If you’d like to try your hand at lady luck and want to do it in style, there is an increasing number of exciting casinos around the world that offer the utmost in extravagant luxury – and not just in Las Vegas. While you’ll find more than a few to choose from in Sin City as well as famed gaming destinations like Monte Carlo, there are some rather lavish options in places like Germany, China, Singapore and beyond. Roll the dice, choose your favorite and start packing.
The Venetian Macao, Macao
From the mid-16th century to 1999, when it was transferred back to China, Macau was a Portuguese colony. Today, it’s known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient,” home to many of the world’s largest casinos, including The Venetian Macau, the biggest casino on earth and the 6th largest structure in the world. The complex cost $2.4 billion to construct, including a sports events hall and an incredible 550,000-square-foot gambling area. Impressive inside and out, it features the same quasi-Venetian style as its sister resort in Las Vegas it was modeled after, including replicas of the lagoon city’s canals. There are luxurious, all-suite guest rooms, multiple restaurants featuring cuisine from around the world, a play zone, garden swimming pools and extensive recreational facilities, along with 3,000 slots and 750 table games, with total floor space of nearly 10.8 million square feet.
Wynn Macau, Macau
Wynn Macau is a massive property located on Macau’s waterfront, and boasts over 100,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 500 table games and 840 slot machines along with more than 1,000 ultra-luxurious rooms. If you’re into shopping, you’ll find more than enough to keep you busy with its shopping complex featuring some of the most expensive labels on the market, including Giorgio Armani, Ferrari, Christian Dior and Chanel. Wynn Macau also includes gourmet restaurants and a world-class spa facility. The resort consistently receives rave reviews from all who visit, with its reliable, exceptional overall experience. Rather than relying on flashy advertisements, it mostly promotes via word-of-mouth.
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Caesar’s is one of Vegas’ trademark names, opened nearly a half-century ago, becoming a luxury icon, surviving scandals, recessions and more. Its luxurious rooms and 166,000 square feet of gaming space have defined excess on The Strip. The massive spa features Roman baths, while elaborate mosaics and classical architecture surround the pools. All of its buildings and interiors follow a style that imitates Ancient Rome, something that other Vegas venues have copied since its inception. Reigning at the heart of The Strip, it features chic guest rooms and suites, a long list of unique restaurants and cafes, the 50,000-square-foot Qua Baths & Spa as well as the acclaimed Forum Shops with its specialty retailers.
Sun City Casino Resort, South Africa
This giant Las Vegas-like resort is located in the middle of the bush, about two hours from Johannesburg in South Africa’s North West province. Sun City Casino Resort opened in 1979, in what was then known as the state of Bophuthatswana, one of the apartheid government’s designated areas for the black majority population where the nation’s laws did not apply equally, allowing both gambling and topless revenue shows. Sun City quickly became a popular destination for high rollers and all types of gamblers. Today, it ranks as one of the top casino resorts in the world, featuring multiple hotels, over 850 slot machines and nearly 40 gaming tables for blackjack, American roulette, stud poker and Punto Baccarat. Guests can even go on safari with the resort offering its very own private game reserve.
Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas
A top hotel in Las Vegas, Wynn Las Vegas is an iconic casino destination on the Strip. When it opened in 2005, the Wynn Las Vegas was the most expensive hotel-casino ever built, at a cost of $2.7 billion to construct. The more than 2,700 suites came at an average cost of $1 million each. Although that record was broken in 2010 with the $5.5 billion construction of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, it remains one of the true stars of casino resorts around the world. The Wynn sits across 217 acres with its resort showcasing a 111,000-square-foot casino as well as distinctive dining experiences, nearly 75,000 square feet of retail space, an exclusive onsite 18-hole championship golf course, state-of-the-art recreational facilities and more.
Hotel Lisboa, Macau
Among the glittering cityscape of Macau, The Grand Lisboa, designed to look and feel like a birdcage, stands out as one of the city’s most defining landmarks. The hotel/casino is Macau’s tallest building, crowned with the largest LED dome on the planet, made up of more than a million LED lights. The inside lives up to the dazzling exterior with 1,000 slots and 800 gaming tables spread across expansive and elaborately decorated floors. It caters to wealthy tourists and gamblers, recently hiring one of the world’s most famous chefs in addition to offering an extensive selection of nearly 15,000 wines, becoming the first establishment in China to receive the “Grand Award” honor by Wine Spectator magazine.
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas
Like its sister resort in Macau, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Vegas allows guests to experience the romance of Italy, including the chance to ride an authentic Venetian gondola, floating beneath bridges and balconies through the “Grand Canal.” Every detail was designed to provide the ultimate stay, including everything from the world’s largest standard suites to one of the most elegant casinos. It’s part of the largest five-diamond hotel and resort complex in the world, with luxury suites in addition to the 120,000 square-foot casino and one of the best hotel spas in Las Vegas. Guests can choose from multiple restaurants, featuring six James Beard Award-winning chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck, as well as shop at an array of international boutiques.
City of Dreams, Macau
This property, often referred to as “CoD”, opened in 2009 at a cost of $2.1 billion. It features 420,000 square feet of gambling space, including 550 gaming tables and 1,500 slots, making it another one of the most ginormous casinos in the world. The City of Dreams also features more than 20 restaurants, including Michelin-starred Chinese Restaurant, Jade Dragon, showcasing culinary masterpieces by Chef Tam Kwok Fung. The resort’s impressive water show, House of Dancing Water, includes 80 performers from across the globe in a special round theater with a pool that holds 3.7 million gallons of water.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Ledyard, Connecticut
Surprisingly, Las Vegas isn’t home to America’s biggest casino. That honor goes to Ledyard, Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino, operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribe. Opened in 1968, it features 4.7 million square feet of gaming space across six casinos, with more than 7,000 gaming machines and 17 different types of table games as well as one of the world’s largest bingo halls. It also offers a two-story arcade for families with children.
MGM Grand Casino, Las Vegas
In addition to being located in one of the largest hotels in the world, the MGM Grand Casino has one of the largest gaming floors in the city at 171,500 square feet. It features 139 gaming tables and 2,500 slot machines with payouts of as much as a half-million dollars. At Skylofts, a luxury hotel at the top of the MGM Grand, you’ll find a private sanctuary tucked within the clouds. Guests enjoy luxuriating in a bath that fizzes with tiny champagne-like massage bubbles, TVs in the mirrors and even airport pickup in a $400,000 car. Remotes operate everything from the TV and DVD player to the lights, temperature and drapes. You’ll also have your own 24-hour butler to unpack and pack your suitcases if you wish.
Bellagio, Las Vegas
One of the world’s most famous casino resorts cost a whopping $88 million. It’s best known for its fountain that’s been featured in a number of films like “The Hangover” and “Ocean’s 11,” but in terms of gambling, the Bellagio is renowned for high-end poker rooms called “The Office,” and regularly hosts World Poker Tour events. Numerous pro players visit due to the high table limits. Bets can go as high as $4,000/$8,000 in the “Big Game” at Bobby’s Room, with pots typically exceeding $1 million. In addition to poker, there are 2,000 slot machines, paying as much as $2 million, as well as exclusive fashion stores for upscale shopping enthusiasts.
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
One of the most expensive properties ever built, Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island off the southern coast of Singapore, came at a cost of nearly $5 billion. This top-rated resort in Singapore not only includes a casino and multiple hotels, but a Universal Studios theme park, Adventure Cove Water Park and a Marine Life Park that houses the world’s largest oceanarium. The casino features more than 2,400 slot machines and electronic table game machines along with over 500 table games, like blackjack, poker and baccarat. Each of the hotels has its own unique theme, with luxurious rooms, including beach villas with breathtaking views and personal butlers. Tree-top lofts offer an idyllic escape for nature lovers nestled in a canopy of trees perched nearly 40 feet above the ground.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Although it’s not the biggest casino in the world, Marina Bay Sands is the second most expensive casino property to have been built, coming in at a cost of $5.5 billion to construct. It’s also home to the largest atrium casino on earth, with 500 gaming tables and 2,500 slot machines. When your luck runs out, you’ll find plenty of things to do. The highlight is SkyPark on the 57th floor, boasting a 500-foot infinity pool that feels as if you’re swimming atop Singapore with its 360-degree views. The resort also features the Marina Bay Sands Science Museum and a grand theater.
Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Most often referred to simply as The Rio, this Brazil-influenced resort was named after the lively Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, incorporating many aspects of its culture. It serves as the host casino for the World Series of Poker, featuring an array of poker games including 7 Card Stud and Hold ‘Em as well as blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat along with 1,200 video slots across 100,000 square feet of gaming space. As the name suggests, all rooms are suites, ranging in size from 600 to 13,000 square feet. A number of private villas are available for VIP gamblers.
Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
The massive CityCenter complex, which features Aria Resort & Casino, along with dozens of restaurants and bars, covers an area of nearly 5.4 million square feet and is the largest private construction project in America’s history, coming at a price tag of $9 million. Stay at the Aria, and your room will greet you when you step through the door, address you by name and even gently wake you up in the morning. Every detail, from the lighting and music to the window shades, is tailored to your preference. The hotel features a total of luxury guest rooms and suites, while the casino offers 150,000 square feet of gaming space, including table games, slots and poker. It also features a massive, 215,000-square-foot pool area with private cabanas, a world-class spa and a theater.
Atlantis Resort & Casino, Paradise Island, Bahamas
The most famous and largest casino in the Caribbean, Atlantis Resort is also home to some of the world’s most expensive hotel suites, with a Bridge Suite that will run you $25,000 a night. The casino includes 78 gaming tables with craps, blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, roulette and baccarat along with nearly 1,000 slot machines. What makes it stand out, is the skylights and windows along the gaming floor offering dramatic views of the dazzling turquoise sea.
Ibiza Gran Hotel – Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza may best be known for its wild parties and magnificent beaches, but it’s also home to the luxurious Ibiza Gran Hotel Casino. The casino is one of the main island attractions and features gaming tables as well as slots. It also hosts Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, drawing numerous poker professionals and enthusiasts. Overlooking the marina and the Old Town, it also provides a spectacularly romantic setting, while the spa offers a wealth of treatments and top-of-the-line service. Its onsite restaurant, Jackpot, is legendary, serving traditional Ibizan dishes as well as Spanish and international cuisine.
Encore At Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Encore is the sister property of The Wynn, which sits adjacent to it on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s been honored with the AAA Five Diamond Award every year since opening in 2008. It features 160,000 square feet of gaming space as well as a spa and salon, multiple restaurants and bars and a nightclub. There are massively-sized, opulent rooms, while interior spaces feature a combination of Asian influences and whimsical designs, most notably strong reds and a butterfly motif.
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