Many casino lovers would argue that bigger is always better when it comes to brick and mortar casinos, but there are those who prefer a cosier place to play their games, where they can bed in and really get to know the place.
This article though, is all about the biggest casinos in the world, but we are going to look at it from a few different angles.
The ‘biggest’ can be taken in a few different ways.
Afterall, what use is a gigantic casino if it is always two thirds empty? Would you not rather be at the biggest casino in terms of footfall where the atmosphere will be so much better?
Or maybe you would prefer the biggest in terms of revenue which can therefore afford to run more promotions and put on better quality entertainment?
Bigger might not always be better, but it’s what we are focussing on today.
Floor Space – Winstar World Casino
Looking at the question through a literal lens, we can easily find the biggest casino in terms of floor space.
The Winstar World Casino and Resort in Oklahoma, USA, is the biggest casino in the world if considering size alone.
This may be a bit of a surprise since Oklahoma isn’t exactly known as a gambling Mecca, but it is a state in which gambling is popular none the less, and the casino sits right on the border of Oklahoma and Texas, the latter being a state where casino gambling is not allowed, so plenty of custom will be from Texans nipping over the border.
Winstar is actually owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, a federally recognised Native American Tribe, and the resort it is part of is quite something.
The casino floor covers 600,000 feet of gaming space, and includes:
- 8,500 slots and games
- A 55 table poker room
- 100 table games
- High limit room
- Keno
- Bingo for 800 people
- Bookmaker
It’s quite a spectacle too, with different areas being named and themed after big cities around the world like New York, London, Vienna, Beijing, and others.
On top of this, the resort as a whole has a few hotels plus camping/RV options, golf, swimming pools and private cabanas, conferencing and event facilities, loads of world class restaurants and you can even go shopping there for clothes, jewellery, gifts and the like.
For players who want size and choice though, you won’t find a casino with more to offer than Winstar.
Height – Wildwood Casino
Another way to look at this, although perhaps a little gimmicky, would be the casino at the highest point.
This criteria would make the Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek, just outside Colorado Springs in the USA, the biggest casino in the world.
At 9,593 feet above sea level, you could say everyone who plays there is a ‘high roller’.
It’s not a patch on the other casinos on this list in terms of prestige, but if you want something unique then this little gem in a historic mining town in the Rockies is a beaut.
The town of Cripple Creek is a bit of a mini Vegas if truth be told, with several small casinos along the main strip, despite the population being just 1,100, and the Colorado Division of Gaming is based there too.
While once Cripple Creek had around 500 gold mines searching for a fortune, now tourists come to take in the history and search for their fortunes in a different way.
The Wildwood itself has around 500 slot machines and 7 different table games covering roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat and poker variations.
There’s a small hotel plus food and drink options too.
It would obviously be a very different experience to the all singing all dancing casinos in Vegas, Macau, or Atlantic City, with more of an Old West vibe, but it’s always busy so a good time is still to be had there.
Revenue – Galaxy Macau
As you may already know, the relaxing of gambling laws in Asian countries and the welcoming of luxury casino resorts has seen a huge spike in gambling revenues in these parts of the world.
In fact, Macau has overtaken Las Vegas as the official gambling capital of the world based on financials and it has been that way since 2007.
The average gambling budget in Macau is just $250 vs Vegas’ $600+, but the tiny country attracts over 30 million visitors a year of which at least 74% choose to gamble.
This explains why it is a Macau casino, the Galaxy Macau, which is the most profitable casino in the world at the time of writing.
Opening in 2011, The Galaxy is part of the Galaxy Entertainment Group, which owns a number of casinos and hotels, but Galaxy Macau is the jewel in their crown.
They call it “a diverse and luxurious playground with a World Class, Asian Heart”.
With 650 table games and 1,500 slots, this is a venue that gamblers with a lot of money to spend visit to play traditional games with first class service and amenities.
It’s part of a huge resort, but the casino itself smashed the $8 billion barrier back in 2019, and the resort is usually booked up months in advance so that number can only be expected to grow.
The resort the casino is part of boasts 2,200 luxurious hotel rooms, more than 50 different restaurants, a skytop wave pool and rapids, oh… and a 16,000 seater arena for concerts and the like.
Fame & Renown – Casino de Monte Carlo
This one is subjective up to a point, but we have chosen the Casino de Monte Carlo, in Monaco.
The reason for this is because not only is it one of the oldest casinos in the world at over 150 years, but it is also one of the most salubrious, offering high end games not found in many other more mainstream casinos like French Roulette, and with a stricter dress code too.
This makes it a magnet for the rich and famous, although they can play in privacy in the venue’s private areas, but the fact that it appeals to these sorts of people helps its’ case as the most famous casino in the world.
Added to this, is the famous ’26 blacks in a row’ incident that occurred on the roulette table in 1913, where players affected by gambler’s fallacy lost fortunes betting on red with the flawed thinking that it must be ‘due soon’.
Not to mention the fact that Casino de Monte Carlo is the casino most often associated with James Bond, showing up in the films Golden Eye and Never Say Never Again, as well as other movies and even one of Kylie’s music videos.
Another contender for this particular crown would be The Bellagio, which is where the George Clooney movies Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s 21 were shot, and where World Poker Tour events are often held.
Us regular gamblers would be more likely to visit the Bellagio perhaps, but the almost mythical air that surrounds Casino Monte Carlo makes it more renowned in our eyes, and therefore the bigger venue.