The mention of luxury casinos brings to mind images of James Bond sipping a martini while surrounded by glitz, danger, and beautiful people. We have all heard about them, but only the very wealthy can actually afford to test their luck at these ritzy adult playgrounds. Whether you plan a visit yourself, or just want to vicariously enjoy the luxurious atmosphere, here are the top 10 most luxurious casinos around the world. If you have money to burn and are feel like Lady Luck is on your side, then get ready to pack your bags. For those without money to burn, just sit back with a cup of tea (stirred — not shaken) and enjoy!
10. Casino de Monte Carlo
Casino de Monte Carlo
Located in Monaco on the French Riviera, The Casino de Monte Carlo is one of the oldest casinos in the world and certainly one of the most famous. Built in 1963 and offering a unique landscape view for its foreigner visitors. An interesting fact about this casino is that citizens of Monaco are not allowed to enter the gambling space! To enforce this rule, security people check everyone’s documents at the entrance. So if you visit this sumptuous resort, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with the world’s 1%, but you won’t be bumping into many locals. The Casino de Monte Carlo features all the casino games you would expect, such as stud poker, several types of roulette, craps, trente et quarante, blackjack and many others. Perhaps the most famous fact about the Casino de Monte Carlo is that it was featured in the classic James Bond movie, Never Say Never Again.
9. Grand Lisboa
Grand Lisboa
Located on the island of Macau, off the coast of China, this casino resort is housed in a skysrcaper that is shaped like and enourmous fern. With a total of 58 floors, it is actually the tallest building in Macau. Inside, there are over 800 casino tables and 1000 slot machines, making the largest, and according to many visitors, best gambling place in the city. The Grand Lisboa was the first casino in Macau that hold Texas Hold ‘Em ring games and craps. High rollers and prefessional gamblers from all over the world test their luck at these tables. Apart from the casino itself, Grand Lisboa owns a private hotel and several restaurants, where casino players can relax and enjoy a full accommodation – if their budgets allow them to, of course! The main hotel restaurant has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide and their wine list has received the Wine Spectator’s coveted “Grand Award.”
On display at the Casino Grand Lisboa you’ll find one of the largest and most flawless diamond in the world (218 carats) which goes by the oh-so-romantic-sounding name of, “The Star of Stanley Ho.” I’ll bet that title has inspired a few punny jokes…
8. Wynn Macau
Wynn Macau
Located on the island of Macau, off the coast of China, this is a large scale casino resort. With a total of 58 floors, it is actually the tallest building in Macau. Inside, there are over 800 casino tables and 1000 slot machines, making the largest, and according to many visitors, best gambling place in the city. The Grand Lisboa is popular primarily because it was the first casino in Macau that hold Texas Hold ‘Em ring games and craps. High rollers and professional gamblers from all over the world test their luck at these tables. Apart from the casino itself, Grand Lisboa owns a private hotel and several restaurants, where casino players can relax and enjoy a full accommodation – if their budgets allow them to, of course!
The casino includes a five star hotel with over 600 suites, a gourmet restaurant, spa facilities, luxury brand boutiques, spectacular performance venues, and more. Of note are the ornate ceilings inside the resort featuring intricate sculptures based on the signs of the zodiac.
7. Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas
The Wynn Las Vegas belongs to the same chain of casino complex as Wynn Macau, the main difference being that in Las Vegas there’s more room to go nuts with the kind of over-the-top opulence that Vegas is all about. The entire resort lies on a property covering 87 hectares. The major feature of the Wynn Las Vegas grounds is an enormous man-made waterfall that cascades into a 3-acre lake (also man-made of course, Vegas being in the desert and all). And, if you hit the jackpot and feel the need to blow your winnings right away before your spouse finds out, worry not. There are plenty of luxury brand name shops right in the casino complex, including a Ferrari-Maserati dealership.
6. Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio is another Las Vegas luxury extravaganza, and as the name would suggest it is based on a Brazilian carnival theme. Located off the main Las Vegas strip, the Rio’s signature architectural feature is its purple and red glass and floor to ceiling windows. The wealthiest gamblers can fork over big money for accommodation in VIP villas and the less well heeled can enjoy the regular (but still very luxurious) rooms. For a plus of elegance, the hotel integrates a wine tasting room, where you can taste the finest wines from all over the world – even those ones you have never heard about! This one is not exactly family oriented, featuring a topless pool area.
5. The Venetian Las Vegas
The Venetian
Las Vegas is certainly the land of excess, and the Venetian is living proof of that. The casino is way over the top in its luxury, featuring replicas of many of the famous sites of Venice Italy, including the tower of the St. Mark’s Campanile from Venice. Being part of the most extensive five-diamond resort complex and hotel worldwide, this casino offers gamblers lots of slot machines, poker tablets, trente et quarante and other games. Plus, there are over 4,049 suites and 4,059 hotel rooms available here, where the visitors can indulge themselves and enjoy the extraordinary facilities offered here. It also features a museum and a theatre based on the opulent Paris Opera House.
4. Bellagio Casino
Bellagio Casino
The Bellagio, Las Vegas plays host to some of the wealthiest gambling clients from all around the globe. A mecca for high rollers, the value of the bets held at the Bellagio’s “Bobby’s Room,” can go anywhere between $4.000 and $8.000, while the pots have been known to exceed $1 million. If you feel extra lucky and you think you’d like a shot at winning a share of those bucks, be careful! You will need to beat all the professional players who frequent the Bellagio due to the high table limits allowed.
3. MGM Grand Casino
MGM Grand Casino
The MGM Grand Casino, is named for MGM film conglomerate, and is built around the theme of glamorous golden-age Hollywood. The style tends toward art deco and the casino grounds include outdoor pools, rivers, and waterfalls. The luxurious surroundings play host to all types of gamblers, with bet values ranging from as low as one cent up to thousands, with some payouts exceeding a half a million dollars. The movie connection doesn’t end with the name. The MGM Grand casino has been featured in several movies, including Oceans Eleven, The Great White Hype, and Vegas Vacation.
2. Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino
People don’t usually associate Connecticut with glamour and high-stakes gambling, but believe it or not, that’s where our number two most luxurious casino is located. The gambling space exceeds 4.7 million square feet, as there are more than 380 gaming tables there, with games like poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. We don’t usually think of casinos as a place to take the whole family either, but this casino’s hotel encourages just that. They host a two-story arcade where teenagers and children can have fun while Dad blows the mortgage trying to count cards at the blackjack tables. In addition, there are over 1,400 slot machines to keep Grandma busy, and in case you’d like some culture along with your gambling, there is a plush 4.000-seat performing arts theater.
1. The Venetian Macao
The Venetian Macao
At the top of our list of the world’s most luxurious casinos, stands The Venetian Macao. Opulent both inside and out, this casino has a spectacular design, featuring a recreation of Venice’s San Luca canal. The largest casino in the world, the Venetian boasts over 550,000 square feet of gambling and gaming space, along with an arena for sports and entertainment events. High rollers (known as “premium guests”) can enhance their gambling experience at the exclusive Paiza Club, where there are a private lobby, entrance, reception and lifts to the rooms. The club is divided into multiple individual private
gaming rooms, named after important Asian cities and regions,
including Hong Kong, Yunnan, Singapore and Kuala Lampur. A less savory side of gambling in Macau is suggested in news reports of alleged involvement with Chinese organized crime groups, known as Triads. The Chinese press reported a “sex-trade crackdown” by Macau police in 2010, when over 100 prostitutes were arrested in the Venetian.
