The argument can be made that no matter where you play blackjack, so long as you find the best rules (blackjacks paying 3 to 2, re-splitting aces, dealers standing on soft 17), it is essentially the same game. And, yes that also holds true for craps, roulette strategy, Three Card Poker, and just about everything else that a casino might spread.
But if you’re going to gamble, why not do it in the nicest surroundings possible? Hopefully, the upgrade comes with tastier cocktails, more comfortable seats at the gaming table, friendlier dealers, and a nicely designed hotel room in which to crash when the card-playing is completed. That all puts you ahead of the game before your first bet gets made.
Considering that anything worth doing is worth doing in style, we present an opinionated collection of the planet’s poshest casinos, places where gambling can be a cushy experience you won’t forget.
Gambling with the Panache Of Bond, James Bond – Casino De Monte Carlo
Exuding a tuxedo-worthy, big-money vibe, Casino de Monte Carlo is something to marvel at. If you doubt the coolness of Casino de Monte Carlo, remember that it was featured in two James Bond movies – Never Say Never Again and Golden Eye. Red flock wallpaper, wood paneling, and the satisfying sound of chips colliding remain in full effect.
High rollers play baccarat or blackjack or roulette and sip from bottles of fine wine brought up from the hotel’s wine cellar, with roots that date back to the 19th century. Sport jackets were once de rigueur here – shorts and flip-flops remain verboten – and upon entering you will encounter a statue with a horn full of coins. Most everyone entering the casino rubs the horn for good luck that they hope will turn gambling sessions under chandeliered illumination into profitable endeavors.
Sometimes it works!
High-Roller Haven on the Las Vegas Strip – Wynn Las Vegas
Ever since its 2005 opening, Wynn has ruled as the best place to bet (and do everything else) in Sin City. The restaurants are top notch – whether it’s sushi at Mizumi, Italian fair at Sinatra (where the menu allows guests to eat like Frank), or SW Steakhouse for prime beef that can take you from the US to Australia to Japan with the sweep of a knife.
Best of all, the gambling is just as good as the food.
With around 160 well-appointed gaming tables, Wynn’s casino is a magnet for well-heeled and famous visitors to Vegas. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who qualifies as both, was recently spotted gambling it up at the poker tables there. Master magician David Blaine plays a different kind of cards. He performs his mind-blowing sleight of hand at Wynn’s Encore Theater.
To get beyond the casino, book a round of golf on the resort’s course. The property offers the only links on the Vegas Strip. If you want to splurge – or if you gamble high enough at the tables and your host throws you a coveted comp – you can secure one of the casino’s six villas for yourself and a posse of pals.
Gambling & Shopping in the Place Where Baccarat is the Buzz – Venetian Macau Resort Hotel
Gamblers traveling the global circuit will eventually make their way to Macau. And when you are in the Chinese gambling hub, you’ll do well to check into a room in the Venetian on the famed Cotai Strip. For starters, the surroundings are gorgeous: like its sister property in Las Vegas, Venetian Macao offers an inspiring vibe that transports visitors to Venice.
If gambling is your thing (of course it is), you will have no shortage of opportunities. The casino boasts 500 gaming tables and 2,000 slot machines. When in Macau, the game to play is baccarat and the thing to drink is milk tea served in a glass with a napkin around the bottom to keep it from burning your fingers. You can also work on your craps strategy in a truly opulent setting.
After you strike it rich on the gaming floor, you will be in the perfect place for blowing gambling proceeds. Shopping at Venetian Macao is second to none. Cartier, Chanel, and Dolce & Gabbana will get you going. And if you need a new suitcase in which to bring home your booty, don’t forget to hit Louis Vuitton.
Time-Trip to 19th Century Gaming – The Kurhaus of Baden-Baden Casino
If anyone needs a reminder that casino gambling is a venerable pastime, a jaunt to the Kurhaus will do the trick. The place launched in 1820 and inspired Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky to write The Gambler.
But you don’t have to be into the literature of chance to appreciate the Kurhaus. There’s great food at The Grill (order steak and sushi), thermal baths and old-school spas reside in close proximity, and the gambling at the roulette wheel or blackjack, punto banco, and poker tables are well entrenched.
The casino is intimate and luxe with antique chandeliers, golden walls, red carpeting, and players who dress up for nights of taking their chances at the tables.
Providing it All – Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
The three waterfront towers of Marina Bay Sands serve as a prime spot for opulent gambling, top-notch dining, luxe shopping, and supreme relaxation at a state-of-the-art spa. But the distinctive towers have also served as a striking landmark ever since Marina Bay opened in 2010.
Besides all the classic games, spread in luxurious surroundings, Marina Bay offers a skyscraping observation deck, a rooftop infinity pool, and 80 restaurants.
Like everything else here, the casino, which takes up four floors, is second to none. Ordinary punters take their chances on 3,000 slot machines and 600 table games (offering baccarat, roulette, sic bo, blackjack, and poker). Those playing for the highest stakes repair to discreet salons and gamble beyond prying eyes.
Finally, after all is said and done, you’ll be all but guaranteed a good night’s sleep. Rooms at Marina Bay boast mattresses made by the high-end producer Savoir. Each one is expertly constructed from horse tail, Mongolian yak wool, and cashmere. They sell for $30,000 and rank among the world’s most comfortable sleeping surfaces.
Despite how things go in the casino, you will not be gambling on a sound snooze.
