Kim Zolciak's high-rolling gambling habit revealed as her home enters foreclosure
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Kim Zolciak's high-rolling gambling habit was chronicled less than three years ago on an episode of her one-time Bravo series Don't Be Tardy, amid news that the reality star is in financial distress as her luxurious Atlanta home has gone into foreclosure.
Zolciak's all-around expensive tastes were well-documented on her series Don't Be Tardy - which ran from 2012 until its 2021 cancelation - as her home features a private hair salon, home elevator and Versace China, among other expensive amenities.
In the episode, which was broadcast in December of 2020, the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum, 44, her husband Kroy Biermann, 37, and their family embarked on a road trip with a stop in Las Vegas.
There, Zolciak where she said she gambled away enough money to purchase 'a whole RV.' (According to the RV retailer Cruise America, 'an RV cost to buy ranges between $35,000 to $300,000 ... depending on various factors like RV class, included features and other costs.')
The one-time Real Housewives of Atlanta personality and her family had arrived in Nevada in the episode, and the reality star wasted little time getting into the games.
The Bravo beauty played at slot machines and tables for an 11-hour stretch, as she told producers that she had pushed her luck during the gambling marathon.
'I would have been up a whole RV, actually, had I just stopped while I was ahead, but I just can't help it - I kind of broke even,' Zolciak said in a confessional segment.
Zolciak said on the episode that she had established a reputation at multiple major casinos for her gaming track record as opposed to her reality TV fame: 'Planet Hollywood and Caesar's, let's be honest, they do know us.'
Zolciak said that casinos had provided a number of comps on amenities such as limousine rides and penthouse suites for her daughters to stay in - perks traditionally reserved for high volume gamblers.
Zolciak, who was seen feeding $100 bills into slot machines in the episode, said she probably wouldn't be in her room much during the trip as she would be busy gambling.
'I don't even need to eat here in Vegas,' Zolciak said in the episode. 'As long as I have my wine and my water, I don't need sleep, and I don't need food.'
Zolciak's daughters Brielle, 25, and Kaia, nine, both commented on their mother's penchant for games of chance, as Brielle said her mother 'is a high roller in Vegas, Alabama, North Carolina' exchanging hundreds of dollars 'for hours.'
On the show, when Kaia was asked about what casinos were, she said, 'My mom plays the casinos because she wants money.'
At one point during the show, Zolciak suggested to her spouse, 'We should just move to Vegas,' to which he rolled his eyes and replied, 'Oh my God.'
Toward the end of their stint in Sin City, Zolciak remained glued to the slot machines with less than five minutes before the family had to leave for their next stop on the road trip.
Zolciak 'gambled away $30,000 in Vegas' at The Palms Casino in the summer of 2019 in the trip that was filmed for the show, a source told Radar at the time.
'She had some small wins here and there, around $250, but for the most part the money is gone,' the source told the site.
The insider said Zolciak racked up the big losses playing 'a combination of black jack, craps and ... slot machines, too.'
In a 2016 episode of the series, she was seen losing $25,000 during a trip to a Montana casino, revealing her insights into her mentality when it comes to making wagers.
'I bet big to win big … but when you're losing it definitely becomes more of a nuisance than anything, and then I start getting pi**ed ... when I start losing I start losing my f***ing mind,' she said.
She said that Biermann had crossed her up in objecting to her borrowing money from the casino after the five-figure loss: 'Had he let me stay later, and take out another line of credit, I probably would have won it all back.'
Zolciak revealed an even bigger loss in a 2014 episode of the Bravo series, where she said she had once lost $250,000 at a casino in the Bahamas.
In a segment, she was seen spending $1,240 on scratch-off tickets at a gas station, coming up with $36 in winning tickets from the effort. Page Six reported at the time.
'I love to gamble, but there is no casino here in Georgia, so the only way to get my thrill is to buy scratch-offs,' she said.
Aside from the televised trips, Zolciak and Biermann have made multiple visits to casinos over the years: They were snapped in March of 2021 visiting Las Vegas, and were previously seen at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut in September of 2017.
Zolciak's expensive habits have come under renewed scrutiny amid news of the foreclosure, as her home is set to be auctioned off March 7 by Truist Bank after she and Biermann defaulted on a $1.65 million loan they initially took out in October of 2012.
Zolciak previously addressed the situation surrounding the home last November, amid rumors that it was sold for $257,000.
She said in an Instagram Stories clip: 'Ok you guys, my house has not sold for $257,000. If you guys think I would let my home that we've put millions and millions of dollars into go for $257,000, you're an idiot, okay? For real.'
She added, 'So, what are you gonna do, haters, when I'm here for Christmas, and I'm here for my birthday in May, and I'm here for all these amazing dates?
'I'm here until I f***ing want to move, until I decide I don't want to live here anymore. So, enjoy the view, haters. You're going to be seeing it for quite some time.'
