The gambling industry is booming as each year goes by. And while these days online gaming seems to have overtaken land casinos in popularity, there’s still plenty of appeal to visiting a stunning Vegas-style casino and enjoying some fun in the best casino cities around the world.
If you’ve spent time gambling in a casino you’ve probably wondered what it would be like to play in casinos in some of the world’s most famous gambling cities. Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo are all household names in the gambling industry and well worth visiting. But where else in the world offers the best casinos and gaming opportunities?
Gambling Capitals of the World
Keep reading to find out where the most popular gambling places in the world are, and why these gambling cities are a sure bet for your next vacation.
1. San Jose, Costa Rica: So Many Reasons to Go
This little slice of tropical paradise in Central America is not just the home of some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes and wildlife, but Costa Rica is a casino gaming mecca in its own right.
At just 44 square kilometers in size, San Jose, the country’s capital, may not be one of the biggest gambling cities on the planet, but it is known as a very popular gambling city for tourists to visit. While the locals are not able to place any bets in any of San Jose’s and Costa Rica’s numerous casinos, the variety of gambling opportunities available, a favorable exchange rate and the beauty this small country offers attracts thousands of American, Canadian and European travelers each year seeking value for their gambling dollar.
Most of the country’s casinos are part of a hotel, and online gaming companies exist here too, thanks to more relaxed taxation rules and gaming industry regulations than in other parts of the world. As casino cities go, San Jose offers plenty of bang for your buck.
2. Singapore: Where East Meets the Best
Singapore has quickly established itself as one of the best gambling destinations in the world, since gambling there became legalized in 2005. Although it doesn’t have a huge gambling scene, casinos within hotel resorts offer plenty of gambling fun, glitz and glamor, alongside theme parks, shows and entertainment, luxury retail and fine dining restaurants.
The most striking of Singapore’s striking casino resorts is the opulent 5 star Marina Bay Sands Resort, whose three shimmering towers are connected at the top with an open observation terrace and rooftop pool. The state-of-the-art casino and hotel complex also features 2,500 rooms, Venetian style canals complete with gondolas, Singapore’s largest ice-skating rink and two nightclubs. Just perfect for a lazy yet luxurious getaway!
Singapore also plays host to casino cruises, which sail into international waters to benefit from fewer gaming regulations and gambling laws than on land.
3. Melbourne, Australia: Gambling With a Bang
Australians love a good gamble, whether it’s on the local sports, a blackjack table in one of the many casinos that dot the major cities, or on the ubiquitous “pokie machines” or “pokies” (slots and video poker machines) that can be found in practically every pub around the country. In fact, the state of New South Wales, with Sydney as its capital, is second in the world when it comes to the number of gambling machines it houses. (Nevada wins top spot for that one)
The wonderful river and seaside city of Melbourne might not be a household name in the gambling world, but it does play host to the southern hemisphere’s largest casino, one of the largest casinos in the world.
Crown Casino, on the banks of inner city Melbourne’s Yarra River, covers 510,000 square meters and features over 50 poker tables as well as Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Sic Bo and Pai Gow tables which provide unlimited gambling potential day and night. The complex is also home to a 5 star hotel, plenty of buzzing restaurants, nightclubs and upmarket stores.
This city will really light your fire, as each night a spectacular display of the world’s largest fireballs shoot out of the casino’s eight outdoor towers into the night sky. A spectacle truly worth seeing!
4. London, United Kingdom: Excellence and Exclusivity
London isn’t the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of casino cities, but it’s not all high tea and big red buses in this town – there’s a thriving gambling scene here too.
Playing host to just over 20 casinos, the largest and one of the most iconic casinos in London is the Hippodrome Casino, which is located in one of the city’s grandest former theatres and features five gaming floors and West End shows too (think Broadway).
But what this city does best is small, intimate and exclusive casino clubs, where opulence, style and seemingly unlimited bankrolls are the name of the game. Hop in your Rolls Royce and instruct your driver to take you to the palatial Ritz Club, the elegant Les Ambassadeurs or the old-money Crockfords Club, and you’ll be sure to rub shoulders with some of London’s finest elite.
You could even head a couple of hours north to the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham, to enjoy a wager at the smallest casino in the world – in the Grosvenor Casino which is hosted in the back of a London-style black cab!
5. Caribbean Islands: Tropical Paradise for Gamblers
Ok, so we’re not talking about particular gambling cities here, but rather islands instead. The Caribbean is not just a hot destination for its gorgeous white sandy beaches and laid-back vibes -many of its islands play host to a vibrant gambling scene that brings in the crowds year round.
The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Hotel on Paradise Island is one of the most extravagant, luxurious and well known hotels of the Caribbean, and as well as multiple swimming pools it houses its own casino with over 700 slot machines and 85 gaming tables.
Aruba is another island with top end casinos attached to hotel resorts, with the grander ones being the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort and the Ritz-Carlton.
The Dominican Republic not only has some of the Caribbean’s most heavenly beaches and world class golf courses, but is home to over 120 casinos, including a few child-friendly casinos too!
6. Monte Carlo, Monaco: Playground of the Rich and Famous
Everyone has heard of Monaco and no doubt James Bond and countless Hollywood movies probably have a lot to do with it. Thanks to its privileged location on the French riviera, its stunning marina, relaxed taxation laws, Grand Prix circuit and world-famous casinos, Monaco, and its most famous gambling region, Monte Carlo, is known for being the playground of the rich and famous who come to splash their cash and show off their wealth.
Monaco sits on a tiny part of land on the south of the French coast at the foot of the Alps. It’s one of the smallest countries in the world with a population of just 38,000 permanent residents, yet hosts a thriving casino scene with four gambling venues. One of the top world-class casinos is the opulent Casino de Monte Carlo, the first to arrive in Monaco, which was built in 1861 and is revered as much for its history and beauty as for the royals and celebrities who frequent it.
While there are three other casinos in Monte Carlo, Monaco, it’s this iconic casino venue, Casino de Monte Carlo, that really draws in the tourists – something which is much needed to ensure its survival, considering residents of Monaco are not actually allowed to gamble themselves.
7. Las Vegas, Nevada: Totally Hip on the Las Vegas Strip
It will come as no surprise that Las Vegas is one of the world’s most popular gambling cities, but our list wouldn’t be complete without it. Built in the middle of the desert with the tourist industry in mind, Las Vegas, Nevada, has earned the nicknamed “Sin City” by being home to the world’s top casinos, ostentatious hotels, amusement parks and nightlife, where anything and everything goes.
Las Vegas is home to over 100 casinos and most of them are situated on the famous Las Vegas strip of Sin City, including many of the largest casino hotel resorts in the world like Caesar’s Palace, MGM Grand and the Bellagio.
Any type of gambling table, slot machine and poker room you can imagine can be found here, often within elaborate hotels that feature almost life-size replicas of world-famous icons such as the Giza pyramids, Venetian canals, Eiffel tower and the Statue of Liberty. And while penny slots are being phased out across the States, it’s still possible to find these original-style slot machines in Las Vegas – although not many of them are left.
These days, Las Vegas with its iconic casinos is still a highly sought after destination for holidaymakers and fans of a gamble thanks to its over-the-top unique gambling culture. However, it’s no longer the gambling city with the highest gaming revenue in the world – that accolade goes to Macau, China.
8. Macau, China: Big Things in Small Packages
Pipping Las Vegas off its perch as the gambling capital of the world, the small Chinese city of Macau has now taken over as the leading destination for those looking for a thrilling gambling experience, with annual gambling revenue topping that of the entire state of Nevada. It’s no surprise given it’s the only part of China where gambling is permitted, so the gambling industry here has skyrocketed in the past few years, and high rollers visit in their droves.
While sports betting is limited in Macau due to only one sportsbook operating in this casino city, more than 40 casinos exist to quench the mostly Chinese visitors’ thirst for some gambling games. The casino scene here is said to be worth four times what Las Vegas brings in, generating in excess of $3 billion each year.
Macau might be tiny, at only 118 square kilometers, but it boasts the largest casino floor in the world, located in The Venetian, which measures 376,000 square feet and comprises 640 gaming tables and 1,760 slot machines. Plenty of space to enjoy a wager in one of the best gambling cities in the world.
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