In this article we pay homage to some of the very best casino on the planet, venues that you quite simply have to visit before you die.
In the past decade the casino industry has shifted more towards the online market, especially with the success of live casino technology. With a world of industry leading online casinos available at our finger tips it can be easy to forget about the unrivalled beauty of visiting a land-based casino for the first time.
In this article we pay homage to some of the very best casino on the planet, venues that you quite simply have to visit before you die. If there are any venues that you think we’ve missed off of our list be sure to let us know about them in the comments section below.
Casino de Monte Carlo
This sumptuous casino can be found in the principality of Monaco, a sovereign state to the south of France that is only slightly bigger than London’s Hyde Park. Whilst Monaco may be small, it is awash with money and is called home by a number of famous faces
One place where Monaco’s rich and famous inhabitants can unwind and spend their money is the Casino de Monte Carlo which is renowned for its stunning architecture, interior décor and famous art (some of which is older than the United States.)
If you want to get a feel for the casino before you visit watch Never Say Never Again or GoldenEye as both of these films used the venue as the setting for intense casino scenes featuring the famous James Bond.
The Casino de Monte Carlo is not only a great casino destination, but it is also a venue of unique historic importance to Monaco. Opened in 1863 the casino was a last-ditch attempt by the Monegasque royal family to bring money into the principalities failing economy.
Within just 6 years of its opening the casino was bringing in so much in revenues that the royal family decided to cease taxing the population – another feature of Monaco that appeals to today’s rich and famous.
So whether it’s high-stakes casino action you’re after or a slice of casino history, Casino de Monte Carlo has it all. Just be careful about joining a no-limit poker table though as you might find yourself struggling to keep up with affluent opponents!
The Bellagio
On October 15th 1998 the £1.6 billion Bellagio Hotel & Casino was opened in Las Vegas to a crowd of excited onlookers. Since that opening 23 years ago the venue has gone on to become arguably the most famous casino in North America.
The Bellagio has repeatedly being described as the most luxurious casino in the USA and has also featured heavily in popular culture. The Ocean’s franchise, Now You See Me and a number of other Hollywood movies have all used the casino to film some of their most memorable scenes in.
The Bellagio is also home to one of the most exclusive poker rooms in the world. Named after 1978 World Series of Poker Champion Bobby Baldwin, ‘Bobby’s Room’ regularly hosts some of the highest stakes poker tournaments in Las Vegas. If you want to play a hand here you’ll have to part with a minimum $20,000 buy in!
Outside of the casino are the famous fountains which are an attraction in themselves. Serviced by a team of cleaners, technicians and divers the fountains put on shows each evening to large crowds of tourists.
Watching the show is free but if you want to get involved and control the fountains you can, all for the perfectly reasonable price of $250,000…
The Venetian Macao
Las Vegas may still be the spiritual home of world casinos, but in terms of economics it has been lagging behind Macao for some time now. The Chinese city of Macao which was formerly a Portuguese colony is casino’s new economic powerhouse and as a result, a great place to wage.
Imagine Las Vegas but bigger, better and with an even richer clientele. The Venetian Macao is a perfect example of the city’s dominance over Las Vegas. Opened in 2007 by Las Vegas Sands, this Chinese casino is based on its American namesake, but on a much, much bigger scale.
The resort has 3,000 suites, 1,200,000 square feet of convention space, 1,600,000 square feet of retail space and 500,000 square feet of casino space. It also features a stunning recreation of the San Luca canal in which guests can take a gondola ride captained by a singing Gondoliere.
If all that isn’t enough for you the venue also has its own purpose built sports hall which regularly plays host to a series of high-profile exhibition games. In terms of modern casinos, there aren’t many on the planet that can rival The Venetian Macao in terms of facilities and design.
Have you visited any of the casinos profiled in this article? If so let us know what your experience was like below.
