There are several dozen Las Vegas casinos on the Las Vegas Strip itself, and dozens more not far from the Strip, and many more in the older Downtown Las Vegas neighborhood. In one sense they are all nearly the same in that they exist to provide guests with entertainment even as they send the majority of those guests home poorer for the experience. But in another sense, they are all very different. The huge themed-hotels all over the city often keep that theme going right through their casinos, even if it’s just flashy graphics on their armies of slot machines.You’ll want to visit at least a few casinos before you commit to spending too much time in any one. Some people prefer smaller casinos or at least ones built with small subdivisions, but other people prefer the over-the-top glitz of huge casinos where you can see other gamblers across a room easily big enough to hold several sporting events at once.The way Las Vegas has built most of its recent resorts, they’ve made getting out of your hotel more difficult and time consuming, and they’ve done it for a reason. The resorts obviously want to keep you inside their complex as long as possible so you’ll gamble there instead of across the street. But don’t fall into this trap. Stay where you can get the best deal and gamble where you feel the most comfortable.
Not everyone realizes this, but the gaming odds and level of service at Las Vegas casinos has nothing to do with the luxury at the place. In other words, the odds of winning are the same all over the city, and the level of service can be excellent or poor at glitzy or run-down places. If you’ve found a cheap room at the Imperial Palace Hotel, don’t be afraid of gambling at the nicer Caesars Palace Hotel across the street. It’s amazing how many people spend time in not-as-nice places for no good reason.
Five of the best casinos in Las Vegas:
1 – Caesars Palace – The uniforms on their attractive waitresses are legendary, and this place has kept up in the luxury derby for several decades in spite of all the newer competition.
2 – Bally’s – This older hotel has one of those huge casinos where everything is visible from everywhere. They’ve got one of the best race and sports books in the city, but the main gambling hall with slots and tables should not be missed, at least by passing through once.
3 – Bellagio – This casino is thought of as the fanciest in Las Vegas, but the slots and table games are still affordable to most gamblers. You owe it to yourself to see how the other half lives at least once.
4 – Hard Rock Hotel – This smaller hotel is not on the Strip, but its music-themed casino is very popular with the young entertainment crowd from Hollywood. This is probably your best chance of seeing a star, but the casino is quite nice regardless.
5 – Venetian – This is another newer and very luxurious hotel and casino. Even if you can’t afford to stay here you can definitely afford to play a bit of video poker or craps in this glamorous casino.
