The gaming industry is in rude health. Around 51 million people – or a quarter of the US population over 21 – visited a casino in 2002, according to the American Gaming Association, and the industry is worth $26.5bn in America alone. Across the world, the number of people visiting a casino regularly is estimated to be double this.
The word ‘casino’ comes from the Italian, where it originally meant a small villa built for leisure purposes on the grounds of a larger palazzo. In America, early casinos were called saloons – places where people could socialise, gamble and drink.
Although the environment naturally appeals to risk-takers and those out for a good time, casinos are not just about gambling. They are also about new or old-style glamour, cocktails, good food, socialising and entertaining floor shows. Their appeal is sometimes broader still; Las Vegas is now marketing itself, and its casinos, as family destinations.
For the consumer searching for good times at a casino, the variety has never been greater – and will depend on a list of criteria that includes location, reputation, luxury and exclusivity, as well as add-ons such as golf and spa services.
Casinos are an international phenomenon and extend far beyond the more obvious hot-spots of Las Vegas and Monaco. Former Portuguese enclave of Macau, sixty kilometres across the estuary from Hong Kong, is now one of the world’s top casino destinations. Coming up is a cross-section of some of the world’s top casinos – from high-end glitz, to low-key elegance.
Monte Carlo casino
In the world of casinos, Monte Carlo is to Europe as Las Vegas is to America: the South of France principality houses five casinos and four palaces and hotels. Designed in 1878 by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris opera house, Monte Carlo’s casino is world famous for its spectacular setting and heritage. The interior pays extravagant homage to luxury and glitz – visitors are greeted by a marble-paved atrium, while the concert hall is lavishly decorated in red and gold. Warm summer nights see guests move to the Salle des Palmiers, a newer building with dazzling sea views from its bars and terraces.
www.casinomontecarlo.com
Bellagio, Las Vegas
The hotel Bellagio bills itself as the ‘ultimate Las Vegas hotel experience’ – and its casino is an integral part of the package. The poker room, which is on the World Poker Route, is a 7,000sq ft room with 40 tables and 24-hour table-side dining, complete with 11 42inch plasma screens, complimentary drinks service and overhead music system. Those seeking high stakes should head for Bobby’s Room, boasting the highest limit poker action in the world and a $20,000 minimum buy-in. Not for the feint of heart.
www.bellagio.com
St James’ Club, Antigua
A more intimate experience than the mega-resorts of Las Vegas, Antigua’s St James’s Club is set to the south of the Island, in a 100-acre estate with sweeping ocean views and sandy beaches. This small casino is about understated elegance rather than big-time glitz – the design is European, the atmosphere select.
Staying guests, who are housed in rooms opening up to private balconies or patios, can chose from four restaurants and five bars.
www.antigua-resorts.com
Casino, San Remo, Italy
San Remo’s famous casino has been featured in many films, including Antony Mingella’s Talented Mr Ripley.
Designed by French architect Eugenio Ferret, the building was completed in 1905, and is rich in Art Nouveau and Baroque-style decoration. The 2,500sq m wide building houses an array of different halls – including The Liberty Hall, The Golden Hall, hosting French games only, and The Palme d’Or Buffet, accommodating up to 60 eating guests. These days, San Remo’s casino is equally known for hosting events; it’s the setting for conferences, exhibitions, parties and shows.
www.casinosanremo.it
Crown Casino
One of the largest gaming facilities in the Southern Hemisphere, Melbourne’s Crown Casino offers an impressive array of gaming options in a lively setting. The main gaming floor stretches for more than half a kilometre and includes a series of smaller themed rooms designed to match the way you want to play. Guests take their pick from the Mahogany Room or the glitzy the Las Vegas Room. The casino also hosts international sport on the largest sports screens in the Southern Hemisphere and a wide variety of restaurants and bars.
www.crowncasino.com.au
Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, USA
If choice and volume is on the agenda, Foxwoods Resort Casino will fit the bill. It’s the largest casino in North America and host of a plethora of international poker finals. The figures say it all: there are six casinos, 7,000 slot and video poker machines, 350 table games and the world’s largest bingo hall. When the world of gambling tires, guests can head to the Lake of Isle Golf Course next door. Overnight guests have the choice of three hotels, housing 1,400 rooms and suites, and 30 restaurants.
www.foxwoods.com
Casino Baden Baden, Germany
Marlene Dietrich described the Baden Baden casino as “the most beautiful in the world”. One of the oldest, most traditional casinos around, the building was designed by Parisian interior decorators 200 year ago, and attracted Europe’s nobility in the last century. It still ranks as one of the world’s most spectacular casino buildings. Facilities include a French Roulette table, three Black Jack tables, five poker tables and more than 130 slot machines. An evening here may include dinner at the newly designed restaurant, Sommergarten, featuring two bars and a Mediterranean menu.
www.baden-baden.de
Metelitsa Casino, Moscow
Moscow houses a total of 30 casinos, housing everything from good restaurants and bars to striptease shows, live bands and VIP gaming rooms. Metelitsa Casino is part of the Metelitsa Entertainment centre, one of Moscow’s premier nightlife hotspots. The casino comprises three gaming areas – the Slot Club, the Salon Prive, and The Sportland Casino, all of which are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Unlike many casinos in North America and Europe, there are no on-site hotels, though there are plenty nearby.
www.nayada.ru
Venetian Macao Resort Hotel
Gaming in Macau was legalised in 1847 under the rule of the Portuguese. Since then, Macau has been known as the Monte Carlo of the Orient; the following few years will see a $3bn wave of casinos opening, with the launch of more than 30 American-style casino resorts. One of the leading developments, Sands Macau Casino, will house at least 25 resorts and casinos, including the $1bn Venetian Macau – the largest building in Asia and the second largest in the world. The $2.4bn property is themed in a renaissance Venice style – think singing gondoliers, replicas of St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace.
www.venetianmacao.com/
Clermont Club, London
A million miles away from the glitz of Las Vegas, London’s Clermont Club – available by exclusive membership only – is at the forefront of the city’s gambling and social scene. The Holland Room offers Roulette, Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Casino Stud Poker. The emphasis at the Clermont is strictly on a select membership, enticed by the promise of exclusivity and elegance. All this in a beautiful Georgian building on Berkley Square, a stone’s throw from Oxford Street.
http://www.theclermontclub.com
