How a Single VIP Relationship Lasted Over a Decade
In reality, it wasn't just one relationship — it was dozens. Jörn-Peter Thiessen on treating VIPs as people, land-based hospitality at The Carousel Casino, online trust after 2003, and friendships that still last twenty years later.
How a Single VIP Relationship Lasted Over a Decade
In Reality, It Wasn't Just One Relationship… It Was Dozens.
By Jörn-Peter Thiessen
Founder | VIP Legacy Club
Quick links: Meet Jörn · Past VIP events · High Roller Chronicles — Chapter 1 · Why VIP events build lasting friendships · What a casino VIP host does · Best high roller casinos
One of the questions I've been asked throughout my career is:
"How did you keep the same VIP players for so many years?"
The truth is, it wasn't just one relationship.
It was dozens.
Many of those VIP players are still friends today, whether I first met them in a land-based casino or years later through the online gaming world.
When people hear that some of my relationships lasted well over ten years—and in some cases more than twenty—they're often surprised.
The answer is actually very simple.
Treat people like people, not account numbers.
The Land-Based Casino Days
My journey began long before online casinos existed.
I worked as a Slots Floor Supervisor in the exclusive Slots Privé at The Carousel Casino in South Africa.
Those were wonderful years.
When my regular players walked through the door, they never had to ask for anything.
I already knew.
Their favourite whisky.
Their preferred wine.
Which cigarettes they smoked.
Their favourite snack.
Everything would quietly arrive at their machine without them saying a word.
It wasn't because we had a computer system telling us.
It was because we genuinely cared enough to remember.
Those small details made people feel special.
Every Player Was Different
One of the first lessons I learnt was that no two VIPs were ever the same.
Some players loved having people watch them gamble.
Others wanted complete privacy.
If curious onlookers gathered around a high roller while they were playing, I'd politely ask them to move along.
A player spending thousands of dollars deserved to enjoy the experience without unnecessary distractions.
VIP service isn't complicated.
It's simply understanding what makes each individual comfortable.
Watching Slot Machines… For Hours
People often laugh when I tell them this.
During the graveyard shift, I could spend an entire evening standing next to a VIP player, chatting while they played slot machine after slot machine.
Hour after hour.
Reel after reel.
And I never became bored.
I remember thinking during my first few months:
"That spin probably cost more than my monthly salary."
Eventually you stop thinking like that.
You stop judging.
Money becomes irrelevant.
You simply focus on the person sitting next to you.
You either love this profession…
…or you don't.
A Helicopter Waiting Beside the Tenth Tee
One memory still makes me smile.
A lovely lady who regularly played in our private gaming area once asked if my colleague Greg and I would spend the day playing golf with her husband while she enjoyed a long gambling session.
Of course we agreed.
Early the next morning we met her husband, Mike, at the famous Gary Player Country Club at Sun City.
After exchanging greetings, I looked around and asked him,
"Mike… where are your golf clubs?"
Without saying a word, he smiled, walked a few metres away… and disappeared behind the tenth tee.
A few moments later he opened the door of his helicopter.
His golf clubs had been waiting inside all along.
After our round of golf, our nineteenth hole wasn't the clubhouse.
It was a flight over the breathtaking Pilanesberg Game Reserve in Mike's helicopter.
Experiences like that weren't about money.
They were about friendship.
Mike and his wife remained friends for well over ten years.
Then Everything Changed
In 2003 I entered the online gaming industry.
It was a completely different world.
No smiling faces walking through casino doors.
No handshakes.
No tips.
No drinks together.
Just emails.
Telephone calls.
And a computer screen.
Players were naturally sceptical.
Many wondered whether online casinos actually paid.
Many didn't trust the internet.
Others simply wanted complete privacy.
Building trust became far more difficult than it had ever been in a land-based casino.
Meeting Players Changed Everything
In early 2003, I began travelling to meet online players face-to-face.
At the time, it was almost unheard of.
Many players couldn't believe someone from an online casino would travel halfway around the world simply to have dinner with them.
That first Californian roadshow changed everything — I wrote about those early trips in the High Roller Chronicles.
Those meetings turned email addresses into real people.
And the relationships became much stronger.
The funny thing is…
I still keep in touch with players I first met over twenty years ago.
Thirteen Years Without a Reply
One of my favourite stories involves a wonderful Greek player.
For thirteen years, I emailed her regularly.
Birthday wishes.
Christmas greetings.
Updates.
Promotions.
Cashback.
Not once did she reply.
Most people would probably have stopped writing.
I didn't.
How did I know she was reading my emails?
Because whenever I credited cashback or a bonus to her account…
…she played it.
She never replied.
But she always read my emails.
Then one day—thirteen years later—an email appeared in my inbox.
It was from her.
I can't explain how satisfying that moment felt.
It reminded me that relationships don't always grow at the speed we expect.
Sometimes they simply need patience.
Why People Are Still Sceptical
Even today, I find it interesting that many potential players remain cautious.
And honestly…
I don't blame them.
The internet is full of scams.
Phishing emails.
Fake websites.
Broken promises.
Trust has to be earned.
That's why I always tell people the same thing.
Don't just judge us by our website.
Join us on one of our VIP events.
Come and have dinner with us.
Join a golf day.
Come on a cruise.
Meet the people behind VIP Legacy Club — start with Meet Jörn if you want the short version of who I am.
Once you've shaken someone's hand, shared a meal and spent time together, that relationship changes forever.
That's how trust begins.
Friends Before Customers
When I look back over the last thirty-three years, something surprises even me.
Around 80% of my closest friendships today are current or former casino players.
The remaining 20% are friends who have nothing to do with gambling.
People sometimes ask whether that's unusual.
Perhaps it is.
But when you've travelled the world together…
Shared dinners…
Played golf…
Celebrated birthdays…
Attended weddings…
Cruised through the Norwegian Fjords…
Or simply spent years talking about life rather than gambling…
The relationship naturally becomes much more than business.
That is also why VIP events build lasting friendships — the floor and the inbox matter less than the shared table.
My Philosophy Never Changed
Throughout my career I've always believed one thing.
People come first.
Not bonuses.
Not promotions.
Not commissions.
People.
I've sometimes found myself in difficult conversations because I believed in telling players the truth, even when it wasn't the easiest option.
Honesty builds trust.
Trust builds friendships.
And friendships often last far longer than any business relationship ever could.
If you want the operational side of that philosophy — what a host should actually do day to day — read What does a casino VIP host do? and The perfect VIP department.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I don't remember every jackpot.
I don't remember every promotion.
I don't remember every monthly target.
What I remember are the people.
The conversations.
The laughter.
The friendships that started with a simple email or a chance meeting on a casino floor.
Those relationships have lasted decades.
And they continue today.
Because after 33 years in the gaming industry, I've learnt that the greatest reward this industry has ever given me wasn't a title or a paycheck.
It was the privilege of meeting extraordinary people who became lifelong friends.
Ready to meet the people behind the brand? Browse past VIP events, talk to our free AI concierge, or meet Jörn before you choose where to play.