A quick guide to the top five casinos around the world. Which one will you visit next?
MGM Grand, Las Vegas
The Strip’s biggest resort is a non-stop theatre of neon gambling, star studded shows and great food and drinks. Located near the south end of the strip, the casino has a huge variety of progressive and high limit slots that have paid out some of the largest jackpots in Vegas history. The casino is often referred to as the $1-$2 No Limit Capital of Las Vegas and confidently boasts its non-smoking poker room to be the number one hotspot for Texas Hold’em poker throughout Sin City. The poker room opens around the clock, although play slows down in the wee small hours and chills with a relaxed atmosphere, by day it’s all action and super-fast paced. The resort itself sits on a buzzing corner and is perfectly placed for a good footfall intake, most of which are tourist gamblers so the play can be agreeably loose too. The trick being to pick your table, and its game, carefully. Do that, and you could turn a good trip into a great one.
Casino Rama, Ontario
One of the largest casino, hotel and entertainment complexes in Canada, the Casino Rama is the pick of the country’s gambling venues. In a land where gambling reservations have been allotted to the first people of the land, this venture, located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, was the territory’s original First Nations commercial casino. It was a joint project between First Nations, commercial operators Penn National Gaming, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and is classed as a Charity casino so you can feel good about your decision to play here. The entertainment complex regularly hosts entertainment shows, lays on an awesome buffet and has a first-class drinks service but if its gaming you’re after, and it is, then you should know that visitors never leave disappointed. There are more than 400 slots to choose from while the table games on offer include poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and sic bo, among others. For those of you new to casino games, it is well worth signing up to an account with one of the many online casinos, of which Canada has some of the leading choices of. All of these are safe thanks to a heavily protected and regulated industry which is entirely legal here. Sites offer real or play money gambling options so you can choose just how much you stake in your favourite game before you play for real at the Casino Rama.
Rio, Las Vegas
Home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), The Rio in Las Vegas has become a prestigious venue on the strip. In fact, The Rio is located on Pelican, just off the main Strip. Featuring a long, winding stairway, at the bottom on the casino floor you will find many rows of slots and an overwhelming amount of table games. The table games you can enjoy here include blackjack, roulette, pai-gow, hold’em, and craps. As this is a tourist city, you will find the dealers to be friendly and talkative, as, for the most part, are the other recreational players there. Pit bosses are easy going and relaxed, which translates to the players who then also feel suitably comfortable. As for the drink service, that is fast, friendly, steady and attentive allowing you to enjoy your game without losing concentration or, for the more serious grinders out there, tilting. The food is plentiful and generally pretty good but its main bragging rights remain its hosting of the WSOP for those taken in by such things.
City of Dreams Resort, Macau
Opening to huge fanfare, The City Of Dreams, Macau’s latest show off casino, covers an impressive total of 546,000 square feet, dedicated to the high roller. The City of Dreams is a unique, integrated resort that combines Macau’s electrifying entertainment and nightlife with the best in casino accommodation, international dining and a designer-brand shopping. This is where China’s new money ends up and it is simply breath-taking. As for the gaming experience, you will not be sorry you visited. Home to over 1500 slot machines and a further 378 table games that include poker of every variant, roulette of numerous styles as well as blackjack and the rest, there really is something for everyone here.
Casino Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo
Perhaps the most sophisticated and glamourous casino in the world, no list would be complete without mentioning the Casino de Monte Carlo. The casino draws its customer base from an international clientele and boasts magnificent décor which has been updated over the years in order to offer its prestigious visitors the whole range of exciting casino games in luxurious comfort. In its gaming rooms, the venue offers European roulette, English roulette, black Jack, Texas hold’em poker and the local favourite, Trente et Quarante. And, of course, no casino is complete without slot machines, which is why here you will find the machines in the Salle Renaissance and the Salle des Amériques will satisfy your every gambling need.