanted to lay down a bet. He gambled for the kinds of stakes that kick-started the adrenal glands of even the most jaded casino executives. Kerry Packer was a larger-than-life gambler, a mogul who signed $1 million markers as if they were checks to Con Ed.
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