Top 5 most opulent casinos in the world

For online casino fans it’s all about being able to play your favourite online games from wherever you are.

But there is still something about a land-based casino that draws the crowds.

Maybe it’s the allure of all the sights and sounds. Or being surrounded by like-minded gaming enthusiasts. Or the palpable air of excitement and anticipation. Whatever the reason, land-based casinos are still big business in this time of virtual living, but not all land-based casinos are created equally.

South African gamers know that there is a big difference between playing at a small casino in Thohoyandou and playing at Monte Casino. For us it’s the glitz and glamour that separates the two, the scale of the operation and the added extras that come with the bigger resorts like entertainment and shopping.

But we have nothing on the biggest and most opulent casinos in the world (except for one instance). Cities like Las Vegas feature the most impressive temples to gambling, while places like Monte Carlo and Macau are singularly recognised as centres of the most refined and sophisticated gaming experiences in the world.

The Top 5 most opulent casinos in the world

5. Atlantis Resort & Casino, Paradise Island, Bahamas

The Atlantis is a luxury island resort located in the island paradise of the Bahamas. Conceived and built by South African casino pioneer, Sol Kerzner, it not only features a stunning locale, but a ton of added features that make this casino resort one of the most popular in the world. From the water park with its water slide that goes through a lake of sharks, to its casino floor with skylights and panoramic windows that give incredible views over the Caribbean sea, Atlantis is a true holiday destination.

It also offers one of the world’s most expensive hotel suites (the Bridge Suite will set you back about $25,000 a night), 78 tables and almost 1,000 slot machines.

4. Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco

The Casino de Monte Carlo is probably one of the most famous casinos in the world and an absolute headliner in the world of luxury and opulence. This exclusive – and we mean EXCLUSIVE – casino has featured in the imaginations of writers and artists and film makers for decades as the ultimate example of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

You don’t even need to go through the doors to get a feel for the absolute wealth that its clientele wields – just take a stroll past the insane collection of supercars and collectable automobiles that line up in front of the building on a daily basis.

The exclusive casino offers 140 slot machines and 56 table games.

3. The Kurhaus of Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany

The Kurhaus has a very special place on this list. It’s not the most well-known casino in the world, and definitely not the biggest on this list, but it is the oldest and most venerated.

The Kurhaus of Baden-Baden was already famous in the 1830’s – before Las Vegas was even an idea – and has seen some of the most beautiful and famous (and rich!) people in the world staying in its elegant and incredibly sophisticated rooms. It is very much a spa resort surrounded by amazing Black Forest scenery, and the casino quite small and intimate, but to be called ’the most beautiful casino in the world’ by Marlene Dietrich just shows that elegance and elegance can be worth a whole lot more than size.

2. Bellagio, Las Vegas, USA

The Bellagio is probably the most famous casino in the world. It is featured in so many movies that the list is too long to put here but if you’ve ever seen Ocean’s 11 or The Hangover then you have seen the columns and fountains of the Bellagio.

Bellagio has 2,300 slot machines and 135 tables spread over a massive 155,000 square feet of casino floor – but it’s the high stakes poker rooms that draw in the big players with poker pots often exceeding US$1 million.

1. Venetian Macao, Macao

For the biggest, grandest and most opulent casino on the planet, you need to travel to Macao. This former Portuguese colony in the South China Sea is now the world’s biggest gambling tourism destination with gambling industry seven times bigger than Las Vegas.

And the biggest casino on earth.

The Venetian Macao is the last word in gambling opulence. Not only is it the biggest casino in the world, it’s also the 6^th largest structure in the world and has the largest casino floor in the world at 550,000 square feet. It features over 3,000 slot machines and over 870 tables to cater to the needs of the huge numbers of players that descend here to try their luck.

And it’s not all about size. The sheer luxury of this emporium to the games of chance is staggering.

Bonus:

Sun City, South Africa

You know that this had to feature somewhere. If we had done a Top 6, Sun City would have been number 6 but it was just pipped by the stunning scenery of the Bahamas and the exclusivity of Monaco.

Sun City was the first ever casino in South Africa, and the first casino ever developed by Sol Kerzner. Yes, the same Sol Kerzner as The Atlantis in the Bahamas. This visionary turned the concept of a casino resort upside down when he built Sun City as a gambling, staying, entertainment Mecca.

Not only does it feature tables and slot machines, it also has TWO of the world’s most famous golf courses, a water park in the middle of what is essentially semi-desert and the most luxurious and exclusive hotel suites on the African continent.