The Brit Bet That Vegas Nearly Didn't Take

His mother may well have been the one bursting into tears after Ashley Revell's spin of faith on a Las Vegas roulette wheel paid off, but to be honest it could have been anyone looking to promote responsible gambling in the capital of casino entertainment.

The 32 year-old from London has liquidated all his possessions, from his flat to all his clothes with the exception of a spare item of underwear, to fund a crazy gamble, which saw him bet $135,300 on red at a roulette wheel at the Plaza in downtown Las Vegas. He won, and seven (red) came in, and walked away with $270,600; but what price problem gambling when British satellite channel Sky One screens the crazy gamble that paid off in the finale of a short reality series called Double or Nothing?

Revell himself said he did not intend to try to double his winnings again. He gave a $600 tip to the croupier and was off, no doubt to party, and to buy some new clothes.

Phillip Flaherty, chief operating officer for Barrick Gaming, the Plaza's new owner, said it took "all of minus-five seconds" to agree to the bet. He reportedly said, "If I can't make marketing dollars out of this, I'm nuts."

It is doubtful whether a UK Casino on Revell's home soil would have taken the bet, particularly with the UK government poised to light the touch paper of deregulation. But the bet was also in some doubt in the crazy confines of Las Vegas with some casino operators, who turned it down, since slamming the irresponsible nature of the bet. Even Revell's own father criticised the decision saying almost comically that he was a "very naughty boy."

Revell had originally approached Caesars Entertainment with the idea of placing he bet at one of its high profile properties, but the casino rejected it with company spokesman Robert Stewart saying it was simply a bet they didn't "want to take."

Harrah's, another the Vegas Strip giants wasn't approached but wouldn't have taken the wager. Spokesman Gary Thompson revealed that his group "would not even have come close to participating in this." If someone wants to gamble for the wrong reasons, then Harrah's isn't interested, he added. He slammed the behaviour as irresponsible and stressed that gaming was a form of entertainment and not a way to solve financial problems.

Over at another of the colossal operators, MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman reiterated that he believed the Plaza had made a mistake by staging the bet, saying that it wasn't "the right message for our business." He added that anyone who wanted to bring their "last penny to Vegas" had got it wrong.

The film crew were even at one stage considering changing the name of the series to 'The Bet Las Vegas Wouldn't Take' until the Plaza got involved.

Flaherty agreed after the control board of the Nevada Gaming Commission was assured it would not be a live broadcast and so eventually, a little bit of Las Vegas history was made.