The Ultimate Casino Guide

The Most Comprehensive Guide You Can Buy! ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ THE MOST COMPLETE LISTINGS INCLUDING: All ...

Author: Michael Wiesenberg

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The Most Comprehensive Guide You Can Buy! ♠

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THE MOST COMPLETE LISTINGS INCLUDING: All the addresses, phone numbers & websites you need! Poker, slots and other games available Where to eat and sleep Admission charge and dress code

BIG BONUS FEATURES including free slot cards, club memberships and discounts

The

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Whether a dedicated gambler or an armchair traveler looking for a local hot spot, The Ultimate Casino Guide gives you all of the information you need about any casino in or around your travel destination, including 1000 casinos!

CASINO GUIDE

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MORE Casinos! GREAT Destinations! MOST Complete Listings!

Michael Wiesenberg

♠ Destination information—where to go, how to get there and famous sites nearby

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ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-0380-0 ISBN-10: 1-4022-0380-2

1000

• Top 10 poker rooms across the globe • The best online casinos • Includes cruise ships and riverboats • From Paris to Australia & Vegas to the Caribbean • All the best casinos in AMERICA

The

Ultimate

CASINO GUIDE 1000 Great Casinos from America, Canada and Around the World

Michael Wiesenberg Contributing Researcher: Emilie Breeze Nangle

Copyright © 2005 by Michael Wiesenberg Cover and internal design © 2005 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover photo: Corbis Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567–4410 (630) 961–3900 FAX: (630) 961–2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wiesenberg, Michael. Ultimate casino guide / Michael Wiesenberg ; contributing researcher, Emilie Breeze Nangle. p. cm. ISBN E978-1-4022-0380-0 1. Casinos--Directories. 2. Gambling--Directories. I. Title: Ultimate casino guide. II. Nangle, Emilie Breeze. III. Title. HV6711.W55 2005 795'.025--dc22 2005019869 Printed and bound in the United States of America VG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication To my mother, Eva Wiesenberg

Acknowledgments Thanks to Chloe Mead for writing and editing assistance; Paul Gennaro for online casino and cardroom research; Asya Kamsky for help with Russian; Rafe Furst for reviewing the online cardroom section; the members of the BARGE mailing list for input on online cardrooms; Bethany Brown, my editor at Sourcebooks; Ewurama Ewusi-Mensah at Sourcebooks; and Jessica Faust, my agent, for keeping things sane. Thanks also to Michael Shackleford, “The Wizard of Odds,” for input on some of the definitions of games. Go to his site, www.wizardofodds.com, for good strategies on how best to play many casino games and for mathematical analyses of the house edge.

Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi Top Ten Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327 Caribbean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343 Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369 Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .527 Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .557 Oceania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .583 Cruise Ships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .605 Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .635 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .653 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .703 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .737

How to Use This Book This book takes you on an international tour of some of the best casinos in the world in North America, Europe, South America, Central America, Africa, and Oceania (which includes Australia and New Zealand). Each of these six continental regions is divided by country, then by city. There are also sections on cruise ships and online casinos. Each country section begins with a brief introduction that fills you in about the country and its gambling scene. Where relevant, currency information appears as well. All conversion rates listed were correct at the time of writing; they may have changed, so be sure to verify them. Yahoo!’s currency converter at finance.yahoo.com/currency is a good resource. Country sections are further categorized by city, followed by descriptions of some of the best casinos in that city. The listings are meant to give you a good idea of the major features each of the casinos has to offer. Use the book to determine which casinos you’ll hit on the trip you’re planning or just thumb through it and daydream about the places you might visit on your fantasy vacation! The glossary defines gambling-related terms and games that appear in these pages.

The Listings Each casino listing includes the following fields: Name: The name of the casino or the resort complex of which it is a part. In the cruise ship chapter, it is the name of the ship. Address: Usually this is the physical location of the casino. In the cruise ship chapter, it might be the docking location or, for a small line, the address of the company. Phone: This lists the local number for every casino. When the casino has a toll-free number, that appears also. If the casino is part of a hotel, the hotel number often appears as well. In some cases, different casino departments, such as the cardroom, have their own phone numbers; these are also listed when available. Website: Where possible, this provides an English language website for the casino. Many, but not all, websites with main pages that are not in English do have an English language option that you can click on. If you don’t speak the language, you can get automatic free translation through various websites (for example, AltaVista Babel Fish at world.altavista.com or www.freetranslation.com); however, do consider that if a casino does not offer an English option on its website, many casino employees may also not speak English.

Email: If a casino has an email address, that appears here. In many cases, you can receive an email response to your question by filling out a contact form on the website; this is indicated when appropriate. Description: This provides physical information about the casino, often including its appearance, the square footage of the gaming area, its precise location, and sometimes a bit of history or other local color. Slot Machines: This provides, when available, a figure for the number of slot machines, the betting ranges, information about the kinds of machines, and of course, the kinds and sizes of jackpots available. An entry of “Yes” is included for casinos with slot machines for which the exact number has not been provided. Table Games: This provides a figure for the number of table games and their types. In many cases, this includes the individual numbers for each game and their limits (minimum and maximum, or range of betting). If you see a game listed that you’re not familiar with, look in the glossary, where hundreds of games are defined along with many other casino terms. Hours: “24 hours/day; 365 days/year” means “open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” that is, “always open.” (Yes, sticklers, 366 days in leap years.) Some casino hours appear as “until closing.” Usually this means that the casino stays open as long as some reasonable number of patrons want to continue gambling. Generally a casino doesn’t kick people out at least until the sun comes up. Entertainment: Many casinos offer great entertainment. This field lists as much information as possible, often including the names of international stars that have recently appeared or are slated to appear soon so you can get an idea of what to expect on your next visit. Restaurants: Minimally, this field provides the number of restaurants the casino has. In many cases it also provides the names of the restaurants, the types of food they serve, the hours they’re open, and, where specified, the dress code. Accommodations: This lists the number of rooms and suites if the casino is part of a resort or a hotel; it may also indicate where nearby accommodations are for those casinos that are not affiliated with hotels or resorts. Family Amenities: Where this field appears, it describes facilities available for families with children. Some casinos or their associated hotels have video arcades, bowling alleys, Kids Quest childcare centers, even amusement parks and educational facilities. Some offer babysitting. Most casinos offer what they refer to as strictly adult entertainment and do not cater specifically to families. In such cases, the field does not appear. Poker: Poker aficionados will want to know all the details of a casino’s poker games. For casinos that offer poker, this field details the numbers of tables, what games are played, and their limits. Since tournaments are of such great interest, they are listed here too,

including all those of international stature. Where a cardroom offers satellites and supersatellites to world-class events like the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker, that is indicated. If the buy-in to a poker tournament is listed as two numbers separated by a plus sign, those numbers represent the actual buy-in and the entry fee. For example, “buy-in $100 + $10” means that $100 goes into the actual prize pool, while the house charges (and keeps) a $10 entry fee. Admission Charge: Many casinos don’t charge admission. Where they do, it appears in this field and is listed in the currency the casino uses in its gaming activities. At some casinos you can buy a pass for a week, a month, or more, and that is indicated. If the casino does charge admission, sometimes the “Bonus” field explains how to get a free coupon. Some casinos that charge admission give rebates in the form of tokens for gaming tables or slot machines, match play coupons, or meal discounts. Sometimes a casino has age requirements that differ from what is listed for the entire country. For example, you might see at the start of a country section, “The minimum age for gambling in this country is 18.” If a specific casino restricts entry to those 21 and older, that information appears in this field. Many casinos outside the United States require positive identification, sometimes in the form of a picture ID but more often a passport, on your first visit. Be sure to bring the passport, because they generally won’t let you in without it. Some casinos may take a photograph of you and keep it on file. Dress Code: In this field, “proper” usually means no bathing suits, T-shirts, sports shoes, jogging suits. Sometimes jeans are not permitted. “Elegant” means jacket and tie for men, nice dresses for women. “Smart” means jacket (but not necessarily tie) for men, nice dresses for women. “Smart casual” means no jeans, tracksuits, or sneakers (or any kind of sports shoes). “Casual” is less formal than “proper,” but, despite that specification, most casinos outside the United States are not as informal as, say, those of Las Vegas. You might get away with jeans, but they probably won’t let you in wearing shorts. That is, “casual” is essentially equivalent to no dress code, but it is not quite as permissive as the “anything goes” attitude of many Nevada casinos. The “maintained leisure” of German casinos means unrumpled smart casual. Where one of these terms is not sufficient, this field indicates how the casino expects you to dress. Bonus: Here you’ll find all those special things that the casino offers to attract you, like rewards cards, tournaments (other than poker), cash and merchandise giveaways, special nights for women and men, birthday giveaways, free transportation, onsite museums and art galleries, convention facilities, Internet connections in the hotel rooms, nearby attractions, and much more. Some casinos offer match play coupons or free plays on their websites. If relevant, a little history or other interesting tidbits are included. The online casinos section has different fields, relevant to the medium.

Club Cards Where a club card name is listed under “Bonus” and no further details are given or where just the term “reward card” is used, it refers to the standard club card that casinos issue. Players sign up and receive points, often electronically verified, varying depending on length of play and size of bets. These points are then redeemable for merchandise, cash, tournament entry, parking, dining, hotel nights, and many other amenities. Some clubs and their cards are valid in only the issuing casino, such as the Cache Club of the Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California. Others are valid in any of the individual properties of a casino chain, such as Harrah’s Total Rewards Card. Many rewards cards offer multiple levels, depending on points earned. Since casinos provide cards to encourage play, the more points, the greater the rewards.

Rules of the Game The glossary explains the rules of most games found in casinos. Be aware that some casinos offer variants of games with rules that are not quite the same as those seen in other casinos (and probably not the same as those described in the glossary). Games like roulette and 21 (blackjack) usually have universal rules, but this is not always the case, and you should always ascertain whether there are local variations before you risk your money. Some games like no-bust blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Caribbean Draw, and others have enough local variations that you can almost guarantee the rules in a given casino will be different from those you might have encountered elsewhere. Before playing an unfamiliar game, always ask to see the printed rules for the game. Sometimes those rules are posted right at the table. Other times, the casino has brochures available. If the casino is unable or unwilling to provide printed rules, consider playing elsewhere.

Accuracy The information in this book was accurate at the time of writing, but casinos and their websites often change. Before you visit a casino, check its website, send the casino an email, or use the toll-free number if there is one—make sure that the casino offers what you want and expect. Be sure to check with the casino about any special offers described in this book. They were correct at the time of writing but may have been discontinued or replaced with other offers. As we went to press, we learned that Hurricane Katrina, among its general devastation, had destroyed all the barge casinos of the Gulf Coast. This affects some 15 to 25 listings in the book. These casinos will undoubtedly be rebuilt, but perhaps take some other form. For example, movements are afoot to officially permit land-based casinos in Mississippi, rather than restrict them to locations on water. The bottom line here is to be sure to phone a casino before visiting.

Introduction The popularity of casinos and gaming has increased exponentially in the last few years, in large part fueled by all the recent television coverage of multimillion-dollar poker, blackjack, and slot tournaments. It seems another billion-dollar casino is being built in Las Vegas every time you open a newspaper, while new casinos are being built all over the world, many costing in the hundreds of millions dollars. The owner of the Venetian in Las Vegas recently opened a glittering world-class casino in Macau, and the most exotic gambling destination in the world, Monte Carlo, will open a fifth casino in late 2005. Poker has grown especially popular and is fast becoming the number one sport in the world. At least once a week a new millionaire is made in one of the world-class events, turning poker stars into instant international celebrities. This book provides the most upto-date poker information for those casinos that offer poker: what their poker room hours are (if different from the main hours), how many tables the casino has, what games they play, what their table limits are, and what tournaments they host (including those of worldclass standing), along with all the buy-in and associated cost information. As casinos become a more and more popular destination for vacationers, traveling the world to visit exotic locations has also become a part of many people’s vacation plans. Those who want to combine their travels with gambling should bring this book along. If you think casinos want your business, you’re right. International casinos are competing to attract your business, making most of them even better travel destinations. Casino customers are demanding more—and getting more. Casinos seem to have something for everyone. They’ll give you rewards cards, with which you can earn while you play. Many offer free entertainment. You’ll find world-class acts in casinos all over the world, too, not just in Vegas. Las Vegas may have Wayne Newton, Elton John, and the latest Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, but you can catch the Styx tour in several casinos in California and the East Coast, you can see Deep Purple at Casino de Crans-Montana in Switzerland, listen to the Vienna Boys Choir at Casino de Genting in Malaysia, while the Gold Reef City Casino in Johannesburg offers Shakespearean plays in a replica of the Globe Theatre. Which one should you visit? It’s all in this book.

Top Ten Lists Here are the best of the best in several categories. In each list that is a matter of opinion, the casinos appear alphabetically. That is, ten appear, but they are not ranked.

Most Elegant Many others could have appeared here. This is a subjective list, and you’re sure to have your own favorites. • 50 St. James, London, England • Atlantis at Paradise Island Resort and Casino, Nassau, Bahamas • Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada • Casino Baden-Baden, Germany • Casino Bellevue Marienbad, Czech Republic • Casino de Montréal, Montréal, Québec • Le Casino, Monte Carlo • St. James Club, Antigua • Taleon Club, Saint Petersburg, Russia • Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada

Best Restaurants Many casinos have world-class restaurants with internationally known chefs. • 50 St. James, London, England • Aviation Club de France, Paris, France • Barceló Gran Hotel Lina & Casino, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic • Casino Barrière de Biarritz, Biarritz, France (Baccara) • Casino de Montréal, Montréal, Québec (Nuances) • Casino du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Québec (Le Baccara) • Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia (Zen) • Golden Key Casino, Mombasa, Kenya (Tamarind Restaurant) • Les Ambassadeurs Club, London, England • Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Most Slot Machines These are not subjective, involving confirmable figures. 1. Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut (6,400+) 2. Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut (6,300) 3. Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey (5,000+) 4. Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan (4,700+) 5. Tropicana Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey (4,400+) 6. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, Minnesota (4,026) 7. Trump Marina Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey (4,000+) 8. Showboat Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey (3,976) 9. Harrah’s Atlantic City Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey (3,712) 10. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, New Jersey (3,575)

Most Table Games These are not subjective, involving confirmable figures. 1. Casino de Genting, Genting Highlands, Malaysia (400+) 2. Sands Macao, Macau (360) 3. Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut (354) 4. Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut (250+) 5. Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey (210) 6. Star City, Sydney, Australia (200) 7. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, New Jersey (169) 8. MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada (164) 9. Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada (148) 10. Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, California (135)

Best Poker These poker rooms are famed for their excellence throughout the world. Not only do they have the best games, but they also have the best-known tournaments. • Aviation Club de France, Paris, France • Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada • Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, California • Borgata, Atlantic City, New Jersey • Commerce Casino, Commerce, California • Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia • Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut • Merrion Casino Club, Dublin, Ireland • Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey • Victoria Casino, London, England

Best for Families with Kids • Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino • Atlantis at Paradise Island Resort and Casino, Nassau, Bahamas • Boomtown Casino, Harvey, Louisiana • Carnival City Casino and Entertainment World, Brakpan, South Africa • Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada • Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut • Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut • Reno Hilton, Reno, Nevada • Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines • Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida

Biggest Gaming Area Some argument exists on what the biggest casino is in the world. Several casinos claim the title, and it’s hard to tell which is right. Is it the one in the biggest resort? Is it on the largest area? Does it have the most buildings? The most floors? The most reliable measure of “biggest” would seem to be gaming area, but even that is arguable. These figures were all confirmed by phone calls and visits to the casinos’ own websites. 1. Star City, Sydney, Australia (1,500,000+ square feet) 2. Casino de Montréal, Montréal, Québec (500,000+ square feet) 3. Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut (344,000 square feet) 4. Jackpot Junction Casino, Morton, Minnesota (325,000 square feet) 5. Hotel Lisboa, Macau, Macau (323,000 square feet) 6. Sycuan Casino & Resort, El Cajon, California (305,000 square feet) 7. Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, San Diego, California (300,000 square feet) 8. Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut (300,000 square feet) 9. Casino du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Québec (277,000 square feet) 10. Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (256,000 square feet)

North America North America comprises Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Canada has many casinos and the United States has an even larger number. Mexico has only racetracks. Several of the countries of Central America have casinos. In general, North American casinos do not require visitors to show identification.

Canada Canada’s population is about 30 million. While it is a much larger country in terms of area than the United States, the population is only about one-tenth that of the U.S. Even with its wide-open spaces, Canada has many first-class casinos. Dollar amounts shown are in Canadian currency, which varies. At the time of this writing, the Canadian dollar was worth about USD $0.63. Four provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia) host First Nations casinos; approval is pending in Alberta. First Nations tribes negotiate compacts with provinces similar to those between Native American tribes in the United States and the states in which they are located. Canada can be phoned directly from the United States without an international code. Just insert a 1 before any area code plus phone number. A “fully licensed” casino is one that serves alcoholic beverages. Provinces not listed either have no major casinos or none at all. New Brunswick, for example, has two main racetracks, and they provide the only betting opportunities in the province.

ALBERTA

Alberta (population 3.1 million) is one of the “prairie provinces,” but a good portion of it also includes the Rocky Mountains. Alberta grows wheat and pumps oil, and has a number of first-class casinos. The minimum age for casino play in Alberta is 18.

Calgary Calgary, affectionately known as “Cow Town,” is the largest city in Alberta (population over 1 million), and is considered one of the friendliest in Canada. Home to the Calgary Stampede, held for ten days each year in July, the world’s largest outdoor exposition and probably the best-known rodeo, the city is also the gateway to the Canadian Rockies, being 80 miles from Banff National Park. Calgary was the site of the 1988 Winter Olympics. Some of the best skiing in the world is less than two hours away. If you plan to visit Calgary in mid-July, be sure to book accommodations well in advance because the population of the city more than doubles for the Stampede. Calgary is also home to the Calgary Flames hockey team and the site of the world’s largest dinosaur park (with life-size models).

1. Casino Calgary

6

Address: 1420 Meridian Road, Northeast, Calgary, Alberta T2A 2N9 Phone: 403–248–WINS (9467); fax: 403–235–5050 Website: www.casinoabs.com

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 31,000-square-foot casino Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Slot Machines: 600; 10 VLTs; electronic horse racing (22 seats) Table Games: 12 blackjack, 4 baccarat, 2 Caribbean Stud, 2 tile pai gow, three-card poker, Let It Ride, craps, sic bo Poker: No Entertainment: Live country bands and stars Fri. and Sat. nights Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Cash, car, and merchandise giveaways

2. Elbow River Inn & Casino Address: 1919 Macleod Trail, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4S1 Phone: 403–269–6771; casino: 403–266–4355; poker: 403–206–0252; tollfree: 1–800–661–1463; fax: 403–237–5181 Website: www.elbowrivercasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 14,000-square-foot casino, just across from Stampede Park in the heart of downtown Calgary. Beautiful view of the Elbow River through floor-to-ceiling windows in the cardroom. Only casino in Calgary with a hotel. Hours: Open every day except Christmas. Casino, 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.; poker room, open 24 hours Slot Machines: “Hundreds”; 5¢–$1, including progressive machines Table Games: Caribbean Stud, craps, pai gow poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, electronic horse racing Poker: $4-$8 hold’em, $5-$10 dealer’s choice (includes Omaha and high-low games), $15-$30 hold’em, pot limit of various sizes, monthly tournaments. Hold’em games have a full kill. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Casino restaurant serves players. Players can also dine in or order from the dining room. Accommodations: 64 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: “Neat, clean attire and appropriate footwear.” Bonus: Fully licensed bar with gaming table service. Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and complimentary food service at 3:30 a.m. in poker room. Poker room is nonsmoking. Twenty percent hotel room discount to casino patrons.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE

3. Stampede Casino

Edmonton Edmonton (population 700,000, metropolitan area 1 million), in the center of Alberta, about 350 miles north of the U.S. border, is the provincial capital and the center of the oil industry. Edmonton contains the world’s largest mall, the West Edmonton Mall, featuring over 800 stores and services, over 110 eating establishments, and spanning the equivalent of 48 city blocks.

4. Casino Edmonton Address: 7055 Argyll Road, Edmonton, Alberta T6C 4A5 Phone: 780–463–WINS (9467) Website: www.casinoabs.com Description: 63,000-square-foot casino Hours: Open 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Slots, 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables, noon–2 a.m.; poker room, 24 hours Slot Machines: 606; 10 VLTs; electronic horse racing (22 seats) Table Games: 23: 2 American roulette ($0.25–$200), 17 blackjack ($2–$500), 1 Caribbean Stud ($10–$100), 3 mini-baccarat ($5–$500), 2 multiaction blackjack ($2–$20), 1 pai gow poker ($5–$100), 1 sic bo ($1–$100), 1 super pan 9 ($10–$200), three-card poker Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em (mostly $3-$6-$12) and stud ($1-$5). Weekly hold’em poker tourna-

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 30,000-square-foot casino in one of the main exhibition halls of Stampede Park. During Stampede Week, the casino doubles in size. Hours: Open every day except Christmas. Slots, 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.; tables from noon to 2 a.m. Slot Machines: 200, ranging from penny to dollar machines, including progressive jackpots. Also Sega Horse Racing. During Stampede Week, 400 slots added. Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean poker, sic bo, tile pai gow, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: During Stampede Week, the grounds are filled with entertainment, including the hall that houses the casino. Restaurants: 2: Wildcards Cafe & Saloon (on the casino floor; inexpensive meals), Big Four Dining Lounge (a quieter, nonsmoking area upstairs with a view of the casino below; includes Alberta Beef specials plus a full menu) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Free. Admission to the Stampede Grounds varies. Parking is $7, which is refunded to patrons of the casino. Dress Code: Casual (No bare feet) Bonus: Pre-Flames home games buffet, $14.95, reservations highly recommended (403–261–0108). Casino holds four blackjack schools every year and successful graduates are offered employment. Free coffee and sodas for players. $2 players’ breakfast, 7 days a week 9:45 a.m.–11 a.m.

7

Address: Stampede Park Big Four Building 1801 Big Four Trail SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 2W1 Mailing Address: Box 1060, Station M, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 2K8 Attention: CASINO Phone: 403–261–0422; fax: 403–262–9409 Website: www.stampedecasino.com

ments every Tue. at 7 p.m. Also, tournaments every other Sun., and other tournaments. Entertainment: Live country bands and stars Fri. and Sat. nights; piano bar Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Blackjack tournaments.

5. Casino Yellowhead Address: 12464–153 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5V 1S5 Phone: 780–424–WINS (9467); fax: 780–429–3282 Website: www.casinoabs.com

8 NORTH AMERICA

Description: 73,500-square-foot casino Hours: Open 9:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Slots, 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables, noon–2 a.m.; poker room, 24 hours Slot Machines: 740; 10 VLTs; electronic horse racing (22 seats) Table Games: 3 roulette, 5 baccarat, Let It Ride, 2 tile pai gow, 1 craps, three-card poker, 1 Caribbean Draw, 1 Caribbean Stud, stook, sic bo Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em and stud. Weeknights, $3-$6 hold’em, $4-$8 half-and-half, plus a higher-limit game ($15-$30 or $20-$40). Weekends have more games. Often a regular $1-$5-$10-$20 stud game. Western Canadian Poker Championship in October, featuring limit 7-stud ($50+$10), limit Omaha high-low ($100+$15), limit hold’em ($300+$30), no-limit hold’em ($200+$20). Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Spurs, Stagecoach Grill, Wagon Wheel Deli Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free gaming lessons for table games. Monthly blackjack tournaments, with a large freeroll for monthly winners.

6. Palace Casino Address: West Edmonton Mall 2710, 8882 170 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5T 4J2 Phone: 780–444–2112; fax 780–444–1155 Website: www.palacecasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 64,000-square-foot casino located in West Edmonton Mall Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables, 12 p.m.–2 a.m.; poker, Fri.–Sat., 24 hours, Sun.–Thu., 12 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 704 Table Games: 35: 4 baccarat ($1–$100), 15 blackjack ($2–$25, $5–$100, $10–$100), 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 1 Let It Ride, 1 pai gow poker, 2 roulette Poker: 5 tables: Mostly hold’em ($3-$6, sometimes $5-$10, often a high-limit game) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Booker’s Steak & Prime Rib, Martuni’s Lounge and Deli Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free gaming lessons 11 a.m.–noon daily


St. Albert St. Albert (population 53,000) is a suburb of Edmonton to the northwest of the city

7. Gold Dust Casino

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Much of British Columbia’s population (4.2 million) is concentrated in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (the metropolitan area). This includes Vancouver itself, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, and Richmond. British Columbia also includes Vancouver Island, with its charming Victoria. The British Columbia Lottery Commission licenses all the casinos in the province and establishes rules for them. Three main companies own the important casinos: Gateway Casinos, Lake City Casinos, and Great Canadian Casinos. The minimum age for casino entrance in British Columbia is 19.

Burnaby Burnaby (population 197,000), east of Vancouver, is within the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

8. Gateway Casino-Burnaby Address: 4320 Dominion Street, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 1B2 Phone: 604–436–2211; fax: 604–436–2130 Website: www.gatewaycasinos.com/burnaby.html Email: [email protected] Description: The Burnaby Casino is the largest, at 20,000 square feet, of the three British Columbia Gateway Casinos. It features a Roaring ’20s art deco theme. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 300, all accepting coins and bills. The casino claims over 90 percent payback. Machines range from nickels to $2, with single payline and multi-payline bets. There are also multi-denominational interactive slot machines. Table Games: Blackjack

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot casino Hours: Slots and VLTs, 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables, 12 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 240. Many linked with progressive jackpots throughout Alberta, also inhouse progressives. Also VLTs. Table Games: 13 blackjack ($2 minimum), 2 mini-baccarat, 1 roulette, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Extreme 21, three-card 21, bingo (570 seats) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Bingo next door at Campbell Park Bingo. Part of the casino’s revenue goes toward charitable organizations. Bus charters available.

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Address: 24 Boudreau Road St. Albert, Alberta T8N 6K3 Phone: 780–460–8092; fax: 780–460–1962 Website: www.golddustcasino.ca

($5–$500), pai gow poker ($5–$500), mini-baccarat ($5–$500), three-card poker, roulette and touch bet roulette ($50 maximum inside bets, $500 maximum outside bets), Let It Ride ($5–$500), Caribbean Stud ($5–$500), craps ($5–$500). There is also a high-stakes area allowing maximum bets of $1,000 on blackjack and mini-baccarat. Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: The Radisson Hotel Burnaby directly across the street has over 275 rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and offers discounts to casino patrons (1–800–333–3333). Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: 225 of the slots are in a nonsmoking area.

Coquitlam Coquitlam (population 113,000) is within the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The Coquitlam Centre, a large shopping mall, has over 200 shops.

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9. Great Canadian Casino-Coquitlam

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam, British Columbia V3K 6W3 Phone: 604–523–6888; fax: 604–523–6806 Website: www.greatcanadiancasino.com/coquitlam.asp Description: 35,000-square-foot casino. United Boulevard parallels the Trans Canada Highway (Canada’s Highway 1, the main cross-country route). Take the Highway 7 or Mallardville exit. Hours: 9 a.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 450: 1¢–$5; 350 are coin in/out machines and 100 are ticket in/out machines; 77 are multidenominational games from 5¢–25¢ Table Games: 30: 1 threecard poker ($5–$500), 13 blackjack ($5–$1,000), 1 Caribbean Stud ($5–$100), 3 pai gow ($25–$500), 1 Let It Ride ($5–$200), 5 mini-baccarat ($15–$1,000), 4 roulette (50¢–$50 inside bets, $10–$500 outside bets) Poker: 4 tables: $6-$12 hold’em Entertainment: Special shows such as “Elvis/Nearly Neil Diamond,” and other impersonators Restaurants: Weinlager and Amici Caffe: “West Coast cuisine with European flare”; snack bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No beachwear Bonus: Shuttle service to nearby hotels and motels


Cranbrook Cranbrook (population 20,000) is in the British Columbia Rockies, 20 miles southeast of Kimberley, 35 miles north of the U.S. border, and 125 miles southeast of Calgary, Alberta, near the junction of Highway 95A and Highway 3.

10. Casino of the Rockies

Kamloops Kamloops (population 82,000), in British Columbia’s Southern Interior, calls itself the Tournament Capital of Canada, hosting championships in sports such as curling, ice skating, women’s hockey, men’s basketball, and many others the year round. See www.city.kamloops.bc.ca/tournamentcapital/index.html for more information.

11. Lake City Casinos-Kamloops Address: 540 Victoria Street, Kamloops, British Columbia V1Y 1P6 Phone: 250–372–3336; fax: 250–860–4407; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–663–2837 Website: www.lakecitycasinos.com/kamloops.php Email: [email protected] Description: 14,000-square-foot Mardi Gras-themed casino, plus hotel Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 300: reel machines and video poker Table Games: 8: Baccarat, threecard poker, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, roulette Poker: Low limit hold’em Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: Hotel with 150 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Group specials, including gaming lessons, cash incentives, transportation, match play. River rafting and skiing nearby.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot casino, plus hotel Hours: Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–12 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 225 Table Games: 10: Three-card poker, blackjack, Let It Ride, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: Delta St. Eugene Mission Resort Hotel has 125 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Adjacent 18-hole championship golf course—St. Eugene Mission Golf Course, with driving range, full service pro shop, dining, and lounge area

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Address: 7777 Mission Road, Cranbrook, British Columbia V1C 7E5 Phone: 250–417–2772; fax: 250–417–3749; toll-free hotel reservations: 888–244–8666; hotel fax: 250–426–6072; hotel reservations: 250–420–2000 Website: www.casinooftherockies.com

Kelowna Kelowna (population 96,000) is in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, an area of orchards and vineyards at the base of the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, 29 miles south of Vernon and 43 miles north of Penticton. It is serviced by Kelowna International Airport, third busiest in British Columbia and eleventh largest in Canada, with nonstop flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, and Victoria.

12. Lake City Casinos-Kelowna Address: 1300 Water Street, Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 9P3 Phone: 250–860–9467; fax: 250–860–4407; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–465–4651 Website: www.lakecitycasinos.com/kelowna.php

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Email: [email protected] Description: 21,000-square-foot casino, within the hotel, with Caribbean cruise ship theme, including dramatic rockscapes and waterfall entrance Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: 20: Three-card poker, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: The Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort, 260 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Group specials, including gaming lessons, cash incentives, transportation, match play. Championship 18-hole golf course nearby.

Nanaimo Nanaimo (population 80,000) is on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, 70 miles north of Victoria, just across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver, and reachable by ferry or plane.

13. Great Canadian Casino-Nanaimo Address: 620 Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5E2 Phone: 250–753–3033; toll-free: 877–473–2818; fax: 250–753–9433 Website: www.greatcanadiancasino.com/nanaimo.asp Description: 15,000-square-foot casino, downtown, beside the Port Place shopping center Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 380: 1¢–$2; both reel and interactive game types, accepting both coins and bills Table Games: 12: 1 three-card poker ($5–$500), 3 American roulette ($0.50–$10 inside bets, $10–$100 outside bets), 5 blackjack ($5–$500, $10–$500, $25–$500), 2 Fortune Pai Gow ($25–$500), 1 Let It Ride ($5–$500) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Amici & Co. Café, a 56-seat restaurant inside the casino offering a full menu and coffee cart service on the gaming floor (no alcohol) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Shuttle from area hotels. Incentives for bus travelers. Online practice blackjack game available at website.


New Westminster The city of New Westminster (population 54,000), 12 miles southeast of Vancouver, is on the Fraser River about 40 minutes driving time from downtown Vancouver. New Westminster, western Canada’s oldest city, is also accessible by a 30-minute skytrain ride from Vancouver. Interesting fact: The Fraser once had more riverboats than the Mississippi.

14. Gateway Casino-New Westminster

15. Royal City Star Riverboat Casino Address: 788 Quayside Drive, Westminster Quay Market, New Westminster, British Columbia V3M 1J4 Phone: 604–878–9999; fax: 604–540–0448 Website: www.royalcitystar.bc.ca Email: [email protected] Description: Permanently docked riverboat casino on the Fraser River Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 345 Table Games: 18: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, minibaccarat, pai gow poker, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Cafe Royale Bar and Deli, Fraser’s Restaurant (fully licensed), Sand Bar and Lounge (snacks) Accommodations: Royal Towers Hotel & Casino: 102 deluxe rooms, 12 executive suites, 16 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Racebook. Fraser’s Restaurant offers a seniors’ (55+) 2-for-1 menu.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 7,000-square-foot casino in the Royal Towers Hotel Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 170, all accepting coins and bills. The casino claims over 90 percent payback. Machines range from quarters to $1, with single payline and multi-payline bets. There are also multi-denominational interactive slot machines. Table Games: Blackjack ($5–$500), pai gow poker ($5–$500), mini-baccarat ($5–$500), three card poker, roulette and touch bet roulette ($50 maximum inside bets, $500 maximum outside bets), Let It Ride ($5–$500), Caribbean Stud ($5–$500) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Blackjack’s Snack Bar, Clancy’s Sports Bar and Fresh Market Kitchen, Garden Café Accommodations: 99 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Smoke-free. Free parking after 6 p.m.

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Address: 140 Sixth Street, New Westminster, British Columbia V3M 1J4 Phone: 604–521–3262; fax: 604–412–0117; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–663–0202 Website: www.gatewaycasinos.com/newwest.html

Richmond Richmond (population 168,000) is an island city located on the Pacific Coast within the Greater Vancouver Regional District, just south of downtown Vancouver, and comprises a number of islands in the mouth of the Fraser River, including Sea Island, most of Lulu Island, and 15 smaller islands.

16. River Rock Casino Resort Address: 8811 River Road, Richmond, BC V6X 3P8 Phone: 604–273–1895; fax: 604–270–8620; toll-free: 1–877–473–2818 Website: www.riverrockcasinoresort.com

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Description: 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-art casino (opened 2004) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000 Table Games: 58: Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps Poker: 20 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4 and up), 7-stud, Omaha high-low Entertainment: Intimate show lounge with live entertainment. Scheduled to open in mid-2005, a 21,000-square-foot theater will feature live shows and entertainment. Its state-of-the-art seating system will permit quick transformation of the theater into a convention and meeting room. Restaurants: International food court. A sports bar and 400-seat buffet restaurant should be open in 2005. Several more restaurants are planned. Accommodations: Scheduled for completion in early 2005, the five-star hotel will have 222 suites ranging in size from 525 to 2,200 square feet, plus a 2,800-square-foot Presidential Suite. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: The hotel complex will feature convention and meeting facilities, retail shops, spa, gym, swimming pool, and a 144-slip marina.

Vancouver Vancouver (population 582,000; metropolitan area 2.2 million), located on the Pacific Ocean, is Canada’s third-largest city and has a climate similar to that of San Francisco. It is one of the few locations in the world where you can swim in the ocean in the morning and ski right after lunch. You can get to Whistler Mountain, where the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held, in two hours by bus.

17. Gateway Casino-Vancouver/Chinatown Address: 611 Main Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 2V5 Phone: 604–688–9412; fax: 604–688–9417; poker room: 604–801–5080 Website: www.gatewaycasinos.com/vancouver.html Email: [email protected] Description: 12,000-square-foot casino at the corner of Main and Keefer, located on the third floor of the Mandarin Centre Hours: 9 a.m.–6 a.m. daily; poker room opens at noon Slot Machines: No Table Games: 30: Blackjack ($5–$500), pai gow poker ($5–$500), minibaccarat ($5–$500), roulette, sic bo ($50 maximum inside bets, $500 maximum outside bets) Poker: Hold’em and Omaha high Entertainment: No Restaurants: Mandarin Restaurant (Asian cuisine) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free parking after 6 p.m. Onsite ATMs. Casino is in the middle of Vancouver’s Chinatown.


18. Great Canadian Casino-Holiday Inn

Vernon Vernon (population 45,000) is in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, an area of orchards and vineyards at the base of the Canadian Rockies. It is located 29 miles north of Kelowna and 73 miles southeast of Kamloops. It is serviced by Kelowna International Airport, the third busiest in British Columbia and eleventh largest in Canada, with nonstop flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, and Victoria.

19. Lake City Casinos-Vernon Address: 4801 27th Street, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 5S9 Phone: 250–545–3505; fax: 250–860–4407; hotel reservations: 250–542–3321; toll-free: 1–800–663–4433 Website: www.lakecitycasinos.com/vernon.php Email: [email protected] Description: 12,000-square-foot casino located within the hotel. Santa Fe theme featuring beautiful murals and dramatic rockwork. Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 207: 5¢, 25¢, $1 Table Games: 10: Blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Piccolo’s Lounge, Village Green Restaurant Accommodations: 134 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free parking. Nearby golf course. Sponsor of Vernon’s Funtastic Festival, featuring slo pitch, soccer, lawn bowling, and other sports competitions, and a music festival.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 16,500-square-foot casino in the Vancouver Holiday Inn Hours: 9 a.m.–6 a.m. (poker room, noon to 4 a.m.); 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 32: 1 three-card poker ($5–$200), 2 American roulette ($0.50–$500), 11 blackjack ($5–$1000, all with Lucky Ladies bonus), 4 Fortune Pai Gow ($15–$1000), 1 Let It Ride ($5–$200), 9 mini-baccarat ($15–$1000), 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 rapid roulette, 1 Texas Shootout, 1 craps Poker: 5 tables: $10-$20 hold’em with and without a kill Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Stages Bistro, Stages Lounge Accommodations: Vancouver Holiday Inn. Indoor sunlit swimming pool, dry sauna, and exercise room. High-speed Internet access. Reduced rate for casino players. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual. Shirt and shoes required. Bonus: Near the Granville Island Public Market and an Imax Theater. Online blackjack available at website.

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Address: 709 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1J5 Phone: 604–872–5543; toll-free: 1–877–473–2818; fax: 604–279–8505; hotel reservations: 604–689–9211 Website: www.greatcanadiancasino.com/holidayinn.asp

Victoria Victoria (population 350,0000), the capital of British Columbia, is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. A lovely two-hour ferry ride from Vancouver, it’s a beautiful town that reminds one of Britain. Nearby are the picturesque Butchart Gardens, a flower sanctuary that was formerly the site of an old quarry.

20. Great Canadian Casino-View Royal Address: 1708 Island Highway, Victoria, British Columbia V9B 1H8 Phone: 250–391–0311; toll-free: 1–877–473–2818; fax: 250–391–0310 Website: www.greatcanadiancasino.com/viewroyal.asp

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Email: [email protected] Description: 35,000-square-foot casino in the township of View Royal in the Westshore Communities, 25 minutes from downtown Victoria Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 436: Penny, nickel, quarter, $1, $2. All are coin machines. Table Games: 1 three-card poker, 2 American roulette, 12 blackjack, 3 Fortune Pai Gow, 1 Let It Ride, 3 mini-baccarat, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 sic bo, 2 progressive blackjack, 1 Texas Shootout. Limits range from $5 to $500. Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Weinlager and Amici Caffe: “West Coast cuisine with European flare.” Fully licensed. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free shuttle from downtown Victoria. Online blackjack available at website.

MANITOBA

Manitoba (population 1.2 million) was the first Canadian province to get into the casino business. All the province’s casinos are regulated by the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation. Manitoba has one First Nations casino. The government of Manitoba owns Casinos of Winnipeg, an organization that runs a number of small casinos throughout the province, in addition to two large casinos in Winnipeg.

The Pas The Pas area (district population 15,000), in northern Manitoba, 375 miles northwest of Winnipeg, is home to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation community and five other small towns. It is surrounded by beautiful wilderness lands filled with wildlife, including bear, moose, woodland caribou, deer, and 200 species of birds, plus some of the best fishing in North America, for lake trout, northern pike, and walleye. The long white beaches and crystal depths of Clearwater Lake are within 15 minutes, as are a wealth of outdoor adventure opportunities for hikers, cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, photographers, bird-watchers, hunters, and anglers. The town of The Pas is reachable by road (Highway 10), rail, and air; there is a small airport a few miles north.


21. Aseneskak Casino

Winnipeg Winnipeg (population 650,000), the capital of Manitoba and western Canada’s oldest city, is just north of the U.S.–Canadian border in central Canada. It is a transportation, manufacturing, and financial center, and midwestern Canada’s cultural center, with a symphony orchestra, ballet, opera company, and theater and arts complex. The intersection of Portage and Main Streets is the focal point of this city that lies at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers.

22. Club Regent Casino Address: 1425 Regent Avenue West, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3B2 Phone: 204–957–2700 Website: www.casinosofwinnipeg.com Description: 182,000-square-foot Caribbean-themed casino, with a colorful beach atmosphere Hours: Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; Sun., noon–3 a.m. Casino closed on major holidays. Slot Machines: 1,216: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $2, $5, and $100 machines, plus progressive slot banks ranging from 5¢ to $2. Touch-screen gaming includes video poker (joker poker, deuces wild, and jacks or better), video keno, and electronic bingo. Table Games: 32: Blackjack, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, baccarat, roulette, keno. Also “paper” bingo: 10:15 a.m. Mon.–Sat.; 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. daily; 10 p.m. daily (except on Fri. and Sat. when entertainment is scheduled for 10 p.m.); 12:30 a.m. (every Fri. and Sat. following entertainment or 10 p.m. when there is no entertainment). Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. In smaller games, rake is 10 percent with a $4 cap; for higherlimit games, hourly rates are collected. Tournaments: The Summer Series of Poker takes place in alternate weeks July–September. All events are no-limit hold’em. Early events: $50+$5; rebuys, $20; add-on, $30. Maximum entries: 55 people per tournament. Firstplace winners receive prepaid, nontransferable entry to championship. Championship

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: First and only First Nations-owned and -operated casino in Manitoba. The 20,000-square-foot casino is owned by a consortium of six First Nations. Hours: Mon.–Wed., 10 a.m.–2 a.m.; Thur.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; Sun., 12 p.m.–2 a.m. Closed New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Remembrance Day (Nov. 11), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day Slot Machines: 187: Multidenominational, 5¢–$2 Table Games: 8: Three-card poker, roulette, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Country music Restaurants: 1: The Eagle’s Nest Restaurant and Lounge Accommodations: No. Nearby local accommodations are modern and plentiful, with hotels, motels, cottage facilities, and campgrounds. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Let It Ride tournaments with no entry fee. Annual golf tournament with dinner and entertainment following.

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Address: Highway #10 North, The Pas/Opaskwayak, Manitoba Phone: 1–877–627–2267 Website: www.aseneskak.ca

event in late September: $100+$10; rebuys, $40; add-on, $60. During these times, cash games run from 4 p.m.–3 a.m. Entertainment: Top acts in rock, country, and tribute shows (such as to Roy Orbison, from the Las Vegas Legends of Concert series) Restaurants: 2: Royal Palms Restaurant, McDonald’s Accommodations: 146-room hotel on site, including 4 deluxe Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Casino has a walk-through salt-water aquarium, the largest of its kind in the midwest of Canada, with 40,000 gallons of salt water, a coral reef, tropical fish from around the world (including sharks and eels), and the wreck of a Spanish galleon. Visitors can observe divers feeding the fish or even snorkel in the tank. Open noon–10 p.m. daily.

23. McPhillips Street Station Casino

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Address: 484 McPhillips Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 2G8 Phone: 204–957–3900 Website: www.casinosofwinnipeg.com

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 174,000-square-foot casino with a historic railway village theme Hours: Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; Sun., noon–3 a.m. Casino closed on major holidays. Slot Machines: 1,961: 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $2, $5, and $100 machines, plus progressive slot banks ranging from 5¢ to $1. Touch-screen gaming includes video poker (joker poker, deuces wild, and jacks or better), video keno, and electronic bingo. Table Games: 28: Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, baccarat, roulette, keno. Also paper bingo: Mon.–Sat., 10:20 a.m.; 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. daily; Sun.–Thur., 10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 12:30 a.m. Poker: No Entertainment: Top acts in rock and country Restaurants: 1: Michelle’s, open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m., with daily brunch 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: McPhillips Street Station Casino’s historic railway village includes a grand hotel from the early 1900s. The Manitoba Millennium Express, a multi-sensory 3D trip through time, recreates the history of Manitoba.

NOVA SCOTIA

Nova Scotia (population under 1 million), the southernmost of Canada’s maritime provinces, is east of Maine and south of New Brunswick. The highest tides in the world occur at the Bay of Fundy. The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) is responsible for the business of gaming in Nova Scotia. The province has two main casinos. Smaller operations have only video lottery terminals (VLTs). You must be 19 to enter a casino in Nova Scotia.


Halifax Halifax (metro population 268,000), the capital and major port city of Nova Scotia, has many fine restaurants, exciting nightlife, museums, historic sites, art galleries, and universities. The city is served by an international airport.

24. Casino Nova Scotia

Sydney Sydney (population 27,755) is on Sydney Harbor on Cape Breton Island. There are fine hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and convention and meeting facilities.

25. Casino Nova Scotia Address: 525 George Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 1K5 Phone: 902–563–7777; toll-free: 1–866–334–1114; information line: 902–563–7744 Website: www.casinonovascotia.com Email: Executive offices: [email protected] Description: 14,950-square-foot casino Hours: Mon.–Wed., 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Thur. 11 a.m.–Mon. 3 a.m. Table games: Closed Mon.–Tue; Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–2 p.m. Slot Machines: 378: 25¢–$25 Table Games: 34: Blackjack, three-card poker, Let It Ride, European roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Free shows of pop favorites and

NORTH AMERICA

Email: Executive offices: [email protected] Description: 34,900-square-foot casino located within the hotel Hours: Slots: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Table games: Sun.–Thu., noon–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., noon–8 a.m. At this writing, July 1–September 6: Table games: open continuously Thu. noon–Mon. 8 a.m., and noon–4 a.m. on Tue. and Wed. Poker room: Wed., 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Thu., 2 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri., 2 p.m.–8 a.m.; Sat., 2 p.m–6 a.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: More than 1,000: 5¢–$100 Table Games: 44: Blackjack, progressive blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, red dog, American roulette, European roulette, sic bo, three-card poker, big six wheel, Spanish 21 Poker: 3 tables usually, but 6–7 are available to accommodate players. Hold’em: $5-$10, $15-$30; Omaha high: $10-$20, $20-$30. All games have bad beat jackpots. Entertainment: 500seat Schooner Showroom features acts like Dionne Warwick, the Amazing KRESKIN, HELP!: A Tribute to the Beatles, Abbamania, Michelle Wright, Terry Clark, Randy Bachman, Jeff Healey Restaurants: 4: 44 North, Governor’s Grill (deli), TGI Friday’s, The Galley Buffet Accommodations: Hotel with 352 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Player’s Club: Get points for playing, redeemable for prizes, food, and cash. “Java Express” coffee cart is available 24/7 in the casino lobby, with coffee, muffins, and many other snack items.

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Address: 1983 Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3Y5 Phone: 902–425–7777; toll-free: 1–888–6GAMES6; information line: 902–496–6699 Website: www.casinonovascotia.com

lounge acts in Millionaire’s Lounge Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Player’s Club: Get points for playing, redeemable for prizes, food, and cash. Cash drawings the second Wed. of each month for Player’s Club members 50+ years of age from 1 p.m.–3 p.m. every half hour and prizes that carry over if not won.

ONTARIO

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Ontario (population 12.4 million) has two kinds of casinos, both regulated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC); charity and “regular” (commercial) casinos. Ontario has five charity casinos and four commercial casinos, of which one is a First Nations casino. Charity casinos are smaller and their gaming activities more restricted than commercial casinos. The total number of gaming positions in a charity casino is limited to 870, while the betting limit for table games is $100, as compared to $10,000 at commercial casinos. Ontario also has a number of “racinos,” which are basically race tracks that also have up to a few hundred slot machines. The minimum age for casino play is 19.

Brantford The Brantford area is comprised of the communities of Brantford, Brant County, Six Nations, and New Credit. Brantford (population 90,000) is 55 miles southwest of Toronto on the Grand River.

26. Brantford Charity Casino Address: 40 Icomm Drive, Brantford, Ontario N3S 7S9 Phone: 519–752–5004; toll-free: 1–888–694–6946; fax: 519–753–0353; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–694–6946 Website: corporate.olgc.ca/charity/brantford.jsp Description: 30,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 452: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $5 denominations Table Games: 58: Caribbean Stud, blackjack, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, mini-baccarat, midi-baccarat, roulette, sic bo, three-card poker, Spanish 21. Betting limits range from $5 to $100. Poker: Up to 12 hold’em tables; $5-$10, $10-$20, $15-$30, $20-$40, $30-$60, $50-$100 Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Galileo’s Buffet & Grille seats 136 and has an allyou-can-eat buffet plus a full menu. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winner’s Circle club earns cash back and complimentary meals. Membership is free. Free parking, complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, bank machines (ATMs), currency exchange, gift shop, and complimentary coat check. Offtrack betting. Separate smoking lounge for up to 205 smokers, which keeps the gaming floor, restaurant, and other public spaces smoke-free in compliance with municipal law. Players can put a hold on slot machines while they take a break in the smoking lounge.


Gananoque Gananoque (population 5,200) is known as “The Canadian Gateway to the 1,000 Islands.” Centrally located on the St. Lawrence River, the town is midway between Toronto and Montreal and minutes from Kingston, Brockville, and northern New York, the latter via the 1,000 Island International Bridge.

27. Thousand Islands Charity Casino

Niagara Falls Many say that the Canadian side of Niagara Falls has the most beautiful views. This resort area (population 79,000), offering spectacular vistas of perhaps the two most famous waterfalls in the world (Horseshoe Falls and American Falls), is less than two hours from Toronto and just a drive across a bridge from New York on the American side.

28. Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort Address: 6380 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario L2G 7X5 Phone: 1–888-FALLSVUE; 1–888–325–5784 Website: www.discoverniagara.com Email: [email protected] Description: The 200,000-square-foot Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is on a 23-acre site on Murray Hill, at the corner of Fallsview Boulevard and Murray Street. The casino overlooks Niagara Falls. Hours: 24hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: More than 3,000 Table Games: More than 150. Table limits vary, based on the time of day and demand. 67 blackjack, 4 baccarat, 8 mini-baccarat, 2 midi-baccarat, 8 craps, 10 Caribbean Stud, 7 three-card poker, 7 Let It Ride, 8 pai gow poker, 2 tile pai gow, 2 sic bo, 6 Spanish 21, 2 casino war, 2 French roulette, 14 American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like the Smothers Brothers, Carrot Top, Rick Springfield, Damon Wayans, Hootie and the Blowfish, Tony Bennett, Cheap Trick. The 365 Club and the Splash Bar host contemporary, jazz, and blues entertainers. The Avalon Ballroom, with 1,500 seats, accommodates multiple uses, from cabarets and star

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 57,000-square-foot casino, of which 15,000 square feet is gaming space Hours: Mon.–Wed., 9 a.m.–4 a.m., and continuously from 11 a.m. Thu.–4 a.m. Sun. Slot Machines: 453 slot machines in 5¢, 25¢, $1 and $5 denominations Table Games: 18 (all with $100 maximum bet): Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, roulette, Spanish 21 Poker: No Entertainment: Live shows on weekends Restaurants: 1: Oscars Marina Grill features an upscale gourmet menu. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Handicap-accessible facility; wheelchairs are available. Free parking, complimentary nonalcoholic beverages, ATMs, currency exchange, complimentary coat check, gift shop, and lottery.

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Address: 380 Highway 2 Gananoque, Ontario K7G 2V4 Phone: toll-free: 1–866–266–8422; fax: 613–382–8001 Website: corporate.olgc.ca/charity/thousand.jsp or www.gananoque.com/casino

22 NORTH AMERICA

performers to fashion shows, dinner theater, and sporting events, such as boxing. Since opening, the Avalon Ballroom has hosted some of the music industry’s biggest stars, from Paul Anka to Alanis Morisette and Wynonna Judd. Restaurants: 3 main, plus a food court. 750-seat Grand Buffet. 17 Noir has a unique atmosphere. Built on 2 levels, its lower level is a casual lounge featuring cocktail, sushi, and noodle bars, all of which are designed in the open-concept style so guests can watch as their dishes are prepared. The upper level is the dining room, complete with an outdoor terrace, a 360-degree open-concept grilling station, and a display of the restaurant’s finest wines. The wine cellar is among the finest in North America, with hundreds of vintages in every price range from around the globe. The Famous is an art deco, 24-hour restaurant with a full menu. Accommodations: 30-story, 368-room luxury hotel, including 85 suites, 9 of which are VIP suites. All rooms overlook Horseshoe Falls and American Falls. Family Amenities: Children are permitted in the Galleria, hotel, pool, and all restaurants (excluding the Grand Buffet). Children are not allowed on the gaming floor. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps tournaments. Spa. Swimming pool. Weight training and fitness center, saunas, steam rooms, massage therapy and other treatment rooms. Gallery with 47 shops. The Promenade, located at the back of the property, has a great view of Niagara Falls.

29. Casino Niagara Address: 5705 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6T3 Phone: 1–888–946–3255 Website: www.casinoniagara.com Email: [email protected] Description: 90,000-square foot casino on Bender Hill Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,471 Table Games: 79. Table limits are variable based on the time of day and demand. 36 blackjack, 2 baccarat, 6 mini-baccarat, 2 midi-baccarat, 5 craps, 4 Caribbean Stud, 4 three-card poker, 3 Let It Ride, 3 pai gow poker, 1 sic bo, 3 Spanish 21, 1 casino war, 1 French roulette, 8 American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Loungestyle live entertainment in The Grand Café Restaurants: 4, plus 8 bars. Twenty One, known as one of the finest restaurants in Canada since its debut in 2000, has a lounge and piano bar. The Market offers casual comfort, a buffet, and à la carte dining in a charming open-market setting. Perks Café offers quick convenience. And the Grand Café overlooks the gaming area and is open daily from noon to 2 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is a 3-minute drive from Casino Niagara, and patron shuttles run between the 2 properties. Casino Niagara is in the heart of the tourism and entertainment district and just steps from the Falls themselves.


Orillia Orillia (population 30,000) is a city in south-central Ontario on Lake Couchiching about 75 miles north of Toronto.

30. Casino Rama Resort

Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie (population 80,000; it’s pronounced SOO) is on the St. Mary’s River between Lakes Superior and Huron. Across the river is the United States and the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, site of the Sault locks, which allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Chippewa Falls, the geographic center of North America is located just north of Sault Ste. Marie, marked by a plaque at that point.

31. Casino Sault Ste. Marie Address: 30 Bay Street West, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 7A6 Phone: 705–759–0100; toll-free: 1–800–826–8946; fax: 705–759–9367 Website: corporate.olgc.ca/charity/marie.jsp Description: Small charity-type casino Hours: Slots: Mon.–Wed., 9 a.m.–4 a.m., Thur.–Sun., 24 hours; tables: Mon.–Sun., 12 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 452: 5¢, 25¢, $1, and $5, Megabucks, a province-wide progressive game with a top jackpot starting at $1 million Table Games: 16: Caribbean Stud, three-card

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 192,000-square-foot casino located within a hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,300 Table Games: 120+: 3 baccarat (42 playing positions), 1 big six wheel, 51 blackjack (344 playing positions), 12 Caribbean Stud (84 playing positions), 4 craps (64 playing positions), 6 Let It Ride (42 playing positions), 1 midi-baccarat (1 playing position), 9 mini-baccarat (63 playing positions), 7 pai gow poker (42 playing positions), 3 pai gow tiles (18 playing positions), American roulette, 2 sic bo, Spanish 21 Poker: 10 tables of hold’em and Omaha high-low split; $4-$8, $10-$20, $15-$30, $20$40, $50-$100 Entertainment: International stars like Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Neil Sedaka, Martin Short, The Four Tops, Styx, David Lee Roth, Olivia Newton-John, and the Oak Ridge Boys Restaurants: 9, three in the hotel: Couchiching Court Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Dream Catcher Sports Lounge (pub foods), Firestarter Lounge (appetizers), Legends Food Court (snacks), Noodle Bar (Cantonese; 1 p.m.–7 a.m.), Rinaldo’s (Italian), St. Germain’s Steakhouse, The Weirs Restaurant (homestyle favorites; 24 hours), The Willow (Cantonese; lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 300-room first-class all-suite luxury hotel with three restaurants Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Casino Rama was the first commercial casino in Canada to offer poker. Entertainment center and shops. Sportsbook.

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Address: 5897 Rama Road, Orillia, Ontario L0K 1T0 Phone: 705–329–DEAL (3325); fax: 705–329–3329; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–832–7529 Website: www.casinorama.com

poker, blackjack, Let It Ride, roulette, sic bo, big six wheel Poker: Hold’em Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winner’s Circle club offers cash back plus comps and gifts. Slot tournaments on Wed. offer a prize pool of over $10,000. Members aged 50+ receive coupon packages and are eligible for cash drawings. Free parking, complimentary nonalcoholic beverages, gift shop, complimentary coat check, complimentary hotel shuttle service

Windsor

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Windsor (population 208,000; metropolitan area 308,000) is the closest Canadian city to Detroit. Interestingly, to get from Detroit to Windsor, you drive due south on the connecting bridge, for Windsor is actually south of Detroit. Windsor is a large industrial city that is home to Canada’s automobile industry. The casino is the largest in the area and attracts many Americans.

NORTH AMERICA

32. Casino Windsor Address: 377 Riverside Drive East, Windsor, Ontario N9A 7H7 Phone: 519–258–7878; toll-free: 1–800–991–7777; fax: 519–985–5870; toll-free hotel reservations/Showtime Lounge tickets: 1–800–991–8888 Website: www.casinowindsor.com Email: [email protected] Description: Mediterranean-themed 100,000-square-foot casino located within a hotel; 5 minutes across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,300+: 1¢–$100; both cashless and coin machines, including progressive jackpots. Megabucks, a province-wide progressive game with a top jackpot starting at $1 million. Also video poker and progressive video poker from $1 to $5. Table Games: 83: 2 baccarat ($25–$10,000), 43 blackjack ($5–$25), 6 Caribbean Stud ($5–$25), 6 craps ($5–$25), 4 Let It Ride ($5–$25), 4 pai gow poker ($5–$100), 12 roulette ($5–$25), Spanish 21 ($10–$25), three-card poker ($5–$100 on “pair plus,” which can pay up to 40:1 for a straight flush, and $5–$500 for “ante/play,” which can pay up to 4:1), four-card poker ($5–$100) Poker: No Entertainment: Showtime Lounge features Vegas-style revues and popular performers. Fri. and Sat. shows are at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Shows from Tue. to Thu. are at 8 p.m. Sun. and Mon. are dark. Tickets for any of the performances are $15. Riverside Grille has live jazz. Restaurants: 4: Atrium Courtyard Food Court (food court with five restaurants; Sun.–Thu., 11 a.m.–1 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Garden Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), Riverside Grille (breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus Sun. brunch), Terrace Café (24 hours), Caché (membersonly gourmet dining) Accommodations: AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel with 389 rooms, including many suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Table games lessons are held on the main floor every weekday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Casino features an indoor 60-foot waterfall with a shooting geyser that erupts hourly choreographed to music. Slot tournaments. New players can get a free meal by signing up for Players Prestige Card. Members are also eligible for daily drawings for cash and prizes.


Gatineau Gatineau (population 100,000) is just across the Ottawa River from Ottawa, Ontario.

33. Casino du Lac-Leamy Address: 1 Casino Boulevard, Gatineau, Québec J8Y 6W3 Phone: 819–772–2100; toll-free: 1–800–665–2274; fax: 819–772–3704; hotel fax: 819–790–6408; hotel reservations: 819–790–6444; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–488–7888 Website: French: www.casino-du-lac-leamy.com; English: www.casinodu-lac-leamy.com/accueil_ch.jsp?Params=Y.US.1.0 Email: service_clientele@loto-Québec.com Description: 277,000-square-foot casino located within a hotel Hours: 9 a.m.–4 a.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.) Slot Machines: 1,870, including progressive machines, in denominations starting at 25¢. In addition to reel and electronic machines, 10 progressive video poker, 22 video bingo, 2 video blackjack, and 136 video poker Table Games: 64: 1 American roulette ($1–$25), 1 baccarat ($50–$2,000), 27 blackjack ($5–$2,000), electronic horse racing, 3 Let It Ride ($5–$50), 2 mini-baccarat ($10–$500), 3 pai gow poker ($10–$500), 1 tile pai gow ($20–$1,000), 7 French roulette ($1–$100), keno Poker: No Entertainment: Théâtre du Casino, with 834 of the 1,100 seats on ground level, presents Broadway at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, which features shows that recreate Manhattan at the beginning of the 1900s, with classics like Annie Get Your Gun, Victor Victoria, Chicago, Evita, Les Misérables, Singin’ in the Rain, The Phantom of the Opera, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many others. Pop stars like Melissa Etheridge and comics like Howie Mandel. Restaurants offer live entertainment by local performers, including singing groups, harp, saxophone, etc. Restaurants: 7, including 2 in hotel: Le Baccara (CAA/AAA Five-Diamond gourmet restaurant; business dress code: tie optional, suit required, jeans not permitted; seats 70, open daily 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; reservations recommended), Banco (à la carte and buffet dining; lunch, dinner), Le Café (snack bar; 11 a.m.–4 a.m.), La Fondue Royale Accommodations: Hilton Lac-Leamy: 349 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s day

NORTH AMERICA

All gaming in Québec (population 7.6 million) is licensed and overseen by Loto-Québec. This includes lotteries, casinos, video lotteries, and network bingo. Québec has three casinos, all run by the Société des casinos du Québec. Game winnings are paid out in full and are nontaxable. All casinos are nonsmoking. For the convenience of smokers, each casino has smoking lounges with high-performance ventilation systems. The main language of Québec is French, a dialect somewhat different from that of France. French Canadian is as close to “French French” as American English is to British English. Canada has two official languages, and almost everyone in Québec speaks both. Do not be surprised to see face cards marked somewhat differently in the casinos. Instead of the K, Q, J you are familiar with, you may see R (roi), D (dame), V (valet, the French translation of “knave”). The minimum age for casino play is 18.

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QUÉBEC

activity center in hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Casino Privilèges Club slot and gaming club is open to all and membership is free. The membership card is valid at all 3 Québec casinos.

La Malbaie La Malbaie (population 10,000) is on the St. Lawrence River, some 95 miles northeast of Québec City in Québec’s Charlevoix County, with peaks that rise to 2,500 hundred feet. It is near great skiing including Le Massif ski resort, which has the highest vertical drop east of the Canadian Rockies.

34. Casino de Charlevoix

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Address: 183 Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Québec G5A 1X8 Phone: 418–665–5300, 418–665–5353; toll-free: 1–800–665–2274; fax: 418–665–5322; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–463–2613 Website: French: www.casino-de-charlevoix.com; English: www.casinode-charlevoix.com/web/jsp/MainPage.jsp?Params=Y.US.30101.0 Email: [email protected] Description: Atop the cliffs of Pointe-au-Pic, the Casino de Charlevoix–Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Resort Complex overlooks the Saint Lawrence River, with a 69,940square-foot casino located within a hotel. Hours: Open year-round. July–Labor Day: Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; mid-May–June and September–October: Sun.–Thu., 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–3 a.m.; November–mid-May: Sun.–Thu., 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Special longer hours around Christmas and New Year’s. Slot Machines: 800+: 25¢–$100, of which 117 are progressive slots (25¢–$200), also 12 video poker (25¢–$1) Table Games: 20: Baccarat, 8 blackjack ($5–$5,000), 2 Caribbean Stud ($5–$100), craps, 1 Let It Ride ($5–$50), 1 mini-baccarat ($10–$500), pai gow poker, 2 American roulette ($1–$500), keno, casino war Poker: No Entertainment: “Ambience music” in La Timonerie bar Restaurants: 5: Le Bellerive Bistro (lunch, dinner; 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), Le Charlevoix (gourmet dinners; 6 p.m.–10 p.m.), Le Créneau (bar and snacks; noon to casino closing), Le Saint-Laurent (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 7 a.m.–10 p.m.), Tearoom (pastries and teas; open as needed) Accommodations: 405 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Rental dog sleds, snowmobile parking, 18-hole golf course, skiing, snowmobile trails nearby, swimming pool, horseback riding, tennis court. Hotel has a health spa.


Montréal Montréal (population 3.5 million) is Québec’s largest city. The main language is French, spoken by about two-thirds of the residents. Montréal has cold winters, warm summers, and old-world charm year-round. It’s a great city for walking, known for its safety, and also has good public transportation, including an excellent metro.

35. Casino de Montréal

SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan (population 979,000) is one of the prairie provinces. It’s big, flat, and known mainly for agriculture. It is in the Central Time zone, but does not move to Daylight Savings Time in the summer. All gaming in Saskatchewan is administered by the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SGC), and run in partnership with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) under an agreement that provides for joint management and revenue sharing. A portion of the profits of SGC goes to FSIN. All but two casinos in Saskatchewan are First Nation establishments. Most are small. Of the remaining two, in Moose Jaw and Regina, both run by the same organization, only Casino Regina is large enough to be called world class. Gaming at the two is licensed by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA). Provincial regulations require all slot machines in Saskatchewan to pay out a minimum of 85 percent. The minimum age for casino play is 19.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: service_clientele@loto-Québec.com Description: Casino of over half a million square feet on 5 floors Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,080 Table Games: 124: 1 baccarat ($100–$5,000), 60 blackjack ($5–$2,000), 10 Caribbean Stud ($5–$100), craps, 3 Let It Ride ($5–$50), 7 mini-baccarat ($20–$500), 3 pai gow poker ($5–$500), 27 American roulette ($1–$1,000), sic bo, 2 super pan 9 ($25–$200), 2 keno lounges, three-card poker, casino war, touch bet roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret du Casino hosts world-class variety shows and musical revues. Le Carré lounge has live singing and music. Restaurants: 4: La Bonne Carte (buffet; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), L’entre-mise (snack bar; always open), Nuances (CAA/AAA Five-Diamond gourmet restaurant; business dress code: tie optional, suit required, jeans not permitted; Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.; reservations recommended), Via Fortuna (Italian; lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Perhaps one of the most elegant casinos in Canada. Nuances is one of the finest restaurants in Canada. Gaming instruction. Periodic blackjack tournaments, entry $275, plus mini-tournaments every Wed., entry $25. Also, slot tournaments.

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Address: 1 Avenue Du Casino, Montréal, Québec H3C 4W7 Phone: 514–392–2746; toll-free: 1–800–665–2274; fax: 514–864–4950 Website: French: www.casino-de-montreal.com; English: www.casinode-montreal.com/accueil_cm.jsp?Params=Y.US.1.0

Prince Albert Prince Albert (population 34,200), the third-largest city (after Saskatoon and Regina) in Saskatchewan, lies approximately in the center of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, 90 miles north of Saskatoon. Known as the “Gateway to the North,” being the most northerly major center as well as being situated where the agricultural prairie of the south meets the forested and lakeland areas of the north, Prince Albert’s main industries are mining, forestry, and agriculture. Founded in 1886 and incorporated as the city of Prince Albert in 1904, it was named after Prince Albert Victor, son of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII).

36. Northern Lights Casino

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Address: 44 Marquis Road West, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 7L7 Phone: 306–764–4777; fax: 306–922–1000; hotel reservations: 306–922–5000 Website: www.siga.sk.ca/NorthernLights

NORTH AMERICA

Description: First Nation 36,200-square-foot casino Hours: Sun.12 p.m.–3 a.m.; Mon.–Wed., 10 a.m.–a.m.; Thu.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 294, plus 183 VLTs Table Games: 15: 10 blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, red dog, 2 roulette Poker: 2 tables: 7-stud ($1-$5); hold’em on request. Occasional money-added tournaments Entertainment: Live lounge entertainment Restaurants: 1: Northstar (buffet; lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Gift shop, meeting facility

Regina Regina (population 180,000) is the capital of Saskatchewan. It is the Canadian city closest to the geographical center of North America. It lies on the flat, treeless prairie about 100 miles north of the U. S. border. Its original name was Pile O’ Bones, a translation of Wascana, the native name for a nearby creek. Since this was considered unsuitable for a capital, the city was renamed Regina (“queen” in Latin) in honor of Queen Victoria. Many visitors mispronounce the name of the city; it’s R’JIE-nuh.

37. Casino Regina Address: 1880 Saskatchewan Drive, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0B2 Phone: 306–565–3000; toll-free: 1–800–555–3189; fax: 306–787–5880; show reservations: 306–565–3000 Website: www.casinoregina.com Description: 10,000-square-foot casino Hours: Daily 9 a.m.–4 a.m., closed Dec. 24–25. Poker room: 5 p.m–4 a.m. weekdays, 12 p.m–4 a.m. weekends and holidays. Slot Machines: Over 750 slot machines, including specialty games and multiline games, in 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, and $1 credits. Includes progressive slots, with jackpot guaranteed to be over $250,000. Also keno machines, video poker machines, and a Royal Ascot horse racing machine. Table Games: 35+: Baccarat ($10–$500), progressive blackjack, blackjack,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Caribbean Stud ($5–$100), Let It Ride ($5–$10), red dog ($5–$100), three-card poker, casino war, French roulette ($1–$500), keno Poker: Annual Harvest Poker Classic, two weeks of the largest tournaments in Canada. No-limit hold’em tournaments every Sat. at 1 p.m., $20+$5 buy-in, with $20 rebuys and a $20 add-on. Regular Omaha high-low and hold’em tournaments. Entertainment: Show lounge, featuring pop and country favorites Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Casino Regina slots return an average of over 92 percent. Slot tournaments. Players Club slot card for cash back and prizes.

38. Emerald Casino Address: 2606 Lorne Avenue, Saskatoon Praireland Exhibition Center Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 4E4 Phone: 306–683–8845; toll-fee: 1–888–931–9333; fax: 306–683–8848 Website: www.saskatoonex.com/emerald Email: [email protected] Description: 16,000-square-foot casino Hours: Sun.–Thu, 9:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 9:30 a.m.–4 a.m. VLTs: Open Mon.–Sat. 10:30 a.m., noon Sun. Slot Machines: 100 VLTs Table Games: 27: Craps ($5–$200), blackjack, progressive blackjack, Canadian stook, roulette, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride Bonus, Triple Thot Bonus, Tre’ Card Stud, Extreme 21, baccarat Poker: 7-stud: ($1-$5 spread limit); 7-stud high-low ($2-$10 spread limit); hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, $3-$6-$12, $5-$10, $10-$20), Omaha high-low ($3-$6, $4-$8, $3-$6-$12, $5-$10, $10-$20). Tournaments every Wed. at 7:30 p.m. 10 percent rake to a maximum of $3. Jackpot drop of $1 per pot. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Open 10:30 a.m. Mon.–Sat., noon Sun. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Next to the Western Development Museum. Casino has simulcast racing and a racebook. Lottery tickets. Spectators permitted in poker room, so if a friend is playing or you just want to learn, this is a good place for that. Tournaments in blackjack, roulette, and poker. Free gaming lessons in blackjack, mini-baccarat, and roulette.

NORTH AMERICA

Saskatoon (population 230,000), Saskatchewan’s largest city, on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, is in the central part of the province, about 190 miles from the U.S. border and 160 miles northwest of Regina. The name “Saskatoon” comes from the Cree Indian name, mis-sask-quah-toomina, of a local indigenous berry. Saskatoon berries make great pies and are well known in Canada.

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Saskatoon

YUKON TERRITORY

The Yukon (population 31,000) is one of Canada’s northern territories, above British Columbia between Alaska and the Northwest Territories. Whitehorse is the capital.

Dawson City Some 40,000 visitors come to Dawson City every summer, though the population itself has dwindled to 2,000 from 40,000 at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.

39. Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall

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Address: 4th Avenue and Queen Street, Dawson City, Yukon Territory Y0B 1G0 Phone: 867–993–5525, 867–993–5575; fax: 867–993–5513 Website: www.dawsoncity.ca/attr_dtg.php

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: This 8,000-square-foot casino was Canada’s first legalized gambling hall. The building was built in 1910, and transformed in 1971 into a casino named after a famous dance-hall queen, Gertie Lovejoy, who received her nickname from having a diamond inserted between her two front teeth. Hours: May–Sep.: Mon.–Fri., 7 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat.–Sun., 2 p.m.–2 a.m.; Feb.–Apr.: Thu.–Sat., 7 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 64, including video poker Table Games: Blackjack, red dog, multiaction blackjack, American roulette Poker: Hold’em, pineapple high-low, Omaha high-low Entertainment: Live can-can show Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $6 nightly, $20 season pass Dress Code: No Bonus: Revenue from Gerties is reinvested in the community to preserve history, produce local events and tourist attractions, and promote the Klondike area.

The United States A BIT OF HISTORY

The history of gambling in the United States is not always clear and verifiable. You’ll find in many history books that the earliest settlements in America were partly funded by lotteries. George Washington is reported to have run a lottery to fund construction of a road to his Appalachia property. Many say that New Orleans was the first major gambling center in the United States. By the early 1700s, many taverns had special areas and tables dedicated to gambling. In 1823, gambling was officially legalized there; it cost $5,000, a lot of money for the time, for a license to operate a casino, and the money was allocated to schools and hospitals. By 1850, there were more than 5,000 casinos along the Mississippi River; they offered mainly craps and card games. Many of these establishments were open 24 hours a day. Riverboat gambling gained a lot of notoriety in the 1800s, with many professional

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE gamblers plying their trade up and down the Mississippi River. Many of these so-called professionals were nothing more than cheats and thieves, and riverboat gambling died out in the 1860s. But even during their heyday of 1840–60, riverboats were not the floating casinos seen today on many riverways; instead, the gambling was among passengers, and often surreptitious.

RIVERBOAT GAMBLING

Casino gambling in the Midwest began on April 1, 1991, when the Diamond Jo made its maiden voyage down the Mississippi River in Iowa. Riverboat casinos once were forced to have regular sailing trips to maintain the fiction of not being land-based, even if such trips merely meant traveling a few miles or less away from where they normally docked. Those subject to extreme weather conditions were later not required to sail in the winter. Eventually laws were modified to allow riverboats to be permanently docked. Some were essentially barges and could not really sail if forced to. Some still maintained sailing schedules—even if they never actually sailed—and patrons could enter only during specified hours and were forced to leave at the end of each time period. Such casinos now have taken the form of dockside riverboat casinos and are permanently moored. Their only difference from land-based casinos is that they are physically located on the water, usually a state’s major river, although different states have different definitions of which tributaries legally constitute elements of the specific waterway.

STATES NOT LISTED

Some states have no major casinos and thus are not listed here. For example, at the time of this writing, Wyoming has no poker or casino gambling at all. Idaho has only a few casinos. None has table games, and all are too small to be considered among the world’s best.

NORTH AMERICA

The face of gambling in the United States underwent a great change in 1987, when the Supreme Court ruled in a California case that Native American tribes could establish casinos in states that already offered other forms of gambling. On the heels of this decision, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988. This set in motion procedures under which tribes would negotiate with states to establish casinos. The first such successful negotiation was a compact between the Cabazon Indians of Southern California with the state of California. Tribes campaigned to be recognized by the federal government. Some tribes didn’t even have land of their own, but together with outside consultants they established their claims. Now some tribes consisting of as few as a couple of dozen members earn over $100 million a year on casinos that have been constructed on their reservations and rival the best of Las Vegas.

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NATIVE AMERICAN CASINOS

ARIZONA

Casino gaming in Arizona is conducted by Native American tribes. At the time of this writing, there were 17 such casinos. Just as in other states, the tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. This act permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The minimum age for gambling in Arizona is 21.

Camp Verde Camp Verde (population 9,500) is on the Verde River in central Arizona, 45 miles south of Flagstaff and 120 miles north of Phoenix.

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40. Cliff Castle Casino

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 555 Middle Verde Road, Camp Verde, Arizona 86322 Phone: 928–567–7900; toll-free: 1–800–381–SLOT (1–800–381–7568); fax: 928–567–7901; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–524–6343 Website: www.cliffcastle.com Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Description: 140,000-square-foot Native American (Yavapai-Apache Nation) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 570 Table Games: 14: Blackjack, with liberal Nevada rules Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em, Omaha high and high-low, 7-stud high and high-low. Bad beat jackpots. Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em shootout ($15 buy-in, no rebuys): Mon. 11 a.m., 6 p.m.; Wed. 11 a.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. Limit hold’em shootout ($15 buy-in, no rebuys): Tue., Thu. 11 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. No-limit hold’em ($25 buy-in, $10 rebuys, $5 entry fee): Wed. 7 p.m., Sat. 12:30 p.m. All first-place tournament winners are entered into a free-roll shootout the last Sun. of each month. World Poker Tour qualifier satellites run regularly, with online registration available. Entertainment: Stargazer Pavilion has outdoor headliner shows. Free lounge shows. Restaurants: 4: Storytellers (dinner, Thu.–Sun.), Gallery (all meals, always open), Gathering (café), Johnny Rockets (burgers) Accommodations: No. Lodge at Cliff Castle nearby. Family Amenities: Kids’ menus at Gallery Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Castle Club rewards card. Line dancing, with lessons, Thu. in the Dragonfly Lounge 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Cash and prize giveaways. Blackjack tournaments, with cash added by the casino. Game show night to Castle Club members on Wed. nights, with cash prizes. Stay-and-play $67 packages for accommodations Sun.–Thu. at Lodge at Cliff Castle, and reductions in golf fees; package includes a $30 meal, drink tickets, and $10 in quarters. Cliff Castle Casino is close to major tourist attractions, including Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Montezuma Castle cliff dwellings.


Chandler Chandler (population 202,000) is about 15 miles southeast of Phoenix.

41. Gila River Casino-Wild Horse Pass

Laveen Laveen (population 6,000), is a suburb of Phoenix located approximately 4 miles southwest of the city.

42. Gila River Casino-Vee Quiva Address: 6443 North Komatke Lane, Laveen, Arizona 85339 Phone: 520–796–7777; toll-free: 1–800–WINGILA (1–800–946–4452); fax: 520–796–7835 Website: www.wingilariver.com/veequiva.php Description: 116,700-square-foot Native American (Pima and Maricopa) casino, 15 miles south of the I-10 freeway on 51st Avenue Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500: 5¢–$2; reel and video, video keno, poker, blackjack Table Games: 8: Blackjack ($5–$500) Poker: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha daily, with limits of $1-$3 up to $100-$300 Entertainment: Karaoke every Wed. 7–11 p.m. Live local entertainment every Thu., Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 2: restaurant, deli Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card, usable at any Gila River Casino. High-stakes bingo twice daily (12:30, 6:30 p.m.) in 500-seat hall. Nonsmoking

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 167,000-square-foot Native American (Pima and Maricopa) casino, off I-10 freeway on Wild Horse Pass Boulevard (exit 162) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750: 5¢–$2; reel and video; video keno, poker, blackjack Table Games: 18 blackjack ($5–$500), keno (live, multirace, with payouts up to $100,000) Poker: 7stud, hold’em, Omaha daily, with limits of $1-$3 up to $100-$300 Entertainment: Karaoke every Wed. 7–11 p.m. Live local entertainment every Thu., Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 3: Restaurant with buffet, 2 delis; 4 in hotel Accommodations: Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa next door has 500 rooms Family Amenities: Koyote Kid’s Club provides entertaining and educational activities for children, ages 5–12 years, of resort guests. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card, usable at any Gila River Casino. High-stakes bingo twice daily (12:30, 6:30 p.m.) in 1,500-seat hall. Nonsmoking areas. Global Cash Access permits casino patrons to redeem slot tickets, vouchers, and coupons, perform ATM, debit, and credit card cash advance transactions, redeem players’ club points for complimentary services and cash, and break bills to exchange currency on one machine. Over 100,000 square feet of meeting space at resort. Spa. Free and valet parking.

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Address: 5550 West Wildhorse Pass, Chandler, Arizona 85226 Phone: 520–796–7777; toll-free: 1–800–WINGILA (1–800–946–4452); fax: 520–796–7835 Website: www.wingilariver.com/wildhorsepass.php

areas. Global Cash Access permits casino patrons to redeem slot tickets, vouchers, and coupons, perform ATM, debit, and credit card cash advance transactions, redeem players’ club points for complimentary services and cash, and break bills to exchange currency on one machine. Cash giveaways. Free and valet parking.

Fountain Hills Fountain Hills (population 22,475) is a suburb of Phoenix located 20 miles east of the city and right next to Scottsdale. It is the site of what is billed as one of the world’s highest fountains, which sends a stream of water 560 feet into the sky from the center of a manmade lake.

43. Fort McDowell Casino

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Address: 10424 North Fort McDowell Road, Fountain Hills, Arizona 85269 Phone: 480–837–1424; toll-free: 1–800–THEFORT (1–800–843–3678) Website: www.fortmcdowellcasino.com

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 150,000-square-foot Native American (Yavapai) casino, on the northwest corner of Fort McDowell Road and State Route 87 (Beeline Highway). From the Phoenix area: Take Shea Boulevard east to State Route 87 (Beeline Highway), turn left (northeast), after 2 miles turn left on Fort McDowell Road; or, take State Route 87 (Beeline Highway) north, and 2 miles past Shea Boulevard turn left on Fort McDowell Road. From northeast Arizona: Take State Route 87 (Beeline Highway) south 60 miles past Payson, and turn right on Fort McDowell Road. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 775: reel, video, and progressive Table Games: Live million-dollar keno, blackjack with Las Vegas rules Poker: Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high and high-low. Bad beat jackpots. No-limit hold’em tournaments every day at noon and 7 p.m., with buy-ins of $13, $17, $27 (your choice, depending on how many chips you would like to start the tournament with), plus $10 rebuys for the first hour. You can earn up to 2,000 extra tournament chips by playing in a live poker game before the tournament. $1,000 is added to the prize pool and the top 10 finishers are paid. Entertainment: Showroom, with lounge and tribute shows, live music Restaurants: 5: Silver Platter (’50s food; in bingo hall, open from 7:30 am), Café 87 (American and Asian), Beeline Deli (24 hours), Lucky 7 Saloon (11 a.m.–12:45 am), Verde River Buffet, The Peaks (steaks, seafood) Accommodations: No. Several hotels nearby. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. High-stakes bingo 2 or 3 times daily. Karaoke contest with cash prizes Tue. 7:30 p.m. Fort McDowell Adventures offers a Wild West experience on the 25,000-acre Yavapai Indian Reservation, just minutes from Fort McDowell Casino. Free poker lessons for beginners. Free shuttles from area locations. Daily benefits for seniors (55+). Valet parking.


Maricopa Maricopa (population 5,000), is 20 miles south of Phoenix, west of Interstate Highway 10.

44. Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino Resort

Parker Parker (population 3,140) is on the California–Arizona border, where highway 62 from Twenty-Nine Palms crosses the Colorado River and meets Arizona’s highway 95.

45. BlueWater Resort and Casino Address: 11300 Resort Drive, Parker, Arizona 85344 Phone: 928–669–7777; toll-free: 1–888–243–3360; entertainment information: 928–669–7035 Website: www.bluewaterfun.com Description: 30,000-square-foot Native American casino in a resort on the Colorado River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Keno hours Mon.–Thu.,11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri.–Sun., 7 a.m.–11 p.m. Poker room opens Mon.–Sun. at 7 p.m. Slot Machines: 460: 5¢–$1 Table Games: Blackjack, keno Poker: Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud. Hold’em tournaments Tue., Thu. 7 p.m. Entertainment: Summer Concerts. Concerts in the resort’s outdoor amphitheater have featured John Michael Montgomery, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, America, Dick Dale, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, and the Commodores. Dig Lounge (Tue.–Sun. 8 p.m.–1 a.m.) has live entertainment,

NORTH AMERICA

Email: None available outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website. Description: 40,000-square-foot casino in a resort near Phoenix Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year (keno opens at 10 a.m.). Poker room open Wed.–Sun. at 10:00 a.m. (closed Mon., Tue.) Slot Machines: 950: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, and $5 reel and video machines. Progressive and linked machines, video keno, 21, poker, all with bill acceptors. Table Games: 21: Blackjack ($5–$500), $100,000 keno Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. Tournaments and progressive bad-beat jackpots. Entertainment: Free lounge and local acts most nights in Oasis Lounge Restaurants: 4: Harvest Buffet (open nightly 5 p.m.), Range Steakhouse (6p.m.–11 p.m.), Agave’s Southwest Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Munchies (deli, 24 hours) Accommodations: 146 rooms, including 4 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 10,000-square-foot “Bingotainment Center,” with sessions Wed.–Sun. 12:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Total Rewards card, with cash and merchandise giveaways, specials for seniors (50+). Three ballrooms, one 5,000 square feet, for group dining and for business meetings. Wedding facilities. Jacuzzi, outdoor pool with swim-up bar. Dance floor.

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Address: 15406 North Maricopa Road, Maricopa, Arizona 85239 Phone: 480–802–5000; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino Resort Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/akc

karaoke. Restaurants: 4: River Willow (steak, etc., open 5p.m.–11 p.m.), The Feast (buffet, open Sun.–Thu. 6 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 a.m.–2 a.m.), River’s Edge Cantina (open Wed.–Sun. 10 a.m. to dusk, on the water, serving burgers, hot dogs, French fries, snacks), Bluewater Bakery (6 a.m.–1 p.m., serving pastries, sandwiches, soup, coffee specialties, etc.), plus snack bar Accommodations: 200 rooms, including suites Family Amenities: Indoor water park (9 a.m.–10 p.m.), video arcade, 18-hole miniature golf Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot club rewards card. Bingo twice daily. Conference center for meetings accommodates up to 450; weddings, reunions, graduations, etc., hosted. Four-plex theater next door.

Pinetop 36

Pinetop (population 3,600) is within the largest stand of Ponderosa pines in the U.S. Pinetop is located near the junction of State Routes 73 and 260, 130 miles northeast of Phoenix. The area attracts tourists year round, and on busy holiday weekends the population rises to 20,000 to 30,000.

NORTH AMERICA

46. Hon-Dah Casino Address: 777 Highway 260, Pinetop, Arizona 85935 Phone: 928–369–0299; toll-free: 1–800–929–8744 Website: www.hon-dah.com/casino.html Description: 19,000-square-foot Native American (White Mountain Apache) casino located in the White Mountains 3 miles south of Pinetop, at the junction of State Routes 73 and 260. “Hon-Dah” means “welcome” in Apache. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon.–Fri. 4 p.m. until closing, Sat., Sun. 2 p.m. until closing. Slot Machines: 596: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5; reel, video poker, progressives, multidenomination machines, state-wide network for megajackpots. About half the machines are ticket in-ticket out and also take cash, the rest are coin pay machines Table Games: 6: Blackjack (limits Thu. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: $3–$25, $5–$50, $10–$100; limits can be raised after 5 p.m. and on weekends) Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($6-$12), Omaha, 7-stud ($1-$5 spread limit), or any game on request. Regular tournaments: Mon. 6 p.m. mixed hold’emOmaha-crazy pineapple ($10 buy-in, $5 rebuys), Tue. 6 p.m. mixed hold’em-Omaha ($20 buy-in, 1 $20 rebuy), Wed. 6 p.m. no-limit hold’em (1 $30 buy-in), Thu. 6 p.m. Omaha (1 $30 buy-in), Sat. 3 p.m. no-limit hold’em ($10 buy-in, $10 rebuys), Sun. 3 p.m. crazy pineapple ($15 buy-in, $5 rebuys) Entertainment: Live bands (Tue.–Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight), concerts, comedy club (Mon. 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.) Restaurants: 1: Indian Pines (breakfast, lunch, dinner, buffets; Sun.–Thu. 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 a.m.–11 p.m.); plus 1 lounge, 2 bars Accommodations: 128 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card for slots. Gift shop. RV park has 258 sites with full hookups. Daily shuttle to Sunrise Ski Resort (19 miles away). Summer tours of reservation and White Mountain Area. Only casino within 120 miles. Onsite convenience store. Ski and outdoor sports shop where ski equipment can be rented during the season, and fishing licenses can be purchased during fishing season. Pow-Wow in the Pines in June highlights native culture and the White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers. Conference center with the area’s largest (8,482 square feet) meeting room, accommodat-

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE ing over 700 in theater-style seating and 450 for banquet-style seating; 6 independent conference rooms, also configurable as 1 large room.

Prescott Prescott (population 34,000), 75 miles northwest of Phoenix, was the original capital of the Arizona Territory from 1863 until the territorial capital moved to Tucson in 1867. It was again the capital from 1877–1889, until Phoenix became the final state capital. Nonlocals incorrectly call the city press-KOT; locals say PRESS-k’t.

Description: Two Native American (Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe) casinos with 24,000 square feet of gaming, about half a mile apart. Bucky’s is in Prescott Resort, where the hotel is; Yavapai is at the entrance. From Phoenix (90 minutes): Go north on I-17 to Cordes Junction exit (Exit 262), take Highway 69 west into Prescott; Bucky’s Casino adjoins the Prescott Resort and Yavapai Casino is just across the street. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 475 Table Games: 8: Blackjack (including $2 tables 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri.) Poker: 6 tables (at Yavapai): Hold’em ($3-$6, sometimes $6-$12), 7-stud ($1$4 spread-limit, not frequent), 7-stud high-low ($1-$3-$6-$6), Omaha high-low ($3-$6). Bad beat jackpots. Regular tournaments: Tue., Sat. noon–2:15 p.m., limit/no-limit hold’em ($20+$5, unlimited $10 rebuys first hour, $30 add-on, $125 added per table, 10 rounds of 10 minutes each, final table no-limit, extra starting chips for live hold’em play 9 a.m. on). Sun. 10 a.m.–12:15 p.m., no-limit hold’em shootout ($15 buy-in, no rebuys, no house fee, winner takes all, 10 10-minute rounds, winner at each table qualifies for the last Sun. freeroll). Last Sun. of each month 6 p.m.–8:15 p.m. no-limit hold’em freeroll (only qualified players, $600 added, 10 rounds of 10 minutes each). Thu. 6 p.m.–8:15 p.m. 7-stud ($20+$5, 1 $25 rebuy any time during first hour, $125 added per table, 10 10-minute rounds, final table no-limit, extra starting chips for live 7-stud play prior-tournament). All added money in tournaments comes from the jackpot fund. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: canteen at Yavapai, restaurant at hotel Accommodations: Prescott Resort has 161 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Gold Rush Club rewards card for slots, bingo, poker. Cash giveaways. Bingo daily, except Mon., Fri., with nonsmoking sections. Free shuttle from area communities, including Phoenix.

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 1505 E. State Route 69, Prescott, Arizona 86301 Phone: poker room: 928–541–9482; toll-free: 1–800–SLOTS–44 (1–800–756–8744) Website: www.buckyscasino.com

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47. Bucky’s & Yavapai Casinos

San Carlos San Carlos (population 3,700) is 90 miles east of Tucson on Highway 70. At an elevation of 3,400 feet, the summer temperatures here run 15 percent cooler than Phoenix and Tucson.

48. Apache Gold Hotel Casino Address: Highway 70, San Carlos, Arizona 85501 Phone: 928–475–7800; toll-free: 1–800–APACHE–8 (1–800–272–2438); fax: 928–475–7692 Website: www.apachegoldcasinoresort.com

38 NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 60,000-square-foot Native American (San Carlos Apache) casino in a resort complex, 5 miles east of Globe Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500+: 5¢, 25¢, $1; video and reel slot machines and wide-area progressives. Video roulette and craps. Table Games: 6 blackjack, $50,000 live keno Poker: 5 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, with a kill for winning 2 in a row). Daily high hand awards, free logo satin jacket for royal flush. Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em Wed., Thu. 6 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Entertainment: Cabaret Showroom features shows from Las Vegas and around the country, including country music, rock and roll, funk and hip-hop, and Broadway shows. Restaurants: 2: Apache Grill, Wickiup Buffet Accommodations: 146room Best Western Hotel, offering stay-and-play packages ($39 for two), and special rates for Fun Bus customers. Also, golf rates. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Keno runners. Bingo. Bingo tournaments. Poker room menu. Free poker lessons. Golf-and-hotel specials. RV park with over 60 spaces. Apache Stronghold 18-hole championship golf course. Hotel has Jacuzzi, pool.

Scottsdale Scottsdale (population 221,200), a suburb, is 5 miles east of Phoenix.

49. Casino Arizona at Salt River Address: 524 North 92nd Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85256 Phone: 480–850–7777; toll-free: 1–877–724–4687 Website: www.casinoaz.com Email: Contact form on website. Description: 100,000-square-foot Native American (Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community) casino. Directions: From Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, take the 202 freeway eastbound to the 101 freeway northbound, exit at McKellips, turn right (east), then take a left at 92nd Street. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 998, all ticket-pay (no coins); multi-denominational; includes 80 highlimit slots. The Casino Arizona slot floor features BJ Blitz, a multistation video blackjack game, video roulette, video poker, and progressives. Table Games: 50 blackjack, $250,000 keno Poker: No Entertainment: The Showroom at Casino Arizona is a 250-

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE seat cabaret-style venue featuring entertainers six nights a week from the worlds of jazz, country, rock, and popular music, as well as comedy, production reviews, dance, and magic shows. It also features Showstoppers Live, a popular musical tribute to America’s greatest superstars. Performances Sun. and Tue. 7 p.m., Wed.–Sat. 7 and 9 p.m. Has an outdoor mesquite fireplace and indoor living room atmosphere. Restaurants: 4 (2 open 24 hours) plus 6 lounges Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary first-class limousine service available throughout the valley; call 480–850–7790 for details. Cashback Players’ Club rewards card. Cashback Players’ Club members get reductions at certain area hotels. Native art featured in casino. Blackjack classes Sat., Sun. 4 p.m.–7 p.m.

Email: Contact form on website Description: 30,000-square-foot Native American (Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community) casino, located next to Scottsdale’s Pavilions Shopping Center and Talking Stick Golf Course. Directions: From Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, take 202 east to the 101 freeway north, exit going east at Indian Bend Road. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; keno 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 532, all ticket-pay (no coins); multi-denominational; includes 80 highlimit slots. The Casino Arizona slot floor features BJ Blitz, a multistation video blackjack game, video roulette, video poker, and progressives. Table Games: 36 blackjack, $250,000 keno. Poker: 45 tables: Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud. Tournaments 5 days a week and 1 Sat. a month: Mon. 11 a.m., Tue. 7 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 11 a.m., Fri. 11 a.m. Players earn points every time they place in a tournament. Qualifying players compete in a shootout challenge, the top semifinalists then compete the next day, with the top two finishers receiving a $10,000 entry to a major event in Las Vegas, plus round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and a cash prize. Bad-beat jackpots. An “Aces Cracked Wins a Rack” hold’em promotion on graveyard from 3 a.m–9 a.m. Mon.–Fri. pays out an average of $1,000 per day. Graveyard bonus jackpots: $25,000 added to the posted jackpot amount 3 a.m–8 a.m. Mon.–Fri. for stud and hold’em. Entertainment: Lounge entertainment Restaurants: 2 plus 3 lounges Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Poker room completely nonsmoking. Blackjack classes Sat., Sun. 4 p.m.–7 p.m. Poker classes Sat., Sun. 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Off-track betting (dog races only). Complimentary first class limousine service available throughout the valley; call 480–850–7790 for details. Cashback Players’ Club rewards card. Cashback Players’ Club members get reductions at certain area hotels. Native art featured in casino.

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 9700 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85256 Phone: 480–850–7777; toll-free: 1–877–724–4687 Website: www.casinoaz.com

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50. Casino Arizona at Talking Stick

Sahuarita Sahuarita (population 3,300) is 10 miles south of Tucson on the Santa Cruz River.

51. Desert Diamond Casino-I-19 Address 1100 W Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita, Arizona 85629 Phone: 520–294–7777; toll-free jackpot line: 1–866–DDC–WINS (1–866–332–9467) Website: www.desertdiamondcasino.com

40 NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Tohono O’odham Nation) casino, just south of Tucson. From Tucson, take Interstate 19 south, casino is next to the highway at Exit 80, Pima Mine Road (just south of Valencia Road). From Nogales and Green Valley, take I-19 north to Exit 80. Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–4 a.m.; Sat.–Sun. 24 hours. Keno: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–1 a.m.; Fri., Sat., 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 500: From 1¢ games to statewide progressive slots; including video poker and blackjack Table Games: 15 blackjack ($3–$500), million-dollar keno Poker: No Entertainment: Headliner performances at the 2,400-seat Diamond Center. Sports Bar’s entertainment lounge features karaoke, dance music, comedy night, local talent. Restaurants: 3: Agave (casual dining), Diamond Buffet, Diamond Grill (snack bar, open entire time casino is open) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Desert Diamond rewards card. Blackjack lessons Tue., Thu. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Shuttle service for all hotels and resorts, shuttle service for group special events, shuttle service for Green Valley residents (every day); shuttle service to Nogales, AZ (Wed.–Sun.); shuttle between Desert Diamond Casino I-19 and Desert Diamond Casino Nogales Highway locations. Custom pickup for groups of 10 or more.

Tucson Tucson (population 508,000), 110 miles southeast of Phoenix and 65 miles north of the Mexican border, is the second-largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix. It is the home of the University of Arizona.

52. Casino Del Sol Address: 5655 West Valencia, Tucson, Arizona 85746 Phone: 520–838–6506; toll-free: 1–800–344–9435 Website: www.casinodelsol.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 22,500-square-foot Native American (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) casino with high ceilings and Tuscan architecture, in south Tucson. Casino opened in late 2001. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, and multi-denominational Table Games: 16: Blackjack ($3–$500) Poker: 13 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Weekly tournaments. Jackpots. Freeroll and pot-limit games. Cash giveaways. Entertainment: Anselmo Tori Valencia Amphitheater (AVA), Arizona’s largest (5,000 seats) outdoor amphitheater, hosts

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE world-famous musical acts. The concert venue has already attracted artists such as Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, Tony Bennett, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Restaurants: 7 (fine dining, Mexican, diner, etc.) plus 3 bars Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Sol rewards club, focusing on cash back. High-stakes bingo 6 times a day. Free shuttles. For Club Sol members: Groups of 10 to 14 people all get a free meal at either Casino of the Sun or Casino Del Sol, and groups of 15 or more also get a $10 coupon.

53. Casino of the Sun

54. Desert Diamond Casino Nogales Highway Address: 7350 South Nogales Highway, Tucson, Arizona 85634 Phone: 520–294–7777; toll-free: 1–866–DDC–WINS (1–866–332–9467); poker: 520–741–3541 Website: www.desertdiamondcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Tohono O’odham Nation) casino in south Tucson. Directions: From Tucson, take I-19 south to Valencia Road, turn east on Valencia to Nogales Highway, turn south and Desert Diamond Casino is 1 mile on the right. From East Tucson, take Valencia west 2 miles past the airport, turn south on Nogales Highway, and Desert Diamond Casino is 1 mile on the right. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 808: From 1¢ games to statewide progressive slots, including video poker and blackjack Table Games: 21 blackjack ($3–$500), million-dollar keno Poker: 18 tables: Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high and high-low. Uncapped bad beat jackpots. $50 “Splash Pots” (house adds money to certain pots) Mon.–Fri. at designated times. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Grill, plus 24-hour snack bar, 1 bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes bingo, 2 or 3 times daily. Desert Diamond rewards card. Poker lessons. Half-off meals for poker players. Shuttle service for all hotels and resorts, shuttle service for group special events, shuttle service for Green Valley residents (every day); shuttle service to Nogales, AZ (Wed.–Sun.); shuttle between Desert Diamond Casino Nogales Highway and Desert Diamond I-19 locations. Custom pickup for groups of 10 or more.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 24,000-square-foot Native American (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) casino that originally opened in 1989 as a bingo hall called Arizona Club. Casino of the Sun employees 600 people. About 2 blocks from Casino Del Sol. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 410: Video poker, craps, roulette Table Games: 6: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: See Casino Del Sol Restaurants: 2: Buffet, Midnight Express (snacks) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Sol rewards club, focusing on cash back. Cash drawings. Bingo

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Address: 7406 South Camino de Oeste, Tucson, Arizona 85746 Phone: 520–879–5450; toll-free: 1–800–344–9435 Website: www.casinosun.com

Yuma Yuma (population 65,000) is in southwest Arizona near the Colorado River, which forms the border with California, 155 miles southeast of Phoenix and about 20 miles from Mexico. While the Colorado River generally forms the border between California and Arizona, the course of the river has changed over the years and the border here is not at the river, but less than a mile east. In fact, the border runs right between the two sites of Paradise Casino.

55. Paradise Casino Arizona Address: 450 Quechan Drive, Yuma, Arizona 85364 Phone: 1–888–777–I WIN (1–888–777–4946) Website: www.paradise-casinos.com

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Description: 30,000-square-foot Native American (Quechan Tribe) casino. Although this casino has only slot machines and bingo, it is of interest because it is only about 20 feet from its sister casino in Winterhaven, California; the 2 casinos straddle the state line, and Paradise Casino California has table games and poker. Paradise Casinos describe themselves as the “excitement of Las Vegas without all the hassle.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 425+: video poker, video keno, multi-game machines Table Games: No; but Paradise Casino California has table games Poker: No; but Paradise Casino California has 4 tables of poker Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Little Richard, LeAnn Rimes, Ricky Van Shelton, Pam Tillis, Thunder from Down Under Restaurants: 1: Seahorse Restaurant (24 hours) plus 2 bars (1 in each casino) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Paradise rewards card good at both casinos. Bingo.

CALIFORNIA

The first Native American casinos in the U. S. were opened in California. It was here that the first tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. It all started with the Cabazon Indians of Southern California and their Fantasy Springs Casino in the town of Indio near Palm Springs. The minimum age for gambling in California is 18, although many casinos permit only those 21 and over to enter and play. The non-tribal cardrooms, many of which are as large as any casino, do not have traditional casino games, many of which are permitted in the Native American casinos. In particular they do not have any house-banked games. They have something called California games (see glossary), but these are mainly attempts to sidestep the law. These so-called California games include several variants of blackjack, none of which is played the same as what most people know as Nevada-style blackjack. All public cardrooms in California are completely nonsmoking, by state law. Many, though not all, of the Native American casinos are nonsmoking. Most large cardrooms have on-site masseurs and masseuses, who give massages to aching seated card players, usually charging by 15-minute increments.


Alpine Alpine (population 13,200) is 25 miles east of San Diego, at the base of the Cuyamaca Mountains near Highway 8. The city, at an elevation of 4,000 feet, claims to have the best climate in the U.S. It has a large factory outlet center.

56. Viejas Casino

Blue Lake Blue Lake (population 1,140) is in northwestern California, 10 miles from the Pacific and 225 miles north of San Francisco.

57. Blue Lake Casino Address: 777 Casino Way Blue Lake, California 95525 Phone: 707–668–9778 Website: www.bluelakecasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Voted best casino on the North Coast, Blue Lake Casino boasts a “high level of guest services, quality gaming, and entertainment.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot machines: 700 Table games: 16: Blackjack, Spanish 21, Lucky Ladies Poker: Trillium Poker room offers hold’em, Omaha, Omaha high-low, dealer’s choice. Daily tournaments include low buy-ins and freerolls, plus bounty events. See website for current schedule. Poker lessons. Ladies’ tournaments. Entertainment: Sapphire Palace has live shows, like Scott Amendola Jazz Trio. Steelhead Lounge has free live music nightly 9 p.m–1 a.m., karaoke night Thu. Also dancing. Restaurants: 3: Alice’s (buffet), Lily Pad Café (24 hours; breakfast buffet midnight–10 a.m.), Sapphire Palace (banquet hall) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club

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Description: 210,000-square-foot Native American casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000, including many with linked jackpots that are regularly in the millions of dollars; 5¢ machines and up. See website for current jackpots. Table Games: 35 blackjack ($5–$5,000), 20 pai gow poker, Let It Ride, and 8 tables of the following three games: double-hand baccarat, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: 21 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, or 7-stud. Daily and weekly tournaments, plus other monthly promotions. Entertainment: Sun.: Big bands (free); Fri. and Sat.: Top 40 shows (free); special entertainment other nights Restaurants: 5: Grove Steakhouse, Harvest Buffet, Sunrise Diner, China Camp, Mezz Deli Accommodations: No. Country Inn in Alpine is 3 miles away. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Outlet center next door. Off-track betting. Pai gow poker tournaments. Bingo: 7 regularly-scheduled games daily, $32,000 pot on Sun. V-Club rewards program. Valet parking.

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Address: 5000 Willows Road, Alpine, California 91901 Phone: 619–445–5400; toll-free: 1–800–84–POKER (1–800–847–6537); fax: 619–659–1954 Website: www.viejas.com

rewards card; earn gifts and cash. Special deals for seniors on Tue. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Bingo 4 or 5 days a week. Free shuttle from Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville.

Brooks Brooks (population 500) is northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area and 35 miles northwest of Sacramento.

58. Cache Creek Casino Resort

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Address: 14455 Highway 16 (at the corner of Wintun Road), Brooks, California 95606 Mailing address: Box 65, Brooks, California 95606 Phone: 530–796–3118; toll-free California: 1–800–452–8181; toll-free nationwide: 1–800–992–8686; fax: 530–796–2112 Website: www.cachecreek.com

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Description: A Native American casino owned and operated by the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians begun as a bingo hall in 1985, Cache Creek now encompasses 74,720 square feet of casino space. The 415,000-square-foot property also includes a 200-room luxury hotel and health spa, 8 restaurants, Club 88 entertainment venue, a 20,000-squarefoot event center, outdoor swimming pool, casino gift shop, and tribal-operated Mini Mart, gas station, and fire station. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,200: Includes the only 10¢ car carousel in Northern California, plus more than 550 progressive machines that accept anywhere from 2–300 coins. More than 500 nickel machines, plus 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25, $100. Automated kiosks for ticket redemption line. Table Games: 120+: Blackjack (minimums from $5 up to $500, maximum wagers of $5,000; 2 single-deck blackjack tables and 5 double-deck tables), Caribbean Stud, Fortune Pai Gow, triple-bet Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, casino war, threecard poker Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8; no-limit, $1-$2 blinds, $100 buyin, can buy more if get below $100) Entertainment: Live entertainment daily. Musicians perform inside the casino on the Center Stage 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Club 88 showcases its own floor show Karaoke Kabaret, Thu.–Sun. 6 p.m.–10:30 p.m. The Event Center features headline entertainment. Restaurants: 8: Kung Fu Fat’s Asia Café, Loco Caliente Mexican Cantina, C2 Steak & Seafood, 400-seat Harvest Buffet, 24-hour Creekside Café, Food Court (featuring Blue Point Oyster Bar, The Deli, and Sweets, etc.) Accommodations: 200-room (includes 27 suites) four-star luxury hotel located next to casino Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cache Club: bonus card points. Limited nonsmoking slot area. Slot tournaments scheduled regularly through the Cache Club. Separate high-limit room available for blackjack and baccarat players that includes a full-service bar and VIP cashier cage. Bingo with 1,000 seats and large full-color screens and monitors: Mon.–Thu., with matinee sessions on Sun., ranges from $8–$40 entries. Health spa, casino gift shop, swimming pool, 18-hole golf course.


Cabazon Cabazon (population 2,300) is 75 miles east of Los Angeles and 10 miles west of Palm Springs on Interstate 10.

59. Casino Morongo Resort & Spa

Coarsegold Coarsegold (population 9,400) is 40 miles north of Fresno and 15 miles south of Yosemite National Park.

60. Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Address: 711 Lucky Lane, Coarsegold, California 93614 Phone: 559–692–5200; toll-free: 1–866–7–WIN–WIN (1–866–7946–946) Website: www.chukchansigold.com Description: 56,000-square-foot Native American (Chukchansi Yokotch Tribe) mountain-lodge-style casino, with 4 fireplaces, waterfalls, and a wood motif; located on Highway 41 just north of Fresno. Must be 21 to play. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,800: 1¢–$100; linked and progressive, megajackpots Table Games: 47: Blackjack, pai gow poker, volcanic roulette (California roulette), poker, crazy 4, minibaccarat Poker: Not at the time of this writing, but planned soon Entertainment: Live shows, concerts with stars like Sinbad, Collin Ray, Olivia Newton-John, the Charlie Daniels Band; karaoke Restaurants: 7: California Market Buffet (specials for seniors 50+; Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–9 p.m.), Vintage Steakhouse (reservations recommended; Tue.–Sun. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., closed Mon.), Deuces Diner (Open 24 hours except Mon.–Thu. closed 6 a.m.–11 a.m.), Noodle Bar Asian Bistro (Mon. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., closed Tue.–Thu., Fri. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 3 p.m.–11 p.m.),

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Email: [email protected] Description: Newly upgraded 148,800-square-foot $250 million Native American (Morongo Band of Mission Indians) hotel-casino on a lake shore. Morongo is located 20 minutes west of Palm Springs off I-10 at the Cabazon Exit. From Los Angeles, take I-10 east toward Indio and exit at the Cabazon Exit, just past the Desert Hills Premium Outlets, and follow the signs to Casino Morongo. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000 Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud high and high-low. Bad beat jackpots. Table Games: 49: Blackjack, pai gow poker, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Morongo craps (see craps in glossary) Entertainment: Lounge acts; boxing Restaurants: 2: Café Serrano (Oriental, prime rib, seafood, salads, etc.), West End Café Accommodations: 23-story hotel has 310 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winners Club card. Poker room is nonsmoking.

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Address: 49750 Seminole Road, Cabazon, California 92230 Phone: 951–849–3080; toll-free: 1–800–252–4499, 1–888–MORONGO (1–888–667–6640) Website: www.casinomorongo.com

Goldfields Cafe (6 a.m.–11 p.m.), Firehouse Blues (cabaret sports bar with finger foods; Mon. 4 p.m.–midnight, closed Tue.–Wed., Thu. 4 p.m.–midnight, Fri. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–midnight), The Bakery (sidewalk cafe) Accommodations: 192 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Chukchansi Players Club rewards card. VIP room with 4 high-stakes tables. Private bar. Free gaming lessons weekdays 3 p.m.–4 p.m. in the table games area.

Colma

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Colma (population 1,200), 10 miles south of San Francisco on Highway 280, is the home of 17 cemeteries, where, among those of the Bay Area, many war dead are buried (plus one more for pets). The literally millions of dead vastly outnumber the living. When Lucky Chances Casino originally applied for its license, politicians who were against gambling tried to block it with a bill making it illegal to have gambling in a necropolis, of which there is only one in California. One of the cemeteries has the distinction of being the final resting place of Wyatt Earp. The movie Harold and Maud was partially filmed in Colma.

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61. Lucky Chances Casino Address: 1700 Hillside Boulevard, Colma, California 94014 Phone: 650–758–2237 Website: www.luckychances.com Description: Major cardroom less than 10 miles from downtown San Francisco and 8 miles from the San Francisco Airport. At this writing, the casino is the largest in the Bay Area. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 43 tables, about half devoted to California games: pai gow poker, tile pai gow, super pan 9 Poker: About half of the 43 tables: Limit hold’em, no-limit hold’em, Omaha high-low, pot-limit Omaha high-low, 7-stud. Buy-ins from $40–$1,000. Regular tournaments daily, limit and no-limit, with guaranteed prize pools ranging from $3,000–$10,000, plus added cash to some. Major tournaments include Gold Rush Bonanza, a week in November; Battle of the Bay, a week in June. Entertainment: Live entertainment every evening: ballroom dancing and high-energy disco music 10 p.m.–1:30a.m. Semi-formal attire. Restaurants: 2: Rene’s Fine Dining (lunch buffet 11 a.m.–3 p.m. every day, dinner Mon.–Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., brunch every Sun.), Café Colma (24-hour coffee shop, steaks and seafood, plus American, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese cuisines) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The only casino in the Bay Area with underground parking. Free valet parking.


Colusa Colusa (population 5,400) is 50 miles northwest of Sacramento, 8 miles east of Interstate 5 on Highway 20

62. Colusa Casino

Sycuan El Cajon (population 95,000) is a suburb east of San Diego on Interstate 8.

63. Sycuan Casino & Resort Address: 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, California 92019 Phone: 619–445–6002; toll-free: 1–800–2-SYCUAN (1–800–279–2826) Website: www.sycuancasino.com Description: 305,000-square-foot Native American (Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation) hotel-casino located in a beautiful valley in the foothills east of San Diego Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000 Table Games: Blackjack, pai gow, Sycuan craps (see craps in glossary), roulette, WPT hold’em (ante $2–$100 and bonus $1–$25) Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Regular daily and weekly tournaments, many with either guaranteed prize pools or money added. Most have low buy-ins, ranging from $8–$25, some with rebuys and add-ons. Entertainment: Showroom features headline entertainers like Paul Anka, Kenny Loggins, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Howie Mandel Restaurants: 5: Paipa’s Oasis Buffet, Wachena Falls Cafe, Sunset Deli, Bingo Snack Bar, Cafe & Grille, plus two lounges Accommodations: 103 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual

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Description: 50,000-square-foot Native American (Cachil Dehe Band of Wintuns) casino. Must be 21 to enter. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750+: 1¢–$5, token, ticket in-ticket out, and coin, wide-area and in-house progressive and linked jackpots, video slots, video poker Table Games: 14: California craps, single-deck blackjack, three-card poker, pai gow poker, 3–5-7 poker Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $6-$12), 7-stud ($1-$4, $1-$8 spread-limit). Regular tournaments. Hold’em, $10,000 guaranteed, second Sun. of every month 3 p.m.–7 p.m. ($155+$10); Fri., Sat., $1,000 guaranteed, hold’em 8 p.m.–11 p.m. ($20 minimum, $60 maximum buy-in). Satellites for World Series of Poker. Free poker lessons 4:30 p.m. Sun. Entertainment: Comedy shows, with comedians like Gallagher, Williams & Ree; concerts Restaurants: 1: Jack’s Bar & Grille (24 hours) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Platinum Player’s Club rewards card for slots and table play. Double points on Wed. Free plays on those days for points. Soft drinks, cocktails, beer, and wine served on the casino floor. Cash drawings in cardroom on Wed., $100 every hour 6 p.m.–9 p.m. High-stakes bingo 5 days a week: Mon., Tue., Fri., 6 p.m.; Sat., Sun., noon. Pull-tabs sold in bingo hall.

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Address: 3770 Highway 45, Colusa, California 95932 Phone: 530–458–8844; toll-free bingo hotline: 1–800–655–8946 Website: www.colusacasino.com

Bonus: Club Sycuan rewards club. Has largest nonsmoking slot area in San Diego. Moneyadded video poker tournaments Mon., Wed., and Thu. at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m., only for club members. Bingo. Off-track betting.

Gardena Gardena (population 58,000), 10 miles south of downtown Los Angeles on Highway 101, was known until the 1980s as the poker capital of the world. That distinction now applies to more than one area. Some would say Las Vegas; others say the name still belongs to Southern California.

64. Hustler Casino

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Address: 1000 West Redondo Beach Boulevard, Gardena, California 90247 Phone: 310–719–9800; toll-free: 877–968–9800 Website: www.hustlergaming.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot cardroom, with a large donut-shaped gambling floor surrounding an enclosed atrium for smokers. The casino was built by Larry Flynt, controversial publisher of Hustler magazine. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: Super pan 9, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, Caribbean Stud, 21st-Century Baccarat, California blackjack. Bad-beat jackpots. Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Regular daily and weekly tournaments, many with either guaranteed prize pools or money added. Ladies Poker Classic, a yearly event for women only. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Larry Flynt plays almost daily in the highest-stakes poker games in his establishment. You’ll also find several superstars of poker in some of those games. The gift shop is perhaps the only casino gift shop in the world in which you can purchase what some might call pornographic literature. Blackjack progressive jackpots and tournaments. Cash and car giveaways. Reward card. Bikini contests and all-male revues (for women only). Car wash, free parking, valet parking.

Highland Highland (population 45,000) is 55 miles east of Los Angeles.

65. San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino Address: 5797 North Victoria Avenue, Highland, California 92346 Phone: 909–864–5050; toll-free: 1–800–359–2464 Website: www.sanmanuel.com Email: [email protected] Description: 120,000-square-foot Native American (San Manuel Band of Mission Indians) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Slot Machines: 2,000 Table Games: 29: Blackjack Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Jackpots. Entertainment: Live pay-per-view boxing free for customers Restaurants: 4: Tutu’s Café (Thai), deli, Taste of Italy (inexpensive pizza and sandwiches), Snack Shack (Mexican fast food) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: High-stakes bingo. Blackjack tournaments. Bus tours to the casino from many Southern California cities; see website for information. In poker, double jackpots every other hour from noon to midnight on selected days and all night Sun., high hand of the hour wins $250 ($50 for Omaha). Tickets for specified hands to win a chance to spin a money wheel for cash prizes.

66. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Address: 84–245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio, California 92203 Phone: 760–342–5000; 1–800–827–2946 Website: www.fantasyspringsresort.com Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Cabazon Band of Mission Indians) casino with 80,000 square feet of Las Vegas-style gaming floor. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is north of Interstate 10 at the Golf Center Parkway exit near the city of Indio, Calif., and approximately 22 miles east of Palm Springs. Fantasy Springs is situated in the Coachella Valley in eastern Riverside County and attracts visitors from Los Angeles, Orange, and Imperial counties. Interstate 10 gives easy access from Phoenix and meets I-15, a quick link to San Diego and Las Vegas. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,956 Table Games: 28: Blackjack (hand-shuffled, machine-shuffled, or double-deck pitch; liberal rules), California craps, California roulette, mini-baccarat, three-card poker, four-card poker, jackpot pai gow, Spanish 21; limits as low as $2 Poker: No Entertainment: 4,500-seat special events center for concerts. 400-seat Fantasy Lounge, an intimate concert venue with upstairs VIP seating. “Joey & Maria’s Comedy Italian Wedding,” interactive dinner theater. Wild West Wednesdays: country music and line dancing. Indio Powwows, annual Native American festivals of song, dance, and culture sponsored by the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, continue a more-than-10-year tradition Thanksgiving weekend and the last weekend of March. Restaurants: Players Steakhouse, The Café (24 hours), The Fresh Grill Buffet (international dining featuring Italian, Asian, Mexican, American, Brazilian), The Bistro (light American cuisine, large wine list; with indoor and poolside seating, located at the new Fantasy Springs Resort Hotel) Accommodations: 250 rooms, including 10 suites Family Amenities: Fantasy Lanes Family Bowling Center, a 24-lane, state-of-the-art entertainment facility for the entire family featuring a snack bar, video arcade, pro shop, cocktail lounge, and party planner. Future plans call for new 60-lane facility. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Fantasy player’s club and VIP Diamond Club, with rewards cards. The Cabazons are the tribe that won the Cabazon Decision in 1987, causing the start of Native

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Indio (population 49,000) is 15 miles east of Palm Springs and 2 miles south or west of Interstate 10 (it turns).

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Indio

American gambling in the U.S. 750-seat Bingo Palace. Off-track satellite horse wagering. Private Diamond Club room for VIP players. Full-service facility with 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, including exhibit halls, meeting rooms, boardrooms, and ballrooms. Free valet parking and shuttle. Cabazon Cultural Museum (free admission).

Lakeside Lakeside (population 19,600) is just east of San Diego, 3 miles north of El Cajon and Interstate 8 on Highway 67.

67. Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino

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Address: 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, San Diego, California 92040 Phone: 619–443–2300; toll-free: 1–888–7–BARONA (1–888–722–76620); fax: 619–443–2856 Website: www.barona.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: $260 million 300,000-square-foot Native American (Barona Band of Mission Indians) hotel-casino located in the scenic Barona Valley, 30 minutes from downtown San Diego Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000, including video poker and keno, 5¢ machines and up. The highstakes area has $500 machines. Average daily payout is almost $14 million. Table Games: Nearly 70: Skins blackjack, jackpot pai gow poker, cash baccarat, blackjack (single-deck, double-deck, and six-deck games), super fun 21 (adds doubling on any number of cards, surrender at any time, and 2-to-1 payouts on blackjacks in diamonds), three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, casino war, Let It Ride, Barona Craps (see craps in glossary; $5–$5,000, 5x odds) Poker: 15 tables: Hold’em ($8-$16, no-limit), Omaha, 7-stud. Jackpots. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 6: Barona Oaks Steakhouse (fine dining, dinner only), Branding Iron Cafe (diner, open 24 hours), Ranch House Buffet (open daily for lunch and dinner), Food Court (Feisty Kate’s Burgers & Malts, The Pizza Place, and Javier’s Sombrero Mexican Food, plus Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Barona Coffee Company). Special menu for players, who can eat while playing. Accommodations: Hotel is a ranch-style resort with 397 rooms, including 33 suites that range in size from 836–4,000 square feet Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Barona rewards card. Nonsmoking areas, including entire poker room. Off-track betting. Lakefront wedding chapel. Swimming pool. Bingo. Limousine service. Business center with convention and meeting space (seats 25–600). Free and valet parking. Gift shop. Award-winning championship 18-hole golf course. The website has a link that will cause someone in customer service to call you (for free) anywhere in the world to answer questions about the casino. The Blackjack Hall of Fame is a museum that features the country’s largest display of card-counting and blackjack cheating devices. On exhibit, for example, is a pair of ordinary shoes that have miniature computers built into their heels, allowing a player to track and count cards during the game. The exhibit, located along a moving walkway, also profiles some of the game’s most notorious card counters, including “back counting” inventors Stanford Wong and Keith Taft, who created the first black-

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE jack computer in 1972. Named “#1 Indian Casino in Southern California” by KCAL (Los Angeles Channel 9) in May of 2004. Spa. 57 languages are spoken at the Barona Valley Ranch, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Portuguese, and French. Rewards club.

Los Angeles The casinos in this section are not in Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles has no cardrooms or casinos. Nor are these casinos all necessarily even within Los Angeles County. However, all are in what people generally know as the Los Angeles area, or, perhaps more officially, the Los Angeles Basin.

Email: [email protected] Description: Major cardroom 10 minutes (7 miles southeast on Interstate 710, the Long Beach Freeway) from downtown Los Angeles Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 135 tables, about half devoted to California games: No-bust blackjack, California baccarat, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, super pan 9, 13-card poker Poker: About half of the 135 tables: Hold’em, Omaha (high and high-low), 7-stud (high and high-low), crazy pineapple, lowball, pan. All limits, ranging from $1-$2 to some very big games. Most games are limit, but there are also no-limit and pot-limit games. Regular tournaments. Several major tournaments throughout the year, including the Legends of Poker, a month of events in late summer culminating in the $10,000 buyin no-limit hold’em championship, a World Poker Tour event. Entertainment: Karaoke Restaurants: 4: Deli, grill, Jade Dragon (Asian) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Classic Club rewards card. Sporting events, car and cash giveaways. Karaoke contests. Meals, usually at special prices for players, and drinks served at tables.

69. Commerce Casino Address: 6131 East Telegraph Road, Commerce, California 90040 Phone: 323–721–2100; fax: 323–838–3472 Website: www.commercecasino.com Description: World-class cardroom, 90,000 square feet, with major hotel, just east of Los Angeles, where the Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 710) meets the Long Beach Freeway (Interstate 5) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: No-bust blackjack, 21st-century baccarat, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, super pan 9, 13-card poker, jokers wild pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud Poker: 260 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud, Mexican stud, 7-stud high-low, lowball, pan, pineapple, razz Omaha high-low. All limits, ranging from $1-$2 to some of the biggest games in

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Address: 7301 Eastern Avenue, Bell Gardens, California 90201 Phone: 562–806–4646 fax: 562–806–6623 Website: www.thebicyclecasino.com

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68. Bicycle Casino

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California. Most games are limit, but there are also no-limit and pot-limit games. Regular tournaments. Several major tournaments throughout the year, including the L.A. Poker Classic (Jan.–Feb.), a month of events culminating in the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship, a World Poker Tour event. Entertainment: Live entertainment and dancing, karaoke, Jokers Comedy Club (Thu. 8 p.m.; local and nationally known comics) Restaurants: 6: Eden (breakfast, lunch, dinner: 6 a.m.–11 p.m.), Arena Sports Bar & Grill (live sporting events on multiple large screens; bar: 6 a.m.–2 a.m., grill 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Las Vegas Buffet Restaurant (10 a.m.–10 p.m.), New York Deli (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–12 p.m.), Tropical Snack Bar (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Starbucks Coffee, snacks, open 24/7), GT’s Food Court (take-out sushi 11 a.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: Crowne Plaza at Commerce Casino (casino located within hotel): 179 standard rooms, 21 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Only major cardroom in California to have its own hotel. Meals, usually at special prices for players, and drinks served at tables.

70. Hollywood Park Casino

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Address: 3883 W. Century Boulevard, Inglewood, California 90303 Phone: 310–330–2800; toll-free: 1–800–888–4972 Website: www.playhpc.com Email: [email protected] Description: First casino in a race track, still the only one in California. Card casino of 60,000 square feet, housed in a multistory building with a beautiful art deco theme. Appeals to a mostly local crowd but gets travelers based on close proximity (2 miles) to the airport (LAX). Several world-class poker tournaments regularly bring in competitors from around the world. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 34 (minimums): No-bust blackjack ($2, $10, $25), Caribbean Stud ($5–$50), Asian baccarat ($10, $25, $100), super pan 9 ($10, $25, $100), pai gow poker ($10, $25, $100, $300), tile pai gow ($10), tonk ($3–$6 and $10–$20 games). Higher limits played available upon request. Poker: 66 tables, starting at $2-$4 limits. Regular tournaments every afternoon and evening, with buy-ins ranging from $20–$300. Several major tournaments each year, including National Championship of Poker (Oct.; the final, championship event of which is a World Poker Tour event), Poker Derby (Jan.) and the Sport of Kings (March). Cash games: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $6$12, $10-$20, $15-$30, $20-$40, $75-$150, no-limit), 7-stud ($1-$2, $2-$4, $3-$6, $6$12, $10-$20, $15-$30, $20-$40), 7-stud high-low ($3-$6, $20-$40), Omaha ($2-$4, $3$6, $6-$12, $15-$30, $75-$150), Mexican stud ($2-$4, $4-$8, no-limit). Higher limits are available upon request. Entertainment: Various concerts and showroom headliners, weekly live jazz, pool and billiards tournaments Restaurants: Take-out deli, full cocktail and food service (with discounted menu) directly at the gaming tables around the clock Accommodations: Many nearby hotels, with special rates for patrons at some Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual; no tank tops Bonus: Free gaming instruction available 24 hours a day. Weekly blackjack tournaments. Regular cash giveaways, with separate drawings in California games section and poker room. Progressive jackpots in most California games. Progressive poker bad-beat jackpots. There is a 24-hour massage service at the gaming tables. Players can watch and wager on thoroughbred horserac-

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE ing from the gaming tables. Gaming table-side dining and cocktail service 24 hours a day. 1,000-capacity bingo hall open daily. A Players’ Club program gives casino credit for every hour played. Credits can be redeemed for cash, merchandise, food, massages, parking.

Oceanside Oceanside (population 160,000) is on the Pacific Ocean, 15 miles northwest of San Diego on the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 5).

Email: [email protected]; tournaments: [email protected] Description: 22,000-square-foot cardroom. From I-5, go east on Mission, and the first right is Brooks Street. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpots, minimums: royal jackpot, $5,000; super jackpot, $3,000; bad beat, $1,000), pai gow poker, no-bust blackjack (progressive jackpots), pan ($1, $2, $5, $10 conditions) Poker: Hold’em ($2$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $8-$16, $20-$40, plus $1-$2 beginners’ game every night at 6), Omaha high-low ($3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread limit). Jackpots seeded by club and increased daily. Regular tournaments: Daily limit and no-limit hold’em ($30+$5; Wed. $50+$5). Finish in the money in a daily tournament and qualify for $1,000-added tournament on first Sun. of following month; qualify more than once and get $100 in bonus chips for each finish. Also, larger, guaranteed-money tournaments. Entertainment: Live music Wed.–Sun. in Rat Pack Lounge Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash rewards card returns cash for hours played. Beginners’ poker lessons every Wed. 7p.m–9 p.m.

Oroville Oroville (population 13,000) is 70 miles north of Sacramento.

72. Feather Falls Casino Address: 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville, California 95966 Phone: 530–533–3885; toll-free: 1–877–652–4646; fax: 530–533–8944 Website: www.featherfallscasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 118,000-square-foot Native American (Concow-Maidu of Mooretown Rancheria) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room Mon.–Fri. open 4 p.m., Sat., Sun., open at noon. Poker room closes all days when all games break. Slot Machines: 1,000: Video reel, poker, keno, megajackpots Table Games: 11: Blackjack

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Address: 121 Brooks Street, Oceanside, California 92054 Phone: 760–439–6988; toll-free: 1–888–439–6988; toll-free fax: 1–866–741–3701 Website: www.oceans11.com

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71. Ocean’s Eleven Casino

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Poker: 5 tables: Sun.–Fri. $3-$6 full-kill hold’em, $30 minimum buy-in; Sat. $4-$8 halfkill hold’em, $40 minimum buy-in; Fri., Sat. no-limit hold’em, $100 maximum buy-in. Regular weekly tournaments: Tue. 6 p.m.: $10+$3 no-limit hold’em, unlimited $10 rebuys first hour, $10 add-on, $1,500-guaranteed prize pool; Thu. 8 p.m.: one-table $25 satellites for $10,000 event; Fri. 6 p.m.: $20+$5 no-limit hold’em, one $20 rebuy, $1,000-guaranteed prize pool (extra tournament chips for early-bird registration and for immediate rebuy); Sat. 6 p.m.: $40+$5 no-limit hold’em, one $40 rebuy, $2,500-guaranteed prize pool (extra tournament chips for early-bird registration and for immediate rebuy). First Sat. of month 6 p.m.: $200+$20 no-limit hold’em, no rebuys, $10,000-guaranteed prize pool (extra tournament chips for early-bird registration). First Sun. of month 8 p.m.: $40+$5 ladies only no-limit hold’em, one $40 rebuy, $1,000-guaranteed prize pool (extra tournament chips for immediate rebuy). Last Sun. of month 8 p.m.: freeroll with one $20 rebuy, $1,000-guaranteed prize pool. All tournaments have a maximum of 55 players, and most sell out. Players can buy in up to 1 week in advance for any tournament. Entertainment: Headliner shows of rockers, rappers, pop stars, some ticket events, some free Restaurants: 2, plus 2 lounges Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Bonus Magic Club rewards card. Cash and vehicle giveaways to members. Senior day every Mon. and Wed., with members 55+ receiving $7 in “Magic Money.” Seniors’ breakfast Mon. $1.99.

Palm Springs Palm Springs (population 13,000) is a desert resort 90 miles east of Los Angeles on Interstate 10.

73. Spa Resort Casino Address: 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs, California 92262 Hotel: 100 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, California 92262 Phone: 760–883–1000; toll-free: 1–800–258–2946; hotel reservations: 760–325–14610; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–854–1279 Website: www.sparesortcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Agua Caliente tribe) casino that occupies an entire city block, 9 acres in the heart of downtown Palm Springs Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 900+, 5¢ machines and up and including $5, $25, and $100 machines, including video poker Table Games: 30: Blackjack, mini-baccarat, three- and four-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live lounge (150 seats) acts nightly, no cover, 2-drink minimum Restaurants: 5: Roppongi (Asian, dinner, 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; half-price meals 4 p.m.–6 p.m.), Noodle Bar (Asian, dinner, 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Oasis Buffet, Stage Deli (famous New York eatery, open 24 hours), Agua Bar & Grill (breakfast, lunch, dinner), plus 2 bars Accommodations: All 228 rooms were completely remodeled in 2003. Hotel right across from casino. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Private high-stakes gaming room. World-famous for the natural healing waters of its hot springs spa. Drawings, bonuses, and prizes. Club Paradise rewards club. Weekly slot tournaments on Mon., $10

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE or 10,000 points. New members get scratchers that win $5–$500. Free valet parking for nonmembers, $3 for others. Mon. night tailgate parties during football season.

Porterville Porterville (population 40,000) is located 40 miles north of Bakersfield, 15 miles east of Highway 99 on Highway 190, near where Highways 190 and 65 meet.

74. Eagle Mountain Casino

Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage (population 13,000) is 5 miles southeast of Palm Springs on Highway 111.

75. Agua Caliente Casino Address: 32–250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, California 92270 Phone: 760–321–2000 Website: www.hotwatercasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 45,000-square-foot Native American (Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians) casino located in the Coachella Valley Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+ Table Games: 49: Three-card poker, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, Hot Water Craps (see craps in glossary) Poker: 10 tables Entertainment: Cahuilla Showroom, with state-of-the-art sound system and seating for over 1,000, features headline acts, such as Wynonna Rider and David Brenner, plus championship boxing. Canyons Lounge offers variety, comedy, blues, and jazz performers nightly, with no cover charge. Restaurants: 6: Prime 10 Steakhouse, Maraskino Restaurant & Bar (lunch, dinner), Grand Palms Buffet (different specialties each day), Desert Eatery Food Court (deli, pizza, coffeehouse) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Poker room is nonsmoking. Cash bonus drawings for poker players. Weekly slot tournaments. High-stakes bingo. High-limit room.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 20,000-square-foot Native American casino in the Central Valley Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500: Includes video poker, keno: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; progressive jackpots Table Games: Blackjack, Let It Ride, Monopoly Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom acts Restaurants: 2: High Steaks Buffet (breakfast 7 a.m.–10 a.m., $3.99; lunch, dinner 10 a.m.–10 p.m., $5.99), snack bar (always open) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free bus from many locations in the Central Valley. Big-money blackjack tournaments. High-stakes bingo.

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Address: 681 South Tule Road, Porterville, California 93258 Phone: 559–788–6220; toll-free: 1–800–903–3353 Website: www.eaglemtncasino.com

Redding Redding (population 81,000) is on the Sacramento River 140 miles north of Sacramento on Interstate 5, and 10 miles south of Lake Shasta.

76. Win-River Casino Address: 2100 Redding Rancheria Road, Redding, California 96001 Phone: 530–243–3377; toll-free: 1–800–280–UWIN (1–800–280–8946) Website: www.win-river.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 75,000-square-foot Native American (Redding Rancheria whose 260-some members are descendants of indigenous Northern California Indian tribes in Shasta County; current tribal affiliations are Wintu, Pit River, and Yana) casino in north-central California, near I-5. Must be 21 or older to play. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750+: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1, many with ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 18: Blackjack, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Big name acts, like Styx and Kenny Rogers, in showroom; other name acts, like Starship, Jim Messina, John Waite, in lounge (no cover); live boxing Restaurants: 2: Elements (buffets), Grab & Go (fast food cafeteria), plus 1 bar Accommodations: No. Nearby hotels and motels. Dress Code: No Bonus: Free online games at website. Car and cash giveaways. High-stakes bingo. Free gaming instruction daily 5 p.m.–7 p.m. Cocktail service on the gaming floor, plus complimentary (non-alcoholic) beverages. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Player’s Club Card, with prize drawings, meal reductions, etc. Purchase tickets for all events online (at website). Reduced meal prices for seniors. Java City specialty coffees on gaming floor.

San Jose San Jose (population 930,000; metropolitan area 1.8 million) is the third largest city in California and is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, forming the southern reaches of Silicon Valley. San Jose gambling consists of two cardrooms. City ordinance limits any one bet to a maximum of $200. Thus, the highest games have a $200 limit. A few times a year, in special tournaments, the city allows poker games to go higher. This permits tournaments with buy-ins as high as $10,000, which can then generate prize pools in the millions of dollars.

77. Bay 101 Casino Address: 1801 Bering Drive, San Jose, California 95112–4207 Phone: 408–451–8888 Website: www.bay101.com Email: [email protected] Description: The largest (72,000 square feet) and most elegant (distinctive pink building with a beautiful dolphin fountain) cardroom in the Bay Area, with 2 casino areas, 1 for poker and 1 for California games. Closest airport: San Jose International, less than 5 minutes away. Must be 21 or older to play. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year

78. Garden City Casino Address: 360 South Saratoga Avenue San Jose, California 95129 Phone: 408–244–3333; fax: 408–244–7251 Website: www.gardencity-casino.com Description: 40-table cardroom in a beautiful A-frame building in northern San Jose; cardroom originally started in 1946 in downtown San Jose Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 20 (minimum/maximum): 21st-Century Blackjack ($10/$100, $40/$100), pai gow poker ($10/$100, $40/$100, $100/$200), tile pai gow ($10/$100), super pan 9 ($10/$100), California Aces Poker: 20 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $6-$12, $8-$16, $20-$40, 7-stud high-low ($4-$8), pan ($2, $3, $5, $10 condition). Limit and spread-limit hold’em tournaments Mon.–Fri., with various buy-ins, generally small, with 1 or multiple rebuys and usually an add-on. Entertainment: Live jazz; piano bar Restaurants: 1: Elegant dining; attracts more than just cardroom visitors Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Yearly Speedway of Poker Tournament. Other tournaments as satellites to major events like the World Series of Poker. Call cardroom for schedule.

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Slot Machines: No Table Games: 20 (minimum/maximum): 21st-Century Blackjack ($10/$100, $40/$100), pai gow poker ($10/$100, $40/$100, $100/$200), pai gow tiles ($10/$100), pan 9 ($10/$100) Poker: 20 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $6-$12, $9-$18, $12-$24, $20-$40, $40-$80, $80-$160, spread limit $20–$200), 7-stud ($4-$8), Omaha high-low ($4-$8, $10-$20), pan ($2, $3, $5, $10 condition). Daily tournaments, limit and spread limit, with buy-ins ranging from $50–$120, with 1 or multiple rebuys and usually an add-on. This includes supersatellites for the Shooting Star Tournament. There are 2 major tournaments each year. The Bay 101 Open is 4 days of events in October with events in Omaha high-low, limit hold’em, and spread limit hold’em, 2 with buy-ins for $330 and 2 for $1,050. The Shooting Star Tournament, 8 days of events in early March culminating in the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship, a World Poker Tour event with a $3,900,000 prize pool—and a twist: 40 superstars of poker play, 1 at each table and each with a $5,000 bounty on his or her head. Bust that player and get half your buy-in, plus a T-shirt that reads “I busted .” Among these Shooting Stars are former world champions Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Tom McEvoy, and Dan Harrington; WPT champions Phil Gordon (2003 champion and host of Celebrity Poker), Amir Vahedi, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, Antonio Esfandiari; WSOP stars T. J. Cloutier, Annie Duke, and Kathy Liebert; and movie stars James Woods and Mimi Rogers. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Deli, Sutter’s Broiler (Asian and American meals at reasonable prices), plus a sports bar Accommodations: No, but excellent accommodations only a few hundred feet away Dress Code: No Bonus: Ongoing points promotion for tournament players, with the top 101 players qualifying for a supersatellite that awards 4 seats to the Shooting Star Tournament. Beauty salon. Shuffle Master shuffling machines for all card games.

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San Pablo By the time you have this book in your hands, the first urban casino in California should have opened. This is a big deal, because until this time, every Native American casino has been located outside any large urban area, usually in a small town or out in the country. The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, a landless tribe, have been in negotiations with the governor to greatly expand the existing San Pablo Casino, a cardroom, and turn it into a fullscale casino. Original plans called for a massive building with 5,000 slot machines; those plans have been scaled back to 2,500 slots and a somewhat smaller building. At the time of this writing, the San Pablo Casino is in a state of transition, and whatever we say here would either be out of date—or just guessing.

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Santa Ynez

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Santa Ynez (population 4,600) is in Santa Barbara County, California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Santa Ynez is located 25 miles northwest of the city of Santa Barbara, and separated about 5 miles from the Pacific coast by the Santa Ynez mountains. The area is known for wineries.

79. Chumash Casino Resort Address: 3400 East Highway 246, Santa Ynez, California 93460 Phone: 805–686–0855; toll-free: 1–877–CHUMASH (1–877–248–6274) Toll free: 1–800–248–6274; fax: 805–686–3859 Website: www.chumashcasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 94,000-square-foot Native American (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians) casino in south-central California Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000, from 5¢ to $5, including progressive jackpots Poker: 14 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, 7-stud high-low Table Games: 40 blackjack, plus Let It Ride and three- and four-card poker Entertainment: Showroom has major headliners, like the Beach Boys, Randy Travis, Styx. Also lounge acts on weekends. Restaurants: 3: Willows (fine dining), Creekside Buffet, Chumash Café (casual dining; open 24 hours) Accommodations: AAA 4-Diamond hotel with 106 rooms, including 17 luxury suites. Most rooms feature balconies. Rates start at $125 and include continental breakfast and full use of fitness center, steam room, swimming pool. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes bingo, with seats for 1,000; includes nonsmoking area. Club Chumash rewards card. Cash and car giveaways. Blackjack tournaments. Hot springs spa. Free valet parking. Gift shop.


Temecula Temecula (population 77,400) is 32 miles north of San Diego on Interstate 15, 15 miles southeast of Lake Elsinore.

80. Pechanga Resort & Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: 88,000-square-foot Native American (Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians) casino in the Temecula Valley. Must be 21 or older to play. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000: 5¢–$5, and $10–$100 in high-stakes room Table Games: 85: Blackjack ($5–$5,000), pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker, mini-baccarat Poker: 54 tables: Hold’em, Omaha high-low. Jackpots, plus frequent double jackpot times. Daily tournaments at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (4 p.m. Sun.), $20+$5, with $2,000 guaranteed prize pool. Regular tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from $35–$200. Tournament series often feature no-rebuy events. One offers the winner a $10,000 World Series of Poker seat. Entertainment: 1,200-seat Pechanga Theater Showroom offers Broadway-style shows and musicals, like Grease, Amadeus, and On Golden Pond, as well as headliners like the Moody Blues, Julio Iglesias, Chicago, Dana Carvey, Wynonna, the Beach Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Styx, and Tower of Power. Casino Cabaret has free live music and karaoke nights. Live boxing events in the Grand Ballroom, which holds nearly 3,000 spectators, and events are broadcast by stations like HBO, Fox Sports, and NBC. The Eagle’s Nest Nightclub offers theme nights with live music, drink specials, dancing, plus great views of the Temecula Valley. Restaurants: 7: Great Oak (fine dining; Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.), Paisano’s Italian (Tue.–Sun. 5 p.m.), Seafood Grotto (Thu.–Mon. 5 p.m.), Blazing Noodles (Asian; open daily for lunch and dinner at 11 a.m.), buffet (open for lunch and dinner Mon.–Fri. at 11 a.m., breakfast, lunch, and dinner Sat., Sun. at 9 a.m.), Pechanga Café (24-hour coffee shop) Accommodations: 522 rooms and suites (429 guest rooms, 63 suites, 19 Jacuzzi suites with parlor, 2 executive suites) Dress Code: No Bonus: Pechanga Rewards Club, with regular drawings for thousands of dollars. “Clean air” air filtration system. Poker room is nonsmoking and separate. 15 table games in nonsmoking gaming area. Hotel has pool and spa and fitness center. 40,000+ square feet of meeting and convention space includes 13 breakout-meeting rooms. High-stakes room (located off the casino floor) offers $10 to $100 slots and blackjack tables with $100–$5,000 limits.

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Address: 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, California 92592 Mailing address: P.O. Box 9041 Temecula, California 92589 Phone: 951–693–1819; toll-free: 1–877–711–2WIN (1–877–711–2946); fax: 951–695–7410; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–PECHANGA (1–888–732–4264) Website: www.pechanga.com/default

Tuolumne Tuolumne (population 4,000) is 8 miles east of Sonora in the California Sierra Foothills, 20 miles west of Yosemite National Park and 65 miles east of the Bay Area.

81. Black Oak Casino Address: 19400 Tuolumne Road North, Tuolumne, California 95379 Phone: 209–928–9300; toll-free: 1–877–747–8777; fax: 209–928–9301 Website: www.blackoakcasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American casino whose 3-level facility has of 164,770 square feet. Gaming area, on the second floor, is 63,505 square feet. The casino is located on Tuolumne Road in Tuolumne. Follow the signs from Highway 108 and exit Mono Way east. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: All machines are ticket in-ticket out that also accept currency, and range from penny slots to $5 machines. There are inter-casino (among several Native American casinos, such that jackpots can get very high) and local progressive linked slot banks. Table Games: 24: Blackjack, pai gow, three- and four-card poker, Let It Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Willow Creek Lounge offers live musical performances, DJs, dancing, and beverages. Restaurants: 4: Kingpins (counter-service casual family dining restaurant), The Mill Sports Bar (casual dining), Black Oak Café (24-hour buffet-style eatery), Seven Sisters (specialty dining) Accommodations: None, but has partnered with local hotels Family Amenities: The first floor has 53,000 square feet of games for both families and adults. Guests can bowl at Black Oak Lanes, a 24lane, state-of-the-art Brunswick bowling center. Play the latest interactive video and redemption games in the 3,200 square feet Underground Arcade. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Nonsmoking bar. Free refreshments, bonus cash for first-time visitors and Players Club Members, promotional giveaways (cash and prizes), slot and table games tournaments, plus bowling leagues and tournament play.

Valley Center Valley Center (population 73,000) is 10 miles north of San Diego on State Route 6.

82. Harrah’s Rincon Casino and Resort Address: 777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center, California 92082 Phone: 760–751–3100; toll-free: 1–877–777–2457 Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rin Email: [email protected] Description: 55,815-square-foot casino in the valley below Palomar Mountain Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room opens at 10 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,600: Reel slots, video slots, progressives, and video poker. 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $100 Table Games: 45 tables: Rincon Craps (see craps in glossary), blackjack, mini-baccarat, Boston 5 stud poker (a variant of casino stud), pai gow poker, Fortune Pai Gow, royal match bonus blackjack, Let It Ride Bonus, super fun 21 (a blackjack variant with bonus payoffs for certain card combinations), midi-baccarat, three-card

Winterhaven Winterhaven (population 530) is in southeast California on both sides of the Colorado River, about 10 miles from Mexico. While the Colorado River generally forms the border between California and Arizona, the course of the river has changed over the years and the border here is not at the river, but less than a mile east. This means that a little bit of Winterhaven is on the east side of the river. In particular, the border runs right between the two sites of Paradise Casino.

83. Paradise Casino California Address: 450 Quechan Drive, Winterhaven, California 92283 Phone: 1–888–777–I WIN (1–888–777–4946) Website: www.paradise-casinos.com Description: This Native American (Quechan Tribe) casino is of interest partly because it is only about 20 feet from its sister casino in Yuma, Arizona; the 2 casinos straddle the state line. Paradise Casino California has slots, table games, and poker, while Paradise Casino Arizona has only slots and bingo. Paradise Casinos describe themselves as the “excitement of Las Vegas without all the hassle.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 260+: Video poker, video keno; multi-game machines Table Games: 11: Blackjack ($5–$100, $25–$300; shoe and double-deck games), three-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($4-$8 with a full kill most days; no-limit with $2 and $4 blinds, $100 minimum buy-in, $300 maximum, Wed. and sometimes Thu. or Sun.), Omaha high-low ($4-$8 with a full kill, usually Fri. night and then 2 games). Regular tournaments: Sun. 11:30 a.m., no-limit hold’em ($20+$3, unlimited $5 rebuys first hour); Tue. 4:30 p.m. no-limit hold’em ($15+$3, 1 $10 rebuy, 1 $10 add-on); Wed. 4:30 p.m., no-limit hold’em bounty tournament ($15+$3, 1 $10 rebuy, $5 bounty); Thu. 5:30 p.m.,

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poker, Volcanic Bingo Roulette (roulette played with bingo-type balls rather than a wheel) Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em. World Series of Poker promotions, including regular $40 single-table satellites 5 times a week, prizes being free buy-in to Super Sunday satellites that award prizes ranging from $200 for tenth to $2,000 for second and a $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Circuit plus $1,000. Harrah’s Rincon Casino is a stop on the Professional Poker Tour. Entertainment: Oasis Lounge (lounge acts 4 evenings a week, classic rock Wed., Thu., and top 40 dance and variety Fri., Sat. Live broadcast with live audience of That Sunday Sports Show, called “the best local sports show in San Diego,” all season, covering game highlights of the San Diego Chargers and San Diego Padres, Sun. at 10:30 p.m. Restaurants: 7: International Buffet, San Luis Rey Café, Fiore (steak and seafood), Oyster Bar, Fortunes (Asian), Corner Grill, Cabana Cove Bar & Grill (poolside meals, plus live entertainment on weekends), plus a coffee bar Accommodations: 651 rooms in hotel plus luxury tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free shuttle buses to casino from all over Southern California. Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat and Harveys casinos, and Rewards Plus Club for those 50+. During sports seasons, Total Rewards members can pick winning teams for weekly cash prizes, second-chance drawings, and a chance for significantly larger prizes. Nonsmoking slot area. High-limit slot area.

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Omaha high ($15+$3, 1 $10 rebuy); Fri. 3 p.m. (varies), Sat. 11:30 a.m. ($15+$3, unlimited $10 rebuys, $10 coupon for first 10 live players) Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Little Richard, LeAnn Rimes, Ricky Van Shelton, Pam Tillis, Thunder from Down Under Restaurants: 1: Paradise Bar (sandwiches, hot dogs, pastries, hot beverages, lattes, cappuccinos; 8 a.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Paradise rewards card good at both casinos. Cash drawings.

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Colorado has both Native American and state-regulated casinos. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. They can remain open longer hours and are permitted higher stakes than the state-regulated casinos. There are two Native American casinos located in Colorado, both in the southwestern part of the state. Colorado has special restrictions for state-regulated casinos. The state-regulated casinos are permitted limited stakes gaming with $5 maximum bets. This includes poker. Casinos sometimes offer tournaments, which allows them to get around the bet restriction by permitting larger buy-ins than $5, and, correspondingly larger prize pools than would accrue in regular table games. Even though an individual poker bet can be only $5, a poker tournament buy-in can be $300 and first prize can be in the tens of thousands. Also, although individual bets are restricted to $5, if your blackjack hand permits doubling, this is considered a new bet. Similarly, when you split pairs, each new hand is a new bet. And in poker, the $5 means any individual bet or call. Since raising and reraising are permitted, generally to a maximum of one bet and four raises, a player could theoretically face what appears to be one single $25 bet. State-regulated casinos are not permitted to remain open 24 hours, but rather are restricted to 8 a.m.–2 a.m. As determined by statewide and local referendums, these casinos are all in the mountain towns of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. The minimum age for gambling in Colorado is 21.


Black Hawk Black Hawk (population under 200) is 25 miles west of Denver. Black Hawk and Central City are sister cities.

84. Fitzgeralds Black Hawk

85. The Gilpin Casino Address: 111 Main Street, P.O. Box 458, Black Hawk, Colorado 80422 Phone: 303–582–1133; poker room: 303–582–2092 Website: www.thegilpincasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 6,000-square-foot casino, sister casino to The Lodge. Slots are on the first floor, the restaurant is on the second, and the poker room on the third. Between the 2 clubs, there are 34 poker tables, with a wide variety of games. Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 400+: 1¢ and up; reel and video poker; progressive jackpots Table Games: No Poker: 16 tables: Hold’em (limit with blinds of $1-$2, $2-$4, $1-$2-$5-$5), Omaha high-low, 7-stud, 7-stud high-low. These are “fast and loose” games, with 1 bet and 5 raises permitted every round. The Gilpin will spread any game for which there is demand. Tournaments every day, including sit-and-gos. Added-cash tournaments. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, good at either club; when you reach a certain level, you get free meals for 2; other amenities. Cash giveaways.

86. Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel Address: 401 Main Street, Black Hawk, Colorado 80422 Phone: 303–998–7777; toll-free: 1–800–THEISLE (800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Black_Hawk Email: Contact form on website Description: 42,440-square-foot, one-level gaming complex that has a Caribbean motif Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,100: 5¢–$5; 350 are EZ Pay machines (ticket in-ticket out) Table Games: 14: 11 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 three-card poker, 1 Bonus Six poker Poker: No Entertainment: 299-seat Flamingo Bay Ballroom features headline entertainment. Local bands Fri. 8 p.m.–midnight. Professional sports on three giant screens. Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s (steak, lobster, etc.), Calypso’s (buffet; with specialty station featuring

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 10,252-square-foot casino Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 597: 5¢–$5 Table Games: 6: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Shamrock Café Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Fitz slot club. Cash, car, and merchandise giveaways.

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Address: 101 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 Phone: 303–582–6100; toll-free 1–800–538–LUCK (1–800–538–5825) Website: www.fitzgeraldsbh.com

alternating cuisines: Cajun, Caribbean, Asian, and others), Tradewinds Grill Accommodations: 238 rooms, including 131 mini-suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club rewards card. Coupons providing special benefits for those 50+. 1,100 parking spaces. 348,000-square-foot, 1,100-space parking garage adjacent to the casino. Free valet and self parking. Jacuzzi tubs in hotel mini-suites.

87. The Lodge Casino Address: 240 Main Street, Black Hawk, Colorado 80422 Phone: 303–582–1771; fax: 303–582–2300; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–711–1177 Website: www.thelodgecasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 22,000-square-foot casino with hotel; sister casino to the Gilpin. Once you are in Black Hawk, make a left at the second stoplight. Make a right on Main Street and then an immediate right into free valet parking. Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 900+: Progressive jackpots Table Games: 11: Blackjack, three-card poker, Let It Ride Poker: 18-tables, the largest poker room in Colorado: All hold’em (limit with blinds of $2-$5 and $5-$5). These are “fast and loose” games, with 1 bet and 5 raises permitted every round. Entertainment: Live local entertainers Fri.–Sun. Restaurants: The White Buffalo Grille (open for dinner Tue., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., closed Mon.), The Seasons Buffet (all meals, every day), Jake’s Deli (10:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m. daily) Accommodations: 50 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, good at either club; when you reach a certain level, you get free meals for 2; other amenities. Free valet parking.

88. Mountain High Casino Address: 111 Richman Street, Black Hawk, Colorado 80422 Phone: 720–WINMORE (720–946–6673) Website: www.mtnhighcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Colorado’s largest (65,000 square feet) casino. To get there, turn right at second light in Black Hawk. Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢–$5; progressive jackpots Table Games: 12 (includes poker): Blackjack Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em (limit with blinds of $2-$5 and $5-$5). Regular tournaments, all no-limit hold’em: Mon. $50 buy-in with 1 $30 rebuy; Tue. $50 buy-in with 2 $30 rebuys; Thu. ladies only $25 buy-in with 1 $10 rebuy. Entertainment: The Mountain High Showroom with headliners like Tony Orlando and Elaine Boosler. Live professional boxing. The Winners Circle Lounge, with an 8-story atrium, presents free live entertainment on the weekends. Restaurants: 3: Steakhouse, Mountain High Grill, Mountain High Stone-Fired Pizza; also Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and a Starbucks Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winners Advantage rewards card, with double cash-back points Mon.–Thu., frequent drawings. 1,000 covered parking places and free valet parking.


Central City Central City (population 500) is 27 miles west of Denver. During the Colorado Gold Rush, the population exceeded 60,000. Black Hawk and Central City are sister cities.

89. Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino

Cripple Creek Cripple Creek (population 500) is 20 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, on the southwestern slopes of Pike’s Peak.

90. Double Eagle Hotel & Casino Address: 400–442 East Bennet Avenue, Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 Phone: 719–689–5000; toll-free (information and hotel reservations): 1–800–711–7234; fax: 719–689–5050; hotel reservations: 719–689–5000 Website: www.decasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 15,900-square-foot casino in a large 4-story red brick building Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 850 Table Games: 6 blackjack (single- and multiple-deck games, including regular, multiaction, and streak blackjack) Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em, stud. Both are $2-$5 games, with $30 minimum buy-ins. Bad-beat jackpots. Weekly no-limit hold’em tournaments. Entertainment: Live music Restaurants: Winfield’s (fine dining; open 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Fri.–Sun. and holidays; reservations recommended); Lombard’s (breakfast buffet daily 6:30 a.m.–11: a.m., lunch, dinner), Jackpot Deli; plus a Starbucks Accommodations: 150 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Premier Club rewards card, for cash and merchandise, car giveaways, plus 10 percent hotel discount. Slot and blackjack tournaments. $40-for-$30 coupon on website. Conference facility for groups up to 300. Poker lessons available by calling or dropping by.

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Description: 31,826-square-foot casino Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 907: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5 including video poker and video keno; progressives Table Games: Blackjack Poker: Hold’em, stud. Bad-beat jackpots. Tournaments. Entertainment: Live music in Club 243 Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 3-Diamond rating (AAA) hotel with 118 rooms (including suites), starting at $79.95 Sun.–Thu. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Ultimate Club Card, with free official Denver Broncos hat plus free points to new members. Largest nonsmoking slot and video poker casino section in Colorado. Room plus cash deals, fare plus cash back to bus riders on Tue. 2 nights for the price of 1 in hotel Sun.–Tue. (except holidays). Gift Shop. Free valet parking. Free self-parking garage. Cash and merchandise drawings. Free barbecue Fri.–Sun. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

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Address: 321 Gregory Street, Central City, Colorado 80427 Phone: 303–716–9769; toll-free: 1–800–WAGONHO (1–800–924–6646); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–924–6677 Website: www.fortunevalleycasino.com

Ignacio Ignacio (population 670) is in southwestern Colorado on the Los Pinos river, 225 miles southwest of Denver and 5 miles north of the New Mexico border.

91. Sky Ute Lodge and Casino Address: 14826 Highway 172 North Ignacio, Colorado 81137–0340 Phone: 970–563–3000; toll-free: 1–888–842–4180; toll-free hotel or show reservations: 1–800–876–7017 Website: www.skyutecasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Southern Ute) 12,800-square-foot casino. The only 24hour casino in Colorado. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 412 (including video poker): 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5 Table Games: 6: Blackjack and three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts, live professional boxing Restaurants: 2: Pino Nuche Restaurant (Southwest cuisine; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Rolling Thunder Café (daily specials, regular menu, plus take-out service; Sun.–Thu.11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 36 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Sky Ute rewards card. Only nonsmoking slot room in the Four Corners area. Bingo 5 p.m. Wed.–Fri., 1 p.m. Sun. Free scheduled shuttle service to the Durango, Farmington, and Pagosa Springs areas. Conference center, convention space, meeting rooms. Outdoor swimming pool, hot tub. Gift shop carries logo merchandise, jewelry, and pottery from around the area.

Towaoc Towaoc (population 1,100) is in southwestern Colorado, 8 miles from Four Corners.

92. Ute Mountain Casino Hotel & Resort Address: 3 Weeminuche Drive, Towaoc, Colorado 81334–9999 Phone: 970–565–8800; toll-free: 1–800–258–8007; hotel: 970–565–8837; toll-free: 1–888–565–8837; RV park and campground: 970–565–6544, 1–800–889–5072, fax 970–565–6553 Website: www.utemountaincasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 45,000-square-foot Native American (Ute Mountain Utes, who are the Weeinuche band of Utes) casino Hours: Mon.–Wed. 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 24 hours Slot Machines: 550 (including18 wide-area progressive machines): 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5 Table Games: Blackjack, Let It Ride, three-card poker, plus live keno, with payouts up to $50,000 Poker: 7-stud, 7-stud high-low, five-card stud, hold’em, Omaha. Omaha tournaments with $25 buy-in and one $25 rebuy, all money goes into prize pool, limited to 20 players, with prizes for first (60 percent), second (30 percent), third (10 percent) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Southwest dining Accommodations: 94 rooms, including 14 suites Family Amenities: RV park and campground have playground, game

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE room, tent spaces, sauna, indoor pool, wading pool, plus you can stay in a teepee Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: RV park and campground ($19.99 per night), travel center, tribal park, pottery center. Online store at website for Ute art, jewelry, pottery. Highstakes bingo Mon., Tue., Fri., Sat. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. Free betting on selected events (football, baseball, basketball, the Oscars, NASCAR racing, and others).

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Connecticut has two casinos, both of which are huge. Just as in other states, compacts negotiated between tribes and the state under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 permit Native American tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state, and at agreed-upon limits. Foxwoods Resort Casino, operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, was New England’s first casino. Foxwoods originally started as a high-stakes bingo hall in 1986. When the full casino first opened in February 1992, slot machines were not permitted. In January 1993, the governor of Connecticut signed an agreement with the Pequots that gave the tribe the exclusive right in Connecticut to operate slot machines on their Ledyard reservation in return for a yearly fee. This agreement led to Foxwoods becoming the largest casino in the world. In early 1994, the Mohegan tribe made an agreement with the state of Connecticut that allowed it to also offer casino gambling on the reservation in Uncasville. Initially, the Pequots objected to this expansion, but they agreed to a deal in which the state lowered their yearly fee payment. The state agreed to the same payment schedule for the Mohegans, and the tribe opened its casino in 1996. The payment schedules could change at any time, however, if the state changes its own rules on what forms of gambling are permitted. The Mohegan casino had poker for awhile, but decided to abandon that market to Foxwoods, which now has a large and exclusive poker presence. The minimum gambling age at both casinos is 21 for casino gambling and 18 for bingo.

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Mashantucket/Ledyard Mashantucket and Ledyard (population 15,000) are different names for the same place, a town in the middle of the woods 45 miles east of New Haven, 9 miles from Long Island Sound, and about 11 miles west of the Rhode Island border. Ledyard is about 4 miles east of Uncasville.

93. Foxwoods Resort Casino

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Address: 39 Norwich Westerly Road, Mashantucket, Connecticut 06338 Mailing address: Foxwoods Resort Casino, Rt. 2, P.O. Box 3777 Mashantucket, CT 06338 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–FOXWOODS (1–800–369–9663); Foxwoods switchboard: 860–312–3000; toll-free: 1–800–PLAYBIG; Poker room: 860–312–3177; toll-free: 1–800–48–POKER; Live table phone-in reservations: 860–312–5374 (1 hour in advance Mon.–Fri. only, no weekends or holidays). Website: www.foxwoods.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: If someone asked you where the world’s largest casino is, you’d probably say something like Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, or maybe Atlantic City. Unless you know, it would not occur to you to answer Mashantucket, Connecticut. But that’s exactly where it is. This Native American resort, owned by the Mashantucket Pequots, has 6 separate casinos that occupy 344,000 square feet, plus 3 hotels. It’s all set in the middle of a huge forest, far from any urban area. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: More than 6,400, ranging from 5¢ to $100. Progressive and linked progressive jackpots, including Megabucks (which could pay off literally millions) Table Games: 354: Acey-deucey, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Draw and Caribbean Stud (both with progressive jackpots), casino war, Catch-A-Wave, chuck-a-luck, craps, Let It Ride, big six wheel, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, roulette Poker: 76 tables: 7-stud (high: spread limit $1–$3 and $1–$5; limit $5-$10, $10-$20, $20-$40, $40-$80, $75-$150) 7stud high-low ($2–$10 spread limit), hold’em (limit: $2-$4, $4-$8 or $5-$10, $10-$20, $20-$40, $50-$100; no-limit: $1-$2 blinds with $100 max buy-in, $2-$5, and $5-$10 or higher with $1,000 minimum buy-in), and Omaha (high and high-low: $2-$4, $4-$8 or $5-$10, $10-$20), also pot-limit. Sometimes $10-$20 H.O.E. Sometimes stud or hold’em games are available at higher limits, particularly at times of major tournaments, such as $100-$200 limit, $300-$600, even games as high as $2,000-$4,000 H.O.E. Regular tournaments almost every day in most popular forms of poker, limit and no-limit, with buyins ranging from $80+$20 to $420+$30, some with rebuys, some without. Major tournaments: New England Poker Classic, 2 weeks of events in the spring with most popular forms of poker, limit and no-limit, with buy-ins ranging from $200 to the 4-day $5,000 buy-in championship. World Poker Finals, 3 weeks of events in the fall with most popular forms of poker, limit and no-limit, with buy-ins ranging from $100 to the 5-day $10,000 buy-in championship, a World Poker Tour event. (The series had a prize pool in 2004 of over $10 million.) The Professional Poker Tour also makes a stop at Foxwoods. Entertainment: The Foxwoods Arena is a major showroom, seating more than 4,000 people, with headline entertainment and championship boxing events. The B.B. King

Uncasville Uncasville (population 19,000) is about 4 miles west of Ledyard, and separated from it by the Thames River.

94. Mohegan Sun Casino Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, Connecticut 06382 Phone: Toll-free: 1–888–226–7711; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–777–7922 Website: www.mohegansun.com Email: [email protected] Description: At 300,000 square feet, one of the largest casinos in the world Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 6,300: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $25, $100, $500 (one machine); $5 and up in a high-stakes slot area; reel, tokenized, video, 632 cashless machines (ticket in-ticket out), video keno; no video poker; progressive and linked progressive jackpots Table Games: 250+: 24 roulette ($5–$2,000), 133 blackjack ($5–$10,000), 19 craps ($5–$3,000), 4 baccarat, 14 mini-baccarat, 4 midi-baccarat, 1 sic bo, blackjack bonanza, Boston 5 stud poker, midi-baccarat, mini-baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Caribbean Draw, casino war, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, pai gow mania, Spanish 21, three-card poker, big six wheel, keno (two keno parlors, plus keno runners so you can play throughout the property) Poker: No Entertainment: The 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena presents headline entertainment, like Cher, the Village People, Rod Stewart, and Yanni, and sporting events, such as professional wrestling and world-class gymnastics exhibitions. The Wolf Den offers name acts like Brenda Lee, with no cover or minimum. The 350-seat Cabaret also offers name acts. Restaurants: 31: 6 gourmet, 9 casual dining, and a food court with 16 choices (Bamboo Forest, The Longhouse, Michael Jordan’s Steak House,

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Dance & Nite Club features an open dance floor and DJs, plus jazz, blues, and comedy acts, and entertainers like *NSync, the Chippendales, and B.B. King himself. The Fox Theatre has hosted entertainers ranging from Frank Sinatra to Bill Cosby to the Dixie Chicks. Famous recording stars have performed free live concerts at the Atrium and Intermezzo. Restaurants: 25: 5 gourmet, 7 casual dining, 13 express dining Accommodations: More than 1,400 guest rooms and suites: AAA 4-Diamond Grand Pequot Tower, the Great Cedar Hotel, and the Two Trees Inn Family Amenities: The Tree House at Foxwoods is a 2-level entertainment center featuring the MaxFlight FS2000 Flight Simulator, a roller coaster experience, and more than 140 video and redemption games. The illuminated tree and tree house have a glass-encased second floor and ornamental staircase. The Tree House Club is open to all ages. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10a.m.–10 p.m. (mid-June to early Sept., 10 a.m.–12 a.m.), Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–1 a.m. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: World’s largest bingo hall. Poker room is completely nonsmoking. Keno lounge, plus you can play throughout the property. Racebook with pari-mutuel wagering on thoroughbreds, harness, greyhounds, and jai alai, and simulcast of races; all bets are commingled with the tracks’ betting pools and pay full track odds. Wampum Rewards Card. First-class shopping on premises. High-stakes bingo: Games begin at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., plus occasional special sessions.

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Pompeii & Caesar, Rain, Todd English’s Tuscany, Big Bubba’s BBQ, The Cove, Chief ’s Deli, Fidelia’s, Jasper White’s Summer Shack, Johnny Rockets, Lucky’s Lounge, Michael Jordan’s 23 Sportcafe, Mohegan Territory, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Ben & Jerry’s, Imus Brothers’ Coffee, Starbucks Coffee, Seasons Buffet, Sunburst Buffet, Casino of the Earth Food Court, Rising Moon Gallery of Eateries, The Dubliner, Leffingwells, and more). Also, 9 lounges and bars. Accommodations: 34-story hotel with nearly 1,200 rooms, including more than 175 suites, and 5 hospitality suites Family Amenities: Kids Quest, a 15,000-square-foot child care space, which includes an activity center for children 6 weeks to 12 years old and a nonviolent video arcade, is staffed by licensed professionals trained in first aid and CPR. Includes Barbieland, Construction Quarry, Kids Quest Recording Studio, and the Techno Questvideo arcade. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–11 a.m., Fri., Sat., holidays 9 a.m.–2 a.m. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Mohegan Sun Player’s Club rewards card. More than 13,000 on-site patron parking spaces. 24-hour valet parking service. Currency machines provide coins for bills, smaller bills for large bills, and convert coins to bills. 2 nonsmoking slot areas, 1 with 600 machines, 1 with 152; nonsmoking pits. Racebook with pari-mutuel wagering on thoroughbreds, harness, greyhounds, and jai alai. Bus and ferry packages from New England and Long Island areas, all with meal or retail credit and four $5 pull tab plays included in the price. Meeting and conference facilities, with services of professional planners available. Wedding facilities, and complete wedding packages, including the services of wedding planners. The world’s largest planetarium dome, the Sky Dome. 7-story waterfall at The Shops at Mohegan Sun. Scores of fine shops, including apparel, jewelry, music, electronics, and many specialty shops.

FLORIDA

Florida’s gaming situation was in a state of flux at the time of this writing. Florida does not have legal non-Native American casinos. However, one county, Broward, recently voted to allow slot machines at three race tracks and one jai alai fronton. Florida has five Native American gaming facilities, which the state has been trying to shut down. The Seminole tribe, which runs four of the facilities, has countered by appealing to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, administrator of the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, to allow expansion of gaming facilities. At the moment, tribal casinos are permitted only Class II slot machines, bingo, and poker, but this may soon change, given the state’s entry into gaming in the form of Broward County’s slot machines. Florida also has a large number of cruise ships that dock at its shores, many of them engaged in “cruises to nowhere,” that is, trips into international waters solely for the purpose of permitting patrons to gamble. The minimum age for gambling in Florida is 18


Hollywood Hollywood (population 140,000) is in Broward County in southeast Florida on the Atlantic Coast, 12 miles north of Miami.

95. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 130,000-square-foot Native American (Seminole) casino by a 12-acre lake and in an 86-acre resort, offering slots and a large cardroom, but no table games Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100 Table Games: No Poker: 50 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha Entertainment: 5,600-seat Hard Rock Live for musical acts. Club Showroom features headliners like Don Rickles and Vanessa Williams. Restaurants: 5+: Hard Rock Café (9,600 square feet of restaurant “bursting with music memorabilia”; 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Sun.–Thu. and 2 a.m. Fri., Sat.; bar stays open 1 hour later than restaurant closes), Council Oak (steak house, 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Sun.–Thu. and 11 p.m. Fri., Sat.), Blue Plate (diner, 24 hours), Constant Grind (coffee, sandwiches, pastries; 6 a.m.–9 p.m. daily), plus a food court with Mexican, Asian, Italian, deli options, and more Accommodations: The 12-story Mediterranean-style tower has 500 rooms, including 63 suites with panoramic views. Family Amenities: Theme-park-style water slide. Seminole Okalee Indian Village & Museum offers deep-water alligator wrestling and snake shows in a 750-seat amphitheater. The museum has as its mission to show and teach nonnatives the history, life, and works of the Seminole Indians. There is a museum and living village. It also features Seminole-genre works from both Seminoles and non-Indian artists. Visitors learn about the heritage of the Seminole Indians through living history demonstrations that show how the Seminoles lived for thousands of years. Park hours: Tue.–Sat. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Alligator and snake shows: Tue.–Sat.10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Tours every 30 minutes from opening. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card. More than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, available for large meetings, exhibits, concerts, and sporting events, along with poolside function space. Spa offers facials, massages, and holistic body treatments. The full-service salon offers hair styling and makeovers. State-of-the-art gym, with fullcircuit weight-training and cardio equipment where guests can work out with a personal trainer or on their own. 25 specialty retail shops.

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Address: 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, Florida 33314 Phone: toll-free reservations: toll-free: 1–866–502–PLAY (1–866–502–7529) Website:www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com

Immokalee Immokalee (population 19,800) is in southern Florida, 85 miles northwest of Miami.

96. Seminole Casino Immokalee Address: 506 South First Street, Immokalee, Florida 34143 Phone: 239–658–1313; toll-free: 1–800–218–0007 Website: www.theseminolecasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 47,000-square-foot Native American (Seminole) casino in the heart of Southwest Florida, inland from and between Naples and Fort Myers, offering slots and a large cardroom, but no table games Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 700: 5¢ to $30 Table Games: No Poker: 24 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha high-low, with betting levels of $1-$2 or $2 all the time with no set pot limit. Daily “mini-tournaments”: 7-stud, 5-stud, 7-stud high-low, hold’em, hold’em high-low, Omaha high-low. Weekly tournaments Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun: 7-stud, 7-stud high-low, hold’em, hold’em high-low, Omaha high-low. Entertainment: Live music Restaurants: 1: EE-TO-LEET-KE Grill with seating for 240 people. (EE-TO-LEET-KE means “The Camp” in the Seminole language.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Car and cash giveaways. Free parking. Gift shop. Rewards card. Seminole Casino Poker VIP rewards card for poker players.

Miami Miami (population 363,000) is in southeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean, east of Big Cypress National Preserve and the Florida Everglades.

97. Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Center Address: 500 S.W. 177th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33194–2800 Phone: Toll-free: 1–877–242–6464 Website: www.miccosukee.com Email: [email protected] Description: 67,000-square-foot Native American (Miccosukee tribe) casino 15 minutes west of Miami, located along the southeastern edge of the Florida Everglades Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: More than 1,000 video pull-tab and lotto machines Table Games: No Entertainment: Live big-name entertainment and sporting events, such as championship boxing, are hosted at the 2,000-seat Miccosukee Sports & Entertainment Dome. Restaurants: 5: Empeeke-Cheke (6 p.m.–11 p.m. daily), Empeeke Aaweeke (international buffet, 6 a.m.–midnight), Empeeke Aya (deli, open 24 hours), Café Hammock (steakand-lobster, tropical dishes, open 24 hours), Bingo Snack Bar Accommodations: 302 rooms, including suites Poker: 58 tables: Omaha high-low, hold’em, 7-stud. Regular small tournaments in Omaha high-low, hold’em, 7-stud. “Super” hold’em tournament every Sat. at 7 p.m., large prize pools. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes bingo, Fri.–Sun. 10 a.m.–3 a.m., other days noon–1 a.m. Spa. Fitness center,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE with personal trainers available, as well as aerobic and water aerobic classes. Cash giveaways daily. Dance contests for cash prizes.

Alton Alton (population 30,000) is north of St. Louis on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. Most of Alton is situated on bluffs overlooking the river valley.

98. Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino Address: 219 Piasa, Alton, Illinois 62002 Phone: 618–474–7400; toll-free: 1–800–711–GAME (1–800–711–4263) Website: www.argosycasinos.com/property/st_louis/st_louis_home.asp Email: [email protected] Description: 3-level 60,000-square-foot floating casino complex on the Mississippi River, 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis Hours: 9 a.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,069, all ticket in-ticket out, on all 3 levels: 1¢–$25. Penny and nickel slots on level 3; 5¢ and up on level 1. 406 reel machines, 499 video reel,165 video poker, 8 video keno. Video multi-games, featuring both video poker and video slots on 1 machine, some also with video keno. Table Games: 2 craps (10X odds; $5–$500), 1 roulette ($1–$500), 2 three-card poker ($5–$25), 1 Caribbean Stud ($5–$100), 12 blackjack ($5–$2,000), 1 pai gow poker ($5–$500), Let It Ride Bonus ($5–$50). All are on level 2. Poker: No Entertainment: Argosy’s 500-seat Music Hall has name entertainers, such as Chuck Berry, Crystal Gayle, Vicki Lawrence, Sheena Easton, Lorrie Morgan, Little River Band, Bo Diddley with the Johnnie Johnson Band, and nationally recognized jazz acts Restaurants: 3: The Outfitters Grill (3 p.m.–10 p.m. Wed.–Sun.), Captain’s Table Buffet (11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun.–Thu., 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat.), La Cantina (snack bar; 9 a.m.–5 a.m.) Accommodations: No; many hotels and motels in Alton and St. Louis Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No (but shirt and shoes required) Bonus: Argosy Preferred rewards card. $10 free play when you first sign up for card. Prize drawings for members. Bingo. Preferred accommodation packages at nearby hotels. Group packages, with parties and deals on meals and transportation. Free parking.

NORTH AMERICA

All gambling establishments in Illinois are either riverboat or dockside casinos. The rules governing gambling have changed in that originally gaming was permitted only after the vessels had left the dock. When that changed, for awhile they maintained a fiction of boarding times. Players could get on at specified times only, and, if they left, had to wait till the next “sailing.” That, too, changed and now all remain dockside, do not cruise, and patrons may come and go as they wish. Some charge admission; some do not. While there used to be limits on how much patrons could buy in during a given session, those restrictions have also been lifted. The minimum age for gambling in Illinois is 21.

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ILLINOIS

Aurora Aurora (population to be 157,000), the third-largest city in Illinois, is on I-88 in the valleys of the Fox River, 37 miles west of Chicago.

99. Hollywood Casino Address: 49 West Galena Blvd. (or 1 New York St. Bridge), Aurora, Illinois 60506 Phone: 630–801–1234; toll-free: 1–800–888–7777; poker room: 630–801–7471 Website: www.hollywoodcasinoaurora.com

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Description: 53,000-square-foot single-level dockside (on the Fox River) casino with 18foot ceilings Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,150: 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25 Table Games: Blackjack, 5 craps tables, roulette, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: All games are limit hold’em. $20-$40 Mon., Tue., Thu. starting at 12:15 p.m. Up to 6 tables of $5-$10 or $10-$20 7 days a week, starting at 10 a.m. No-limit hold’em tournament every Wed. at 1 p.m., with over $8,500 prize pool, limited to 75 players, with registrants drawn in a lottery-like process at 10:45 a.m. after all have registered from 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Entertainment: Showroom with name performers like Tony Bennett, Bill Cosby, Paul Anka, Engelbert Humperdinck, Don Rickles, Tom Jones, and Aretha Franklin Restaurants: 3: Fairbanks Steakhouse (’30s and ’40s Hollywood setting), Epic Buffet, Take Two (breakfast all day, diner fare) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $5 per person. Admission free for Marquee Premier card holders. Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Points reward card and associated Marquee Club, which has Gold and Premier levels. Hollywood Casino Corporation is one of the nation’s leading collectors of movie memorabilia, and displays memorabilia from notable films throughout the property. Hollywood Casino was named in 2003 for the second year in a row Illinois’ Best Casino by Casino Player magazine and the readers of Midwest Gaming & Travel. Hollywood also received the top awards for best slots, best casino buffet, and best fine dining restaurant, Fairbanks Steakhouse. Hollywood Casino Studio Store features logo items and merchandise and videos from more than a dozen major Hollywood studios and cable networks. A high-limit room has blackjack starting at $25.


East Peoria East Peoria (population 23,000) is in the middle of Illinois along the eastern bank of the Illinois River. It is located directly east of Peoria and about midway between Chicago and St. Louis. Interstate 74 passes through the center of town.

100. Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino

East Saint Louis East Saint Louis (population 32,000) is on the Mississippi River directly across from Saint Louis, Missouri.

101. Casino Queen Address: 200 South Front Street, East Saint Louis, Illinois 62201 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–777–0777 Website: www.casinoqueen.com Description: 3-level 28,000-square-foot riverboat casino, with hotel on the dock, in view of the Saint Louis Gateway Arch Hours: 9 a.m.–7 a.m. daily. Slot Machines: 1,000+: 25¢–$5; progressive jackpots Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, mini-baccarat, with limits from $2–$2,000 Poker: No Entertainment: Club Sevens: dance parties, tribute acts Restaurants: 4: Royal Table (fine dining), Courtyard Buffet, Riverview Grill, Gazebo Café Accommodations: 150 rooms, plus 7 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Queen’s Club rewards card. 2-for-1 meals 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Triple slot club points 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Seniors’ Wednesdays, with free valet parking, gift shop discount, 2-for-1 buffet. Up to $12,000 in cash drawings on Thu. Hotel offers indoor heated swimming pool, exercise facility, complimentary continental breakfast, free valet parking, meeting and banquet facilities, direct MetroLink access, and is fully ADA compliant.

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Description: 3-level 33,000-square-foot dockside casino on the Illinois River. Directions on website. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,176, all ticket in-ticket out: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, and higher Table Games: 21: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Par-A-Dice Island Buffet, Boyd’s Steakhouse (Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Nelson’s Deli (8:30 a.m.–6 a.m.) Accommodations: 208 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Prime Rewards card. Members can win cars, cash, free phone cards, etc. Special days for men, women, seniors, with meal and gift shop discounts and free valet parking. Banquet facilities. Wireless Internet in the entire hotel: all rooms, meeting rooms, and even the ballroom. Discounts and packages are available for corporate affiliations. All Prime Rewards members receive $10 off the regular hotel room rate.

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Address: 21 Blackjack Boulevard, East Peoria, Illinois 61611 Phone: 309–698–7711; toll-free: 1–800–PAR–A–DICE (1–800–727–2342); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–547–0711 Website: www.par-a-dice.com

Elgin Elgin (population 95,000), is home to Judson College, a four-year liberal arts college, and is located about 25 miles west of Chicago on the Fox River.

102. Grand Victoria Casino Address: 250 South Grove Avenue, Elgin, Illinois 60120 Phone: Toll-free: 1–888–508–1900 Website: www.grandvictoriacasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 80,000-square-foot riverboat casino west of Chicago on the Fox River Hours: 8:30 a.m.–6:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,000+: Including video poker Table Games: 41: 24 blackjack, 6 craps, 4 roulette, 4 Caribbean Stud, 2 three-card poker tables, 1 baccarat. All table games are on 1 deck. Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge acts, tribute groups, music groups, etc. Restaurants: 3: Buckinghams (fine dining), Grand Victoria Buffet, Deli on Grove (open 24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Victoria rewards card for table and slot play. Free self-parking. Valet parking. Banquet and wedding facilities. Voted “Best Riverboat Casino in the United States” 3 years in a row by Casino Player Magazine.

Joliet Joliet (population 121,000) is located about 40 miles southwest of central Chicago, near the intersection of Interstates 55 and 80. It lies on both sides of the Des Plaines River.

103. Argosy’s Empress Casino Address: 2300 Empress Drive, Joliet, Illinois 60436 Phone: 815–744–9400; toll-free: 1–888–4EMPRESS (1–888–436–7737) Website: www.argosycasinos.com/property/joliet/joliet_home.asp Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Des Plaines River Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–6 a.m. Poker room: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Slot Machines: 1,110 Table Games: 30: Mini-baccarat, Caribbean Stud, craps, blackjack, roulette, three-card poker Poker: 2 tables, both hold’em (lowest limit $5-$10). Make an advanced reservation that day by calling 815–927–2175. Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 3: Alex (steakhouse), Café Casablanca, Marrakech Market Buffet Accommodations: 102 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: $5; free admission every day after 3 a.m. Admission is free for everyone Sun. and Wed. Dress Code: No Bonus: Air cleaning system. Argosy Preferred rewards card. New Argosy Preferred Club Members get free admission the day they join the club. 80-space RV park.


104. Harrah’s Joliet Casino and Hotel

Metropolis Metropolis (population 6,500), in southern Illinois on the Ohio River, proclaims itself the “Hometown of Superman,” the comic book superhero who is based in a fictional city by that name (but which looks a lot like New York City). Metropolis, Illinois, celebrates its “local hero” in many ways, such as a large Superman statue in the city, a small Superman museum, and an annual Superman festival in June. The local newspaper is called the Metropolis Planet, a name inspired by the fictional Daily Planet.

105. Harrah’s Metropolis Casino Address: 100 East Front Street, Metropolis, Illinois 62960 Phone: 618–524–2628; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Metropolis Casino Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/met Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 3-level 36,000-square-foot dockside facility casino on the Ohio River Hours: 9 a.m.–7 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,200+: 1¢, 5¢–$25; statewide progressive jackpots Table Games: 25: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), three-card poker,

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 50,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Des Plaines River Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,100+: 5¢–$100; including video keno ($1; 5 machines), and video poker (25¢–$25; 200+ machines); statewide progressive jackpots Table Games: Blackjack (4 tables on main casino floor and 7 in high-limit room), craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), three-card poker, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Sevens Lounge features karaoke every Thu. and live bands every Fri., Sat. 8 p.m.–1 a.m. Restaurants: 4: Van Buren’s (fine dining; semiformal; $25–$50), Union Station Buffet (casual; $10–$20), Winning Streaks Stadium Café ($7–$20), Club Cappuccino (coffee shop, casual, $5–$15) Accommodations: 200 rooms (restricted to guests 21 and older) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat and Harveys casinos. High-limit room. Gift shop. Fitness center available to hotel guests at no charge. Business center. Harrah’s Joliet is the official casino sponsor of the Chicagoland Speedway, which is the annual host of the Tropicana 400, a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, and a NASCAR Busch Series race, and an Indy Racing Northern Lights (IRL) race and an ARCA Re/Max Series race every September.

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Address: 151 North Joliet Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432 Phone: 815–740–7800; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Joliet Casino and Hotel. Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/jol

Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Range Steakhouse, Fresh Market Square Buffet, Ace’s Diner (’50s style food and fun) Accommodations: 258 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card good at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos). 1,200-seat multipurpose event center. Blackjack Mania, every day from 3 p.m.–7 p.m., pays bonuses for certain card combinations: 3 suited 7s ($125 on a $5 table and $250 on a $10 table), 6-78 suited or split aces once and get 2 more aces ($75/$125), 3 7s of any suit or 6-7-8 of any suit ($30/$60), Ace-Jack of spades or 21 on 5 or more cards ($15/$25). If you have a winning hand, you get the bonus plus your winning bet. All regular blackjack rules and payouts still apply. Slot tournaments for all denominations of slots. Cash giveaways. Receive free lunch buffet or $5 off any meal for riding the bus from surrounding cities in Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee.

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Rock Island

NORTH AMERICA

106. Jumer’s Casino Rock Island

Rock Island (population 40,500) is on the western edge of the state, 160 miles southwest of Chicago, separated from Iowa by the Mississippi River. It is part of a metropolitan area known as the Quad Cities, comprised of Rock Island and Moline, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa.

Address: 1735 First Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois 61201 Phone: 309–793–4200; toll-free: 1–800–477–7747 Website: www.jumerscri.com Email: [email protected] Description: 13,200-square-foot casino, part of the Rock Island Boatworks, 4 connected individual floating vessels, the Casino Rock Island Riverboat Casino and the Ockerson constitute the casino, the T.G. Gerow houses administrative offices, and the Effie Afton Tugboat is a restaurant. The last 3 vessels are all permanently moored. The complex is located at the foot of 18th Street, at the Mississippi River. Directions on website. Hours: 8 a.m.–3 a.m. daily. Slot Machines: 700: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25 reel and video machines. The casino has 12 progressive banks. 74 video poker machines in 5¢, 25¢, and $1 denominations, including 100 percent payback machines and triple-play progressive machines. Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 1: Lunch and dinner buffet Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: EnterFunMent Xtra Club rewards card earns Bonus Dollars that can be used at local restaurants, hotels, retail shops, night spots, and more. With Club 50, seniors (50+) earn a free buffet Mon.–Thu. for $200 slot play or $50 table buy-in plus 50 minutes of play.


INDIANA

All casinos in Indiana are dockside casinos. At one time they had sailing or boarding schedules, and specified times when patrons could enter and then must leave, and, indeed, were obliged to sail when weather permitted. This is no longer the case—the vessels do not sail and guests can come and go as they please. The minimum age to gamble in Indiana is 21.

Belterra

Address: 777 Belterra Drive, Belterra, Indiana 47020–9402 Phone: 812–427–7777; toll-free: 1–888–BELTERRA (1–888–235–8377) Website: www.belterracasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 38,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Ohio River. Driving instructions on website. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,500+: 1¢–$100. High-limit area has denominations $5–$100. Table Games: 39: Crazy 4 poker, craps (10 odds), blackjack (5-, 6-, and 8-deck games), Let It Ride, three-card poker, progressive jackpot pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, roulette, Spanish 21, Boston 5 poker Poker: No Entertainment: The 1,800-seat state-of-the-art CenterStage Showroom presents musical performances, theatrical productions and big name entertainment, from classic rock bands (like George Thorogood, Herman’s Hermits, Chubby Checker) to country-and-western stars. The VIP room on the mezzanine level, complete with plush seats and TV monitors, overlooks the stage and can accommodate up to 50 guests. Restaurants: 4: Ultimate Buffer, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Aquarium Grill, Casino Café, plus Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s Accommodations: 600+ luxurious guest rooms and suites overlook the Ohio River, rolling hills of Indiana, or the golf course Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Champions Club rewards card. Regular double and triple points promotions and big cash progressive drawings. CenterStage Showroom, with a large, 25-foot screen, is available for special events and corporate meetings. Weddings. Spa and salon.

NORTH AMERICA

107. Belterra Casino Resort

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Belterra is in southeastern Indiana, across the Ohio River by way of the Markland Dam Bridge from the Kentucky Speedway, and 38 miles southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. Belterra is too small to be found on any but the most detailed maps; it’s 7 miles east of Vevay.

East Chicago East Chicago (population 32,000) is on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, 8 miles southeast of the edge of Chicago, 3 miles from the Illinois border, and 25 minutes from downtown Chicago.

108. Harrah’s East Chicago Casino & Hotel Address: 777 Harrah’s Boulevard, East Chicago, Indiana 46312 Phone: Main: 219–378–3000; fax: 219–378–3498; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s East Chicago Casino Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/ech

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: In Pastrick Marina near the major interstate highway systems, its 53,000 square feet make this dockside riverboat casino the largest in the Chicago area. The casino caters to Chicago-area and northwest-Indiana customers, but often hosts players from across the country in special events and promotions. Languages spoken and understood include English, Spanish, and various Asian dialects. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,900+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $100. The casino has the area’s largest selection of nickel slot machines. Coin and cashless (Fast Cash) machines. Progressive jackpots. Many video poker slots, some with 99 percent payback. Table Games: 60+: Craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat, three-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: 16 tables: 7-stud ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spreadlimit, $10-$20), hold’em ($5-$10, $10-$20, $20-$40, $40-$80, no-limit), Omaha highlow ($5-$10), pot-limit Omaha, H.O.S.E. ($30-$60). All games $5-$10 and lower offer bad beat jackpots. Regular tournaments: $220 buy-in $20,000 guaranteed tournament every Thu. (10 a.m. registration, 12 p.m. start). Higher limit games are available upon request. Entertainment: Free live band entertainment every Fri. and Sat. starting at 8 p.m. Restaurants: 5: French Quarter Room (fine cuisine; Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., closed Mon.; reservation needed), Fresh Market Square Buffet (breakfast Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 7 a.m.–10 a.m., brunch Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–3 p.m., lunch Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–12 a.m.), Winning Streaks (casual café, with sporting events on big-screen TVs; Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–12 a.m.), Club Cappuccino (coffee shop, casual; 7 a.m.–1 a.m. daily), Aces Diner (’50s-style diner; 24 hours ) Accommodations: 293 room, 15-floor hotel connected to casino and pavilion. Each room is a spacious 504 square feet. The top floor also has 7 suites complete with concierge service. The suites are designed for special guests and VIPs and are comparable to that of penthouse living. Rooms are spacious with a marble floor foyer entrance, 2 closets, a shower separate from the bathtub, upscale decor, and a living room area. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card players at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos) are invited to slot tournaments, golf outings, birthday parties, and cash drawings. Rewards Credits can be used for meals or merchandise, plus they earn discounts for meals. The poker room permits patrons to call (219–378–3558) up to 1 hour prior to arrival to be placed on the waiting board for any game. (Reservations will be held for one hour.) Prospective players can also call the poker room to find out the current games and limits. Players at the casino

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE waiting for a seat can visit elsewhere in the casino and the poker room will page them when their seats are ready.

Elizabeth Elizabeth (population under 200) is on the Ohio River 10 miles southwest of Louisville, Kentucky.

Email: Contact form on website Description: 4-deck, 93,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Ohio River. Several themed rooms: Burning of Rome Casino, Caesars Movie Casino, Caesars Music Casino, Caesars Sports Casino, Caesars Rome Casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400, over 1,700 of which are EZ Pay machines (ticket in-ticket out); denominations include 1¢, 5¢ (over 400 machines), 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $20, $100 Table Games: 140+: Blackjack, roulette, craps, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker (with progressive jackpots), Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpots), Let It Ride, 21+3 blackjack, Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em, 2–2-1 triple hand poker, and more Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em ($4-$8, $5-$10, $10-$20, $20-$40, no-limit), 7-stud ($2-$10 spread-limit, $30$60 limit), Omaha (pot-limit). Bad beat jackpots. Entertainment: Colosseum: headliner acts like Tony Bennett, Sinbad, and George Jones, and live boxing. Legends: 7,000square-foot lounge entertainment area, with a stage for local talent and tribute groups, “showtenders” (Cocktail-like bartenders), dancing, and menu items. Restaurants: 9: 2 fine dining: Nero’s Conquests (international; open for lunch and dinner; Wed.–Sun. 11:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.; closed Mon., Tue.), Portico (steaks; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.); 7 casual Accommodations: 503 rooms (some with Jacuzzi), including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes room. Rewards card. Outside fitness trail features 18 workout stations and a scenic woodland view. 18-hole championship golf course. 24-hour fitness center. Kennel available for pets. Slot, blackjack, craps tournaments. Check website for game jackpots.

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Address: 11999 Avenue of the Emperors, Elizabeth, Indiana 47117 Phone: 812–969–6000; toll-free: 1–888–ROMAN4U (1–888–766–2648); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–ROMANS–1 (1–866–766–2671); poker room: 1–888–ROMAN4U ext. 4220 Website: www.caesarsindiana.com

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109. Caesars Indiana

Evansville Evansville (population 122,000) is on the Ohio River in southwestern Indiana, 20 miles from the Illinois border.

110. Casino Aztar Address: 421 N.W. Riverside Drive, Evansville, Indiana 47708 Phone: 1–800–DIAL–FUN (1–800–342–5386) Website: www.casinoaztar.com

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Email: Contact form on the website Description: 3-deck, 47,863-square-foot riverboat (the City of Evansville) casino on the Ohio River. Accommodates 2,700 passengers and a crew of 300. Driving instructions on website. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 24 hours Slot Machines: 1,376: 2¢–$100; EZ Pay (ticket in-ticket out) and token slots; progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: 40: Blackjack with very liberal rules, craps (5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Caribbean Draw, three-card poker, Let It Ride Bonus, roulette, play 4 poker, Spanish 21, big six wheel Poker: 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit), hold’em ($5-$10), Omaha. Bad-beat jackpots. Entertainment: Hoosiers Lounge: live entertainment nightly, local acts Restaurants: 5: Cavanaugh’s (steaks, seafood), buffet, Diamond Deli, Max & Erma’s (diner), Corky’s Ribs & BBQ, plus Starbucks, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Accommodations: 250 rooms, including 10 suites. ADA-compliant rooms available. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards club, with 4 levels and concomitant bonuses. Club 55 (for 55+), with free slot tournaments on Mon., meal discounts, free entertainment. Premium slot lounge. Nonsmoking areas. Complimentary soft drinks, coffee, and snacks in the poker room. Karaoke contests. Free self-parking in enclosed 1,600-space garage. Complimentary valet parking service for hotel guests. 11,000+ square feet of meeting space, with 11 meeting and conference rooms.

Gary Gary (population 103,000), on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, 15 miles southeast of the edge of Chicago, and 10 miles from the Illinois border, is known for its steel mills.

111. Majestic Star Casino Address: 1 Buffington Harbor Drive, Gary, Indiana 46406 Phone: Toll-free: 1–888–2B–LUCKY (1–888–225–8259) Website: www.majesticstar.com Email: Contact form on the website Description: 43,000-square-foot riverboat casino on Buffington Harbor on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,540+: 1¢–$25; includes video poker; progressive jackpots Table Games: 50: Blackjack, craps (100x odds), roulette, mini-baccarat, Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpots), Let It Ride, Spanish 21, pai gow mania, Caribbean Draw, Fortune Pai Gow, big six wheel, Boston 5 poker, three-card poker, 21+3 blackjack; limits from

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE $5–$50,000 Poker: No Entertainment: None currently Restaurants: 4: Harbor Treats (light snacks), Miller Pizza Co., KoKo Taylor’s Blues Café, Passports (buffet), plus coffee specialty shop Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Majestic rewards card, with 3 levels; offers same-day cash back. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Blackjack tournaments. Events center for parties.

112. Trump Casino Indiana

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Email: Contact form on the website Description: 37,000-square-foot riverboat casino on Buffington Harbor on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, 25 minutes (18 miles) from the Chicago Loop. Directions: From downtown Chicago, take I-90 south to Cline Avenue exit, Cline Avenue to Columbus Drive exit, turn left to Trump Hotel Casino. From the south or east, take I-80/94 or I-90 to the Cline Avenue exit, Cline Avenue north to exit 6 (Industrial Highway), follow signs to “Gary Riverboats.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,700: 2¢–$25 Table Games: 39: Craps, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat Poker: 17 tables (expansion planned to 21 tables): 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha high-low. Satellite and supersatellite events for World Poker Tour tournaments. Entertainment: Koko Taylor’s Blues Café: live blues every Fri. and Sat. night. Restaurants: 8: Top Deck Deli, Passport’s Buffet, Koko Taylor’s Blues Café, Chops Steakhouse, Lakeside Cafe, Miller Pizza, Harbor Treats, Jackpot Java Accommodations: 300 rooms, overlooking Lake Michigan Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Trump Club rewards card; offers same-day cash back. New member promotion with possibility of $1,000 win. Trump President’s Club has a higher level of rewards. Golden Gamers benefits for seniors (50+) on Mon. Free valet parking and casino shuttle service for hotel guests. Special room rate coupons on website, including breakfast.

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Address: 1 Buffington Harbor, Gary, Indiana 46406 Phone: 219–977–9999; toll-free: 1–888–21–TRUMP (1–888–218–7867) Website: www.trumplakemichigan.com

Hammond Hammond (population 83,000), 6 miles from the southern shore of Lake Michigan, 5 miles southeast of the edge of Chicago, and right on the Illinois border, is a 20-minute drive from the downtown Chicago Loop.

113. Horseshoe Casino Hammond Address: 777 Casino Center Drive, Hammond, IN 46320 Phone: Main: 219–473–7000; toll-free: 1–866–711–SHOE (1–866–711–7463); fax: 219–473–6004 Website: www.horseshoe.com

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Email: On the main web page, click “Hammond” and then “Contact Us.” Fill out the form, which sends email to the corporate office, where it gets forwarded to the appropriate person, who will reply. Description: The closest casino to Chicago, Horseshoe Casino Hammond is a dockside casino that consists of both a permanently docked casino gaming vessel and a guest pavilion. The gaming area is 46,700 square feet. The pavilion houses 5 restaurants. Horseshoe Casino Hammond caters mainly to the local populace. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,009. Betting ranges are 5¢–$100; cashless machines. There are progressive jackpots. The $1 machines have a progressive jackpot that starts at $150,000 averaging 1 hit per month, and the 50¢ machines have a progressive jackpot that begins at $75,000. Table Games: 39 (minimum/maximum): 20 blackjack ($5/$10,000), 2 Caribbean Stud (min. ante-bet $5/max $200), 3 three-card poker ($5/$300), 1 mini-baccarat ($10/$100,000), 5 roulette ($5/$200; $5,000 outside limit), 6 craps (100X odds; $5/$20,000 flat, with $50,000 maximum odds wager), 1 pai gow poker ($10/$3,000), 1 play 4 poker ($5/$100) Poker: No Entertainment: Outside entertainment is periodically hired for parties thrown for casino-invited guests. Restaurants: 5: Jack Binion’s Steakhouse (received Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence), the Village Square Buffet (5 themed food stations offer meals from around the globe), Lake Michigan Deli Company (casual diner), J.B.’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Salads (open 24 hours/day; 365 days/year), and Java Jack’s Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet and meeting space, a gift shop, concierge suite, shoeshine stand, and guest services area. Attached to the guest pavilion are 2 separate enclosed parking facilities with 3,100 spaces. Among the employees are some who speak Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Any Jack Binion property is always known for the excellence of its cuisine.


Lawrenceburg Lawrenceburg (population 4,700) is in southeastern Indiana on the Ohio River, 18 miles east of Cincinnati, right where the borders of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky meet.

114. Argosy Casino and Hotel

Michigan City Michigan City (population 33,000) is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, 35 miles east of Chicago and 10 miles from the southwestern tip of Michigan. Because of its proximity to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan City gets a lot of visitors, particularly in the summer.

115. Blue Chip Casino & Hotel Address: 2 Easy Street, Michigan City, Indiana 46360 Phone: 219–879–7711; toll-free: 1–888–624–9618; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–879–7711 Website: www.bluechip-casino.com Description: 42,000+-square-foot riverboat casino on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Directions on website. Hours: Sun.–Wed. 8 a.m.–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 24 hours Slot Machines: 1,701: 1¢–$100, includes 100 penny slots on upper level Table Games: 51: Blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat, progressive Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, four-card poker, Let It Ride Bonus, craps Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Diamond Deli (open 24 hours), Grille on Easy Street (located in the pavilion, open 7 days a week for dinner only, reservations suggested, at 1–888–879–7711 ext. 2118; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 4 p.m.–11:30 p.m.), Blue Chip Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 188 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Prime Rewards Card. Cash and car giveaways. Mon. is Men’s Day and Fri. is Ladies’ Day. Those who earn 300 points on their Prime Rewards Cards between noon and

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Description: 74,300-square-foot riverboat casino on the Ohio River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,300+: Slots, video poker, video multigames (video poker, video slots, some with video keno) Table Games: 90: Blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, craps, big six wheel, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, three-card poker, 21+3, Boston 5 stud, baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Chartroom: headline entertainment Fri., Sat. No cover charge. Restaurants: Bogart’s Grille, Passport Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Jonathan’s (combination New York deli, sidewalk café, European bistro), Chartroom Sports Bar (bar and barbecue), Riviera Café Accommodations: 300 rooms Admission Charge: $5 Sun. 7 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 5 p.m.–midnight, Sat. 6 a.m.–midnight; $3 all other times Dress Code: No Bonus: Gaming classes. Cash drawings. Slot tournaments. Karaoke.

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Address: 777 Argosy Parkway, Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 Phone: Toll-free: 1–888–ARGOSY–7 (1–888–274–6797) Website: www.argosycasinos.com/property/cincinnati/cincy_home.asp

8 p.m. on their day receive $5 in chips or tokens and get to keep their points. On Seniors’ Day, Tue. 8 a.m.–3 p.m., those 55 and over receive 2-for-1 buffet and $2 vouchers. Nonsmoking slot section on the main level. Hotel has exercise facility, indoor pool, Jacuzzis, business conference rooms. Gift shop. Pavilion has ballrooms for parties.

Rising Sun Rising Sun (population 2,500) is on the Ohio River 20 miles southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio.

116. Grand Victoria Casino and Resort

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Address: 600 Grand Victoria Drive, Rising Sun, Indiana 47040 Phone: 812–438–1234; toll-free: 1–800–GRAND–11 (1–800–472–6311); fax: 812–438–5155 Website: www.grandvictoriacasino.hyatt.com

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Description: 40,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Ohio River Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 24 hours Slot Machines: Nearly 1,500: 1¢–$25, many ticket in-ticket out, including multigame machines, video poker, video keno, bonus payouts, progressive jackpots Table Games: 37: Blackjack, craps (with 10X odds), roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, three-card poker, 21+3 blackjack, Boston 5 stud Poker: No Entertainment: Grand Theater: 12,000-square-foot entertainment showroom with 1,100 seats, featuring topname entertainment Restaurants: 3, in hotel: Buffet, Wellington’s Steakhouse, Piccadilly’s Deli (open 24 hours) Accommodations: 200 rooms, including 5 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash and car giveaways. Hotel offers fitness center, health club, heated indoor lap pool, whirlpool, treadmill, exercise equipment, and sauna.

IOWA

Casino gambling in the Midwest began on April 1, 1991, when the Diamond Jo made its maiden voyage down the Mississippi River in Iowa. Passengers were originally limited to $5 per bet with a maximum loss of $200 per person, per cruise. These restrictions caused several boats to move to Mississippi, which offered 24-hour, no-limit, dockside gambling. In September of 1991, the first riverboats began operating in the bordering state of Illinois, but without Iowa’s restrictive bet or loss limits. The increased competition from these boats cut deeply into the profitability of the Iowa boats, so that in early 1994 the Iowa legislature voted to eliminate the gambling restrictions. Until 2003, boats were required to cruise at least part of the time. Most boats cruised from June through October and remained dockside from November through May. In 2004, the state legislature removed the restriction and now the boats do not cruise. In addition, Iowa has three Native American casinos. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The minimum age for gambling in Iowa is 21.


Bettendorf Bettendorf (population 31,300) is on the Mississippi River in southeastern Iowa, 165 miles east of Des Moines and 165 miles west of Chicago. Bettendorf is 10 miles east of Davenport.

117. Isle of Capri Casino-Bettendorf

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Description: 2-deck 30,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Mississippi River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–6 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,1000+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10, $25 Table Games: 25: 14 blackjack, 3 craps, 1 Let It Ride, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 four-card poker, 2 pai gow poker, 2 roulette Poker: 7 tables. Regular games: Daily: $3-$6 hold’em; Mon. 1 p.m. $4-$8 dealer’s choice; Tue. 1:30 p.m. $6-$12 dealer’s choice; Thu. 2 p.m. $20-$40 dealer’s choice; Fri. 1 p.m. $10-$20 dealer’s choice, 2 p.m. $4-$8 Omaha high-low; Sat. 10 a.m. $2-$5 spread-limit 7-stud high-low, 1 p.m. $20-$40 dealer’s choice, 2 p.m. $4-$8 Omaha high-low. Regular tournaments: Mon. 10:30 a.m. dealer’s choice of hold’em and Omaha high-low $10+$5, $10 rebuys first 3 rounds, $10 add-on; Tue. 6:30 p.m. no-limit hold’em $10+$5, $10 rebuys first 3 rounds, $10 add-on; Wed. 6 p.m. no-limit hold’em $40+$10 with one $20 rebuy. Preference given Tue., Wed. to players seated in live games and those on the list for live games. Entertainment: 300-seat Caribbean Cove Showroom features live entertainment on certain weekends Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s Restaurant (steak, lobster, etc.; Mon.–Thu., 4 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 4 p.m.–11 p.m. Sun., 4 p.m.–9 p.m.), Calypso’s Seafood Buffet (350 seats, on third floor of hotel; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Marketplace (Sal & Vinny’s Pizzeria, Giselle’s Bakery, Ed’s Grill, Fresser’s Delicatessen) Accommodations: 256 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne rewards card. Paradise 50 Plus offers seniors double points on Tue., Thu., free breakfast or lunch buffet or $5 in coins (for earning 30 points that day), gift shop discount. Isle of Capri Convention Center: Meeting and banquet facilities with 15,000 square feet to accommodate groups and special events as large as 1,000 people, with 6 meeting rooms including a 9,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom. Hotel amenities: room service, valet parking, laundry and dry cleaning service, heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi, fitness center, and 500 space covered parking garage that is connected to the hotel and casino by a covered walkway.

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Address: 1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, Iowa 52722 Phone: 563–359–7280; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753); tollfree hotel reservations: 1–888–782–9582 Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Bettendorf

Council Bluffs Council Bluffs (population 58,000) is in southwestern Iowa, just across the Missouri River from, and often considered a suburb of, Omaha, Nebraska.

118. Ameristar Casino Hotel Address: 2200 River Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 Phone: 712–328–8888; toll-free: 1–877–IMASTAR (1–877–462–7827) Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/council

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-level 38,500-square-foot riverboat casino on the Missouri River; modeled after the historic riverboats of the 1800s. Located at the intersection of Interstate Highways 80 and 29, Exit 52 on Interstate 29. Ameristar Casino is Iowa’s largest riverboat. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; Amerisports Bar 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,500+: Includes 100+ video poker, 700+ video slots, and 50+ multigame video machines. Also, 550+ traditional reel slots and nearly 100 system specialty machines. Table Games: 39: 21 blackjack (including one double-deck), 4 craps, 2 roulette, 3 Fortune Pai Gow, 2 Caribbean Stud, 2 three-card poker, 2 Spanish 21, 1 fourcard poker, 1 Texas Shootout, 1 Let It Ride Bonus Poker: No Entertainment: Amerisports Bar offers rock, variety, and other musical groups Restaurants: 4: Amerisports Bar (burgers, chili, pizza, etc.; kitchen hours 11 a.m.–11 p.m.); Prairie Mill Café and Bakery (Café: Sun.–Thu. 6 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 24 hours; bakery: 24 hours daily; limited express dining menu available weekdays 2 a.m.–6 a.m.); Veranda Buffet (lunch Mon.–Fri. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner Mon., Thu.–Sat., weekend brunches); Waterfront Grill (Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., closed Mon.) Accommodations: AAA 4-Diamond Rating Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Awards reward card. Double points on Thu. 42 screens in Amerisports Bar, including one 9-by-12-foot. Free 24-hour valet service; covered 1,000stall parking garage. Business Center: The Holiday Inn & Suites situated next door features a 24-hour service for fax, copying, mail services, computers, and typewriters.

119. Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino Address: One Harveys Boulevard, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 Phone: 712–329–6000; toll-free: 1–888–598–8451 or 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/cou Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 28,250-square-foot riverboat casino and hotel on the Missouri River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200: All ticket in-ticket out. Includes 90 video poker, multigame, multidenomination, reel, and video. Megajackpots, statewide linked progressive jackpots, are available on 1¢–$5 machines. Table Games: 31: Craps, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Spanish 21, Boston 5 stud, pai gow poker, Let It Ride Poker: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4$8, and either $5-$10 or $6-$12 with a kill, and sometimes $10-$20) Entertainment: Harrah’s Convention Center: Name entertainment. Local bands free on Thu. nights.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Auditions for radio broadcast talent shows on Wed. nights, with prize of a trip to New York City to audition for a Sony recording contract. Restaurants: 4: 360 Steakhouse (twelfth floor of hotel), Vertigo at 360 (rooftop lounge on hotel, open afternoons, evenings), Aces Diner (24 hours), Fresh Market Square Buffet, plus Stir (party-atmosphere bar) Accommodations: 250 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 21,000 square feet of meeting space, with room for up to 1,400. Custom entertainment packages available for groups. Gift shop. Fitness center.

Davenport

Address: 101 West River Drive, Davenport, Iowa 52801 Phone: 563–328–8000; toll-free: 1–800–BOAT–711 (1–800–262–8711) or 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Rhythm_City Description: 3-floor 35,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Mississippi River. Rhythm City Casino’s boat is named the Treble Clef. The Treble Clef is 79 feet wide and 300 feet long and has a passenger capacity of 2,300. Casino has its own hotel, the Blackhawk, which was built in 1915 and is registered with the Iowa Historical Society. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 925 video and reel slots (1¢–$25) and 97 video poker (5¢–$10). All ticket in-ticket out. Casino advertises 92.29 percent payback slots and 100 percent payback video poker progressives. Table Games: 19: 13 blackjack ($2–$500), 2 craps ($3–$500), 1 pai gow poker ($5–$200), 1 roulette ($0.25–$875), 1 three-card poker ($5–$50), 1 four-card poker ($5–$50) Poker: No Entertainment: Frequent weekend and Sun. appearances by local bands Restaurants: 2: Hit Parade Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Rock Around the Clock Diner (open 24 hours) Accommodations: Blackhawk Hotel has 121 rooms, including 41 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Fan Club Card awards $1 in = 1 point = 1¢ on all slots and video poker machines. There are two levels of player’s cards: Classic Card and Superstar Card. Drawings for cash, trips, merchandise. Food available at slots and tables. 24-hour shuttle service runs between hotel and casino.

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120. Rhythm City Casino

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Davenport (population 58,000) is on the Mississippi River in southeastern Iowa, 165 miles east of Des Moines and 165 miles west of Chicago. Davenport is 10 miles west of Bettendorf.

Dubuque Dubuque (population 58,000) is on the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, 155 miles northwest of Chicago. History was made at Dubuque on April 1, 1991, when casino gambling in the Midwest began as the Diamond Jo made its maiden voyage down the Mississippi River.

121. Diamond Jo Casino Address: Port of Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Phone: 563–690–2100; toll-free: 1–800–LUCKY JO (1–800–582–5956) Website: www.diamondjo.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 3-level 51,900-square-foot riverboat with 17,800 square feet of gaming space, and hotel, on the Mississippi River. Casino replicates a classic 19th century paddlewheel, has the capacity for 1,390 patrons, features a spacious two-story atrium. Adjacent to the Diamond Jo is a 2-story, 33,000-square-foot dockside pavilion. Hours: Mon.–Fri. 7:30 a.m.–3 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 24 hours Slot Machines: 750+ Table Games: 17: Blackjack, craps (20X odds), roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Grandstand Under the Stars offers a summer-long live music series featuring some of the biggest names in rock, country, and contemporary music, such as America, ShaNaNa, Bobby Vinton, Little River Band, Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits, Eddie Money, Lou Gramm. There’s also a Wed. night free summer concert series. Restaurants: 3: High Steaks (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Lighthouse Grill, Diamond Deli (Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–1 a.m.; open continuously Fri. 8 a.m.–Mon.1 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Wild Card Club rewards card. Players 55+ with Wild Card get free breakfast Mon.–Fri. 7:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m., gift shop discounts, birthday gift, deli lunch specials, and an early bird slot tournament Mon.–Fri. at 8:30 a.m.


Fort Madison Fort Madison (population 58,000) is on the Mississippi River in southeastern Iowa, 135 miles southeast of Des Moines, near where the borders of Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri meet.

122. Catfish Bend Casino

Marquette Marquette (population less than 500) is on the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa, 95 miles west of Madison, Wisconsin.

123. Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel Address: 100 Anti Monopoly, Marquette, Iowa 52158 Phone: 563–873–3531; toll-free: 1–800–4–YOU–BET (1–800–496–8238) or 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Marquette Description: 3-level riverboat with 18,747 square feet of gaming space on the Mississippi River. Hotel is high on the cliffs overlooking the Mississippi. Hours: Casino: Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., continuously Fri. 9 a.m.–Mon. 3 a.m. Table games: Mon.–Fri. noon–3 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 800+: 1¢–$5, more than half ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 13: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, three-card poker, four-card poker Poker: Two

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Email: [email protected] Description: 3-level riverboat with 13,600 square feet of gaming space. The corporate offices are in Fort Madison, where the boat spends half the year; it spends the other half of the year in Burlington, which is some 25 miles south. Both are on the Mississippi River. Hours: Mon. 8 a.m.–Tue. 2 a.m., then continuously Tue. 8 a.m.–Mon. 2 a.m. Slot Machines: 540 Table Games: 17: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Spanish 21, pai gow poker, 3-card poker, 4-card poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud high-low. Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em Mon., Wed. 7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m., $20 buy-in, $20 rebuys. 7stud high-low Tue. 7 p.m., $20 buy-in, $20 rebuys. All tournaments limited to first 24 players. Live games available at tournament times. Entertainment: Live piano music at Sun. champagne brunch 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Restaurants: 1: Bourbon Street Buffet Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Catfish Bend Casino Players Club rewards card. Cash and car giveaways. Seniors’ (50+) days Thu., with cash drawings, discounts on meals. $20 blackjack tournaments Thu. 1 p.m., Sun. noon.

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Address: Mid-April through Mid-October: 902 Riverview Drive, Fort Madison, Iowa 52627 Mid-October through Mid-April: 400 Front Street, Burlington, Iowa 52601 Phone: 319–372–2946; toll-free: 1–800–372–2WIN (1–800–372–2946); fax: 319–372–9949 Website: www.catfishbendcasino.com

tables scheduled for March 2005 Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Calypso’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Marketplace (sandwiches, hotdogs, burgers, etc.; open all casino hours) Accommodations: 25 rooms, including 2 suites. Hotel is on a bluff overlooking Mississippi River. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne rewards card. Gift shop. Free parking. Guests 55+ receive a 15 percent discount at Calypso’s Buffet. Self-service nonalcoholic drink areas are located on each of the 3 casino decks. Paradise 50 Plus on Tue. and Thu. offers guests 50 and older double bonus points, free buffet if they earn 30 points that day, and 25 percent discount in the gift shop.

Osceola Osceola (population 4,700) is in south-central Iowa, 3 miles east of Interstate 35.

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124. Lakeside Casino Resort

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 777 Casino Drive, Osceola, Iowa 50213 Phone: 641–342–9511; toll-free: 1–877–477–LAKE (1–877–477–5253) Website: www.terribleherbst.com/casinos/midwest_lakeside Email: [email protected] Description: 2-deck 37,480-square-foot dockside casino located about 40 miles south of Des Moines, in Osceola, Iowa along Interstate 35, Exit 34. Cruises during the summer months on special occasions, weather permitting and when water levels and lake conditions are satisfactory, on West Lake. Unique in that it does not cruise on a river. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 921: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1; $5, $10, $25, $100 in high-limit section Table Games: 30+: Blackjack (pays 2:1 instead of 3:2 on bets up to $25 and only on 6-deck games), roulette, pai gow poker, craps, Texas Shootout, three-card poker, crazy 4 poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em. Weekly tournaments Wed. Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like Eddie Money, Diamond Rio. Free live entertainment Thu. evenings in steakhouse. Restaurants: 2: Wheelhouse Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner); steakhouse Accommodations: 60 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Car and cash drawings. Free 1-on-1 gaming lessons Mon.–Fri. 1 p.m.–2 p.m. Lakeside 50 day is Mon., for those 50+ with a Player’s Club, offering cash drawings, double points, meal discounts. High-limit section on upper deck. Slot, blackjack, video poker tournaments. RV accommodations. Fitness room. Convention center with up to 8,000 square feet of meeting space.


Sioux City Sioux City (population 85,000) is in western Iowa on the Missouri River, 90 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska.

125. Argosy Casino-Sioux City

Sloan Sloan (population 1,000) is in western Iowa on Highway 29, 10 miles east of the Missouri River and 140 miles northwest of Des Moines.

126. Winna Vegas Casino Address: 1500 330th Street, Sloan, Iowa 51055 Phone: 712–428–9466; toll-free: 1–800–468–WINN (1–800–468–9466); fax: 712–428–4219; hotel reservations: 712–428–4280 Website: www.winnavegas-casino.com Description: Land-based Native American (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) 45,000square-foot casino located 20 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa, and 75 miles north of Omaha, on Interstate 29. Exit at 127, and it’s 3 miles west. Winna Vegas Casino was the first land-based casino in Iowa. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1 Table Games: 22: Blackjack, Spanish 21, Caribbean Stud, craps, roulette Poker: Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em Sat. 10 a.m., Sun. noon, Wed. and Thu. 7 p.m. Also satellites and supersatellites to the World Series of Poker, with bonus chips to live game players. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Flowers Island Restaurant & Buffet Accommodations: Winnavegas Inn: 53 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: ClubWINN rewards card for slots and table games. Cash giveaways. Every day of their birthday month, club card holders can

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 3-deck riverboat casino with 36,000 square feet of gaming space located on the edge of the Missouri River in downtown Sioux City, accommodating up to 2,000 passengers and crew. Interior is decorated with elaborate chandeliers and ornate marble Greek columns. Casion has a spacious second-deck lounge, an observation deck, and a new half-million-dollar air filtration system. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 625: 1¢–$5, including video keno Table Games: 19: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), three-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: No (At this time poker was planned but not finalized.) Entertainment: Bonkerz Comedy Club, with headliners including ventriloquists, hypnotists, comedians, plus live music between acts Restaurants: Outfitters Grill (Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–11p.m, Sun. 8 a.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Argosy Preferred rewards card. Blackjack, slot tournaments.

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Address: 100 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City, Iowa 51102 Phone: 712–294–5600; toll-free: 1–800–424–0080 Website: www.argosycasinos.com/property/sioux_city/sioux_city_home.asp

spin a wheel for a prize that includes apparel, meals, and cash. Special days each week for women, men, and seniors, with gifts, meal reductions, extra cash on buy-ins. 400-seat bingo hall. $1,000-guaranteed blackjack tournament, Sat. noon, Mon. 7 p.m. $10 entry fee receives one entry into a $50 drawing, one $5 match play coupon, and one $3 match play coupon. Continental breakfast in hotel. Casino rates. Pets allowed in hotel.

Tama Tama (population 2,700) is in central Iowa, 60 miles northeast of Des Moines.

127. Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel

94

Address: 1504 305th Street, Tama, Iowa 52339 Phone: 641–484–2108; toll-free: 1–800–728–GAME (1–800–728–4263); fax: 641–484–1618 Website: www.meskwaki.com

NORTH AMERICA

Email: Contact form on website Description: Land-based Native American (Meskwaki) 128,000-square-foot casino located in central Iowa on Highway 30, 3 miles west of Tama Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: Reel and video, 1¢–$100, with progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: 28: $100,000 keno (includes multirace keno, with 24 hours to collect on 1–20 games and 1 year on 21–1,000; 25¢ games available in multiples of 4), blackjack, Spanish 21, mini-baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: 7-stud high, 7-stud high-low, Hold’em, Omaha high-low, Omaha high, pineapple. $1-$3 and $1-$5 spread limit, $2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $4-$10 spread limit with a half kill, $6-$12, pot-limit. Regular tournaments: Wed. 7 p.m. $50+$10, Thu. 7 p.m. $42+$8 Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like the Smothers Brothers. Live jazz. Restaurants: 3: River’s Edge Buffet, Garden Park Deli, Garden Park Concessions (Indian Tacos, frybread, hamburgers, chicken strips, pizza, nachos, etc.) Accommodations: 204 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Meskwaki rewards card for slot and table players, with instant cash back. Horse and dog racebook, with simulcast. Gift certificates available, usable anywhere in casino. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Cash drawings. High-limit room. 500-seat bingo hall, with several sessions daily. Buffet is nonsmoking.


KANSAS

Kansas has several Native American casinos, all in the northeastern corner of the state. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The minimum age for gambling in Kansas is 21.

Horton Horton (population 2,000) is in northeastern Kansas, 45 miles north of Topeka, 20 miles west of the Missouri border, and 23 miles south of the Nebraska border.

Email: [email protected] Description: 45,000-square-foot Native American (Kickapoo Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $25; progressive jackpots linked around the country. Machines accept 1–5 coins or tokens. Table Games: 16: Let It Ride Bonus, craps, roulette, blackjack, three-card poker Poker: Regular games (start at noon): Mon., Tue. 7-stud $2-$5 spread-limit, $20 minimum buy-in; Wed. dealer’s choice among hold’em, pineapple, Omaha high-low $4-$8 limit; Thu. Omaha high-low and 7-stud $2$5 spread-limit and hold’em $4-$8 limit; Fri., Sat. hold’em $3-$6 limit, $30 minimum buy-in. Regular tournament: Thu. 6:30 p.m., hold’em with $5 buy-in, $5 rebuys, $10 addon; early seats to players in live action before 2 p.m. Entertainment: Showroom, with tribute shows, headliners like the Spinners Restaurants: Buffet and snack bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Incentives for those who arrive by bus. Bingo. Blackjack tournament fourth Wed. every month 7 p.m., with 100 percent payback: $25 buy-in, limited to 56 players, includes $50 drawing and dinner for 2. Mon. specials on table games: 25¢ craps (12 p.m.–10 p.m.), $2 blackjack, Let It Ride Bonus, three-card poker, and 25¢ roulette (2 a.m.–10 p.m.). Cash drawings. Senior (50+) spins Fri. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. for cash on prize wheel. Complimentary soft drinks and coffee.

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 1121 Goldfinch Road, Horton, Kansas 66439 Phone: 785–486–6601; toll-free: 1–888-GO–4–LUCK (1–888–464–5825) Website: www.goldeneaglecasino.com

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128. Golden Eagle Casino

Mayetta Mayetta (population 300) is in northeastern Kansas, 20 miles north of Topeka.

129. Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino Address: 12305 150th Road, Mayetta, Kansas 66509 Phone: Main: 785–966–7777; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/top

96 NORTH AMERICA

Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 33,000-square-foot Native American (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) casino 15 minutes north of Topeka on US-75 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢, 5¢ up to $100; progressive jackpots, some linked statewide Table Games: 31: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Bet the Set, mini-baccarat Poker: Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud, 7-stud high-low, at many limits, including no-limit upon request. Limits and game types are based on player request/demand. Wed. 5 p.m.: No-limit hold’em ($100 min. buy-in, $200 max. add-on buy-in). Regular tournaments: Mon. noon, no-limit hold’em ($20 buy-in, $10 rebuys), 6 p.m., no-limit hold’em ($20 buy-in, $10 rebuys, $3 add-on); Tue. 10 a.m., single-table tournament, 6 p.m., no-limit hold’em ($40 buy-in, no rebuys); Wed. noon, no-limit hold’em ($10 buy-in, $10 rebuys); Thu. 3 p.m., no-limit hold’em ($10 buy-in, $10 rebuys, $3 add-on), 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em ($40 buy-in, $20 rebuys, $3 add-on); Fri. noon, no-limit hold’em ($100 buy-in, no rebuys); Sat., Sun. 10 a.m., no-limit hold’em ($10 buy-in, $10 rebuys). In each case, the $3 add-on entitles the player to a free buffet, plus gives the player additional chips equal to half what the original buy-in purchased. (For example, if the buy-in gives the player $500 in tournament chips, the extra $3 increases the player’s tournament chips by $250.) Instead of the scheduled event, the first Mon. of every month is a no-limit hold’em tournament, $200 buy-in, no rebuys. Depending on number of entrants, as many as one-third of the participants win. Also, playing in events wins points toward a satellite tournament for an entry to the World Series of Poker final event. Entertainment: Free weekend concerts Fri., Sat. in the Great Lakes Ballroom 8 p.m.–midnight, with local groups Restaurants: 3: Fresh Market Square Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, with a different themed buffet every night), Three Fires Steakhouse (open for dinner Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Fresh Market Express (snacks, sandwiches, salads, pizza, desserts; open 24 hours) Accommodations: 300 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card players at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos). Free self parking. Hotel offers AAA and AARP discounts.


Powhattan Powhattan (population under 100) is in northeastern Kansas, 50 miles north of Topeka, 40 miles west of the Missouri border, and 15 miles south of the Nebraska border.

130. Sac & Fox Casino

LOUISIANA

At the time of this writing, Louisiana had three Native American and 15 state-regulated casinos, all riverboats. New licenses were being negotiated, and likely there will be more. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. Originally all riverboats were supposed to cruise, but the law changed several years ago to permit 24-hour dockside gaming at all state-regulated casinos. Video poker is permitted at truck stops, racetracks, and off-track betting establishments (OTBs), and bars in approximately half the state’s parishes (Louisiana’s equivalent of counties). Racetracks and OTBs can have an unlimited number of machines, truck stops up to 50, and bars up to three. The minimum age for gambling in Louisiana is 21.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 40,000-square-foot Native American (Sac & Fox of Missouri Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 470: 2¢–$1, some with progressive jackpots Table Games: 10: Craps (a 25¢ game is available), blackjack (a $3 game is available), roulette, 21 Madness, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), Let It Ride, double-deck blackjack (played with two, instead of multiple decks), three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: The Lodge (breakfasts, and lunch and dinner buffets), Chop House, deli Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, with cash back. Event center, for parties or business meetings. Ladies’ nights, gentlemen’s nights, with free gifts, hourly drawings, etc. Senior appreciation days. Gift Shop features many items from Native American craftsman from around America.

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Address: 1322 US Highway 75, Powhattan, Kansas 66527 Phone: 785–467–8000; toll-free: 1–800–990–2946 Website: www.sacandfoxcasino.com

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge (population 228,000), the capital of Louisiana, is 75 miles northwest of New Orleans.

131. Argosy Casino Address: 103 France Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Phone: 225–378–6000; toll-free: 1–800–676–4847; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–627–8567 Website: argosycasinos.com/property/property_br2.asp

98 NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 29,000-square-foot, 3-deck riverboat casino on the Mississippi River in the downtown historic district, across from the convention center Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: 1¢–$25, includes video poker, keno machines Table Games: 30: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, roulette, craps, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Live jazz provided by local jazz musicians Thu.–Sat. evening in the Atrium Lounge Restaurants: 4: Argosy Atrium Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Shucks on the Levee (seafood, steaks; lunch, dinner), Butler’s Pantry Deli (24 hours daily), Atrium Lounge (soups, salads, sandwiches, roast chicken, rib-eye steaks; Sun. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon.–Sat. 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m., breakfast served daily to 11:30 a.m.) Accommodations: Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel has 300 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, with points drawings for cash. Monthly three-card poker tournaments. Blackjack tournament third Wed. each month. 2-for-1 seniors’ buffets. Free parking, free valet service. Complimentary cocktails. Convention Center available for meetings, conventions, special events.

132. Casino Rouge Address: 1717 River Road North, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Phone: 225–709–7777; toll-free: 1–800–44–ROUGE (1–800–447–6843) Website: www.casinorouge.com Email: [email protected] Description: 28,580-square-foot dockside riverboat casino on the Mississippi River, across the street from the state capitol in downtown Baton Rouge, with quick access from I-10 to I-110, exit North Street to the river Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,085+: 1¢, 5¢–$25, including nearly 100 video poker. EZ Pay. Table Games: 31: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Royal Match 21, Let It Ride Bonus, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: Sun., jazz brunches. Rhythms Lounge has live music groups Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 2: Capitol Bistro (steakhouse), International Marketplace Buffet Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Rouge rewards card for slots and table games. High-limit area. Valet parking at the pavilion entrance, plus secure, well-lit surface lot with over 1,100 spaces.


Bossier City Bossier City (population 56,500) is in northwestern Louisiana, just across the Red River from Shreveport.

133. Boomtown Casino and Hotel

134. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Bossier City Address: 711 Horseshoe Boulevard, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111 Phone: 318–742–0711; toll-free: 1–800–895–0711 Website: www.horseshoe.com/bossiercity Email: Contact form on website Description: 30,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino on the Red River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,600+: 5¢–$5; includes video poker, video keno Table Games: 50+: blackjack, craps, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, others Poker: No Entertainment: Riverdome has headline entertainment, including Mardi Gras events. Live musical groups in Lounge at Oak Creek. Restaurants: 5: Jack Binion’s Steak House (reservations recommended; Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m. to midnight), Four Winds (reservations recommended; Asian; Wed.–Sun. 5:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.), Village Square Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Oak Creek Café & Grille, Lounge at Oak Creek Accommodations: 26-story hotel has 606 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Horseshoe Hotel & Casino is the tallest building in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Winners Circle rewards card, with 3 levels and commensurate rewards. Valet parking. Hotel has health spa, conference rooms, restaurants, and retail shops. Banquet hall, events center.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: Contact form on website Description: 30,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino on the Red River, located off Interstate 20. Driving directions from Dallas: Take I-20 east, Exit 19B, turn right at the first light. From Monroe: Take I-20 west, Exit 19B, turn left at the light. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,250+: 1¢–$1 first level, $5–$100 second level high-limit section Table Games: 33: Spanish 21, blackjack (including double-deck hand-held pitch blackjack), mini-baccarat, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Sundance Cantina presents live local bands Fri., Sat. 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Karaoke Thu. 7 p.m–11 p.m. Restaurants: 4: Sundance Cantina (Mexican food and drinks; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), Cattleman’s Buffet (Sun.–Thu. 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 a.m.–midnight), Circle B Ranch Steakhouse (Wed.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Boomer’s Café (24 hours) Accommodations: 188 rooms, including 88 garden suites and 4 themed suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Circle B Player’s Club rewards card. Car and cash giveaways. 1,500 square feet of meeting and conference space available. Blackjack tournaments Mon., Thu. 7 p.m.–11 p.m., $20 buy-in, $500 guaranteed.

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Address: 300 Riverside Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111 Phone: 318–746–0711; toll-free: 1–866-GO-2–TOWN (1–866–462–8696) Website: www.boomtownbossier.com

135. Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel Address: 711 Isle of Capri Boulevard, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111 Phone: 318–678–7777; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Bossier_City

100 NORTH AMERICA

Description: 4-deck 30,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino on the Red River. Fourth level open to the elements. Caribbean-themed hotel casino with fountains, palms, and indoor waterfalls. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,099+: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $100; includes progressive slots from 25¢–$5; some EZ Pay machines Table Games: 33: Blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: 1,200-seat showroom presents headliners like the Four Tops, Spinners, Go Go’s, Percy Sledge Restaurants: 4: Farradday’s (steak, lobster, etc.; closed Mon., Tue.), Calypso’s (buffet; with specialty station featuring alternating cuisines: Cajun, Caribbean, Asian, and others), Kitt’s Kitchen & Rum Mill (island-themed restaurant featuring Caribbean, Mexican, tropical dishes), Tradewinds Marketplace (specialty meals; open 24 hours) Accommodations: 815 rooms Family Amenities: Eno’s Playhouse: professionally licensed childcare center; Fantasy Isle Arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Members Club rewards card for slot and table play. Hotel discounts and free rooms for points. Golf package specials. 50 Plus Club offers benefits to seniors, like double points and meal and gift shop discounts. 22,000-square-foot meeting space. Free valet parking. Spa. Outdoor pool. Sauna.

Charenton Charenton (population 2,000) is 25 miles southeast of Lafayette and 85 miles west of New Orleans.

136. Cypress Bayou Casino Address: 832 Martin Luther King Road, Charenton, Louisiana 70523 Phone: 337–923–7284; toll-free: 1–800–284–4386; fax: 337–923–7882 Website: www.cypressbayou.com Description: 180,000-square-foot Native American (Chitmacha Tribe) casino. Directions: Take Highway 90 to Baldwin Exit 83 and follow the casino signs. Hours: Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,200+: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25 Table Games: 46: Bayou Blackjack, big six wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Draw, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride Bonus, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bocat’s Lounge; live entertainment on weekends Restaurants: 3: Eats (sandwiches, snacks), Café Bayou (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Mr. Lester’s Steakhouse, plus 3 lounges Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Cypress rewards card, includes cashback program. Nonsmoking slots area. Mr. Lester’s Cigar Bar has a baby grand piano and a fireplace, and offers many fine Central American cigars for aficionados.


Harvey Harvey (population 22,000) is 5 miles south of downtown New Orleans, across the Mississippi.

137. Boomtown Casino

Kenner Kenner (population 71,000), a suburb to the west of New Orleans, is the site of Louis Armstrong International Airport.

138. Treasure Chest Casino Address: 5050 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, Louisiana 70065, Phone: 504–443–8000; toll-free: 1–800–298–0711 Website: www.treasurechestcasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-deck, 24,000-square-foot, classic 18th-century Victorian-style paddlewheel riverboat casino docked on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Each of the three decks features a different theme, evoking the festive décor of Las Vegas, the Caribbean, and Mardi Gras. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year

NORTH AMERICA

Email: Contact form on website Description: 30,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino approximately 15 minutes from downtown New Orleans on the Harvey Canal Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; Pinnacle Room (high-stakes room) is open evenings Slot Machines: 1500+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1, and $1–$100 in Pinnacle Room; progressive jackpots Table Games: 50+: Single ($5 minimum) and double deck ($25 minimum, in Pinnacle Room) blackjack, roulette, craps, progressive pai gow, mini-baccarat, three-card poker Poker: Freeroll hold’em shootout every Tue. with $500 prize pool, limited to first 44 (with 6 alternates) to sign up; registration starts at 8 a.m., play begins at 11 a.m. Entertainment: Boomers Nightclub; free local bands. Thu.–Sat. 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Restaurants: 3: Pier 4 (upscale casual dining, also oyster bar; 5 p.m.–11 p.m. daily), Bayou Market Buffet (lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), Bayou Market Express (quick meals; Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–6 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 24 hours) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Family Fun Center: arcade for kids of all ages Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card has a new player bonus, earns points immediately, and gets immediate cash back. Points can be used to “self comp,” that is, players can go directly to a food outlet to get free or reduced price meals. High-stakes room. Free blackjack tournament with $1,500 prize pool every Mon. 7 p.m. Cash drawings. Birthday wheel spins every day for added points, cash, free meals, etc. 4,700 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate groups of 25–500 for special events, parties, or conferences, with full service catering available.

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Address: 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, Louisiana 70058 Phone: 504–366–7711; toll-free: 1–800–366–7711 Website: www.boomtownneworleans.com

Slot Machines: 950+: 1¢ and up; start at $1 in high-limit section; 85 percent ticket inticket out; multidenomination machines play 25¢, 50¢ or $1 Table Games: 50: Craps, blackjack (including streak blackjack), Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), threecard poker, roulette, mini-baccarat and midi-baccarat (both with $5,000 maximum) Poker: No Entertainment: Caribbean Showroom has free shows (local groups) nightly. Also live entertainment on the front lawn. Restaurants: 3: Pontchartrain Grille (Sun., Wed., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Mon., Tue.), Treasure Island Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Pointe Deli (6 a.m.–midnight daily) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 1,150 square feet of multipurpose space for business meetings and special occasions. Blackjack tournaments. Free ladies’ blackjack tournament Wed. 7 p.m. Weekly karaoke, $150 first prize, monthly with $250. Free slot tournaments, with points prizes. Treasure Chest Prime Rewards card for tables or slots.

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Kinder

NORTH AMERICA

Kinder (population 2,100) is in southeast Louisiana on Highway 190, 155 miles west of New Orleans.

139. Grand Casino Coushatta Address: 777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder, Louisiana 70648 Phone: Toll-free: 1–800–58–GRAND (1–800–584–7263) Website: www.gccoushatta.com Email: [email protected] Description: 107,600-square-foot Native American (Coushatta Tribe) casino, with two hotels, located 25 miles northeast of Lake Charles on US 165 (I-10 Exit 44) and 5 miles north of Kinder; Louisiana’s largest land-based gaming resort Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,200: 1¢ and up; progressive jackpots Table Games: 82: Blackjack, three-card poker, pai gow poker, four-card poker, Let It Ride, roulette, mini-baccarat, craps Poker: 12 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha high-low; including jackpot games. World Poker Tour satellite tournaments 2 or 3 times a month, plus one-table no-limit hold’em shootout satellites. Guaranteed-prize-pool tournaments, some with bounties, several times a month. Entertainment: Mikko Entertainment Center: Headliners and local groups. Pavilion: National and international acts live in concert. Also, hosts United States Team Roping Championships events. Restaurants: Seven Clans Buffet (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.), Big Sky Steakhouse (Sun.–Thu. 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 4:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Terrace Café (breakfast 24 hours, breakfast buffet midnight–10:30 a.m.), Cafe Grandé (24 hours), Grand Circus of Slots Food Court (Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 24 hours, Sun. midnight–10 p.m.), Gumbeaux’s Oyster & Sports Bar (lunch and dinner daily) Accommodations: Coushatta Grand Hotel: 208 rooms and suites; Coushatta Grand Inn: 195 rooms; Resort at Red Shoes Park: 40 acres, with 100 furnished chalets, RV park with 100 hookups Family Amenities: 2 venues for guests under 21 years of age: Kids Quest is a New Horizons supervised child care center, available for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years (hourly charge per child). The Arcade at Coushatta, free, is for ages 12 and above, with 60 video games and games of

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE skill; games accept tokens for play. Also, children’s playground at Resort at Red Shoes Park. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes room. Shuttle service available from surrounding areas, including Houston. Free shuttle service to and from casino from Resort at Red Shoes Park. Grand Advantage Players Club rewards card and Grand Advantage VIP Players Club (provides perks to those the casino regards as its best players). Koasati Pines, 18-hole championship golf course, is nearby.

Lake Charles Lake Charles (population 72,000) is 190 miles east of New Orleans.

Description: Complex consisting of 2 stationary barges, Crown Riverboat and 3-deck Grand Palais Riverboat, constituting a 48,900-square-foot casino, on Lake Charles; southwest Louisiana’s closest casino to Texas, a 2-hour drive from Houston; from I-10, take Westlake Exit 27 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,791: Many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 60 Poker: 25 tables. Regular tournaments: Mon.: Noon, $1,000-guaranteed no-limit hold’em ($30 buy-in, $25 add-on; pays top three places); 6:30 p.m., $1,200-guaranteed limit Hold’em ($10 buy-in, $15 unlimited rebuys until break, add-ons $15 and $30; pays top three places). Tue.: Noon, $500-guaranteed no-limit hold’em, Shootout ($30 buy-in; pays top two places). Wed.: Noon, $500-guaranteed no-limit hold’em ($30 buy-in, no rebuys; pays top two places); 6:30 p.m., $1400-guaranteed limit hold’em ($15 buy-in, $15 rebuys, add-ons at break; pays top three places). Thu.: Noon, $1,000-guaranteed no-limit Omaha ($30 buyin, 1 $25 rebuy; pays top three places); 6:30 p.m., $1,400-guaranteed limit hold’em ($15 buy-in, $15 rebuys, add-ons at break; pays top three places). Fri.: 7 p.m. $2,000-guaranteed no-limit hold’em shootout ($30 buy-in, 1 $25 rebuy; each table plays down to 1 player for the final table; payouts, 4th–10th=$100, 1st=50 percent, 2nd=30 percent, 3rd=20 percent of remaining prize pool). Sat.: Noon, $15,000-guaranteed hold’em tournament ($110 buy-in, unlimited $100 rebuys; pays top 10 places). All tournament sign-ups are 2 hours prior to start time. $5 of each buy-in on weekdays and $10 on Sat. goes towards future poker promotions. Entertainment: Flamingo Bay Ballroom, with concert seating for 1,100, has headliners like Toby Keith, Steve Warner, Tanya Tucker, Pam Tillis, Chubby Checker, Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins. Caribbean Cove Lounge, with 463 seats, has karaoke Mon., Wed. 8 p.m.–midnight. Restaurants: 5: Farradday’s, Kitt’s Kitchen & Rum Mill (serves Caribbean cuisine and 31 flavors of rum), Calypso’s Buffet, Tradewinds, Lucky Wins (Asian cuisine) Accommodations: 2 hotels with 396 rooms: Isle of Capri all-suite hotel has 255 suites; Inn at the Isle has 241 regular rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Paradise 50 Plus provides benefits for seniors, like free buffet Mon., Wed, Fri. (with 30 points), extra points, other discounts. Hotel amenities: Health spa, sauna, massage therapist, outdoor pool and hot tub, room service, in-room whirlpool tub. 14,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space.

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Address: 100 Westlake Avenue, Westlake, LA 70669 Phone: 337–430–2400; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753); poker room: 337–430–2407 Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Lake_Charles/

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140. Isle of Capri Casino-Lake Charles

141. Harrah’s Lake Charles Address: 505 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 Phone: 337–437–1500; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Lake Charles Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/lch

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 30,000-square-foot dockside casino in southwest Louisiana off Interstate 10 on Lake Charles Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: 1¢–$100; includes video poker, 20+ progressives, and 12 25¢ video keno Table Games: 58: Mini-baccarat, 28 blackjack (including multideck and hand shuffled), 4 craps, 3 roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud, 2 Let It Ride, pai gow poker Poker: 21 tables in a new 9,000-square-foot facility, including an electronic player list and paging system that alerts players of available seats at any location on the casino floor. Several game varieties, including hold’em and 7-stud. Daily qualifying tournaments for World Series of Poker. Check website for current tournaments and cardroom promotions. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 6: Pepper Rose (24-hour, dine in or take-out), buffet (includes premium ice cream shop), Island Terrace (steaks and seafood; Sun., Wed., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Steamers (spicy seafood specialties; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Louisiana Cafe (Southern Cajun cuisine; breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m.–1 p.m. daily), Cafe Bong Sen (Oriental; Sun. noon–10 pm., Mon., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 262 rooms, including 4 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card good at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos). Rewards Credits can be used for meals or merchandise, plus they earn discounts for meals, and they can be redeemed for cash. No credit card or ATM fees. Groups arriving by bus get free $10 food coupon $7 cash coupon. Banquet and meeting space for functions and events. Free valet and self parking for hotel guests. Dataports in every room. Seasonal outdoor swimming pool.


Marksville Marksville (population 5,600) is in east-central Louisiana, 140 miles northwest of New Orleans.

142. Paragon Casino Resort

New Orleans Everyone knows New Orleans (population 485,000; metropolitan area 1.3 million), at the mouth of the Mississippi and on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, for its Mardi Gras celebrations, jazz festivals, wonderful cuisine, and the Sugar Bowl—and its casinos.

143. Bally’s Casino Orleans Address: 1 Stars and Stripes Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70126 Phone: Toll-free: 1–800–57–BALLY (1–800–572–2559) Website: www.caesars.com/ballys/neworleans Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-deck riverboat with 30,000-square-foot casino on the Mississippi River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,221: 1¢–$100; EZ Pay on many machines Table Games: 30: Blackjack (including single- and double-deck hand-held pitch blackjack), mini-baccarat, craps (20X odds), roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bally’s Showroom seats 400: bands of the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s. Wild Card Sports Bar with16 screens of sporting action, DJ Fri. night, Sounds of New Orleans live entertainment Sat.

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 74,120-square-foot Native American (Tunica-Biloxi Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100+: 5¢–$100 (1$–$100 in high-limit room) Table Games: 46: Craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, blackjack, pai gow poker, big six wheel Poker: 7 tables: 3 7-stud ($1-$5 spread limit), 4 hold’em ($4-$8, sometimes $10-$20); 3 raises permitted unless head up (then unlimited). Regular tournaments: 7-stud Mon. morning, $10 winner-take-all; hold’em Mon. evening, $20 with 3 $20 rebuys. Entertainment: The Mári Center: Headliners like Joe Cocker, Roy Clark, Clay Walker, Gary Allan. Cabaret Lounge: Free acts in 150-seat room (for Paragon Preferred guests with certain point totals). Restaurants: 6: Legends Steakhouse, Marceline’s (Cajun bistro), Big Daddy E’s Oyster Bar & Restaurant, Roxy’s Diner, Marketplace Buffet, Mári Center Snack Bar, plus Tamahka Grill (at golf course) Accommodations: 334 rooms, including 47 suites; cabins and chalets; 185-pad, all with full hookups, RV resort Family Amenities: Kids’ Quest; For teens (12 and older), a high-tech arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Paragon Preferred Players Club rewards card for slots and table games. RV park. Meeting and convention center, including concert stage; up to 2,856 square feet of total space. Golf course. Bus groups get special hotel rates. Gift shop.

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Address: 711 Paragon Place, Marksville, Louisiana 71351 Phone: 318–253–1946; toll-free: 1–800–WIN–1–WIN (1–800–946–1946) Website: www.paragoncasinoresort.com

7 p.m.–10 p.m. (local, jazz, R&B, Top 40 bands), Wednesday Night Blues Restaurants: 3: Great American Buffet, LaBelle Deli, Liberty Bell Deli & Bakery Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card rewards card. For Connection Card members: $10,000 blackjack tournament the first Thu. of each month; $10,000 2-day craps tournament third Tue. and Wed. of each month, in which Tue. night winners qualify for second round Wed. night, and wildcard slots for second round are given away randomly Tue. night; $10,000 mini-baccarat the last Thu. of each month. 15,000 square feet of space for functions, seating up to 600. Special packages for large groups.

144. Harrah’s New Orleans Casino

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Address: Canal at the River, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Phone: 504–533–6000; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s New Orleans Casino Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/nor

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 115,000-square-foot riverboat casino on the Mississippi River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000+: Megabucks, and other linked and progressive machines. Penny Gras, the penny slots section, features dozens of new 1¢ and 2¢ games. 85 high-limit slots in denominations of $5, $25, $100, and $500. 100 percent coinless, all machines are ticket in-ticket out. Table Games: 100+: 64 blackjack, 5 midi- and mini-baccarat, 9 craps, 7 roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpots), 2 Let It Ride, 3 three-card poker, 2 big six wheels Poker: 20 tables: Pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold’em; pagers notify those on waiting lists that a seat is ready Entertainment: Earl Turner Theatre: Earl Turner performs live 5 nights a week (Mon., Tue., Thu.–Sat.) at 9 p.m. Also, headliners like Tanya Tucker and Charmaine Neville. Jazz Court: Free live jazz performed outdoors. Restaurants: 4: Besh Steakhouse at Harrah’s (fine dining; dressy casual), The Buffet at Harrah’s (casual), Gordon Biersch (brewery and restaurant; casual), Cafés on Canal (McAlister’s Select deli, Starbucks Coffee, and Fuddruckers) Accommodations: None currently, but 450-room 26-story hotel is expected to open in early 2006 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot tournaments. Earl Turner Theatre available Wed. and Sun. for private events, receptions, dinners, etc.


Shreveport Shreveport (population 201,000) is in northwest Louisiana on the Red River.

145. Hollywood Casino Shreveport

146. Sam’s Town Shreveport Address: 315 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 Phone: toll-free: 1–877–429–0711 Website: www.samstownshreveport.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-deck 23,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino on the Red River. The Shreve Star was created to look like a 19th century southern paddle wheeler, incorporating bright colors and the charm of the South. The boat consists of 3 uniquely styled casinos, each housed on a different level. Directions: Take I-20 to Shreveport, take Exit 19A—Spring Street, go north 4 blocks, turn right on Fannin Street. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: 1¢–$100, including video poker (triple, progressive), video keno, video 21 Table Games: 30: Blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 4: International Buffet, Java (coffee specialties, pastries, sandwiches), Smokey Joe’s Café (featuring “Cowboy Creole Cuisine”), William B’s Steakhouse Accommodations: 514

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Description: 29,000-square-foot dockside riverboat casino plus 3-story entertainment pavilion on the Red River. Directions: Take I-20 to Exit 19A Spring Street, proceed to Milam Street, turn right, take Milam to Clyde Fant Parkway, which runs along the Red River, and turn left. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400+: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5 Table Games: 68: 39 blackjack, 8 craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), mini-baccarat, Let It Ride Bonus, pai gow poker, three-card poker, casino war Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud Entertainment: Nearby Shreveport Civic Auditorium has headliner shows; Celebrity Club Show Lounge has lounge acts Restaurants: Fairbanks Steakhouse (modeled after Douglas Fairbanks Sr.’s role in Don Q, Son of Zorro), Hollywood Diner (’50s diner with collection of Grease movie memorabilia), Epic Buffet, Cinema Cafe (Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 403 rooms, all suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Points reward card and associated Marquee Club, which has Gold and Premier levels. Cash giveaways. $3,000-guaranteed slot tournament Mon. 7 p.m. $2,000-guaranteed blackjack tournament Tue. Banquet and convention facilities, including 500-seat ballroom. Hollywood Casino Studio Store. Hollywood Casino Corporation is one of the nation’s leading collectors of movie memorabilia, and displays memorabilia from notable films throughout the property. Hotel has movie memorabilia from such films as The Wizard of Oz and Terminator.

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Address: 451 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 Phone: 318–220–0711; toll-free: 1–877–602–0711; poker room: 318–220–5274 Website: www.hollywoodcasinoshreveport.com

rooms and suites in a 23-story hotel tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Prime Rewards Card for slots and table play. Comcheck. ATMs. 18,000 square feet available for conventions and banquets. Gift shop. Fitness center.

MICHIGAN

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Michigan has two types of casinos, Native American casinos and state-regulated commercial casinos. There are three of the latter, which are all located in Detroit. At the time of this writing, there were 16 Native American casinos. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. Two other tribes had negotiated compacts with the state but had not yet won complete approval of their plans to build new facilities. Some opposition existed, and whether they would open was still up in the air. The minimum age for gambling in the commercial casinos is 21. The minimum age for gambling in the Native American casinos can be 18, as long as alcohol is not served. That is the case in a few, while the rest have set the age at 21.

Baraga Baraga (population 1,300) is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, at the base of the Keeweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior.

147. Ojibwa Casino Resort Address: 797 Michigan Avenue, Baraga, Michigan 49908 Phone: 906–353–7611; toll-free: 1–800–323–8045 Website: www.ojibwacasino.com/baraga Description: 17,000-square-foot Native American (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) casino with 3 gaming rooms, 1 mile west of US 41 on Michigan 38 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 350+: 2¢–$5; video and reel, including video poker, video keno, and progressive Table Games: 12: Blackjack ($2–$500), craps (5X odds; $2–$200), Let It Ride ($3–$25), roulette (50¢–$5 limit), three-card poker ($3–$25) Poker: No Entertainment: Local lounge acts on weekends Restaurants: 1: Ojibwa Four Star Family Restaurant & Pancake House (breakfast, lunch, dinner; breakfast served all day; Mon.–Thu. 6 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 24 hours) Accommodations: 40 rooms, including suites with private spa Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: White Caps rewards card. Cash and merchandise giveaways. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and sauna. Hotel guests receive a gift package of gaming coupons. 8-lane bowling alley.


Brimley Brimley (population 1,300) is on the extreme southeast shore of Lake Superior on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 250 miles north of Lansing.

148. Bay Mills Resort and Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot Native American (Bay Mills Tribe of Ojibwe Indians) casino in a resort complex, on the shores of Waishkey Bay, in the north woods of Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon.–Fri. 4 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sat.–Sun. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,000: 2¢ and up; includes multidenomination machines, video poker, electronic horse racing Table Games: 13: Craps ($5–$100; 10X odds, $1,800 max. win in prop. box), roulette (25¢ roulette with $1 min.; $350 max. payout), Caribbean Stud ($1–$500; progressive jackpot), three-card poker ($5–$25), Let It Ride ($3–$25; $10,000 max. payout), 6-deck blackjack ($3–$200, $25 min. tables on request), 2-deck pitch blackjack ($5–$200; double permitted on 10 and 11 only and no mid-round entry). All games except craps and roulette are played with both American and Canadian chips. Poker: Dealer’s choice ($5-$10; hold’em, pineapple, crazy pineapple, Omaha, Omaha high-low), 7-stud ($2-$5 spread limit), 7-stud high-low ($2-$10 spread limit), Omaha ($5-$10), Omaha high-low ($5-$10), hold’em ($3-$6, $5-$10, $10-$20, no-limit with $1$2 blinds). The house rake is 10 percent of the pot up to $3 maximum on all flop games and $4 maximum on all stud games. Quarterly freeroll tournament for players who log the most hours, with winner receiving entry into a major national tournament. Entertainment: Comedy Club acts Fri. night Restaurants: 3: Sacy’s (upscale dining), Back Bay Grille & Games (sports bar, with pizza, sandwiches, etc.), Chums Café Accommodations: 144 room waterfront hotel Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Funcard rewards card. 5,000-square-foot conference center accommodates up to 300. RV park with capacity for 76, each slot with all hookups. Wild Bluff 18-hole championship golf course (rated 51⁄2 stars by Golf Digest).

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Address: 11386 West Lakeshore Drive, Brimley, Michigan 49715 Phone: 906–248–3241; toll-free: 1–877–229–6455 (local area) or 1–888–4–BAYMILLS (1–888–422–9645) Website: www.4baymills.com

149. Kings Club Casino Address: 12140 West Lakeshore Drive, Brimley, Michigan 49715 Phone: 906–248–3227; toll-free: 1–877–229–6455 (local area) or 1–888–4–BAYMILLS (1–888–422–9645) Website: www.4baymills.com/html/kingsclub

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Description: Kings Club Casino is on the same property as and associated with Bay Mills Resort and Casino. It is a 6,500-square-foot Native American (Bay Mills Tribe of Ojibwe Indians) casino for slot machine players. Kings Club was America’s first tribally operated blackjack casino. It was also the first casino in Michigan to introduce slot machines and live keno. The blackjack is now at Bay Mills Casino. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 250: 1¢–$5; includes video poker; multi-denominational machines; progressive jackpots Table Games: No Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Same as Bay Mills Casino Accommodations: Same as Bay Mills Resort and Casino Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Funcard rewards card. Happy hour in the bar Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m.–8 p.m., with $1 beer and well drinks.

Christmas Christmas is on Lake Superior, on the north-central coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

150. Kewadin Casino Christmas Address: North 7761 Candy Cane Lane, Christmas, Michigan 49862 Phone: 906–387–5475; toll-free: 1–800–KEWADIN (800–539–2346) Website: www.kewadinchristmas.com Description: 22,000-square-foot Native American (Kewadin Tribe) casino in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, on M-28 just west of Munising. Hours: 8 a.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 215: 5¢–$1 Table Games: 6: Blackjack, 2-deck pitch blackjack, threecard poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Frosty’s Bar & Grill Accommodations: Par A Dice Inn next to the casino Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Rewards card. Gift shop. Free parking. Near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. Free shuttle service to and from local motels and campgrounds.


Detroit Detroit (population 911,000), in southeastern Michigan, known as the Motor City, is the only major American city due north of a Canadian city. Part of the reason for the establishment of Detroit’s three casinos was to stem the flow of gambling dollars southward to the casino of Windsor.

151. Greektown Casino

152. MGM Grand Detroit Casino Address: 1300 John C. Lodge Freeway, Detroit, Michigan 48226 Phone: toll-free: 1–877–888–2121 Website: www.mgmgranddetroit.com Description: 75,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,700+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $20, and $100; EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out; progressive jackpots Table Games: 80: Baccarat (no-commission midi-baccarat and no-commission mini-baccarat), blackjack, double exposure blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, roulette, casino war, Spanish 21, Boston 5 stud, 3–5-7 poker, super fun 21 Poker: No Entertainment: Stage Bar features local acts twice daily, at 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., with a third show on Sat.–Sun. at 1:15 p.m. Restaurants: 4: Hollywood Brown Derby, buffet (lunch, dinner), Lion’s Roar Sports Bar and Grille (Mon.–Thu. 4:30 p.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. noon–midnight, Sun. noon–1:30 a.m.), Java Coast Grill (24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No. The

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 75,000-square-foot Native American (Kewadin Tribe) casino. People Mover elevated rail line picks up and drops off inside the casino. Convenient easy-off freeway access to the casino, I-75 south to I-375 to Lafayette Avenue. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400+: 1¢ and up; in-house and wide-area progressives linked to other machines within Greektown Casino or with other casinos in the market Table Games: 80+ tables: Blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, mini-baccarat, casino war Poker: 16 tables (smoke-free tables available): Hold’em, 7stud high, 7-stud high-low, Omaha high, Omaha high-low. World Series of Poker qualifying tournaments. Entertainment: Apollo Lounge features local entertainment in 2 acts per night, 5 and 10 p.m. Free karaoke Wed. 7 p.m. Restaurants: 3: Alley Grille Steakhouse, Grapevine Café (Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–1 a.m.), Olive Room Accommodations: No, but connected via the People Mover to more than 1,500 downtown hotel rooms Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Greektown rewards card, with 3 levels, depending on points accumulation. Cash and merchandise drawings. Bus packages available, with transportation available from neighboring states and provinces. Casino nightclub named Rapture. Olive Room available for banquets, parties, receptions, meetings, reunions.

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Address: 555 East Lafayette Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226 Phone: toll-free: 1–888–771–4FUN (1–888–771–4386) Website: www.greektowncasino.com

minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Free blackjack classes Thu. 11 a.m., free roulette classes Thu. noon, free craps classes Thu. 2 p.m. Bus tours with incentive packages.

153. MotorCity Casino Address: 2901 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48201 Phone: toll-free: 1–877–777–0711 Website: www.motorcitycasino.com

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Description: 68,809-square-foot casino, on four levels, at the junction of Grand River and the Lodge Freeway Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,500+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25; video poker; multidenominational machines Table Games: 88: Blackjack, double exposure blackjack, Caribbean Stud, casino war, craps, three-card poker, four-card poker, Let It Ride, midibaccarat, progressive pai gow poker, roulette (double zero, and single on fourth floor) Poker: 8 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha high-low, pineapple. Hold’em tournaments Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Bad beat jackpots. Entertainment: Lounge acts. Karaoke. Restaurants: 4: Iridescence (fine dining; Tue.–Sun. 5 p.m.–midnight.), Classics Buffet (lunch, dinner), MotorCity Pit Stop (barbecue Fri. noon–1 a.m., Sat. noon–1:30 a.m., Sun noon–2 a.m.; breakfast service Sat., Sun. 2 a.m.–11 a.m.; closed Mon.–Thu.), Grand River Deli (24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Metro rewards card. Cash and merchandise, including cars, giveaways. Free self parking. Entire third floor is nonsmoking. This includes poker room. Entire fourth floor is high-limit. Club members get free shuttle rides to Comerica Park for all Detroit Tigers home games, Ford Field for all Detroit Lions home games, Joe Louis Arena for all Detroit Redwings home games, and other sporting events.

Harris Harris (population 1,900) is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula near the northwest shore of Lake Michigan, 14 miles west of Escanaba, 100 miles northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

154. Chip In’s Island Resort & Casino Address: W399 US Highway 2 and US Highway 41, Harris, Michigan 49845 Phone: 906–466–2941; toll-free: 1–800–466–2941 Website: www.chipincasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 55,000-square-foot Native American (Hannahville Indian Community) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room hours: Wed. 6 p.m.–3 a.m., Thu. 6 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri. 12 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Closed Mon., Tue. Slot Machines: 970+: Includes video poker Table Games: 30: 2 craps, 20 blackjack, 2 Let It Ride, Spanish 21, roulette, three-card poker, four-card poker, keno Poker: Regular tournaments: Wed. 6:30 p.m. pineapple ($10+$2, $5 rebuys); Thu. 6:30 p.m. supersatellite ($30+$15, $20 rebuys); Fri. WPT supersatellites ($40+$5 with $20 WPT fee, $20

Manistee Manistee (population 6,600) is on the western coast at Lake Michigan, 205 miles northwest of Detroit.

155. Little River Casino Resort Address: 2700 Orchard Highway, Manistee, Michigan 49660 Phone: 231–723–1535; toll-free: 1–888–568–2244; fax: 231–398–2593 Website: www.littlerivercasinos.com Email: [email protected] Description: 44,000-square-foot Native American (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians) casino, at the intersection of US 31 and M-22 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: Includes wide-area progressives Table Games: 30: Craps, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let It Ride Bonus Poker: Hold’em, 7stud, 7-stud high-low, Omaha. Limit hold’em tournaments Mon., Tue. 1 p.m. ($20+$5, unlimited $15 rebuys first hour, $15 add-on) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: The Willows (family dining, 24 hours), The Heron (fine dining; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Dec. 1–April 30 closed Mon.), The Rapids (deli and coffee shop; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: 100 room, including 12 suites Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Little River Players Club rewards card. RV park. Conference center with 9,000 square feet can accommodate up to 600 people. Weddings can be arranged. Bus trips from Michigan, and beyond, with incentive packages for groups. Valet and free parking in large lot.

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rebuys); first, second, third Sat. no-limit hold’em elimination 1 p.m. ($25+$5, $10 rebuys; second Sat. includes $200 bounty), fourth Sat. $4,000 monthly no-limit hold’em bounty bonus qualifier event (1 p.m.; must have 5 hours of live-action play from previous month; $5 entry fee, $10 rebuys; $1,000 house added), fifth Sat. (when applicable) hold’em elimination 1 p.m. ($100+$10, $25 rebuys); Sun. 3 p.m. Midwest Poker Challenge no-limit hold’em ($25+$5, $10 rebuys). Special tournaments win seats for major events: World Series of Poker, Midwest Poker Challenge, World Poker Tour. Also, Island Poker Challenge in early January: $50+$5, $20 rebuys, $1,000 added to prize pool. Mid-Winter Classic in late January: $10+$10, $25 rebuys. Entertainment: Showroom, with headliners like George Jones, Wayne Newton, the Commodores, Bobby Vinton Restaurants: 2: Firekeepers’ Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Coral Reef Grille (24 hours), plus Thornbury’s Creamery (gourmet custard ice cream) Accommodations: 113 rooms Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: Island Club rewards card, with 3 levels and commensurate rewards. Cash, points, and merchandise giveaways. Slot tournaments, all requiring Island Club membership: Mon. 6:30 p.m., Fri. 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. $5; free for everyone fourth Tue. of month 1 p.m.–10 p.m.; free for seniors second Wed.; $12; first and third Thu. $10. Blackjack tournament every Tue. 7:30 p.m. Semiannual blackjack tournament of champions. Karaoke contests. RV park. Hotel guests receive $20 in match plays and promo cash.

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Manistique Manistique (population 3,600) is on the southern coast of the central part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at the northern end of Lake Michigan.

156. Kewadin Casino Address: 1533 D East US Highway 2, Manistique, Michigan 49854 Phone: 906–341–5172; toll-free: 1–800–539–2346 Website: www.kewadinmanistique.com

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Description: 25,000-square-foot Native American (Kewadin Tribe) casino, located 3 miles east of Manistique on US 2 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 264: 1¢–$5 Table Games: 9: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker, two-deck pitch blackjack, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, plus sports bar Accommodations: No. Hotel accommodations can be made at the Kewadin Casino Inn of Manistique 1.5 miles west of the casino Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Rewards card. Free parking in large lot. Gift shop.

Marquette Marquette (population 19,700) is on Lake Superior, on the north-central coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 55 miles northwest of Escanaba and 145 miles north of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

157. Ojibwa Casino Marquette Address: 105 Acre Trail, Marquette, Michigan 49855 Phone: 906–249–4200; toll-free: 1–888–560–9905 Website: www.ojibwacasino.com Description: 10,000-square-foot Native American (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 350+: 2¢–$5; video and reel, including video poker, video keno, and progressive Table Games: 12: Blackjack ($2–$500), craps (5X odds; $2–$200), Let It Ride ($3–$25), roulette (50¢–$5 limit), three-card poker ($3–$25) Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Free parking. Gift shop. 7 miles from shopping area, Kmart, Wal-Mart, etc., and 2 large malls (Sears, others).


Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant (population 26,000) is in the center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, 125 miles northwest of Detroit.

158. Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort

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Description: 210,000-square-foot Native American (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan) resort, including 2 casinos, Resort Casino and the Slot Palace Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., continuously Fri. 10 a.m.–Sun. 2 a.m. Slot Machines: 4,700+: Resort Casino contains over 3,700, 5¢–$25, including reel games, video poker, video keno, progressive games, multigame video machines. Slot Palace contains the rest. Table Games: 79: 46 blackjack (up to $1,000 maximum), craps, roulette Poker: Hold’em, Omaha (limit games), dealer’s choice (hold’em, Omaha, pineapple; may be limit, pot-limit, or no-limit), 7-stud, 7-stud high-low Entertainment: 3,260-seat showroom, with comedy, music, and sports entertainment; headliners like Sinbad, Blondie, Kool and the Gang, Commodores, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, Pam and Mel Tillis Restaurants: 5: Deli (24 hours), Little Eagle Café (located in the Slot Palace; fast food, snacks; 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), Firefly Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Sinii Kaung Steak and Chop House (lunch 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.–11 p.m., daily), Water Lily Restaurant (Sun.–Thu. noon–midnight, Fri.–Sat. noon–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 512 rooms, including suites. AAA 4-diamond. Family Amenities: Child care available for ages 6 weeks–12 years. Video arcade for teens, or children under 12 with an adult. Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card. Cash, vehicle, merchandise giveaways. High-stakes bingo, several games daily. 26,000 square feet of meeting, conference, and entertainment space for business and group functions. Spa (with massage), health club, indoor pool. Bus packages, with player incentives.

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Address: 6800 Soaring Eagle Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 Phone: 989–775–7777; toll-free: 1–888–7EAGLE7 (1–888–732–4537); fax: 989–775–5383; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–2EAGLE2 (1–877–232–4532); poker room: 1–888–7EAGLE7 ext.55198 or 989–775–5198 Website: www.soaringeaglecasino.com

Peshawbestown Peshawbestown is on Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay in northwest Michigan, 225 miles northwest of Detroit.

159. Leelanau Sands Casino Address: 2649 Northwest Bayshore Drive, Peshawbestown, Michigan 49682 Phone: 231–271–4104; toll-free: 1–800–9222–WIN (1–800–922–2946) Website: www.casino2win.com

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Description: 32,000-square-foot Native American (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians) casino, located 4 miles north of Suttons Bay, 20 miles north of Traverse City on M-22 Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 825: 5¢–$100; includes video poker Table Games: 16: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker: Hold’em Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 51 rooms Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Free parking. Free shuttle service to nearby accommodations.

Petoskey Petoskey (population 6,100) is on Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay in the north of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, 235 miles northwest of Detroit.

160. Victories Casino & Hotel Address: 1967 US Highway 131 South, Petoskey, Michigan 49770 Phone: 231–347–6041; toll-free: 1–877–4–GAMING (877–442–6464) Website: www.victories-casino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 33,000-square-foot Native American (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians) casino Hours: 8 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,100: 1¢–$100, including more than 350 5¢; many ticket in-ticket out machines Table Games: 14: Blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Players Sports Lounge: Local acts 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Thu.–Sat. Restaurants: 1: Mukwa Café, 120 seat restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 137 rooms, including 10 suites Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Bakinaage Players Club rewards card. Bakinaage (Bah-kin-ah-geh) means “to win” in the native Anishinaabe Language. Cash giveaways. Getaway ski packages available in winter. 20 minutes from 3 major ski resorts (Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, Nubs Nob) and minutes from snowmobile and cross-country ski trails. Seniors’ Day Sun., Wed. with cash and prize giveaways. Birthdays and anniversaries likewise feature cash and prize giveaways. Special packages for bus groups of 25 or more, and extra incentives to those who stay at Victories Hotel.


Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie (population 16,500), the oldest city in Michigan, is in the northeast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the banks of the St. Mary’s River, which links Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Sault Ste. Marie is the site of the world famous Soo Locks.

161. Kewadin Sault

St. Ignace St. Ignace (population 2,700) is right at the northern end of the Mackinac Bridge, famous as the world’s largest suspension bridge, which connects the Lower and Upper Peninsula. Once a center of fur trading and marine activity, the area is a gateway to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a tourist destination.

162. Kewadin Casino St. Ignace Address: 3039 Mackinac Trail, St. Ignace, Michigan 49781 Phone: 906–643–7071; toll-free: 1–800–539–2346 Website: www.kewadinshores.com Description: 47,036-square-foot Native American (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) casino, 5 miles north of St. Ignace Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,125+: 1¢–$25; includes video poker Table Games: 41: Blackjack, Let It Ride, roulette, craps, three-card poker, four-card poker, Spanish 21, pai gow poker, keno Poker: World Poker Tour satellites. Card Player Cruise tournaments. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Market Square Buffet Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Rewards card. Blackjack tournaments. Seniors’ Day, Thu. 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Casino shuttle provides transportation to area motels.

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Description: 39,000-square-foot Native American (Kewadin Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 900+: 5¢–$25 Table Games: 19: Keno, craps, blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: 1,500-seat Dream Makers Theatre, featuring entertainers like Martin Short, Tracy Byrd, Ted Nugent Restaurants: 3: Dream Catcher’s Restaurant, Signatures Lounge, Sports Bar Accommodations: 320 rooms Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 21. Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Rewards card. Near Agawa Canyon, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and the famous Soo Locks. Convention center offers 16,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. 75-site RV park with electrical and water hook-ups; the park is open from mid-May to mid-October. Hotel has an indoor pool, spa, and fitness center.

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Address: 2186 Shunk Road, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 49783 Phone: 906–632–0530; toll-free: 1–800–KEWADIN (800–539–2346) Website: www.kewadin.com

Watersmeet Watersmeet (population 1,500) is 8 miles from the Wisconsin border in the western Upper Peninsula, at the intersections of Highways 2 and 45. Its location in the Ottawa Forest, amid the Cisco Chain of Lakes, of which there are 15, attracts campers, boaters, swimmers, bikers, and fishermen.

163. Lac Vieux Desert Casino Resort Complex Address: N 5384 Highway 45 North, Watersmeet, Michigan 49969 Phone: 906–358–4226; 906–358–4577; toll-free: 1–800–583–3599; motel toll-free: 1–800–895–2505 Website: www.lvdcasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 25,000-square-foot Native American (Lake Superior Chippewa Indians) casino, 2 miles north of Watersmeet Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 693: 1¢ (17), 2¢ (34), 5¢ (300), 25¢ (243), 50¢ (24), $1 (71), $5 (4) Table Games: 15: Blackjack (shoe), blackjack (pitch), craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Phil-Em Up Poker: Hold’em Fri., Sat. starting 5 p.m., in bingo hall. Hold’em tournaments. Entertainment: Lounge entertainment Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 2: Katikitegoning (buffets Fri., Sat. 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), snack bar (10 a.m.–midnight daily) Accommodations: 76room motel Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: Superior Card rewards club. Cash giveaways. 500-seat bingo hall, with 2 sessions daily, except Fri., Sat. Sauna, heated pool. 9-hole golf course behind casino. Gift shop sells native crafts.

Williamsburg Williamsburg (population 2,500) is on the southern tip of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay in northwest Michigan, 225 miles northwest of Detroit.

164. Turtle Creek Casino Address: 7741 M-72 East, Williamsburg, Michigan 49690 Phone: 231–267–9546; toll-free: 1–888–777–UWIN (1–888–777–8946) Website: www.casino2win.com Description: 39,000-square-foot Native American (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians) casino, about 4 miles east of Traverse City Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000: 1¢–$100; includes video poker Table Games: 24: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker, four-card poker, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Sands Showroom Restaurants: 2: Misheekeh Steakhouse (fine dining), Creekside Café Accommodations: Grand Traverse Hotel, the lodging affiliated with the casino, is 4 miles away. Admission Charge: No. The minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Free parking. Free shuttle service to nearby accommodations.


Carlton Carlton (population 810), 120 miles northeast of Minneapolis and 3 miles from the Wisconsin border, is the home of Carlton College, a small liberal arts undergraduate school.

165. Black Bear Casino & Hotel Address: 1785 Highway 210, P.O. Box 777, Carlton, Minnesota 55718 Phone: 218–878–BEAR (218–878–2327); toll-free: 1–888–771–0777; fax: 218–878–2414; hotel reservations: 218–878–7400; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–553–0022 Website: www.blackbearcasinohotel.com Email: [email protected] Description: 65,000-square-foot Native American (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) casino, with a hotel connected to the casino by a skywalk Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room and Blackjack Alley: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., continuously Fri. 10 a.m.–Mon. 4 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,300: 1,250+ video slots (109 1¢, 62 2¢, 658 5¢, 2 10¢, 318 25¢, 101 $1), 150 video poker, 46 video keno, video craps Table Games: 12: Blackjack ($3–$1,000) Poker: 4 tables: 7-stud, hold’em. Shootout hold’em tournaments first 3 Sundays of month. Last Sun. is $100 no-limit hold’em. Entertainment: Lady Slipper Lounge has live entertainment Fri., Sat. 8:45 p.m.–12:45 a.m. Karaoke Tue. 8 p.m.–11 p.m. Restaurants: 2: Black Bear Grill (fine dining, breakfast specials, lunch and dinner buffets; Sun.–Thu. 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m.), Skywalk Café (24 hours) Accommodations: 158 rooms Family Amenities: 36,000-square-foot video arcade; 40 tokens for $5, most games require only 1 token to play Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo, with multiple sessions daily. Player’s Club rewards

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Except for one, all Minnesota casinos are on Indian reservations. As in other states, tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. In the compact reached with the state, the only types of games permitted are slot machines and house-banked card games, like blackjack, Let It Ride, and so on. Most tribal casinos have only blackjack. The slot machines permitted are the electronic video variety; thus, there are no reel machines. The one exception is Canterbury Park Racetrack & Card Club in Shakopee, which is permitted non-house-banked card games, including all forms of poker, blackjack, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, and others. The house makes its money by collecting a fee for each hand; the money won in games other than poker goes into a player pool, which is returned to players in the form of bonuses, giveaways, tournaments, and the like. Further details appear in the Canterbury Park listing. The minimum gambling age in Minnesota is 18. The minimum age to consume alcohol is 21, so that may sometimes cause a restriction on where those in the age range 18 to 21 are allowed.

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card. Cash giveaways. Pull tabs. 18-hole championship par 72 golf course located next to casino. Indoor swimming pool, 2 hot tubs, sauna, kiddy wading pool, exercise room, and tanning beds. The hotel gift shop features Native American arts and crafts. Free shuttle service to surrounding hotels and motels. Check-cashing service. ATMs. Senior specials. Birthday specials. Conference center. Hotel guests get casino packages.

Cass Lake Cass Lake (population 860), on the lake of the same name, is in north-central Minnesota, 190 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

166. Palace Casino & Hotel

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Address: 6280 Upper Cass Frontage Rd NW, Cass Lake, Minnesota 56633 Phone: 218–335–7000; toll-free: 1–877–9–PALACE (1–877–972–5223), 1–800–228–6676; hotel reservations: 218–335–8935, 1–800–442–3910 Website: www.palacecasinohotel.com

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Email: [email protected]; poker: [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot Native American (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) casino, 10 minutes east of Bemidji on US Hwy 2 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 2 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 500: 1¢ up, video slots, video poker, video keno; including wide-area progressives with jackpots starting at $500,000. Many ticket in-ticket out. Table Games: 6: Blackjack (4- and 6-deck, starting at $3) Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. No-limit hold’em tournament Wed. night, $1,000 guaranteed. “Big hands” progressive jackpot for royal flush, straight flush, or four of a kind. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Palace Garden Restaurant (7 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 80 rooms, including 16 Jacuzzi suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winners Club rewards card for slots and table play. Cash giveaways. Blackjack tournament Tue. 6 p.m., $10 entry, $1,000 prize pool. Pull tabs (25¢–$2). 450-seat bingo hall; several sessions daily. Limited RV facilities and hookups. Meeting rooms that accommodate 5–500. Gift shop sells Ojibwe arts and crafts. Seniors’ day Wed. with hourly cash drawings (extra prize monthly), $5 token, $2 meal voucher.


Deer River Deer River (population nine 900) is in north-central Minnesota, 145 miles north of Minneapolis and 45 miles east of Hibbing.

167. White Oak Casino

Duluth Duluth (population 87,000) is at the western tip of Lake Superior, 140 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Its nickname is “the air-conditioned city,” due to cold winters and cool summers, tempered by winds off the lake.

168. Fond-du-Luth Casino Address: 129 East Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802 Phone: 218–722–0280; toll-free: 1–800–873–0280 Website: www.fondduluthcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 20,000-square-foot Native American (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., 24 hours weekends Slot Machines: 700: Video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 4: Blackjack Poker: 7-stud, hold’em. World Poker Tour qualifying tournaments. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club rewards card. Cash, merchandise, and trip drawings. Spirit Mountain lift ticket discounts. 55+ Club with free coupon books Mon.–Tue. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., cash drawings, 3-for-1 blackjack coupons, etc. Play-and-stay packages with several nearby hotels. Free shuttle service to area hotels. Free shuttle to and from Black Bear Casino.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 15,480-square-foot Native American (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) casino. Calls itself “The Best Little Casino in Minnesota.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 7 days/week, closed Dec. 24–25. Poker room: Mon.–Thu. open at 4 p.m., Fri.–Sun. 2 p.m. Slot Machines: 306: 1¢–$1, video slots, video poker, video keno. Wide-area progressives with jackpots starting at $100,000. Table Games: 2: Blackjack ($5–$100, $25–$200 on request) Poker: 7-stud, hold’em Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Snack Bar (Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–midnight), plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winners Club rewards card. Cash giveaways every day. Senior Fun Day (50+) Tue. with cash drawings, casino coupon packages, etc.

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Address: 45830 US Highway 2, Deer River, Minnesota 56636 Phone: 218–246–9600; toll-free: 1–800–653–2412 Website: www.whiteoakcasino.com

Granite Falls Granite Falls (population 3,100) is on the Minnesota River, 115 miles west of Minneapolis.

169. Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort Address: 5616 Prairie’s Edge Lane, Granite Falls, Minnesota 56241 Phone: 320–564–2121; toll-free: 1–866–293–2121; fax: 320–564–2547; hotel reservations: 320–564–6075 Website: www.prairiesedgecasino.com

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Description: 36,000-square-foot Native American (Upper Sioux Community) casino, located 3 miles south of Granite Falls, on Highway 23; turn left, go half a mile east on Hwy 274, turn onto Prairie’s Edge Lane, and go 1 mile east. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600: 5¢, 10¢–$5 and $10 token machines; video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 8: Blackjack (4- and 6-deck shoes) Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom with local acts Restaurants: 2: Cottonwood Cafe (fine dining; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–1 a.m.), Meadows Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sun. brunch) Accommodations: 87 rooms, including 10 suites Family Amenities: Arcade (7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Horizon rewards card, with new member cash bonus. Cash drawings many days. Blackjack tournaments. Senior (55+) discounts on Mon. Convenience store.

Hinckley Hinckley (population 1,300) is 65 miles north of Minneapolis on Highway 35.

170. Grand Casino Hinckley Address: 777 Lady Luck Drive, Highway 48, Hinckley, Minnesota 55037 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–GRAND–21 (1–800–472–6321); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–468–3517 Website: www.grandcasinosmn.com and click on “locations” and “Hinckley” Email: [email protected] Description: 54,800-square-foot Native American (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) casino, 1 mile east of Interstate 35, 75 minutes north of the Twin Cities and 65 minutes south of Duluth Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100+: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 10¢, 20¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, and multidenominations; video slots, video poker, video keno; 1,550+ EZ Pay. Progressive jackpots. Table Games: 28: Blackjack ($3–$2,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Headline concert events, with performers like Bobby Vinton and Mickey Gilley. Lounge has live music. Restaurants: 4: Grand Grill Americana, The Winds (steakhouse), Grand Buffet, Cherries Grill (quick meals), plus lounge Accommodations: 808 rooms Family Amenities: Kids Quest Activity Center: Hourly childcare center for children 6 weeks to 12 years. Licensed center; staff is certified in CPR and first aid. Nutritional meals available in the Quest Café. Includes Barbieland, Construction Quarry (world made of Lego

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE blocks), Quest (indoor playground), Karaoke Star Stage (sound and light stage with a big screen), Techno Quest Video Adventure (family-friendly computer and video games, movie-viewing area, infant and toddler areas. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–1 a.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo 5 days a week in 350-seat hall. Weekly blackjack tournaments. Pull tabs. 10,425 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities with a ballroom able to accommodate up to 1,000. Grand Rewards Players Club for slot, blackjack, and bingo play, with cash back and other rewards. Alcoholic beverages available in the Red Willows high-limit area. Nonsmoking slot area available.

171. Shooting Star Casino and Hotel Address: 777 Casino Road, Mahnomen, Minnesota 56557 Phone: 218–935–2711; toll-free: 1–800–453–STAR (1–800–453–7827) Website: www.starcasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 72,055-square-foot Native American (White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300: 1¢ and up; video slots, video poker, video keno; progressives Table Games: 18: 16 blackjack (2-, 4-, and 6-deck shoes), 2 Let It Ride Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. Bad beat jackpots. Daily tournaments (all no-limit hold’em at 1 p.m.): Sun. ($20+$10, $10 rebuys until third round, $10 add-on); Mon. ($20+$5); Tue., Wed,. Thu. “Mini Freeze-out” ($20+$5; 100 percent payback on buy-in fee; tournaments start when enough players have signed up); Fri. freeze-out ($50+$10; 100 percent payback on buyin fee); Sat. ($40+$10, $10 rebuys until third round, up to 2 $10 add-ons at the end of the third round). Those who sign up by 10:30 a.m. receive an additional $200 in tournament chips; every hour of live play receives an additional $100 in tournament chips. Entertainment: Hotel and Event Center: Headline acts like Glenn Campbell, Mel Tillis, Coasters, Drifters, Air Supply, Tommy James and the Shondells. Mustang Lounge: Local groups. Sideline Lounge: Karaoke Mon. 8 p.m.–midnight; comedy night Thu. 7 p.m. Restaurants: 4: Reflections (fine dining; Thu.–Sun. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Whispering Winds (family dining), Biindigaans Buffet, Delights Deli. Accommodations: 360 rooms Family Amenities: Licensed day care for 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Kids’ adventure center, with computers, arts and crafts, Nintendo & Sega, movies, Nerf basketball, games, outdoor play equipment, security system; open daily 7 a.m.–1 a.m., including holidays. All staff members are CPR and first-aid certified. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Players Club rewards card. Birthday rewards. Blackjack tournament Tue., $5, 100 percent return, with bonus match play coupons. Get coupons for cash drawings in Let It Ride when dealt a straight or better. High-stakes room. High-stakes bingo with several daily sessions. 47-space RV park, with full hookups, May–Oct., depending on weather. Event center with 25,800 square feet for trade shows, weddings, meetings.

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Mahnomen (population 1,200) is in northwestern Minnesota, 210 miles northwest of Minneapolis, where Highways 200 and 59 cross.

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Morton Morton (population 450) is on the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota, 95 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

172. Jackpot Junction Casino Address: 39375 County Highway 24, P.O. Box 420, Morton, Minnesota 56270 Phone: 507–644–3000; toll-free: 1–800–WIN–CASH (1–800–946–2274) Website: www.jackpotjunction.com

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Email: Contact form on website. Description: 325,000-square-foot Native American (Lower Sioux Indian Community) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Tue. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Wed.–Thu. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., open continuously Fri. 2 p.m.–Sun. 2 a.m. Extended hours based on demand. Slot Machines: 1,650: 1¢–$25; video slots, video poker, video keno; EZ Pay on hundreds of machines Table Games: 32: 24 blackjack (16 $2–$200, 8 $15–$500; 2-, 4-, and 6-deck shoes); 8 other tables: Let It Ride, three-card poker, pai gow poker, Minnesota hold’em Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Bad beat jackpots. World Series of Poker subsatellites weekly and monthly that award points, culminating in 1 final freeroll that awards 1 seat plus cash prizes through 40 places. Drawings for cash bonuses and prizes for those who receive 4 of a kind or straight flush. “Aces Cracked and Win a Rack”: Fri. 2 p.m.–6 p.m., Sat., Sun.10 a.m.–noon; pocket aces beaten in hold’em wins $100. Entertainment: Dacotah Exposition Center and Amphitheater: Headline entertainment, like Chubby Checker, Bill Cosby, Tim McGraw, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, LeAnn Rimes, Martina Mc Bride, Vince Gill, supercross racing, Legends in Country. Classic Lounge has live music. Restaurants: 3: Dacotah Restaurant (24 hours daily), Carousel Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Full Deck Grill (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), plus 4 bars Accommodations: Lower Sioux Lodge has 276 rooms, including Jacuzzi and fireplace suites. Family Amenities: Kids’ Quest child care for 6 weeks to 12 years of age: Sun. 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Mon., Tue., Thu. 1 p.m.–10 p.m.; Wed. 1 p.m.–9 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight. Video game room next to Kids’ Quest. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 375-seat bingo hall. Pull tabs. Lottery. RV park has 40 full hookup units. Gift shop. Dacotah Ridge 18-hole championship golf course. Express Club rewards card has 4 levels of memberships based on play. Cash giveaways. Blackjack tournaments Tue. 4:30 p.m. ($25) and Wed. 10 a.m. ($20), with 100 percent payback. Three-card poker tournaments. Poker room is nonsmoking. Several major pool tournaments, including Midwest Pool Tournament. 38,000 square feet of convention and meeting space accommodates groups from 10–1,500. Indoor heated pool. Spa. Sauna. Fitness center.


Onamia Onamia (population 850) is near the southwestern shore of Mille Lacs Lake, where Highways 27 and 169 cross, 70 miles north of Minneapolis.

173. Grand Casino Mille Lacs

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 68,000-square-foot Native American (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) casino, located on four-lane Highway 169, 90 minutes north of the Twin Cities and 2 hours from Duluth Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,830+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25; video slots, video poker, video keno; approximately 1,000 EZ Pay machines. Progressive jackpots. Table Games: 29: Blackjack ($3–$2,000; 2-, 4-, and 6-deck shoes) Poker: No Entertainment: 1,571-seat concert venue: Headline concert events, with performers like Charley Pride, The Doobie Brothers, and Rich Little Restaurants: 4: The Woodlands Steakhouse (Wed.–Sun., 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Grand Northern Grill (24 hours most days, closed Thu. midnight–7 a.m. Fri.), Grand Buffet, Plums Snack Bar (Sun.–Wed., 7 a.m.–midnight; Thu.–Sat., open 24 hours), Eddy’s Waterfront Restaurant (7 a.m.–2 p.m. daily) Accommodations: 2 hotels. Grand Casino Mille Lacs Hotel, 471 rooms; Eddy’s Lake Mille Lacs Resort, 79-room, year-round lakeside resort Family Amenities: Kids Quest Activity Center: hourly childcare center for children 6 weeks to 12 years. Licensed center; staff is certified in CPR and first aid. Nutritional meals available in the Quest Café. Includes Barbieland, Construction Quarry (world made of Lego blocks), Quest (indoor playground), Karaoke Star Stage (sound and light stage with a big screen), Techno Quest Video Adventure (family-friendly computer and video games, movie-viewing area, infant and toddler areas). Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–midnight. Grand Arcade for ages 12–18 (under 13 need adult supervision), with 45 video arcade games, pool table, redeemable tickets. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–midnight Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Grand Rewards Players Club for slot, blackjack, and bingo play, with cash back and other rewards. 300-seat bingo hall. High-limit gaming area. High-limit pull tabs. Free pet kennel (May–September). Blackjack tournaments every Wed. at 5 p.m. Conference and banquet facilities with 26,043 square feet for events and meetings and conventions. Mille Lacs Indian Museum. Launch and guide services, beach, playground, boat rentals, restaurant, pool, and sauna.

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Address: 777 Grand Avenue, Mille Lacs Lake, Onamia, Minnesota 56359 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–626–5825; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–468–3517 Website: www.grandcasinosmn.com and click on “locations” and “Grand Casino Mille Lacs”

Prior Lake Prior Lake (population 16,000) is 20 miles south of Minneapolis.

174. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel Address: 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard, Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372 Phone: 952–445–9000; toll-free: 1–800–262–7799; toll-free hotel reservations; 1–800–813–7349 Website: www.mysticlake.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 125,000-square-foot Native American (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community) casino 25 minutes south of Minneapolis and the Mall of America Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 4,000+: Video slots, video poker, video keno; many ticket in-ticket out machines. Table Games: 96: Blackjack ($3–$1,000; 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-deck shoes) Poker: No Entertainment: Mystic Celebrity Palace has headliners like Martin Short, Carrot Top, Joe Cocker, George Carlin Restaurants: 4: The Buffet (lunch, dinner every day, plus weekend brunch), Ribbons Steakhouse, Minnehaha Café (open 24 hours, except 11 p.m. Mon.–7 a.m. Tue.), Gambler’s Grille Accommodations: 416 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 3-level Club Mystic rewards card. Cash drawings. High-stakes bingo, with many sessions daily. Slot tournaments. There’s a Mystic Lake store at the Mall of America in the Twin Cities. Free daily shuttles from the Twin Cities, plus other Minnesota cities. Incentives offered to tour groups. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel is alcohol-free. 55+ Club offers free breakfast and bingo Tue. mornings. High-tech meeting center for banquets, conventions, meetings, trade shows, receptions, and seminars.

Red Lake Red Lake (population 1,400), part of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, in north-central Minnesota on the south shore of Lower Red Lake, is 210 miles northeast of Minneapolis.

175. Seven Clans Red Lake Casino & Bingo Address: Highway 1 East, Red Lake, Minnesota 56671 Phone: 218–679–2500; toll-free: 1–888–679–2501 Website: www.sevenclanscasino.com/RedL.htm Description: 19,875-square-foot Native American (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians) casino located 30 miles north of Bemidji, Minnesota via Minnesota Highway 89. Hours: Mon.–Wed. 10 a.m.–1 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 9 a.m.–2 a.m. Blackjack Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–1 a.m. Slot Machines: 700+: 1¢–$2; video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: Blackjack ($3–$25) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Car and cash giveaways. Bingo. Gift shop. Senior (55+) discounts Tue. Ladies’ night alternate Tue., men’s night alternate Wed., both with cash drawings. Blackjack tournaments.


Red Wing Red Wing (population 16,00), on the Mississippi River 30 miles southeast of Minneapolis, has a juvenile correctional facility written about by Bob Dylan in his song “Red Wing.”

176. Treasure Island Resort & Casino

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 116,000-square-foot Native American (Prairie Island Community of the Minnesota Mdewakanton Sioux) casino south of Hastings and north of Red Wing, has Caribbean-themed gaming areas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,500: 2¢–$25; video slots, video poker, video keno, video roulette. Includes nonsmoking area of 400 slots. Progressive jackpots start at $250,000. Table Games: 44: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Indigo Bay Showroom seats 1,000 and features headliner entertainment. Restaurants: 4: Tradewinds Buffet, Mongo Bay Grill (24 hours), Java’s Restaurant (Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–midnight, Fri. and Sat. 7 a.m.–3 a.m.), Prime Thyme Restaurant (prime rib and ham sandwiches; Fri. and Sat., 4 p.m.–midnight; during prize drawings and special events, 4 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 250 rooms Family Amenities: Child care services 7 days a week for kids 6 weeks to 12 years. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Island Passport rewards card. Cash giveaways. Nonsmoking area. Bingo daily. Pull tabs. Blackjack tournament Wed. 6 p.m., with $30 buy-in and 100 percent return. Slot tournaments. RV park. Free motorcoach transportation from much of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fitness center. Year-round swimming pool. Hot tubs set in a rain forest environment with live exotic flowers and a waterfall. Marina. Resort has its own 150-passenger cruise ship, Spirit of the Water, which has lunch, brunch, and dinner cruises. Gift shop with handcrafted Native American art by national and local artisans. Senior (55+) day first Wed. of every month 10 a.m.–2 p.m., to receive a coupon book. 95-pad RV park with complete hookups.

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Address: 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Red Wing, Minnesota 55066 Phone: 651–388–6300; toll-free: 1–800–222–7077; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–867–STAY(1–888–867–7829) Website: www.treasureislandcasino.com

Shakopee Shakopee (population 21,000) is 20 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis.

177. Canterbury Park Racetrack & Card Club Address: 1100 Canterbury Road S., Shakopee, Minnesota 55379 Phone: 952–445–7223; toll-free: 1–800–340–6361; cardroom: 952–445–6870, toll-free: 1–866–667–6537 Website: www.canterburypark.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the race track. The table games are all player-pool funded. That is, the house makes only a small collection per hand, similar to California games (see glossary). The difference is that players don’t take the bank. All winnings go into a player pool, which is returned to the players in the form of bonuses, tournaments, and giveaways. The games have the same edge as house-banked games, but the house doesn’t keep the money (apart from the small collection fee). The games have more liberal rules than in most casinos, plus more bonuses. As for poker, just as in most cardrooms, the house earns its money by collection fees. The casino is negotiating with the state to allow it to become a racino, that is, permit slot machines, and, separately, permit expansion of gaming to house-banked games. A measure to that effect was on its way through the legislative process at the time of this writing, but would likely take a year or more to come into effect even if it passed. Once it passed muster in the state legislature, it would then be put into state and local referendums. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 19: Pai gow poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, super pan 9, blackjack (dealer stands on soft 17; double after split; bonuses for certain hands, like 678 or 777), three-card poker Poker: 31 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $6$12, $8-$16, $15-$30, $30-$60), 7-stud and 7-stud high-low ($2-$4 to $30-$60), Omaha and Omaha high-low ($6-$12, $8-$16, and $20-$40 with a half kill). Bad beat jackpots at designated tables. Regular tournaments in several forms of poker. Check website or call for schedule. The Fall Poker Classic is a major tournament in October: 2 weeks of events in all forms of poker, with buy-ins ranging from $100–$5,000. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 11: of which 1, a deli, is in the cardroom Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No; the racetrack has an admission charge during the first 3 races, but even during those times there’s no charge to get into the casino Dress Code: No Bonus: Racebook. Three-card poker and Let It Ride tournaments. Simulcast events. Craft and exhibition shows.


Thief River Falls Thief River Falls (population 8,400) is on the Thief River in northwestern Minnesota, 260 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

178. Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls

Tower Tower (population 480) is in northeastern Minnesota, 70 miles north of Duluth.

179. Fortune Bay Resort Casino Address: 1430 Bois Forte Road, Tower, Minnesota 55790 Phone: Toll-free: 1–800–992–PLAY (1–800–992–7529); fax: 218–753–6404; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–555–1714 Website: www.fortunebay.com Description: 25,000-square-foot Native American (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa) casino, located on the southeast shore of Lake Vermilion Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 760: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1; video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 12: Blackjack ($3–$500; 4- and 6-deck games) Poker: 4: Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha high-low split, 7-stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Bay Street Deli (24 hours), Tamarack Dining Room (breakfast, lunch, dinner), plus lounge Accommodations: 116 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Wild Edge Players Club rewards card. Pull tabs. 200-seat bingo hall; sessions Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun., and second Thu. of the month Blackjack tournaments every Thu. night with guaranteed payout of $1,500, $500 for first place, paying top 7 spots; $10 entry fee, $5 buyins. Ojibwe/Chippewa museum. Wireless Internet access in hotel rooms. RV park: 36 sites, 16 with full hook-ups. Championship golf course nearby.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 12,000-square-foot Native American (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians) casino, 8 miles south of Thief River Falls Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750+: Video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 8: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: ’50s-style malt shop (open 24 hours) Accommodations: 151 rooms, all suites Family Amenities: Large indoor waterslide park Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Car and cash giveaways. Seniors’ (55+) day Mon., ladies’ night Mon., men’s night Thu., all with discounts and cash drawings. Gift shop. Weekly blackjack tournaments.

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Address: 20595 Center Street East, Thief River Falls, Minnesota 56701 Phone: 218–681–4062; toll-free: 1–800–881–0712; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–255–7848 Website: www.sevenclanscasino.com/TRF.htm

Walker Walker (population 1,070) is on the southeastern shore of Leech Lake in north-central Minnesota, 165 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

180. Northern Lights Casino Address: 6800 Y Frontage Road Northwest, Walker, Minnesota 56484 Phone: 218–547–2744; toll-free casino information: 1–877–LIGHTS–9 (1–877–544–4879); casino: 1–800–252–PLAY (1–800–252–7529) Website: www.northernlightcasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 40,000-square-foot Native American (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) casino, located 4 miles south of Walker Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 924+: 1¢–$1; video slots, video poker, video keno; some ticket in-ticket out. Progressive jackpots. Table Games: 12: Blackjack ($3–$200) Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Tournaments. Entertainment: Showroom with entertainers like Charlie Pride, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gatlin Brothers Restaurants: 2: North Star Buffet (lunch, dinner daily, plus weekend brunch), Dancing Fire Restaurant (breakfast Mon.–Sun. 7 a.m.–11 a.m.; dinner Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 105 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Lights Winner’s Club rewards card. Cash drawings. Blackjack tournaments Wed. 7 p.m. with $1,100 guaranteed; $10 buy-in gets $5 and $3 match plays in addition to tournament entry. Senior (50+) day Mon. 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., with coupon book and hourly drawings. Gift shop, featuring hand-made Native American craft items. 2 golf courses nearby. 9,000-square-foot event center. Indoor pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna.

Warroad Warroad (population 1,700) is in northern Minnesota on Muskeg Bay on the southwestern shore of Lake of the Woods, 5 miles south of the Canadian border.

181. Seven Clans Warroad Casino Address: 1012 East Lake Street, Warroad, Minnesota 56763 Phone: 218–386–3381; toll-free: 1–800–815–8293; hotel reservations 218–386–3723 Website: http://www.sevenclanscasino.com/WRD_Casino.htm Description: 13,608-square-foot Native American (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians) casino on the shores of Lake of the Woods Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500+: 1¢ and up; video slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 7: Blackjack ($3–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Car and cash giveaways. Ladies’ night Mon., men’s night Tue., seniors’ (55+) day Thu., Canadians’ day Sun., all with discounts and cash drawings. Stay-and-play packages at Super 8 Motel in Warroad. Gift shop.


MISSISSIPPI

Most of Mississippi’s casinos are on permanently docked stationary barges or riverboats. State law does not require that they look like boats, only that they be on the water. Consequently, many barge casinos look like buildings. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians operates two casinos in Choctaw, both part of the same resort. The tribe negotiated a state compact pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits Native American tribes to operate forprofit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The minimum age for gambling in Mississippi is 21.

182. Casino Magic Bay St. Louis Address: 711 Casino Magic Drive, Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi 39520 Phone: 228–467–9257; toll-free: 1–800–5–MAGIC–5 (1–800–562–4425); fax: 228–466–2955; hotel fax: 228–466–0870; show reservations: 1–800–WIN–BIG–2 (1–800–946–2442) Website: www.casinomagic-baystlouis.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Stationary barge with 39,500-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: 5¢–$5; progressive jackpots; MegaBucks and other megajackpots Table Games: 27: Blackjack, pai gow poker, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), three-card poker, others Poker: No Entertainment: Pete Fountain performs Tue., Wed. 8 p.m. Headliners like Ricky Skaggs, Engelbert Humperdinck, Travis Tritt, Bobby Vinton. Restaurants: 5: Jourdan River Grille (Sun.–Tue. 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 6:30 a.m.–midnight; closed Wed., Thu.), Bienville’s Bay Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tuscany Steaks and Seafoods Dinner (closed Mon., Tue.; open Wed., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Jackpot Java (coffee, sandwiches; 24 hours daily), Bridges Clubhouse Grill (overlooks The Bridges golf course; breakfast and lunch daily) Accommodations: 2 hotels: 592 rooms; Bay Tower Hotel, Casino Magic Inn Family Amenities: Game room in Bay Tower Hotel for minors (Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; must have adult supervision) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Magic Money Players Club rewards card, with cash back, cash and car giveaways, and discounts on meals, rooms, and merchandise; on slot and table play. Offers the state’s only Arnold Palmer course, The Bridges. Nonsmoking slot section. Entertainment plus room packages. Over 35,000 square feet of meeting space including 10,000-square-foot ballroom.

NORTH AMERICA

Bay Saint Louis (population 8,200) is on the Gulf Coast, 50 miles northeast of New Orleans and 30 miles west of Biloxi.

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Bay Saint Louis

Biloxi Biloxi (population 51,000), on the Gulf Coast, 80 miles northeast of New Orleans, is known for its sportfishing and casinos. The latter cause it to rank as the leading gambling center of the South.

183. Beau Rivage Address: 875 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–386–7111; toll-free: 1–888–750–7111; fax: 228–386–7414; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–567–6667 Website: www.beaurivage.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Stationary 29-floor structure on a barge, with a 85,000-square-foot casino; AAA 4-Diamond resort. The resort’s entrance and lobby are situated within a 60-foothigh formal garden atrium filled with trees, plants, and flowers. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,220: 1,423 reel, 30 tokenized, 24 coinless (ticket in-ticket out only), 551 video, 236 video poker; 1¢–$100, most (89 percent) with EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out option Table Games: 92: 62 blackjack ($5–$5,000, $500–$10,000; 44 shoe games, 14 double-deck with $15–$1,000, 4 single-deck 6–5 games), 8 craps ($5–$5,000), 5 roulette ($2–$200, $5,000 on 2:1 bets, $10,000 on even bets), 1 mini-baccarat ($25–$15,000; $3,000 on tie), 2 midi-baccarat ($25–$15,000; $3,000 on tie), 3 Caribbean Stud ($5–$300), 2 Let It Ride ($5–$500), 2 pai gow poker ($5–$5,000), 1 tile pai gow ($25–$5,000), 5 three-card poker ($5–$500), 1 Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em ($5–$25), 1 crazy 4 poker ($5–$300), 1 casino war ($5–$1,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Beau Rivage Theatre, a 1,550-seat showroom, hosts production shows such as Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, STOMP, Fosse, and Burn the Floor. Headliners such as Tony Bennett, Jay Leno, Chicago, Journey, Robert Plante, Harry Connick Jr., Liza Minneli, Carrot Top, Diana Ross, David Copperfield, Jeff Foxworthy. Live entertainment nightly in Coast Brewing Company. Restaurants: 11: Among them, Port House (steak and seafood; Mon.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., closed Mon., Tue.), La Cucina (Italian Tuscan trattoria; Sun., Wed., Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., closed Tue., Wed.), Mikado (pan-Asian cuisine, specializing in the sushi and the experience of “live theater cooking at Teppan Yaki tables”; Sun., Mon., Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30, closed Tue., Wed.), Coast Brewing Company (microbrewery, meals; Sun., Mon. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m., Sat., Sun. lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.), Memphis Q (Memphis-style barbecue; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), The Roasted Bean (coffee specialties, plus pastries, sandwiches, salads; Sun.–Fri. 6 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. 6 a.m.–11:30 p.m.), Noodles (Southeast Asian, with an emphasis on specialty noodle dishes; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., lunch Sat., Sun. 12 p.m.–5 p.m.), Café Jardin (24 hours), The Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Spuntiono’s Deli (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Pelican’s Perch Bar and Café; also, Scoops Ice Cream Parlor Accommodations: 32-story AAA 4-Diamond Beau Rivage features 1,740 rooms, including 95 luxury suites Family Amenities: Category 5 Arcade is a 3,000-square-foot amusement center with over 50 amusement games, ranging in price from 25¢ to $2. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Fri., Sat.10 a.m.–11 p.m. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MGM Mirage Player’s Club rewards card. The resort offers a nonsmoking “casino within a casino.” High-stakes slot area. Full-service business center and 4 convention rooms provide more than 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, with catering services and event planning. An outdoor reception area also is available. A shopping promenade has 13 retail stores that feature men’s and women’s designer fashions, shoes, jewelry, sportswear and swimwear, gifts, and souvenirs. 341-slip marina accommodates yachts up to 200 feet in length.

184. Boomtown Biloxi Casino

185. Casino Magic Biloxi Address: 195 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–387–3600; toll-free: 1–866–867–7711 Website: www.casinomagic-biloxi.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-level stationary barge on the Gulf Coast, with a 48,860-square-foot casino, and a land-based hotel connected by a corridor to the casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: ticket in-ticket out on many machines Table Games: 30: Minibaccarat (9-seat table), pai gow poker, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, blackjack (double and single deck pitch, 6-deck, and Bet the Set), craps (10X odds), roulette, Spanish 21, four the money, WPT hold’em Poker: No Entertainment: Eclipse Show Room has live nightly revues, comedians, and headline acts. Restaurants: 4: Pier 4 (fine dining; Wed., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. brunch 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Savannah’s (diner; 24 hours), Key West Buffet (breakfast, 7 a.m.–10:30 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; dinner, Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–9 p.m.; Fri.–Sun. 4 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: AAA 4-Diamond Award hotel with 378 rooms: 23story tower with 292 standard rooms, 70 Jacuzzi suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Magic Money Players Club rewards card earns points for comps and cash. Cash, merchandise, car giveaways. 50+ Advantage Club, with discounts, and extra rewards card points. For weddings, the Crystal Ballroom has over 3,500 square feet and can accommodate up to 350 and a seated dinner for 200. Spa. Beauty salon.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 2-level stationary barge with a 34,000-square-foot casino, on Back Bay of Biloxi Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,150+: 1¢–$25; reels, video reels, video poker Table Games: 21: Pitch blackjack, no craps craps, 50¢ roulette, $5 blackjack, pai gow poker, others Poker: No Entertainment: Boots Cabaret features nationally known recording artists and comedians each month. Live jazz brunch every Sat. and Sun. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. in the Boomtown Buffet. Restaurants: 2: Buffet (Mon.–Thu. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., open continuously 7 a.m. Fri.–11 p.m. Sun.), Main Street Rotisserie and Grill, plus bakery Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free country line dance lessons every Tue. night in Boots Cabaret

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Address: 676 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–435–7000; toll-free: 1–800–627–0777 Website: www.boomtownbiloxi.com

186. Grand Casino Biloxi Address: 265 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–436–2946; toll-free: 1–800–354–2450, 1–800–WIN–2–WIN (1–800–949–2949) Website: www.caesars.com/grandcasino/biloxi

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Description: Stationary barge on the Gulf Coast, with a 135,000-square-foot casino and 2 hotels. Directions: From I-10, take exit 46A (I-110 & Keesler), take exit Hwy 90 east, go approximately 1.5 miles, and Grand Casino Biloxi is on the right. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,800+: 5¢–$100; 850+ EZ Pay; progressive jackpots Table Games: 89: Roulette, craps, blackjack (single- and double-deck hand-held, multiple-deck shoe games), baccarat, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, three-card poker, big six wheel Poker: 21 tables. Regular games: $10-$20 hold’em, $15-$30 Omaha, $20-$40 stud; no-limit hold’em, with blinds of $1-$2, $3-$5, and $5-$10. $5,000-guaranteed tournament Fri. 11 a.m., $95 entry, no rebuys (limited to 90 players plus 10 alternates, who are allowed up to the first break). Bad beat jackpots, which double (to a maximum of an extra $10,000) Wed. and Sun. 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Entertainment: 1,800-seat showroom, featuring headliners and live boxing. Wild Coyotes Nightclub: live entertainment, karaoke, dance lessons, and drink specials. Home of the Gulf Coast’s first oxygen bar. Restaurants: 13: Marketplace Buffet, Island View Café, Roxy’s Diner, Murano’s Italian Buffet, L.B.’s Steakhouse, Mississippi Long Bar, The Creamery, Chopstix Restaurant, Brulo’s Seafood Restaurant, Noodle Bar, Cabana Bar, Corky’s BBQ, Sushi Bar Accommodations: 1,000 rooms: Islandview Hotel and Bayview Hotel have 500 rooms each, including more than 40 suites. Family Amenities: Kids Quest supervised child care center, teen arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. $10 free to new card members. The casino matches competitors’ direct mail slot coupons. Regular three-card poker, blackjack, slot tournaments. 42,000 square feet of meeting and convention space that can accommodate groups of up to 1,500. Nonsmoking gaming areas. Grand Bear golf course is nearby: 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Spa. Salon.

187. Imperial Palace Mississippi Address: 850 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–436–3000; toll-free: 1–888–WIN–AT–IP (1–888–946–2847) Website: www.ipbiloxi.com Description: 3-level stationary barge with a 70,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25, $100; many ticket in-ticket out; progressive and linked jackpots, including Megabucks Table Games: 30+: Blackjack (including single-deck games), craps, roulette, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, big six wheel, mini-baccarat, and more Poker: No Entertainment: Comedy club. Centrestage has free music. Restaurants: 9: Crown Room (fine dining; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Embers Steakhouse (5 p.m.–11 p.m. daily), Bahia (Mexican), Emperor’s Buffet (breakfast 6 a.m.–10:30 a.m, lunch 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., dinner 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Grave Shift Grill (12 a.m.–4 a.m), Pizza Palace (5 p.m.–11


Address: 151 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 Phone: 228–435–5400; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Biloxi Description: Gaming complex that includes a 2-level stationary barge with a 45,000square-foot casino and a land-based facility featuring a full-service restaurant and lounge Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,180+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25, $100; includes progressives and MegaBucks, offering the state’s largest jackpot, starting at $5,000,000 Table Games: 28: 14 blackjack, 3 craps, 2 roulette, 1 21 Madness, Wheel of Madness, 21+3 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em, 2 three-card poker, 1 pai gow poker, 1 mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Headline entertainers such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Greenwood, The Neville Brothers, Little Richard, Sheena Easton, Mickey Thomas, Davy Jones, Eddie Money, Percy Sledge, Chely Wright. Caribbean Atrium has local acts. Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s (fine dining), Calypso’s Seafood Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Marketplace Accommodations: 15-floor hotel with 370 rooms Family Amenities: Fantasy Isle Arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. 15,000 square feet of ballroom, event, and flexible meeting space. Fitness center, outdoor pool, and massage therapist. High-stakes area with 50 slots and 2 blackjack tables. “Blackjack Attack” Fri., with preliminary rounds at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.; $10 entry fee and guaranteed $500 prize pool. Other regularly scheduled slot and blackjack tournaments. Complimentary valet and 1,116-car parking garage.

189. Palace Casino Resort Address: 158 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530–0309 Phone: 228–432–8888; toll-free: 1–800–PALACE–9 (1–800–725–2239) Website: www.palacecasinoresort.com Email: [email protected] Description: 3-level stationary barge with a 43,500-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢ (104), 5¢ (459), 25¢ (442), 50¢ (75), $1 (219), $5 (50), $10 (4), $25 (4); many EZ Pay Table Games: 37+: Blackjack, flop poker, Caribbean Stud,

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188. Isle of Capri Casino Resort

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p.m. daily), Ming Terrace (Oriental; Fri.–Tue. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Betty’s Cafe (24 hours), Teahouse (diner; breakfast, lunch, and dinner 6 a.m.–midnight), Burger Palace (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 1,088 rooms, including suites Family Amenities: Cinema 6 (movie complex featuring THX sound system), Ippy’s Fun Zone video arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Imperial Reward Club. Cash giveaways. Outdoor swimming pool (open seasonally, weather permitting). Free parking, free valet parking at hotel. Hotel will match any casino’s hotel stay coupon (Gulf Coast casinos within a 2-hour drive). Free slot tournaments Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Play in one or both sessions and your top score of the day counts toward a weekly score, with a bonus prize of $100 to the top 5 accumulated weekly scores. Daily prize pool: First place, $200; second, $125; third, $100; fourth, $50; fifth, $25. Other large money slot tournaments.

three-card poker, craps, roulette, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: Z The Club: Headliners like Vanilla Ice. Safari Lounge: Free live music. First floor: Free live music. Restaurants: 5: Mignon’s (fine dining; Wed.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m.), Palace Buffet (lunch, dinner), Point Grille (24 hours), Palace Café (24 hours), SportsZone Concessions (ballpark food) Accommodations: AAA 4Diamond hotel with 236 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Palace Casino Resort rewards card. Free slot tournaments (350 points needed). Fitness room, pool. Palace SportsZone has 50 high definition televisions (HDTV) and a 14-foot video wall that broadcasts favorite sports channels. 12,000 square feet of indoor meeting and banquet space.

190. President Casino Broadwater Resort

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Address: 2110 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39531 Phone: 228–385–3500; toll-free: 1–800–THE–PRES (1–800–843–7737) Website: www.presidentbroadwater.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Stationary barge with a 38,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 900: 1¢ and up Table Games: 34: Blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom with free admission to country and pop acts Restaurants: 3: President’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Audree’s Steak & Seafood, Oyster House Seafood Restaurant Accommodations: 2 hotels with 500 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Captain’s Club rewards card. Cash giveaways. $10 blackjack tournament Wed. with $1,000 first prize. Quarterly slot tournaments with large payouts. Free valet parking. Senior discounts at buffet. 50,00 square feet of meeting space. 3 swimming pools. President Broadwater championship golf course.

191. Treasure Bay Casino Resort Address: 1980 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi 39531 Phone: 228–385–6000; toll-free: 1–800–PIRATE–9 (1–800–747–2839) Website: www.treasurebay.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Stationary barge, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, shaped like a pirate ship with a 40,000-square-foot casino. From I-10, take Exit 46-A, go south on I-110 to Highway 90, then 3 miles west along the beach to Treasure Bay. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 978: 1¢–$100; many EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out; in-house progressives, MegaBucks Table Games: 40: Blackjack (pitch and shoe), roulette, craps (10X odds), Caribbean Stud, Fortune Pai Gow, three-card poker, Boston 5 stud, Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker: No Entertainment: Karaoke Sun., Mon. 10 p.m.–2 a.m. Scalawag’s Showbar: Free live free entertainment Thu.–Sat. Restaurants: 4: Pirate’s Alley (snacks, sandwiches, pastries, coffee; 24 hours), Lafitte’s Feast Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Nemo’s (casual dining; Mon.–Thu., 4 p.m.–midnight; Fri., 4 p.m.–2 a.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.–midnight), Captain’s Quarters (fine dining; Wed., Thu., Sun., 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Mon., Tue.) Accommodations: 252 rooms Family Amenities: Captain Kidd’s Arcade has 50 different games, from virtual games

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE like rollercoaster to classic games like pinball and skeeball. Open 24 hours; ticket redemption counter open 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun.–Thu., until midnight Fri., Sat. Since the facility is not supervised, all children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult (16 years or older) at all times and must be at least 16 after 10 p.m. Sun.–Thu., and after 12 a.m. Fri., Sat. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Treasure Seekers Players’ Club, offers cash back, triple points Tue., gift of the month, comps for food, rooms, slots, and tables. Silver Crew (50+) discounts every day on different items. Hotel has 2-tier swimming pool with waterfalls.

Choctaw

Address: 13541 Highway 16 West, Choctaw, Mississippi 39350 Phone: 601–663–0066; toll-free: 1–866–44–PEARL (1–866–447–3275), 1–800–557–0711 Website: www.pearlriverresort.com/resort_golden_moon.aspx Email: [email protected] Description: 80,000-square-foot Native American (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) casino, part of Pearl River Resort Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,754: Video poker, video keno, progressives Table Games: 39: Blackjack, craps, Triple Shot, Caribbean Stud, roulette, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: Convention Center showroom with major headliners like Al Green. Galaxy Lounge has live entertainment evenings. Xenon Lounge: Live music. Restaurants: 5: Galaxy Restaurant (fine dining; reservations required; Sun.–Tue., 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 5 p.m.–12 a.m.; closed Wed.–Thu.), Eclipse Grill (fine dining, dinners; reservations required; Wed., Thu., Sun., 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 5 p.m.–12 a.m.; closed Mon.–Tue.), Bistro 24 (California-style eatery; 24 hours), Spectrum Buffet (Mon.–Thu., 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri.,11 a.m.–3 a.m.; Sat. brunch, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sun. brunch, 8 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 28-story tower with 571 rooms, including 112 suites and 32 VIP luxury suites Family Amenities: Geyser Falls Theme Water Park: 15 acres, with 12 waterslides, wave pool, a lazy river, and activity areas for children and teens Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pearl River Rewards card, with four levels of rewards. World’s first Hard Rock Beach Club: Indoor-outdoor tropical environment complete with open-air porches, tiki bar, heated pools with underwater speakers, beach volleyball nets, a live performance stage. Clearwater Key, an 8-acre tropical beach attraction. The Silver Star is also part of Pearl River Resort, reached by a skywalk. Free beverages 24 hours a day. Dancing Rabbit championship golf course. 4 stores.

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192. Golden Moon Hotel and Casino

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Choctaw, 3 miles west of Philadelphia and 65 miles northeast of Jackson, is the home of the Pearl River Resort, which consists of two casinos, a golf club, and a waterpark.

193. Silver Star Hotel & Casino Address: Highway 16 West, Choctaw, Mississippi 39350 Phone: 601–650–1234; toll-free: 1–866–44–PEARL (1–866–447–3275), 1–800–557–0711 Website: www.pearlriverresort.com/resort_silverstar.aspx

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Email: [email protected] Description: 90,000-square-foot Native American (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) casino, part of Pearl River Resort Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,000+: Video poker, video keno, progressives Table Games: 70: Blackjack, craps, roulette, big six wheel, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker: 11 tables: Satellites for the World Poker Tour Championship, no-limit hold’em with $60+$10 and one optional $10 rebuy, played over 10 rounds. Entertainment: Convention Center showroom with major headliners like Al Green. Starlight Lounge: Live dance music 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily. Blue Note Lounge: Live music. Restaurants: 7: Phillip M’s (fine dining; member of the world’s oldest culinary honor society, the Chaine des Rotisseurs; reservations required; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–midnight), Villa (casual dining; 24 hours), Ventanas Mexican Bar, Grill (lunch, dinner; Wed., Thu., Sun. lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m., closed 2 p.m.–5 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., closed Mon., Tue.), Dolcé Bakery Shoppe (breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–midnight), Rally Alley Deli (lunch, dinner; Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–1 a.m.), Chef’s Pavilion Buffet (Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–3 a.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 500 rooms, including more than 75 suites Family Amenities: Geyser Falls Theme Water Park: 15 acres, with 12 waterslides, wave pool, a lazy river, and activity areas for children and teens. Starcade video arcade. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space can accommodate groups 10–2,100. 6 designer stores. Also see Golden Moon Hotel and Casino.

Gulfport Gulfport (population 71,000) is on the Gulf Coast, 70 miles northeast of New Orleans and 10 miles west of Biloxi.

194. Copa Casino Address: 777 Copa Casino Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 Phone: 228–863–3330; toll-free: 1–800–WIN–COPA (1–800–946–2672) Website: www.thecopacasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Stationary barge with 43,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: 1¢–$25, including progressives and linked, such as Megabucks; video poker, with some 9/6 progressives paying back up to 99.6 percent Table Games: 20: Blackjack, bonus blackjack, craps (10X odds), roulette, three-card poker, crazy four poker Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. Bad beat jackpots, aces cracked specials. No-limit

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE hold’em bounty tournaments Thu. 6 p.m., $30+$10 with 1 $20 rebuy, cash prizes for top 10 places. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Copa Player’s rewards card. Free valet and self parking. Free shuttle service to area locations. Free cocktails for players. Free weekly slot tournaments. Seniors (50+) get discounts, cash drawings, bonus points, etc. Video poker tournaments. Online coupons for $10 match play, free cards, free mugs.

195. Grand Casino

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-level stationary barge with 105,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,800+: 5¢–$100, including 1,450 EZ Pay machines Table Games: 72: Mini-baccarat, blackjack, craps, keno (win up to $100,000), pai gow poker, three-card poker, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha. Regular tournaments: Sun. 7-stud (noon, $1,000 guarantee, $10+$5); Mon. no-limit hold’em (noon, $1,200 guarantee, $10+$5); Wed. limit hold’em (noon, $1,500 guarantee, $10 + $5); Thu. bounty no-limit hold’em (noon, $1,500 guarantee, $10+$5). Double jackpots Mon. (7 p.m.–11 p.m.) and Fri. (7 p.m.–1 a.m.). Hand of the day promotion: Make posted hand and win the prize pool (24 hours daily). Prizes for tournament high hand. Free poker lessons daily at 10 a.m. Entertainment: Grand Gulfport Event Center has name acts like Terri Clark, Kansas, Charlie Daniels, America, REO Speedwagon, George Thorogood; also, sporting events, like kickboxing Restaurants: 9: LB’s Steakhouse, Nathans Hot Dogs, Sake Tuya Sushi Bar, Marketplace Buffet, New Orleans Bistro, Nifty 50’s, Java Grande, Cabana Cafe, Snapper Jack’s Accommodations: 1,001 rooms, including suites Family Amenities: Kids Quest for children 6 weeks–12 years, with these features: Indoor playground, karaoke machine, BarbieLand, construction quarry with Lego blocks, movie and quiet zone, tiny tots areas, birthday party packages offered, gift certificates sold, meals, snacks, beverages and ice cream available, staff is CPR certified and trained in first aid. The Grand Arcade for teens has over 100 video games and the most popular games of skill. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. $10 free to new card members. Cash giveaways. The casino matches competitors’ direct mail slot coupons. Regular blackjack, three-card poker, and slot tournaments, on alternating Wed., with entry of $20 and top prize of $2,000. 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Nonsmoking gaming areas. Grand Bear golf course is nearby: 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Spa. Salon.

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Address: 3215 West Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 Phone: 228–870–7777; toll-free: 1–800–946–7777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–448–5376 Website: www.caesars.com/grandcasino/gulfport

Lula Lula (population 370) is just across the Mississippi River from Helena, Arkansas, and 35 miles south of Tunica, Mississippi.

196. Isle of Capri Casino-Lula Address: 777 Isle of Capri Parkway, Lula, Mississippi 38644 Phone: 662–363–4600; toll-free: 1–800–789–5825, 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/lula

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Description: 2 adjacent 1-level stationary barges that constitute 55,000 square feet of gaming, on the Mississippi River; property is 3⁄4 of a mile long Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: Including video poker, 5¢–$5 Table Games: 29: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker: 10 tables. 7-stud ($1-$4), hold’em ($3-$6, $5-$10, no-limit with $1-$2 blinds). No-limit hold’em tournament first and third Sat. of each month, 3 p.m., $100 buy-in. Entertainment: Live entertainment in the 1,200-seat Flamingo Bay Ballroom, with headliners such as Waylon Jennings, Lee Ann Womack, Delbert McClinton. Karaoke Thu., Sun.8 p.m.–11 p.m. Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s (steak, lobster, etc.), Calypso’s (buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Marketplace (specialty meals) Accommodations: 2 hotels, Palm Terrace and Coral Reef, with 468 rooms, including 40 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. Cash giveaways. Club Capri high-stakes area. Slot tournaments. Paradise 50 Plus gives senior 2-for-1 lunch buffet Mon., Wed. 10 a.m.–3 p.m., or 50 percent off 1 buffet. Also, double points and discounts in the Banana Cabana Gift Shop. Meeting and banquet facilities for groups up to 800 in the Flamingo Bay Ballroom, or 1,200 seated theater-style. Indoor and outdoor pool, Jacuzzi. 2 fitness centers.

Natchez Natchez (population 18,000) is in southwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River, 90 miles southwest of Jackson.

197. Isle of Capri Casino-Natchez Address: 53 Silver Street, Natchez, Mississippi 39120 Phone: 601–445–0605; toll-free: 1–800–722–5825 or 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Natchez Description: 3-deck replica of an 1860s J. M. White Paddlewheel Steamboat, located on the Mississippi River in the Natchez under-the hill area, with 17,650 square feet of gaming space. While the casino does not cruise, its location changes with the rise and fall of the Mississippi River. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 634: 1¢–$10, including reels, video poker, and multi-coin video; progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: 11: 6 blackjack, 1 craps, 1 roulette, three-card poker, 21+3 Poker: No Entertainment: Burgundy Room has local acts. Caribbean Cove

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE showroom. Restaurants: 1: Calypso’s Buffet (Sun.–Thu. 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–midnight). Snack bar menu served from Calypso’s available 24 hours. Accommodations: Hotel at 645 S. Canal Street, just off Hwy 84 and 3 blocks from the casino, has 143 rooms, including 6 suites. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. Paradise 50+ Club offers extra points, free buffet Tue., Thu., free monthly cash drawings for seniors. Hotel has 4 meeting rooms, outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, and fitness room. 24-hour shuttle service to the casino. Free valet and self-parking. Golf tournaments for couples. Mon. ladies’ day, Wed. men’s day, for cash drawings, free buffet. Three-card poker tournament every Tue. 5 p.m.–8 p.m.

Robinsonville

Tunica (population 18,000) is in northwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River, 35miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. Usually when people talk of Tunica, they also include Tunica Resorts and Robinsville. For this reason, all the area’s casinos appear here. The area has several floating gaming establishments.

198. Bally’s Casino Tunica Address: 1450 Bally Boulevard, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–357–1500; toll-free: 1–800–38BALLY (1–800–382–2559) Website: www.caesars.com/ballys/tunica Description: Opened in 1995, the 20-acre rustic Delta-themed entertainment complex located 20 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River has a stationary barge casino, hotel, restaurant, and entertainment facilities. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Nearly 1,300: 1¢–$100; traditional reel, video reel, video poker. 378 are on the EZ Pay system (payouts made by ticket), with the remaining traditional coin games. Progressive machines are individual, in-house linked, and wide-area linked. Table Games: 37: Blackjack ($3 and up), craps (25¢ and up), roulette (50¢ and up), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, Wild Hold’em Fold’em, pai gow poker, three-card-poker, four-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live Entertainment in Bally’s Saloon, with 126 seats, including headliners like Clarence Carter, and free performances by Saloon house band; giant screen television for special sports events Restaurants: 3: Delta Steak House (Fri., Sat.: 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun., Mon., Thu.: 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), The Silo Eatery (lighter fare, including breakfast selections, sandwiches, burgers, pastries, and desserts; 24 hours), Cornucopia Buffet Accommodations: 235 rooms, suites at hotel; Bally’s Shuttle runs from hotel to casino Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Center rewards card for slots, with cash back, comps, discounts. Blackjack tournaments 4 times a year. Free slot tournaments Fri. Pool, fitness room, spa.

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Tunica

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See Tunica

199. Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel-Tunica Address: 711 Lucky Lane, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–363–5825; toll-free: 1–800–766–LUCK (1–800–766–5825) Website: www.fitzgeraldstunica.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 2-level stationary barge with 36,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,340+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25 Table Games: 34: Blackjack (including Royal Match 21 and 21 Madness; $3 minimum), craps (20X odds), roulette (25¢ minimum), Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker: No Entertainment: Main Stage has free local groups Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 3: Limericks Steakhouse (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Shamrock Cafe (24 hours), Castle Court Buffet Accommodations: 507 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Fitz rewards card. Daily slot tournaments. Craps tournaments. Exercise room. Pool.

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200. Gold Strike Casino Resort Address: P.O. Box 459 1010, Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–357–1111; toll-free 1–888–24K–PLAY (1–888–245–7529); tollfree hotel reservations: 1–866–245–7511 Website: www.goldstrikemississippi.com Description: Resort complex, with 2-level stationary barge, near the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel, that has 50,000 square feet of gaming space; 15 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, on Highway 61 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400+ Table Games: 40+: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: 14 tables. Poker room is nonsmoking. Sun.–Wed. satellites and supersatellites for the World Poker Tour event. The Jack Binion World Poker Open, cohosted with Jack Binion’s Horseshoe, in Jan., is more than 3 weeks of world-class poker events, limit and no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha high, Omaha high-low, 7-stud, triple-draw lowball, culminating in the championship, a $10,000-buy-in World Poker Tour no-limit hold’em event, 1 of only 3 poker tournaments in the world that guarantee to make someone a millionaire. There are frequent satellites and supersatellites during the WPO. Entertainment: Millennium Theatre: Headliners like the Supremes with Mary Wilson, Pam Tillis, Eddie Money Restaurants: 6: The Chicago Steakhouse (Sun.–Thu., 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 5 p.m.–midnight; Sun. brunch, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.), Atrium Cafe (Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–midnight; Fri., Sat. 8 a.m.–1 a.m.), Courtyard Buffet (24 hours), Food Court (Gold’s Deli, Pizzeria Fresh, Burger City) Accommodations: 31-story hotel with 1,200 rooms, many suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card; can be used in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, and Slots-of-Fun, at Circus Circus in Reno, and at Edgewater and Colorado Belle in Laughlin. Cash drawings. $100,000 Mississippi Craps Championship in Feb., with $50,000 guaranteed first prize ($500 buy-in). Regular slot tournaments. Daily video poker tournaments. Special hotel room rates for poker players. Three-card poker tournaments. Free parking. Spa. Massage therapy. Golden Hearts Chapel has wedding packages.


201. Grand Casino Tunica

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Description: Destination resort 20 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River, spanning over 2,000 acres, featuring 3 elegant hotels and a 140,000-square-foot 2-level barge casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400+: 1¢–$500; including reel, video slots, video poker; individual progressive and linked progressive machines; 90 percent of machines are EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out, with the expectation to be at 100 percent by mid-2005 Table Games: 80+: 3 card poker, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, roulette Poker: 14 tables. Hold’em, 7-stud, 7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low, Omaha high, razz, pineapple, H.O.S.E., triple-draw lowball. Limits range from $1-$5 spread limit to any limit the players request on 7-stud. Limits on all flop games range from $2-$4 to no-limit. Daily tournaments, plus periodic specialized tournaments throughout the year. Poker room is nonsmoking. Entertainment: Grand Event Center: 2,400-seat arena, with world-famous entertainers like Alabama, Carrot Top, Wynonna, and Luther Vandross, and sporting events like championship boxing Restaurants: 6 restaurants: L.B.’s Steakhouse (elegant dining), Murano’s (southern Italian cuisine), Grand Buffet, Grand Replays (Southern favorites, sandwiches, burgers, salads, sushi bar), Delta Blues Café (casual food in a courtyard setting overlooking the casino), Java Grande (gourmet coffee, sandwiches, salads, pastries) Accommodations: 3 hotels and one RV resort: Grand Casino Hotel, adjacent to Grand Casino, with 188 rooms and suites; Veranda Resort, overlooking the golf course and Grand Lake, with 568 rooms and suites; Terrace Resort & Spa Hotel, with 600 rooms; Grand RV Resort has full hook-ups for 200 recreational vehicles Family Amenities: Kids Quest children’s adventure center is fully supervised, for children ages 6 weeks–12 years. Grand Arcade for teens has more than 100 video games and the most popular games of skill. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Center Players Club. Nonsmoking gaming areas. Grand Salon: High-limit slots and table games. Outdoor swimming pool, exercise room, whirlpool, and sauna. Free shuttle service from RV park to other Grand attractions. RV park has sundries and supplies, coin-operated laundry, showers, large-screen TV lounge, swimming, beach volleyball, shuffleboard, basketball, and children’s playground. Cottonwoods 18-hole Hale Irwin-designed golf course. Willows Trap, Skeet, Hunting & Sporting Clays Center nearby. Grand Convention Center has 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom; accommodates more than 2,000 guests for banquets, receptions, and conventions.

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Address: 13615 Old Highway 61 North, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 1–800–WIN–4–WIN (1–800–946–4946) Website: http://www.caesars.com/grandcasino/tunica

202. Harrah’s Tunica Casino and Hotel Address: 1100 Casino Strip Boulevard, Robinsonville, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–363–7777; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Tunica Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/tun

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Description: 35,000-square-foot stationary barge Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: Including video poker, video blackjack; progressives Table Games: 20+: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom Restaurants: 5: Harrah’s Steakhouse (Fri, Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Wed., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), The Bourbon Street Bistro (24 hours), Fresh Market Square Buffet, (Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight), Club Cappuccino (24 hours), Delta Deuces (video poker bar serving finger food snacks; 24 hours) Accommodations: 200+ rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card good at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos). Cash and car giveaways. Slot and video poker tournaments. 24hour valet parking. 21,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space.

203. Hollywood Casino–Tunica Address: 1150 Casino Strip Boulevard, Robinsonville, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–357–7700; toll-free: 1–800–871–0711 Website: www.hollywoodcasinotunica.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 54,000-square-foot stationary barge 35 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, in the heart of Tunica’s Casino Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,600: 1¢–$100, many EZ Pay; progressives Table Games: 35+: 19 blackjack (single, double, multi-deck), 5 craps (20X odds), roulette, Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpot), 3–5-7 poker, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud, 7-stud highlow, Omaha, Omaha high-low Entertainment: Cocktail bar has live bands. Restaurants: 3: Fairbanks Steakhouse (Mon.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m.; reservations suggested), Epic Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Hollywood Diner (24 hours) Accommodations: 494 rooms, including 57 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Screen Test rewards card. Slot tournaments. Indoor pool. River Bend Links 18-hole golf course. A 14,000-square-foot ballroom just off the main casino seats up to 1,200 guests with catering available for business meetings, special events, and conventions. 1,635 self- and valet-parking spaces. 123space RV park with full hookups. Movie memorabilia collection, including the biplane from Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, the Harrier jet from True Lies, the Batmobile from the first Batman movie, the DeLorean car from Back to the Future, Elvis Presley’s racecar from Spinout, and a 6,000-pound scale model of the Titanic.


204. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Tunica

205. Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Address: 1477 Casino Strip Resort Boulevard, Robinsonville, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 602–363–0711; toll-free: 1–800–456–0711 Website: www.samstowntunica.com Description: 2-floor stationary barge with 75,000 square feet of casino space. The barge is on an inlet of the Mississippi River, about 5 miles from the actual river. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,342 Table Games: 47: Blackjack, craps, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, roulette, three-card poker, keno (claimed to be the only live keno game in Mississippi) Poker: No Entertainment: 1,600-seat River Palace Entertainment Center features national recording artists like Joan Rivers, George Jones, Wynonna, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Kenny G. Entertainment lounge. Restaurants: 4: The Great Buffet (includes free beer and wine), Corky’s BBQ Buffet (includes free beer), Twain’s Fine Dining, Snacks ’n’ Stuff Accommodations: 1,070 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Blackjack and slot tournaments. 18-hole championship links-style golf course on the premises. Annual street rod car show. The Emporium offers Mississippi art, including candles, clocks, custom-made jewelry, pottery, books, and baskets, by state artists.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 63,000-square-foot stationary barge, right “next door” to the Gold Strike Casino Resort. Directions: Take Highway 61 south from Memphis to Casino Center Drive (approximately 15 miles from the Tennessee–Mississippi state line), turn right and follow the signs to Horseshoe. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000+ Table Games: 70+ Poker: The Jack Binion World Poker Open, cohosted with the Gold Strike Casino, in Jan., is more than 3 weeks of world-class poker events, limit and no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha high, Omaha high-low, 7-stud, tripledraw lowball, culminating in the championship, a $10,000-buy-in World Poker Tour nolimit hold’em event, 1 of only 3 poker tournaments in the world that guarantee to make someone a millionaire. There are frequent satellites and supersatellites during the WPO. Entertainment: Bluesville features headline acts from country, rock, and pop music, such as Joe Cocker, Glenn Frey. Stage Bar offers live local bands nightly. River Bar has live music on weekends. Restaurants: 5: Jack Binion’s Steak House (Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–midnight; reservations recommended), N’awlins Louisiana Cuisine (Creole creations; Sun.–Tue. 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–midnight; reservations recommended), Café Sonoma (California cuisine; Sun. 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Mon.–Tue.; Wed.–Thu. 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; Fri.–Sat 6 p.m.–midnight); Village Square Buffet (24 hours), Snack Bar (24 hours) Accommodations: More than 500 rooms, including a 14-story tower with 311 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winner’s Circle rewards card. Health spa, swimming pool, meeting rooms, restaurants, retail shops.

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Address: 1021 Casino Center Drive, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–357–5500; toll-free: 1–800–303–SHOE (1–800–303–7463); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–363–ROOM (1–800–363–7666) Website: www.horseshoe.com/tunica

206. Sheraton Casino and Hotel Address: 1107 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, Mississippi 38664 Phone: 662–363–4900; toll-free: 1–800–391–3777 Website: www.caesars.com/Sheraton/Tunica

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 2-level stationary barge with 38,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: 1¢–$100, including keno, video poker; many EZ Pay; highstakes area with $5–$100 machines Table Games: 30+: Blackjack ($3 and up), craps, roulette (25¢ and up), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Riverstage Showbar: Local groups Sun.–Thu. evenings Restaurants: 4: Louie’s Steakhouse (Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Big Kitchen Buffet (lunch, dinner daily), Reno’s Café (24 hours), TJ Cinnamon’s (cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, salads, coffee) Accommodations: 134, all king suites with spas in every room Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Nonsmoking gaming areas available for both slot and table games. Spa. Salon. Willows Trap, Skeet, Hunting & Sporting Clays Center nearby. Packages for day-trip guests, including free buffets and coin offers. Gift shop. Outlet center with 30 shops nearby.

Vicksburg Vicksburg (population 26,400) is on the Mississippi River in eastern Mississippi, 60 miles east of Jackson.

207. Ameristar Casino Hotel Address: 4116 Washington Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180 Phone: 601–638–1000; toll-free: 1–800–700–7770 Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/vicksburg Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-level 42,500-square-foot riverboat casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: 1¢–$100, includes video poker; many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 20: 11 blackjack (6 with at least a $10 minimum), 2 craps (20X odds), 1 roulette, 1 Let It Ride, 1 Caribbean Stud, 2 three-card poker, 1 Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em, 1 flop poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bottleneck Blues Bar, a 1930s theater revived into a Delta blues club, and Cabaret Lounge; both have free evening shows with regional entertainment from blues to country to classic rock Restaurants: 3: Bottleneck Blues Bar (bar fare), Waterfront Grill (Sun., Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Mon.), Heritage Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 150 rooms in an 8-story hotel, including 4 executive suites and 14 king spa suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Awards rewards card. Free shuttle service between hotel and casino. Every hotel room has free high-speed Internet. Swimming pool, spa, hot tub, gift shop.


208. Horizon Casino Hotel Address: 1310 Mulberry Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180–3242 Phone: 601–636–3423; toll-free: 1–800–843–2343 Website: www.horizonvicksburg.com

Address: 3990 Washington Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180 Phone: 601–636–5700; toll-free: 1–800–946–4753 or 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/vicksburg Description: 2-level stationary barge with a 32,000-square-foot casino and attached hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 791: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5; includes video poker, reel slots, multi-coin and coin-free machines Table Games: 20: 2 craps (20X odds), roulette, 11 blackjack (6 hand-held double-deck), 2 three-card poker, 1 flop poker, 1 Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 roulette, 1 Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker: No Entertainment: Caribbean Cove has live shows on weekends. Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s (fine dining), Calypso’s Seafood Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Marketplace (24 hours) Accommodations: 122 rooms, including 64 riverview balcony suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. Car and cash giveaways. Three-card poker tournament every Mon. 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Slot tournament every Tue. Blackjack tournament every Wed. 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Paradise 50 Plus gives senior discounts on breakfast and lunch buffet Mon.–Thu., or 50 percent off 1 buffet; also, double points, discounts in the gift shop, and free entry into Tropical Tuesday Slot Tournament. RV park with 67 oversized parking pads; park fee includes swimming pool, showers, cable TV, and shuttle service to casino and access to coin-operated laundry facilities. Free parking in secure lot. Valet parking available. Swimming pool, hot tub.

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209. Isle of Capri Casino

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Description: 2-level, 297-foot-long, 36,000-square-foot casino designed in the spirit of the traditional 1800s riverboats Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750+: Including video poker machines; progressives Table Games: 11: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-car poker, more Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em, mostly $3-$6, $3-$6-$12, and no-limit Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: 117 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 2 covered parking garages and side parking lot. Free valet service. Facilities for wedding receptions and meetings. Gift shop.

210. Rainbow Hotel Casino Address: 1380 Warrenton Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 820768, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39182 Phone: 601–636–7575; toll-free: 1–800–503–3777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–821–8330 Website: www.rainbowcasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Stationary barge on the Mississippi River with a 35,000-square-foot casino. Directions: From Interstate 20, take Exit 1-A, turn left on Warrenton Road, drive 1.5 miles, Rainbow Hotel Casino is on the right. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 900+: Includes video poker and progressives Table Games: 12: Craps, blackjack (including Lucky Ladies), three-card poker, more Poker: No Entertainment: 61 South: Local groups Restaurants: 2: Rainbow Buffet, Crossroads Deli Accommodations: 89 rooms, including 7 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Card rewards card, with cash back. Cash giveaways. Continental breakfast included in hotel room cost.

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MISSOURI

Riverboat gaming in Missouri got off to a slow start because originally there were no slot machines. Slots were introduced in December 1994, and business began to boom. Because Missouri state law enforces a $500 maximum loss limit per gaming session, the state’s casinos are at a competitive disadvantage with other states. Gaming sessions were once demarcated by actual physical sailings, but now the vessels don’t sail. Nonetheless, gaming sessions are still defined as being two hours long. Gaming sessions start at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon, and so on. A player must get a player’s card, for which the player must show a valid ID, driver’s license preferably. Once the player enters the casino, he must either present the player’s card and money to the cashier to get chips or tokens or insert the card into a slot machine along with money and in return receives the credits on the machine. If the player starts with $500, the card has $500 on it and when the player buys in to a game, the buy-in amount is debited from his account. For table games, a player hands his card to a dealer, who swipes the card, types in the amount the player wishes to play, and the player then receives that amount in chips. If a player uses the entire $500 before the end of the gaming session, he must wait till the start of the next session to buy in for another $500. For example, if the player loses his $500 at 8:20, he cannot buy another $500 until 10:01. If a player wins, he can wager as much of his bankroll on a single bet as he wants, which explains how games can have higher maximum bets than $500. A player receives winnings in the form of tokens from slots or chips from the tables. Once a player has money with which to play, he does not have to use his player’s card anymore until he needs to take more money out. Casinos want players to use their cards so the casinos can track what the players are doing and spending. They justify this by explaining to customers that that is how they are able to send out offers in the mail. Guests do not have to leave the casino at the end of gaming sessions. Warning signals do not go off. The minimum age to enter a casino in Missouri is 21.


Boonville Boonville (population 8,500), on the Missouri River about 40 miles northwest of Jefferson City, was named for Daniel Boone’s sons, Daniel Morgan and Nathan Boone, who operated a salt-manufacturing business nearby. The city is now a center for transportation, agribusiness, retailing, and tourism.

211. Isle of Capri Casino

Caruthersville Caruthersville (population 6,800) is on the Mississippi River, in the extreme southeast corner of Missouri, across from Tennessee, and about 20 miles south of where Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet.

212. City of Caruthersville Casino Aztar Address: 777 East Third Street, Caruthersville, Missouri 63830 Phone: 573–333–6000; toll-free: 1–800–679–4945 Website: www.casinoaztarmo.com Email: [email protected] Description: Permanently docked riverboat casino with 18,480 square feet of gaming space Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Poker room: Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 700+: 1¢ and up Table Games: 14: Blackjack, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Poker: Primary games: $1-$5 7-stud and $5-$10 Hold’em. Waiting lounge and complimentary concessions for poker players. Entertainment: Sports bar with karaoke and DJ dance party Restaurants: 1: Corky’s Ribs and BBQ Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot tournaments 2 nights a week (Sun., Wed.). Cash giveaways. Amphitheater and Event Center; golf course, boat ramp, and shopping nearby. RV park in walking distance: 18 pull-through pads with 75-foot concrete pads; 9 back-ins with 35-foot concrete pads

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Description: 28,000-square-foot casino on a stationary riverboat Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–5 a.m., continuously Fri. 8 a.m.–Mon. 5 a.m. Slot Machines: 900+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25; includes progressives Table Games: 28: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker, 21+3 Poker: No Entertainment: Caribbean Cove hosts live entertainment on Fri., Sat. nights Restaurants: 3: Farradday’s (steak, lobster, etc.), Calypso’s Seafood Buffet (nightly specials: Mon. BBQ Night, Tue. Prime Rib Night, Wed. Steak Night, Thu. International Night, Fri., Sat. Seafood Night, Sun. Down Home Cookin’ Night), Tradewinds Marketplace (casual: burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. Cash giveaways. Paradise 50 Plus gives seniors rewards and discounts. Event facilities (5 rooms, each accommodating 120–200 people). Historic display area in the pavilion.

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Address: 100 Isle of Capri Boulevard, Booneville, Missouri 65233 Phone: 660–882–1200; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Boonville

Kansas City Kansas City (population 450,000), at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, lies along the boundary between Missouri and Kansas, directly opposite Kansas City, Kansas. Their combined population is close to 600,000, while the entire urban area (in both states) exceeds 1.5 million. Kansas City attractions include Kansas Speedway, Country Club Plaza Shopping Area, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Worlds of Fun, American Royal Museum, and the Truman Sports Complex (home of the KC Chiefs and Royals).

213. Ameristar Casino Hotel

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Address: 3200 North Ameristar Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64161 Phone: 816–414–7000; toll-free: 1–800–499–4961; hotel: 816–414–7000; hotel reservations: 816–414–7175; toll-free: 1–888–440–7700 Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/kc

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Email: Contact form on the website Description: Stationary barge with 80,000-square-foot casino; one of the 10 largest in the U.S. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–5 a.m., continuously Fri. 8 a.m.–Mon. 5 a.m. Slot Machines: 2,900: 1¢–$10; many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 30: 17 blackjack, 1 Spanish 21, 1 Lucky Ladies, 1 21+3, 2 roulette, 3 craps, 1 pai gow poker, 1 double-down stud poker, 1 three-card poker, 1 four-card poker, 1 Caribbean Stud Poker: 15 tables, claims to be largest poker room in the Midwest. Regular games are hold’em ($3-$6, $6-$12, $15$30, no-limit) and Omaha high-low (Mon., Wed., Fri. $10-$20); 7-stud high-low ($2-$20 spread-limit) is less frequent. Tue., hold’em tournament starting at 7 p.m. Entertainment: Star Pavilion has major concerts, with headliners such as Cheap Trick, Carrot Top, Joe Cocker. There is also a cabaret and a movie theater. Restaurants: 11, including Amerisports Brew Pub, Arthur Bryant’s, Bugatti’s, Casino Deli, Falcon Diner, Food Court, Great Plains Cattle Co., Horizons Buffet, Pearl’s Oyster Bar Accommodations: 184 rooms Family Amenities: Entire family welcome at large video arcade (Mon.–Thu. 12 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri. 12 p.m.–12:30 a.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–12:30 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.). Kids Quest supervised child care. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Awards rewards card. Weekly blackjack tournament Mon. 7 p.m., slot tournament Wed. 7:30 p.m. Private highlimit area for table games as well as slots.

214. Isle of Capri Casino-Kansas Address: 1800 East Front Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64120 Phone: 816–855–7777; toll-free: 1–800–THE–ISLE (1–800–843–4753) Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Kansas_City Description: 2-deck stationary riverboat barge that houses a 40,000-square-foot casino, with an exterior that looks like the 1800s, and an interior that looks like the tropics, including a 2 1⁄2-story waterfall and shady palms; near I-35 at Front St. The upper deck is the Welcome Deck that houses food outlets, IsleOne Player’s Club Booth, and promotions booth; the lower deck is casino gaming. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4:59 a.m., Fri.–Sun. (and holidays) 24 hours. Table games open at 9 a.m. Poker room 9 a.m.–4:59 a.m. daily. Slot Machines: 1,500+: 1¢–$1; many ticket in-ticket out; progressive and linked jackpots

La Grange La Grange (population 1,000) is on the Mississippi River near the northeast corner of the state, right across from Illinois and 20 miles south of where Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois meet.

215. Mark Twain Casino Address: 104 Pierce Street, La Grange, Missouri 63448 Phone: 573–655–4770; toll-free: 1–866–454–5825; fax: 573–655–4772 Website: www.casinomarktwain.com Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot, stationary riverboat casino Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. Sun.–Thu.; 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Fri.–Sat. Slot Machines: 500: 1¢–$25. 173 video, 277 reels, 50 Game King Table Games: 16: Blackjack, craps, three-card poker, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Clemens Café (Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–11 p.m.), Saloon 777 (quickorder menu) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash Forward reward card. Slot tournament Tue. 6:30 p.m., $10 entry fee. Blackjack tournaments. Truck parking. Full RV hookups.

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Table Games: 25+: Blackjack, roulette, craps; limits start at $3 Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha high-low. Poker room is nonsmoking. Entertainment: Caribbean Cove: Tue. karaoke night. “Un-Weds-Day” (themed singles) parties are held the third Wed. of each month. Fri., Sat. showcase local entertainment. Restaurants: Farradday’s (steak, lobster, etc.; Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., closed Mon., Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Calypso’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Tradewinds Express (on the casino floor; shrimp, sandwiches, etc.; Sun.–Thu.: 11 a.m.–12:30 a.m., Fri., Sat.: 11 a.m.–3 a.m.), Tradewinds Marketplace (Mon.–Fri. 5 p.m.–1:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No, but packages available with nearby hotels Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: IsleOne Players Club. Cash giveaways. Paradise 50+ members receive free entries in weekly slot tournament Mon. 10 a.m. Thu. is Paradise 50+ Day, with unlimited double points, double Isle Miles, discounts at Calypso’s Buffet, and free ice cream or hot chocolate. Isle Getaway Hotel Package, available at participating hotels, offers free Calypso’s Buffet meals and 2 free gifts at the casino, also free shuttle service. Free nonalcoholic beverages on the gaming floor and self-service is also available.

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Maryland Heights Maryland Heights (population 27,000) is a suburb about 15 miles east of Saint Louis on Interstate 70 and near the Missouri River.

216. Harrah’s St. Louis Casino & Hotel Address: 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, Missouri 63043 Phone: 314–770–8100; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s St. Louis Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/stl

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website. Description: 110,000-square-foot, stationary riverboat casino on the Missouri River located 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis and 15 minutes west of the airport Hours: Table games: At the Mardi Gras casino: Mon.–Thu., 8 a.m.–5 a.m.; Fri.–Sun., 24 hours. At the Island casino: Mon.–Fri., 5 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sat., Sun., 1 p.m.–5 a.m. Poker room: Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–5 a.m.; Fri., Sat., 24-hour gaming Slot Machines: 2,600: 1¢–$25; 600 progressive machines; also 3 to 9 reelers, crisscrosses, multipliers, buy-pays, progressives, and video machines such as keno, 21, and many varieties of video poker Table Games: 70: Including blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, double down stud, three-card poker, pai gow poker, pai gow mania, double deck blackjack, Craps No More, Boston 5 stud Poker: Hold’em, Omaha. Satellites for World Series of Poker. Entertainment: Fri., Sat. nights, live entertainment at the VooDoo cafe and lounge. Concert series at the VooDoo lounge: Tue. nights are live country music. Special events at the VooDoo lounge. Restaurants: 7: The Range Steakhouse, VooDoo Cafe & Lounge, Town Square Buffet, Club Aroma (sandwiches, soups, salads), The Jester’s Deli, Lucky Noodle Bar (Chinese and Vietnamese noodle dishes and also Japanese and Thai offerings), Charlie Gitto’s (Italian cuisine) Accommodations: 502 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards Card good at all Harrah’s properties (all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos). 12,000square-foot ballroom for meetings and special events. Wedding specials. Room plus casino deals available.

North Kansas City North Kansas City (population 47,000) is just north of downtown Kansas City on the north shore of the Missouri River.

217. Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino & Hotel Address: One North Riverboat Drive, North Kansas City, Missouri 64116 Phone: 816–472–7777; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino; fax: 816–472–7778. Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/nkc Description: Casino barge with 60,000 square feet of gaming space on 2 levels. Located on the northern bank of the Missouri River, 3 miles from downtown Kansas City. Directions: From Interstate 35, take exit 6A, 210 East (Armour Road) approximately 1 mile to Chouteau

Riverside Riverside (population 3,000) is on the Missouri River just north of Kansas City, Kansas, and northwest of Kansas City, Missouri.

218. Argosy Casino-Kansas City Address: 777 NW Argosy Parkway, Riverside, Missouri 64150 Phone: 816–746–3100; toll-free group sales: 1–800–900–3423 Website: www.argosycasinos.com/property/kansas_city/kc_home.asp Email: [email protected] Description: 62,000-square-foot riverboat casino. Midway between Kansas City International Airport and downtown Kansas City, at I-635 and Hwy 9. Casino recreates a Mediterranean village. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–5 a.m.; Fri.–Sat. 24 hours

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Trafficway, go right heading south on Chouteau half a block, and Harrah’s entrance is on the right. From Interstate 435, take exit 55A, 210 West (Armour Road) approximately 2 miles to Chouteau Trafficway, and then south a quarter-mile to the entrance. Hours: 8 a.m.–5 a.m. daily, plus 24 hour gaming on weekends (open straight through Fri. 8 a.m.–Sun. 5 a.m.) Slot Machines: 1,400+: Electronic and video, with betting ranges from 1¢–$25. Both cashless and coin machines, with progressive jackpots. Table Games: 44: Mini-baccarat (table limits $10–$1,000), blackjack (minimums: $5, $10, $25, $50, $100; maximum: $500 or $1,000 in some areas), craps (minimums: $5, $10, $25; maximum: $500), roulette (minimums: $5 and $10 each spin; maximum payoffs: even money $800, 2:1 bets $400, individual numbers $875), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker Poker: Poker room has 12 tables. The casino opens as many, up to 12, as there are players who wish to play. The main game is hold’em. Omaha and 7-stud are offered, but a table is opened only if there are enough players. Regular weekly $40+$4 60-player limit hold’em tournaments. Also monthly $200-buy-in World Series of Poker qualifying tournaments. Entertainment: None. Will resume after construction complete. Restaurants: 3 restaurants and a deli. Harrah’s Buffet, Winning Streaks, The Range Steakhouse (one of Harrah’s signature restaurants, a contemporary, western-style steakhouse), Jester’s Deli. More restaurants planned for late 2005. Accommodations: 200 rooms, with an additional 200+ rooms under construction to be completed in August 2005. In addition, there are several other hotels nearby. Admission Charge: No. Must be 21 years of age or older to get on the premises. You must get a Total Rewards card before entering the casino and you must present valid photo ID in order to get your Total Rewards card. Dress Code: None, but shirt and shoes required. Bonus: Poker lessons given at special tables in the poker room Mon., Wed., 7 p.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.–4 p.m. “Millionaire Maker” slot and video poker tournaments. Points in the “Same Day Cash Back” promotion can be redeemed for cash or comps at Harrah’s North Kansas City, Harrah’s St. Louis, or Harrah’s Council Bluffs/Bluffs Run. Diamond Lounge for Diamond Club players. The hotel has a swimming pool for hotel guests only. Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. 10,000 square foot convention center. Indoor swimming pool at the hotel.

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Slot Machines: 1,750 slots that can be played with coin, cash, or ticket; includes widearea progressives with million-dollar jackpots Table Games: 46: Blackjack, roulette (denominations of $1, $5, $25, $100), Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpot), craps, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, Spanish 21 Poker: Three-card poker Entertainment: Live entertainment in the Casino Stage Bar Thu.–Sat. and in Crazy Olives Wed. 2 giant video walls with 49 plasma screens on the casino floor show sporting events. Restaurants: 5: Terrace Buffet (outdoor Mediterranean theme; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Leo’s Deli (patterned after Leonardo Da Vinci’s art studio), The Journey Wood Fired Steaks (open daily for dinner), Crazy Olives (bar, also serves sandwiches and entrees), Zoë’s Coffee, Pastries & Gift Shop Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club. Slot tournaments. Banquet facility.

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St. Charles

NORTH AMERICA

St. Charles (population 60,000), on the Missouri River just northwest of St. Louis, in whose metropolitan area it lies, was the first capital of Missouri and the organization point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804.

219. Ameristar Casino-St. Charles Address: 1260 South Main Street, St. Charles, Missouri 63301 Phone: 636–949–7777; toll-free: 1–800–325–7777 Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/stcharles Description: 130,000-square-foot riverboat casino Hours: Weekdays 8 a.m.–5 a.m., weekends 24 hours Slot Machines: 3,300: 1¢–$25; many ticket in-ticket out; progressives, including in-house and wide-area games with possible million-dollar jackpots Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, others Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud Entertainment: Bottleneck Blues Bar presents live music, including ticketed name acts like the Oak Ridge Boys and Paul Revere and the Raiders and free shows featuring local and regional talent. Restaurants: 8: 47 Port St. (fine dining; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Amerisports Bar (burgers; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1:30 a.m.), Bottleneck Blues Bar (Southern favorites like po’ boys, Louisiana hot wings, and shrimp cocktails; Tue.–Sun. 6 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Mon. closed), Casino Deli, Falcon Diner, King Cat Club, Landmark Buffet, Pearls Oyster Bar Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Video game arcade for the whole family Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Awards rewards card. Weekly blackjack tournament Mon. 7 p.m. High-limit area. Weekly slot tournament Wed. 6 p.m.

St. Joseph St. Joseph (population 74,000) is in northwest Missouri on the Missouri–Kansas border on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Between April 3, 1860, and late October 1861, Saint Joseph was one of the two endpoints of the Pony Express. On April 3, 1882, the notorious bandit Jesse James was assassinated there.


220. St. Jo Frontier Casino

St. Louis St. Louis (population 345,000; metropolitan area 2.6 million) is on the Mississippi River, about 5 miles south of where the Mississippi is joined by the Missouri, and right across from Illinois. One of the best-known attractions of St. Louis is the Gateway Arch. The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra also has a well-deserved reputation of excellence.

221. President Casino St. Louis Riverfront Address: 800 North First Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63102 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–772–3647; local: 314–622–1111 Website: presidentcasino.com/stlouis Email: Contact form on website Description: The Admiral, a stationary riverboat docked at the Laclede’s Landing entertainment district, just down from the Gateway Arch on the Mississippi, houses the 73,500square-foot casino Hours: 8 a.m.–4 a.m. weekdays, 24 hours weekends. Poker room: Mon.–Sun. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢ (439)–$5; including video poker, video keno; progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, 21+3, Spanish 21 Poker: Separate poker room has 7-stud, hold’em. Bad beat jackpots. $55 hold’em tournaments daily at 2, 4, 6, 8 p.m. Entertainment: Sports trivia nights weekly; call the President’s Promotion Hotline at 314–622–1WIN or toll free by calling 1–800–772–3647, pressing 1 and dialing extension 1946 Restaurants: President’s Buffet, River’s Edge Deli (deli sandwiches, ice cream, salads; located on B-Deck behind the Main Bar. Sun.–Thur. 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: No Bonus: Privileges Plus rewards card for slots and table games, with cash back, comps, meal reductions, etc. Hotel and casino packages available that include 2 free admission passes, buy 1-get 1 free coupon to the President’s all-you-can eat buffet, 2 coupons for $5 in bonus (buy-in required). See the website for details.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 32,000-square-foot stationary barge casino Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 489: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1, $5, and multi-denomination; many progressive slots and tokenized slots Table Games: 15: 2 Texas Shootout, blackjack, craps, roulette, 21+3, three-card poker; limits $2–$500 Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Jesse’s Steakhouse (Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; reservations recommended Fri., Sat.), The Pony Bar (breakfast Mon., Wed.–Fri. 7:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m., dinner Sun.–Thu. 4:30 p.m.–9 p.m., dinner Fri., Sat. 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m.; closed Sat., Sun.); Express Buffet Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club. Cash giveaways. Half-price senior breakfasts. 16,000-square-foot meeting and banquet facility.

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Address: 777 Winners Circle, St. Joseph, Missouri 64505 Phone: 816–279–5514; toll-free: 1–800–888–2WIN (1–800–888–2946) Website: www.stjocasino.com

NEVADA

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People always think of Nevada as the quintessential home of gambling but in fact, gambling was illegal in Nevada from 1909 to 1931. Gambling really came into its own when the Mob moved into Las Vegas in the late 1940s. The Flamingo, opened in 1946 by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, was the first major Las Vegas casino. Nevada began to work on cleaning up its image in the ’60s and ’70s, and now all the major casinos are run by large corporations. You do not have to pay for drinks in most Nevada casinos; they’re usually offered free to those participating in gaming activities. Whether you are at a slot machine, the pit, or a poker table, a cocktail waitress comes by regularly to take your order, and all you have to do is tip. Nevada casinos are also known for their complimentaries (universally known as comps)—free meals, rooms, show tickets, and other perks—offered to preferred customers, often those who play at certain limits or for a prescribed minimum of time. Most casinos have mechanisms for tracking customer play, often in the form of a (free) membership card. Often the membership is to a “slot club,” but of late almost all casinos award points for table play, and sometimes for keno, bingo, or race and sportsbook action. Present your card, known as a rewards card, whenever you play and a computer tracks your play. A casino employee will usually at some point offer you a comp, but don’t be shy: ask if you feel your play warrants a comp. No Nevada casino has a dress code. It’s almost an “anything goes” climate, although you probably will not be allowed to enter wearing just a bathing suit. Some of the fancier clubs do have dress requirements in their restaurants. In many cases, we don’t list all the table games at individual Nevada casinos. This is because almost every major casino has every game you can think of that would be in a casino—and some you wouldn’t think of! The population of Nevada is something over 2 million. A large portion of the people live in Clark County, where Las Vegas is. Patrons must be 21 or older to game or consume alcohol on the property. Nevada casinos, by policy, do not promote their facilities to minors, and are usually vigilant in upholding the laws concerning legal gambling age.

Carson City Carson City (population 55,000) is the state capital and is unusual in that it is an independent city. Because it is not part of a county, it interacts directly with the state government. Carson City was founded in the boom days of mining, like many towns in Nevada, and flourished on silver mining. Carson City is 28 miles south of Reno and 13 miles east of Lake Tahoe. It’s basically a small Old West town, with tree-lined streets, old mansions, and friendly residents. It has several low-key casinos that do not have the glitz and glamour of the towns whose economies depend on their casinos.


222. Best Western Carson Station Hotel and Casino

223. Carson Nugget Address: 507 N. Carson Street, P.O. Box 2027, Carson City, Nevada 89702 Phone: 775–882–1626; toll-free: 1–800–426–5239 Website: www.ccnugget.com Description: 27,380-square-foot casino located in the heart of downtown Carson City, at the corner of Carson (highway 395) and Spear; casino first opened in 1957 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+ video and slot machines Table Games: 19: Craps, roulette, blackjack bingo parlor; also keno ($50,000 prize) Poker: No Entertainment: Show Bar has local groups every evening Restaurants: 5: Garden Coffee Shop (24 hours), Nugget Steak House (fine dining), Bounty Oyster Bar, Comstock Buffet, Snack Bar Accommodations: City Center Motel has 80 rooms Family Amenities: Supervised children’s lounge Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Prospector’s Club rewards card, offering comps, cash back, discounts, etc. Cash drawings. Bingo parlor seats 100 players each session, of which there are 6 daily, and offers a progressive blackout bingo game 8 times a day. View live keno results online at the website. Rare gold display.

224. Casino Fandango Address: 3800 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701 Phone: 775–885–7000 Website: www.casinofandango.com Email: [email protected] Description: This 10,000-square-foot casino opened in 2003 in a refurbished hardware store; it prides itself on not being near other casinos (but a new “satellite,” Fandango Express, is being opened closer to the center of town). Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room 10 a.m.–midnight Slot Machines: 600+ Table Games: 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 three-card poker, 1 pai gow poker, 6 blackjack Poker: Hold’em, Omaha. Bad beat jackpots, promotional jackpots, high hand of the day prizes. Entertainment: Free live local groups Thu.–Sat. 8 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 6,750-square-foot casino near the Nevada state legislature buildings, capitol grounds and Carson City’s historic district; on Carson (highway 395) between 5th and 10th Streets Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 300+ Table Games: 8: Blackjack, craps, roulette; also keno Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret Lounge with live entertainment on weekends, and dancing Restaurants: 2: Station Grille (lunch, dinner), Station Restaurant Accommodations: 92 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Capital Rewards Club. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Sportsbook. 12 golf courses nearby.

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Address: 900 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701 Phone: 775–883–0900; toll-free: 1–800–501–2929, 1–877–519–5567 Website: www.carsonstation.com

Restaurants: 4: Duke’s Steakhouse, Rum Jungle Buffet, New York Deli, Palm Court Grill Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: A mechanical toucan flies through club dropping $1, $2, and $5 bills at random. Free poker lessons Mon., Wed., Fri. at 10 a.m.; Tue., Wed. at 6 p.m. Race and sportsbook open daily 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Crystal Bay–Incline Village Crystal Bay and Incline Village are located in Washoe County, which is on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, 15 miles west of Carson City. These two cities are close enough to each other for the two to be considered one urban area with a combined population of about 10,000.

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225. Cal Neva Resort Address: 2 Stateline Road, Crystal Bay, Nevada 89402 Phone: 775–832–4000; toll-free: 1–800–CAL–NEVA (1–800–225–6382) Website: www.calnevaresort.com

NORTH AMERICA

Description: This beautiful 14,000+-square-foot casino located in Lake Tahoe’s north shore community of Crystal Bay, with the California–Nevada state line running right through the resort (in fact, it’s right down the middle of the swimming pool!), used to be the hangout of the Rat Pack when it was owned by Frank Sinatra from 1960–63. He even had a helicopter pad installed on the roof of the building to facilitate comings and goings of his pals, many of whom, like Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Juliet Prowse, and Marilyn Monroe, performed in the Celebrity Showroom and the Indian Room while politicians and Hollywood stars played at the tables and in the private cottages overlooking the lake. Sinatra lost his gaming license when accused of underworld connections by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and the “Lady of the Lake,” as it was called, went into decline. New ownership in the mid ’80s returned it to its former glory as a full-service destination resort and it is now one of the top resorts in northern Nevada. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 188: Include video poker Table Games: 9: 8 blackjack, 1 roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 200 lake-view rooms, cabins, and chalets Family Amenities: Arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Indoor Jacuzzi, gift shop, fitness room, valet parking, summer pool. Wedding packages.

226. Crystal Bay Club Casino Address: 14 State Route 28, P.O. Box 37, Crystal Bay, Nevada 89402 Phone: 775–833–6333 Website: www.crystalbaycasino.com Description: This beautiful 20,000+-square-foot casino was built in 1937; now the hightech environment features giant trees and starlit ceilings, plus stone, carved woods, and Italian fabrics. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 265: 1¢–$5; video poker 1¢–$25; all ticket in-ticket out; progressives and linked machines, including Megabucks Table Games: 10: Single-deck blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Free lounge entertainment

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Sun.–Thu. evenings. Fri., Sat., headliners like Ike Turner, the Family Stone, Elvin Bishop, the Knack, Paula Poundstone Restaurants: 2: Crystal Bay Steak and Lobster House, Crystal Bay Café Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club, offering $5 free to new members. Sportsbook, slot tournaments. Covered parking garage, valet parking. Wine tastings.

227. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino

228. Tahoe Biltmore Address: 5 Highway 28, Crystal Bay, Nevada 89402 Phone: 775–831–0660; toll-free: 1–800–BILTMORE (1–800–245–8667) Website: www.tahoebiltmore.com Email: [email protected] Description: 11,000-square-foot casino with hotel, located at Highway 28 and Stateline Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 400+: Includes video poker Table Games: 15: Blackjack, roulette, craps, live keno Poker: No Entertainment: Breeze Nightclub: Entertainment 7 nights a week; on weekends has special shows by local bands, comedy acts, tribute groups Restaurants: 2: Café Biltmore, Conrad’s Grill & BBQ Accommodations: 92: Including rooms and suites in the main hotel, plus cottages overlooking Lake Tahoe Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Biltmore rewards card. Sportsbook. Wedding packages available. 6,400+ square feet of meeting space for groups up to 600.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: Hotel recreated in the classic style of a 1920s alpine grand lodge, right on the shore of Lake Tahoe, houses an 18,900-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 324: Most ticket in-ticket out; includes video poker Table Games: 22: Blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Lone Eagle Grille (American), Ciao Mein Trattoria (Pacific Rim/Italian), Sierra Cafe (American/Buffet), Lakeside Bar & Grill, Stillwater Pool Bar & Grill Accommodations: 424 rooms, including 24 lakeside cottages Family Amenities: Camp Hyatt offers a children’s program with activities indigenous to the area, an outdoor play area, and for the summer season, a “kiddies only” wading pool. Also, video arcade. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Complete sportsbook. Players Advantage Club rewards card with 3 levels of membership. Blackjack tournament every Wed. at 6 p.m., video poker tournament every Fri. at 6 p.m., both $25 buy-in. Private beach. 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space with room for groups of up to 900 attendees. Weddings arranged. The Ponderosa Ranch of Bonanza fame is 1⁄2 mile away.

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Address: 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nevada 89451 Phone: 775–832–1234; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–233–1234 Website: www.laketahoehyatt.com

Elko Elko (population 16,000), on the banks of the Humboldt River is about 200 miles east of Reno, as the crow flies. If the crow has to actually drive on Interstate 80, it’s closer to 250 miles. The city originally began as a railroad-promoted townsite and railhead for the White Pine mines in 1869. It is now the largest city between Salt Lake and Reno/Sparks. Elko is the provincial capital of an enormous cattle ranching empire occupying parts of four states. In addition to cowboys, Elko has a large Basque population, and is noted for its annual Basque Festival and the Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

229. Red Lion Inn and Casino

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Address: 2065 Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 89801 Phone: 775–738–2111; toll-free: 1–800–545–0044; fax 775–753–9859 Website: www.westernescapes.com/RedLionElko

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 167,750-square-foot casino with hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500: Including video poker; video keno (including million-dollar tickets, and Nevada Numbers) Table Games: 9 blackjack (including single-deck), roulette, craps, keno ($50,000 prize), Let It Ride Poker: 3 tables. No-limit hold’em shootout tournament first and third Thu. each month ($20 buy-in, $20 rebuys, $20 add-on, played down to 3 players, paid 50 percent, 30 percent, 20 percent). Entertainment: Club Max Showroom has Top 40 cover bands Wed.–Sun. Restaurants: 2: Misty’s Fine Dining (steaks, seafood), Red Lion Coffee Garden Restaurant (24 hours) Accommodations: 223 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Club rewards card for slot play. Sportsbook. Casino Express Airlines delivers passengers from over 90 cities to the Red Lion in Elko. Free slot tournaments Mon.–Fri. 1 p.m.–2:45 p.m. Free blackjack tournaments Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m. Both have multiple sessions, with airline ticket, cash, meal, and merchandise prizes. Heated pool. Gift shop.

Fallon Fallon (population 7,500), 66 miles east of Sparks, in the high desert, at an elevation of 4,000 feet, is primarily an agricultural community. Naval Air Station Fallon, the United States Navy’s premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility, home to the Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), is in Fallon; the surrounding area contains 84,000 acres (130 square miles) of bombing and electronic warfare ranges.


230. Stockman’s Casino

Henderson Henderson, 7 miles from the Las Vegas Strip and 1 mile from Lake Mead, is the second largest city (population 208,000) in Nevada, and called the fastest growing large city in America by the U.S. Census.

231. Eldorado Casino Address: 140 Water Street, Henderson, Nevada 89015 Phone: 702–564–1811; fax 702–564–5369 Website: www.eldoradocasino.com Description: 17,700-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+: 5¢ and up; reel, keno (jackpot up to $25,000), video poker Table Games: 11: Blackjack with Royal Match 21, 25¢ craps (10X odds), 10¢ roulette, blackjack with Lucky Ladies, pai gow poker, blackjack extra, keno ($50,000 prize on 1,000-game multi-tickets; $1 million prize for $1) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Mariana’s (Mexican Cantina; opens at 4 p.m. Wed.–Sun.), The Café (200-seat restaurant, open daily 5:30 a.m.–12:30 a.m.), Snack Bar Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Arcade with video and pinball games for the entire family Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sportsbook. Small bingo room, with multiple daily sessions. 30-seat keno lounge. 500-car covered garage offers free parking and easy casino access

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 9,000-square-foot casino with hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 280+ Table Games: 5: blackjack (with Bet the Set side bet), keno (50¢ minimum tickets; $25,000 maximum prize; also Nevada Numbers) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Angelica’s Steakhouse (dinner; Tue.–Sat.), coffee shop (24 hours) Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express has 98 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: X-tra Bucks Players reward card for slot play; redeem points for cash, merchandise, hotel stays, food. Cash giveaways.

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Address: 1560 W. Williams Avenue, Fallon, Nevada 89406 Phone: 775–423–2117; hotel reservations: 775–428–2588; toll-free hotel reservation center: 1–800–HOLIDAY (1–800–465–4329) Website: www.stockmanscasino.com

232. Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel Address: 777 West Lake Mead Drive, Henderson, Nevada 89015 Phone: 702–558–7000; toll-free: 1–866–469–7666; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–388–8334 Website: henderson.fiestacasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 50,000-square-foot casino with hotel, near where I-215 meets Boulder Highway Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and up; including video slots, progressives, linked jackpots, Megabucks; EZ Pay on most machines Table Games: 23: Blackjack ($5 minimum, double-deck), craps ($1 minimum; 10X odds), pai gow poker, roulette, Super Fun 21, Ricochet, more Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6), 7-stud (on demand) Entertainment: Lava Lounge has free live entertainment by local groups every Fri., Sat. Restaurants: 4: Fuego Steakhouse (daily from 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; reservations recommended), Baja Beach Cafe (24 hours), Festival Buffet (lunch, dinner, plus weekend brunch), Garduño’s (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.—10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 4 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 224 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Amigo Club rewards card. Fiesta Amigo Points can be redeemed at either Fiesta Club or any Station Casino Rewards Center. Bingo with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Grande Bingo offers progressive payouts. $29.99 rooms on selected nights. Blackjack tournaments every Tue. 6 p.m.–9:45 p.m. ($25 buy-in, $1,000 guaranteed); also Thu. Heated pool, Jacuzzi.

233. Green Valley Ranch Address: 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, Nevada 89052 Phone: 702–617–7777; toll-free: 1–866–STAYGVR (1–866–782–9487) Website: www.greenvalleyranchresort.com Description: Resort and spa with 50,000-square-foot casino, on I-215 south of Las Vegas; 8-acre contemporary oasis offers a view of the Las Vegas Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,200+: 1¢–$25 ($5, $10, $25 in high-limit area); many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 43: 30 blackjack (3 $25–$5,00, 23 $5–$3,000, 4 single-deck $5–$3,000) 2 mini-baccarat ($5–$1,000), 4 craps, 3 roulette, 5 pai gow poker ($5–$1000), 1 Let It Ride ($5–$1000), 13 Caribbean Stud ($5–$1000), 1 Wild Hold’em Fold’em ($5–$1000) Poker: No Entertainment: Whiskey Amphitheater, an outdoor venue, and 2,000-seat Grand Events Center, feature headline entertainment like Harry Connick, Smokey Robinson, Hall & Oates, REO Speedwagon. Regal Cinema shows first-run films. Restaurants: 12: Fadó Irish Pub (Sun.–Wed. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3 a.m.), Il Fornaio (Italian; Sun.–Thu. 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11:30 a.m.–12 midnight), BullShrimp (steak and seafood; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Original Pancake House (6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily), Feast Around the World Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunches), Trophy’s (casual dining; lunch and dinner; daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.), Fatburger (24 hours), Panda Express (Chinese; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–11 p.m.), China Spice (Chinese; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sushi + Sake (Japanese; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–1 a.m.), Villa Pizza (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.), Viva Salsa (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), Dreyer’s (old-fashioned scoop shop; open daily at 11 a.m.), Coffee Bean, Tea Leaf (daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: The Spa at Green Valley Ranch is a 490-room Mediterranean-style AAA 4-Diamond hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons, cash giveaways to seniors. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. Resort was featured on the Discovery Channel’s American Casino series. Race and sportsbook, with betting on all major race and sporting events. 40 shops. Spa. Jacuzzi. 50,000 square feet of event space accommodate 10–1,600. Also, the 8-acre oasis can accommodate groups of 50–5,000.

Description: 24,000-square-foot casino on Boulder Highway Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 640+: reel, keno, video poker Table Games: 11: 25¢ craps with 10x odds, 25¢ roulette, 21 Madness, Royal Match 21, Lucky Ladies 21, $50,000 keno Poker: No Entertainment: 50-seat Troubadour Lounge has live music every Fri., Sat. night Restaurants: 3: Wild Card Buffet (open Wed.–Sun.), Court Café (24 hours), Pigskin Snack & Sports Bar Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Arcade: video and pinball for all ages Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet facilities. Sportsbook. Sporting events can be viewed on a big screen TV while playing at the video poker bar. Free RV and boat parking. Valet parking. Senior (55+) in buffet every day except Fri., Sun.

235. Casino MonteLãgo Address: 8 Strada di Villaggio, Henderson, Nevada 89011 Phone: 702–939–8888; toll-free: 1–877–533–3555; fax: 702–939–8987 Website: www.casinomontelago.com Description: Small, elegant, 40,000-square-foot Mediterranean-theme casino on Lake Las Vegas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600: 1¢–$25; all ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 15: Craps, roulette, three-card poker, blackjack, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Tappo Lounge: Free jazz, Top 40, other musical groups Fri., Sat. from 8 p.m. Restaurants: Café (24 hours) Accommodations: 486 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Uno rewards card. Slot tournaments. Sportsbook. Covered and valet parking. Gift shop.

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Address: 920 North Boulder Highway, Henderson, Nevada 89015 Phone: 702–564–8100; fax: 702–564–7550 Web site: www.jokerswildcasino.com

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234. Jokers Wild Casino

236. Sunset Station Hotel-Casino Address: 1301 West Sunset Road, Henderson, Nevada 89014 Phone: 702–547–7777; toll-free: 1–888–319–4655; poker room: 702–547–7671; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–SUNSET–9 (1–888–786–7389); toll-free Station Casinos: 1–800–6–STATIONS (1–800–682–8466) Website: www.sunsetstation.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 110,000+-square-foot casino with hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,500+: 1¢–$25, many coinless; over 100 percent payback on some video poker machines (Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Double Double Bonus Poker); video poker progressives; earn free slot play with Boarding Pass card Table Games: 53: Single-deck blackjack, double-deck blackjack, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, craps (10X odds), mini-baccarat, Wild Hold’em Fold’em, roulette; plus keno (including million-dollar keno) Entertainment: Headliners like Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins & Billy Currington, Jazz Attack, Lickitty Splitt, Gary Puckett, Eric Burdon & The New Animals, The Spazmatics Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6-$9, $4-$8-$8, $6-$12), Omaha ($4-$8-$8), 7-stud ($1$5 spread limit, $3-$6). Free poker lessons Sun. 2 p.m. and Mon. 11 a.m., immediately followed by a live $20-buy-in $2-$4 hold’em game. Ladies-only tournaments 3 p.m. last Sun. of every month ($35 buy-in and one $20 rebuy in the first hour). Morning limit and no-limit tournaments Mon.–Sat. Call the poker room for game type and times. 2 progressive badbeat jackpots are available at Palace Station, Boulder Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe, and Sunset Station. The jumbo hold’em bad beat progressive starts at $100,000, with a minimum of $35,000 awarded for the bad-beat losing hand, $20,000 awarded for the bad-beat winning hand, and the remainder distributed to players at the table who were in the hand. The property progressive bad beat starts at $10,000. Restaurants: 9: Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse (dinner nightly from 5 p.m.), Capri Italian Ristorante (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Viva Salsa (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), Costa Del Sol (Mediterranean-style seafood and steaks; Sun., Wed., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Cafe (24 hours), Feast Around the World (five buffets in one: American, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, country barbecue and prime rib; breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunches), Guadalajara Restaurant (Mexican), Food Court, (Fatburger, Panda Express, Sbarro, Jitters, Ben & Jerry’s), Hooter’s (wings, shrimp, oysters; Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–12 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 457 rooms; each room has Internet access and data port connectivity available Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card for slot, table, and poker play. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons, cash giveaways for seniors. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. High-limit table games area. 300-seat race and sportsbook. High-stakes bingo, with daily sessions at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m.; $100,000-minimum Jumbo Bingo Progressive. 11 meeting rooms ranging from 234–3,555 square feet, for conferences, conventions, receptions, etc. Gift shop. Complimentary shuttle service to and from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip for hotel guests.


Incline Village See Crystal Bay

Jackpot Jackpot (population 1,500) is a small, unincorporated town on the northernmost point of U.S. Highway 93 in northeast Nevada, right on the Idaho border and 47 miles south of Twin Falls. This location makes it a popular gambling stop for inhabitants of southern Idaho. Even though most of the rest of Nevada is in the Pacific Time Zone, because of its ties to southern Idaho, Jackpot is in the Mountain Time Zone.

Email: Contact form on website Description: A resort with a 26,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 910: 1¢–$10; including video poker, reels, video keno; many ticket inticket out Table Games: 23: 2 gaming pits include 9 single-deck blackjack, 6 Royal Match, 2 craps, 2 Let It Ride Bonus, 2 three-card poker, 1 roulette, 1 Wheel of Madness Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud. No-limit hold’em tournaments. Limit hold’em tournament every Sun. at 12:30 p.m. ($15 buy-in, $20 rebuys). Entertainment: Gala Showroom: Pop, rock, and country entertainment, like Tony Orlando, Eddie Money, Jose Feliciano, Ronnie Milsap, Rich Little, Louise Mandrell, Ray Price (open most Fri., Sat. nights, with 2 shows nightly at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Cabaret Lounge has regional and Las Vegas bands most nights. Summer Outdoor Concert Series in the Amphitheatre has big-name entertainment like Kenny Rogers, Michael Bolton, LeAnn Rimes. Restaurants: 3: Canyon Cove Buffet (dinners, plus weekend brunches), Desert Room (diner, 24 hours), Plateau (fine dining; Wed.–Sun. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., closed Mon.–Tue.) Accommodations: 300 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Tennis court. Golf course nearby. Styling salon. Gift shop.

238. Horseshu Hotel and Casino Address: 1220 Highway 93, P.O. Box 508, Jackpot, Nevada 89825 Phone: 775–755–7777; toll-free: 1–800–432–0051 Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/horseshu Email: Contact form on website Description: Small 3,000-square-foot casino right across the street from Cactus Petes Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 120: 1¢–$5; including video poker, reels, video keno; many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 5: 3 single-deck blackjack, 1 Royal Match, 1 craps Poker: No Entertainment: Regional bands in Horseshu Saloon. For others, see Cactus Petes. Restaurants: 1: Frontier Kitchen (country-style and Mexican; Sun.–Thu., 7 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 7 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 120 rooms, including 10 Jacuzzi suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Plateau Players rewards card for slot play. Double points Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–midnight. Golf, tennis, swimming. General store.

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Address: 1385 Highway, 93 P.O. Box 508, Jackpot, Nevada 89825 Phone: 775–755–2321; toll-free: 1–800–821–1103 Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com/cactus

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237. Cactus Petes

Jean Jean (population 2,500) is the second gambling center you encounter driving to Nevada on I-5 (the main route to Las Vegas from Southern California), about 15 miles from the border and 24 miles south of Las Vegas.

239. Gold Strike Hotel & Gambling Hall Address: 1 Main Street, P.O. Box 19278, Jean, Nevada 89019 Phone: 702–477–5000; toll-free: 1–800–634–1359 Website: www.stopatjean.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 35,000-square-foot casino across I-5 from Nevada Landing; both are owned by Mandalay Resort Group Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: 1¢–$5 Table Games: 18: Single-deck blackjack, roulette, craps, 21 Madness, Lucky Ladies, Caribbean Stud, Triple 7s Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Gold Strike Bonanza Buffet (lunch, dinner, weekend brunches), Gold Strike Steakhouse (dinner; Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Gold Rush Cafe (24 hours), Sutter’s Snacks, Burger King Accommodations: 811 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card: Earn comped rooms, meals, gifts, and gas; for slot and table games. Yearly Las Vegas Marathon starts nearby. Weddings, meetings, banquet facilities.

240. Nevada Landing Hotel & Casino Address: No. 2 Goodspring Road, P. O. Box 19278, Jean, Nevada 89019 Phone: 702–387–5000; toll-free: 1–800–628–6682 Website: www.stopatjean.com Email: [email protected] Description: 35,800-square-foot casino across I-5 (the main route to Las Vegas from Southern California, and the first major gambling across the border) from Gold Strike Hotel & Gambling Hall; both are owned by Mandalay Resort Group Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: 5¢–$5 Table Games: 20: Single-deck blackjack, roulette, craps, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, 21 Madness, Triple Chance Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Captain’s Cafe (24 hours), Jade Room (Chinese; dinner; Fri.–Tue. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Bayou Belle Buffet (lunch, dinner, weekend brunches), Dockside Grill Accommodations: 303 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card: Earn comped rooms, meals, gifts, and gas; for slot and table games. Weddings, meetings, banquet facilities.


Also see North Las Vegas and Henderson.

241. Aladdin Resort & Casino Address: 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–785–5555; toll-free: 1–888–747–1732; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–333–WISH (1–877–333–9474) Website: www.aladdincasino.com Description: 34-acre resort with a 100,000-square-foot casino on the Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard), featuring a 4-story ceiling and multiple overlooks Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,800 Table Games: 87 Poker: No Entertainment: 7,000-seat Theatre for the Performing Arts, hosting headline acts like Sting, ZZ Top Restaurants: 15: Spice Market Buffet, Elements (steaks, seafood), Tremezzo (Italian), Zanzibar Café (24 hours), P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Commander’s Palace (New Orleans and Creole), Cheeseburger

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Las Vegas (population over half a million; metropolitan area 1.7 million), Sin City, the Gambling Capital of the World, whatever you call it, it’s a city dedicated to what are euphemistically called “adult pleasures.” The city’s current motto (it changes from time to time) is “Whatever Happens in Las Vegas Stays in Las Vegas.” Some of the world’s biggest and best hotels, all housing monster casinos, are in Las Vegas. It is also known as the Convention City, and most casinos have huge convention facilities that are booked solid much of the year. The best time to visit Las Vegas is any time of year other than the summer, although you’ll find it crowded then, too. From May to August, daily high temperatures are regularly over 100 degrees, because this city was built right in the middle of a desert. Every casino is air-conditioned. Many casinos have air curtains instead of doors, and you’ll find stepping from a casino to the parking lot to be a shock. Because of the temperatures and the informality of the city, you’ll find people dressed in outfits that would have to be considerably upgraded to be termed “casual.” Las Vegas casinos are famed for their lavish buffets, many of which claim to be “the best.” You can find buffets from a few dollars to upwards of $30, with more food than you can possibly eat. Las Vegas is also well-known for its poker. The biggest games in the world regularly take place here, as well as some of the biggest and most prestigious tournaments, many offering prize pools in the millions of dollars. You can play poker on as little as a $10 stake, or you can find games with $100,000 buy-ins—and higher! You’ll see the superstars of poker at every major casino. If you have the buy-in, you can get into a game with a world champion, or someone you see regularly competing in popular television competitions, including several movie stars. Vegas, as many call it, is also known for its lush shows. You’ll see the superstars of all fields of entertainment, each casino vying for your attention by presenting the biggest and the best. Broadway shows and many first-run theatrical productions, major rock acts, risqué adult-themed shows, circuses, opera—you name it, they’re in Vegas.

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Las Vegas

at the Oasis, Crustacean/Prana Lounge, E.A.T. at Krave, Krave, La Salsa Cantina, Lombardi’s Romagna Mia, Oyster Bay Seafood & Wine Bar, Todai Seafood and Sushi Buffet, V Theater/V Cafe; plus the only 24-hour Starbucks on the Las Vegas Strip Accommodations: 2,600 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High Limit Casino at Aladdin, a European-style casino within a casino, with 30,000 square feet of space including a 15,000-square-foot gaming floor with 100 slot machines and 30 table games. Aladdin Wedding Chapel offers many wedding packages. 75,000 square feet of flexible prefunction and conference space, featuring 18 break-out rooms. 2 outdoor swimming pools on a sixth-floor terrace. Spa. Desert Passage, part of the Aladdin complex (3663 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 1–888–800–8284), is 1.2 miles of shops (open Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–12 midnight; restaurant and nightclub hours vary). Free self or valet parking for hotel guests.

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242. Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Casino Hotel & RV Park

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 4575 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121 Phone: 702–951–5800; toll-free: 1–888–236–9066; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–362–4040 Website: www.arizonacharlies.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 27,000-square-foot casino east of the Strip, on Boulder Highway between Sahara Ave. and Tropicana Ave.; includes hotel with 8 3-story buildings Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 848+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1; slot, video poker, keno; all ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 14: Blackjack (Royal Match, super fun 21), craps, roulette, Fortune Pai Gow Poker: No Entertainment: Palace Grand Lounge: Local entertainment afternoons (Fri., Sat., Sun. 4 p.m.–7 p.m. ) and evenings (Tue.–Thu., Sun. 8:30 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 p.m.–2:30 a.m.) Restaurants: 4: Sourdough Cafe (24 hours), Wild West Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus Sun. brunch), Yukon Grille (Mon., Tue. Closed; Wed., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Charlie’s Cheesesteak Deli (9 a.m.–1 p.m.) Accommodations: 300+ rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Ultimate Rewards card. 500-seat 24-hour bingo parlor. Race and sportsbook. RV park with 200+ full hook-ups and a dog run.

243. Bally’s Las Vegas Address: 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–739–4111; toll-free: 1–888–742–9248, 1–800–7BALLYS (1–800–722–5597); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–634–3434; toll-free show reservations: 1–800–237–SHOW (1–800–237–7469) Website: www.ballyslv.com Description: 70,000-square-foot casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip with 2 26story hotel towers Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100: 1¢ and up; electronic slot and video poker; high-stakes slots lounge has $1,000 machines; cashless, coin, and progressive machines Table Games: 70+: Limits $5–$5,000; blackjack, craps, baccarat (up to $50,000), mini-baccarat, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker, tile pai gow, keno (including million-dollar keno), big six wheel

244. Barbary Coast Address: 3595 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–737–7111; toll-free: 1–888–BARBARY (1–888–227–2279) Website: www.barbarycoastcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel with 30,000-square-foot casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 680: 1¢ and up; most ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 36: All popular games Poker: No Entertainment: Weekly shows in Barbary Cost Showroom. Free acts Tue.–Fri. 3 p.m.–6 p.m., Wed., Thu., Sun. 9:15 p.m.–2:30 a.m., Fri., Sat. 10 p.m.–4 a.m. Karaoke Mon. 9 p.m.–2:30 a.m. Drai’s lounge features live entertainment Thu., Fri., and Sat. nights. Restaurants: 4: Michael’s (gourmet; 6 p.m.–midnight), Victorian Room (24-hour coffee shop), Drai’s on the Strip (gourmet; 5:30 p.m.–midnight), also Seattle’s Coffee Accommodations: 212 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Coast Card. Free craps lessons (10:30 a.m. daily). High-speed Internet connection available in hotel rooms. Race and sportsbook (original home of the “Ties Win” parlay card). Free drinks to players. Free shuttle service to other Coast properties.

245. Barcelona Hotel & Casino Address: 5011 East Craig Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89115 Phone: 702–651–0893; toll-free: 1–800–223–6330 Website: www.barcelonalasvegas.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel with 11,000-square-foot casino near the corner of E. Craig and N. Nellis, next to Nellis Air Force Base, and about 1 mile north of the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 230 Table Games: 7: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Nightly live entertainment; band, dancing Restaurants: 1: Open 24 hours Accommodations: 173 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sportsbook. Closest casino to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pool, Jacuzzi.

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Poker: 7 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud Entertainment: Donn Arden’s Jubilee!, a dance, musical, and showgirl production, has been running for more than 20 years. Restaurants: 12: al Dente (Italian; Fri.–Tue. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Bally’s Steakhouse (5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Sterling Brunch (gourmet buffet; Sun. 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.), Big Kitchen Buffet (American; 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily), Chang’s (Asian; Wed.–Sun. 6 p.m.–11 p.m.), Nosh (breakfast, lunch; 6 a.m.–2 a.m.), The Sidewalk Cafe (24 hours), Sbarro’s Pizzeria, Ichiban Sushi, Johnny’s Delicatessen, Stage Deli, also Krispy Kreme Donuts, Häagen Dazs (ice cream), Java Coast Accommodations: 2,814 rooms, including 265 suites Family Amenities: Arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card, for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Million-dollar slot tournament. Heated outdoor pool. 175,000 square feet of convention and meeting space. High-speed Internet. 15,000-square-foot full-service health club with steam rooms, saunas, Vichy showers, spa treatments. Bally’s Avenue of Shoppes with 20 stores. Theater-style race and sportsbook. Shuttle buses. Salon. Weddings. Tennis. 20 shops and boutiques. Bally’s is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.

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246. Bellagio Address: 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–693–7111; toll-free: 1–888–987–6667; fax: 702–693–8585; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–987–3456; hotel reservations: 702–693–7444; show reservations: 702–693–7722; toll-free show reservations: 1–888–488–7111 Website: www.bellagio.com

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Description: More than 100,000 square feet of gaming space. Perhaps one of the most elegant casinos in the world, it originally cost $1.6 billion. AAA 5-Diamond Award winner 4 consecutive years (2002–2005); the first Las Vegas hotel-casino and the largest resort in AAA history to receive the honor; the only hotel in 2004 and 2005 with 2 AAA 5-Diamond restaurants. Famous for its fountains, which are on a lake of more than 8.5 acres of water. Performances by more than 1,000 dancing fountains take place every 30 minutes, Mon.–Fri., from 3 p.m.–7 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. from 12 p.m.–7 p.m. After 7 p.m. daily, performances are every 15 minutes until midnight. Has a conservatory and botanical gardens. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,440 Table Games: 148: Blackjack, craps, mini-baccarat, roulette, European roulette, baccarat, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, casino war, three-card poker, sic bo, keno (play from $21–$1,000 games; win up to $250,000; follow live action online) Poker: 30 tables: Mostly hold’em, with all limits, plus no-limit, generally 1 game with a $200 buy-in (no more, no less) and another with $600 minimum buy-in. 7stud, usually $1-$5 spread limit, $15-$30, $20-$40. Omaha high-low, $20-$40. Also, a mixed game that is probably the largest in the world. Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Regular tournaments: Many during the week. All major tournaments are completely no-limit hold’em. Among major tournaments are the Festa al Lago (October), the Five Diamond World Poker Classic (November), and the Five Star World Poker Classic (April). The World Poker Tour final championship event and the World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions are always held at Bellagio. All have multimillion-dollar prize pools. Entertainment: Cirque du Soleil’s O, synchronized swimming, acrobatics, theatrical effects, and live music performed twice nightly in the 1,800-seat O Theatre, Wed.–Sun. 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., dark Mon. and Tue. Light (nightclub). World Cup riding, dressage, and jumping events. Restaurants: 19: JeanPhilippe Pâtisserie (daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m.), Sensi (Italian and Asian, grilled and seafood; lunch daily 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner nightly 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Michael Mina Bellagio (seafood; Mobil 4-Star restaurant; dinner daily 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Café Bellagio-American (24 hours), Café Gelato (gelato, sorbetto, frozen yogurt, sandwiches; Mon.–Thu. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sun. 7 a.m.–12 a.m.), Circo (Italian; lunch Wed.–Sun. 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner nightly 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), FIX (classic American fare; dinner daily Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–2 a.m.), Jasmine (Chinese; dinner daily 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), Le Cirque (French; AAA 5-Diamond restaurant; dinner daily 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), Noodles (Asian; lunch and dinner Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.; Dim Sum, Fri.–Sun., 11 a.m.–3 p.m.), Palio (pastries, coffees, teas; Sun.–Thu. 6 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 6 a.m.–midnight), Palio Pronto (pastries, coffees, gelato, sandwiches; daily 10 a.m.–1 a.m.), Picasso (French; AAA 5-Diamond restaurant; dinner Wed.–Mon. 6 p.m.–9:30 p.m.), Pool Café (American; daily, seasonal; 8 a.m.–4 p.m.), Prime Steakhouse (steak and seafood; daily 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), Snacks (sandwiches and snacks; Mon.–Wed. 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Thu. 8

247. Binion’s Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Address: 128 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–382–1600; toll-free: 1–800–622–6468; fax: 702–384–1574; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–937–6537 Website: www.binions.com Description: Hotel with 87,000-square-foot casino right in the middle of the Fremont Street Experience, in the very center of downtown Las Vegas. Binion’s Horseshoe long had a reputation for the “pureness” of its gambling; no frills, just the highest limits any gambler might want. “Your first bet is your limit” was the watchword, attested to by Binion’s allowing a gambler to set down first $777,000 and then later $1 million on a craps table bet. Binion’s was also where the idea for the World Series of Poker began, and later grew to the biggest and most famous gambling event in the world. Now the club is owned by Harrah’s Entertainment, and only the final table of the final event takes place at Binion’s, but the property is still famed for the gambling experience. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 750+ Table Games: 42: Single-deck blackjack, double-deck blackjack, craps (3X, 4X, 5X odds), roulette, three-card poker, crazy four poker, 3-5-7 poker, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker Poker: 18 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8, no-limit with $1-$2 blinds); 7-stud and Omaha high-low when requested. Regular tournaments: Daily 2 p.m.: No-limit hold’em ($60 buy-in, 1 $40 optional rebuy, 1 bonus buy of $10 gets 50 percent more chips); 5 percent (up to $200) of prize money is withheld for a drawing 1 hour after tournament ends with all participants that entered the tournament and playing in a live or tournament game eligible. Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.: No-limit hold’em (same buy-ins as previous). Fri., Sat., Sun. 8 p.m.: No-limit hold’em ($125 buy-in, 1 $50 optional rebuy, 1 bonus buy of $25). Fri., Sat. 2 a.m.: No-limit hold’em (same buy-ins as first daily 2 p.m.). Free hold’em classes at 11 a.m. daily. Entertainment: Comedy or country every night except Wed. Restaurants: 3: Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse (penthouse restaurant on the 24th floor), Original Coffee Shop (24 hours), East Side Snack (10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily) Accommodations: 366 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Horseshoe Club rewards card. Regular cash drawings. Walk right out evenings into the Fremont Street Experience, a sight-and-sound

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a.m.–1 a.m., Fri., Sat. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–1 a.m.), Shintaro (Japanese; dinner; daily 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), The Buffet at Bellagio (breakfast: Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–10:30 a.m., brunch Sat.–Sun. 8 a.m.–4 p.m., lunch Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., dinner Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 4:30 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m.; a nonsmoking facility), Todd English’s Olives (Mediterranean; lunch daily 11 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner daily 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., bar 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.) Accommodations: 3,933 rooms, including 512 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MGM MIRAGE Players Club rewards card for slot and table game players. More than 200,000 square feet of meeting and convention facilities. Via Bellagio, a glass-enclosed shopping promenade offers more than 100,000 square feet of boutiques, including Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Fred Leighton, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès, Gucci, and Dior (open daily from 10 a.m.–midnight). Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art houses museum-caliber exhibitions from prestigious international collections, as, for example, “Claude Monet: Masterworks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” (gallery hours: 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily). Fitness center. 5 outdoor pools, 4 spas, and 52 private cabanas in a Mediterranean courtyard setting. 2 wedding chapels.

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extravaganza with a canopy of overhead lights forming animated images coordinated to the music. Rooftop pool with a 360-degree view of Las Vegas

248. Boardwalk Hotel & Casino Address: 3750 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–730–3100; toll-free: 1–866–595–3097; fax: 702–730–3166; hotel: 702–735–2400 Website: www.boardwalklv.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel with 33,000-square-foot casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, between Bellagio and Monte Carlo, across from MGM Grand Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 575: 1¢ to Megabucks Table Games: 23: Blackjack, craps (5X odds), three-card poker, Wheel of Madness, Bonus Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Lighthouse Lounge: Local groups afternoons and evenings Restaurants: 4: Surf Buffet (Coney Island beach theme; 24 hours), Caffe Boardwalk (breakfast, lunch, dinner), The Deli (24 hours), Fujiyama Sushi (lunch, dinner; open daily 11 a.m.); plus Catcha Cup o’ Coffee (coffee specialties, pastries, etc.; 24 hours) Accommodations: 654 rooms and suites in 2 buildings, a 16-story tower and a 4-story structure Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Board Walk Player Card. Race and sportsbook. Wedding facilities. Free valet and self parking. 2 swimming pools.

249. Boulder Station Hotel & Casino Address: 4111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121 Phone: 702–432–7777; toll-free: 1–800–981–5577; poker room: 432–7577; fax: 702–432–7730; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–683–7777 Website: www.boulderstation.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 90,000-square-foot casino, with hotel, near where Highway 93/95 meets Boulder Highway, on the east side of Las Vegas; 7 miles from McCarran International Airport and 4 miles from the Las Vegas Convention Center Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,800+: 1¢ and up; video poker, video keno, reel machines Table Games: 48: Double-deck blackjack, shoe-dealt blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker, single-deck double fun 21, craps (10X odds), keno (including $1 million tickets) Poker: Omaha high $4-$8-$8 with half kill; hold’em $4-$8-$8 with half kill; 7-stud $1-$5 spread-limit. Monthly Omaha high freeroll tournament on the second Sun. of every month, with $3,000 prize pool for those who log 20+ hours of live Omaha during a calendar month, continuing through Dec. 11, 2005. Bad beat hold’em progressive jackpot that starts at $100,000. Free hold’em lessons 2 p.m. daily. Play live $2-$4 hold’em at 3 p.m., immediately following the lesson. 2 progressive bad-beat jackpots are available at Palace Station, Boulder Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe, and Sunset Station. The jumbo hold’em bad beat progressive starts at $100,000, with a minimum of $35,000 awarded for the bad-beat losing hand, $20,000 awarded for the bad-beat winning hand, and the remainder distributed to players at the table who were in the hand. The property progressive bad

250. Caesars Palace Address: 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: Toll-free: 1–877–427–7243 Website: www.caesarspalace.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Caesars Palace houses more than 147,750 square feet of public space in distinct casinos. Included are the Palace Casino, Forum Casino, and the high-limit Palace Court Casinos for table games and slot players. Caesars Palace has a Far East and Latin American Marketing department to cater to guests from around the world. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000+: 5¢–$500; reel-type, video, poker, 21, keno. Among the most popular are the no-limit, dollar-progressive Million Dollar Babies slot machines, whose jackpot grows upward from $1 million until it is won. Table Games: 125 (limits $10–$10,000): Blackjack, dice, roulette, baccarat (limits to $50,000), Spanish 21, midi-baccarat, mini-baccarat, tile pai gow, pai gow poker, three-card poker, keno, Nevada Numbers Poker: Although none at this writing, a new poker room was planned. Entertainment: 4,100-seat Colosseum theater, which hosts the Celine Dion show A New Day and features rotating headliners such as Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld. Pure, a new nightclub, has late-night entertainment attractions, featuring an ultra-lounge, dance club, and outdoor terrace surrounded by the lights of Las Vegas Boulevard. Restaurants: 25, including: 808 (EuroPacific; breakfast bar 7 a.m.–12 p.m. daily; dinner Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Bradley Ogden (American; lunch Mon.–Fri. 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.–11 p.m. daily), Café Caesars (gourmet snacks; 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily), Café Lago (24 hours), Cypress Street Marketplace (11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), Empress Court (Chinese; Wed., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–midnight), Hyakumi (Japanese; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–midnight), Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (Southwest; lunch 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner

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beat starts at $10,000. Entertainment: Railhead showroom has headliners like Don Williams, Foreigner, John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, Night Ranger, Dave Mason, Mel Tillis, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers. Boulder Blues offers live blues Thu. night 8 p.m., no cover. 11-screen movie theater. Restaurants: 10: Feast Gourmet Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Boulder Cafe (24 hours), The Broiler (steaks, seafood; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. brunch 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.), Guadalajara Bar & Grille (Southwestern; opens daily at 11 a.m.), Pizza Palace (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), China Express (Chinese; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Viva Salsa (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Pasta Palace, Burger King; Subway; also Gourmet Pretzels, Starbuck’s, TCBY, Winchell’s Accommodations: 300 rooms in a 15-story tower Family Amenities: Kids Quest professionally supervised children’s activity center, for children 6 weeks to 12 years old, including spiral slides and ball pits, interactive video entertainment, virtual karaoke, nonviolent video games for kids of all ages, nutritious meals Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card for slot, table, and poker play. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons, cash giveaways. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. Weekly tournaments: Wed., pai gow poker; Fri., three-card poker; Sat., blackjack. 300-seat race and sportsbook. 600-seat bingo with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. View live keno results online at the website.

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5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Neros (American; 5 p.m.–11 p.m. daily), The Noodle Shop, Sushi Bar (Asian; 11 a.m.–3 p.m. daily), Terrazza (Italian; coffee café 6 a.m.–11 a.m., dinner daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m. ), Vialé (Italian) Accommodations: 2,418 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card, for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Daily slot tournaments. 4.5-acre Garden of the Gods pools and gardens. Health spa and beauty salon. Elegant shops, including an exotic-car dealership, with some automobiles costing upwards of $1 million. Late-night lounges. Indoor and garden wedding facilities. 160,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Free valet parking and guest garage.

251. California Hotel & Casino

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Address: 12 Ogden Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–1222; toll-free: 1–800–634–6505 Website: www.thecal.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Casino with Hawaiian-themed hotel; 36,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,104: 1¢–$5; including video and keno; many ticket in-ticket out; progressive and linked jackpots, including Megabucks Table Games: 35: 20 blackjack (including double- and 6-deck shoe games; $2–$1,000), 6 craps (up to $3,000 on the pass line, and $2–$1,000 with 2X odds), roulette, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, keno (including million-dollar keno) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 6: Market Street Cafe, Redwood Bar & Grill, Pasta Pirate, Cal Club (snacks), Aloha Specialties Accommodations: 781, including 74 suites Family Amenities: Video arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Gold rewards card. Sportsbook. The “Bridge” crosses the traffic of downtown’s main thoroughfare, Main Street, to Boyd Gaming’s Victorianthemed casino, Main Street Station. Shops: Cal Gift Shop, Cal Logo Shop, Vegas 808 (Hawaiian taste treats), Ethel M Chocolates, Lappert’s Ice Cream, Cal Arcade

252. Casino Royale & Hotel Address: 3411 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–737–3500; toll-free: 1–800–854–7666 Website: www.casinoroyalehotel.com Description: 15,000-square-foot casino, with hotel, on the Las Vegas Strip, across the street from the Mirage casino, between Harrah’s and the Venetian casinos Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500+: 1¢–$5; video slots and poker; including Megabucks and Quartermania Table Games: 19: $1 craps (100X odds), Spanish 21, 25¢ roulette, blackjack switch, Caribbean Stud. Low minimum bets. Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Outback Steakhouse (lunch, dinner), Denny’s (24 hours), Subway, Noble Roman’s Pizza Accommodations: 152 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Royale rewards card. Named number one in “Best Places to Strike It Rich” list by the Travel Channel.


253. Circus Circus Las Vegas

254. El Cortez Hotel & Casino Address: 600 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–5200; toll-free: 1–800–634–6703 Website: www.elcortezhotelcasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel with 45,300-square-foot casino, 1 block from the Fremont Street Experience; particularly popular with locals Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,100+: 1¢, ¢- $5; reel slots, video poker, video keno, video reels, multigame machines; progressive jackpots Table Games: 19: 10 single-deck blackjack($2–$500; plus royal match side bets), 2 roulette ($5 buy-ins, 25¢ chips, $4,500 maximum pay-out), 1 mini-baccarat table ($5–$1000), 2 craps ($1–$500; 10X odds, $5,000 maximum odds bet), three-card poker, keno ($100,000 limit, with two ways to win $1 million) Poker: Hold’em ($1-$3 spread-limit), 7-stud ($1-$3 spread-limit) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Careful Kitty’s Coffee Shop, Roberta’s Steak House, Mr. Porterhouse Steak (24 hours); plus

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Description: Hotel that holds 3 casinos, with over 100,000 square feet of gaming space. The main casino contains the world’s largest permanent circus, with circus acts performing directly above the heads of the gamblers, plus a midway for the entire family. The hotel has 3 towers and 3 smaller buildings. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400+: 1¢ and up Table Games: 83: 53 blackjack, 4 craps, 7 roulette, 1 big six wheel, 4 pai gow poker, 1 Caribbean Stud, 2 Let It Ride, 1 casino war Poker: 10 tables: Low-limit games Entertainment: Free circus acts. Different acts perform each half hour 11 a.m.–midnight. Restaurants: 8: The Steakhouse, Stivali (Italian), Blue Iguana (Mexican), Circus Buffet, Pizzeria, Westside Deli, Barista Café, Pink Pony (café; 24 hours) Accommodations: 3,770+ rooms Family Amenities: The Adventuredome is a 5-acre elevated theme park, with roller coasters, waterfall rides, and the like, located behind the west tower, fully enclosed within the largest space-frame dome in the United States. The dome contains over 350,000 square feet of insulated glass, providing comfortable climate control year round. Admission to the park is free. Individual rides cost between $4–$6. All-day pass costs $13.95 for those shorter than 48 inches and $21.95 for taller. Midway, with typical circus midway games, plus an arcade with over 200 electronic games. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Race and sportsbook. 3 swimming pools. Circusland RV Park, operated by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), has 399 spaces with full service utility hookups, convenience store, arcade, laundromat, playground, pet runs, and disposal stations. For reservations call 1–800–562–7270. Wedding packages. Shopping arcade with more than 40,000 square feet. Banquet and meeting space for up to 600.

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Address: 2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–734–0410; toll-free: 1–800–444–2472; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–224–7287 Website: www.circuscircus.com

an ice cream shop Accommodations: 401 rooms. The El Cortez has 299 rooms, plus an additional 102 rooms located at the Ogden House Hotel adjacent to the main tower. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Jackie’s Club rewards card. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Free $500 slot tournament daily.

255. Excalibur Hotel/Casino Address: 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South, P.O. Box 96778, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109 Phone: 702–597–7777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–750–5464 Website: www.excalibur.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino complex, with a casino built in the form of a fanciful medieval castle; casino has 121,544 square feet of gaming; hotel has 4 massive towers Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,200: 5¢–$100; many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 88: Blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, big six wheel, mini-baccarat, keno, casino war Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud; bad beat jackpot and a jackpot money wheel; tournaments Entertainment: Tournament of Kings jousting dinner show features jousting, invading armies, dragons, fire-wizards, and dinner (6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. nightly). Thunder from Down Under (beefcake show; Mon.–Wed. 8:30 p.m., Fri., Sat. 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.) Restaurants: 9: Roundtable Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), Steakhouse at Camelot (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sir Galahad’s Pub and Prime Rib House (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Regale Italian Eatery (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sherwood Forest Café (24 hours), McDonald’s, Quizno’s, Pizza Hut Express, Manchu Wok (Chinese fast food); also Café Expresso, Krispy Kreme, Coldstone Creamery Accommodations: 4,000 rooms Family Amenities: Court Jester’s Stage: Free entertainment for the whole family, including puppetry, jugglers, musicians (11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. daily). Fantasy Faire Midway: Carnival games of skill. Wizard’s Arcade: Video games. Merlin’s Magic Motion Machine Film Ride. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Sports and racebook. Slot, keno, blackjack, and horse-handicapping tournaments. Wedding chapel offers many wedding packages.

256. Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel Address: 2400 North Rancho Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 Phone: 702–631–7000; toll-free: 1–888–887–5108; hotel reservations: 702–631–7000; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–899–7770 Website: rancho.fiestacasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 70,000-square-foot casino with hotel, north of downtown Las Vegas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,650: 1¢ and up; 1,000+ EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out; some 100 percent payback video poker machines Table Games: 18: Blackjack ($3–$1,000; single- and double-deck), craps ($1–$1,000; 10X odds), pai gow poker, roulette, Let It Ride, threecard poker, super fun 21, keno Poker: Hold’em ($2-$4) Entertainment: Club Tequila showroom has headliners like David Allan Coe, Molly Hatchet, Firefall, Nazareth, Ricky

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Van Shelton, Mel McDaniel; also superstar tributes, Saturday Comedy Live, V108 Saturday Night Fiesta (R&B) Restaurants: 7: Blue Agave Steakhouse (open daily 4 p.m.; reservations recommended), Baja Beach Café (24 hours), Festival Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Garduño’s (Mexican; lunch, dinner), Panda Express (Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sun. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.), McDonald’s (Mon.–Thu. 7 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sun. 7 a.m.–2 a.m.), Subway/TCBY (Daily 10 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 100 rooms in a newly renovated 5-story tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Amigo Club rewards card. Fiesta Amigo Points can be redeemed at either Fiesta Club or any Station Casino Rewards Center. Bingo with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Grande Bingo offers progressive payouts. Race and sportsbook. $29.99 rooms on selected nights. Outdoor swimming pool. Gift and smoke shop.

Email: Contact form on website Description: 42,000-square-foot casino with hotel, in downtown Las Vegas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 940: 1¢ and up; progressive and linked jackpots, including Megabucks Table Games: 32: Blackjack switch, double- and six-deck blackjack, Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em, Caribbean Draw, three-card poker (pays 3:1 on a flush), royal 20s, Spanish 21, Let It Ride, pai gow mania, keno (with million-dollar specials) Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom has rock tribute shows 5 nights a week (free admission, 1 drink minimum); karaoke Tue. night Restaurants: 4: Limericks Steakhouse (Thu.–Mon. 5 p.m.– 11 p.m., last seating at 10:30 p.m.; reservations recommended), Molly’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Shamrock Café (24 hours), McDonald’s; also Krispy Kreme Accommodations: 638 rooms in a 34-story tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Fitz rewards card. Cruise giveaways. Keno tournaments.

258. Flamingo Las Vegas Address: 3555 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–733–3111; toll-free: 1–888–308–8899 Website: www.flamingolasvegas.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel-casino with 77,000+ square feet of gaming space, located on the famous Four Corners of the Las Vegas Strip. Opened in 1946 by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, this was the first major Las Vegas casino. It now has a Caribbean theme. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100+: 1¢ and up; over 1,300 ticket in-ticket out; cashless, coin, progressives Table Games: 92+: Limits $5–$5,000; craps, blackjack, mini-baccarat (up to $50,000), roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker, keno (including milliondollar tickets) Poker: 7 tables. Monthly tournaments. Entertainment: Jimmy Buffett, Gladys Knight, Second City comedy troupe Restaurants: Conrad’s Steakhouse (daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Hamada’s (Japanese; daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Paradise Garden Buffet (American; daily 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), Pink Ginger (Pan-Asian; daily 5

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Address: 301 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–388–2400; toll-free: 1–800–274–LUCK (1–800–274–5825) Website: www.fitzgeraldslasvegas.com

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257. Fitzgeralds Casino/Hotel

p.m.–11 p.m.), Tropical Breeze Café (American; 24 hours), Ventuno Restorante, Cafè (Italian; daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville (Caribbean-American; daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 3,565 rooms Family Amenities: Wildlife Habitat, a 15-acre tropical landscape with a collection of more than 300 birds, authentic environments, and foliage imported from around the world; exotic animals include African penguins, swans, ducks, Japanese koi fish, turtles, and the famous pink flamingos. Arcade. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card, for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Slot tournaments. Wedding packages. Salon. Shopping arcade. 4 tennis courts. Spa, fitness center. Meeting and convention center. The Flamingo is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.

259. Four Queens Hotel & Casino

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Address: 202 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–4011; toll-free: 1–800–634–6045 Website: www.fourqueens.com Description: 32,000-square-foot casino with hotel, in downtown Las Vegas at one end of the Fremont Street Experience Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,030: 1¢ and up; offers up to 100.1 percent payback (on select machines with optimal play); progressive and linked jackpots. Table Games: 31: Single deck blackjack, roulette, craps (10X odds), keno, three-card poker, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 6: Magnolia’s Veranda (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 24 hours), Hugo’s Cellar (gourmet dining; daily 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Chicago Brewing Company and Cigar Lounge (microbrewery, with appetizers, pizzas, and entrees; daily 5 a.m.–12 a.m.), Noble Roman’s Pizza, Hiro’s Sushi, Subway; also TCBY Accommodations: 690 rooms, including Jacuzzi-suites, in 2 19-story towers Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Royal Players Club rewards card, for slots and table games, with cash back, discounts, comps. Royal Players Club 55 offers discounts to seniors on meals, room rates, bar tab, and gift shop purchases. Meeting and banquet space for up to 500.

260. Fremont Hotel & Casino Address: 200 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–3232; toll-free: 1–800–634–6182; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–634–6255 Website: www.fremontcasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: The Fremont has been located right in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, at Casino Center Drive and Fremont Street, for more than half a century; the middle of the Fremont Street Experience is at its front door. The casino has 32,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,119 Table Games: 25: Craps, most popular table games, and keno (including million-dollar tickets) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Paradise Buffet and Café, Tony Roma’s (ribs), Lanai Express (American and Chinese), Second Street Grill Accommodations: 447 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Gold Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Race and sportsbook. Banquets and meeting space for up to 300.


261. Gold Coast Hotel and Casino

262. Golden Gate Hotel & Casino Address: 1 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–1906; toll-free: 1–800–426–1906 Website: www.goldengatecasino.net Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino located where the Fremont Street Experience begins, at the corner of Fremont Street and Main. The casino has 9,100 square feet of gaming space. The hotel was opened in 1906 as a hotel and casino, but had to get out of the casino business when gambling was made illegal in Nevada in 1909, and did not start up again till gambling became legal in 1931. Started as the Hotel Nevada, it became the Sal Sagev (“Las Vegas” backwards) in 1931, and then the Golden Gate in 1955. The hotel’s phone numbers contain the year of its founding. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 400 Table Games: 17 Poker: No Entertainment: Piano player in the lounge Restaurants: 2: Bay City Diner, San Francisco Shrimp Bar & Deli Accommodations: 106 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Home of the original Las Vegas shrimp cocktail, of which 25 million had been sold by 1991, and is still named “best of Vegas” every year. The Fremont Street Experience is just out the door.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino, located 1 mile west of the Strip and half a mile from Chinatown, with 85,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100+ Table Games: 39: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, pai gow poker, keno (including million-dollar tickets) Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em ($2–4, $4–8, $6–12, $10–20, no-limit), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit), Omaha high ($4-$8). Hold’em and Omaha limit games feature full blinds and half kills. Poker room is completely nonsmoking and has a player tracking system for comps and a daily high hand promotion Entertainment: Showroom has musical shows Sat.–Thu. 7:30 p.m. Restaurants: Cortez Room (prime rib, steak, seafood; 4 p.m.–11 p.m.), Arriva (Italian; Wed.–Sun., 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Monterey Room (coffee ship, 24 hours; Chinese cuisine, 12 p.m.–5 a.m.), Ports O’ Call Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Ping Pang Pong (Chinese; 5 p.m.–3 a.m.), Terrible Mike’s (fast food favorites; 10 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 711 rooms Family Amenities: Free professionally staffed childcare facility Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Coast Card. Bingo with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Free craps lessons Fri., Sat., Sun.11:30 a.m. 70-lane bowling center. High-speed Internet access available in all hotel rooms. Swimming pool, fitness center. Race and sportsbook. 30,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space. Free shuttle bus to and from sister properties the Barbary Coast on the Las Vegas Strip and The Orleans.

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Address: 4000 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Phone: 702–367–7111; toll-free: 1–800–331–5334; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–402–6278 Website: www.goldcoastcasino.com

263. Golden Nugget Address: 129 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–385–7111; toll-free: 1–800–634–3454 Website: www.goldennugget.com

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Description: Casino-hotel right across the Fremont Street Experience from Binion’s Horseshoe. The casino has 38,000 square feet of gaming space. This is the most elegant resort in the downtown area. Steve Wynn started his casino empire with the Golden Nugget, an empire that includes the Mirage, the MGM Grand, and the just-opened Wynn Las Vegas. The casino is currently owned by Tim Poster and Tom Breitling, founders of Travelscape.com. The Fox TV reality show Casino was based on their efforts to build up the business. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,260; 1¢ and up; ticket in-ticket out available on most machines, which can also be played for cash Table Games: 58: Blackjack (up to $15,000 a hand), craps (up to 10X odds, with maximum $60,000 payoff), mini-baccarat, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, keno, big six wheel, three-card poker Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em (limit and no-limit). Two hold’em tournaments daily. At 11 a.m., tournament is limit for first hour, no-limit thereafter, with $55 buy-in, 1 $40 rebuy, and 1 $40 add-on. Evenings are all no-limit, all 7 p.m. Mon., Tue., Wed., Sun., $125 buy-in, unlimited $100 rebuys Mon., 1 rebuy other days for $100, all with 1 $100 add-on.; Fri. $230 buy-in with 1 $200 rebuy, 1 $200 add-on; Sat. $330 buy-in with 1 $200 rebuy, 1 $200 add-on. Poker room is nonsmoking. Entertainment: 400-seat Golden Nugget Theatre Ballroom features headline entertainment, and production shows, such as Spirit of the Dance (dark Fridays). The Oasis Lounge features live entertainment and dancing nightly (dark Mondays). ZAX features live dinnertime entertainment Mon.–Fri. Restaurants: 9: Including ZAX (contemporary cuisine), Carson Street Café (American), Lillie Langtry’s (steaks and Asian), Stefano’s (Italian), The Buffet; also Starbucks Coffee Accommodations: 3 towers with 1,907 rooms, including 1- and 2-bedroom suites, 27 luxury apartments in the Spa Suite Tower, and 6 penthouse suites in the North Tower; AAA 4-Diamond Award received yearly since 1977 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 24 Karat Club Slot and Table Player Rewards card. 24 Karat Plus Club awards seniors points in addition to rewards points, to be used for gifts and merchandise. Threecard poker tournaments. Race and sportsbook. More than 29,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities, including 13 meeting and banquet rooms and a 10,000-square-foot glass-enclosed pavilion available seasonally (Nov.–March), can accommodate small meetings or up to 500. Outdoor pool with Jacuzzi and private cabanas; beauty salon, spa and fitness center.


264. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

265. Harrah’s Las Vegas Casino & Hotel Address: 3475 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–369–5000; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Las Vegas Casino, Hotel Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/las/index.html Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done on the website Description: The 17.3-acre property, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip across from Caesars Palace and the Mirage, has 86,664 square feet of casino space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Slot Machines: 1,460 slots (keno, reel slots, video reel slots), 300 video poker (includes multi-game poker). Denominations: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $25, $100, $500. All except penny machines accept coins, but only $100 and $500 machines dispense coins. Over time the plan is to reduce or eliminate completely those that accept coins. There are progressive jackpots, both internal to the property and ones that are linked statewide. Table Games: 84 Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, various limits. Regular daily tournaments and World Series of Poker Circuit tournaments. Entertainment: Live entertainment daily in Carnaval Court Bar & Grill (outdoors: daily noon–midnight seasonally); band plus singers in a revue, early evening, and late-night adult revue in Harrah’s Clint Holmes Theater. The Improv Comedy Club at Harrah’s each week features 3 comedians in the Improv Showroom; comedy magic show; piano bar; live entertainment nightly in The Range Steakhouse Lounge. Restaurants: 5: Andreotti’s (Northern Italian; 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.; dressy-casual), Carnaval Court Bar, Grill (outdoor dining, sandwiches, salads, burgers; opens at noon daily, seasonally), Fresh Market Square Buffet (breakfast

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Email: [email protected] Description: The quintessential playground for the now generation, a combination of rock club, resort, and 30,000 square feet of casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+ Table Games: Craps, blackjack, (including a swim-up game that can be played from within the pool), roulette, pai gow poker, many more Poker: No Entertainment: The Joint has top rock acts like Duran Duran, Mötley Crüe, Social Distortion, Morrissey, The Vines. Body English nightclub is for inveterate party-goers. Restaurants: 5: AJ’s Steakhouse (Tue.–Sat., 6 p.m.–11 p.m.), Mr. Lucky’s (diner; 24 hours), Nobu (Japanese; daily 6 p.m.–11 p.m.), Pink Taco (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), Simon Kitchen & Bar (elegant dining; Sun.–Thu. reservations till 10:30 p.m., Fri., Sat. reservations till 11:30 p.m.); plus Starbucks Accommodations: 648 Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Back Stage Pass rewards card for slot and table play. Banquet and meeting facilities for up to 500. Racebook and sportsbook. Peacock Lounge and Fender Room high-stakes rooms. International skateboarding competitions. Spa, salon, health club. Hard Rock store has rock memorabilia. Other shops include jeweler, lingerie, a smoke shop.

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Address: 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–693–5000; toll-free: 1–800–851–1703 or 1–800–HRDROCK (1–800–472–7625) Website: www.hrhvegas.com

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Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m.-11 a.m., lunch Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., weekend champagne brunch Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., dinner daily 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Garden Café (24 hours/day; 365 days/year), The Range Steakhouse: (steaks, seafood, prime rib, chicken entrées, with a great view of the Las Vegas Strip; opens at 5:30 p.m., dress is “upscale casual”), Winning Streaks Bar & Grill (sports bar/café in the sportsbook; 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily); also 3 Starbucks (5:30 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 579 hotel rooms, including 164 luxurious suites, located within the 23-story Mardi Gras North Tower, the 15-story Mardi Gras South Tower, and the 35-story Carnaval Tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. 25,000 square feet of convention space and meeting rooms. 64-seat racebook with 12 video screens, 100-seat sportsbook with 14 video screens. 2,720-space, 7-level covered parking garage. Valet parking service. Shops offer gifts, men’s and women’s accessories, “the only liquor, beer, and wine store centrally located on the Strip,” Magnet Max (magnets and collectibles), jewelry, 2 camera stores, sportswear, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in Carnaval Court; open 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. Harrah’s Las Vegas is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.

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266. Hôtel San Rémo Address: 115 East Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–739–9000; toll-free: 1–800–522–7366; fax: 702–736–1120; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–522–REMO (1–800–522–7366) Website: www.sanremolasvegas.com Description: Across from the MGM Grand, next to the Tropicana, and near all the megaresorts of the Strip. This hotel-casino has 26,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 532: Multi-denomination, linked, progressive; Megabucks and others Table Games: 18: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, keno, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Showgirls of Magic: Scantily clad showgirls and magic acts (nightly except Mon., 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m.) Restaurants: 4: Paparazzi Grille (5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Saizen (5 p.m.–midnight), Ristorante Dei Fiori (international; 24 hours), Luigi’s Place (casual meals, coffee specialties; open daily at 7 a.m.) Accommodations: 711 rooms, including 1- and 2-bedroom suites (some with Jacuzzi hot tubs), as well as 2 executive boardroom suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Money Club rewards card for slots and table games. Cash giveaways. Heated pool. Gift shop. Meeting space for up to 400.

267. Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino Address: 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–731–3311; toll-free: 1–800–634–6441 Website: www.imperialpalace.com Description: Hotel on the Strip, with a 75,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,700: 1¢–$25; local and wide-area progressives and linked jackpots, including Megabucks and other megajackpot games Table Games: 42: Blackjack, roulette, craps, mini-craps, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, live keno (including $2 to win $5 million) Poker: 10 tables of hold’em

268. Las Vegas Club Address: 18 East Fremont Street, P.O. Box 1719, Las Vegas, Nevanda 89101 Phone: 702–385–1664; toll-free: 1–800–634–6532 Website: www.vegasclubcasino.net Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino at one end of the Fremont Street Experience, next door to the Plaza, its sister property; casino has 48,500 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Nearly 500 Table Games: 21: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker, no-commission baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Great Moments Room (American and French gourmet; Thu.–Mon. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), The Upper Deck (hamburgers; Fri.–Tue.: 24 hours, Wed. and Thu.: 6 a.m.–11 p.m.), Mahalo Express (Hawaiian; daily 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), Seventh Inning Scoop (ice cream, salads, hot dogs, shrimp cocktail, pizza; 24 hours) Accommodations: More than 410 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Barrick Play Club rewards card for slot and table play. Bingo. Racebook and sportsbook.

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($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8). Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Lessons every day at 11 a.m. High hand awards. Earn comp dollars for poker play. Regular tournaments, all no-limit. Sun. 1 p.m., Tue., Thu. 7 p.m., $40+$10, 1 $25 rebuy. Mon., Wed. 1 p.m., Wed. midnight, $32+$8, 1 $20 rebuy. In every case, all rebuy money goes to the prize pool. Also, an extra $5, which goes to the dealers, purchases extra tournament chips. Larger hold’em tournaments on other occasions. Entertainment: Legends in Concert, a celebrity tribute show, presents look-alike and sound-alike superstars such as Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Cher, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beatles, Liberace, Dolly Parton, The Blues Brothers, and more. These performers sing with their own voices and play their own instruments. The show also features singerdancers, a live band, and a full-stage production. Legends in Concert has been staged all over the world and has a permanent home at the Imperial Palace. Show times: 7 and 10 p.m. nightly, except Sun. “Dealertainers,” members of Legends in Concert, bring impersonators to the casino floor and deal games but may stop at any moment to sing hits of their characters. Kabuki Lounge has evening and night acts, local entertainers. Tequila Joe’s has karaoke nightly at 8 p.m. Restaurants: 10: Embers (steakhouse; open Wed.–Sun. at 5 p.m.), Ming Terrace (Chinese; open Fri.–Tue. at 5 p.m.), Rib House (open Tue.–Sat. at 5 p.m.), Pizza Palace (open daily at 11 a.m.), Seahouse, Burger Palace (open daily at 7 a.m.), Imperial Buffet (brunch, dinner; open daily), Emperor’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Teahouse (coffee shop; 24 hours), Betty’s Diner (24 hours) Accommodations: 2,700 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Imperial Player Club rewards card. The Auto Collections is on the fifth floor of the self-parking garage and open daily 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; free pass on website. Racebook and sportsbook. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Free gaming classes Mon.–Fri. Wireless Internet in all rooms. The Imperial Palace is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.

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269. Las Vegas Hilton Address: 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–732–5111; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–732–7117; fax: 702–732–5545; show reservations: 1–800–222–536; toll-free show reservations: 1–800–221–2424 Website: www.lv-hilton.com

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Description: Resort complex with 76,500-square-foot casino, at Paradise Road and Riviera Blvd., about half a mile east of the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400 Table Games: 73: Baccarat, big six wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, roulette, keno (including $2 to win $5 million) Poker: No Entertainment: This is where Elvis performed when he was King in Las Vegas. Shimmer Cabaret and Hilton Theater showcase the top acts in show business, like Barry Manilow and David Brenner. Restaurants: 12: Andiamo (northern Italy, Mediterranean coast; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Benihana (Japanese cuisine cooked at exhibitionstyle hibachi tables; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Garden of the Dragon (Chinese dishes: Szechwan, Peking, Mongolian, Cantonese; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Hilton Steakhouse (5:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.), Mistral (gourmet Continental featuring award-winning chef André Rochat; 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.), Robata (Japanese; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Teru Sushi (Tue.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), The Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Vegas Sub (Atlantic City-style sub sandwiches, Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat.7 a.m.–11 p.m.), Pizza Hut (7 a.m.–11 p.m.), Paradise Café (24 hours), Quarks Bar and Restaurant (Star Trek-inspired diner); also TCBY (7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), Perk Place (coffee, tea, fruit, fresh baked pastries; 24 hours); plus 8 bars Accommodations: 3,000 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Sports Zone Video Arcade, a supervised arcade, features more than 25 games, including extreme sports simulation games. Hours: Sun. 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–midnight, Sat. 8 a.m.–midnight. “Star Trek The Experience” is an interactive adventure based on the popular television series. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Resorts International Club Card, signing up for which gives you a chance on $1 million, plus all the other usual amenities associated with rewards cards. Racebook and sportsbook. Million-Dollar Blackjack Tournament, a monthly series of semifinals that lead up to 1 winner receiving $1 million. Several big-money slot tournaments throughout the year. More than 220,000 square feet of meeting space adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, which offers nearly 3 million square feet of exhibit space on more than 50 acres and hosts the largest conventions in the world. Pool. Spa. Tennis courts. The Las Vegas Hilton is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.


270. Luxor Resort & Casino

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Description: Megaresort on the Strip, with a 120,000-square-foot casino in the shape of a huge black pyramid; a laser at the top sends beams into the night sky; second-largest hotel in the world Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000+: Video poker and video keno Table Games: 106: 66 blackjack, 11 roulette, 8 dice, 6 pai gow poker, 4 mini-baccarat, 1 baccarat, 2 Caribbean Stud, 2 progressive pai gow poker, 1 tile pai gow, 2 Let It Ride, 3 big six wheel Poker: Hold’em ($1$2, $2-$4, $4-$8, $50 buy-in no-limit), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit), and they’re willing to start other games if patrons wish. Free poker lessons every day at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bonus poker: All 4 of a kind, straight flushes, and royal flushes win $20, $50, or $100 (rules posted in poker room). Tournaments: $3,500 hold’em freeroll Tue. at 7 p.m. (15 hours play required Tue.–Tue.). $25 freeze-out hold’em every day at noon, plus Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. $45 freeze-out no-limit hold’em Mon., Tue. and Thu. 4 p.m. $55 freeze-out no limit hold’em every night at 8:30. Entertainment: Luxor Theater: Blue Man Group (7 and 10 p.m. nightly). Pharaoh’s Theater: Midnight Fantasy (Tue., Thu., Sat., 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Wed., Fri., 10:30 p.m., Sun., 8:30 p.m., closed Mon.; must be 21 to attend). RA, the Nightclub at Luxor, features a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and live DJs. Nefertiti’s Lounge has live entertainment nightly. Restaurants: 10: Isis (gourmet continental; Fri.–Tue. 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sacred Sea (seafood; Fri.–Tue. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Luxor Steakhouse (steak and seafood; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Fusia (daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Pharaoh’s Pheast Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Pyramid Cafe (24 hours), Nile Deli (kosher deli, Sat., Sun. 7 a.m.–10:30 p.m.), McDonalds, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Nathan’s Hot Dogs; also International Grounds (gourmet coffee, pastries), Luxor Coffee, Swensen’s Ice Cream Company Accommodations: 4,408 rooms Family Amenities: IMAX theater with a choice of movies in 2D and 3D. King Tut’s Museum, with a 15minute audio self-guided tour. Games of the Gods, an arcade with “fast cars, crazy coasters, and action-packed video redemption games.” In Search of the Obelisk, IMAX motion simulator ride. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Racebook and sportsbook, open 24 hours. Karaoke. 20,000 square feet of convention and banquet facilities, divisible up to 9 rooms. Many Luxor stores are online at the website. 5 swimming pools, 4 spas. Jacuzzi, sauna, weight room, steam room, cardiovascular machines. Massage, body treatments, facials, herbal wraps, tanning. Many gallery shops.

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Address: 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 Phone: 702–262–4000; toll-free: 1–888–777–0188 Website: www.luxor.com

271. Main Street Station Casino Brewery and Hotel Address: 200 North Main Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–387–1896; toll-free: 1–800–713–8933 Website: www.mainstreetcasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel north of the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, with a 28,000-square-foot casino with a large and eclectic collection of antiques. The collection includes doors, transom, sidelights, and stained glass windows from Lillian Russell’s home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; bronze doors from the Kuwait Royal Bank of London; a snooker table built in the 1890s from Windsor Castle; a chandelier from the Figaro Opera House in Paris; and many other unique pieces. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 893: 1¢, 2¢, and up; many ticket in-ticket out; 72 different game types to choose from, including video poker, keno, and video poker in 1¢ and 2¢ denominations Table Games: 19: Craps (20X odds), progressive pai gow poker ($5–$500), Let It Ride ($5–$50), roulette ($1–$1,000 even money bets, up to $100 on any straight-up bet), blackjack (single- or double-deck or 5-deck shoe; $5–$1,000 per hand), three-card poker ($5–$500), super fun 21 (single-deck; $5–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Pullman Bar & Grille (fine dining in a fully-renovated train car; Wed., Thu., Sun., 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat., 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Garden Court Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Triple 7 Restaurant and Brewery (microbrewery that has won several international awards for its beers and ales; has a sushi and oyster bar; 11 a.m.–7 a.m. daily, breakfast served midnight–7 a.m.) Accommodations: 406 rooms, including 14 suites, in a 17-story hotel tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Players Gold Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Invitational slot tournaments. Daily slot tournaments. Valet and self-parking. Look for a large piece of the Berlin Wall in the men’s room off the main casino floor, a room voted Las Vegas’s #2 historic bathroom by the Travel Channel. Banquet facilities. The “Bridge” crosses the traffic of downtown’s main thoroughfare, Main Street, to Boyd Gaming’s Hawaiian-themed California Hotel & Casino.

272. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Address: 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 Phone: 702–632–7777; toll-free: 1–877–632–7800; poker room: 702–632–7790 Website: www.mandalaybay.com Description: Megaresort with 135,000-square-foot casino, located in the south end of the Las Vegas Strip about 2 miles from McCarran International Airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,200+ Table Games: 132: Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, minibaccarat, midi-baccarat, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, threecard poker, many others Poker: Hold’em ($4-$8, $6-$12, $10-$20, all with half kill, nolimit $200 buy-in, $2-$4 blinds), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit, 25¢ ante). Regular tournaments: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m., $30 buy-in limit hold’em freeze-out; Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m. $60 buy-in no-limit hold’em freeze-out. Players in live games receive first sign-up. All tournaments are limited to 30 players. Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Entertainment:

273. MGM Grand Address: 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: Toll-free: 1–800–929–1111; show reservations: 702–891–7777; toll-free show reservations: 1–877–880–0880 Website: www.mgmgrand.com Email: [email protected] Description: Megaresort with 171,500-square-foot casino, at the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard, right across from New York-New York; the hotel is the world’s largest Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,200: 5¢–$500; including progressive and linked jackpot carousel areas; also, high-limit slot area Table Games: 164: Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, tile pai gow, pai gow poker, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Spanish 21, casino war, big six wheel Poker: None at this writing, but a poker room is planned for the near future. Entertainment: Cirque du Soleil’s new show KÀ. The Grand Garden Arena is home to mega-concerts, championship boxing, and premier special events, including superstar headliners like Cher, George Strait, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. The 740-seat Hollywood Theatre features headline entertainers nightly, like Tom Jones, Drew Carey, Howie Mandel, magician David Copperfield, and Carrot Top. La Femme, direct from the original Crazy Horse in Paris, has shows nightly at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (except Tue.). Studio 54, the legendary nightclub reincarnated at MGM Grand (open Tue.–Sat. at 10 p.m., closed Sun. and Mon.; dress code strictly enforced).

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Mandalay Bay Theater features Mamma Mia!, based on the music of Abba (performances Mon.–Thu. 7 p.m., dark Fri., Sat., Sun. 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.), also headliners like Andrew Dice Clay. Events Center, 12,000-seat sports and entertainment complex, has live prizefighting, headliners like Tim McGraw, Josh Groban with Chris Botti. Restaurants: 10: 3950 (seafood, steaks), Aureole (modeled after Charlie Palmer’s famous New York eatery), Fleur de Lys (contemporary French cuisine, chef Hubert Keller), Border Grill (Mexican; open daily for lunch, dinner), China Grill, Red Square (Russian), rumjungle (tropical menu; open evenings), Shanghai Lilly (Cantonese and Szechwan, Trattoria Del Lupo (Italian, chef Wolfgang Puck), Bay Side Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), House of Blues Restaurant (Cajun/Creole; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Noodle Shop (Cantonese and Mandarin; open daily for lunch, dinner), Raffles Café (24 hours), Red, White, and Blue (American dining; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and to go) Accommodations: 4,460 rooms Family Amenities: 11-acre tropical sand beach with wave pool and lazy river ride (9 a.m.–5 p.m.). Shark reef, aquarium shark habitat (open daily 10 a.m.–11 p.m.). Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 4 Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Racebook and sportsbook. Wedding chapel. With nearly 1 million square feet of flexible exhibit space on 2 levels, Mandalay Bay Convention Center is the fifth largest convention facility in the United States, and the largest meeting facility on the Las Vegas Strip. It has 3 levels of multi-purpose meeting and function space, 4 pillarless, high-ceiling ballrooms ranging from 31,000 to 100,000 square feet, the largest pillarless hotel ballroom in the nation, a 100,000-square-foot mega-ballroom, breakout space to accommodate more than 75 simultaneous meetings. Many signature stores, many of which can be accessed on the website.

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Restaurants: 15: Craftsteak (5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Fiamma (Italian; 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Nobhill (San Francisco inspired; 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Shibuya (Japanese; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–1 a.m.), Pearl (Chinese; dinner; 6 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Seablue (seafood; 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Emeril’s (Creole/Cajun, master chef Emeril Lagasse; lunch, 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., dinner, 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Diego (Mexican; lunch, dinner), Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill (lunch, dinner), Grand Wok (Asian; lunch, dinner), Studio Café (24 hours), Rainforest Café (set in a simulated rainforest), MGM Grand Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), ‘witchcraft (sandwiches; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Stage Deli (famous New York deli; 7 a.m.–9 p.m.) Accommodations: 5,034 rooms. Groundbreaking has taken place and sales are beginning for The Residences, 6 40-story luxury condominium-hotel towers at the MGM Grand, which are being built on the northeast end of the resort’s 116-acre property. The first building sold out in 90 days, and the second is already more than half subscribed. Family Amenities: Arcade. The Lion Habitat is a 5,000-square-foot showcase of simulated jungle, enclosed in 240 degrees of floor-to-ceiling protective glass through which the public can view a variety of lions at play and leisure. Members of the family of lions appear in sequence for periods of no more than 6 hours at a time before returning to their permanent homes on an 81⁄2-acre ranch outside of Las Vegas. Free admission, open 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MGM MIRAGE Players Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Slot tournaments. Racebook and sportsbook. Wedding chapel. MGM Grand is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.

274. The Mirage Address: 3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–791–7111; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–374–9000 or 1–800–627–6667; poker room: 702–791–7291; toll-free: 1–800–77POKER (1–800–777–6537) Website: www.mirage.com Email: [email protected] Description: When first built in 1989, the 76,000-square-foot Mirage was the most expensive casino in Las Vegas and the flagship of Steve Wynn’s gaming empire. It is famous for the volcano by the front entrance that erupts at regular intervals. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,300: 1¢–$500; reel and video machines; linked and progressive, some with million-dollar jackpots Table Games: 129: Baccarat, midi-baccarat, mini-baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette (both single- and double-zero), tile pai gow, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride (with bonus jackpot side bet), three-card poker, casino war, Spanish 21, big six wheel Poker: 31 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha high-low. The Poker Zone Tournaments: Sun. at 5 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $330 buy-in with unlimited $200 rebuys first hour, 1 add-on.; Mon. at 7 p.m., limit hold’em, $130 buy-in with unlimited $100 rebuys first hour, 1 add-on; Tue. at 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $130 buy-in with unlimited $100 rebuys first hour, 1 add-on; Wed. at 7 p.m., pot-limit hold’em, $130 buyin with unlimited $100 rebuys first hour, 1 add-on; Thu. at 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $230 buy-in with 1 $200 rebuy, anytime during the first hour. The Mirage Poker Showdown is a month of events in May, with buy-ins ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, culminating in the 4-day championship, a World Poker Tour event. Poker room is entirely nonsmoking.

275. Monte Carlo Resort & Casino Address: 3770 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–730–7777; toll-free: 1–888–529–4828; showroom reservations: 702–730–7160; toll-free: 1–877–386–8224 Website: www.montecarlo.com Description: Megaresort with 102,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,100+: 5¢–$100 Table Games: 95: Blackjack (including double-deck), baccarat, roulette (including single-zero), craps, pai gow poker, keno, Caribbean Stud Poker: 9 tables: Hold’em (limit: $2-$4, $4-$8 with half kill; no-limit: $200 maximum buy-in with blinds $1 and $2, $500 maximum buy-in with blinds $2 and $5), 7-stud ($1$5 spread-limit) Entertainment: Lance Burton Showroom: World champion magician Lance Burton headlines (Tue., Sat. 7, 10 p.m., Wed.–Fri. 7 p.m.). Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery has live bands performing 9:30 p.m.–2 a.m. Restaurants: 7: Blackstone’s Steak House (daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; reservations recommended), Buffet, Café (24 hours), Monte Carlo Pub & Brewery (one of the largest brewpubs in the nation and the first to be located in a megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–3 a.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–4 a.m.), André’s French Restaurant (daily 6 p.m.), Dragon Noodle Co. (Cantonese and Szechuan; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), Market City Caffé (Southern Italian; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 3,002 rooms, including 259 suites Family Amenities: Backstreet Arcade: 60 video and redemption games (10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily). Wave pool. Easy River Ride (simulated slow-flowing river). Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4

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Entertainment: Comedian and impressionist Danny Gans performs regularly in the 1,250-seat Danny Gans Theater. The showroom also has headliners like Jay Leno, Ray Romano, Dana Carvey, Kevin James, David Spade, and Wayne Brady. Restaurants: 11: Kokomo’s (dining in a tropical rainforest, surrounded by waterfalls and as interior lagoon; dinner 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Onda (Italian; dinner 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Mikado (Japanese Teppanyaki-style cuisine, à la carte dining, sushi bar; dinner 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Moongate (Chinese; dinner 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Samba Brazilian Steakhouse (dinner 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Caribe Café (24 hours), Noodle Kitchen (daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m.; Dim Sum Thu.–Sun. 11 a.m.–3 p.m.), California Pizza Kitchen (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.—midnight; Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Cravings (buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Mirage Snack Bar (7 a.m.–11 p.m.), Paradise Café (poolside; open daily during pool season 10 a.m.–4 p.m.), Dolphin Snack Bar (inside Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat; seasonal hours); also Coconuts Ice Cream Shop (daily; 11 a.m.–10 p.m.), Roasted Bean (coffee specialties, French pastries; 7 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 3,044 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Siegfried & Roy’s Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden. 2.5-million-gallon Dolphin Habitat is home to a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Royal white tigers, magical white lions, panthers, leopards, and a 4-ton Thai ceremonial elephant live in the Secret Garden in a tropical setting. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MGM MIRAGE Players Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Slot tournaments. Weddings. 170,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Spa, salon.

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cities. Racebook and sportsbook. High-limit gaming areas. Spa, fitness center. Business center. Tennis courts. Convention facilities, with meeting and conference rooms. Wedding chapels, with many wedding packages.

276. Nevada Palace Hotel & Casino Address: 5255 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89122 Phone: 702–458–8810; toll-free: 1–800–634–6283; fax: 702–458–8397 Website: www.nvpalace.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel with 15,000-square-foot casino, located where Harmon Avenue meets Boulder Hwy. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500+: Including video poker, with double pay on sequential royal flushes Table Games: 9: Blackjack, roulette, live keno Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Boulder Café (24 hours), La Bella Pasta (steak and seafood; evenings and weekends), deli Accommodations: 210 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sportsbook. Cash and car giveaways. 5,000 square feet of meeting space can accommodate up to 250. Swimming pool. Special hotel rates for truckers.

277. New Frontier Hotel and Casino Address: 3120 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–794–8200; toll-free: 1–800–421–7806; fax: 702–794–8401; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–634–6966 Website: www.frontierlv.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel with 100,000-square-foot casino on the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 970 Table Games: 32: Blackjack, craps (10X odds), roulette, big six wheel, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, keno Poker: No Entertainment: Gilley’s Bar offers bikini bull riding, biking mud wrestling Restaurants: 7: Gilley’s (dinners), Margarita’s Cantina (Mexican; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.), Orchard Coffee Shop (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch, buffets), Phils’ Steakhouse (Fri., Sat. only, 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Phil’s Deli (24 hours), Panda Express (quick Chinese food), Little Caesars Pizza; also Seattle’s Best Coffee, Double Rainbow Ice Cream Accommodations: 1,400 rooms, including suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Frontier Slot Club rewards card. Club members earn double points during the entire month of their birthday. Racebook and sportsbook. Only bingo room on the Strip. Blackjack tournaments. Members of the military get room discounts. Match play coupons on website. High-speed Internet available in hotel suites.


278. New York-New York Hotel & Casino

279. The Orleans Hotel and Casino Address: 4500 West Tropicana, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Phone: 702–365–7111; toll-free: 1–800–ORLEANS (1–800–675–3267); poker room: 702–365–7150; toll-free: 1–888–365–7111 Website: www.orleanscasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with a New Orleans theme near the Las Vegas Strip; casino has 142,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,000+: Slots, video poker, video keno Table Games: 76: Including blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, 60-seat keno lounge Poker: 35 tables: 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit), hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8-$8 with half kill, $6-$12 with half kill, $10$20 with half kill, no-limit), Omaha high ($4-$8-$8 with half kill), Omaha high-low ($4$8-$8 with half kill, $10-$20 with half kill). Player’s rewards card comp tracking system

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Description: Megaresort on the Strip that looks like a scaled-down version of the New York City skyline, with an 84,000-square-foot casino. The interconnected structures are approximately 1⁄3 the actual size of their New York City counterparts. The Empire State Building is 529 feet and 47 stories tall. There is also a 150-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty, a Coney Island-style roller coaster, a 300-foot Brooklyn Bridge; and a replica of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,950: Including megajackpots; Gaming on the Green, high-limit area, has 61 slot and video poker machines $1–$500 Table Games: 80: All the usual, plus mini-baccarat, three-card poker, pai gow poker, sic bo, keno (with results available online); Gaming on the Green has 6 games, 4 double-deck blackjack, 2 6-deck shoe games ($100–$5,000). Poker: No Entertainment: Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity (Fri.–Tue., 7:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.). 450-seat Cabaret Theatre featured comedienne Rita Rudner indefinitely at the time of this writing (Mon.–Thu., 8 p.m., Fri. and Sat., 9 p.m.). The Big Apple Bar features live soul. The Bar at Times Square has live music. Restaurants: 8: Nine Fine Irishmen (Irish pub), America (“a restaurant that takes you on a road trip around the country”; 24 hours), Chin Chin Café (Chinese), Coney Island Pavilion (famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Häagen-Dazs ice cream), The Studio Grill (in ESPN Zone, a sports-themed dining and entertainment complex), Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Gonzalez y Gonzalez (Mexican), Il Fornaio (Italian), Il Fornaio Panetteria (baked goods, coffees, sandwiches, soups, salads), Village Eateries (hamburgers, deli, pizza, espresso, ice cream, etc.); plus Schrafft’s Ice Cream Accommodations: 2,024 rooms housed in 12 New York-style skyscrapers Family Amenities: Manhattan Express roller coaster, with heights of 203 feet, drops of 144 feet, and speeds up to 67 mph, is right in front of the casino. Coney Island arcade and games. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MGM MIRAGE Players Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Order show tickets at the website. Online shopping.

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Address: 3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–740–6969; toll-free: 1–888–693–6763 Website: www.nynyhotelcasino.com

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when playing live games. 2 tournaments daily: Mon. noon, Omaha high-low $27 buy-in, $10 rebuys; Mon. 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em $40 buy-in, $20 rebuys; Tue. noon, hold’em $27 buy-in, $10 rebuys; Tue. 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em $40 buy-in, $20 rebuys; Wed. noon, no-limit hold’em $40 buy-in, $20 rebuys; Wed. 7 p.m., hold’em $27 buy-in, $10 rebuys; Thu. noon, hold’em $27 buy-in, $10 rebuys; Thu. 7 p.m., Omaha high-low $27 buy-in, $10 rebuys; Fri. noon, Omaha high-low $40 buy-in, $20 rebuys; Fri. 7 p.m., nolimit hold’em $60 buy-in, $40 rebuys; Sat. noon, hold’em $50 buy-in, $20 rebuys; Sat. 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em $125 buy-in, $100 rebuys; Sun. noon, no-limit hold’em $50 buyin, $20 rebuys; Sun. 7 p.m., hold’em $60 buy-in, $50 rebuys. The Orleans is the home of the WPPA World Championship Poker Tour. The Orleans Open is a major tournament, 2 weeks of events that take place in July each year. Poker room is nonsmoking between 9 a.m. and 3 a.m. Entertainment: 830-seat headliner showroom, with headliners like Engelbert Humperdinck, Burt Bacharach, The Pointer Sisters. Monthly Fri. night boxing events. 18-screen movie theater. Live entertainment lounge. The Orleans Arena hosts all home games for the Las Vegas Wranglers ECHL professional hockey team. Also, events like Disney on Ice, Harlem Globetrotters, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus; concerts like Brooks & Dunn, Jane’s Addiction, Joe Cocker, and Lynyrd Skynyrd; and enduro racing, wrestling, other sporting events. Restaurants: 12: Canal Street (steak, seafood, prime rib; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), The Prime Rib Loft (overlooks casino action; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Big Al’s Oyster Bar (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), French Market Buffet, Don Miguel’s (Mexican 11 a.m.–11 p.m.), Courtyard Café (24 hours), Terrible Mike’s (hot dogs, hamburgers sandwiches; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–1 a.m.), Brendan’s Pub (Irish Pub and pub food; Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Sat., Sun. 24 hours), Sazio (Italian; lunch and dinner), Koji Sushi Bar, China Bistro (11 a.m.–5 a.m.), Subway; plus Seattle’s Best (coffeehouse: Mon.–Thu. 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 6 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 6 a.m.–midnight), Kate’s Korner (ice cream parlor; 10 a.m.–12 a.m.) Accommodations: 1,426 rooms and suites Family Amenities: 70-lane bowling center Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Coast Card. Racebook and sportsbook. 40,000-square-foot convention, banquet, and meeting complex can accommodate many functions, including a sit-down dinner for over 1,000 guests. Heated pools and spa. Fitness center.

280. Palace Station Hotel and Casino Address: 2411 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 Phone: 702–367–2411; toll-free: 1–800–544–2411; toll-free hotel reservations 1–800–634–3101; toll-free Station Casinos: 1–800–6–STATIONS (1–800–682–8466) Website: www.palacestation.com Description: Hotel with 100,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,900: 1¢ and up; progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: 50: Single- and double-deck blackjack, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, craps, roulette, baccarat, tile pai gow, keno (2 games; 1 with 10 games per hour, the other with 100; with results available online) Poker: 9 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha. 2 progressive bad-beat jackpots are available at Palace Station, Boulder Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe, and Sunset Station. The jumbo hold’em bad beat progressive starts at $100,000, with a minimum of

281. Palms Casino Resort Address: 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Phone: 702–942–7777; fax: 702–942–7001; toll-free: 1–866–942–7777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–942–7770 Website: www.palms.com; the official Palms Girls, attractive calendar girls, are at palmsgirl.com Email: [email protected] Description: 42-story hotel with 95,000-square-foot casino, 1 block west of I-215 on Flamingo Road on a 32-acre site, just west of the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,200+: 1¢–$100; ticket in-ticket out; Megabucks and other megajackpots Table Games: 55 tables: Including the usual and keno Poker: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4$8); 7-stud and Omaha on request. High stakes poker room has $9-$18 with maximum $3 rake and no-limit hold’em, with larger games on request. High-hand jackpots start at $50 and progress until hit. Entertainment: 1,200-seat showroom. The dance club Rain replicates an actual rainstorm in sound, light, and music. The Lounge has comedy and local acts. 14-theater movieplex. IMAX theater. Restaurants: 8: Alizé (gourmet French dining), Blue Agave (Mexican, Southwestern, Latin American), Fantasy Market Buffet, Garduño’s (Mexican), The Little Buddha (Asian restaurant and lounge with a sushi bar), N9Ne Steakhouse, Blue Agave Oyster and Chile Bar, Sunrise Café (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 24 hours), McDonald’s, Panda Express (Chinese), Famiglia Pizzeria, Vegas Subs; also Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Accommodations: 430 rooms Family Amenities: Kids Quest child care, with movies, computers, indoor playground, Techno Quest video area, Barbieland, arcade games, karaoke: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–1 a.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Palms rewards card. Race and sportsbook. 2 high-limit areas. Home to MTV’s Real World cast and crew in 2002. The Palms is now renting out the 28th floor luxury suite used in the filming of the series; Sun.–Thu. the suite is $7,500 a night and $10,000 on weekends.

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$35,000 awarded for the bad-beat losing hand, $20,000 awarded for the bad-beat winning hand, and the remainder distributed to players at the table who were in the hand. The property progressive bad beat starts at $10,000. Entertainment: Jack’s Irish Pub: Karaoke Tue. 7 p.m.–11 p.m., Sarah Thiele Thu. 7 p.m.–10 p.m. Laugh Trax: Comedy acts 5 nights a week Restaurants: 9: Broiler (steaks, seafood, salad bar; Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat., Sun.12 p.m.–11 p.m. ), Palace Cafe (24 hours), Gourmet Feast Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Pasta Palace (dinners), Guadalajara (Mexican; dinners), Burger King (daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m.), Pizza Palace (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.), Oyster Bar (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.); plus Starbucks (24 Hours), The Creamery Ice Cream Parlor (Sun.–Thu.10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 1,021 rooms and suites; AAA TripleDiamond Rating Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons, cash giveaways to seniors. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. 600-seat bingo room with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Grande Bingo offers progressive payouts. Racebook and sportsbook. 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Free shuttle for hotel guess and Boarding Pass members to and from Strip and airport.

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282. Paris Las Vegas Address: 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–946–7000; toll-free: 1–877–796–2096; fax: 702–946–4405; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–BONJOUR (1–888–266–5687); tickets to We Will Rock You: 1–877–ROCKSHOW Website: www.parislasvegas.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Modeled after the famous Hôtel de Ville, Paris Las Vegas’ hotel tower is 34 stories; in front are the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Alexandre III bridge, Louvre, Opera Garnier; inside, the casino has areas that look like French neighborhoods, with French “citizens” in attendance. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000+ Table Games: 98 tables (limits $5–$5,000): Blackjack, craps, poker, baccarat, mini-baccarat, roulette, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Nevada Numbers Poker: No Entertainment: We Will Rock You, a rock theatrical production featuring 20 of Queen’s greatest hits in a futuristic fantasy, is running indefinitely. Times: Mon.–Wed. 8:30 p.m., Thu. closed, Fri. 8:30 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m., 10:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Restaurants: 13: Ah Sin (Asian; 11 a.m.–12 a.m.), Eiffel Tower Restaurant (gourmet French; Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), JJ’s Boulangerie (bakery, delicatessen; Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–12 a.m.), Le Provençal (Italian and French; 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.), Le Village Buffet (7 a.m.–10 p.m.), Les Artistes Steakhouse (French; Wed.–Sun. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Mon Ami Gabi (French café; Sun.–Thu. 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–12 a.m.), Ortanique (Caribbean; daily 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., late-night menu Thu.–Sat. 11 p.m.–1:30 a.m.); also Le Café Île St. Louis (French coffee shop; 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), La Creperie (crêpes), 6 bars/lounges Accommodations: AAA 4-Diamond hotel has 2,916 rooms, including 295 suites Family Amenities: Eiffel Tower Experience: Half-scale replica, 460 feet high, offers rides to the top Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card, for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Racebook and sportsbook. Slot and table game tournaments held throughout the year. Special tournament: Million-Dollar Main Event Slot Tournament. Wedding packages. 2-acre roof-top swimming pool.

283. Park Plaza Las Vegas Lady Luck Casino Hotel Address: 206 North Third Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–477–3000; toll-free: 1–800–LADYLUCK (1–800–523–9582); fax: 702–384–2832; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–814–7000 Website: www.ladylucklv.com Description: Hotel with a 30,000-square-foot casino, located downtown, 2 blocks from the Fremont Street Experience, at Third and Ogden Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 700+: Video and reel slots and video poker Table Games: 20+: Blackjack, craps (10X odds), roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker, minibaccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Lucky Louie’s Bar features live entertainment.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Restaurants: 4: The Burgundy Room (steaks, seafood, gourmet fare prepared tableside), 3rd Street Grill (casual dining; 24 hours), International Flavors Buffet, Irving’s Deli (24 hours) Accommodations: 750 rooms in 2 towers, 17 and 25 stories Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Mad Money Card, with 4 levels, based on play; points accumulate at slots and tables. Lady Luck casino is rated one of the top 4 casinos to play in Las Vegas by the Travel Channel. Heated pool in a garden setting. Meeting facilities can accommodate any function up to 100 people.

284. Plaza Hotel and Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino, located downtown, that anchors one end of the Fremont Street Experience; casino has 57,120 square feet of gaming space. The Center Stage restaurant was the venue for a dinner scene with Sharon Stone and Robert DeNiro’s characters in Casino and the site of Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey’s characters’ first date in Pay It Forward. The lights at the Plaza porte-cochere create the Vegas vibe that Hollywood strives for; it was the scene of one of the most popular videos in MTV history, Feel So Good by P. Diddy and Mace. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Nearly 1,000; reel, video, video poker Table Games: 32: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker, nocommission baccarat Poker: 18 tables, 9 live and 9 for tournaments. Hold’em, stud, Omaha (on demand). 4 daily tournaments, no-limit hold’em: Nuts at Noon, Four Play at 4 p.m., Str8 Poker at 8 p.m., and Midnight Madness. Plaza World Poker Classic, a month of events in several forms of poker, including a series of hold’em events that lead up to a $50,000-buy-in finale that has a prize pool of millions. Entertainment: Plaza Triple Crown Ballroom: Dick Clark’s Rock, Roll & Remember, impressionists, comedy nights; sporting events, including HBO Boxing Series, World Championship Muay Thai Kickboxing. Center Stage restaurant has a monthly celebrity brunch, where patrons can have a meal with a featured entertainer, such as Ed McMahon, Pat Morita, baseball great Reggie Jackson, Ernest Borgnine, James Darren, and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Restaurants: 8: Center Stage (classic American gourmet; lounge: 4 p.m.–midnight, restaurant: 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Manetti’s (Italian; 6 p.m.–midnight), Backstage Buffet (24 hours), Celebrity Deli (6 a.m.–2:30 a.m.), Chop Chop Chinese, American Buffet, Mcdonald’s, Subway, Noble Roman Pizza; plus Seattle’s Best Coffee Accommodations: 1,000+ rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Barrick Play Club rewards card for slot and table play. Bingo. Race and sportsbook. Slot tournaments. Internet kiosks located throughout the hotel. Beauty salon, fitness center. Rooftop swimming pool with great views. Tennis courts.

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Address: Number One Main Street, P.O. Box 760, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: 702–386–2110; toll-free: 1–800–634–6575 Website: www.plazahotelcasino.com

285. Rampart Casino Address: 221 North Rampart Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145 Phone: 702–507–5900; hotel reservations: 702–869–7777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–869–8777 Website: www.rampartcasino.com

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Description: The Rampart Casino, with 50,000 square feet of gaming, is located in the Resort at Summerlin, which features JW Marriott Las Vegas, a resort, spa, and golf center on more than 50 acres of landscaped grounds, near Summerlin Parkway, off I-215, west of downtown and northwest of the Strip; directions on website. Casino caters particularly to locals. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,100+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, and up; slot, video poker, and keno machines; many ticket in-ticket out; high-limit area $1–$25 machines Table Games: 24: Craps ($3–$1,000), blackjack ($3–$1,000; including single-deck, double-deck, and 6-deck shoe; Royal Match side bet), roulette, pai gow poker (including Fortune Pai Gow side bet) Poker: No Entertainment: 115-seat Addison’s Lounge offers entertainment (local groups) and dancing every Fri., Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight. Round Bar offers classic R&B every evening except Tue. Restaurants: 6: Promenade Café (24 hours), Rampart Buffet (lunch, dinner daily, plus Sun. brunch), Carmel Room (fine dining; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Ceres (elegant dining; breakfast, lunch, dinner), J.C. Wooloughan (authentic Irish pub; Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–6 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 a.m.), Spiedini (owner and Certified Master Chef Gustav Mauler; Mon.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: JW Marriott has 541 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rampart Rewards Players’ Club Card for slots and table games. 115-seat race and sportsbook. Covered parking. Blackjack tournaments: Single-deck Tue. ($10 entry fee), double-deck Thu. ($20 entry fee): 5 rounds of 6 tables at 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., semifinal 2 p.m., final 3 p.m., and first-place prize $499 (based on 150 entries); maximum of 150 entrants.

286. Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Address: 3700 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Phone: 702–777–7777; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for the Rio; room reservations: 1–800–PLAYRIO Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rlv/ Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done on the website Description: The property, which opened January 15, 1990, overlooks the Las Vegas Strip, 1 block west on Flamingo Road (just off I-15), and has 120,000 square feet of casino space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,621; 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $25, $100, $500. All except penny machines accept coins, but only $100 and $500 machines dispense coins. Over time the plan is to reduce or eliminate completely those that accept coins. There are progressive jackpots, both internal to the property, and ones that are linked statewide. Table Games: 91 Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, various limits. Regular daily tournaments and World Series of Poker Circuit tournaments. Starting in 2005, the Rio becomes the site of the

287. Riviera Hotel & Casino Address: 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–734–5110; toll-free: 1–800–634–3420; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–634–6753; show reservations: 702–794–9433 Website: www.theriviera.com Description: Megaresort on the Strip celebrating its 50th year in 2005; casino has 100,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,534: 1¢ and up Table Games: 36: Craps, blackjack, roulette, keno, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, Spanish 21, Caribbean 21, crazy four poker, 3-5-7 poker Poker: No Entertainment: 1,000-seat Splash Theatre has Splash, dancing, special effects, showgirls, ice skaters, motorcycle daredevils, and specialty acts (2 shows a night at 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Tue., Wed., Thu., Sat.; 8 p.m. Fri., Sun.; dark Mon.). 400-seat Mardi Gras Pavilion offers Crazy Girls, a topless revue (nightly at 7:30 p.m., except Tue.); La Cage, female impersonators (nightly at 9:30 p.m., except Tue.). 350-seat Mardi Gras Entertainment Complex presents the Riviera Comedy Club, with specialty performers such as ventriloquists, hypnotists, “shock” comedians, and more. Comic magician Amazing Johnathan (1 show nightly at 10 p.m., except Thu.). Le Bistro Theatre has intimate shows with headliner entertainment: Dr. Scott (hypnotist), Jay White (tribute to Neil Diamond), Kevin Cavenagh (tribute to Sinatra), An Evening with Marilyn: A Musical Self Portrait, Escape starring Dixie Dooley, The Exotic Hypnotics featuring Genie & Richard, the world’s first comedy hypnosis team Restaurants: 12: Ristorante Italiano, Kristofer’s Steak House, Kady’s Coffee Shop, World’s Fare Buffet, Burger King, Panda Express, Pizza Hut Express, Jade Dragon, Quizno’s Subs, Cheesesteaks Etc., La Salsa Mexican Cantina, Hound Doggies (fast food in a ’50s diner setting) Accommodations: 2,100 rooms, including 158 suites Family Amenities: Riviera Arcade, on the main floor of the

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World Series of Poker, the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. All events except the last day of the main event, the $10,000-buy-in world championship, are held at the Rio. The main event alone has a prize pool of upwards of $50 million; in 2005, first place was worth $7.5 million. Entertainment: 2 showrooms, 3 lounges, 1 performance theatre (Penn & Teller Theater featuring the world-famed magicians/showmen) Restaurants: 14: Ranging from pricey fine Italian cuisine to steak and seafood, Mexican, Indian, several buffets (including seafood), deli, sushi, Chinese, and fast food Accommodations: 2,563 all-suite hotel rooms, including the Carioca Suites (1,100 square feet), the Super Suites (1,200 square feet), and the Masquerade Suites (1,600 square feet), located within the 20-story Ipanema Tower and the 51-story Masquerade Tower. Palazzo Suites for invited guests only are 9 suites ranging from 4,000–13,000 square feet. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. 110,000 square feet of convention space and meeting rooms. 41-story Masquerade Village has entertainment, food, shopping and gaming in a carnivale atmosphere. 120-seat racebook, with 23 video screens; 70-seat sportsbook with 17 video screens. Rio Secco Golf Course was recognized by USA Today as one of the “Top 10 Golf Destinations in the World.” An 18-hole championship course, designed by Rees Jones, home of the Butch Harmon School of Golf. Wedding facilities, spa, 23 retail outlets within the hotel, outdoor swimming pools, 3 night clubs.

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Mardi Gras Entertainment Complex, has video games, pinball machines, skee ball, electronic shooting gallery, 3D hologram games, and more Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Riviera Players Club rewards card for slots and table games. Cash drawings. Racebook and sportsbook. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Invitation-only tournament of winners. Wedding chapel. Spa, exercise room with personal trainers available. Salon. Steam room. Free keno scratch cards available daily. Printable coupons on website. Online gift shop.

288. Sahara Hotel and Casino Address: 2535 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–737–2111; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–696–2121; room reservations fax: 702–737–2027 Website: www.saharavegas.com

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Description: Moroccan-themed hotel-casino, on the Strip, with over 85,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200: 1¢ (over 200) and up; reel slots, video poker, keno machines Table Games: 62: The usual favorites, plus Mad 21, no-bust blackjack, three-card poker, Spanish 21, keno (three games, including speed keno, 100 games in 15 minutes; also Nevada Numbers) Poker: 15 tables. Daily no-limit hold’em tournaments Mon.–Fri. at 11 a.m. and nightly tournaments 7 days a week at 7 p.m. ($35 buy-in, $15 rebuy, $5 add-on). Omaha tournaments Tue. and Wed. Room is totally nonsmoking. Entertainment: Congo Room: Headliners like the Platters, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, and Beary Hobb’s Drifters performing their top 20 hits from the ’50s and ’60s. Justin Tranz of Playboy TV’s Extreme Truth appears live at 10 p.m. nightly except Wed. in the interactive comedy Hip-Nosis. Restaurants: 4: Sahara Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), NASCAR Cafe (features stock car racing entertainment; Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight, Sun. 9 a.m.–10 p.m.), Pacos Bar & Grill (Mexican; lunch, dinner 11 a.m.–11 p.m.), House of Lords Fine Dining Restaurant (Sun.–Sat. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Caravan Café (24 hours) Accommodations: 1,720 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Speed, an indoor-outdoor, forward-backward roller coaster, ascends to 224 feet and achieves speeds up to 70 mph. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Sahara rewards card for slot play. Slot tournaments. Race and sportsbook. Swimming pool. Meeting and convention space. Weddings. See a trainload of Elvises ride the roller coaster on the website. The Sahara is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail.


289. Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall

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Email: Contact form on website. Description: Hotel-casino, on Boulder Highway at Nellis, 6 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, with 133,000 square feet of gaming on 63 acres Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,330: 5¢ and up Table Games: 40: Blackjack, craps, roulette (25¢ to $100 on straight up bets and $1 to $2,000 on even money bets), Let It Ride ($5–$50, $1 bonus bet), pai gow poker ($10–$1,000; progressive jackpot, available with a $1 side wager, grows from a percentage of play at all Boyd Gaming Corp. properties), keno (including $1 million for 10 out of 10 on a $1 ticket) Poker: Hold’em ($4-$8, $6-$12 limit), 7-stud ($2-$4 limit), Omaha high-low ($4-$8). No-limit hold’em tournaments Fri., Sat., Sun. 7 p.m. Bad beat jackpot for all games. Liberal comp policy. Complimentary coffee bar. Entertainment: Live country, western, and rock acts. Mystic Falls Park, outdoor environment in a 10-story indoor area, with waterfall, birds, live trees, capped by Sunset Stampede, a free laser light and water show (2 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m. daily). Show chronicles the pioneer experience with music, lights, and animation. Fountains shoot 8 stories into the air and “dance” with lights to music recorded for Sam’s Town by the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra. Restaurants: 9: Firelight Buffet (lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Billy Bob’s Steak House and Saloon (Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Willy and Jose’s Cantina (Mexican; Wed., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., closed Mon., Tue.), Fresh Harvest Cafe (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 24 hours 6 days a week, Tue.–11 p.m.), Fellini’s (Italian, in Mystic Falls Park; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Deli Snack Bar (10 a.m.–11 p.m.), McDonalds (6 a.m.–12 p.m.), Sbarro (Italian specialties; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–12 p.m.), Panda Express (Oriental cuisine; 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily); plus Calamity Jane’s (ice cream; 1 p.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 650 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Century 18 Sam’s Town: 18-screen all-THX cineplex. Bowling Center offers 56 lanes, each with automatic scoring, open 24 hours; has its own snack shop, cocktail lounge, video arcade, shoe rental, and day-care center for league bowlers during league play. Extreme Bowling Experience, a combination of state-of-the-art disco-style lights, foggers, and special effects (Fri., Sat. night 11:45 p.m.–3 a.m.). Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Prime Rewards Card for slots, table play, and bingo. Bingo, with progressive prize. Racebook and sportsbook. 2 RV parks, with nearly 500 slots with full hook-ups, pull-throughs available, cable television, laundry and shower, swimming pools and Jacuzzis, phone hook-ups, Internet access, pet runs, barbecue area.

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Address: 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89122 Phone: 702–456–7777; toll-free: 1–800–897–8696 Website: www.samstownlv.com

290. Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino Address: 4949 North Rancho Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 Phone: 702–658–4900; toll-free: 1–866–767–7770; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–767–7771; toll-free Station Casinos: 1–800–6–STATIONS (1–800–682–8466) Website: santafe.stationcasinos.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 77,000-square-foot casino, with hotel, northwest of downtown Las Vegas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; keno lounge 8 a.m.–11:50 p.m. daily Slot Machines: 2,500: 1¢ and up; 150+ penny games, including penny poker and penny video reels, 2¢ keno; many EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 32: 16 blackjack (including super fun 21 and 4 single-deck tables), 6 Fortune Pai Gow, 2 craps, 2 roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker, 3-5-5 poker, keno (including million-dollar tickets, and Nevada Numbers, a progressive $5 million-plus game; view game live online) Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8, $6-$12, no-limit with $1-$2 blinds and $100 maximum buy-in), Omaha high ($3-$6). 2 progressive bad-beat jackpots are available at Palace Station, Boulder Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe, and Sunset Station. The jumbo hold’em bad beat progressive starts at $100,000, with a minimum of $35,000 awarded for the badbeat losing hand, $20,000 awarded for the bad-beat winning hand, and the remainder distributed to players at the table who were in the hand. The property progressive bad beat starts at $10,000. Entertainment: Showroom has entertainers like Al Stewart, BJ Thomas, Marion Meadows, Stanley Clarke, Michael Lington, Kenny Rankin. Memphis Barbecue has classic rock bands 10 p.m.–2 a.m. every Sat. 650-seat entertainment venue and 16-screen Century movie theater coming. Restaurants: 7: Charcoal Room, Grand Café (24 hours), Memphis Championship Barbecue, Villa Pizza, Fatburger, Quizno’s (sandwiches), Cabo Mexican Restaurant (Sun. 3 p.m.–10 p.m., Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 3 p.m.–11 p.m.), Cantina Bar (Fri., Sat., 3 p.m.–2 a.m.); also Starbucks Accommodations: 200 rooms Family Amenities: Bowling (24 hours on weekends, latenight specials every night) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card for slot, table, and poker play. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons, cash giveaways for seniors. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. 488-seat bingo parlor, with a Jumbo Bingo Progressive $100,000 minimum coverall the first game of every session. Pai gow poker tournament Wed. 6 p.m., $1,000 prize pool, $25 buy-in.

291. Silverton Hotel Casino Address: 3333 Blue Diamond Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89139 Phone: 702–263–7777; toll-free: 1–866–946–4373 Website: www.silvertoncasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel-casino with over 60,000 square feet of gaming space, 3 miles south of Tropicana and the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400+: many ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 30: Blackjack (singleand double-deck, Royal Match, and $1 games), three-card poker, Let It Ride, craps (10X odds), Fortune Pai Gow, live keno lounge Poker: No Entertainment: Hideaway Theater:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Acts like Kool & the Gang, Trace Adkins, Gin Blossoms. Azure: Underwater fantasy in a new 117,000-gallon salt water aquarium, with performers swimming among over 5,000 fish and breathtaking coral, free shows on the hour between 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on weekdays, and 3 p.m.–11 p.m. on weekends. Restaurants: 4: Twin Creeks (steaks, chops, seafood; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sundance Grill (24 hours), AllAmerican Buffet (lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Shady Grove (lounge open nightly, bar open 24 hours) Accommodations: 300 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Racebook and sportsbook. Wed. shootout blackjack tournament, with guaranteed $1,000 prize pool. Super Tuesday slot tournament, 7 p.m., $1,200 prize pool.

Description: Opening in 2006, will be the newest property of Coast Casinos, on 60 acres located in the southern part of Las Vegas, with 80,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400+: Slot and video poker machines featuring ticket in-ticket out technology Table Games: 60 table games, including craps, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, three-card poker, pai gow poker Poker: Planned Entertainment: A theater of 600 seats, tables, and booths will feature headliners. Century 16 Suncoast, all THX theater, all stadium seating. Restaurants: 6: Garden Buffet, Coronado Café, Baja Miguel’s (sister restaurant to Don Miguel’s at The Orleans and Señor Miguel’s at Suncoast; lunch and dinner), Don Vito’s (Italian and seafood specialties; seafood flown in fresh daily), Big Sur Oyster Bar, Duke’s Steakhouse; also Kate’s Korner (ice cream parlor), Seattle’s Best (coffee) Accommodations: Will open with 660 rooms, top floor containing all suites Family Amenities: Kid’s Tyme Child Care Facility Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Coast Card. Racebook and sportsbook. 600-seat bingo hall with Cash Ball and Bonanza jackpots, and 8 sessions a day. Pool and Jacuzzi. Outdoor activity area with a sand volleyball court and a hospitality area for entertaining poolside. Gift shop. Liquor store. Business center. Fitness center. South Coast Equestrian Complex, indoor horse facility, with 4,400-seat arena and 1,200 climate controlled horse stalls, will host prestigious equestrian events. Will also have 150,000 square feet of exhibit, meeting, and banquet space. 64-lane bowling center.

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Address: Las Vegas Boulevard and Silverado Ranch Boulevard, P.O. Box 19591, Las Vegas, Nevada 89132 Phone: 702–796–7111 Website: www.southcoastcasino.com

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292. South Coast Hotel & Casino

293. Stardust Resort and Casino Address: 3000 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–732–6111; toll-free: 1–800–634–6757; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–642–3120 Website: www.stardustlv.com

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Email: List of email contacts on website Description: Hotel-casino on 61 acres with over 85,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,437: 1¢–$100. High-limit area has $1–$100. Table Games: 73: 5 craps, 35 blackjack, 5 roulette, 4 pai gow poker, 2 Caribbean Stud, baccarat ($10,000 maximum), 1 mini-baccarat, 2 Let It Ride, 3 three-card poker, 8 single-deck blackjack, 2 Royal Match, 3 Lucky Ladies blackjack, keno lounge Poker: 10 tables: 4 $3-$6 hold’em, 5 $1-$5 7-stud Entertainment: Wayne Newton headlines at the Stardust in the Wayne Newton Theater several times a year. During the remaining weeks, he presents a lineup of superstars, including Chicago, comedian Don Rickles, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Bill Engvall, Tim Conway, and Harvey Korman. Stardust’s Ba-Da-Bing Room has a comedy variety show. Starlight Lounge has late-night entertainment from musical acts. Restaurants: 9: William B’s (steaks, chops, seafood, Italian specialties; dinner; 6 p.m.–10 p.m. Sat. 6 p.m.–11 p.m., closed Mon., Tue.), Coco Palms Buffet, Sushi King (open for dinner Mon.–Thu., noon–2:45 p.m. and 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. noon–2:45 p.m. and 5 p.m.–midnight, Sat. noon–midnight, Sun. noon–10 p.m.), Island Paradise Café (24 hour), Tony Roma’s (ribs), Short Stop Snack Bar (6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily), Normandie Bakery & Bistro (6 a.m.–11 p.m.); also Swensen’s (ice cream), Java Coast Coffee Bar (5 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) Accommodations: 1,552 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card. Racebook and sportsbook. 100,000-gallon Olympic-sized pool. Spas, fitness center. Free parking, 24-hour valet parking service. Free gaming lessons. Weddings at Starlight Chapels.

294. Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino Address: 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89104 Phone: 702–380–7777; toll-free: 1–800–99–TOWER (1–800–998–6937) Website: www.stratospherehotel.com Description: The 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower is unique in many ways. It is one of the world’s tallest buildings (billed as “America’s tallest free-standing observation tower”), and is visible for miles around. It offers the world’s highest roller coaster, plus 3 other thrill rides. In addition, this hotel-casino offers 80,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: Some quarter video poker machines offer 100 percent return Table Games: 50+: Single- and double-deck blackjack, double exposure blackjack, single-zero roulette, Fortune Pai Gow poker, mini-baccarat, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, big six wheel, craps and crapless craps (both with 10X odds) Poker: No Entertainment: American Superstars, celebrity tribute. Viva Las Vegas, the longest-running afternoon variety show in Las Vegas history. Theater of the Stars has Bite, a topless musical production about vampires. Top of the World has live music. Restaurants: 8: Top of the World Restaurant (dining at 800 feet; lunch and dinner; dress code: lunch, casual elegant, dinner, business casual), Lucky’s Café, Roxy’s Diner (lunch and dinner),


Address: 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145 Phone: 702–636–7111; fax: 702–636–7499; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–677–7111 Website: suncoastcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Resort property in the Summerlin area in the northwest area of Las Vegas, with more than 82,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,300 Table Games: 50: Including craps, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: 500-seat showroom, whose theme is “Las Vegas as it used to be,” provides table seating for a variety of acts, including top-name stars. Restaurants: 6: Via Veneto (Italian), Señor Miguel’s (Mexican; sister restaurant to Don Miguel’s at The Orleans; lunch, dinner; Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.), Primo’s ( 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m.), Café Siena (24 hours), The Oyster Bar (seafood; Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.), St. Tropez Buffet, Bagel Café Express (Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.–1 a.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–10 p.m.); also Kate’s Korner (ice cream parlor; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–1 a.m.), Seattle’s Best (specialty coffees), Krispy Kreme Donuts (Sun.–Thu. 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 6:30 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 427 rooms, including 40 suites Family Amenities: 64-lane bowling alley. 16-screen movie theater. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Coast Card. 600-seat bingo hall with Cash Ball and Bonanza jackpots, and 8 sessions a day. Pool and Jacuzzi. 150-seat racebook and sportsbook. 25,000-square-foot convention, banquet, and meeting complex.

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295. Suncoast Hotel and Casino

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Courtyard Buffet, Crazy Armadillo Oyster Bar (evenings; bar has performing bartenders), Triple Crown Deli (Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.), Fellini’s Ristorante (Italian; dinners; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–midnight), Hamada Asian Village (Japanese; Tue.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., closed Sun. and Mon.) Accommodations: 2,544 rooms, including 100 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No, except at Top of the World Restaurant Bonus: Ultimate Rewards card: Earn comps for play on slots, video poker, video keno, table games, bingo, racebook and sportsbook, and keno. Racebook and sportsbook. Beach Club 25: Topless pool on the 25th floor of the hotel tower, open to room guests 21 and over (free admission for women, $10 for men). 8,100 square feet of flexible meeting space. Located on the 103rd and 104th floors are 6 meeting and banquet rooms. Chapel in the Clouds offers weddings at the top. There’s even a “Can’t Help Falling in Love Elvis Package.”

296. Terrible’s Hotel and Casino Address: 4100 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–733–7000; toll-free: 1–800–640–9777 Website: www.terribleherbst.com/casinos/terriblescasinolasvegas

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Description: Hotel with 45,000-square-foot casino, near the corner of Paradise and Flamingo Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 785: Including multi-denomination and progressive Table Games: 12: Double- and 6-deck blackjack, three-card poker, roulette, craps (3X, 4X, 5X odds) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Terrible’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), Bougainvillea Café, Pearl of the Orient (lunch, dinner), McDonald’s Accommodations: 371 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Terrible’s Player’s Club rewards card for slots, table games, bingo, racebook and sportsbook. Outdoor pool and spa.

297. Treasure Island

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Address: 3300 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–894–7111; toll-free: 1–800–955–4777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–288–7206 Website: www.treasureisland.com Description: Hotel-casino with 90,000 square feet of gaming, right in the heart of the Strip Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,075 Table Games: 96: Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, pai gow poker, tile pai gow, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let It Ride, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: The Sirens of TI features a band of showgirl sirens battling pirates in a show of music, dance, acrobatics, and pyrotechnics, performed outside in the casino’s own lagoon, live and free, nightly at 5:30, 7, 8:30, and 10. Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère, a renowned circus with an international cast of 72 performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-caliber acrobats (Wed.–Sat. 7:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., Sun. 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.). Tangerine: Speakeasy-type nightclub, with music and burlesque performances (casual chic dress code). Kahunaville restaurant staff entertain with song and dance numbers (live entertainment, Mon., Tue.; dueling pianos at 10 p.m., Wed.; Tommy Rocker, Thu. karaoke). Restaurants: 9: Buccaneer Bay (gourmet; Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; dressy casual attire), Steak House (5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; dressy casual attire), Francesco’s (Italian; 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; dressy casual attire), Isla Mexican Kitchen, Tequila Bar (11 a.m.–2 a.m.), Kahunaville (restaurant: 8 a.m.–11 p.m., party bar: 8 a.m.–3 a.m., seasonal poolside patio dining: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.), Canter’s Delicatessen (11 a.m.–midnight), Dishes (buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Terrace Café; also Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, Krispy Kreme Accommodations: 2,885 rooms and suites in AAA 4-Diamond Award hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No, except in some restaurants and at Tangerine Bonus: MGM MIRAGE Players Club rewards card for slot and table game players. Racebook and sportsbook. Meeting and banquet facilities can accommodate functions for up to 1,000 people. Wedding chapel. Spa, salon. With credit approval, guests can use markers to get chips.


298. Tropicana

299. Tuscany Suites & Casino Address: 255 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–893–8933; fax: 702–947–5994; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–TUSCAN–1 (1–877–887–2261) Website: www.tuscanylasvegas.com Description: Resort hotel near the Strip on 27 acres of landscaped grounds with pools and fountains, and a casino with 60,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 755+: Video slots, video poker, video keno games; all ticket in-ticket out. 200+ penny games. Multi-denomination and multi-game features permit playing up to 10 games on 1 machine. Table Games: 13: Blackjack, roulette, craps, others Poker: No Entertainment: Adults-only hypnotism show Wed.–Sun. 11 p.m. Piazza Lounge has live dance music Wed.–Sun. 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Restaurants: 2: Steakhouse at Tuscany (Tue.–Sat. 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m., closed Sun., Mon.), Marilyn’s Café (24 hours) Accommodations: 716 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Tuscany Players Club rewards card for slots play. Racebook and sportsbook. Tuscany Events Center has over 37,000

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Description: Hotel-casino with 61,000 square feet of gaming located on the “hottest 4 corners on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip,” with a covered walkway connecting to the MGM Grand across the street, while New York-New York and Excalibur are on the other 2 corners; offers a tropical 5-acre garden oasis Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500; with 2 high-limit areas Table Games: 35: Craps, blackjack, roulette, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Folies Bergere (French-style; all shows topless except 7:30 p.m.; Mon., Wed., Thur., Sat. 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m., Tue., Fri. 8:30 p.m.; dark Sundays). The Magic of Rick Thomas (Mon.–Sat. 2 p.m., 4 p.m.). Comedy Stop (8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. nightly). Tropics Lounge: Tropicana Bird Show (trained birds, free; 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.). Air Play (free circus acts 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. daily on the main casino floor). Restaurants: 7: Pietro’s (gourmet dining; Wed.–Sun., 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Savanna Steakhouse (open daily 5 p.m.), Mizuno’s (Japanese steakhouse; daily 5 p.m.–10:45 p.m.), Tuscany Italian Café (Fri.–Tue., 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Calypsos (café; 24 hours), Island Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Legends Deli (daily 9 a.m.–9 p.m.); plus Java Java (coffee bar and bakery; daily 6 a.m.–11 p.m. on the Casino Main Level, 6 a.m.–2 p.m. in the Island Tower) Accommodations: 1,800 rooms and suites in a 22-story tower Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Winner’s Club rewards card. Island Wedding Chapel offers many wedding packages. Convention and meeting space, with WiFi wireless Internet service. Business center. WiFi available poolside. Casino Legends Hall of Fame; a museum honoring more than 70 special Las Vegas notables of yesterday and today, like Howard Hughes Jr. and Benny Binion, gamblers like Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson, Las Vegas’s colorful Mayor Oscar Goodman, and headliners, from Frank Sinatra to Siegfried & Roy. Slot tournaments.

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Address: 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–739–2222; toll-free: 1–800–GO–2–TROP (1–800–462–8767); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–826–TROP (1–888–826–8767) Website: www.tropicanalv.com

square feet of space for accommodating 10 to 1,000 attendees. Gift shop. Fitness center. Business center. Blackjack tournaments Tue., Thu. starting at 11 a.m., $25 entry fee, no buy-in (tournament chips are used), $1,000-guaranteed prize pool.

300. Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Address: 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–414–1000; toll-free: 1–877–883–6423; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–857–1861 Website: www.venetian.com

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Email: Contact form on website; or [email protected] Description: Megaresort on the Strip, the most expensive in the world, at $1.5 billion, at the time it opened in 1999, and one of the most elegant; casino has 116,000 square feet of gaming. Its 500,000-square-foot Grand Canal Shoppes, a themed, indoor retail mall, features cobbled walkways, a reproduction of Venice’s Grand Canal, and a replica of St. Mark’s Square. Contains several restaurants widely regarded as among the world’s best. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,150: 5¢ and up; high-limit section offers $1–$500; progressive and linked, megajackpots Table Games: 122+: Baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette, tile pai gow, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, big six wheel, three-card poker, Spanish 21, casino war Poker: No Entertainment: Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum has regularly changing exhibits on loan from LA’s Guggenheim and St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, plus other world-renowned museums (daily 9:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.). Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas exhibits iconic stars and celebrities. Float down the Grand Canal in an authentic Venetian gondola. La Scena Lounge offers nightly live entertainment featuring high-energy bands performing a variety of musical styles. Restaurants: 16: Delmonico Steakhouse (chef Emeril Lagasse; lunch, dinner), Postrio (chef Wolfgang Puck; steak, seafood, Italian pastas, pizzas; Sun.–Thu., 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri., Sat., 11:30 a.m.–midnight), Lutèce (classically influenced modern French cuisine; dinner; 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Valentino (chef Luciano Pellegrini; contemporary Italian; 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Bouchon (chef Thomas Keller; classic French bistro and oyster bar; breakfast 6:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m., oyster bar and cocktail lounge 3 p.m.–midnight, dinner 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Pinot Brasserie (chef Joachim Splichal; Franco-Californian cuisine and oyster bar; lunch 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Royal Star (chef Kevin Wu; dim sum 11 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), AquaKnox (California-inspired seafood restaurant; lounge opens at 4 p.m. daily, restaurant Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 5:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.), Zeffirino Ristorante (chef Gian Paulo “Zeffirino” Belloni; Italian seafood; 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), The Grill at Valention (Italian; 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. daily), Grand Lux Café (owned and operated by the Cheesecake Factory; over 150 menu items; 24 hours), Canaletto (created by the founders of Il Fornaio restaurants; authentic Northern Italian cuisine; weekdays 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m., weekends: 11:30 a.m.–midnight), Tsunami Asian Grill (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–midnight), Taqueria Cañonita’s (Southwest, Mexican dishes; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–12 a.m.), Noodle Asia (dim sum and noodle; 11 a.m.–3 a.m.), Canyon Ranch Café (7 a.m.–6 p.m.); plus Tintoretto Bakery (7 a.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: 4,000+, all suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Venetian Players Club rewards card. Cash giveaways every day. Free gaming instruction, Mon.–Fri.: craps, 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.;

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE roulette, noon; blackjack, 12:15 p.m. 5-acre pool deck, modeled after a Venetian garden, including 3 pools, 2 hot tubs, 20 cabanas. Together with the Sands Expo, nearly 1.5 million square feet of exhibition space is available for even the largest conventions. Wedding packages.

301. Westward-Ho Casino

302. Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel Address: 3330 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Phone: 702–740–0000; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–777–1514; toll-free Station Casinos: 1–800–6–STATIONS (1–800–682–8466) Website: www.wwwesthotelcasino.com Description: Casino-hotel on Tropicana near the Strip, with 8,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 240 reel, video reel, and video poker slot machines Table Games: 7: Roulette (25¢ minimum), craps ($3 minimum), blackjack ($3 minimum; Lucky Ladies side bet), Fortune Pai Gow Poker: No Entertainment: Poolside concerts Restaurants: 1: Gambler’s Grill (24 hours) Accommodations: 262 rooms, including 4 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card for slot play. Sportsbook. Wild Wild West Truck Plaza offers over 15 acres of paved and lighted parking, designated drop pads, security patrol, and easy access from I-15; also offer diesel and unleaded fuel, weigh station.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Inexpensive hotel-casino on the Strip, with 35,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 5¢–$1; progressive and linked, megajackpots Table Games: 17: Blackjack (hand- and shoe-dealt), craps, roulette, three-card poker, Let It Ride, others Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom has Doo Wop Reunion, a ’50s tribute show. Also, country-western and Hawaiian dinner shows. Blues Brothers and Bobby Darin tribute shows. Restaurants: 2: The Ca-Fae (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Westward Ho Deli Accommodations: 700 rooms and apartments Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Westward-Ho Preferred Customer rewards card for slot play. Free gaming lessons.

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Address: 2900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–731–2900; toll-free: 1–800–634–6803 Website: www.westwardho.com

303. Wynn Las Vegas Address: 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone: 702–770–7000; toll-free: 1–888–320–7123; hotel reservations: 702–770–7100; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–320–WYNN (1–888–320–9966); hotel fax: 702–770–1571 Website: www.wynnlasvegas.com

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Email: hotel reservations: [email protected] Description: The crown jewel of Steve Wynn’s gaming empire and the most expensive casino in the world, at $2.7 billion, Wynn Las Vegas opened April 28, 2005. The resort is on the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road, fronted by an 8-story pine-covered man-made mountain. The casino gaming area is in excess of 111,000 square feet. (The remainder of Wynn’s properties, such as Bellagio, Mirage, the Golden Nugget have been sold off. Wynn Macau is the next project.) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,900+: 1¢–$5,000; reel, video reel, video poker; includes a penny machine with jackpots in excess of $10 million; free bingo games randomly appear on all slot machines with prizes up to $10,000; local progressives with jackpots that start at $100,000 Table Games: 136: Blackjack, big six wheel, craps, Caribbean Stud, roulette, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, pai gow, three-card poker, casino war, others; also, keno Poker: 27 tables: Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high-low; limits of $3-$6 up to $100-$200, and higher, plus pot-limit and no-limit Entertainment: Domed theater in the round, Le Rêve, features an aquatic spectacular, created by Franco Dragone, the man responsible for O, Mystère, and Celine Dion: A New Day. Show is at 8 p.m., Thu.–Mon. Tony Award winning musical Avenue Q opens Sept., 2005. Restaurants: 18: Among them, Corsa Cucina (chef Stephen Kalt), Chocolat (patisserie with renowned pastry chef Frédéric Robert), Alex (French Riviera dining, chef Alessandro Stratta), Okada (Japanese, chef Takashi Yagahashi), Wing Lei (Chinese), SW Steakhouse, Daniel Boulud Brasserie, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, Red 8 Asian Bistro (chef Hisham Johari), Tableau (American; breakfast and lunch open only to Towers Suites guests; dinner open to all) Accommodations: 2,700 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Red Card rewards card for slot and table game players. Hotel guests can use the Red Card to make restaurant and show reservations and get tee times. Poolside blackjack. Racebook and sportsbook. Separate baccarat and high-stakes room. Many designer shops, including Oscar de la Rente, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Cartier, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, and a Ferrari/Maserati dealership. Wedding salons, with garden setting packages. Spa, salon. Tom Fazio–designed 18-hole golf course.


304. Avi Resort & Casino Address: 10000 Aha Macav Parkway, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–535–5555; toll-free: 1–800–430–0721; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–AVI–2–WIN (1–800–284–2946) Website: www.avicasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Resort with 25,000-square-foot Native American (Pipa Aha Macav Mojave tribe) casino on the banks of the Colorado River between Laughlin (from which it is 11 miles south) and Needles. Avi is one of the few Nevada gaming resorts with its own private beach. The word “avi” means money in the Pipa Aha Macav language. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: 1¢ and up; reel, video, video poker, including megajackpots; many EZ Pay (ticket in-ticket out) machines Table Games: 20+: Blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Hold’em Fold’em, craps (3X odds), keno lounge (including million-dollar 10-spot and Nevada Numbers) Poker: No Entertainment: Multi-screen movie theater. Arrowweed Lounge features live bands. Restaurants: 5: Feathers Cafe (24 hours), Moonshadow Grille (dinner Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri., Sat. 4 p.m.–10 p.m.; Sun. champagne brunch 9 a.m.–2 p.m.), Native Harvest Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Panda Express (Chinese; 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily), Beach Club (quick meals, snacks; open seasonally, on the beach) Accommodations: 455 rooms, including 29 suites Family Amenities: Kids Quest child center Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot and video poker tournaments. 3 championship golf courses within 10 miles. High-stakes bingo (largest bingo hall in Laughlin). Free bingo Mon.–Fri. mornings and $5 sessions Sun., Mon., Thu. afternoons. Sportsbook. Blackjack tournaments Tue., Thu. 5 p.m. $10 buy-in, with $1,200 in cash prizes. Free video poker tournament Wed. 2 p.m., with a $1,500 prize pool. Banquets and catering for groups 25 to 700. Mojave Resort Golf Club, a championship resort course, is located across from the Avi Resort & Casino.

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Laughlin is on the Colorado River in southern Nevada, approximately 100 miles south of Las Vegas (driving time approximately 90 minutes), a 45-minute drive from Kingman, Arizona, and 10 to 15 minutes from Bullhead City, Arizona (the “bedroom community” closely affiliated with Laughlin). The city of Laughlin sponsors events and attractions that draw attention across the country. The Laughlin Desert Challenge is an off-road race with more than 200 of the world’s top drivers. The Laughlin River Stampede P.R.C.A. Rodeo offers a $250,000 purse to cowboys and cowgirls. The Laughlin River Run annually brings more than 50,000 Harley Davidsons to the West’s largest ride-in bike rally. Rockets Over the River is a free 20-minute fireworks display launched over the waters of the Colorado River, choreographed to music on a high-fidelity sound system, and broadcast on area radio stations, with best viewing at the Laughlin resorts and casinos. Laughlin Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series is a nationally televised competition featuring 45 of the world’s top professional bull riders competing for $100,000. Viva Laughlin celebrates Latino Heritage Month. The Laughlin Team Roping Finals draws 2,000 teams of ropers in a four-day competition.

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Laughlin

305. Colorado Belle Hotel Casino Address: 2100 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–4000; toll-free: 1–877–460–0777; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–352–3553 Website: www.coloradobelle.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Colorado Belle is a replica of a 19th century Mississippi paddlewheel riverboat, over 600 feet long and 6 decks high, built along the Colorado River and located in the center of Laughlin’s casino row. It includes a microbrewery. The casino has 65,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+: 5¢ and up; reel and video slot machines, video poker, video keno, blackjack, multi-game machines. Also 5,000-square-foot nonsmoking slot area. Table Games: 43: Including blackjack (with $1 and single-deck games), craps, roulette, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, Caribbean Stud, keno lounge (featuring standard keno and progressive jackpots) Poker: 13 tables: Hold’em ($2-$6 spread-limit, $4-$8, $6-$12, $10$20), Omaha ($2-$6 spread-limit, $3-$6, $4-$8), Omaha high-low ($3-$6, $5-$10), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit). Free daily lessons. Weekly tournaments. Entertainment: Riverboat Ramblers Dixieland Band can be found strolling and playing on the casino floor and “D” Deck most Fri., Sat. evenings. Restaurants: 8: Boiler Room Brew Pub (featuring woodfired ovens and open mesquite grilling), Mississippi Lounge (fresh seafood bar; open daily at noon), Mark Twain’s (barbecue), Orleans Room (casual fine dining; open Wed.–Sun. at 5 p.m.), Captain’s Buffet (open daily at 6 a.m.), Paddlewheel (casual dining; 24 hours), Subway (sub sandwiches), Noble Roman’s Pizza; also, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Accommodations: 1,173 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Cash giveaways. Sportsbook. Online entry for drawings for free accommodations packages. Slot tournaments, golf tournaments, fitness room, spa, and salon. 2 pools—1 with a waterfall—and a sandy beach area along the river. Special hotel packages available online.

306. Flamingo Laughlin Address: 1900 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–5111; toll-free: 1–888–662–5825 Website: www.flamingolaughlin.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Resort hotel with 2 18-story towers on the Colorado River, with a casino that has 60,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: The world’s largest jackpot was hit here, $8.4 million on a 25¢ Wheel of Fortune on September 4, 2002. Table Games: 60: Blackjack, craps, minibaccarat, roulette, big six, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, pai gow poker, keno. Poker: No Entertainment: Flamingo Ballroom: 2,000-seat venue featuring acts like Harvey Korman & Tim Conway, Charo, Roberta Flack, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and live heavyweight boxing. Flamingo Outdoor Amphitheater: 3,000-seat venue featuring acts like Engelbert Humperdinck, Wynonna, The Four Tops, Sawyer Brown, Beach Boys, Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Styx, ZZ


Address: 2300 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029–7111 Phone: 702–298–7111; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–955–7278 or 1–800–846–5336 Website: www.goldennugget.com/laughlin Email: [email protected] Description: Resort hotel with lush gardens, a lagoon-like pool, and a tropical atrium; casino has 32,600 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,120: Video poker, linked progressive slot games (exclusive to the Golden Nugget and Mirage Resorts), and wide-area linked megajackpot machines. Table Games: 16: Blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, pai gow poker, keno Poker: No Entertainment: Tarzan’s nightclub. Bachelor and bachelorette parties. Restaurants: 5: The Deck (outdoor dining on the banks of the Colorado River), Jane’s Grill (a junglethemed restaurant), River Café (24 hours), The Buffet, The Deli; plus, Starbucks, Golden Cone Ice Cream Parlor Accommodations: 300 tropically themed rooms with river, pool, or courtyard views Dress Code: No Bonus: 24 Karat Club Slot and Table Player Rewards card. 24 Karat Plus Club awards seniors points in addition to rewards points, to be used for gifts and merchandise. Racebook and sportsbook.

308. Harrah’s Laughlin Casino, Hotel Address: 2900 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: Main: 702–298–4600; toll-free: 1–800–221–1306 Website: www.harrahslaughlin.com or www.harrahs.com Email: [email protected] Description: Opened in August 1988, the property is the second largest hotel-casino (more than 50,000 square feet of casino space) in Laughlin’s gaming community, located along the banks of the Colorado River. The casino replicates a Mexican village. The back of the casino offers a great view of the Colorado River. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Over 1,200 reel slots (including blazing 7s with up to 98.02 percent return), video poker, and video keno machines. Separate high-limit slot area located within the main casino, with its own private lounge. Cashless (“Fast Cash”) and coin machines;

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307. Golden Nugget Laughlin

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Top, Kenny Rogers, and the Doobie Brothers. Club Flamingo Showroom features top shows, including the Comedy Stop, which has had headliners like Tim Allen, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, and Rosie O’Donnell. Restaurants: 12: Alta Villa (Italian; Fri.–Tue. 5–10 p.m.), Beef Barron (Western steakhouse; Sun.–Thu. 5–11 p.m.), Flamingo Diner (24 hours), Paradise Garden Buffet, Panda Express, Burger King, Subway (sandwiches); also, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and Yogurt, Cappuccino Corner (6 a.m.–1 p.m.) Accommodations: Over 1,900 rooms, including 90 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill (good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos). Racebook and sportsbook. Video poker and slots tournaments. 30,000 square feet of meeting space. Wedding chapel, 3 tennis courts, fitness center, outdoor heated pool, and business center. Free parking and valet service.

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progressive and linked jackpots. Table Games: 40: 24 blackjack, 1 big six wheel, 3 craps, 4 roulette, 2 Let It Ride, 3 pai gow, 2 three-card poker, 1 Caribbean Draw poker, 2 keno Poker: 5 tables, featuring hold’em, at limits starting at $3-$6. Totally nonsmoking room. Entertainment: Fiesta Showroom: House production show 5 days a week. Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater: big-name headline entertainment. Restaurants: 4: Baja Blue Restaurant, Cantina (Mexican), Cabo Café (full-service; 24-hour coffee shop), awardwinning Fresh Market Square Buffet, McDonald’s, The Range Steakhouse. Plus Starbucks, Margaritaville Bar (drinks and snacks), Cinnabon (cinnamon rolls and coffee), Baskin Robbins, The Range Bar (nonsmoking) Accommodations: 1,561 rooms, including 119 suites Family Amenities: Arcade, family pool, soft sand beach Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. Offers separate 18,000-square-foot nonsmoking casino for its guests. The facility, located in an area away from the main casino, contains reel slot, video poker, and video keno machines, along with blackjack and roulette tables and poker room. The Boutique offers brand-name apparel for men and women in addition to the gift shop. Health and fitness club with 2 glass walls offers a view of the Colorado River and nearby mountains.

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309. Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall Address: 2200 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–2442; toll-free: 1–800–634–3469 Website: www.pioneerlaughlin.com Description: Hotel on the Colorado River, with a casino that has 26,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 880: 1¢–$5; the only penny progressives on the river; many reel slots have double-time jackpots, 1-minute intervals that occur randomly up to 10 times an hour; multi-denominational keno games from 2¢ to $1, multi-denominational video reel games on which you can bet 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, or 25¢ per credit Table Games: 16: Blackjack (single- and double-deck), Let It Ride, three-card poker, roulette, craps (10X odds), keno ($50,000 maximum payout) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Granny’s Gourmet (Tue.–Sat. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Sun. Brunch 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m., closed Sun. night, Mon.), Boarding House (24 hours), Fast Draw Snack Bar (7 a.m.–9 p.m.) Accommodations: 416 rooms, including 80 overlooking the Colorado River, 30 of which are suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Round-Up Club rewards card for slots and table games. Cash giveaways. 4 free slot tournaments on Mon.; 8 free video poker tournaments on Wed., Fri. Keno tournaments on Wed., Sat. Blackjack tournaments. View live keno results online at the website. 10 percent meal discounts to seniors.


310. Ramada Express Hotel Casino

311. River Palms Address: 2700 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–2242; toll-free: 1–800–835–7904; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–835–7903 Website: www.rvrpalm.com Description: Hotel on the Colorado River, with a casino that has 72,000 square feet of gaming space (making it the largest in Laughlin) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200: Including video poker Table Games: 33: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let It Ride, keno Poker: 6 tables for regular play: hold’em ($2-$6 spread-limit to no-limit), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit with no ante); up to 30 tables for tournaments Entertainment: The Bermuda Club presents free Berri Lee, magician and comic Restaurants: 5: The Lodge (fine dining; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Pasta Cucina (Italian; 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), River Palms Café (6 a.m.–11 p.m.), No Ka Oi’ Buffet (24 hours), Subway (sandwiches; Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–1 a.m.); also, Java Joe’s Coffee Company (6 a.m.–9 p.m.) Accommodations: 1,000+ rooms in a 25-story tower Dress Code: No Bonus: 300-seat bingo parlor, with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Spa, salon, and weddings. 10,450 square feet of convention and meeting space.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel on the Colorado River, with a casino that has 53,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,600 Table Games: 33: Blackjack, roulette, craps, keno lounge Poker: No Entertainment: Caboose Lounge: Features live nightly entertainment and Mon. night karaoke (no cover, no minimum). American Heroes Museum of Memories American Spirit, a multimedia tribute to America (10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily; free). Kilroy Presents American Heroes Speaker program, “Thanks for the Memories,” (Tue. 1:15 p.m.; free). Also, tribute and comedy shows. Restaurants: 5: The Steakhouse (dinners), Passaggio Italian Gardens, Tularosa Cantina (New Mexico; lunch, dinner), Carnegie’s Dining Car (diner; 24 hours), Roundhouse Buffet (breakfast and dinner), Under the Stairs Café Accommodations: 1,501 rooms and suites in the 24-story West Tower and the 12-story adults-only East Tower Dress Code: No Bonus: Distinguished Players Club rewards card, with 3 levels for slots players. Sportsbook. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Online drawing for meals and accommodations. The “Gambling Train of Laughlin,” Old No. 7, Laughlin’s only working railroad, ferries guests for free around the 27-acre Ramada Express property on a replica of the Genoa, a turn-of-the-century steam train. There is also a train-shaped pool and spa. Free parking, 24 hour free valet service, free RV parking and dump station (no hookups). Free shuttle service to and from the LaughlinBullhead City Airport and Horizon Outlet Center.

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Address: 2121 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–4200; toll-free: 1–800–243–6846 Website: www.ramadaexpress.com

312. Riverside Hotel & Casino Address: 1650 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: 702–298–2535 (Nevada), 928–763–7070 (Arizona); toll-free: 1–800–227–3849 Website: www.riversideresort.com

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Description: This resort-casino was the first in Laughlin and built by Don Laughlin, after whose family the town was named. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,385: 5¢ and up Table Games: 38: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, roulette, keno (including Nevada Numbers) Poker: Hold’em: $5-$10 kill game Sat. starting at noon. Regular tournaments: Hold’em: 10 a.m. daily ($12 buy-in), with cash added to prize pools. Tue.: Omaha high-low, $20 buy-in. Each week the top 20 players with the most accumulated hours between 12 a.m. and 7 a.m. qualify for a weekly $500 freeroll tournament. Win a prize for getting aces cracked 11 a.m.–1 p.m., 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Cash giveaways daily. Receive ticket for playing live games. Minimum badbeat jackpots: hold’em and Omaha, $20,000, 7-stud, $10,000. Entertainment: Cinema Six-Plex movie theater. Restaurants: 7: Gourmet Room (French), Prime Rib Room, Sidewalk Café (deli-style café; 24 hours), Riverview Restaurant (24 hours), Riverside Buffet, Rice Garden (Chinese; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.), Pizza Hut Express; also, Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Dreyer’s Accommodations: 1,400+ rooms and suites Family Amenities: 2 arcades, with childcare (winter hours 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., summer hours 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.) Dress Code: No Bonus: King of Clubs Players’ Club rewards card. 330-seat bingo parlor (opens at 8:30 a.m. every day). Racebook and sportsbook. Slot, video poker, blackjack, and keno tournaments. Dart tournaments hosted by the Riverside. Chartered and scheduled flights available; see website for details. Antique slot machine restoration service, with purchase available. 2 swimming pools, Jacuzzi, multi-level RV park with 740 full hook-up spaces.

Mesquite Mesquite is one hour northeast (80 miles) of Las Vegas on I-15, at the Arizona border, and 10 miles south of where Nevada, Arizona, and Utah meet.

313. CasaBlanca Hotel, Casino, Golf, and Spa Address: 950 West Mesquite Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada 89027 Phone: 702–346–7529; toll-free: 1–800–459–PLAY (1–800–459–7529) Website: www.casablancaresort.com Description: Resort hotel-casino, with 27,000 square feet of gaming space; sister property to The Oasis and the Virgin River Hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 775+: Slot, keno, and video poker Table Games: 30: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker, Let It Ride, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: 550-seat showroom has headliners like Sha Na Na, Kip Attaway, Bobby Goldsboro, Canned Heat, and Little Texas. Free comedy in the showroom on Fri. and Sat. nights (excluding certain black-out periods and headliner dates). Restaurants: 3: Katherine’s (fine dining; dinner

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE 5–10 p.m.), Purple Fez Café (24 hours), buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner); also, Starbucks Coffee, George & Randy’s Ice Cream Parlor Accommodations: 477 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade with 35 games (Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sun. 8 a.m.–11 p.m.) Dress Code: No Bonus: Play It Again club rewards card. Lagoon pool with waterfall and water slide, sand volleyball court, RV park with 45 sites (including 16 drive-throughs, all with full hook-ups), tennis courts, spa. Resort also offers time-shares. Video poker tournament second Wed. of each month, with $5,000 guaranteed prize money, which includes $2,000 first place and payouts through 10th place, with tournament slots available from 1 p.m.–6 p.m.; $25 entry includes a $6 dining voucher, $10 rebuys; top 100 winners get invited back for a free tournament. Weekly slot tournament every Sun.

Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino with 30,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room opens daily at 10 a.m. Slot Machines: 750 Table Games: 15: Blackjack, craps (10X odds), Fortune Pai Gow, roulette, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em ($2-$5 spread-limit, $2-$4-$8-$8), Omaha high-low ($2-$5 spread-limit, $2-$4-$8-$8), 7-stud ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spread-limit). $3 maximum rake. Weekly $1,500-added tournament with free entry for 15 hours of live poker play, $100 buy-in for 8–15 hours, $200 buy-in with no hours; earn double hours Sun.–Fri. 10 a.m.–noon, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., and Sat. 4 hours before and after tournament. Entertainment: Live lounge entertainment every night. Restaurants: 2: Tumbleweed Restaurant (includes buffet), Gregory’s Restaurant Accommodations: 210 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Slot and blackjack tournaments. Racebook and sportsbook. Live action bingo, with 8 sessions Fri., Sat. on the odd hours from 9 a.m.–11 p.m., and 7 sessions Sun.–Thu. on the odd hours from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. 2 meeting rooms, 1 seating 250, the other 30. Weddings, swimming pool, and spa.

315. Oasis Resort, Casino, Golf, and Spa Address: 897 West Mesquite Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada 89027 Phone: 702–346–5232; toll-free: 1–800–21–OASIS (1–800–216–2747) Website: www.oasis-resort.com Description: Resort hotel-casino, with 34,000 square feet of gaming space; sister property to CasaBlanca Hotel and the Virgin River Hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: Including megajackpots Table Games: 30: Blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, $100,000 live keno Poker: 20 tables: Main game played is $4-$8 hold’em. The World Women’s Poker Tour has 2 days of tournaments in early May, followed by the Oasis Open, 6 days of events with buy-ins of $60–$125 and $15 room rates and $5 meal vouchers for players; directed by Jan Fisher and hosted by poker’s preeminent spokesperson, Linda Johnson, both of Card Player Cruises. Entire event is nonsmoking. Entertainment: Cabaret Lounge has live music nightly. Nightclub

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Address: 275 Mesa Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada 89027 Phone: 702–346–4600; fax: 702–346–8526; toll-free: 1–800–346–4611; tournaments and special events: 1–877–854–7885 Website: www.eurekamesquite.com

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314. Eureka Casino

Club Xtreme for dancing Fri., Sat. 9 p.m.–3 a.m. Restaurants: 4: Charmaine’s Fine Dining (gourmet), Pizza Pub, Garden Room (café, 24 hours), Paradise Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch); also, Ice Cream Parlor Accommodations: 950 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Arcade, miniature golf, go-kart track Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Oasis rewards card for slots and video poker machines. Racebook and sportsbook. 18-hole golf course, lighted tennis courts, 4 pools, 3 hot tubs, co-ed spa, fitness center with tanning beds, spa, valet service, and free covered parking. RV park with comfort stations and access to all hotel amenities.

316. Virgin River Hotel/Casino/Bingo Address: 100 Pioneer Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada 89027 Phone: 702–346–7777; toll-free: 1–800–346–7721 Website: www.virginriver.com

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Description: Hotel-casino, with 40,000 square feet of gaming space; sister property to CasaBlanca Hotel and Oasis Resort; at exit 122 on I-5 in Mesquite Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room opens daily at 1 p.m. Slot Machines: 822 Table Games: 22: Blackjack, craps, keno, roulette Poker: Hold’em ($4-$8), 7-stud ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spread-limit) Entertainment: 4-screen cineplex Restaurants: 3: Chuck Wagon Restaurant (24 hours), Victoria’s Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Strike and Spare Snack Bar (at the bowling center) Accommodations: 722 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade with 46 games (Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–10 p.m.). 24-lane bowling center (open 24 hours). Dress Code: No Bonus: Royalty Card Club for slot play. Cash and car giveaways. Racebook and sportsbook. Bingo, with 8 sessions daily starting at 9 a.m. Gas fill gets a free pull on a progressive video poker machine. Tue., Thu. slot tournaments, some with added cash, some providing free buffet and free bingo buy-ins. $10 buy-in blackjack tournament Fri. RV park.

Minden Minden (population 2,800) is situated where Nevada 88 meets US 395, 14 miles south of Carson City and 18 miles east of Lake Tahoe’s South Shore.

317. Carson Valley Inn Address: 1627 US Highway 395 North, Minden, Nevada 89423 Phone: 775–782–9711; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–321–6983 Website: www.cvinn.com Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino, with 24,000 square feet of gaming space; located near where Highway 88 dead-ends on Highway 395; driving instructions on website Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: noon–2 a.m. (sometimes later). Slot Machines: 650: 1¢ and up; many ticket in-ticket out; megajackpots Table Games: 11: Blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, keno Poker: 4 tables: 3 hold’em, 1 7stud. Games are low-limit and the entire area is nonsmoking. Regular tournaments: Limit hold’em Tue. 6 p.m. No-limit hold’em Thu. 6 p.m. Buy-in $25 with 1 $20 rebuy, and the top 5 places receive prize money. Entertainment: Cabaret Lounge is open 24 hours and

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE all live entertainment (live bands Tue.–Sun. evenings) is presented with no cover and no minimum. Restaurants: 3: Michael’s at the Inn (casual contemporary cuisine; dinners), Fiona’s Bar and Grill (dinner, Sun. brunch), Katie’s Country Kitchen (coffee shop; 24 hours); also, Job’s Perk (coffee, snacks) Accommodations: 237 rooms; hotel has 153 rooms, including 9 suites; Carson Valley Inn Motor Lodge is a 75-room facility on the grounds of the Carson Valley Inn Hotel/Casino/RV Resort. Dress Code: No Bonus: INN Club rewards card for slot and table play. Monthly blackjack tournaments. Sportsbook. RV Resort has 59 sites with full hook-ups.

North Las Vegas

Address: 2121 East Craig Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 Phone: 702–507–5700; toll-free: 1–866–999–4899 Website: www.cannerycasinos.com Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel-casino built in the style of a 1940s cannery on 28 acres, with 50,000 square feet of gaming space; located at the intersection of Craig and Losee Roads Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room open daily 10 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,275+: More than 1,100 ticket in-ticket out; progressives include inhouse, wide-area, Megabucks, other megajackpots Table Games: 21: Craps (10X odds), blackjack (single-, double-, multi-deck), roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, 3-5-7 poker Poker: Low-limit hold’em Entertainment: Tribute shows; headliners like the Association. Nightly entertainment in Pinups Bar. Restaurants: 4: Waverly’s Steakhouse (open daily at 5 p.m.), Casa Cocina Mexican Restaurant (open daily at 5 p.m.), Victory’s Café (24 hours), Cannery Row Buffet (lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch) Accommodations: 200+ rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: American Can Club rewards card for slot and table play. Cash giveaways. 100-seat sportsbook. 2 weekly blackjack tournament: Mon. and Fri., 10 a.m., $10 entry fee, all of which goes to the prize pool. Indoor-outdoor entertainment and exhibit venue accommodates up to 3,000. Pool. 1,700 parking spaces. Free gaming lessons Sat., Sun. 8 a.m.–9 a.m. Car shows, pool, and Jacuzzi.

319. Jerry’s Nugget Address: 1821 Las Vegas Boulevard North, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 Phone: 702–399–3000 Website: www.jerrysnugget.com Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 733+: 1¢ and up; including video poker Table Games: 13: blackjack, roulette, craps, keno ($100,000 maximum) lounge Poker: No Entertainment: Live performances every weekend in the Royal Street Theater Restaurants: 3: Canal Street Café

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318. Cannery Casino and Hotel

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North Las Vegas (population 135,000) is, as the name says, north of downtown Las Vegas, practically a suburb. Also see Las Vegas.

(24 hours), Cornucopia Snack Bar, European Bakery (baked goods, sandwiches) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: More Club Plus rewards card for slots, video poker, video keno, live keno, table games, and bingo. 400seat bingo hall with 6 sessions daily: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. Racebook and sportsbook.

320. The Silver Nugget Address: 2140 Las Vegas Boulevard North, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 Phone: 702–399–1111; fax: 702–657–8354 Website: www.mahoneyscasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website. Description: The Silver Nugget was built in 1964 by Las Vegas gaming pioneer Major Riddle, who was also behind the Dunes, Silver City, and Silverbird casinos, all of which have passed into history. The Silver Nugget stood empty in the late 1980s, but was reopened in 1990 by Gary Mahoney, whose entire family is now involved with operation of the casino, as well as the nearby Opera House Casino. The Silver Nugget contains 18,100 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 350: Slots, video poker, and keno machines Table Games: 9: Blackjack (double-deck, shoe, Royal Match) Poker: No Entertainment: Casino and Events Center: Las Vegas Theatricals presents the 2005 National Revival Tour of Hair, the quintessential 1960s musical of hippie life. Restaurants: 1: Mahoney’s Café is open Sun.–Thu. until 10 p.m., and Fri.–Sat. until 1 a.m. Accommodations: No Family Amenities: 24-lane bowling center, arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Silver Nugget Slot Club rewards card for slot play, also good at Opera House Casino. Has a “Millionaire Club” level, good for special awards. Bingo, with sessions at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. daily, plus 11 p.m. Fri., Sat. The 14,000-square-foot event center can host up to 1,200 people. 10 percent off for seniors (55+) in Mahoney’s Café. RV park with 152 full hook-up sites. Year-round heated pool and spa.

321. Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel Address: 2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032 Phone: 702–631–1000; toll-free: 1–800–654–8804; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–654–8888; toll-free Station Casinos: 1–800–6–STATIONS (1–800–682–8466) Website: www.texasstation.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 91,000-square-foot casino, with hotel and great family amenities, including bowling and a movie theater Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; keno lounge 7 a.m.–1 a.m. Slot Machines: 2,400+: Over 600 1¢ and 2¢; and up; includes video poker; megajackpots; high-limit area Table Games: 45: Blackjack single-, double-deck, super fun, shoe tables, craps (10X odds), 3 roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, three-card stud, Let It Ride, 3-5-7 poker, Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker, 43-seat keno lounge (including million-dollar 10spot) Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8 with half kill, $6-$12, no-limit with $1$12 blinds, $40 minimum buy-in, $100 maximum), Omaha high-low ($3-$6 with half kill). Omaha high-low tournaments Tue. 7 p.m. ($32 buy-in, no rebuys). Phone up to an

Pahrump Pahrump (population 25,000) is in Nevada’s western desert near the California border, 50 miles west of Las Vegas on the way to Death Valley. The original inhabitants, the Paiutes, called the valley “Pah” (water) and “Rump” (rock) because of an abundance of water. Pahrump has been said to sit over the third-largest aquifer in the world.

322. Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Gambling Hall Address: 681 South Highway 160, Pahrump, Nevada 89048 Phone: 775–751–6500; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–751–6500 Website: www.pahrumpnugget.com Description: Hotel with 60,000-square-foot casino, located at the corner of U.S. Highway 160 and 372 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room opens at noon daily. Slot Machines: 500+: 1¢–$1; progressives; statewide megajackpots Table Games: 10: Blackjack, Royal Match, roulette, craps, three-card poker, Let It Ride, single-deck super fun 21 Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit Mon., Wed.). Hold’em tournaments: Tue., Thu. 5 p.m.; $15 buy-in, unlimited $10 rebuys for the first hour; limit for the first hour, no-limit for the remainder. Sun. 4 p.m. no-limit $25 buy-in, unlimited $10 rebuys for the first hour. Freeroll every 3 months, with qualifying by hours played. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 7: Nugget Steakhouse (5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Golden Harvest Café (24 hours), Nugget Buffet (lunch, dinner), McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Yellow Submarine, Orange Julius Accommodations: 70 rooms Family Amenities: Kids Ventures for ages 2–12 years (Sun. noon–10 p.m., Mon.–Thu. 2 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight) Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Nugget rewards card. Cash and vehicle giveaways. Bingo, with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11

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hour ahead of arrival to be put on a waiting list; you will be kept on the list for 1 hour. Comp dollars awarded toward food. 2 progressive bad-beat jackpots are available at Palace Station, Boulder Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe, and Sunset Station. The jumbo hold’em bad beat progressive starts at $100,000, with a minimum of $35,000 awarded for the bad-beat losing hand, $20,000 awarded for the bad-beat winning hand, and the remainder distributed to players at the table who were in the hand. The property progressive bad beat starts at $10,000. Entertainment: Dallas Event Center has headliners like Merle Haggard, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Charley Pride. Club Armadillo has live dance music Sun. evening. Restaurants: 12: Texas Star Oyster Bar (seafood; lunch, dinner), Texas Café (24 hours), Feast around the World Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Austins Steakhouse (dinners; Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), San. Lorenzo (Italian; Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Fatburger, Sbarro, Starbucks, Hot Dog on a Stick, Baja Fresh, Panda Express, Quizno’s Accommodations: 200 rooms (AAA Triple Diamond Rating) Family Amenities: 60lane bowling center, 18-screen movie theater Dress Code: No Bonus: Boarding Pass rewards card for slot, table, and poker play. 55+ Boarding Pass card offers discount coupons and cash giveaways for seniors. Jumbo Jackpots can hit at any time for club members. 220-seat race and sportsbook. 550-seat bingo parlor, with 8 daily sessions on the odd hours, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

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p.m. Blackjack tournament Mon. 7 p.m. Free video poker Wed., with rounds starting at 4 p.m. and finals at 8:10 p.m., paying $100 for first, $50 for second, and $25 for third, plus all finalists get 1,000 points on Club Nugget card. Seniors (55+) get 2-for-1 buffet dinners Sun.–Thu.

323. Saddle West Hotel-Casino & RV Resort Address: 1220 South Highway 160, Pahrump, Nevada 89048 Phone: 775–727–1111; toll-free: 1–800–433–3987 Website: www.saddlewest.com

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Description: Resort-hotel on more than 33 acres; casino has more than 12,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Table games open 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 350+: Including video poker Table Games: 9: Blackjack, craps (5X odds), roulette, super fun 21 Poker: No Entertainment: Free dance classes Sun. 6 p.m.—8 p.m. Oldies concerts. Restaurants: 1: Silver Spur Restaurant (Sun.–Thu. 5 a.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. open 24 hours; includes buffets) Accommodations: 158 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Saddle West Sam’s Players Club rewards card. Free slot tournament Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–noon, culminating in a tournament of champions. Blackjack tournaments Tue. 7 p.m., Thu. 1 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Golf tournaments. Chili cook-offs. RV Resort has 80 extra-wide pull-through spaces, all with full hookups.

324. Terrible’s Town Casino Address: 771 South Frontage Road, Pahrump, Nevada 89048 Phone: 775–751–7777; toll-free: 1–888–TERRIBLE (1–888–837–7425) Website: www.terribleherbst.com/casinos/terriblestownpahrump Description: 30,000-square-foot casino, located at the intersection of Betty Avenue and State Route 160 Frontage Road Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 285 Table Games: 6: 5 blackjack ($200 maximum; 2 Bonus Blackjack tables), 1 craps Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em (spread-limit: $1-$3 first 2 cards, $1-$6 last 2) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Pizza Hut, Blimpie’s; plus Baskin-Robbins ice cream Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Terrible’s Player’s Club rewards card for slots. 150-seat bingo hall. Sportsbook.

Primm Primm is the first gambling center you encounter driving to Nevada on I-5 from Southern California, right at the state line. Primm consists entirely of the three Primm Valley Casino Resorts, which are located 35 miles south of Las Vegas. The town of Primm consists of an apartment complex with 52 units that can be inhabited only by employees of one of the casinos. Primm Valley Resort is served by many bus companies from wide areas of Southern California and the Southwest. A monorail system connects Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino to Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino and Primm Valley Resort & Casino. Ground shuttle service is also available between the properties. Free parking is available in parking lots surrounding each hotel and in a parking garage, as well as complimentary valet parking.


325. Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino

326. Primm Valley Resort & Casino Address: 31900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Primm, Nevada 89019 Phone: 702–386–7867; toll-free: 1–800–FUNSTOP (1–800–386–7867) Website: www.primmvalleyresorts.com Email: [email protected] Description: Primm Valley is the first of the 3 Primm Valley Resort casinos, on your right after you cross the border from California, opposite Whiskey Pete’s at the northbound exit ramp off I-15. It has a hotel, and the casino has 46,100 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,510: Video slots, video poker, keno machines Table Games: 33: Blackjack, craps, roulette, keno lounge Poker: No Entertainment: The Primm Valley Piano Bar presents pianists nightly Thu.–Sun. Restaurants: 5: GP’s (American), Greens Buffet, Gallery Café (24 hours), Rosie’s Pizzeria, snack bar; also Häagen Dazs Accommodations: 624 rooms and suites Family Amenities: RV Village has a sand volleyball court and a children’s playground Dress Code: No Bonus: Primm Rewards card, with the same card good at Buffalo Bill’s, Primm Valley, and Whiskey Pete’s. Racebook and sportsbook. The Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, called one of the top outlet malls in the country, is next door. Bonnie & Clyde/Dutch Shultz-Al Capone has the original Bonnie & Clyde “Getaway Car,” the shirt Clyde was wearing at the time of his death, and the restored Dutch Schultz-Al Capone gangster car (free admission; open 24 hours). 20,800 square feet of meeting, exhibit, and banquet space. Primm Valley RV Village has 199 full-service hook-ups, including 75-foot pull-throughs.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Buffalo Bill’s is the third of the 3 Primm Valley Resort casinos, on your right after you cross the border from California. It has a hotel, and the casino has 46,000 square feet of gaming space. The casino has a red barn facade and there is a man-made mountain in front. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,723: Video slots, video poker, keno machines Table Games: 43: Blackjack, craps, keno, roulette Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($2-$6 spread-limit) Entertainment: 6,500-seat Star of the Desert Arena offers headline entertainment like Tanya Tucker, Brooks & Dunn, B.B. King, Reba, John Michael Montgomery, and Chicago. Buffalo Bill’s Stage Bar offers Las Vegas lounge acts. Carolee’s Theatre is open for matinees and evening shows of first-run movies. Restaurants: 8: Tony Roma’s, Wagonmaster Coffee Shop, Miss Ashley’s Boarding House Buffet, Rosie’s Pizzeria, La Salsa Mexican Grill, Panda Express (Chinese), McDonald’s, Frisella’s Roastery (chicken and ribs); also Häagen Dazs, Coffee Corner Accommodations: 1,242 rooms and suites in 2 hotel towers Family Amenities: Desperado, the world’s tallest (according to The Guinness Book of World Records; 225-foot drop) and one of the fastest (90 mph) roller coasters in the world, the Turbo Drop, The Vault (a 3D motion simulation adventure), and the Adventure Canyon Log Flume Ride. Dress Code: No Bonus: Primm Rewards card, with the same card good at Buffalo Bill’s, Primm Valley, and Whiskey Pete’s. Racebook and sportsbook. World’s only buffalo-shaped swimming pool.

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Address: 31900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Primm, Nevada 89019 Phone: 702–386–7867; toll-free: 1–800–FUNSTOP (1–800–386–7867) Website: www.primmvalleyresorts.com

327. Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino Address: 100 West Primm Boulevard, Primm, Nevada 89019 Phone: 702–386–7867; toll-free: 1–800–FUNSTOP (1–800–386–7867) Website: www.primmvalleyresorts.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Whiskey Pete’s is the second of the 3 Primm Valley Resort casinos, on your left after you cross the border from California, opposite Primm Valley at the northbound exit ramp off I-15. It has a hotel, designed as an 1800s mining town, with 2 castle towers; the casino has 36,300 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,314: Video slots, video poker, keno machines Table Games: 30: Blackjack, craps, keno, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: 700-seat Whiskey Pete’s showroom: Whiskey Pete’s Comedy Club Fri. and Sat. nights. Stage Bar Lounge: free performances by top lounge entertainers. Restaurants: 4: Silver Spur Steak House, Wagon Wheel Buffet, Trail’s End Coffee Shop (24 hours), McDonald’s Accommodations: 777 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Primm Rewards card, with the same card good at Buffalo Bill’s, Primm Valley, and Whiskey Pete’s. Racebook and sportsbook.

Reno Reno (population 181,000) is 26 miles north of Carson City, on the Truckee River, and is called “The Biggest Little City in the World.” Located in the Sierra on Highway 80, Reno is near some of the finest skiing in the world. Reno has many casinos, some of them qualifying as mega-resorts, but does not have the glitz of Las Vegas, nor is it as dependent on its casinos for revenue. The Nevada Museum of Art features world-class masterworks from the collection of Steve Wynn. The National Automobile Museum displays over 200 antique, classic, vintage, and special-interest automobiles in four galleries and four authentic street scenes, and also includes the largest automotive library in the world.

328. Atlantis Casino Resort Address: 3800 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89502 Phone: 775–825–4700; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–723–6500 Website: www.atlantiscasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Casino-hotel with 32,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400: 1¢ (300+) and up; including video poker; megajackpots Table Games: 150+: Craps (3X, 4X, 5X odds, with maximum payout of $7,000), roulette, blackjack (single-deck games dealt face down, 6- and 8-deck shoe games dealt face up), three-card poker, Wild Hold’em Fold’em, Fortune Pai Gow, keno (including million-dollar 10-spot; progressive pay tables on 3- to 9-spot tickets paying up to $100,000) Poker: 5 tables: 4 hold’em ($3-$6; no-limit on weekends, with $50 minimum buy-in, $200 maximum, 3 blinds, $1 on button, $1 small blind, $2 big blind), 1 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit). Poker room is completely nonsmoking. Entertainment: Center Stage Cabaret offers free live musical entertainment Tue.–Sun., presenting bands with different styles of music, R

329. Bonanza Casino Address: 4720 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89506 Phone: 775–323–2724 Website: www.bonanzacasino.com Description: 14,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 450: 1¢ (65+) to $5; including megajackpots Table Games: 12: claims to be the only casino in Northern Nevada to offer $1 single-deck blackjack, 25¢ roulette, and 25¢ craps; also, $100,000 keno (including Nevada Numbers and million-dollar 10spot) Poker: No Entertainment: See website Restaurants: 2: Branding Iron Café (24 hours), Cactus Creek (Southwestern specialties) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sportsbook. Casino is popular with locals. Meeting and banquet facilities can accommodate up to 115.

330. Circus Circus Reno Address: 500 North Sierra Street, Reno, Nevada 89503 Phone: 775–329–0711; toll-free: 1–800–648–5010 or 1–888–682–0147 Website: www.circusreno.com Description: Like its sister property in Las Vegas, the casino houses a permanent circus, with acts performing directly above the heads of the gamblers, plus a midway for the entire family. The hotel has 3 towers, and the casino has 65,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: 1¢–$5 Table Games: 60: Craps, roulette, pai gow poker, minibaccarat, $1 blackjack Poker: 8 tables: All hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12, nolimit with blinds of $2 and $2, $5 bring-in, $50 minimum buy-in, $500 maximum). Tournaments every day, 2 on Mon., Fri., Tue., Thu. at 6 p.m., $25 buy-in with unlimited

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& B, oldies, and soul-Motown (4 p.m.–4 a.m.). 1,500-seat Grand Ballroom presents bigname musicians, comedians, and more. Restaurants: 9: Toucan Charlie’s Buffet, Grille (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. champagne brunch), Atlantis Seafood Steakhouse (open nightly at 5 p.m.), Monte Vigna Italian Ristoranté (open nightly 5 p.m.), Oyster Bar on the Sky Terrace (lunch and dinner), Sushi Bar on the Sky Terrace (open daily at 11:30 a.m.), Purple Parrot (24 hours), Café Alfresco (pizza, pasta, salad; lunch and dinner), Java Coast Espresso Lounge & Pastry Bar (6 a.m.–10 p.m.), Fun Center Snack Bar & Soda Fountain Accommodations: 1,000 rooms and suites in 3 towers Family Amenities: Fun Center Arcade, with prizes offered on redemption games Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Paradise rewards card for slots, table games, poker, and live keno. Players are chosen at random to receive cash bonuses, but unlike other bonus payout systems, players need not first win a jackpot. View live keno results online at the website. Regular tournaments: Pai gow poker, Tue. 7 p.m. ($500 first place, $20 buy-in). Dice: Mon. 7 p.m. ($500 first place). Free slot tournament: Tue., Thu., Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. ($1,000 in cash and prizes including a free pull on every $1 slot machine in the City of Gold). Blackjack: Wed. 7 p.m. ($500 first place, $20 buy-in). Three-card poker: Thu. 7 p.m. ($20 buy-in). Free keno tournament every Thu. with $500 prize pool. 32,000 square feet of convention and banquet space available, and another 500,000 square feet of meeting space directly across the street at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

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rebuys first hour, $20 add-on, first prize usually over $1,300 Entertainment: Free circus acts. Different acts perform each half hour 11 a.m.–midnight. Circus Cabaret has local acts. Restaurants: 6: The Steakhouse at Circus (smoke-free; open daily from 5 p.m.), Kokopelli’s Sushi, Bonici Brothers Pizzeria, Courtyard Buffet, Main Street Deli, Americana Café Accommodations: 1,500+ rooms and suites Family Amenities: Midway, with over 29 redemption games and 33 carnival games, plus an arcade with over 70 electronic games Dress Code: No Bonus: One Club rewards card, good at all Mandalay Resort Group properties, 10 casinos in 4 cities. Racebook and sportsbook. Slot and video poker tournaments. Daily blackjack tournament, 6 p.m., $5 or 200-point entry, $200 prize pool. Ski packages available in winter.

331. Club Cal Neva

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Address: 140 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–323–1046; toll-free: 1–877–777–7303; hotel reservations: 775–954–4540 Website: www.clubcalneva.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel centrally located between 1st and 2nd Streets (north-south) and Center and Virginia Streets (east-west); casino has 80,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,575: 1¢ and up; 500+ EZ Pay Table Games: 46: Blackjack (doubleand single-deck), roulette (both single- and double-zero), bonus pai gow poker, Let It Ride, 3-5-7 poker, three-card poker, $250,000 keno (with million-dollar tickets) Poker: 7 tables: Hold’em, Omaha high-low with a kill, 7-stud, 7-stud high-low. Daily tournaments: Omaha, Mon.–Fri., 9:30 a.m.; hold’em, Mon.–Fri., 9:45 a.m. These are winner-take-all 1hour tournaments, $10 buy-in, plus each entry receives a coupon for a free breakfast. Bad-beat jackpots for all games; high hand of the day and royal flush jackpots. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Copper Ledge Restaurant (Mon.–Sun. 5 p.m.–close, breakfast Sat., Sun. only 7 a.m.–2 p.m.), Top Deck Restaurant (24 hours), Bulldog’s Sports Grill (Mon.–Thu. 24 hours, Fri.–Sun. 6 a.m.–10 p.m.), Snack Bar II, Sports Deli; also, Coffee Depot Accommodations: 300+ rooms and suites Family Amenities: Arcade with Hyperbowl (has playing venue simulations) Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash Club rewards card for slots play. Free weekly coupon book to Cash Club members. Special coupon book for Canadians. View live keno results online at the website. Racebook and sportsbook. Free covered parking and valet service.

332. Eldorado Hotel Casino Address: 345 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–786–5700; toll-free: 1–800–648–5966; fax: 775–348–7513 Website: www.eldoradoreno.com Description: Casino-hotel in downtown Reno with 91,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500+: 5¢–$100; including 3-, 4-, and 5-reelers, criss-crosses, multipliers, progressives, video keno, and video poker Table Games: 82: Baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, roulette, keno lounge Poker: 9 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6 and $4-$8 with a full kill, no-limit), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit). No-limit hold’em tourna-

333. Fitzgeralds Casino/Hotel Address: 255 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89504 Phone: 775–785–3300; toll-free: 1–800–535–LUCK (1–800–535–5825); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–648–5022 Website: www.fitzgeraldsreno.com Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel in downtown Reno right at the base of the famous Reno Arch, with Irish-themed casino that has more than 26,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800+: 1¢–$5; including Megabucks Table Games: 28: Blackjack (including single-deck games), craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em, keno lounge (with million-dollar tickets) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Lord Fitzgeralds Feast and Merriment (buffet), Molly’s Garden Restaurant (24 hours), Limericks Pub & Grille Accommodations: 351 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Fitzgeralds Card for slot play. Check points balance online at the website. View live keno results online at the website or in your hotel room on the Keno Channel.

334. Golden Phoenix Hotel & Casino Address: 255 North Sierra Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–785–7100; toll-free: 1–800–648–1828 Website: www.goldenphoenixreno.com Description: Casino-hotel in downtown Reno with 45,000 square feet of gaming space in 2 casino sections, one on Sierra Street, the other on Virginia Street, connected by a skyway. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 770+: 1¢–$25; progressives and megajackpots; high-stakes area Table Games: 19: Blackjack, Bonus Blackjack, Royal Match, three-card poker, pai gow poker, roulette, craps, keno (with progressive jackpot tickets) Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom: rap concerts, like Chingy with 2 Live Crew; Perfect 10 show, an adult revue;

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ment Tue. and Wed. 6 p.m. Fri.: “Bonus Bucks” in the $4-$8 hold’em, with first 20 players receiving a $20 bonus (based on 2 hours of play) at 6 p.m. Bad-beat jackpot. The poker room is nonsmoking 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Entertainment: 580-seat Eldorado Showroom offers Broadway-style shows like Spirit of the Dance. The Brew Brothers brew pub has live rock and blues nightly. Roxy Restaurant and Bar has live piano and vocals. Casino Cabaret has live local groups weekends, with no cover charge. Restaurants: 9: Roxy’s Restaurant (open 5:30 p.m. daily), Chefs’ Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), La Strada (Italian; open 5 p.m. for dinner Fri.–Tue., closed Wed. and Thu.), Brew Brothers (microbrewery and meals; open daily 11:30 a.m. for lunch, open 11 a.m. Sat. and Sun.), Prime Rib Grill (open 5 p.m. for dinner Wed.–Sun., closed Mon. and Tue.), Tivoli Gardens Restaurant (24 hours), Golden Fortune (Chinese; open 5 p.m. for dinner Tue.–Sat., closed Sun. and Mon.), Choices Restaurant (Express Café: open 7:30 a.m., Asian Kitchen: open 11:30 a.m.; Sushi Bar: open lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Wed.–Sun., open dinner 5 p.m., closed Mon. and Tue.); also, Eldorado Coffee Co. (open 6:30 a.m. daily) Accommodations: 800+ rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Eldorado rewards card, with 5 membership levels, for slots, table games, keno. Sportsbook. 60 Plus Club, with rewards and discounts for seniors. Convention and meeting space for 20–1,000.

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John Hammond Blues Concert Restaurants: 8: The Top (fine dining in Reno’s only rooftop restaurant; open Wed.–Sat.), Vino’s (Italian; dinner Tue.–Sun. 4 p.m.–10 p.m.), Benihana’s Japanese Steakhouse, Aces Diner (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Deuces Café (New York-style; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Pizza Hut, La Michoacana (tacos), Subway (sandwiches); also, Dreyer’s (ice cream) Accommodations: 604 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Phoenix rewards card for slot and table play. Racebook and sportsbook. Blackjack tournament Thu. evening, $20 buy-in. Keno tournament Sat. 2–8 p.m., $20 buy-in, 1st place $150, 2nd $100, 3rd $50. Hotel has stay-and-play packages and winter ski packages. Salon and spa.

335. Harrah’s Reno

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Address: 219 N. Center Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–786–3232; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Reno Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/ren/

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Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the heart of downtown Reno next to the famous “Biggest Little City” arch. Harrah’s Reno was the very first “Harrah’s” property, opening as a bingo parlor in 1937. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,080: Reel slots, video reel, video poker, video keno, multi-game (can consist of video poker, video reel, video keno, or some combination). Cashless machines include those that start at or are single denomination 1¢ and 2¢ machines. Over 900 Fast Cash machines. All accept coins, except the 1¢ and 2¢ machines. About 180 machines have coin-in-coin-out only capabilities (no ticketing). Progressive jackpots, both standalone and linked, in all machine types. Table Games: 52: 2 standard payoff single-deck blackjack, 9 single-deck blackjack 6-to-5 blackjack, 12 double-deck blackjack, 6 shoe blackjack, 3 craps, 3 roulette, 1 pai gow tiles, 6 Fortune Pai Gow, 3 midi-baccarat, 1 baccarat, 2 three-card poker, 1 four-card poker, 2 Let It Ride Bonus, 1 3-5-7 poker. Blackjack includes 6 Lucky Ladies and 8 Royal Match bonus tables. Poker: Poker room always open, with hold’em the most popular game. Regular tournaments: Daily $20+$5 hold’em 10 a.m., with sign-ups beginning at 9:30 a.m. Mon. $20+$5 hold’em 6 p.m., with signups from 4–6 p.m. Monthly tournaments include qualifiers for the World Series of Poker. Poker room is smoke-free. Entertainment: Revues and stage productions in Sammy’s Showroom Restaurants: 7: Harrah’s award-winning Steak House (winner of the DiRoNA, awarded to only 537 restaurants in North America), Cafe Andreotti (upscale Italian), Fresh Market Square Buffet, Lucky Noodle Bar (Asian specialty), North Beach Deli (sandwiches, salads, soups), Cafe Napa (24-hour dining with American and Asian specialties); also, Club Cappuccino (coffeehouse) Accommodations: 957 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Children’s arcade where the kids can play electronic games while parents gamble Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. Harrah’s bingo offers both paper bingo cards and electronic touch-screens. The latter allow guests to play solitaire while awaiting the next call and can even track a guest’s play if the guest has to leave temporarily during a session. 6 1-hour bingo sessions are offered daily. Each session includes 11 games. Sessions begin at 10:30 a.m. and are held every 2 hours until 8:30 p.m. On Fri. and Sat. nights “speed bingo” offers 20 games per session complete with music and disco lighting held for electronic play only and starting at 10:30 p.m.


336. Peppermill Reno Hotel Casino

337. Reno Hilton Address: 2500 East Second Street, Reno, Nevada 89595 Phone: 775–789–2000; toll-free: 1–800–648–5080 or 1–800–501–2651 Website: www.renohilton.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Mega-resort in downtown Reno containing northern Nevada’s largest casino, with 115,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500: 1¢–$100 Table Games: 44: Baccarat, blackjack, craps, double down stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, roulette, three-card poker, keno (including speed keno, 100 games in 15 minutes; also, Nevada Numbers) Poker: 9 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, no-limit). The poker room is the home of the Spring Pot of Gold

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Casino-hotel in downtown Reno with 80,400 square feet of gaming space; located in the center of Reno’s new shopping, restaurant, and entertainment district Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000: 1¢, 5¢ (170+), and up; reel-type, multi-coin, multi-game video machines, draw poker, bonus poker, triple play poker, keno, blackjack; megajackpots; all machines are ticket in-ticket out, including high-limit area Table Games: 59: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, keno (including million-dollar tickets) Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8, $10-$20; on Fri. $10-$20 becomes $15-$30 at 5 p.m. with overs and on Mon. becomes $20-$40). Limit and no-limit hold’em tournaments every day, with buy-ins ranging from $20–$100. Spring Poker Tournament: 9 days of events, usually 2 per day, with buy-ins ranging from $100–$500, and ongoing satellites. This is a very popular event with players from all over California and the Northwest. Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Free poker lessons daily at noon. Entertainment: Showroom has headliners like Merle Haggard, The Marshall Tucker Band, Freddy Fender, Jefferson Starship, Don Ho, Mickey Rooney, Don McLean, and Joni Morris. The Cabaret has free nightly shows, usually till 3:30 or 4 a.m. Steakhouse Lounge also has nightly live music. Restaurants: 9: White Orchid (rated 4 Diamond by AAA and winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence; dinner from 5:30 p.m.; reservations recommended), Romanza Ristorante Italiano (dinner from 5:30 p.m.), Island Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), Coffee Shop, Steak House (dinner from 5:30 p.m.; reservations recommended), International Food Court (Italian, Asian, Mexican, American; lunch and dinner daily, weekend breakfast), Café Espresso (coffee, sandwiches, deli) Accommodations: 1,100 rooms, including 185 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Peppermill Passport rewards card for slots, table games, live poker, keno, and racebook and sportsbook play. Blackjack, keno tournaments. Race and sportsbook. Meeting and convention center. Full-service health club; free to hotel guests.

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Address: 2707 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89502 Phone: 775–826–2121; toll-free: 1–800–648–6992 or 1–866–821–9996; fax: 775–689–7311; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–866–821–9996 or 1–800–282–2444 Website: www.peppermillreno.com

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and Fall Pot of Gold Tournaments, each 11 days of events with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $2,500, and the World Poker Challenge, 2 weeks of events culminating in the $5,000 buy-in championship, a World Poker Tour event. Reno Hilton is a charter member of the World Poker Tour. Entertainment: 1,750-seat Hilton Theater is home to the world’s largest stage (over 2 acres) and presents concerts and stage shows, including David Copperfield, Wynonna, Elvis Costello, Harry Connick, Jr., Brad Garrett, G-Love and Special Sauce, and Joe Satriani. The Outdoor Amphitheater, adjacent to the hotel, seats 8,500 and hosts the 100 Days of Summer, with stars like Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Alan Jackson, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and Styx. The Garage nightspot presents live bands. Restaurants: 10: The Steak House (dinner nightly), Andiamo (Italian; dinner nightly), Asiana (Chinese, Thai, Japanese, sushi bar; lunch, dinner), Lindy’s Coffee Shop (24 hours), Lodge Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Johnny Rockets (American favorites; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m.), Chevys Fresh Mex (24 hours), Java Coast (coffee shop; 24 hours), Port of Subs (sandwiches), Round Table Pizza; also, TCBY (frozen yogurt) Accommodations: 2,000 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Fun Quest is 40,000 square feet and includes parlor games (including air hockey, skee-ball, pop-a-shot), simulator rides, laser tag arenas, video games (with parental ratings so parents know if they are age-appropriate), soft-play “Tumble Town” maze for preschoolers, and private rooms available for birthday parties and family gatherings; supervised fun for children of any age (Mon.–Thu. 3 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight, Sun. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.). 50-lane bowling alley (24 hours), motorcycle rental, and go-karts. Also: Clay Quest, a painting, ceramic, and craft workshop for kids (Mon.–Fri. 3:30 p.m.–8 p.m., Sat., Sun. 12 p.m.–8 p.m.); Snowind Sports, a shop that rents skis and other outdoor sports equipment (9 a.m.–7 p.m., daily); 18-hole miniature golf course, illuminated for evening play (Mon.–Thu. 1 p.m.–6 p.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m.–10 p.m.). Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Daily cash drawings. SuperBook, Reno Hilton’s race and sportsbook, has 100 seats with miniTVs, 27 high-definition screens, and many betting opportunities not offered elsewhere. Let It Ride and horse handicapping tournaments. KOA Kampground with 174 camp sites, each equipped with full hook-ups; also, laundry facilities, dumping areas, comfort stations, and a convenience store. Over 200,000 square feet of meeting and conference space, including 45 breakout rooms, with audio, video, projection, and teleconferencing facilities.


338. Sands Regency Casino Hotel

339. Siena Hotel Spa Casino Address: One South Lake Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–32–SIENA (775–327–4362); toll-free: 1–877–SIENA–33 (1–877–743–6233); fax: 775–337–6608 Website: www.sienareno.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with an Italian ambiance, modeled after its namesake, on the banks of the Truckee River near downtown Reno, with 23,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 737: 1¢-$100; multi-game, touch-screen, video slots, keno, 21, poker Table Games: 25: Blackjack, craps (10X odds), Fortune Pai Gow, roulette, keno, 3-5-7 poker, three-card poker, four-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Lexie’s on the River (fine dining), Contrada Café (24 hours), Enoteca (Italian for “wine cellar,” this wine bar features over 35 wines by the glass and more than 300 choices by the bottle; Cellar Dining Room can be booked for parties up to 18 for dining amidst the 18,000-bottle cellar) Accommodations: 214 Dress Code: No Bonus: RiverCard rewards card for slot and table play. Cash giveaways, video poker tournaments, and special coupon book for casino workers from other clubs. 11,000 square feet of meeting space accommodates professional or social gatherings from 20–500. Spa.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel at 4th and Arlington in downtown Reno with 27,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+: over 75 percent EZ pay ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 22: Blackjack (including $2 single-deck), craps (10X odds), roulette, three-card poker, Let It Ride, keno, pai gow poker Poker: “Mom’s Poker Room” has 3 tables (more planned soon): hold’em ($3-$6, and no-limit with $50 minimum buy-in, $200 maximum). Tournament every morning at 10. Entertainment: Sands Just for Laughs comedy club (Tue.–Sun. evenings). Also lounge entertainment in Tequila Bar, local bands (Wed.–Sun. 9 p.m.–2 a.m.) Restaurants: 5: Mel’s Diner, Tony Roma’s (ribs; open for dinner nightly from 4 p.m.), Antonia’s Italian Buffet (Wed.–Sun. from 5 p.m.), Pizza Hut, Arby’s Accommodations: 800+ rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Bonus Beach Club rewards card for slot play. Sportsbook. Bingo parlor: 6 sessions daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m., plus Fri.–Sat. at 11 p.m. Wedding chapel. Penthouse Jacuzzi and health club on the 17th floor, with exercise facility, steam, and sauna. Free blackjack tournaments twice daily (6 a.m.–9 a.m., 6 p.m.–9 p.m.), with $100 in gaming chips for 1st place and $50 in gaming chips for 2nd. Sand volleyball court. 12,000 square feet of meeting space can accommodate events from small meetings to large conventions. Free daily slot tournament with $300 prize pool (8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.).

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Address: 345 North Arlington Avenue, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–348–2200; toll-free: 1–866–FUNSTAY 1–866–386–7829; tollfree hotel reservations 1–800–648–3553 Website: www.sandsregency.com

340. Silver Legacy Resort and Casino Address: 407 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89501 Phone: 775–325–7411; toll-free: 1–800–215–7721; hotel reservations: 775–325–7401; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–MUSTSEE (1–800–687–8733) Website: www.silverlegacy.com

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Description: Casino-hotel in downtown Reno with 85,000 square feet of gaming space. Inside the casino, encased within what is claimed to be the world’s largest composite dome, is a 120-foot-high automated mining machine that simulates the production of silver coins. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,000: 1¢ and up; megajackpots Table Games: 85: Baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, roulette, Spanish 21, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Top-name entertainers include Tony Bennett, Olivia Newton John, Chicago, Kenny G, Huey Lewis & The News, Michael Bolton, Jay Leno, Blondie, Bill Cosby, B.B. King, and Joe Cocker. Catch-A-Rising-Star Comedy Club has nightly shows Tue.–Sun. Restaurants: 5: Sterling’s Seafood Steakhouse (open from 5 p.m. nightly, Sun. champagne brunch 9 a.m.–2 p.m.), Fairchild’s Oyster Bar (lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. daily), Victorian Buffet, Sweetwater Café (24 hours), Fresh Express Food Court (Chinese noodle kitchen, American grill, New York-style deli sandwiches, pizza oven); also, SIPS Coffee and Tea Accommodations: 1,720 rooms and suites in 3 towers (37, 34, and 31 stories) Family Amenities: Arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Legacy rewards card for slots, table games, and keno. 90,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, including a 20,000-square-foot ballroom and a 40,000square-foot pavilion. Health spa.

Sparks Sparks (population 66,000) is just east of Reno on Highway 80, and usually referred to as Reno’s twin city. Locals like to say, “Reno must be close to hell; on a clear day, you can see Sparks.”

341. John Ascuaga’s Nugget Address: 1100 Nugget Avenue, Sparks, Nevada 89431 Phone: 775–356–3300; toll-free: 1–800–648–1177 Website: www.janugget.com Description: Casino-hotel with 84,000 square feet of gaming space. Directions: From the west (Sacramento, San Francisco), go east on Interstate 80 towards Reno/Sparks, take the Rock Blvd./Nugget Avenue (exit 17) exit, stay right (Nugget Ave.) and follow the signs. From the East (Elko, Salt Lake City), go west on Interstate 80 towards Reno/Sparks, take the Pyramid Way (exit 18) exit and bear left (look for the Nugget Avenue signs directing you left). After going under the freeway, turn right onto Nugget Ave. and follow the signs. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,400+: 1¢ and up; multi-denominational games, megajackpots Table Games: 50: Blackjack (single-, double-, multi-deck), craps (3X, 4X, 5X odds), roulette, three-card poker, Fortune Pai Gow, Let It Ride, Extreme 21, keno (two games, 5¢, 10¢,


Address: 1040 Victorian Avenue, Sparks, Nevada 89432 Phone: 775–358–4771; toll-free: 1–800–905–7774 Website: www.silverclub.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with 28,000 square feet of gaming space. Directions: From San Francisco and Sacramento, take Highway 80 east into Sparks, take the Pyramid exit 18 North (go under the freeway), turn left at the second traffic light onto C street, go 2 blocks, and you will see the hotel on the right and the casino on the left. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 786 Table Games: 10: 6 Blackjack, 1 roulette, 1 craps, 1 three-card poker, 1 four-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Gazebo Lounge has live bands (Thu. 7 p.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 p.m.–1 a.m.) Restaurants: 4: Anna Maria’s Italian Ristorante (Thu.–Sat., 5 p.m.–9 p.m.), Victoria’s Steak Buffet (opens 4 p.m. Thu.–Mon.), Town Square Restaurant (24 hours), Port of Subs (sandwiches; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.) Accommodations: 200+ rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Quick Silver Slot Club rewards card. Slot and blackjack tournaments. View live keno results online at the website.

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342. Silver Club Hotel & Casino

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25¢, 50¢ bets available, with $1 minimum per game) Poker: No Entertainment: Celebrity Showroom has acts like Harry James Orchestra, Danny Marona, and The Royal Swing Orchestra. Rose Ballroom has headliners like Chris Isaak, Hall & Oates, KC & The Sunshine Band, The Chieftains, and Burt Bacharach. Restaurants: 9: John’s Oyster Bar, Steak House Grill, Rotisserie Buffet, Noodle Hut (from 11 a.m.), Gabe’s Pub & Deli, Restaurante Orozko (American cuisine with Mediterranean style), Trader Dick’s (Polynesian and American), Rosie’s Café (24 hours) Farm House Coffee Shop (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 1,600 rooms in 2 29-story towers Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo. Slot tournaments. Keno tournaments. View live keno results online at the website. Convention complex has 110,000 square feet of meeting space, with 2 ballrooms, a trade show pavilion, and 23 breakout rooms. Property-wide wireless Internet access. Also, high-speed Internet kiosks in the hotel lobby, plus 3 computer rooms at the business center.

Stateline Stateline (population 1,200) is on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, right on the state line and contiguous with South Lake Tahoe, California. The main street, Highway 50, passes through town, and the casinos are all clustered right near the border. Lake Tahoe has two world-class ski resorts in the South Shore area. Heavenly Valley, with its unbeatable views of the lake, is literally minutes from the casinos, and Kirkwood, which is higher, more sheltered, and often has better snow, is not much farther. Take the gondola ride to the top at Heavenly Valley any time of year for a spectacular view of the whole lake and the mountains on all sides.

343. Bill’s Casino

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Address: Highway 50, P. O. Box 8, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–6611; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Bill’s Lake Tahoe Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/bil/index.html

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done on the website Description: Bill’s Casino is the “little brother” of, and right next door to, Harrah’s. The casino has 18,000 square feet of gaming. It’s a small club, popular with locals and those who like a more laid-back atmosphere than the frenetic pace of the large resorts. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: The “Pennies in Heaven” section features coinless penny slots. “Nuttin’ but Nickels” is an entire section devoted to nickel video poker and slot machines. Also, video keno and progressive slot and poker jackpots. Table Games: 13: 11 blackjack, 1 roulette, 1 craps Poker: No Entertainment: William’s Back Door Blues Club has live groups on weekends Restaurants: 1: Bill’s Roadhouse (steaks, burgers), known for the William One Pound Burger. If you can eat one you’ll have your picture taken and displayed on the Roadhouse “Wall of Fame.” Also, The Biggest Steak at the Lake (22 ounces) is a Roadhouse signature item. Accommodations: See Harrah’s Family Amenities: Arcade at Harrah’s Dress Code: No Bonus: Bill’s Players Card earns cash back, 2-for-1 Harrah’s Production Shows, 2-for-1 M.S. Dixie Lake Cruises, 10 percent to 25 percent off Holiday Lodge Motel, play-based invitations to events, parties, and tournaments, 25 percent off at the Bill’s Roadhouse.

344. Caesars Tahoe Address: 55 Highway 50, P.O. Box 5800, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–3515; toll-free: 1–800–648–3353 Website: www.caesars.com/Caesars/Tahoe Email: Contact form on website Description: Resort-hotel, across Highway 50 from the Horizon, on 27.2 acres with 40,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,066: $100 (9), $25 (11), $10 (12), $5 (48), $2 (15), $1 (235), 50¢ (14), 25¢ (457), 5¢ (160) Table Games: 58: 1 baccarat, 34 blackjack, 1 Caribbean Stud, 4 craps, 3 Let It Ride, 2 mini-baccarat, 1 pai gow tiles, 2 pai gow poker, 6 roulette, 2 threecard poker, 1 big six wheel; plus keno Poker: No Entertainment: Circus Maximus


Address: Highway 50, P.O. Box 8, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–6611; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/tah Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done on the website Description: Resort complex with 65,000-square-foot casino, right at the state line; it’s the first casino on the right as you drive on Highway 50 from California. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: Including more than 50 with jackpots over $1 million Table Games: 108: Baccarat, mini-baccarat, blackjack (single- and double-deck, 8-deck shoe), craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker Poker: No Entertainment: South Shore Room: Headline acts like Queensryche, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Night Ranger, Dave Mason, and Sammy Hagar. Casino Center Stage presents free live concerts. Restaurants: 5: Friday’s Station Steak & Seafood Grill (open nightly for dinner), The Summit (fine dining; formal; open Thu.–Sun. for dinner), American River Café (24 hours), Forest Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), North Beach Deli (Wed.–Sun.); also, Starbucks (6 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 525 rooms and suites in an 18-story hotel; AAA 4 Diamond Award Family Amenities: Kids Camp offers 2 daily sessions (morning and evening) for up to 15 kids ages 6–13. Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. Fitness center. Special Events Center with over 20,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, which can be used in conjunction with Harveys.

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345. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe

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Showroom: headliners like Little Feat, Carrot Top, Jimmy Cliff, and the Indigo Girls. Club Nero nightclub: top DJs, hip-hop and R&B superstars, and a laser light show. Restaurants: 5: Broiler Room (steakhouse; Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Primavera (northern Italian; Sun.–Thu. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Roman Feast Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Aroma Café (7 a.m.–9 p.m.), Stone St. Bar & Grill (lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 440 rooms in a 17-story, Y-shaped hotel tower; includes 37 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Cash giveaways. Host hotel for the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. 100-seat racebook and sportsbook. Indoor pool and beauty salon. The Sport Shop sells attire and equipment for year-round sports. Caesars Tahoe has its own 45-passenger yacht that takes guests out on the lake twice daily or more often.

346. Harveys Lake Tahoe Address: Highway 50, P.O. Box 128, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–2411; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harveys Lake Tahoe Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/hlt

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Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done on the website Description: Resort complex with 52,500-square-foot casino, right at the state line and right near the Lake Tahoe shoreline; it’s the first casino on the left as you drive on Highway 50 from California. The hotel has its own private beach. Harveys was South Lake Tahoe’s original casino property, started in 1944 by Harvey Gross as a 1-room gambling hall. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,100+: including more than 100 with jackpots over $1 million Table Games: 88: Baccarat, blackjack (single- and double-deck, 8-deck shoe), progressive blackjack, Wild Aruba Stud, craps, keno, pai gow poker, roulette, Royal Match Bonus, super sevens blackjack Entertainment: Harveys Cabaret has “X,” erotic adult entertainment. The Improv features 2 new comics every week. Tahoe Live Casino Area features live acts. Cabo Wabo Cantina Lounge has late-night musical entertainment. Restaurants: 6: Pacifica Seafood Buffet (dinner Fri.–Sun.), The Cabo Wabo Cantina (Sammy Hagar’s popular hotspot; open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. for lunch and dinner), Llewellyn’s (fine dining; Wed.–Sun.), Sage Room Steak House (open nightly for dinner), Carriage House (diner; 24 hours), Hard Rock Café (with signature rock ‘n’ roll theme and memorabilia collection; hamburgers, barbecued ribs, soups, salads); also, Starbucks (6 a.m.–11 p.m.) Accommodations: 740 rooms and suites Poker: 17 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, $5$10, $15-$30, no-limit $200 minimum buy-in, $500 maximum, with $3 and $5 blinds). Regular tournaments: small no-limit, Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m., 2 tables. Tue., Thu. 6 p.m., 80 players. Major tournament: Harveys Circuit Tournament, 2 weeks of events culminating in the $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Circuit championship event. Both its championship and the WSOP event have prize pools in the millions. Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. Racebook and sportsbook. Blackjack tournament every Fri., winnertake-all, $20 buy-in. Spa, fitness center, and shopping. Meeting and convention space, which can be used in conjunction with Harrah’s. Wedding chapel, with many wedding packages available. For a unique wedding, Harveys’ private yacht, the Tahoe Star, has wedding charter cruise packages, with ceremonies performed either by the captain or a minister.


347. Horizon Casino Resort

348. Lakeside Inn and Casino Address: 168 Highway 50, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–7777; toll-free: 1–800–523–1291; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–624–7980 Website: www.lakesideinn.com Email: Several email contacts listed on website; also, contact form Description: Inn and casino on Highway 50 at Kingsbury Grade half a mile from the California-Nevada border at the southeast end of the Lake Tahoe basin, just past Nevada 207 on the west side of Highway 50 (on the left coming from California); casino has 18,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 400: 1¢ and up; many ticket in-ticket out; progressive video keno; multidenomination (penny/nickel) “Twenty-Card Keno” video keno machines allow you to play up to 20 different sets of numbers for each draw. Table Games: 12: Blackjack (single-deck, double-deck, and 6-deck shoe), craps (10X odds), roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Timber House Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 24 hours), Taberna (Mexican; breakfast, lunch, dinner; 8 a.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: 124 rooms in contemporary mountain lodge-style accommodations Dress Code: No Bonus: Lakeside Card for slots, table games, keno, racebook, and sportsbook. Cash giveaways. Winner of many Best of Tahoe Awards (as voted by Tahoe locals). Online drawings for accommodations and prizes.

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Description: The Horizon has gone through a few owners and name changes. It was built in the early 1960s as the Sahara Tahoe, then became the High Sierra. It remains an elegant resort hotel with a 42,000-square-foot casino. The property is on the lake side of Highway 50 (on your left coming from California), just a bit beyond Harveys. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 800: 1¢ and up; many coin-free; multi-denominational games; linked and progressive jackpots Table Games: 43: Blackjack (single- and double-deck, 6-deck shoe; also Royal Match and Bonus Blackjack, a progressive jackpot), craps, roulette, pai gow poker, three-card poker Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em ($2-$6 spread-limit, $10-$20, no-limit $200 maximum buy-in with $2 and $3 blinds), dealer’s choice (pot-limit, $100 minimum buy-in, no maximum). Tournaments every weekday, all no-limit hold’em: Mon., Fri. evenings, Tu., Wed., Thu. days; 1 has rebuys, the rest have no rebuys. Entertainment: Golden Cabaret presents Fusion, a production show combining comedy, magic, and illusion. Celebrity Comedy fest presents comics like Kevin Pollak, Ralphie May, ANT, and Greg Proop. Aspen Lounge offers live music and dancing on Fri. and Sat. nights. 8-plex movie theater. Restaurants: 3: Josh’s (fine dining), Le Grande Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), Four Seasons Restaurant (24 hours); also, Starbuck’s Accommodations: 539 rooms and suites in 2 hotel towers Family Amenities: Game World Arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Horizon Players Club rewards card. Slot tournament every Wed. evening. Blackjack tournaments every Tue., Thu. at 7 p.m.

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Address: Highway 50, Stateline, Nevada 89449 Phone: 775–588–6211; toll-free: 1–800–322–7723; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–648–3322 Website: www.horizoncasino.com

Verdi Verdi (population about 1,000) is the first town you encounter in Nevada driving east on Highway 80 after crossing the California state line; it’s about 10 miles west of Reno.

349. Boomtown Casino Hotel Address: 2100 West Garson Road, Verdi, Nevada 89439 Phone: 775–345–6000; toll-free: 1–800–648–3790; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–877–726–6686 Website: www.boomtownreno.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Casino-hotel with 43,000 square feet of gaming. Directions: Take Interstate 80 west from downtown Reno and turn right at Boomtown exit 4. From Interstate 80 east, exit onto Boomtown exit 4. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,300+: Including megajackpots Table Games: 30+: Blackjack (including 20+ single-deck games, Royal Match; $3–$1,000), Let It Ride, craps, roulette, 3-5-7 poker, pai gow poker, keno (including million-dollar tickets) Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em. No-limit hold’em tournaments Sun., Tue., Fri. at 7 p.m. ($22 buy-in, with bonus chips for 2+ hours play). Also, satellite tournaments for the World Series of Poker. Entertainment: Can Can Cabaret Lounge presents free nightly live entertainment from local groups. In the summer, there is also midday entertainment 1 p.m.–6 p.m. Sat. and Sun., plus latenight entertainment midnight–4 a.m. Thu.–Sat. Restaurants: 3: Cassidy’s (prime rib; 5 p.m.–9 p.m.), Sundance Cantina (Mexican; 24 hours), Silver Screen Buffet (lunch, dinner); also, Starbucks Accommodations: 318 rooms Family Amenities: Family Fun Center: 30,000 square feet, with over 200 video and redemption games, a separate party room and snack bar, 3D Motion Theater, antique carousel, covered wagon ferris wheel, Rodeo Rider-plus, and Boomtown Reality Roller Coaster (Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight) Dress Code: No Bonus: Boomtown Player’s Club rewards card for slots, table, and keno play. Sportsbook. Cash giveaways. Free shuttle service from downtown Reno. Hotel matches free stay offer from any other casino-hotel. Truck stop with plenty of parking and its own slots. Wedding packages for parties from 40–350.


Wendover Wendover (population 4,700), also known as West Wendover, is basically one town that straddles the Utah-Nevada border in high-desert country. Wendover, Nevada, the western portion, has the gambling. Wendover is about 120 miles west of Salt Lake City. Wendover’s MAX airline offers flights to Wendover from 16 U.S. cities. The cost of the ticket includes three nights’ lodging, ground transportation, and a $250 coupon book. Check the websites of Montego Bay, Peppermill, and Rainbow for more information. Even though most of the rest of Nevada is in the Pacific Time Zone, because of its ties to Utah, Wendover is in the Mountain Time Zone.

Description: Casino-hotel with 26,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢, 5¢, to $5; Including megajackpots Table Games: 27: Blackjack (all single-deck; includes Royal Match), craps (10X odds), Let It Ride, roulette, keno Poker: 8 tables. Hold’em ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spread-limit; no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds, minimum buy-in $50, maximum $300). Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em: Thu., Fri., Sun. $20 buy-in with rebuys; Sat. $60 buy-in shootout. Bonus promotions: Progressive bad-beat jackpots. On Mon., get 4 4s and win $1,300. Spin a wheel for any 4 of a kind for prizes of up to $500. Entertainment: Free live nightly entertainment in the cabaret bar, live bands playing pop, jazz, country, easy listening, R&B, soul, and more Restaurants: 2: Oceano Buffet, Paradise Grill Restaurant; also, Cafe Espresso (coffee specialties and bakery) Accommodations: 250 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Peppermill Passport rewards card for slots, table games, live poker, keno, and racebook and sportsbook play. Slot, blackjack tournaments. Special bonus packages for seniors.

351. Peppermill Hotel Casino Address: 680 Wendover Boulevard, Wendover, Nevada 89883 Phone: 775–664–2255; toll-free: 1–800–648–9660 Website: www.peppermillwendover.com Description: Casino-hotel with 36,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000: 1¢ and up; reel-type, $250,000 keno, blackjack, poker machines; multi-coin, multi-game video machines; progressive megajackpots Table Games: 24: Single-deck blackjack, craps (2X odds), poker, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, and keno (including million-dollar 10-spot) Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret Bar offers free live music Tue.–Sun. evenings Restaurants: 3: Coco Palms Restaurant (24 hours), Texas BBQ at the Grand Buffet, Café Espresso (coffee, sandwiches, deli) Accommodations: 300 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Peppermill Passport rewards card for slots, table games, keno, and racebook and sportsbook play. Blackjack tournament every Fri. Three-card poker tournaments. Slot, keno tournaments.

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Address: 100 Wendover Boulevard, Wendover, Nevada 89883 Phone: 775–664–2871; toll-free: 1–800–537–0207 Website: www.montegobaywendover.com

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350. Montego Bay Casino Resort

352. Rainbow Hotel Casino Address: 1045 Wendover Boulevard, Wendover, Nevada 89883 Phone: 775–664–4000; toll-free: 1–800–217–0049; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–537–0207 Website: www.rainbowwendover.com

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Description: Casino-hotel with 46,000 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢ and up; reel-type, $250,000 keno, blackjack, poker machines; multi-coin, multi-game video machines; progressive megajackpots Table Games: 33: Single-deck blackjack, craps (10X odds), Let It Ride, three-card poker, roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, Boston 5 Poker: 9 tables: Hold’em ($2-$5 spread-limit with a $10 kill; sometimes $15-$30), Omaha high-low ($4-$8 with half kill, usually on weekends). Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em Sun., Mon. evening, limit Fri. evening. Entertainment: Cabaret Bar offers free live music Tue.–Sun. evenings Restaurants: 4: Over the Rainbow Restaurant (24 hours), Rainforest Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), The Steak House (Mon., Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., closed Tue., Wed., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Café Espresso (coffee, sandwiches, deli) Accommodations: 450 rooms, including 75 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Peppermill Passport rewards card for slots, table games, live poker, keno, and racebook and sportsbook play. Daily slot tournaments. Blackjack tournament every Fri. Banquet and meeting rooms can accommodate groups from 15 to 350 people.

353. Red Garter Hotel & Casino Address: 1225 West Wendover Boulevard, Wendover, Nevada 89883 Phone: 775-664-2111; toll-free hotel reservations: 1-800-982-2111 Website: www.redgartercasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with 12,500 square feet of gaming; property is right at the state line. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 300+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1; including linked and progressive jackpots Table Games: 12: Blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Garden Room (24 hours) Accommodations: 100+ rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Red Garter Cash Back Players Club rewards card. Cash drawings daily. Racebook and sportsbook. Free Sunday slot tournaments. Pool tournaments. Free gifts, promotions for truckers.


354. Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino

Winnemucca Winnemucca (population over 7,000) is in northern Nevada where Highway 95 meets Interstate 80, about 150 miles northeast of Reno.

355. Model T Casino & RV Park Address: 1130 West Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 Phone: 775–623–2588; toll-free: 1–800–645–5658 Website: www.modelt.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with 6,000 square feet of gaming in the heart of Winnemucca. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 206: 1¢ and up; including progressive video poker, and statewide linked megajackpots Table Games: 4: 3 blackjack, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live bands Thu.–Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight. Karaoke Wed. 8 p.m.–midnight. Restaurants: 2: The Model T Coffee Shop (24 hours), A & W (hamburgers); also, Baskin-Robbins (ice cream) Accommodations: 75 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Free intown shuttle. Cash drawings. Free slot tournaments. $10 buy-in blackjack tournament Fri., Sun. 7 p.m. RV park. Online discount coupons.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Tropical-themed hotel-casino with 47,000 square feet of gaming; casino started in 1931, immediately upon the relegalization of gambling in Nevada. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000: 1¢–$25; many ticket in-ticket out; including linked and progressive jackpots, and megajackpots Table Games: 50+: Craps (10X odds), roulette, blackjack (including single-deck games, Royal Match), Let It Ride, baccarat, three-card poker, pai gow poker, keno Poker: 9 tables: Hold’em ($1-$5 spread-limit; $20 buy-in). Hold’em tournaments: Thu. 7 p.m., no-limit, $20 buy-in, no rebuys, $200 added. Fri. 8 p.m., potlimit, $25 buy-in, no rebuys. Sat. 7:30 p.m., no-limit, 1 rebuy, 1 add-on. Sun. 6 p.m., nolimit, $20 buy-in, no rebuys. World Series of Poker satellites. Entertainment: Live local bands from the Salt Lake City area appear on the entertainment stage nightly Fri.–Sun. Restaurants: 4: Nugget Steak House (Wed.–Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Golden Harvest Café (24 hours), The Nugget Buffet (lunch, dinner, weekend brunch), Nugget Food Court (burgers, sandwiches, chicken, pizza, Dreyer’s Ice Cream; 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 500 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Nugget rewards card for slots, keno, poker, and table games play. Cash drawings. Billiards Bar has regular pool, darts, and shuffleboard tournaments. Swimming pool. Banquet rooms available with a seating capacity of up to 500; also, meeting rooms for smaller groups. Dining discounts for seniors (55+).

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Address: 101 Wendover Boulevard, P.O. Box 5130, West Wendover, Nevada 89883 Phone: 775–664–2221; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–848–7300 Website: www.wendovernugget.com

356. Winners Hotel Casino Address: 185 West Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 Phone: 775–623–2511; toll-free: 1–800–648–4770 Website: www.winnerscasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel with 11,000 square feet of gaming in the heart of Winnemucca Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 280: Themed video slots, draw poker, bonus poker, keno Table Games:11: Craps, roulette (the only craps and roulette in Winnemucca), 6 blackjack, Let It Ride, threecard poker (pair plus: $3–$25; ante and play: $3–$50) Poker: No Entertainment: Comedy Thu. nights starting at 7:30 p.m. Live bands Thu.–Sat. starting at 9 p.m. Karaoke Mon. 8 p.m.–1 a.m. Restaurants: 2: Grandma’s Dinner House (5 p.m.–10 p.m.), Pete’s Coffee Shop (breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch buffet) Accommodations: 125 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo, with 3 sessions Thu., 4 sessions all other days. Coupons available only on website. Free online drawing for lodging and meals.

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NEW JERSEY

The only casinos in New Jersey are in Atlantic City, and these are licensed and governed by the State of New Jersey Casino Control Commission. All these casinos are megaresorts, with huge gaming areas and large hotel towers. The minimum age for gambling in New Jersey is 21.

Atlantic City Atlantic City (population 41,000), a resort community located on Absecon Island just off the coast of New Jersey, was once a major tourist destination. However, the city gradually fell into decline and had become, by the 1970s, a somewhat depressed, seedy locale. Then, in 1976, New Jersey voters were told that casino gambling would be the city’s salvation, and they voted it in. The first casino, Resorts International, opened in 1978 to great fanfare and standing-room-only crowds. The politicians and developers were right, because the crowds stayed, and 12 more casinos have opened. At the time of this writing, there was some consolidation going on, so when you read this there may not be 13 different casinos, but the number is close. All but three casinos are located along the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and its Steel Pier. Those three, Harrah’s Atlantic City Casino, the Borgata, and Trump Marina, are located in the Marina section. While Atlantic City has again become a major destination resort that draws visitors from all over the world, a large majority of patrons arrive daily on bus trips. Before it became known mainly for its casinos, Atlantic City was famous as the home of the Miss America pageant, which has been held here since 1921. The streets of Atlantic City are also used in the American version of the board game Monopoly.


357. Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort

358. Bally’s Atlantic City Address: Park Place and Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–340–2000; toll-free 1–800–772–7777; restaurant reservations: 609–340–2300 Website: www.caesars.com/ballys/atlanticcity Description: Bally’s Atlantic City is actually 3 casinos that sit next to each other and are interconnected by overhead skywalks. (And this partially explains why we noted earlier that some question exists about how many casinos are in Atlantic City.) Bally’s has 80,000 square feet of gaming area, the Wild Wild West Casino has 73,935 square feet, and the Claridge Casino has 60,507. So, altogether, what is jointly named Bally’s Atlantic City has over 214,000 square feet of gaming area. The Wild Wild West Casino contains Coyote Kate’s Slot Parlor, with 9,402 square feet of slot area that continues its Wild West theme. Pennyville at the Claridge Casino at Bally’s is 10,570 square feet of slot area. The Gold Room is 4,780 square feet of high-limit slot area in Bally’s. Billy’s Poker Parlor has 16 poker tables on the sixth floor of Bally’s. Once you’re inside the complex, you can also get to Caesar’s Atlantic City without going back outside. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: 11 a.m.–4 a.m. Mon.–Thu., and continuously 11 a.m. Fri.–4 a.m. Mon. Slot Machines: 2,200+: 1¢ and up. The high-limit Gold Room contains 148 slot machines, $5, $10, $25, $100. Park Place Video Poker arena has more video poker pro-

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Description: 4 Diamond resort; casino has 60,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,043: 1¢–$100; all ticket in-ticket out; $25 and $100 machines also accept tokens Table Games: 89: Blackjack, craps, roulette, four-card poker, pai gow poker, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, baccarat, Let It Ride, pai gow tiles Poker: No Entertainment: Periodic live entertainment in a theater onsite including such acts as Hall & Oates, Jackie Mason, Susan Anton, Trisha Yearwood, Ray Charles, the Everly Brothers, Petula Clark, Peter Frampton, and many more. The Dizzy Dolphin Beach Bar on the boardwalk features live entertainment. Restaurants: 7: Peregrines’ (fine dining; dinner Thu.–Sun.; reservations recommended), The Oaks Steakhouse (refined; steak, seafood; dinner Wed.–Sun.; reservations recommended), Caruso’s (pasta, other Italian entrees; dinner Mon., Tue., Fri., Sat., Sun. brunch; reservations recommended), Empress Garden (Hunan, Szechwan, Cantonese cuisine; dinner Thu.–Mon., noodle bar offered daily, buffet breakfast 9–11 daily; reservations recommended); casual dining includes Cappuccino’s (coffee, pastries, soups, sandwiches; open daily at 7 a.m.), Horizons (breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night; open 24 hours), Cornucopia Buffet (buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 800 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Pool, health spa, massage, country club, and hair salon.

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Address: Boston Ave. & The Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–347–7111; restaurant reservations: 609–236–7870 Website: www.caesars.com/Hilton/AtlanticCity

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gressives than any other casino in Atlantic City. Pennyville has 238 machines (152 penny games and 86 nickel games). EZ Pay slots (ticket in-ticket out); progressive slots with progressive jackpots beginning at $1 million. Table Games: 100+ tables: Craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, Spanish 21, Boston 5 stud poker, Caribbean Stud, big six wheel, four-card poker, three-card poker, Let It Ride; also, keno Poker: 16 tables in Billy’s Poker Parlor, on the sixth floor of Bally’s, with 8 hold’em (Mon.–Fri. limits, $2-$4 and $3-$6; Sat., Sun. $2-$4, $3-$6, and $5-$10), 8 stud (Mon.–Fri. limits, $1-$5 spread-limit and $5-$10-$15-$20; Sat., Sun. $1-$5 spread-limit, $5-$10-$15-$20 and $10-$20-$30-$40). Also, a no-limit hold’em game with blinds of $1 and $3, $100 minimum and $300 maximum buy-in, usually starts late Fri. afternoon and runs continuously until Sun. night. Regular no-limit hold’em tournaments: Wed. 6 p.m. $60+$15, Fri. 9 p.m. $100+$20. Neither has rebuys; in both cases you must arrive 2 hours early to register. Entertainment: Live entertainment includes Legends in Concert (tributes to Marilyn, Elvis, Roy, and others). Also, heavyweight boxing. Free live country music in the Mountain Bar on weekends. Restaurants: 19: Including 4 fine dining establishments and 15 casual dining options. Fine dining: Arturo’s (Italian/New York; dinner Wed.–Sat., reservations recommended), Mr. Ming’s (Cantonese, Szechwan, Mandarin and Hunan cuisine; dinner Thu.–Sun.), Prime Place (steakhouse; dinner Mon., Tue., Fri., Sat., Sun., Sun. brunch, reservations recommended), The Twenties Steakhouse (steak, seafood; dinner Fri.–Tue., reservations recommended), various other casual dining restaurants: see website for more information. Accommodations: 1,246 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. Simulcast horse race wagering in Billy’s Poker Parlor and Wild Wild West Simulcast Parlor. Shopping at several brand name stores. Periodic roulette, blackjack, and baccarat tournaments. Spa, indoor pool, fitness center, salon, and country club.

359. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Address: One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–317–1000; toll-free: 1–866–MY–BORGATA (1–866–692–6742) Website: www.theborgata.com Email: [email protected] Description: The most recent (July, 2003) and expensive of Atlantic City’s resorts, the Borgata features both classic and modern Italian designs, and has more than 2,000 guest rooms within a 40-story tower and 125,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,575: 1¢–$500; 100 percent Rapid Pay cashless slot system (ticket inticket out); poker, reel, video, novelty and progressive slots; megajackpots Table Games: 169: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Spanish 21, big six wheel, sic bo Poker: 34 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $6-$12, $10-$20, $20-$40, $40-$80, $80-$160; no-limit with blinds of $1$2, $2-$5, $5-$10, and $10-$25), stud ($1-$5 spread-limit, $10-$20-$30, $15-$30-$45), Omaha high-low ($5-$10 and $10-$20, both with full kill); mixed games. Other games and higher limits on request. Regular tournaments, all no-limit hold’em, twice daily Mon.–Thu. at 11 a.m., 7 p.m., with various buy-in and entry fees; see website for details. Also, Fri. 3pm, $100+$20, unlimited $100 rebuys first 90 minutes, $100 add-on. The

360. Caesar’s Atlantic City Address: 2100 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–443–0104; restaurant reservations: 1–800–CAESARS (1–800–223–7277) Website: www.caesarsac.com Description: Casino has 124,720 square feet, one of the largest contiguous gaming spaces in Atlantic City. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3400+: 5¢–$500; reel and video machines; includes million-dollar widearea progressive slots and 168 slots in a high-roller area (denominations from $2–$500); many EZ Pay (TITO) machines Table Games: 120+: Single-deck blackjack, four-card poker, sic bo, Spanish 21, blackjack, craps, Boston 5 stud poker, Caribbean Stud, pai gow tiles, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, baccarat, big six wheel, threecard poker. A high-limit table gaming area has 13 blackjack tables, 1 single-zero roulette table, 2 baccarat tables, and 1 craps table. Also, keno lounge with $250,000 keno. Poker: No Entertainment: 1,100-seat theater for big name acts such as The Eagles, Rod Stewart, and Johnny Mathis. Also shows such as The Bandstand and Nights on Broadway. Complimentary music from duos and smaller musical acts entertain guests at the Gladiator Sports Bar and the Party Pit. At the Forum Lounge, live piano music without a cover charge. Restaurants: 10, including 5 fine dining restaurants: Primavera (northern Italian cuisine; reservations required), The Bacchanal (authentic Roman feast; reservations required), Nero’s Grill (steakhouse; reservations required), Temple Bar & Grill (California cuisine; reservations required), Caesar’s Sunday Brunch (gourmet; reservations suggested); plus 5 casual dining options, including: Café Roma (American and Asian; breakfast, lunch, dinner daily, breakfast served all day), La Piazza (buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner daily), and more Accommodations: 1,764 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Connection Card for slot and table play, plus all expenditures charged to hotel bill, good at all Bally’s, Caesars, Flamingo, Grand Casinos, Hilton, and Paris brand casinos. 1,375 square-foot smoke-free table game area offers roulette, Let It Ride, and blackjack. Simulcast horse race betting. Outdoor pool, health spa, salon, and club.

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Borgata Open is a major annual event in Sept. with 12 days of events culminating in the $10,000 championship, a World Poker Tour event. Entertainment: 3,700-seat Event Center showroom and 1,000-seat Music Box with headline acts like Paul Anka, Little Feat, Bob Dylan, Sting, Dave Chapelle, Louis Anderson, Duran Duran, Lenny Kravitz, and Elvis Costello. Also, comedy club. Restaurants: 11: With 5 fine dining establishments: Specchio (Composed Italian; dinner every night but Mon.), Ombra (Italian, wine bar; dinner Tue.–Sat.), Suilan (French-Chinese; dinner Thu.–Mon.), Old Homestead Steakhouse (steakhouse; dinner nightly), Mixx (Latin, Asian influences, food and nightclub; dinner Thu.–Mon.), and 6 casual restaurants, including Borgata Buffet (breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner), The Metropolitan (contemporary, classic American foods; 24 hours), Noodles of the World (lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 2,002 rooms, including suites Dress Code: No Bonus: My Borgata Rewards Player’s club. Spa, salon, barbershop, and name brand shopping. More than 70,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Racebook.

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361. Harrah’s Atlantic City Casino Address: 777 Harrah’s Boulevard, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–441–5000; toll-free: 1–800–645–6774 Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/atl/

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 112,918 square-foot casino located in the Marina area by the bay side Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,712: 5¢–$100; Fast Cash Ticket system for coinless play; many progressive slots (41 in-house, 18 city-wide) Table Games: Baccarat, mini-baccarat, blackjack, three-card poker, craps, roulette, Spanish 21, triple shot (war/blackjack/poker), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow; also, keno Poker: 5 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4 during the week, $5-$10 weekend; plus no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds), 7-stud ($1-$5 spreadlimit). Regular tournaments: World Series of Poker qualifiers Sat., Sun. ($200+$100); Mon., Wed. World Series of Poker sub-qualifiers ($100+$50). In both cases, the extra $100 or $50 goes either to a prize pool set up for future qualifiers, or is split among finishers, depending on how many participate. Tue. no-limit hold’em ($40+$10). Other World Series of Poker qualifiers and finals satellites 4 times weekly prior to WSOP; plus other regular monthly tournaments. See website for details. Annual World Series of Poker Circuit (see glossary) stop, with 10 days of events culminating in the $10,000-buy-in championship. Entertainment: Live entertainment nightly in Eden Lounge, including acts such as B-Street, Love Puppies, Pop Life, Alter Ego, and more. Big names in The Concert Arena include acts such as The Pointer Sisters, Jimmy Hopper, Frankie Valli, and Vanessa Williams. Restaurants: 9: ’Cesca (Contemporary Italian), Florentino’s (Italian; reservations required), The Steakhouse (steakhouse), Fantasea Reef Buffet (buffet, breakfast, and dinner daily), Reflections Café (24 hour, casual), Corner Grille (burgers, hot dogs, barbecue), Club Cappuccino (coffee bar with bistro food), and more Accommodations: 1,626 guest rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. New Total Rewards members who play 30 minutes receive a $100 reward letter in the mail good on the next visit. Gift shop, indoor swimming pool, sauna, and Jacuzzi. 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space can accommodate 25–500.

362. Resorts Atlantic City Address: 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–344–6000; toll-free: 1–800–336–6378; restaurant reservations: 1–880–932–0734 Website: www.resortsac.com Email: Contact form on website Description: This is the casino that started it all in Atlantic City in 1978, and now has over 100,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker hours: Mon.–Thu. noon–3:30 a.m.; continuously Fri. noon–Mon. 3:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 3,000+: 5¢–$10; all Express Cash capable (TITO); video poker includes 9/6 jacks-or-better Table Games: 75: Baccarat, mini-baccarat, big six wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, pai gow tiles, pai gow poker, roulette, Spanish 21, three-card poker Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $5-$10) Entertainment:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Superstar Theater features performers such as Tom Jones and Don Rickles. Tuxedos Bar has live entertainment Sat. night. Restaurants: 6: 3 fine dining (reservations suggested for all): Capriccio (Italian), Camelot (steaks, chops, seafood), Asian Spice (noodle bar, open Fri.–Sun.); 3 casual dining: Beach Ball Deli & Seafood House (lunch, dinner), Breadsticks Café & Grill (American), The Buffet (buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 479 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Resorts Uptown Club rewards card, offering discounted and complimentary hotel stays, exclusive player events, restaurant deals, and more. Daily slot tournaments. Health club and spa. 39,000 square feet of flexible meeting space can accommodate 10–800.

Description: Small resort hotel near the boardwalk; casino has 78,372 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2100+: 1¢–$100; Fast Pay (TITO) system available; reels, video, multi-property progressives; high-limit slots area; nonsmoking area Table Games: 60+: 6-deck blackjack, low-limit blackjack, double exposure blackjack, Spanish 21, craps, roulette, single-zero roulette, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, big six wheel; high-limit tables area with 6-deck blackjack, craps, single-zero roulette, and baccarat Poker: 16 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit and $5-$10). Regular tournaments: No-limit hold’em Sun. 2 p.m. ($60+$20), Wed. 2 p.m. ($20+$10), and Fri. 6 p.m. ($50+$15), all with rebuys and add-on, first-come first-served, registration 1 hour prior to play time. Entertainment: Copa Lounge has live piano with Bud Noble Thu.–Sun. 6 p.m.–10 p.m.; Swingers bar has live entertainment Thu.–Sun. and 9-x-16 video screen for music videos and sports Restaurants: 6: Brighton (steakhouse; dinner; Thu.–Mon.), Medici (Italian; dinner; Tue., Wed., Fri., Sat.), Rossi’s (Italian buffet; Sat. dinner, Sun. brunch), Boardwalk Buffet (buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner), The Corner (casual; 24 hours), The Grill (pizza, burgers, salads, sandwiches) Accommodations: 623 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Babysitting available. Dress Code: No Bonus: Sands Card rewards card. Simulcast horse race betting. Health spa with steam room and sauna. Gift shop.

364. Showboat Atlantic City Address: 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–343–4000; toll-free: 1–800–621–0200 Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/sac/ Description: Known as the Mardi Gras Casino, the casino has 101,586 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,976: 1¢–$100; 500 Fast Cash (TITO) slots; high-roller area with $1 to $100 slots; progressives Table Games: 56: Blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, money wheel, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, three-card poker, Spanish 21, Let It Ride, Caribbean

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Address: Indiana Avenue & Brighton Park, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: (customer service): 609–441–4000; toll-free: 1–800–ACSANDS (1–800–227–2637); restaurant reservations: 609–441–4259 Website: www.sandsac.com

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Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Lobby bar with Fri., Sat. and Sun. night entertainment, including acts such as John Pruitt, Johnny Andrews Duo, Chris Sooy Duo, Renee Howard Duo, and Robin Van Duzee Restaurants: 6: French Quarter Buffet (buffet), Mansion Café (casual, 24 hours), Casa Di Napoli (casual Italian), Canal Street Bread and Sandwich Company (brick oven pizzas, sandwiches; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Rib & Chophouse (steak, ribs, seafood; casual/dressy) Accommodations: 755 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. Meeting and events facilities. Simulcast horse race betting. Room and food specials available. Shopping, health club, salon, and spa.

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Address: S. Brighton Avenue and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–340–4000; toll-free: 1–800–THE–TROP (1–800–843–8767); poker: 1–888–POKER AC (1–888–765–3722) Website: www.tropicana.net

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Description: Havana-themed hotel with 148,256 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 4,400+: 5¢–$100; reels, poker, other recent video innovations; includes many progressives, both linked and individual; high-limit room with $1–$100 slots Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, three-card poker, Boston 5, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, sic bo, pai gow tiles Poker: 43 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8, $6-$12, $10-$20; no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds and $60 minimum, $300 maximum buy-in, $2 and $5 blinds and $100 minimum, $500 maximum buy-in, $5 and $10 blinds and $200 minimum, $1,000 maximum buy-in), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit, $5-$10, $10-$20-$30, $15-$30-$45), also 7-stud high-low. Several weekly tournaments: see website or call poker number for the latest schedule. Entertainment: Many big name acts in the Showroom, such as Havana After Dark (show), Boyz II Men, BB King, The Temptations, Howie Mandel, and more. Also, daily live entertainment in the Tiffany Lounge starting at 11:30 a.m. IMAX theater. Restaurants: 20: Carmine’s (family-style Italian; reservations required: 609–572–9300), Cuba Libre (Cuban cuisine, reservations at 609–348–6700), Palm Restaurant (steakhouse, reservations at 609–344–7256), PF Chang’s China Bistro (Chinese fusion; reservations at 609–348–4600), Red Square (restaurant and vodka bar; 609–344–9100), Rí~Rá (Irish, 609–348–8600), The Sound of Philadelphia (soul fusion, 609–887–2222), ADam Good Crab Shack & Sports Bar (crabs; 609–347–7770), Brûlée (gourmet desserts and after-dinner drinks only; 609–344–4900), ADam Good Deli (deli sandwiches, soups, salads), Beachfront Buffet (breakfast, brunch, dinner daily), Corky’s Ribs & BBQ, Il Verdi (Northern Italian), Ping’s Golden Dynasty (Chinese), Seaside Café (24 hour casual dining), Wellington’s Steak & Seafood, and more Accommodations: 2,127 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Tropicana Diamond Club rewards card. 47,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Business center. Spa, beach, salon, health club, indoor pool, and outdoor pool. Hotel has poker room rate specials for players with 4+ hours of live play.


366. Trump Marina Hotel & Casino

367. The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino Address: Boardwalk and Mississippi Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–441–6000 Website: www.trumpplaza.com Email: Contact form on website Description: Boardwalk resort right on the beach, with 39-story hotel and 85,253 square feet of gaming space Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,852: 5¢–$100; including multiplier and multi-line machines, megajackpots, progressive slots, high-rollers’ area Table Games: 88: Blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, Caribbean Stud, sic bo, big six wheel, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Spanish 21 Poker: No Entertainment: 850-seat theater features an advanced light and sound system equipped for live television production, with acts such as Michael Bolton, Tom Jones, Smokey Robinson, Diana Krall, and Penn & Teller. Current information available by calling the box office at 609–441–6150. Restaurants: 8: Gourmet dining: Fortunes (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Szechuan), Roberto’s (Italian specialties), Max’s Steakhouse (steak, seafood); casual dining: New Yorker (24 hours; casual), Broadway Buffet Accommodations: 904 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Trump Plaza Trump Card rewards card for all games (slots and tables) with cash-back rewards, lodging and food benefits, free special events, and sweepstakes. Plaza Club for slots entitles users to benefits such as members-only slots tournaments, special events, suite upgrades, private club dining, parking benefits, and more.

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Resort hotel on the Marina, with 74,252 square feet of gaming Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 4,000+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25, $100; about 80 percent TITO Table Games: 76: Baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, pai gow tiles, pai gow poker, pai gow mania, roulette (single- and double-zero), Spanish 21, three-card poker, Boston 5 poker, Double Cross Poker, four-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: 16,920-square-foot Grand Cayman showroom includes acts such as Jimmy Cliff, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper, Sting, Alonzo Bodden, Generation Next, Don’t Call Me Francis, Groove Box, and Dame. The Shell, a 462-seat showroom, features such acts as Gregg Allman, Cheap Trick, Todd Rundgren, and Ray Davies. The Wave and The Deck nightspots have live bands. Restaurants: 10: Portofino (Italian; reservations required), Harbor View (elegant; seafood), Bayside Buffet, The Deck, Cosimo’s, High Steaks, and more Accommodations: 728 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Wild Card rewards card. Cash giveaways. Room specials available. Gift shops. Convention catering special events. Slot tournaments. Various promotions; see the website for details. Ladiesonly blackjack tournaments. Free online games (not gambling-related) at website.

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Address: Huron & Brigantine Boulevard, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–441–2000; toll-free: 1–800–777–1177; toll-free room and restaurant reservations: 1–800–777–8477 Website: www.trumpmarina.com

Fitness center and spa; whirlpool, sauna, steam rooms. Meeting and catering facilities. Shopping. Junkets: see website for information. Various promotions and offers, more information also on the Web.

368. Trump Taj Mahal Address: 1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 Phone: 609–449–1000; toll-free: 1–800–825–8888 Website: www.trumptaj.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Trump Taj Mahal, one of the most elegant and opulent casinos in the world, on 17 acres of land with 4.2 million square feet of enclosed space, has 156,984 square feet of gaming space and a 51-floor hotel that, at 429 feet above sea level, is one of the tallest man-made structures in New Jersey. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 5,000+ Table Games: 210: Baccarat, big six wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, double exposure blackjack, Let It Ride, mini-baccarat, multiaction blackjack, pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, roulette, sic bo, Spanish 21, three-card poker. Also, keno. Poker: 90 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $5-$10, $15-$30, up to $1,000-$2,000 and higher on demand; no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds and $60 minimum and $100 maximum buy-ins, $2 and $5 blinds and $300 minimum and $500 maximum buy-ins), 7-stud, 7-stud high-low (occasionally), Omaha high-low; all with many limits. Some of the largest games in the country take place here. Daily no-limit hold’em tournaments at 6:30 p.m. every day and additionally at 11 a.m. on Sat. and Sun. Major yearly tournaments include the United States Poker Championship (3 weeks of events in early fall, with buy-ins ranging from $300–$10,000) and the Trump Classic (3 weeks of events in late fall, with buy-ins ranging from $300–$5,000). The casino also hosts the ATLARGE tournament, a yearly gathering of RGP members (Internet poker aficionados). Free poker instruction for beginners. Room is entirely smoke-free. Entertainment: Arena featuring acts such as Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Andrea Bocelli, Destiny’s Child, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, R. Kelly, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Russell Watson, and more. See website for current events. Nightclub. Restaurants: 9: Dynasty (Chinese and sushi; dinner), Mark Anthony’s (gourmet Italian), Safari Steakhouse (steakhouse; dinner), Scheherazade (eclectic gourmet), Hard Rock Café, Sbarro, Stage Deli of New York, Sultan’s Feast (steak, chicken, grill, pizza, lunch & dinner), The Bombay Café (24 hours; casual) Accommodations: 1,250 rooms, including 237 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Taj Card rewards card with cash rewards, prizes, free food and lodging, special events, and sweepstakes. Simulcast horse race betting. 140,000 square feet of convention and exhibit space. Spa, fitness center, pool, Jacuzzi, steam baths, tanning booths, and sundecks. Baccarat pit offers baccarat, single-zero roulette, and high-limit blackjack. Smoking and nonsmoking tables available.


NEW MEXICO

Acoma (AH-koo-ma; population 3,000), known as Sky City, is a pueblo on a 367-foot-high mesa, and approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, about 60 miles west of Albuquerque and 12 miles south of Interstate 40, on a road that travels along buttes and mesas. Acoma claims to be the oldest continually inhabited community (over 900 years) in North America, dating its earliest inhabitants to nearly 2,000 years ago. The village offers 360degree views and has centuries-old pueblo architecture, plus the 350-year-old San Esteban del Rey Mission.

369. Sky City Casino Address: Interstate 40, Exit 102 Acoma, New Mexico 87034 Phone: toll-free: 1–888–SKY–CITY; general information: 505–552–6017; toll-free: 1–888–759–2489 Website: www.skycitycasino.com Description: 64,000-square-foot Native American (Acoma People) casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sun., holidays 24 hours Slot Machines: 800 Table Games: 14: Blackjack, roulette, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Rodeos, concerts, boxing; all event tickets can be purchased at the casino Restaurants: 2: Pinon Tree (coffee bar, sandwiches, soups), Huwak’a Restaurant (buffet; lunch, dinner, plus weekend, and Sun. brunch) Accommodations: 134 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club. Conference rooms for groups up to 150. 500 seats of bingo. Pueblo tours.

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In 1996, the state of New Mexico became involved in gambling with such gaming products as scratch cards, Powerball, and Pick Three, which you can find at convenience stores around the state, as well as the Instant Millionaire Game Show, which you can see on TV. A year later, Native American-owned tribal casinos became legal in New Mexico with the signing of gaming compacts between tribes and the state. Since then, 22 tribes have opened casinos, and visitors can now play electronic gaming devices (video slot machines and video poker), blackjack, roulette, craps, bingo, keno, poker (including several house-banked variants like Caribbean Stud and three-card poker), and baccarat in casinos all over the state. The minimum gaming age is 18. However, if liquor is served, the minimum gaming age is 21.

Albuquerque Albuquerque (population 450,000; metropolitan area 713,000), is in the central part of the state, at the intersection of Highways 40 and 25, between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande, about 50 miles southwest of Santa Fe and 325 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado (444 miles by road on I-25). Albuquerque, home to the University of New Mexico, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, and Petroglyph National Monument, celebrates its tricentennial in 2005. The climate is usually sunny and dry, averaging 10 to 12 inches of precipitation a year.

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Address: I-25 and Tramway, Albuquerque, New Mexico Phone: toll-free: 1–800–526–9366 Website: www.sandiacasino.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 222,000-square-foot Native American casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sun. 24 hours Slot Machines: 1700; there is a smoke-free room of coinless slots Table Games: 19: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, roulette, three-card poker, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker Poker: Hold’em ($4-$8 with a half kill, $40 buy-in; $10-$20 with a half kill, $100 buy-in; $20-$40 with a half kill, $200 buy-in; pot-limit, $300 buy-in), 7-stud ($1-$5 spread-limit, $20 buy-in), 7-stud high-low ($1-$5 spread-limit, $20 buy-in), Omaha high-low ($10-$20 with a half kill, $100 buy-in). Periodic tournaments; see website for details. Entertainment: Lounge with live music; amphitheatre with live shows Restaurants: 3: Bien Shur (New American, Southwestern cuisine; lunch, dinner), P’a Shur Deli, Thur Shan Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: hotel and golf course opening in 2005 Dress Code: No Bonus: Free shuttle from area hotels: Call 505–796–7700. Every Wed., seniors get a discounted lunch buffet for $5 and the chance to win $50 during drawings every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Banquets and catering onsite for 40–300 people.

Bernalillo Bernalillo (population 6,000) is about 10 miles north of Albuquerque.

371. Santa Ana Star Casino Address: 54 Jemez Canyon Dam Road, Santa Ana Pueblo, Bernalillo, New Mexico 87004 Phone: Main Phone: 505–867–0000 Website: www.santaanastar.com Description: 100,000 square foot Native American casino Hours: Sun.–Wed. 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 24 hours. Poker room: Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m. till casino close; Sun., 8 a.m. till casino close. Slot Machines: 1500+ Table Games: 26: 1 three-card poker, 18 blackjack, 2 craps, 3 roulette, 1 Let It Ride, 1 progressive pai gow Poker: 5 tables with a maximum of 10 players per table. Hold’em, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high-low, 7-stud high. Poker room

Isleta The Pueblo of Isleta (population 3,000) is in the Río Grande Valley, 13 miles south of Albuquerque and 5 minutes from I-25 (Exit 215). Originally established around the 1300s, the name Isleta means “Little Island” in Spanish.

372. Isleta Casino & Resort Address: 11000 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87105 Phone: 505–724–3800; toll-free: 1–877–7ISLETA (1–877–747–5382) Website: www.isletacasinoresort.com Description: Isleta Casino & Resort Native American (Pueblo of Isleta) casino with 100,000 square feet of gaming Hours: Mon.–Wed. 8 a.m.–4 a.m.; Thu.–Sun. 24 hours; poker room opens daily at 1 p.m. Slot Machines: 1,700: Reel and video slot machines; some with up to 99 percent payback; including megajackpots Table Games: 28: Craps, roulette, blackjack ($3–$2,000), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha. Daily poker tournaments at 2 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. tournament is hold’em ($5 buy-in); $60 World Series of Poker no-limit hold’em satellites Tue. and Thu. at 7 p.m. Calendar of daily poker events online at the casino’s website. Hold’em, 7-stud, and Omaha lessons available—sign up in the poker room. Entertainment: 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Thu., Fri., and Sat. nights in the 777 Bar, live entertainment. 7 p.m.–10 p.m. in the Tiwa Steakhouse on Fri. nights, live entertainment. Restaurants: 4: Tiwa Steakhouse (reservations recommended; closed Mon.–Tue.; Wed., Thu., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Ma-Tu-Ey Buffet (lunch, dinner, Mon.–Fri.; breakfast, lunch, dinner Sat.–Sun.), Chile Ristra Café and Deli (Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m.; 8 a.m. Fri.–4 a.m. Sun.),

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bonuses include the following: High hand jackpot: 4 times daily (9 a.m.–3 p.m., 3 p.m.–9 p.m., 9 p.m.–3 a.m., 3 a.m.–9 p.m.); highest hand for each 6-hour time period wins jackpot. Early bird bonus: first 10 players between 9 a.m.–10 a.m. get a $10 bonus. Starlight bonus: Every Sat. night, first 10 players seated at 10 p.m. for hold’em receive $80 for a $60 buy-in. The high hand bonus also applies to this promotion. Entertainment: 3,000seat concert arena: check website for acts Restaurants: 1: The Feast Buffet (lunch, dinner, daily, plus Sun. brunch) Accommodations: 350 rooms Family Amenities: Family arcade: 25 games, including interactive games, pinball, basketball, air hockey, and all the latest games. Children ages 10–18 may be left in arcade without parental supervision, but must be dropped off by a parent. Starlight Lanes, a family bowling center. Hours for both: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Dress Code: No Bonus: Star Card Club rewards card. Blackjack tournaments, with 2 flights on Mon. at 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Cost is $20 for each session played (3 sessions per tournament). All tournament fees are returned to players, with the top 3 players of each tournament receiving 50 percent-30percent-20percent. The top 2 places of each table of each session of each tournament receive a free entry into the Grand Finals Tournament the last Wed. of each month for a $5,000 prize pool. That event takes place at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m., and the top 3 players split the prize money. 10,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, plus the event center seats 2000. Free parking and complimentary valet parking.

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777 Sports Bar (burgers; no cover; Thu., Fri., and Sat. 9 p.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Over 12,420 square feet of meeting and function space is available. Special prices for children at buffet.

Mescalero Mescalero (population 1,200) is in south-central New Mexico, 10 miles south of Ruidoso and 130 miles south of Albuquerque.

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Address: 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero, New Mexico 88340 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–545–9011 Website: www.innofthemountaingods.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: This 38,000-square-foot Native American (Mescalero Apache) casino was scheduled to open in spring of 2005. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000: 5¢ and up Table Games: 34: Poker, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: Planned to be available at opening Entertainment: Nightclub; sports bar; lounge and piano bar Restaurants: 4: Wendell’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, Our Gathering of Nations Buffet, Big Game Sports Bar (burgers), Apache Tea Bar and Grill (overlooking the golf course; sandwiches) Accommodations: 273 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Kids Camp: educational and recreational programs available involving Mescalero Apache Tribal Culture, nature, science, and more, with kids 4–14 particularly welcome Dress Code: No Bonus: Inn of the Mountain Gods Championship 18-hole mountain golf course, designed by Ted Robinson. 40,000 square feet of convention and meeting space. Skiing.

San Felipe The Pueblo of San Felipe (population 3,200) is 10 miles north of Bernalillo off I-25, and about 20 miles north of Albuquerque. Keresan is the pueblo’s native language.

374. San Felipe’s Casino Hollywood Address: 25 Hagen Road, P.O. Box 4339, San Felipe, New Mexico 87001 Phone: 505–867–6700; toll-free: 1–877–529–2946; fax: 505–867–3383 Website: www.sanfelipecasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 22,000-square-foot Native American (San Felipe tribe) casino Hours: 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Mon.–Thu. and 24 hours Fri.–Sun. Slot Machines: 700: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $25; progressives Table Games: 12: Pai gow poker, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Frequent concerts and events; see the casino’s website Restaurants: 2: High Rollers Grill; Brown Derby Restaurant (buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: Several local hotels offer specials to casino patrons. See website. Dress Code: No Bonus: Blackjack tournament

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE every Tue. Cash giveaways. Speedway at Hollywood Hills, outdoor multi-sports and entertainment venue located just outside the casino, has seating for 10,000+ spectators, including VIP suites and pit access, and features national, regional, and local auto racing events, as well as specialty events such as monster trucks, Native American pow-wows, motocross, rodeos, concerts, and more. 100 RV spaces with electrical hook-up available.

Santa Fe

Address: 17486A Hwy 84/285, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 Phone: 1–800–GO–CAMEL (1–800–462–2635) Website: www.camelrockcasino.com Description: Camel Rock is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The reservation encompasses more than 17,000 acres, including Aspen Ranch and Vigil Grant, 2 wooded areas in the Santa Fe National Forest. The 60,000-square-foot Native American (Tesuque Pueblo) casino is 10 minutes north of Santa Fe on Highway 84/285. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sun. and holidays 24 hours Slot Machines: 700+: Including megajackpots Table Games: 10: Blackjack, roulette, craps, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: show room with periodic live entertainment; see the casino’s website for details Restaurants: Pueblo Artist Café (buffet) Accommodations: 120 rooms (executive suites). Call 877–989–3600 or visit www.camelrocksuites.com for information and reservations. Dress Code: No Bonus: Free valet parking. Bingo. Player’s club.

376. Cities of Gold Address: 10-A Cities of Gold Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506 Phone: 505–455–0515; toll-free: 1–877–455–0515; poker room: 505–455–4243 Website: www.citiesofgold.com Email: [email protected] Description: 40,000-square-foot Native American casino. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri., Sat. 24 hours. Poker room: Mon.–Fri. noon to close, Sat., Sun. 10 a.m. to close Slot Machines: 550: 1¢–$5; wager from 1–200 coins per play; penny machines all feature ticket in-ticket-out (TITO); several progressives Table Games: 12: Blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker Poker: Separate poker room with 6 tables. Game schedule: Hold’em (day game), Omaha high-low/hold’em (afternoon/evening games). Also, 7-stud high-low. Progressive jackpots on all games. Nightly hold’em, Omaha high, and Omaha high-low tournaments, call the poker room for detail. Entertainment: Sports bar/simul-

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Santa Fe (population of 62,200), the capital of New Mexico, is at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Art and tourism are its biggest industries. The city consciously attempts to preserve and display a regional architectural style; new and rebuilt buildings, especially those in designated historic districts, must exhibit a Spanish Territorial or Pueblo style of architecture.

casting; live music in the casino bar on Fri. and Sat. nights. Restaurants: 3: Casino snack bar, Golden Buffet, Gold Dust restaurant Accommodations: 125 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo; ballroom; AARP discount; convention and meeting space; free parking; nonsmoking sections

Taos Taos (population 4,700) is a large town in north-central New Mexico, about 55 miles northeast of Santa Fe, and located near Taos Pueblo, the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name. The word “Taos” means “red willow” in the Tewa language. Taos is known for its art colony, and also for its skiing and other mountain sports.

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377. Taos Mountain Casino Address: Camino de la Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico 87571–0777 Phone: 505–737–0777; toll-free: 1–888–WIN–TAOS (1–888–946–8267) Website: www.taosmountaincasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: This 10,000 square foot Native American casino calls itself “the world’s only 100 percent smoke-free casino.” Must be 21 to enter gaming area. Hours: Sun.–Wed. 8 a.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 8 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 200: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; multi-denomination and tokenized machines; multi-state progressives Table Games: 4: Blackjack (limits vary per table and include $1–$100, $3–$100, $5–$200, $10–$300, $25–$500); craps ($1–$100 and $5–$500; 3X, 4X, 5X odds; see website for minimums on proposition bets) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Lucky 7s Café (Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; those under 21 are welcome in the Café) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club rewards card. Cash giveaways. Various promotions including slot “hot seat” giveaways.

NEW YORK

The only legal casino gambling in New York State is in Native American casinos, which were established by the compacts negotiated between tribes and the state under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state of New York. The first compacts were signed in 1993. Depending on the compacts, slot machines may or may not be allowed. Those with Class II gaming licenses do not have actual slot machines—however, electronic gaming devices offering slot-like games, which are based on bingo and do not involve actual currency, are permitted. Those with Class III gaming licenses have “real” slot machines. In 1997, casino gaming on “cruise-to-nowhere” vessels first began at Sheepshead Landing in Brooklyn. Now several such companies exist. Gaming starts after the vessel reaches international waters, three miles offshore. Cruise ships are described in their own chapter. The minimum gambling age is 18.


Hogansburg Hogansburg (population 2,600), on Route 37 in upstate New York near the Canadian border, is on the St. Regis River, just before where the river meets the St. Lawrence River. Just across the St. Lawrence is where Ontario and Quebec meet.

378. Akwesasne Mohawk Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot Native American (Akwesasne Mohawk) casino, on Route 37 in Akwesasne, NY, 12 miles east of Massena, New York and 6 miles east of the Seaway International Bridge from Cornwall, Ontario Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon., Tue., Fri. 4 p.m.–6 a.m.; Wed., Thu. 4 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.–6 a.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 500+: Video poker, video lottery; machines for both U.S. and Canadian currency. More machines were planned at the time of this writing. Table Games: 16: Blackjack, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, big six wheel. Casino was undergoing expansion at the time of this writing, with perhaps 30 tables planned. Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6 and $5-$10 with a kill; both kills based on pot size: for 1 hand only: $3-$6 becomes $5-$10 and $5-$10 becomes $10-$20); no-limit with $100 minimum buy-in, $500 maximum, blinds $2 and $5. Daily no-limit hold’em tournaments Mon.–Fri. 6 p.m., Sat., Sun. noon; more information on casino’s website. Entertainment: Live music Fri. and Sat. nights including The Busco Bandits, Johnny Hart, the Jump Starts, Tongue, Groove, Soul Injection, Skippy, the Pistons, Nervous Rex, and many more. Restaurants: 2: Native Harvest Buffet (lunch, dinner weekdays, breakfast, lunch, dinner Sat. and Sun.), Pair-A-Dice Lounge (chicken wings, hamburgers, sandwiches, assorted appetizers) Accommodations: An extensive list of hotels and motels in the area is available on the casino’s website. Dress Code: No Bonus: Contests and promotions include Hot Seat slot giveaways, in which random seats are chosen to win cash prizes. See the casino’s website for current information. Coupons available only on website. Tribal Treasures Gift Shop sells native arts and crafts.

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Address: 837 State Route 37, Hogansburg, New York 13655 Phone: 518–358–2222; toll-free: 1–877–99–CASINO (1–877–992–2746) or 1–888–622–1155 Website: www.mohawkcasino.com

Irving Irving (population 3,400) is on Lake Erie, about 30 miles southwest of Buffalo and 35 miles north of the Pennsylvania border.

379. Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Address: 11099 Route 5, Irving, New York 14081 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–421–BINGO (1–800–421–2464); fax: 716–549–6356 Website: www.senecagames.com/irving.asp

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Description: 25,000-square-foot Native American (Seneca Nation of Indians) casino (on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation). It started as a bingo hall and has evolved into a “Local” Style Class II casino Hours: 9:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m. daily. Poker room: Mon.–Thu. 5 p.m.–6 a.m.; Fri.–Sun. noon-6 a.m. Slot Machines: 400 video “slot-like” machines plus 40 video bingo machines; denominations 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1 Table Games: Only poker Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em (mostly nolimit, with $1 and $2 blinds; sometimes limit games, with 5X upper limit minimum buyin) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 (buffet) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo, high-stakes bingo

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls (population 56,000), about 10 miles northwest of Buffalo, is directly across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario, both named after the famed waterfall, which is between them. There are actually 3 falls, and American Falls is contained within Niagara Falls, New York. A bridge separates the 2 cities; the international boundary runs between them.

380. Seneca Niagara Casino Address: 310 Fourth Street, Niagara Falls, New York 14303 Phone: 716–299–1100; toll-free: 1–877–8–SENECA (1–877–873–6322) Website: www.senecaniagaracasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 113,000-square-foot Native American (Seneca Nation of Indians) Class III casino (Seneca Nation) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,200+: Reel-spinning and video slot machines; 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, plus a highlimit slot area with 60 machines with $5–$100 limits; progressive jackpots, megajackpots Table Games: 97: Blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, Spanish 21, big six wheel; also, keno lounge with $100,000 keno Poker: 16 tables (at the time of this writing, the casino was expanding with more poker tables planned, perhaps up to 30): Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $6$12, $10-$20, $15-$30. No-limit: Minimum $40, maximum $100 buy-in, with $1 and $2 blinds; minimum $100, maximum $200 buy-in, with $5 and $5 blinds; minimum $500, no maximum buy-in, with $5 and $10 blinds), Omaha high, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spread-limit). No-limit hold’em tournaments: Mon. 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.


Salamanca (population 6,000), on Interstate 86, is on a reservation of the Seneca tribe, 45 miles south of Buffalo and 75 miles east of Erie, Pennsylvania.

381. Seneca Allegany Casino Address: 777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard, Salamanca, New York 14779 Phone: toll-free: 1–877–553–9500 Website: www.senecaalleganycasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 48,000-square-foot Native American (Seneca Nation of Indians) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,800+: Reel-spinning and video slot machines; 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $20, $100. Featuring ticket in-ticket out slots. Table Games: 22: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let It Ride; also, keno lounge with $100,000 keno Poker: 16 tables: Hold’em ($1-$2, $2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, no-limit with $1 and $2 blinds and $5 and $10 blinds), pineapple, crazy pineapple, Omaha high, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high, 7-stud high-low. Regular tournaments: All start at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., all hold’em limited to the first 30 players, and live players taken first. Mon.: no-limit, $50+$10, 1 $50 rebuy, $10 dealer bonus buy for extra tournament chips. Tue.: limit, $50+$10, 1 $50 rebuy, $10 dealer bonus buy for extra tournament chips. Wed.: no-limit, $30+$5, unlimited $10 rebuys (first four rounds), $10 dealer bonus buy for extra tournament chips. Also, less frequently, major no-limit tournaments with buy-ins that range from $225–$500. Plus, World Series of Poker satellites. Entertainment: Live music weekends at the casino bar, including such acts as Charles Reedy, Pyramid Sounds, Sammy Smith Band, Two for Flinching, Relics, and more Restaurants: 2: Thunder Mountain Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner; reservations recommended Fri.–Sun.), Java Café (snack bar with hot dogs, sandwiches, desserts) Accommodations: Luxury hotel opening in 2006. Until then, links are provided on the casino’s website to other facilities. Dress Code: No Bonus: Seneca Players Club rewards card for slots and table games. Cash and car giveaways. Free drinks while gaming. A nonsmoking casino, Turtle Island, is available. Bingo with 2 sessions and 3 levels of play every day, plus “midnight Madness” Fri. and Sat., and Sat. morning “Breakfast Bingo.”

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Salamanca

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$30+$5, 1 $30 rebuy, 1 $30 add-on. (This tournament has a special twist. Starting at the final table, at the start of each 10-minute round, the player with the lowest chip total is permitted to cash out those chips or continue. See website for details.) Tue. 10 a.m. $100 +$20 buy-in, $10 dealer bonus buy for added tournament chips. Wed. 10 a.m. $30+$5, unlimited $10 rebuys (first 4 rounds), $10 dealer bonus buy for added tournament chips. World Series of Poker satellites. Entertainment: Periodic live music, including such artists as Little Anthony & the Imperials, Rita Coolidge, The History of Rock & Roll, Eddie Money, and Natalie Cole. Restaurants: 5: The Western Door (steakhouse; dinner; reservations recommended), Thunder Falls Buffet (buffet featuring prime rib and seafood; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; reservations recommended Fri.–Sun.), Morrie’s Place (sports pub; lunch, dinner) 2 snack bars (deli, Java Café) Accommodations: Many hotels listed on the casino’s website Dress Code: No Bonus: Seneca Players Club rewards card for slots and table games. Cash and car giveaways. Gift Shop sells native arts and crafts.

Verona Verona (population 6,425) is in the heart of upstate New York, just off I-90, 110 miles west of Albany and 35 miles east of Syracuse.

382. Turning Stone Casino Resort Address: 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, New York 13478 Phone: 315–361–7711; toll-free: 1–800–771–7711; poker hotline: 315–361–8676; toll-free: 1–800–386–5366; showroom hotline: 1–877–833–SHOW (1–877–833–7469) Website: www.turningstone.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Newly expanded Native American (Oneida Indian Nation) Class III casino that offers the most slots and table games in New York, as well as world-class poker tournaments Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,400+: 5¢, 25¢, $1–$5; all cashless (PIN-controlled account card); including megajackpots Table Games: 100+: Blackjack, double-deck blackjack, craps (3X, 4X, 5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, roulette, mini-baccarat, acey-deucey (red dog), pai gow poker, big six wheel, casino war; $100,000 keno in the keno lounge Poker: 22 tables in 2 rooms (expanding to 35 tables soon); also, separate tournament room. Almost all hold’em, with limits of $1-$3 spread-limit (all rounds), $3-$6, $5-$10, $10$20, $20-$40, $30-$60, no-limit Fri., $300 minimum buy-in with $5 and $10 blinds and $20 bring-in. Might be 1 7-stud daily, $1-$5 spread-limit. Daily tournaments, except Fri., limit Mon., rest no-limit. The annual Turning Stone Poker Classic is a week of no-limit hold’em events in April, including supersatellites, with buy-ins ranging from $50 to $1,060. Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Free poker lessons offered Sun.–Fri. at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Entertainment: Top acts like Queensryche, Joe Cocker, Marshall Tucker Band, and Brooks & Dunn. Also events such as “The Chocolate Experience” for couples. Restaurants: 11: Including a coffee shop, cafés, delis, restaurants; featuring Forest Grill Steakhouse (dinner), Pino Bianco Trattoria (Italian; lunch, dinner), Peach Blossom (Asian; dinner), Rodizio (roasted meat Brazilian-style; dinner), Wildflowers (fine dining; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Emerald (full service; 24 hours), and more Accommodations: 405 rooms in 2 hotels Admission Charge: None for casino; poker room charges $2 for a 24-hour membership, which is good from 6 a.m.–6 a.m. Dress Code: No Bonus: Diamond Card Player’s Club rewards card for slots and table play. New York’s largest bingo hall. Smoke-free gaming available. Tournaments: “Double Header” blackjack, “mini” Let It Ride, Let It Ride, specialty (including seniors only, craps, roulette, threecard poker): see website for details and dates. Golf, spa, and salon. 9-ball tournaments.


NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina does not permit live table games, so table games are all video representations. Harrah’s offers games like digital 21 (electronic blackjack) that have live dealers who activate each game and pay winning bets with chips, but no actual cards are involved; they appear on video screens. At the time of this writing, there was some contention between the Cherokee tribe and the federal government as to whether poker should be permitted. The state of North Carolina also must buy in to the agreement, and it has traditionally been opposed to gambling. The minimum gambling age is 21.

383. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel Address: 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee, North Carolina 28719 Phone: 828–497–7777; toll-free: 1–800–HARRAHS (1–800–427–7247) and ask for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino; group sales: toll-free at 1–877–778–8138 Website: www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/che Email: None outside of customer service requests, which can be done through the website Description: 80,000-square-foot Native American (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) casino, managed by Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. The casino, hotel, and conference center have a Native American motif. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 3,100+: 5¢–$100, with linked progressive jackpots. Table Games: 32 (minimum/maximum): 25 Digital (21 blackjack and 4 bonanza blackjack; $5/$500, $10/$500, $15/$500, $25/$1,000, $100/$2,000), 3 baccarito (electronic baccarat; $5/$500, $10/$500, $15/$1,000, $25/$1,000, $100/$2,000) Poker: At the time of this writing, the casino does not offer live poker, but a poker room of 24 tables was set to open in early 2005, with a planned expansion thereafter to 30 tables. Whether this happens depends on the outcome of the contention between the Cherokee tribe and the federal government as to the legality of poker. Entertainment: 1,500-seat theater, featuring name acts, including music legends like Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Daniels, Brooks & Dunn, and Charlie Pride. Harrah’s Cherokee has featured comedians Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Rich Little, and Jeff Foxworthy. Restaurants: 4: Seven Sisters (steaks, seafood, pasta, desserts; open Wed.–Sun.), Fresh Market Square Buffet (400-seats; traditional and international foods; open daily for lunch and dinner, and Sat.–Sun. 3 a.m.–9 a.m. for breakfast), Selu Garden Café, Club Cappuccino (coffee, espresso, pastry) Accommodations: 252-room 15-story hotel (with a second tower of an additional 324 rooms scheduled to open in June, 2005) Family Amenities: Game arcade in the hotel, open daily: Mon.–Thu. noon–10 p.m.; Fri. noon–midnight; Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight; Sun.

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Cherokee (population 3,000) is 50 miles west of Asheville in western North Carolina, on the Tennessee border, on the historic homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee is located at the southern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where whitewater rafting, canoeing, trout fishing, hiking, and camping are available.

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10 a.m.–10 p.m.). Children under age 13 must be accompanied by someone age 16 or older while in the arcade, 13–15 must be signed into the arcade by an adult, and 16 and older can use the facility without adult supervision. Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Rewards card, which can be used at all Harrah’s, Rio, Showboat, and Harveys casinos. 10,000 square feet of meeting space (with up to 8 individual conference rooms). Hotel also has a gift shop, indoor swimming pool, fitness area, and arcade. Cherokee is home to the Oconaluftee Indian Village, an authentic replica of an 18th century Cherokee community, and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. The hotel features the world’s largest collection of contemporary Cherokee art.

NORTH DAKOTA

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North Dakota has literally hundreds of establishments that offer blackjack, with a $5 maximum bet, for the benefit of charities. For this reason, many North Dakota establishments that call themselves “casinos” offer only two or three blackjack games, pull tabs, and no slot machines. Just as in other states, compacts negotiated between tribes and the state under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 permit tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state, and at agreed-upon limits. Native American casinos are not restricted to $5 bets, but they are limited by law to these maximums: blackjack, $250 (on a maximum of two tables in a casino; the rest are permitted only up to $100); craps, $60; roulette, $50; slots and video poker, $25; and poker, $50 per bet each round, with a maximum of four bets (one bet and three raises) per round (so one player could bet up to $200 per round, such that with maximum betting in a 7-stud hand and its five rounds of betting, theoretically bet up to $800). Poker tournaments do not have such restrictions, and buy-ins higher than $50 are permitted. The state’s agreement with the tribes specifies that electronic gaming devices return to the players a minimum of 80 percent and a maximum of 100 percent. However, if the game involves skill, as video poker and video blackjack do, the devices must return at least 83 percent. North Dakota is one of only three states whose residents voted down a state lottery, partly due to the state already having so many other forms of gambling, including charity casinos. The minimum age for casino gambling is 21; 18 for bingo.


Belcourt Belcourt (population 2,440) is in northern North Dakota, 130 miles northeast of Bismarck and about 7 miles from the Manitoba border.

384. Sky Dancer Hotel & Casino

Fort Yates Fort Yates (population 228) is in southern North Dakota on the Missouri River, 45 miles south of Bismarck on Highway 1806, and 7 miles north of the South Dakota border.

385. Prairie Knights Casino & Resort Address: 7932 Highway 24, Fort Yates, North Dakota 58538 Phone: 701–854–7777; toll-free: 1–800–425–8277; fax: 701–854–7786 Website: www.prairieknights.com Email: [email protected] Description: 34,000-square-foot Native American (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; pit hours Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; craps is closed Mon.–Wed. Slot Machines: 600: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5, plus $10, $25 in high-stakes room; multidenominational machines; reel slots, video slots, video poker, video keno; progressives; wide-area progressives Table Games: 9: Blackjack (3$–$100, 1 table up to $250), craps, single-deck 21 (modified rules; check with casino), three-card poker, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Pavilion Showroom has headliners like Ronnie Milsap, Blackhawk,

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Description: 37,000-square-foot Native American (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; closed 6 p.m. Dec. 24 to 6 p.m. Dec. 25. Poker room open every day, although at the time of this writing there were games only Fri.–Mon. Slot Machines: 508: 1¢, 2¢, up to $1 Table Games: 10: 4 blackjack, 3 Phil-em Up, 2 Texas Shootout, 1 Let It Ride Poker: 6 tables: Live games usually follow tournaments, and are dealer’s choice (7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low, others; $2-$10 spread-limit, sometimes higher). At the time of this writing, a Wed. tag team tournament was being planned. Mon. 7 p.m. no-limit hold’em tournament, $20 buy-in, $10 rebuys to first break, with two “hot seat” drawings for entry to the following week’s tournament. Sat., free tournament with rebuys. At the time of this writing an expansion of the poker room and its hours were being planned. Entertainment: Showroom, with country favorites like Ricky Van Shelton and Sawyer Brown Restaurants: 1: Chippewa Trails Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner, buffet); also, lounge offers pizza, nachos, etc. Accommodations: 97 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Northern Lights Players Club rewards card. Bonus cash prizes for certain blackjack and Phil-em Up hands. Mixed tournaments (Let It Ride and Phil-em Up in the same event). Coupon books for hotel guests. Banquet, conference, and meeting facilities. Bus packages and free shuttles available in the local area, some with incentive packages. Bingo: Mon.–Sat. starts at 6 p.m., Sun. starts at 1 p.m.

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Address: Highway 5 West, Belcourt, North Dakota 58316 Phone: 701–244–2400; toll-free: 1–866–BIGWINS (1–866–244–9467) Website: www.skydancercasino.com

Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, the Platters, Gatlin Brothers, Lou Gramm (of Foreigner), Sammy Kershaw, Cheap Trick, and Loretta Lynn Restaurants: 2: Feast of the Rock (buffet, also menu items; Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–11:30 p.m.), Hunters Club (fine dining; closed Mon.; Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: 96 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Seven rewards card for slot play. Seniors’ and birthday buffets. Meeting and banquet facilities. Valet parking. Shuttle service from Bismarck or Mandan ($10 cost, with a casino package thrown in worth more than $10). Similar $20 packages from Jamestown and Dickinson.

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Hankinson (population 1,100) is in southeastern North Dakota, 50 miles south of Fargo, 15 miles west of the Minnesota border, and 7 miles north of the South Dakota border.

386. Dakota Magic Casino Hotel

NORTH AMERICA

Address: 16849 102nd Street Southeast, Hankinson, North Dakota 58041 Phone: 701–634–3000; toll-free: 1–800–325–6825 Website: www.dakotamagic.com Description: 95,000-square-foot Native American (Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe) casino; located on the North and South Dakota border, take exit 1 on Interstate 29. Must be 21 to gamble, 18 to play bingo (photo ID required). Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 700: 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $25; reel, video slot machines; video poker, video keno; multi-game machines (up to 9 different types of games); local progressive banks ranging from $225 on up; wide-area progressives with megajackpots Table Games: 17: Roulette, craps, blackjack, Phil-em Up Poker: 6 tables: $3-$6 dealer’s choice (hold’em, Omaha high-low). No-limit hold’em tournament every quarter, $120 buy-in, no rebuys; in the Convention Center, lasts 4 days. Progressive royal flush jackpot. Entertainment: Convention Center has headliners like Diamond Rio and Larry the Cable Guy. Lounge has local bands on the weekends. Restaurants: 2: Seven Fires Grille (buffet; 24 hours); lounge has appetizers Accommodations: 127 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Dakota Club rewards card. Special giveaway or extra point promotions daily for club members. Cash drawings. Weekly slot tournaments (Fri.) for club members, semifinals culminating in a major cash final. Blackjack tournaments. Phil-em Up tournaments, horseshoe tournaments, and dart tournaments. Meeting, entertainment, and banquet rooms. Senior (55+) days, Mon.


New Town New Town (population 1,400) is 100 miles northwest of Bismarck, between the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea.

387. 4 Bears Casino and Lodge

St. Michael St. Michael (population 100) is in northeast North Dakota, 130 miles northeast of Bismarck and 100 miles northwest of Grand Forks on the Spirit Lake reservation. Total population within the Spirit Lake Tribe boundaries, about 450 square miles, is 6,400.

388. Spirit Lake Casino & Resort Address: 7889 Highway 57 South, St. Michael, North Dakota 58370 Phone: 701–766–4747; toll-free: 1–800–Win–UBET (1–800–946–8238); hotel reservations: 701–766–4888; hotel fax: 701–766–4900 Website: www.spiritlakecasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 49,000-square-foot Native American (Spirit Lake Nation) casino on Devil’s Lake Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Table games: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m. or game break, Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–3 a.m. or game break. Poker room open 7 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Slot Machines: 632: 1¢ and up; reel and video slots, including video poker; 100 percent ticket in-ticket out machines; high-stakes room has $5, $10, $25 machines Table Games: 10: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride Poker: 12 tables: Tournaments every day when the room opens, followed by dealer’s choice (hold’em, 7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low,

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Email: [email protected] Description: 3,000-square-foot Native American (3 Affiliated Tribes of Fort Bethold: Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) casino on the shores of Lake Sakakawea Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 24 hours Slot Machines: 500+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; reel and video; some multi-denominational; progressives; megajackpots; ticket in-ticket out coming soon Table Games: 10: 6 blackjack ($3–$25, $5–$50, $10–$100, $25–$250), craps ($2–$60; 2X odds), roulette ($2–$50 on the outside, $2–$5 on the inside), Let It Ride ($3–$25) Poker: 6 tables: hold’em (usually Wed.–Sat., usually $5-$10). Regular tournaments: Wed. 7 p.m., hold’em, $10 buy-in with $5 rebuys. Thu. 7 p.m., Omaha high-low. Sat hold’em, $20 buy-in, $10 rebuys, starts out limit first 4 rounds, then becomes no-limit. Monthly: Sat. no-limit hold’em $50 buy-in, $25 rebuys; Sun. no-limit hold’em shootout, $100 buy-in. Entertainment: Local acts, concerts in events center; see website Restaurants: 1: Cache Restaurant (buffet); also, pizza, coffee specialties available in lounge Accommodations: 97 rooms, including 3 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Players club rewards card for slots, table games, bingo, high-stakes area. Indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, and an exercise room. Small pets permitted in hotel rooms.

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Address: 202 Frontage Road, New Town, North Dakota 58763 Phone: 701–627–4018; toll-free: 1–800–294–5454 Website: www.4bearscasino.com

Tahoe pineapple, crazy pineapple; $5-$10). Among tournaments: Thu. 7 p.m., $500 freeroll, $10 rebuys. Also no-limit shootouts, rebuy tournaments, Omaha. See website for complete schedule. The Annual Dakotah Jim Dandy Poker Festival in Oct., 5 days of events, is a major tournament. World Series of Poker qualifying satellites. Entertainment: 1,000-seat Spirit Lake Casino & Resort Auditorium, with headliners like Williams & Ree, Juice Newton & Pam Tillis, and Charley Pride Restaurants: 3: The View (fine dining; Tue.–Sat. 5–10 p.m., closed Sun. and Mon.), Dakotah Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), snack bar (Mon.–Thu. 6 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 124 rooms, including suites Family Amenities: Indoor water slide and children’s pool Dress Code: No Bonus: Spirit Lake Player’s Club rewards card for slot and table play. Birthday offers for club members. Bingo: doors open daily at 6 p.m. 15 RV parking lot sites with electric hookups; 54 additional campsites in late summer. Sauna room. Game and exercise room.

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OKLAHOMA

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Oklahoma voters passed SQ (State Question) 712 in November 2004, which permitted Native American casinos to operate some Class III games (blackjack and other housebanked card games, like pai gow poker, but not roulette or craps). Tribes had already negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state; roulette and craps are so outlawed. SQ 712 clarified and expanded the rules, allowing tribes to continue bingo games and electronic gaming devices based on bingo. These electronic games look and feel a lot like slot machines. SQ 712 also permitted three horseracing tracks to operate similar electronic games. At the time of this writing, a rush was beginning by several Native American casinos to add blackjack and the other permitted games to their bingo, pull tabs, and electronic games. Several casinos were in transition and you should check their websites or call for the latest information. The minimum age for gambling in Oklahoma is 18.


Catoosa Catoosa (population 5,500) is a suburb 12 miles east of Tulsa.

389. Cherokee Casino Resort

Norman Norman (population 99,200) is about 6 miles south of Oklahoma City and is considered part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

390. Thunderbird Casino Address: 15700 East State Highway 9, Norman, Oklahoma 73026 Phone: 405–360–9270; toll-free: 1–800–259–LUCK (1–800–259–5825) Website: www.shawneecasinos.com Email: [email protected] Description: 61,000-square-foot Native American (Shawnee Tribe) casino, 17 miles east of Norman on State Highway 9, on the south side of the road about 2 miles past the southern entrance to Lake Thunderbird Park. Casino was under new management, with new games, promotions, and amenities being implemented at the time of this writing. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; tables open Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–12 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,200 electronic gaming devices that look like slot machines, but are based on bingo technology, with ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 8: Blackjack (house takes a commission each bet: up to $50, 50¢; $51–$250, $1; over $250, $2) Poker: Poker was scheduled at the time of this writing Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Boots and Saddles Café (24 hours Fri.–Sat.) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Shawnee Rewards card for slot play. Mailed promotions to members. Seniors day Thu., with meal specials, drawings. Bus charters available.

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Description: A new 80,000-square-foot Native American (Cherokee Nation) casino, at I44 and 193rd East Ave. (exit 240), that was just getting started at the time of this writing Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,600 electronic gaming devices that have the same look and feel as the slot machines in Las Vegas and will have ticket in-ticket out. These are devices that look like slot machines, but are based on bingo technology. Table Games: 36: Blackjack, pai gow poker, mini-baccarat Poker: 35 tables: Hold’em ($4-$8), 7-stud, Omaha. At the time of this writing, poker was just getting started at the casino, with plans to hold ladies’ and seniors’ tournaments and World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker satellites. Entertainment: Twisters Bar has local groups that play music from the ’50s through today by local groups, usually 6 nights a week. Cabin Creek Smokehouse has classic and contemporary country music, with live entertainment every Thu.–Sat. C:Note Piano Lounge has classical and contemporary jazz. Restaurants: 4: Wild Potato Buffet, McGill’s (steaks, chops, seafood in a casual dining atmosphere; reservations suggested), Champions Grill, Cabin Creek Smokehouse; also, C:Note and Twisters lounges have appetizers Accommodations: 150 rooms, including suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Cherokee Rewards Players Club. Indooroutdoor pool, whirlpool hot tub, gift shop, fitness center, and Cherokee Hills Golf Club.

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Address: 777 West Cherokee Street, Catoosa, Oklahoma 74015 Phone: 918–266–6700; toll-free: 1–800–760–6700 Website: www.cherokeecasino.com

Pocola Pocola (population 4,000) is on the Arkansas state line, 105 miles southeast of Tulsa and 8 miles south of Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

391. Choctaw Casino Address: 3400 Choctaw Road, Pocola, Oklahoma 74902 Phone: 918–436–7761; toll-free: 1–800–590–LUCK (1–800–590–5825) Website: www.choctawcasinos.com/casinos_pocola.asp

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Email: [email protected] Description: 78,000-square-foot Native American (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) casino, on Interstate 40 at the Arkansas state line; expanding at the time of this writing, and planning to add blackjack and poker Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,100 bingo-based electronic gaming devices, 1¢ and up Table Games: Planned Poker: Planned Entertainment: Showroom with headliners like Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton; impersonators of pop stars Restaurants: 1: Snack bar Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club 55 for seniors, with cash drawings, coupon books, free plays, and meal discounts. Off-track betting. Bingo.

Tulsa See Catoosa.

OREGON

Oregon has two basic types of gambling: Native American casinos and everything else (which is small). Native American casinos negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. At the time of this writing, nine such casinos operated within the state, offering most Class III games (basically, everything allowed in Nevada, including blackjack, craps, roulette, various house-banked variations of poker like Caribbean Stud and three-card poker, bingo, and, of course, slot machines with unlimited payouts). “Everything else” includes bars and taverns, which can have up to five video lottery terminals (VLTs) that offer various versions of video poker. The maximum bet allowed is $2 and the payout on any machine can be a maximum of $600. These machines have the name not because they are any form of lottery, but because they are regulated by the state’s lottery department, which takes a percentage of each machine’s revenue. These machines accept cash but do not pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt, which must be taken to a cashier. These are not casinos and do not appear here. The minimum age for gambling in Oregon is 21.


Canyonville Canyonville (population 1,300) is in southwestern Oregon at exit 99 on Interstate 5, 40 miles northwest of Medford and 80 miles south of Eugene.

392. Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot Native American (Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians) casino; located on Interstate 5, at exits 99 or 98, in Canyonville, 25 miles south of Roseburg and 45 miles north of Grants Pass Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room opens at 10:30 a.m. daily, stays open as long as there is a game. Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢–$5; progressives, megajackpots, including Megabucks Table Games: 21: Blackjack ($2–$500), craps ($3–$200), roulette, Let It Ride Bonus, threecard poker, pai gow poker (player-banked), keno ($50,000 maximum payout; play 1–999 games with one ticket) Poker: 7 tables: Mostly hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8). Will play other games, but there usually is no demand. Except for tournaments, generally 1–2 games. Bad beat jackpots (upwards of $25,000). $250 freeroll tournaments Wed., Fri. 6 p.m. Frequent cash-added hold’em tournaments. Check website or call casino. Entertainment: Showroom has headliners like Aaron Tippin and Dublin’s Traditional Irish Cabaret. Also sporting events such as boxing, rodeo, bodybuilding, and pool tournaments. Cabaret Lounge has rock, country, and pop acts. Karaoke Mondays offer cash prizes. Restaurants: 4: Camas Room (fine dining; Tue.–Sun., beginning at 5:30 p.m.), Cow Creek Restaurant (buffet dining; 24 hours), Creekside Restaurant (located across the street at Seven Feathers Truck & Travel Center; 24 hours), Stix Sports Bar (express meals); also, Scoops Ice Cream Parlor Accommodations: 146 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo (Mon. 6:30 p.m., Tue. noon, Thu. 6:30 p.m., Fri. noon and 6:30 p.m., Sat. 1 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m.; progressive jackpots). The nonsmoking casino area has 3 table games and over 100 slots. Blackjack and slot tournaments. Keno tournaments Tue., Fri. Exhibition trade shows. Bow shooting convention with contests. Seven Feathers Truck & Travel Center: full-service truck stop. RV park, with 32 spaces with full hook-ups. Sauna and fitness center.

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Address: 146 Chief Miwaleta Lane, Canyonville, Oregon 97417 Phone: 541–839–1111; toll-free: 1–800–548–8461; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–677–7771 Website: www.sevenfeathers.com

Chiloquin Chiloquin (population 716) is on the Sprague River, 18 miles north of Klamath Falls. Chiloquin is between Upper Klamath Lake and Crater Lake.

393. Kla-Mo-Ya Casino Address: 34333 Highway 97 North, Chiloquin, Oregon 97624 Phone: 541–783–7529; toll-free: 1–888–KLA–MOYA (1–888–552–6692) Website: www.klamoya.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 16,000-square-foot Native American (The Klamath Tribes) casino. The name comes from the 3 tribes that make up The Klamath Tribes; the Klamath, the Modoc, and the Yahooskin Indians. Directions from Crater Lake: Take the South Crater Lake exit to Highway 62 towards Fort Klamath, turn left at Highway 97, and the casino is a few hundred feet on the right side. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 325: 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; including video keno and video poker; progressives and megajackpots Poker: No Table Games: 6: Blackjack (including double-deck games; $1 minimum on Mon.) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Still Waters Buffet & Deli Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Kla-Mo-Ya Bonus Club rewards card. Free buffet Tue.–Wed. for 200 points. Slot tournament Wed. Crater Lake, perhaps the most beautiful spot in Oregon, is about 25 miles away. Bonus cash on Thu. 1 p.m.–3 p.m., 6 p.m.–8 p.m., for various suited blackjacks, ranging from $10–$100.

Florence Florence (population 7,500) is on the Pacific Coast, 37 miles west of Eugene.

394. Three Rivers Casino Address: 5647 Highway 126, Florence, Oregon 97439 Phone: 541–997–PLAY (541–997–7529); fax: 541–997 4802 Website: www.threeriverscasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 15,500-square-foot Native American (Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 280: 1¢–$1; all ticket in-ticket out; progressive jackpots; megajackpots Table Games: 6: Blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: 777 Café (breakfast, lunch, dinner), One-Eye Jack’s Sports (appetizers, quick food; 10 a.m.–midnight Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–1 a.m. Fri.–Sat.), Winner’s Express Snack Bar (11 a.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: No. See website for lodging in Florence. Dress Code: No Bonus: Three Rivers Casino Players Club rewards card for cash back, prizes, free meals, cash drawings. Order meals at slot machines.


Grand Ronde Grand Ronde (population 270) is in northwest Oregon on Oregon Highway 18, 60 miles southwest of Portland and 22 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

395. Spirit Mountain Casino

NORTH AMERICA

Email: Contact form on website Description: 90,000-square-foot Native American (The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Keno hours: Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,500+: 1¢–$100; video poker, keno; progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 52: 26 blackjack (including double-deck; up to $1,000 maximum), 3 craps (5X odds), 2 Let It Ride Bonus, 2 three-card poker, 3 Fortune Pai Gow, 3 roulette, 2 mini-baccarat, 1 keno game ($50,000 maximum payout) Poker: 16 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12, $10-$20, $30-$60; no-limit, with $1 and $2 blinds, $20 minimum buy-in, $100 maximum, and $3 and $5 blinds, $50 minimum buy-in, $500 maximum), 7-stud ($1-$3-$6), 7-stud high-low (rare), Omaha high-low ($4-$8). Tournaments or promotions (high hand, rack attack) every day. Thu. tournaments $65 buy-in (free with 5 hours play), $50 rebuy. World Poker Tour Satellites. Poker school Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. 3 p.m. Entertainment: Summit View has free entertainment, ranging from classic rock to country, with food and drinks (weekends, 9 p.m.–12:30 a.m.). Restaurants: 6: Legends Restaurant (lunch, dinner), Summit View (dining and entertainment; Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–1:30 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–1:30 a.m.), Coyote’s Buffet, Spirit Mountain Café (24 hours), Rock Creek Court (diner; open 23 hours, closed 7 a.m.–8 a.m. daily), Elk Horn Café (in the bingo hall) Accommodations: 100 rooms Family Amenities: PlayWorld child entertainment center provides supervision and a safe play environment for children, with jungle gym, arcade, craft center, Twilight Theater, and Cosmic Cafe. Free arcade games, drinks, and popcorn included with general admission; ages 3–12 years (must be potty-trained). Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight. Also, video arcade; hours Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Dress Code: No Bonus: Coyote Club rewards card for slots, bingo, keno, off-track betting, table games. 850-seat bingo hall with multiple sessions daily. Banquet and conference facilities. Offtrack betting.

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Address: 27100 Southwest Salmon River Highway, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 Phone: 503–879–2350; toll-free: 1–800–760–7977; fax: 503–879–2486 Website: www.spiritmountain.com

Lincoln City Lincoln City (population 7,500) is on Highway 101 on the Pacific Coast, 80 miles southwest of Portland.

396. Chinook Winds Casino Resort Address: 1777 Northwest 44th Street Lincoln City, Oregon 97367 Phone: 541–996–5825; toll-free: 1–888–CHINOOOK (1–888–244–6665); fax: 541–996–5852; hotel reservations: 541–994–3655; toll-free: 1–877–4 BEACH 1 (1–877–423–2241) Website: www.chinookwindscasino.com

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Description: 27,240-square-foot Native American (Confederated Tribes of Siletz) casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Poker room: Mon.–Fri. 4 p.m.–2 a.m.; Sat. noon–4 a.m., Sun. noon–2 a.m. Keno: Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–midnight, Sun.: 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Slot Machines: 1,250+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5–$100; many ticket in-ticket out; video poker, video keno; progressive jackpots Table Games: 29 (limits range from $5 to $1,000): Single-deck blackjack, multiple-deck blackjack, craps, Let It Ride Bonus, Fortune Pai Gow, roulette, three-card poker; plus 14-seat keno lounge (including million-dollar tickets) Poker: 3 tables: Mostly hold’em ($3-$6), will spread other games on request. Regular tournaments 4:15 p.m.: Mon., Wed. no-limit hold’em ($25 buy-in, unlimited $5 rebuys first hour, $10 add-on); Tue. Omaha high-low, Thu. limit hold’em (both with $25 buy-in, 1 $5 rebuy first half hour, $5 add-on). Entertainment: 1,300-seat with headliners like Joe Cocker, BB King, Neal McCoy, Huey Lewis & The News, and Wayne Newton. Comedy on weekends. Restaurants: 3: Rogue River Room (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Euchre Creek Deli (24 hours), Siletz Bay Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 227 oceanfront rooms and suites, many with gas fireplaces; located adjacent to the casino (hotel address: 1501 NW 40th Place, Lincoln City, Oregon 97367) Family Amenities: Play Palace (child arcade) with childcare for ages 3 to 11. Games Galore (video arcade). Birthday party room. Dress Code: No Bonus: Winners Circle rewards card for slots, keno, bingo, poker, and blackjack play. High-stakes 1,300-seat, 13,800-square-foot bingo hall; bonanza bingo with $100,000 jackpot. Slot tournaments. Reduced seniors’ (55+) buffet prices. Shuttle service to all Lincoln City motels and hotels until 1 a.m. Free valet parking. Free slot tournament first Tue. of every month. Winners Circle Senior Appreciation Day slot tournament. 34,000 square feet of convention and meeting space. Wedding packages.


North Bend North Bend (population 9,500) is on Highway 101 on the Pacific Coast, just north of Coos Bay and about 90 miles from the California border.

397. The Mill Casino Hotel

Pendleton Pendleton (population 15,200) is in northeast Oregon, 20 miles east of Portland and 20 miles south of the Washington border.

398. Wildhorse Resort Casino Address: 72777 Highway 331, Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Phone: 541–278–2274; toll-free: 1–800–654–WILD (1–800–654–9453) Website: www.wildhorseresort.com Email: [email protected] Description: 85,000-square-foot Native American (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation) casino 4 miles east of Pendleton. The Confederated Tribes consist of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 651: 1¢–$5; wide area progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 17: Roulette ($2–$25 inside), blackjack ($3–$500), Spanish 21, $50,000 keno Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8). Maximum rake $2, taken only if there is a flop. Weekly tournaments. Major annual tournaments: Spring Poker Round-Up, Fall Poker Round-Up, each 11 days of hold’em, stud, and Omaha events, with up to 65 tables, buy-ins ranging from $150–$500, and hosted by poker celebrities Tom McEvoy, Clonie Gowan, Vince

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 30,000-square-foot Native American (Coquille Indian Tribe) casino; between North Bend and Coos Bay, on the east side of Highway 101 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500+: 1¢–$5; including wide-area progressives Table Games: 3: Blackjack ($3–$200). At the time of this writing, an expansion was planned, with craps, roulette, and three-card poker to be added, and limits raised to $500. Poker: Not at the time of this writing, but planned for some time in 2005 Entertainment: Live music Tue.–Sun. night from jazz and rhythm and blues to adult contemporary Restaurants: 4: Saw Blade Buffet (evenings), Plank House Restaurant (evenings), Timbers Café (24 hours), Hook Tender Saloon (appetizers burgers, pizzas); also, The Coffee Mill (espresso drinks, pastries) Accommodations: 115 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Millionaire$ Club rewards card for slots, bingo, and blackjack. Bingo, with multiple sessions Sun., Wed., Thu., Sat. Weekly blackjack tournaments. Free blackjack lessons Fri. 6 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. Meeting room space for conventions, meetings, seminars. Wedding facilities.

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Address: 3201 North Tremont Avenue, North Bend, Oregon 97459 Phone: 541–756–8800; toll-free: 1–800–953–4800; fax: 541–756–0431 Website: www.themillcasino.com

Burgio, Chuck Thompson, and Howard “Tahoe” Andrew. Bad beat jackpots. Entertainment: Showroom with Native American cultural events; also, musical events Restaurants: 4: Wildhorse Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner, buffets; Sun.–Thu. 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–10 p.m.), Hot Rock Café (24 hours), Clubhouse Grill (located at golf course; seasonal), Kinship Café (located at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute; Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) Accommodations: 100 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Wild rewards card for slot and table play. Free gaming lessons Fri. 1–3 p.m. Craps and keno tournaments. Blackjack tournaments Mon. 7:30, $20+$5, $10 rebuys, $200 added. Bingo Sun.–Wed., except for when major poker tournaments are running. RV park, indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and championship 18-hole golf course on the property. More than 9,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

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Warm Springs Warm Springs (population 2,500) is 95 miles southeast of Portland on U.S. Highway 25, in the high desert region of Central Oregon.

NORTH AMERICA

399. Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort & Casino Address: 6823 Highway 8, P.O. Box 1240, Warm Springs, Oregon 97761 Phone: 541–553–1122; toll-free: 1–800–BET–N–WIN (1–800–238–6946); toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–554–4SUN (1–800–554–4786) Website: www.kahneeta.com Email: General information, [email protected]; casino, [email protected] Description: 25,000-square-foot Native American (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) casino, about 3 miles northeast of Warm Springs; see directions on website. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs consists of the Wasco, Paiute, and Warm Springs Tribes. Hours: Late spring-summer, 8:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; fall and winter, 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Mon.–Fri. and 8:30 a.m.–2 a.m. Sat. and Sun. Poker room open Thu.–Sat. at 4 p.m. Blackjack tables open Thu.–Sun. with expanded hours in spring and summer. Slot Machines: 300+: 1¢–$10 Table Games: 6: Blackjack (double- and 6-deck), keno Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em. Weekly no-limit hold’em tournaments: Thu. $300 guaranteed, Fri. $500 guaranteed ($7 buy-in, with 3 $10 rebuys). Monthly no-limit hold’em tournaments: $1,000 guaranteed. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Juniper Room (fine dining; open seasonally), Chinook Room (casual buffet March–August, casual sit-down restaurant September–February), Casino Snack Bar, Village Snack Shack, Golf Snack Shack Accommodations: 139 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Water slide. Arcade. Dress Code: No Bonus: 18-hole golf course, hot springs mineral pool, and spa


Newport Newport (population 27,000), the largest city on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, is the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and is also known for the Newport Jazz Festival. The oldest Jewish house of worship in the United States, the Touro Synagogue, is in Newport.

400. Newport Grand Address: 150 Admiral Kalbfus Road, Newport, Rhode Island 02840 Phone: 401–849–5000 Website: www.newportgrand.com Description: 20,000-square-foot slot and simulcast wagering emporium. Driving directions on website. Hours: 10 a.m.–1 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1 credits; slots are activated by inserting $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, or $100 bills; maximum wager is $10 in credits; jackpots start at $30,000; average payback 92.2 percent Table Games: No Poker: No Entertainment: Club Royale: live bands, DJs, dance floor Restaurants: 1: Grand Grille with an open air kitchen Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Simulcast wagering from the nation’s leading thoroughbred and harness racetracks, as well as greyhound racing live from Lincoln Park; also, jai alai. Track odds. Cash giveaways.

NORTH AMERICA

If you’re in Rhode Island and you want to gamble, you’ll have to settle for slot machines, bingo, or pari-mutuel betting on greyhounds. Two facilities feature machines that are identical to regular video gaming devices but are called video lottery terminals (VLTs) because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission, which receives a share of each machine’s revenue. You’ll see them advertised on websites as slot machines, and the only difference you’ll find is that these machines accept cash but do not pay out in cash; rather, they print out a receipt that can be redeemed at a cashier. All VLTs are programmed to play at least six different games: reel games, blackjack, keno, and three versions of poker: jacks or better, joker poker, and deuces wild. This all may change. At the time of this writing, Harrah’s and the Narragansett Indian Tribe were exploring constructing a $650 million casino complex in an 85-acre industrial park in West Warwick. The plan needs legislative approval and support from West Warwick voters and in a statewide referendum. When legislators and voters consider how much revenue gaming brings in in neighboring states, things like this have a way of happening. The minimum gambling age in Rhode Island is 18.

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RHODE ISLAND

Lincoln Lincoln (population 21,000) is in northeastern Rhode Island, 10 miles north of Providence.

401. Lincoln Park Greyhound Track Address: 1600 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, Rhode Island 02864 Phone: 401–723–3200; toll-free: 1–800–720–PARK (1–800–720–7275); fax: 401–727–4770 Website: www.lincolnparkri.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 60,000-square-foot slot facility in 4 rooms in a greyhound racing park. Players Gaming Room, on the third floor, has over 600 VLTs. Chance is a 10,000-squarefoot nonsmoking gaming room with 200 VLTs. Park Place Gaming Room is a nonsmoking gaming room with over 400 VLTs. Boardwalk Gaming Room is a 35,000-square-foot room with 1,200 VLTs. Hours: 9 a.m.–1 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 2,400: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1 credits; slots are activated by inserting $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, or $100 bills; maximum wager is $10 in credits; jackpots start at $30,000; average payback 92.2 percent Table Games: No Poker: No Entertainment: 5,000-square-foot Kobalt showroom with live acts, such as The Pete Best Band and John Lennon’s original Quarrymen, Jeff Bates, the original Joey & Maria’s Comedy Wedding, tribute bands; plus magic, jazz, etc. Restaurants: 5: The Queen of Clubs Restaurant (fine dining in an elegant atmosphere with a panoramic view of the race track; serves dinner on Fri. and Sat., lunch on Sat.), Menu 7’s Bar & Grille, Menu Cityscapes Pub and Cafe, Menu Black Jack Bar and Café; Food Court serves selections from Dunkin’ Donuts, Ronzio Pizza and Subs, and East Meets West Chinese food. Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Diamond Club rewards card. Meeting and events rooms can accommodate up to 300. Cash giveaways on random machines. Live greyhound racing. Simulcast wagering from the nation’s leading thoroughbred and harness racetracks; also, jai alai. Track odds.

SOUTH DAKOTA

The laws regarding gambling in South Dakota have been changing. At the time of this writing, the only “real” gambling, gambling that permits an establishment to be called a casino, is allowed in Native American casinos and in the city of Deadwood. Bars and taverns are legally allowed to have up to ten of what are called video lottery terminals (VLTs) that offer video versions of poker, keno, blackjack, and bingo. These do not make these establishments casinos. These machines are indistinguishable from video gaming devices found elsewhere, but they are called VLTs because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission, which receives a share of each machine’s revenue. Just as in other states, compacts negotiated between tribes and the state under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 permit tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state, and at agreed-upon limits. Individual bets of $100 are the maximum permitted. Payoffs have no limit, so slot machines offering prizes in the hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of dollars are permitted.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE In 1989, the voters of Deadwood approved a measure to allow gambling in their city, and currently this is the only place in the state, apart from the Native American casinos, to permit games such as blackjack and house-banked variations on poker, such as three-card poker. Betting limits up to $100 are permitted. Other than slot machines, South Dakota’s casinos offer only card games and bingo; no craps, roulette, keno, or the like. Under the betting limit rules, each individual bet or raise in a poker game is considered a single wager, so one player can put more than $100 into a single pot. The minimum gambling age is 21, or 18 at Native American casinos that do not serve liquor.

402. Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort Address: 360 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–1500; toll-free: 1–866–DEADWOOD (1–866–332–3966) Website: www.cadillacjacksresort.com Email: [email protected] Description: 18,000-square-foot casino with a Roaring Twenties theme Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 171: 1¢–$25; including megajackpots Table Games: 5: Blackjack, 21+3, three-card poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($2-$10 and $3-$15 spread-limit), Omaha high-low. Regular tournaments, all hold’em: Mon., Wed. $40 buy-in, starts out limit, goes to no-limit after 2 rounds (which are 20 minutes). Sun., Thu., no-limit, $20, with $10 rebuys. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Cadillac Jack’s Restaurant (full-service restaurant, featuring Starbucks Coffee and Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake; 24 hours) Accommodations: 103 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Video arcade (supervision required) Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club rewards card for slots, table games, and poker, with frequent promotions and offers. Free meals for patrons 50 and over Mon.–Sat. 3 convention rooms for up to 450 people. Indoor heated pool, spa, and steam room. Free cocktails to players.

NORTH AMERICA

Deadwood (population 1,380), is surrounded by Black Hills National Forest, 12 miles from Sturgis (famed for the world’s largest Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally) and 16 miles east of Pierre, the capital of South Dakota. Deadwood is best known for being the home of Wild Bill Hickok, who was shot to death while playing draw poker in No. 10 Saloon (also known as the Mann-Lewis Saloon). The hand he held at the time, two pair, black aces and eights, has since been immortalized as the dead man’s hand. Hickok is buried in the local cemetery, as is another local celebrity, Calamity Jane. All buildings in Deadwood’s downtown area are required to conform with the city’s authentic 1880s architecture, with many of the casinos located in historic structures. The No. 10 Saloon is still there and you can gamble in the same spot where Wild Bill was shot in the back on August 2, 1876, by Jack McCall. One of the casinos, Midnight Star, is owned by movie actor Kevin Costner.

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Deadwood

403. First Gold Hotel & Gaming Address: 270 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–9777; toll-free: 1–800–274–1876; fax: 605–578–3979 Website: www.firstgold.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: The First Gold Hotel is located on the actual site of the first gold discovery in Deadwood Gulch in 1875; it has a 10,000-square-foot casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 200: 1¢–$25; 30 machines are in a smoke-free area; progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 4: double-deck blackjack (maximum $100); 21+3; three-card poker (maximum $25) Poker: No Entertainment: Bar/lounge Restaurants: 1: The Horseshoe Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner daily; buffet weekends) Accommodations: 101 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Gold Club rewards card for slots and table games. Ongoing contest on website for free hotel stay and food. Children under 12 stay free at the hotel. Banquet hall for 10–100 people.

NORTH AMERICA

404. Four Aces Casino Address: 531 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–2323; toll-free: 1–800–834–4384 Website: www.fouracescasino.org Email: [email protected] Description: 20,000-square-foot casino. The Four Aces Casino has outside its front doors a bronze statue of Wild Bill Hickok sculpted by Monique Ziolkowski and James Borglum. Ziolkowski is the daughter of Korzak Ziolkowski, the sculptor who began carving Crazy Horse, and Borglum is the grandson of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 240+: 1¢–$25 Table Games: 10 (all table games have $100 limit): Blackjack, Let It Ride, three-card poker, 21+3 blackjack, multiaction blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Deadwood Alive shootout in front of the hotel daily at 2 p.m.; some annual celebrations (see the website for information) Restaurants: 1: buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner daily; Sun. brunch) Accommodations: 59 rooms. Specials and packages available (see the website). Family Amenities: Historic tours Dress Code: No Bonus: CashBack rewards card for slots and table games. Banquet facilities. Group rates available. Complimentary meeting planning. Weekly and monthly slot tournaments.

405. Midnight Star Gaming Emporium Address: 677 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–1555; toll-free: 800–999–6482 Website: www.themidnightstar.com Email: Contact form on website Description: The main attraction of this 15,500-square-foot casino is that it is owned by movie actor Kevin Costner, who visits several times a year. Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 55: Including progressive slots Table Games: 5: Blackjack, three-card poker, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Diamond Lil’s Sports

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Bar & Grill, Jake’s Fine Food & Drink (reservations recommended) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Large screen TVs in Diamond Lil’s. Memorabilia from 22 Kevin Costner movies displayed onsite.

406. Gold Dust Gaming Complex

407. Mineral Palace Hotel and Gaming Address: 601 Historic Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–2036; toll-free: 1–800–847–2522 Website: www.mineralpalace.com Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 100: 5¢, 25¢, $1; including megajackpots Table Games: 3: Three-card poker, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: The Mineral Palace Restaurant (daily 5 p.m.–9 p.m.) Accommodations: 63 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Players & Stayers Club rewards card for slots, table play, hotel stay. Frequent slot tournaments. Business center (includes fax, a high-end computer with scanner, email capabilities, and Internet access); meeting facility.

408. Old Style Saloon #10 Address: 657 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–3346; toll-free: 1–800–952–9398 Website: www.saloon10.com Email: [email protected] Description: 3,000-square-foot casino. The saloon is a recreation of the original (also known as the Mann-Lewis Saloon), which burned down in the late 1800s, where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back on August 2, 1876, by Jack McCall. Hours: 8 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 33 Table Games: 4: 3 blackjack (2 single-deck, 1 shoe; all games have $100 limit but the most popular limits are $2-$10), 1 three-card poker Poker: 3 tables:

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 30,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 316 Table Games: 10: Three-card poker, blackjack Poker: 5 tables: Hold’em, various limits, $4-$8 being common; three weekly tournaments Sun., Tue., and Thu. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Gold Dust Restaurant (buffet; breakfast, lunch and dinner) Accommodations: Holiday Inn across the street has 78 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Periodic promotions, offers, and tournaments (cash drawings, slot bonuses and tournaments, free food; see the website for details). Free parking, indoor pool, exercise room, whirlpool, free continental breakfast, conference and banquet rooms all at the hotel.

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Address: 688 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–2100; toll-free: 1–800–456–0533 Website: www.golddustgaming.com

Hold’em (2 tables $2-$10 and 1 $3-$15 spread-limit), 7-stud high-low (occasionally). Free hold’em tournament every Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m. Regular hold’em tournaments: Sun. 2 p.m. $40+$4, no rebuys; Mon. 6 p.m. $40+$4, no rebuys. Special promotion, get pocket aces beaten and win $100 in chips (during live play Sun.–Thu., and only till 6 p.m.). Draw the exact hand that Wild Bill was holding (black aces and 8s with 9 of diamonds) when shot at the Saloon #10 for a $250 prize; with any card other than the 9 of diamonds, win a T-shirt. Entertainment: Regular live music featuring such acts as 4 AM, Nemesys, Rude Awakening, Crush, W. Todd Fulcher, and Princess Restaurants: 1: Deadwood Social Club (Italian steak house; closed Sun.; Mon.–Thu. 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri., Sat. 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Memorabilia from Deadwood’s past, including old pictures and paintings. See the official Deadwood website (deadwood.org) for special promotions for visitors to the area.

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409. Silverado Gaming Establishment & Restaurant Address: 709 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732 Phone: 605–578–3670; toll-free: 1–800–584–7005 ext. 227 or 237 Website: www.silveradocasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Deadwood’s largest (20,000-square-foot) casino, at the top of historic Main Street Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m.; Fri., Sat. 24 hours Slot Machines: 225 Table Games: 14: Blackjack, Lucky Ladies, Let It Ride Bonus, three-card poker, progressive Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sun. brunch) Accommodations: Call Black Hills Central Reservations 1–87–SILVERADO (1–877–458–3723) Dress Code: No Bonus: Silverado Club rewards card, with 3 levels, plus a seniors’ card. Cash and car drawings, offers, promotions, free food, etc., for card members. Packages available for lodging and playing (see website). Frequent slot (free on Fri.) and blackjack tournaments.

Flandreau Flandreau (population 2,400) is in eastern South Dakota, 40 miles north of Sioux Falls and 10 miles west of the Minnesota border.

410. Royal River Casino Bingo & Motel Address: 607 South Veterans Street, Flandreau, South Dakota 57028 Phone: 605–997–3746; toll-free: 1–800–833–8666; fax: 605–997–9998 Website: www.royalrivercasino.com Email: Contact form on website Description: 17,000-square-foot Native American (Flandreau Santee Sioux) casino; exit 114 off I-29, 7 miles east on Highway 32. Must be 21 with valid ID to play tables or slots. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room open Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–2:30 a.m., Sun.–Mon. 4 p.m.–2:30 a.m. Poker hours may expand, both in number of hours open per day and days open; check website or call. Slot Machines: 250: 1¢–$1; many progressive slots; megajackpots Table Games: 8: Blackjack (limits $3–$25 and $25–$100), Silverado Stud, Let It Ride Poker: 6 tables for

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE live play (up to 12 for tournaments): Hold’em ($3-$6, others). Tournaments. (Poker room stays open later than stated hours on Fri., Sat. if players wish.) Entertainment: Periodic live entertainment, for example Jimmy Fortune, Mary Nissel, Black Diamond, and more Restaurants: 2: Snack bar (burgers, soup, sandwiches: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri. and Sat., 24 hours), River’s Bend Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner; children 7–11 half price, 6 and under free) Accommodations: 120 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card for bingo, blackjack, and slot play. Bingo, indoor pool, and Jacuzzi at the motel. AAA and AARP discounts available. RV park with 21 hookups.

Fort Thompson Address: P.O. Box 140 (Highway 34 and Highway 47), Ft. Thompson, South Dakota 57339 Phone: 605–245–6000 Website: www.lodecasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 27,500-square-foot Native American (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe) casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 250 (with more coming): 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1 Table Games: 4: Blackjack Poker: While the poker room is open every day, there are games generally only on Wed., Fri., and Sat.; with 2 tables available, there is usually 1 game: dealer’s choice among Omaha high-low, hold’em, pineapple, and crazy pineapple ($5-$10). Entertainment: Periodic live entertainment including Sawyer Brown, David Ball, Merle Haggard, The Kentucky Headhunters, and Dwight Yoakam. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 50 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, with points awarded for playing slots and poker. Prizes and giveaways (see the website).

Mobridge Mobridge (population 3,600) is in north-central South Dakota, 80 miles north of Pierre on the Missouri River.

412. Grand River Casino & Resort Address: 2 miles west of Mobridge on Highway 12, Mobridge, South Dakota 57601 Phone: 605–845–7104; toll-free: 1–800–475–3321 Website: www.grandrivercasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 40,000-square-foot Native American (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours daily; blackjack room opens at 3 p.m. daily; poker room opens Thu, Sat. Sun. at 4 p.m.; both stay open as long as there are players Slot Machines: 250: 2¢, 5¢, and up; reel and video slot machines; multi-denominational machines Table Games: 5: Blackjack ($3–$100) Poker: 4 tables: Live play Thu. 4 p.m.–7

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411. Lode Star Casino and Hotel

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Fort Thompson (population 1,375) is on the Missouri River 45 miles southeast of Pierre.

p.m.; hold’em tournament begins at 7 p.m. Thu.; Sat., Sun. dealer’s choice ($5-$10) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 40 rooms in the lodge, 6 cottages nearby Dress Code: No Bonus: Frequent player’s club with bonuses of large prizes, including a truck. See the casino’s website for details. Seniors receive a discount at the restaurant on Mon. lunches.

Pickstown Pickstown (population 168) is in southern South Dakota on the Missouri River about 4 miles from the Nebraska border, 130 miles southeast of Pierre and 165 miles northwest of Lincoln.

413. Fort Randall Casino

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Address: P.O. Box 229, Pickstown, South Dakota 57367 Phone: 605–487–7871; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–362–6333 Website: www.fortrandall.com

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Description: 39,000-square-foot Native American (Yankton Sioux Tribe) casino, located 3 miles east of Fort Randall Dam Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; table games Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.–2 a.m.; poker room closed Mon., Tue. Slot Machines: 250: Many with 98 percent payback Table Games: 6: 4 blackjack ($100 limit), 1 Let It Ride, 1 three-card poker Poker: 3 tables: Daily games, dealer’s choice (hold’em, Omaha high-low, pineapple, crazy pineapple). Beginners’ hold’em tournament Tue. 6 p.m., $10 buy-in, unlimited $5 rebuys, $10 add-on. Sat. noon no-limit hold’em tournament, $35 buy-in, 5 $10 rebuys, $25 add-on. Register early for cash bonuses. Entertainment: Afternoon shows beginning at 2 p.m. daily in the lounge; Fri., Sat. evenings, karaoke. Other shows, local groups. Restaurants: 1: Buffet and menu (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: More than 50 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club rewards card with prizes and drawings. Slot and blackjack tournaments, senior slot tournaments, bingo specials and more.


Rosebud Rosebud (population 1,600) is in south-central South Dakota, 80 miles south of Pierre and 20 miles north of the Nebraska border. The casino is right on the South Dakota–Nebraska border on tribal land.

414. Rosebud Casino and Quality Inn

Watertown Watertown (population 20,000) is in northeastern South Dakota, 140 miles east of Pierre, 100 miles north of Sioux Falls, and about 18 miles west of the Minnesota border.

415. Dakota Sioux Casino Address: 16415 Sioux Conifer Road, Watertown, South Dakota 57201 Phone: 605–882–2051; toll-free: 1–800–658–4717 Website: www.dakotasioux.com Email: [email protected] Description: 7,400-square-foot Native American (Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe) casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; blackjack: Mon. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Tue.–Sun. 12 p.m.–2 a.m.; poker room open at 11 a.m. Fri.–Sun., 4 p.m. Mon.–Wed.; usually open those days till midnight, later if players want to stay; closed Thu. Slot Machines: 200: 2¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; reel slot machines and ticket in-ticket out machine Table Games: 8: 7 blackjack (2- and 6-deck), 1 Silverado Stud Poker: Poker room: 5 tables: 7-stud, 7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low, hold’em, and dealer’s choice. Tournaments: Mon. 6 p.m., 7-stud high-low, $20 buy-in, $10 rebuys. Fri. 6 p.m., Omaha

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Rosebud Sioux Tribe Division; Teton Band: Sicangu Brule or Burnt Thigh) casino on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, right on the Nebraska border, just inside South Dakota, and about 20 miles south of Rosebud itself. Although the casino’s mailing address is Nebraska, the reservation, including casino, is located entirely in South Dakota. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 250: 5¢–$5; including progressives Table Games: 5: 1 three-card poker ($3–$25 limits), 3 blackjack ($3 to $100 limits), 1 Texas Shootout Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em tournaments Mon., Fri., Sat. at 7 p.m. ($25+$5, multiple $10 rebuys, $10 addon, $50 added by the house). Live game follows, dealer’s choice (hold’em, pineapple, Omaha; $2-$5-$10, with a kill). High hand of the week promotion. Entertainment: Some live concerts, including Herman’s Hermits. See the casino’s website for information. Restaurants: 2: buffet (5 p.m.–10 p.m. daily) and Rose Garden Café (8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily) Accommodations: 60 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Wed., blackjack tournament 7 p.m., $25+$5 buy-in, multiple $10 rebuys, $10 add-on. Frequent promotions and giveaways. Senior discount night.

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Address: Highway 83 and SD/NE State Line, Valentine, Nebraska 69201 Phone: 605–378–3800; toll-free: 1–800–786–ROSE (1–800–786–7673) Website: www.rosebudcasino.com

high-low, $10 buy-in, $5 rebuy. Sat. 4 p.m. no-limit hold’em: every second Sat., $20 buyin, $10 rebuy, house adds $200; every other Sat. no-limit bounty hold’em, $20 buy-in, $10 rebuy, $5 entry fee for the bounty. Sun. 4 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $20 buy-in, $10 rebuys, 4 $50 drawings. Entertainment: Live local groups in the lounge every Fri. and Sat. night Restaurants: 1: Menu (Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–1 a.m.) and buffet (lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s Club rewards card for slot play. Bingo Fri.–Tue. starting at 6 p.m., Sun. starting at 2 p.m. Blackjack tournaments Sun.–Thu.

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Texas has two Native American casinos, plus a few dog and horseracing tracks. The casinos exists because of negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits Native American tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The casinos exist somewhat tenuously, because the state attorney general already closed down one Native American casino and is trying to shut down the others. Texas also has a gambling vessel that sails from its shores into the Gulf of Mexico; it is described in the cruise ship section. The minimum age for gambling in Texas is 21.

Eagle Pass Eagle Pass (population 22,000) is on the Mexican border, 145 miles southeast of San Antonio.

416. Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Address: 7777 Lucky Eagle Drive, Eagle Pass, Texas 78852 Phone: 830–773–6348; toll-free: 1–888–255–8259 Website: www.kickapooluckyeaglecasino.com Description: 15,000-square-foot Native American (Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas) casino, given a $15 million upgrade in October, 2004. The tribe is fighting to change its federal license from Class II to Class III gaming. At the moment, apart from slots, the only gaming permitted is player-banked games. A Class III license would permit roulette, craps, and house-banked, higher-stakes card games. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,000: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5; all Class II slot machines, which in this case are variants of electronic bingo that look like slot machines but do not pay as high Table Games: No-bust blackjack Poker: 15 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $5-$10, $10$20, $15-$30), 7-stud. Bad beat jackpots. Regular tournaments: Mon. 8 p.m. starts limit hold’em, becomes no-limit ($30+$5, with extra tournament chips for hours played in live games from 1 p.m.–8 p.m.). Tue. dealer’s choice ($5+$3, 2 $5 rebuys, 1 $5 add-on). Every second and last Sat. of the month 2 p.m. starts limit hold’em, no-limit at final table ($100+$10, 1 $100 rebuy). Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Buffet restaurant, bar, and deli Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes bingo Sun.–Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 3 p.m.


Airway Heights Airway Heights (population 4,500) is a suburb about 5 miles west of Spokane on Highway 2.

417. Northern Quest Casino Address: N. 100 Hayford Road, P.O. Box 1300, Airway Heights, Washington 99001 Phone: 509–242–7000; toll-free: 1–888–603–7051; poker reservations: 509–343–2188 Website: www.northernquest.net Description: 98,000-square-foot Native American (The Kalispel Tribe) casino Hours: daily 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢–$1; including progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 30: Blackjack, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, craps, digital blackjack Poker: 7 tables: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha. Regular tournaments: Sun., alternates between 7-stud and 7-stud high-low; Mon. and Fri., Omaha high-low, $100 added to the prize pool; Tue., Wed., Thu., hold’em; Sat., freeroll, with 2 $15 rebuys and a $20 add-on. The second Sat. of each month is a $5,000-guaranteed hold’em tournament with $30 buy-in, 2 $20 rebuys, and a $25 add-on. In addition, there are Sun.–Fri. daily tournaments, no-limit hold’em with a $15 buy-in and 2 $10 rebuys, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Casino offers free hold’em lessons Tue. at 5:30 p.m. Entertainment: Frequent live entertainment including boxing, Vicki Lawrence & “Mama,” The Not-So-Newlywed game, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, The Turtles, Yakov Smirnoff, Wolfe Tones, Gatlin Brothers, and Lewis Black; see the casino’s website Restaurants: 3: River’s Edge Buffet

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The gaming laws of the State of Washington are currently in a state of flux. Some 40 cardrooms are permitted to operate house-banked games, called “enhanced” card games. These include games like blackjack, pai gow poker, Spanish 21, and others. These establishments do not have slot machines, baccarat, craps, or roulette. These cardrooms are permitted up to only 15 tables apiece. There are also cardrooms that do not have “enhanced” card games, but just permit players to compete against each other (generally at poker) and collect a fee for their services. Such cardrooms offer “social” blackjack, “social” poker, pan (see glossary), hearts, cribbage, pinochle, and pull tabs (see glossary). In social blackjack and poker, the players alternate being the banker and dealer. Pan has dealers. Sports pools are permitted throughout the state if the operator pays out all money collected, less taxes, to the players. In addition, Washington has 26 Native American-operated casinos, 22 of which are operating as permitted by the compacts negotiated between tribes and the state under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. All the Native American casinos offer a full complement of games, including slot machines. Four of the casinos are operated by the Spokane Tribe, which does not have a compact and is engaged in a dispute with the state. Theirs are the only casinos permitting coin-operated slot machines; all the others must, by the terms of the compacts, be coinless. The minimum gambling age is 18 (21 if alcohol is served).

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(lunch, dinner, and Sun. brunch), Woodlands (breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night until 3 a.m., desserts and drinks available 24 hours), The Deli (Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., serving hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza, pastries, ice cream, espresso bar) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Frequent player’s club. Mini-baccarat lessons Thu. at 6 p.m.; blackjack, roulette, pai gow, craps lessons Mon.–Wed. Keno, simulcast racing. Banquet hall available.

Anacortes

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Anacortes (population 14,557) is on Fidalgo Island, easternmost of the San Juan Islands and about 50 miles north of Seattle. Fidalgo, called the “drive-to” island, is accessible by bridges from the east and from Whidbey Island to the south, and is home to the Washington State Ferry terminal, serving the rest of the San Juans and Sidney/Victoria, British Columbia.

418. Swinomish Northern Lights Casino

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Address: 12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes, Washington 98221 Phone: 360–293–2691; poker room: 360–299–1672 Website: www.swinomishcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 73,000-square-foot Native American (Swinomish Indian Tribal Community) casino. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is a confederation of Coast Salish Native American tribes, including the Samish, Kikiallus, Lower Skagit, and aboriginal Swinomish tribes. There are 764 tribal members currently enrolled. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 911: 1¢ and up; including progressives Table Games: 20: Roulette, blackjack, craps, three-card poker, Let It Ride, pai gow poker Poker: 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha. Hold’em tournaments daily at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. Sun.) and Wed.–Sun. at 12:15 p.m. Crazy pineapple Mon. 12:15 p.m. Omaha high-low split tournament Tue. 12:15 p.m. Many tournaments have guaranteed or added money. Entertainment: Comedy, including Seth Buckwald. Sports events, including live and telecast boxing, simulcast horseracing, major league games. Live jazz every Tue. with Trish Hatley, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in the lounge. Restaurants: 1: 2-Salmon Café (menu, buffet; lunch and dinner) Accommodations: RV park with 35 full-service sites (reservations 360–299–1672) Dress Code: No Bonus: Off-track betting in the lounge. Bingo. Keno in a new nonsmoking hall. Banquet space available.


Auburn Auburn (population 40,000) is a suburb 22 miles south of Seattle.

419. Muckleshoot Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: 75,000-square-foot Native American casino. The Muckleshoot Casino, which opened in April 1995, is owned and operated by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, which is part of the Coast Salish culture that has long called the Puget Sound region home. The Muckleshoots and their ancestors have lived in the area continuously for thousands of years. Must be 21 years old to enter gaming areas of the casino. Hours: Wed.–Fri. 10 a.m.–5:45 a.m.; Fri. 10 a.m.–Wed. 5:45 a.m., open continuously Slot Machines: 2,000: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1; including megajackpots; nonsmoking section has 400+ machines Table Games: 70 ($500 limits): Blackjack, progressive blackjack, craps, baccarat, midi-baccarat, roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, Spanish 21, three-card poker, sic bo. 20 tables, including blackjack, pai gow, craps, and roulette are in a nonsmoking section. Poker: 18 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, $10-$20, $20-$40, $30-$60, $50-$100, $100-$200), 7-stud ($2-$4 spread limit). Regular tournaments: Mon. 7 p.m., limit hold’em ($65 buy-in); Tue. 7 p.m., no limit hold’em ($45 buy-in, unlimited $20 rebuys during the first hour of play; optional $20 add-on at the end of the first hour; 10 places paid); first and fourth Wed. of the month 7:15 p.m., no limit hold’em ($100+$10, unlimited $40 rebuys for the first hour, $40 optional add-on; 10 places paid); second Wed. of the month 7:15 p.m., no limit hold’em bounty ($125+$10.00, with $25 to the bounty and $100 to the prize pool, no rebuys; 10 places paid); third and possible fifth Wed. of the month 7:15 p.m., no limit hold’em ($300+$15; 10 places paid). Entertainment: Piano music in the lounge; dance club; live acts featuring Front Page, The Edsels, Dance Factory, The Amazing Belante. See the casino’s website for times and details. Restaurants: 5: Oasis Sushi Bar (Mon.–Thu., dinner; Fri.–Sun., lunch and dinner), Island Deli (lunch), Kookaburras (Chinese entrees, sandwiches, pizza, hamburgers; 10 a.m.–3:30 a.m. daily), Muckleshoot Restaurant (family-friendly with family entrance; Vietnamese noodle bar located inside this restaurant; 24 hours), Pisces Seafood Buffet (dinner and Sat.–Sun. brunch) Accommodations: Special deals at 6 nearby hotels for casino guests. See website. Dress Code: No Bonus: “Cash back” and other benefits for frequent player’s club members. Bingo. Free poker lessons every Wed. from 5–7 p.m. in the poker room. Blackjack tournament the first Tue. of the month; signups with the main casino cashier required (sells out in advance, early sign-up recommended).

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Address: 2402 Auburn Way S., Auburn, Washington 98002 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–804–4944 Website: www.muckleshootcasino.com

Bow Bow (population 3,600) is 70 miles north of Seattle and 70 miles south of Vancouver, B.C.

420. The Skagit Address: 5984 N Darrk Lane Bow, Washington 98232 Phone: 360–724–7777; toll-free: 1–877–275–2448; fax: 360–724–0222 Website: www.theskagit.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 64,000-square-foot Native American (Upper Skagit Indian Tribe) casino; located just off Interstate 5 at exit 236; operated by Harrah’s Entertainment. Must be 21 or older to enter the casino. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.–5 a.m. Table Games: 24: Blackjack, digital blackjack, Spanish 21, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, Let It Ride, three-card poker; also, keno Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment includes Dave Mason, Ronnie Milsap, Joe Nichols, Bill Engvall, and Collin Raye. Packages available including lodging, food, and shows. Restaurants: 3: Moon Beach Fine Dining (features choice steaks, seafood and northwestern specialties; dinner. For reservations call 1–877–275–2448), The Market Buffet (weekdays lunch and dinner; Sat.–Sun. breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Northern Lights Deli (snacks, sandwiches, coffees) Accommodations: 103 rooms, including 29 suites. For reservations, call 1–877–275–2448. Dress Code: No Bonus: Club card with benefits. Mega bingo. Meeting and conference rooms.

Bremerton Bremerton (population 37,000), across Puget Sound from Seattle, is connected to downtown Seattle by a 50-minute ferry ride, which carries both vehicles and walk-on passengers.

421. Chips Casino Bremerton Address: 1500 NE Riddell Road, E. Bremerton, Washington 98310 Phone: 360–377–8322 Website: www.michelsgaming.com/chipscasino/html/index.html Description: 5,000-square-foot “enhanced” games casino Hours: daily 9 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 13: Double-deck blackjack, Lucky Ladies, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow (no commission), Texas Shootout, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em ($3-$6). $2,000 freeroll first Sun. of every month. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 with daily specials (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs. On the first and fifteenth of each month, members of the military receive 50 percent off food and drinks, $5 match-play coupon, free gift, 8 p.m. drawing for $100. On “$2 Tue.,” there are $2 tables, $2 menu, and $2 drink specials. Pai gow low hand contest: low hand of the day wins $100. Seniors (55+) receive $5 match-play coupon. Casino industry workers (must show ID) receive $10 match-play coupon, 2-for1 coupon, and $1.50 coupon. Sat. $100-added double-deck blackjack tournament.


Burien Burien (population of 32,000) is about 1 mile west of SeaTac, Seattle-Tacoma’s international airport.

422. Wizards Restaurant and Casino

Chewelah Chewelah (population 2,200) is in northeast Washington, 40 miles north of Spokane, on the Colville River.

423. Chewelah Casino Address: 2555 Smith Road, Chewelah, Washington 99109 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–322–2788; local Spokane number: 509–258–9845 local Chewelah number: 509–935–6167; fax: 509–935–4554 Website: www.chewelahcasino.com Description: 30,000-square-foot Native American (Spokane tribe) casino Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 5¢–$1; large selection of coin-operated slot machines, including progressive slots Table Games: roulette ($2–$200), blackjack ($3–$200), three-card poker, craps ($2–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: Big screen for sporting events Restaurants: 1: Mistequa Café: menu and buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night; brunch on Sun.) Accommodations: No, but area lodging information at the casino’s website on the lodging link Family Amenities: Nearby International Auto Museum: Open 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Admission for adults is $6; kids are $3. For details, call 1–800–322–2788. Dress Code: No Bonus: Hot Seat drawings; free slot tournaments Sun. at 7 p.m. Blackjack tournaments with $25 entry fee Sun. at 6 p.m. (reservations required). Club 55 (seniors’ club): Wed. lunch discounts, free slot tournaments, and more. Frequent promotions: see the promotions page on the casino’s website.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 8,500-square-foot “enhanced” games casino. Directions: From I-5 take exit 154 and merge on to Washington-518 West (Burien–SeaTac Airport), stay on Washington-518 until the freeway ends, turn left onto 1st Ave S, turn right on 158th, go 1 block, go right and take first left into the parking area of Wizards. Hours: Daily 2 p.m.–10 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: Texas Shootout, blackjack, match blackjack, Spanish 21, three-card poker, four-card poker, Let It Ride, Fortune Pai Gow Poker: 3 tables: hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12). Tournaments, all no-limit hold’em: Sat. 2:30 p.m., $45+$5. Sun. $1,000-added freeroll based on live play of 10 hours or more, with double hours available at certain times during the week. Also Mon., Tue., Wed. right after midnight. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free wireless Internet connection on premises.

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Address: 15739 Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, Burien, Washington 98166 Phone: 206–444–6100 Website: www.wizards-casino.com

Davenport Davenport (population 1,730) is in northeast Washington by Lake Roosevelt, 30 miles east of Spokane.

424. Two Rivers Casino & Resort Address: 6828-B Highway 25, Davenport, Washington 99122 Phone: 509–722–4000; toll-free: 1–800–722–4031 Website: www.tworiverscasinoandresort.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot Native American (The Spokane tribe) casino Hours: Winter hours, weekdays 9 a.m.–midnight, Sat., Sun. 8 a.m.–2 a.m.; summer hours, 24 hours/day; 7 days/week Slot Machines: 400: 5¢, 25¢, $1; all coin-operated reel slots Table Games: 6: Roulette, blackjack, craps, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: 100 RV sites and 32 tent sites with views of Lake Roosevelt. All RV sites are full hook-ups equipped with a barbecue, picnic table, and patio. RV Park phone: 509–722–4029, RV reservations: 1–800–722–4031 ext. 22 Family Amenities: RV Park features a pavilion for gathering, large day-use areas and playgrounds for the children. Pets are welcome. Dress Code: No Bonus: Price is Right competitions for up to $250 in cash and prizes, Tue. evenings 3 p.m.–9 p.m. Mon. and Wed. 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Cash and prizes on men’s (Mon.) and ladies’ (Wed.) night. Slot tournaments: Thu. at 7 p.m. Entry is $25 with 100 percent of entry money paid to the top 3 winners. Weekly winners enter a free competition with a larger prize. Two Rivers Casino & Resort has the only floating marina on Lake Roosevelt. The Spokane and Columbia Rivers shoreline is ideal for waterskiing, wakeboarding, boating, sailing, fishing, or just lounging on the beach.

Deming Deming (population 210) is 14 miles east of Bellingham, on the Mount Baker Highway, in northwest Washington.

425. Nooksack River Casino Address: 5048 Mount Baker Highway, Deming, Washington, 98244 Phone: 360–592–5472; toll-free: 1–877–935–9300; fax: 360–592–5542 Website: www.nooksackcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 20,160-square-foot Native American (Nooksack Indians) casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–3 a.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–6 a.m. , Sun. 8 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 400: 1¢ and up Table Games: 14: Double-deck blackjack, craps with 10X odds, Spanish 21, pai gow poker, Royal Match, mini baccarat, roulette, three-card poker, four-card poker, keno Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6; no-limit exactly $100 buyin, may rebuy if under $25, $3 and $5 blinds, maximum permitted bet or raise $500). “AllIn Poker Room”: $14+$1 daily tournament at 12:15 p.m. Tournament is structured betting for the first 3 rounds and no-limit for the remainder. Other tournaments (see the events calendar on the casino’s website). Entertainment: Live entertainment every Fri. and Sat. night. Never a cover charge. Featuring artists such as Kenny Hess, Brett Barrow, and Steamboat Willie. Restaurants: 2: Every Day Great Buffets (buffet: lunch, dinner

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Mon.–Sat., brunch Sun.), Mount Baker Bar & Grill (lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Player’s club. Keno, blackjack, slot tournaments, including buffet specials. Blackjack promotion for 15 blackjacks within 24 hours. Birthday parties twice monthly for birthdays that month. Senior Wed. with food specials and drawings for prizes. Mon. “Gift Explosion” with drawings.

Des Moines Des Moines (population 30,000) is on the east shore of Puget Sound, approximately halfway between Seattle and Tacoma.

Email: [email protected] Description: Pacific Highway is parallel to I-5; this small “enhanced” games casino is close to the SeaTac Airport. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 8: Texas Shootout, three-card poker, Lucky Ladies, blackjack, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8, $10$20). Daily $25 buy-in hold’em tournaments Mon.–Fri. 4 p.m., Sat.–Sun. noon. $1,500 no-limit hold’em tournament every Sat., $65 buy-in, no rebuys. World Poker Tour satellites. Satellites for other major tournaments. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs. Free $1,000-guaranteed pai gow tournament every Sun. at 9 p.m., 1 $20 rebuy.

Everett Everett (population 92,000) is on Puget Sound, 22 miles north of downtown Seattle, where the western segment of U.S. Highway 2 ends at I-5. Boeing’s 747 assembly plant is here, the largest building in the world by volume at nearly 470 million cubic feet.

427. Club Broadway Entertainment The Big Apple Casino Address: 1611 Everett Ave, Everett, Washington 98201 Phone: 425–259–3551 Website: www.clubbroadway.com and click on Everett Description: Red brick building with 3 floors of entertainment, the bottom housing The Big Apple Casino (“enhanced” games) and the second and third the live entertainment; located in the heart of downtown Everett, directly across the street from the Everett Performing Arts Center. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15 ($200 limit on all games): Blackjack ($3 minimum until 5 p.m.), Lucky Ladies, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, three-card poker, four-card

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Address: 22855 Pacific Highway, Des Moines, Washington 98198 Phone: 206–592–9888 Website: www.midwaygaming.com

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426. Midway Casino

poker Poker: 3 tables: hold’em ($3-$6, $5-$10). No-limit hold’em tournaments daily at 12:30 p.m., $20 buy-in with 1 $10 rebuy. Entertainment: Comedy Thu. night with free admission (open mike 7–8 p.m., show at 8 p.m.); Fri. nights: battle of the bands (second floor); Sat. night: live local music. Third floor: DJ playing dance music. Restaurants: 1: breakfast, lunch, dinner; 11 a.m.–3 a.m. daily Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: $1 domestic beers and well drinks, $2 import beers for seated players every day, all day. Blackjack tournaments daily at 8 p.m. Simulcast horseracing Wed.–Sun., starting at 9 a.m. Room rentals available for banquets, receptions, parties.

428. Great American Casino Address: 12715 4th Ave. West, Everett, Washington 98204 Phone: 425–347–1669 Website: www.greatamericancasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot “enhanced” games casino with an old Chicago theme. The casino is located just west off I-5 exit 186. The casino features a pool hall with 4 tournamentsize pool tables and gaming room. Hours: Table games: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. (restaurant and pool room 24 hours) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: 3 Spanish 21, 3 blackjack, 1 three-card poker, 4 Fortune Pai Gow, 4 Lucky Ladies Poker: Not as of this writing, but coming soon Entertainment: Nightclub offers live entertainment every weekend: rock & roll, blues, jazz, and alternative bands. Also karaoke, pay-per-view fights, and special shows. Restaurants: 1: The restaurant and bar are open 24 hours. Features Asian cuisine, steaks, and pasta. Accommodations: No, but guests at the Comfort and Quality Inn just down the street receive a special rate and inn offers a stay-and-play package (425–337–2900). Dress Code: No Bonus: Pool hall, with free pool for men every Tue. and for women every Thu. Pool tournaments: amateur 8-ball Wed. at 8 p.m.; 9-ball Sun. at 8 p.m.

Federal Way Federal Way (population 83,000) is on Puget Sound between Seattle and Tacoma. Weyerhaeuser, the largest private owner of softwood timberland in the world, is located here. Two local attractions on Weyerhaeuser land are open to the public: the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden and the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection. Wild Waves Enchanted Village, on the south side of town, the only Six Flags park in the Pacific Northwest, is also the Seattle area’s only permanent amusement park.


429. PJ Pockets Casino

Ferndale Ferndale (population 8,800) is 10 miles northwest of Bellingham, on Highway 99, in northwest Washington.

430. Silver Reef Casino Address: 4876 Haxton Way at Slater Road, Ferndale, Washington 98248 Phone: 360–383–0777; toll-free: 1–866–383–0777 Website: www.silverreefcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Native American casino with more than 28,000 square feet of gaming space. Features unique indoor terrace with hand-painted sky ceiling. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 200+, including over 40 varieties of video slots; megajackpots Table Games: 16: Blackjack, craps ($1 tables; 10X odds), Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, roulette, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Periodic live entertainment including boxing and vocalists such as Jamie O’Neal. Restaurants: 3: The Steak House at Silver Reef (dinner; reservations recommended), Gold Rush Bakery and Deli (lunch and dinner), Red River Café (full service menu and buffet; lunch, dinner Mon.–Sat., brunch Sun.) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Diamond Dividends rewards card. 400seat Special Events Pavilion. Nonsmoking area. Catering available. Free lessons on all table games weekdays at 11 a.m.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Cardroom that has expanded into an “enhanced” card game casino, with 10 pool tables and 2 bars Hours: Noon–8 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 12: Fortune Pai Gow, Lucky Ladies, blackjack, Caribbean Draw, four-card poker, Spanish 21, progressive blackjack Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($4). No-limit hold’em tournaments Sun. noon, Tue. 1:30 a.m., $25 buy-in, $200 added. Entertainment: 150˝ HDTV—Puget Sound’s largest. National Trivia Network—free to play. Live music 3 nights a week (Thu., Fri., Sat.)—never a cover. Featuring artists such as Nite Crew, PYT, and Notorious 253. Restaurants: 1: breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Golden Tee and video games Dress Code: No Bonus: Fortune Pai Gow tournaments: Thu. and Sat., $1,000 added (based on 42 entrants). Blackjack tournaments each Fri. with $1,000 added (based on 42 entrants). 50 percent off pool play Wed., after 4 p.m. 2 dart boards.

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Address: 1320 South 324th Street Suite A-8, Federal Way, Washington 98003 Phone: toll-free: 1–877–R–U–LUCKY (1–877–785–8259) Website: www.pjpockets.com

Fife Fife (population 4,800) is a suburb about 5 miles east of Tacoma. Originally settled by the Puyallup Indian Tribe, Fife is now known as a commercial and industrial city.

431. Freddie’s Club Address: 3410 Pacific Hwy E, Fife, Washington 98424 Phone: 253–922–8882 Website: www.freddiesfife.com

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Email: Contact form on website Description: “Enhanced” games casino and sports bar; 5 minutes from Tacoma Dome. Hours: Noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 13: Blackjack, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, four-card poker, three-card poker, Lucky Ladies Poker: 4: Hold’em ($3-$6, with $5-$10 kill by the winner of 2 pots in a row). No-limit hold’em tournament daily 11:30 a.m., $35 buy-in. Entertainment: Boxing personalities appear before major fights Restaurants: 1: Family dining (11 a.m. to 2 a.m.) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Video games Dress Code: No Bonus: Sports bar with big-screen TVs and pool tables. Player-appreciation tournaments.

Kelso Kelso (population 12,000) is on the Cowlitz River, near where it meets the Columbia River, nearly 40 miles north of Portland, Oregon, in southern Washington, and just east of Longview.

432. Wild Grizzly Casino Address: 902 Ash Street, Kelso, Washington 98626 Phone: 360–423–6630; fax: 360–423–6608 Website: www.wildgrizzlycasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: “Enhanced” games casino/restaurant/sports lounge, with 1,500-square-foot gaming area Hours: Table games: Sun.–Thu. 12 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 12 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 11: Three-card poker, pai gow poker, Lucky Ladies, blackjack, Match the Dealer blackjack, Spanish 21, Texas Shootout Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6). No-limit hold’em tournaments: Mon.–Fri. at 5 p.m., $23 buy-in, no rebuy; Sat. at 2 p.m., $55 buy-in, no rebuy. Reservations strongly recommended. Entertainment: Karaoke 9 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; daily sports events on big screen TVs; pool tables; darts; bar-top video machines Restaurants: 1: Wild Grizzly Restaurant (lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Dedicated meeting room facility with banquet. Blackjack tournaments every Sun. at 3 p.m. and Mon. at 7:30 p.m. Buy in for $25 and get a $15 Lucky Money Coupon, 2 match-play coupons, and a food coupon good for 50 percent off on 1 dinner. Pull tabs: 24 bowls and 3 Lucky Pick machines (25¢, 50¢, $1 denominations).


Kent Kent (population 84,560) is midway between Tacoma and Seattle (18 miles from each), and 7 miles from SeaTac International Airport, with a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier. It is known for its mild weather, with summer temperatures seldom exceeding the mid-80s, and winter temperatures seldom dropping below the low 30s.

433. Great American Casino

Kingston Kingston (population 1,600) is at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula, a bit more than 5 miles due northeast of Seattle, but across Puget Sound. The only direct way there from Seattle is by ferry; the alternative is a very long drive.

434. The Point Casino Address: 7989 Salish Lane NE, Kingston, Washington 98346 Phone: 360–297–0070; toll free: 1–866–547–6468; fax: 360–297–8929 Website: www.pointnopointcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (S’Klallam Tribe) casino with more than 18,000 square feet of gaming space, nestled in the woods on the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–6 a.m., Sat., holidays 8 a.m.–6 a.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 430+: 1¢ and up Table Games: 10 (all with table limits $3-$500): Craps, roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, Texas Shootout, blackjack, Royal Match blackjack, Spanish 21 Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Keeper’s Cove Restaurant (menu, buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sun. brunch) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Kluumichin Players Club rewards card. The only casino to offer full free ferry

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Email: [email protected] Description: 5,000-square-foot casino with a California beach theme, with beach paradise murals throughout, cabanas covering the gaming tables, and surfboards decorating the bar. The casino is located east off Hwy 167, Exit 212 St. on 108th St. in Kent. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 13: 2 Spanish 21, 4 blackjack, 1 three-card poker, 1 four-card poker, 3 Fortune Pai Gow poker, 2 Lucky Ladies Poker: 2 tables: Hold’em ($2$4, $3-$6 with a half kill). No-limit hold’em tournaments 10:30 a.m. Mon.–Fri., $25 buyin, $20 rebuy. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: The Surf City Restaurant is adjacent to the casino (steaks, breakfast all day, pasta, seafood, pizza) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Customer appreciation parties. Pai gow poker tournaments Sat., Sun. at 2 p.m., $30 buy-in, 1 $25 rebuy. Blackjack tournaments: Mon. multi-deck at 7 p.m., Wed. double-deck at 7 p.m., both $25 buy-in, $20 rebuy. Also, beat-the-boss blackjack tournaments, with house-added cash prizes, both $25 buy-in, $20 rebuy.

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Address: 20500 108th St. S.E., Kent, Washington 98031 Phone: 253–813–8355 Website: www.greatamericancasino.com and click on Kent

fare to its customers from across the Sound. Only casino to offer a 10–25 percent cash refund on all losses of $100 or more. Cash drawings Thu. at 8 p.m. Coupons and discounts available during the month of guests’ birthday or anniversary. Men’s and ladies’ nights (Mon. and Wed., respectively) with coupons, discounts, and drink specials. Slot tournaments, senior slot tournaments, free slot tournaments; see the website for details. Blackjack tournaments Wed. nights at 7 p.m.

La Center La Center (population 1,700) is 25 miles north of downtown Portland, Oregon.

435. Chips Casino—La Center

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Address: 318 Old Pacific Hwy, La Center, Washington 98629 Phone: 360–263–2988; toll-free 1–877–855–DEAL (1–877–855–3325) Website: www.michelsgaming.com/chipscasino/html/index.html

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Description: “Enhanced” games casino and restaurant; I-5 Exit 16; associated with Palace Casino Hours: 12 p.m.–8 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: Double-deck blackjack, Lucky Ladies, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow (no commission), three-card poker, Texas Shootout Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8). $2,000 freeroll first Sun. of every month. Two red aces promotion every Sun.; lose with pocket red aces and win $50. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Daily lunch and dinner specials (24 hours) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs. Senior Discount (55+) at the restaurant, 20 percent Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–7 p.m. On “$2 Tuesday,” there are $2 tables, $2 menu, and $2 drink specials. Blackjack tournaments: beat-the-boss, Tue. 6 p.m.; $1,000-guaranteed, Thu. 6 p.m.; $1,200-guaranteed, double-deck, Sat. 2 p.m. Bonus days, first and fifteenth of each month, first 100 people to get designated hands win prizes. $2,100 invitational held quarterly for top 21 participants in tournaments.

436. Palace Casino Address: 318 Old Pacific Highway, La Center, Washington 98629 Phone: 360–263–2988; toll-free: 1–877–855–DEAL (1–877–855–3325) Website: www.nwcasinos.com/palace/med Description: “Enhanced” games casino and restaurant. Cherry wood paneling, copies of fine paintings framed in the style of the time, carved ceiling panels, and antique furniture all create an atmosphere of subdued elegance. I-5 Exit 16; associated with Chips Casino. Hours: 8 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: Blackjack, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, Lucky Ladies, double-deck Lucky Ladies, Fortune Pai Gow (with Dragon Hand, which is an option to take an extra hand), Texas Shootout Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Asian food; lunch, dinner Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Senior Discount (55+) at the restaurant, 20 percent Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–7 p.m. Favorable blackjack rules.


Lakewood Lakewood (population 58,300) is a suburb 5 miles south of Tacoma.

437. Chips Casino—Lakewood

438. Grand Central Casino of Lakewood Address: 10117 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, Washington 98499 Phone: 253–396–0500 Website: www.grandcentralcasinos.com and click on Lakewood Email: [email protected] Description: The largest non-tribal casino in the state. Casino has a New York City motif. Located at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 512. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily; closed Christmas 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 Big Raise Hold’em, 2 threecard poker, 2 Lucky Ladies, 1 Let It Ride, 2 Spanish 21, 3 Fortune Pai Gow, 3 blackjack. While the casino has $100 limits, up to 3 tables out of the 15 are permitted to have $200 limits at any time. The $200-limit tables are continually rotated throughout the day. Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment Fri. and Sat. evenings, karaoke Sun. evening, other special events, such as touring acts or fights. There is no cover for weekend entertainment, but special events have pre-sold tickets, which are available through Ticketmaster or at the casino. See the website for upcoming events. Restaurants: 2: The Ripe Tomato (bistro; burgers, deli sandwiches, breakfasts, entrees, and salads), Goodfella’s Steakhouse Accommodations: No Dress Code: No do-rags, baseball caps must be turned forward, no gang-related attire. Bonus: Features: electronic and manual pull tabs. Fortune Pai Gow tournament every Sun. at 11:00 a.m. Occasional blackjack tournaments. The amounts vary. Broadway Joe’s Nightclub inside, a 250-seat entertainment and banquet/catering venue

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Description: “Enhanced” games casino and restaurant; I-5 exit 129, 84th & Tacoma Mall Boulevard Hours: Gaming: daily 9 a.m.–5 a.m. (Restaurant hours: 8 a.m.–4 a.m.) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 11: Double-deck blackjack, Lucky Ladies, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow (no commission), three-card poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3$6). Daily no-limit hold’em tournament, 9 a.m., $20 buy-in, no rebuys. $2,000 freeroll first Sun. of every month. Entertainment: Live music Fri.–Sat. 9:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Restaurants: 1: Buffet Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs. On the first and fifteenth of each month, members of the military receive 50 percent off food and drinks, $5 match-play coupon, free gift, and 8 p.m. drawing for $100. On “$2 Tuesday,” there are $2 tables, $2 menu, and $2 drink specials. Pai gow low hand contest: low hand of the day wins $100. Casino industry workers (must show ID) receive $10 match-play coupon, 2-for-1 coupon, and $1.50 coupon. Sat. $100-added double-deck blackjack tournament. Bonus blackjack: suited blackjack, 7-7-7, and 6-7-8 all pay 2:1 (Sun.–Thu., 9 a.m.–12 p.m., 9 p.m.–12 a.m.).

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Address: 8200 Tacoma Mall Boulevard, Lakewood Washington 98499 Phone: 253–581–5851 Website: www.michelsgaming.com/chipscasino/html/index.html

Longview Longview (population 35,000) is 37 miles north of Portland, Oregon, in southern Washington, at the junction of the Cowlitz and Columbia rivers, and just west of Kelso.

439. Cadillac Ranch Casino Address: 1125 Commerce Ave., Longview, Washington 98632 Phone: 360–501–4328 Website: www.cadillac-ranch.net

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Description: 18,000-square-foot “enhanced” games casino in a 1-story brick building in the historic part of town; at exit 36 Hours: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 12: Let It Ride, three-card poker, Lucky Ladies, pai gow poker, super fun 21, Match the Dealer blackjack, blackjack (4-, 6-, 8-deck shoe games), Spanish 21, four-card poker, Texas Shootout Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4 starter game, $3-$6, $5-$10 if enough interest). $20 no-limit hold’em tournaments Mon–Fri 5 p.m.; $50 bounties chosen by card drawing, one per table. All entry money returned to players. Entertainment: Live music, including tributes to Kiss, Elton John, Beatles, and Eagles. Karaoke. At the time of this writing, a new showroom was being built. Restaurants: 1: Pit for Pasta (breakfast, lunch, dinner; daily specials, including pasta and pizza) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Weekly darts and pool tournaments. Blackjack, Let It Ride, three-card poker, pai gow tournaments weekly. Free limo service for groups of 6 or more.

Mountlake Terrace Mountlake Terrace (population 20,000) is a suburb 4 miles north of Seattle on Interstate 5.

440. Crazy Moose Casino Sports Bar Restaurant Address: 22003 66th Ave., Mountlake Terrace, Washington 98043 Phone: 425–672–4770 Website: www.crazymoosecasino.com Description: “Enhanced” games casino/sports bar/restaurant. Directions: Exit 179 off I5 onto 220th St SW, go west on 220th, left on 66th Ave W., left into parking lot just after turning the corner. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: Spanish 21, Lucky Ladies, blackjack, three-card poker, four-card poker, Texas Shootout, Fortune Pai Gow Poker: No Entertainment: 8 satellite systems; 3 big screens; 38 TV monitors Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 37 pull tab tanks


Ocean Shores Ocean Shores (population 3,800) is a 6,000-acre peninsula on Washington’s central Pacific coast 75 miles west of Olympia, the state capital.

441. Quinault Beach Resort & Casino

Olympia Olympia (population 43,000), the state capital, is in western Washington 30 miles southwest of Tacoma. Evergreen State College is there, making Olympia a hub for artists and musicians.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 16,000-square-foot Native American (Quinault Nation) casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 a.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Poker room: Wed.–Thu. 6 p.m.–12 a.m., Fri. 6 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., and Sun. noon–10 p.m.; closed Mon. and Tue. Slot Machines: 350 Table Games: 15 (table limits $3–$250): Roulette, three-card poker, blackjack, craps, pai gow, Let It Ride, Spanish 21; plus keno Poker: 5 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8 kill; $6-$12 kill or $10-$20 Fri.). 10 percent rake, with maximum $3 per pot. Tournament schedule: Wed. and Thu. 6:15 p.m., 1-hour no-limit hold’em, $15+$2 entry, winner takes all. Fri. Night Showdown, no-limit hold’em, 6:15 p.m., $20+$3, pays top 3 places. Hold’em Coconuts Bounty Tournament (Hawaiian-themed), Sat. 12:15 p.m., $25+$5, unlimited $10 rebuys first 3 rounds, 1 add-on, $5 bounties. Every Sun. except the last Sun. of the month, no-limit hold’em 12:15 p.m., $25+$5 entry fee, $10 bonus buy for additional tournament chips, pays top 3 places, plus cash drawing 1 hour after the tournament ends. Moneymaker no-limit hold’em every last Sun. of the month, 12:15 p.m., $100+$15, 1 optional $50 rebuy in the first 3 rounds, early registration required, limited to first 55 players, pays top 5 places (with 24 or more participants). Entertainment: Lounge with live music, dancing, cocktails, microbrews, big screen television; live boxing; band performances including The About Face Band, The Rat Pack, and Perrine and Myers Restaurants: 2: Emily’s Restaurant (dinner, Sun. brunch), Sidewalk Bistro (hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet burgers, fresh salads, soups and chowder, and sweet treats; breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 159 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Casino Club Card with discounts and other benefits; see the website for more information. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Pull tabs. Day spa, fitness center, business needs, full length pool, steam room, Jacuzzi, and sauna.

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Address: 78 St. Rt. 115, Ocean Shores, Washington 98569 Phone: 360–289–9466; toll-free reservations: 1–888–461–2214 Website: www.quinaultbchresort.com

442. Nisqually Red Wind Casino Address: 12819 Yelm Highway Southeast, Olympia, Washington 98513 Phone: 360–412–5000 Website: www.redwindcasino.net

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Email: [email protected] Description: 18,000-square-foot Native American (Nisqually Indian people) casino Hours: 9 a.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 600+: 1¢–$5; some machines offering 97 percent payback; progressives Table Games: 22: Blackjack, craps, pai gow, Let It Ride, roulette, Texas Shootout, Spanish 21 Poker: No; but planned Entertainment: 150˝ wide screen; karaoke Fri. 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Restaurants: 3: Squalli-Absch Grille (daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Medicine Creek Deli (daily 11 a.m.–4 a.m.), Blue Camas Buffet (Mon.–Sat. breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Seniors (55+) belonging to the rewards club receive extra bonuses and coupons.

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Renton Renton (population 50,000) is 15 miles southeast of downtown Seattle. Boeing has a factory in Renton that produces 737 and 757 aircraft, and is the largest employer. In 1970, Jimi Hendrix was buried in the Greenwood cemetery in Renton.

443. Freddie’s Club Address: 111 So. 3rd Street, Renton, Washington 98055 Phone: 425–228–3700; fax: 425–793–0081 Website: www.freddiesclub.com Email: [email protected] Description: 50,000-square-foot “enhanced” games casino; the first non-tribal casino in Washington state Hours: 2 p.m.–10 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: Three-card poker, Fortune Pai Gow poker, Spanish 21, Lucky Ladies, blackjack, Texas Shootout, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Lunch, dinner Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pai gow “high hand” giveaway 7 times daily ($100). Other cash giveaways. Free blackjack game on website.

Seattle Seattle (population 569,000), between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, is Washington’s largest city, and lies about 108 miles south of the Canadian border. Seattle’s most recognizable landmark, the Space Needle, was built for the 1962 Century 21 Exposition (a World’s Fair). The monorail line constructed for the Exposition still runs between Seattle Center and Downtown. Although Seattle is sometimes referred to as the “rainy city,” it actually gets less rain than many other U.S. cities. Seattle is known as the birthplace of grunge music (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and the like) and has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption.


444. Rascals Casino and Restaurant

445. Skyway Park Bowl Address: 11819 Renton Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98178 Phone: 206–772–1220; fax: 206–772–9860 Website: www.skywayparkbowl.com Email: [email protected] Description: Family entertainment center including bowling, miniature golf, arcade, snack bar, restaurant, and “enhanced” games casino and lounge Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily. Poker room opens 3 p.m. weekdays, 12:30 p.m. weekends Slot Machines: No Table Games: 10 ($100 limits): Blackjack, double-deck blackjack, progressive blackjack, Spanish 21, three-card poker, Fortune Pai Gow, Lucky Ladies Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8). Tournaments Mon.–Fri. at 3 p.m., $15 buy-in and up to $10 rebuys. Live $2-$4 game immediately after the tournament. Entertainment: Karaoke in the lounge Fri., Sat., Sun. nights Restaurants: 1: The Dining Room (Asian, American; includes a snack bar; Sun.–Thu. 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m.) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: 24-lane bowling alley. 9hole indoor miniature golf course. Video game room. Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs with over 60 games in the bowl and lounge. Bowling tournaments; company party packages available; arcade, bowling, and mini golf 24 hours.

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Description: “Enhanced” games casino with over 14,000 square feet of gaming space Hours: Noon-6 a.m. daily; poker room 3 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 12 (2 tables reserved exclusively for blackjack tournaments): Blackjack, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, Lucky Ladies, four-card poker, Texas Shootout. $200 limits on selected games Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6). Daily $20 no-limit hold’em tournament, unlimited rebuys during the first hour. The 60 players with the most hours of live play during daily games the previous 2 weeks qualify for a free-roll tournament, for which first place wins $4,000. Entertainment: Live music and dancing: Every Sun. night, featuring “Cam. Star Band,” 9:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Tue. nights, West Coast Swing Night, featuring Darryl Data 7 p.m.–11 p.m. Drink specials available. Restaurants: 1: Asian and American food, lunch and dinner Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Pull tabs: 40 bowls. Free-roll casino industry (must show ID) blackjack tournament every Wed. at 9 p.m., $25 rebuy, $1,000 guaranteed for first place, $500 second, 60 percent of rebuy third place, 40 percent of rebuy fourth (minimum of 21 players required).

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Address: 9635 Des Moines Memorial Drive, Seattle, Washington 98108 Phone: Casino phone: 206–763–3848; restaurant phone: 206–763–7428; fax: 206–763–3855 Website: www.rascalscasino.com

Sequim

The City of Sequim (population 4,440, pronounced Skwim), and the surrounding SequimDungeness Valley are located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north coast of Washington State. Sequim is about 40 miles (but separated by Puget Sound) northwest of Seattle, approximately 2 hours travel time from Seattle, Tacoma, or Olympia. In the native language of the S’Klallam tribe, the name means “quiet waters.”

446. 7 Cedars Casino Address: 270756 Highway 101, Sequim, Washington 98382 Phone: 360–683–7777; toll-free: 1–800–4–LUCKY–7 (1–800–458–2597) Website: www.7cedarscasino.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 63,000-square-foot Native American (Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe) casino 52 miles west of Seattle, in a lush valley overlooking Sequim Bay, beside the Strait of Juan de Fuca. (The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe evolved from several communities of the S’Klallam people, and are related to Tribes in British Columbia as well as the Puget Sound area.) Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 261 (31 varieties): 1¢–$1; video poker, keno; progressive jackpot games (over $10,000) Table Games: 23: Blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow, three-card poker, Let It Ride, Spanish 21, keno Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ( $1-$5 and $2-$10 spread-limit; $2$5-$10-$10 and $2-$10-$20-$20 Sat.). Tournaments every day at 1 p.m.: $15 buy-in Sun.–Fri. with no rebuys; $27 buy-in Sat. with rebuys and first prize usually over $1,000. Nonsmoking tables. Free food for players at 5 p.m. Entertainment: Live entertainment several nights a week, featuring artists such as The Beatniks and Hit Explosion. DJ Thu. 8 p.m.–midnight; comedy Wed. at 8:30 p.m.; live jazz Mon., Tue. 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m.; dueling pianos Sun. 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Restaurants: 3: Salish Room (fine dining; menu and buffet; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Bingo Bay Deli (quick sandwiches and snacks), The Totem Lounge (hors d’oeuvres) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Northwest Native Expressions art gallery features traditional and contemporary artwork by Northwest Coast Native Americans and other artists. Off-track betting and televised sporting events. Bingo. Slot tournaments Tue. 1 p.m.–3 p.m. and 5 p.m.–7 p.m. Blackjack tournaments. Gift shop.

Shelton Shelton (population 8,400) is 23 miles northwest of Olympia off Hwy 101/108 interchange.

447. Little Creek Casino Hotel Address: 91 West State Route 108, Shelton, Washington 98584 Phone: 360–427–7711; toll-free: 1–800–667–7711; fax: 360–427–7868 Website: www.little-creek.com Description: 53,000-square-foot Native American (Squaxin Island Tribe) casino Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 500+: 2¢–$1 Table Games: 15: 8 blackjack (7 shoe, 1 double-deck), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Spanish 21, three-card poker, four-card poker Poker: 5 tables:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Hold’em ($2-$4, $4-$8 with kill, no-limit $100 minimum buy-in, $300 maximum, $2 and $5 blinds). Regular tournaments: Mon., Omaha, $35 buy-in, no rebuys; Tue. 7 p.m., limit hold’em, $25 buy-in; Thu. 7 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $55 buy-in; Sat. 5 p.m., no-limit hold’em, $35 buy-in. Entertainment: Showroom: check the casino’s website for current events Restaurants: 4: Island Grill, Grand Buffet, 2 snack bars (1 in bingo hall) Accommodations: 92 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: 25 pull tabs; keno, bingo; banquet hall in the hotel. $1 craps Tue. and Wed. afternoons; blackjack tournaments Wed. at 7 p.m.

Suquamish

Address: 15347 Suquamish Way, Suquamish, Washington 98392 Phone: 360–598–8700; toll-free: 1–800–375–6073 Website: www.clearwatercasino.com Description: This 22,000-square-foot Native American (Suquamish Tribe) casino is in Suquamish, between Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island, on the Kitsap Peninsula in Western Washington. Hours: Fri. and Sat. 24 hours; Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,250+: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1 Table Games: 34: Craps ($3–$500), Lucky Ladies (6 deck $3–$500, double-deck starting at $5), super fun 21 ($5–$500), Let It Ride ($3–$500), Fortune Pai Gow poker (weekdays $5–$500, weekends $10–$500), three-card poker (ante $5–$100, pair plus $5–$25), Caribbean Stud ($3–$500), Spanish 21 ($3–$500), roulette ($3–$500), Second Chance blackjack ($5–$500), Texas Shootout Poker: 6 tables: Hold’em (primarily $4-$8, sometimes with overs buttons or kill, $10-$20). Regular tournaments: Daily, $100-added no limit hold’em at 10:30 a.m. Wed. 6 p.m., $25 buy-in with 2 $20 rebuys. Poker room is totally nonsmoking. Entertainment: Live music Thu., Fri., and Sat. nights 9 p.m.–1 a.m., including such artists as Duane Patton, Society’s Child, P.Y.T, Fabulous Fakes, and Beatniks. See the casino’s website for current performers and dates. Restaurants: 3: Cedar Steakhouse (fine dining; dinner), Longhouse Buffet (buffet, children up to 3 eat free), Agate Pass Deli (10 a.m.–2 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends) Accommodations: No, but try: Poulsbo Inn–Poulsbo 1–800–597–5151; Holiday Inn Express–Poulsbo 1–800–465–4329; Island Country Inn–Bainbridge Island 1–800–842–8429. Shuttle service to these inns available. Family Amenities: All the restaurants are family-friendly Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Clearwater rewards card for slots and table play. Double points on Tue. Bingo. Ferry walkon fare reimbursement from Seattle or Edmonds only (non-Kitsap residents only; must be a Club Clearwater member or join at the time of reimbursement). $5 off gas at the Masi Shop from the table games department (based on $100 buy-in and 3 hours play). Blackjack tournament Tue. 7 p.m.–10 p.m. (extra bonus chips for signing up before 4 p.m.). Keno tournaments. Meeting facility.

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448. Clearwater Casino

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Suquamish (population 3,500) is across Puget Sound from Seattle, 15 miles west via the Bainbridge Ferry.

Tacoma Tacoma (population 196,800) is on the south shore of Puget Sound, 36 miles south of Seattle. Mount Rainier looms over the city.

449. Emerald Queen Cascades I-5 Address: 2024 East 29th Street, Tacoma, Washington 98404 Phone: 253–594–7777; toll-free: 1–888–831–7655 Website: www.emeraldqueen.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Puyallup Tribe of Indians) casino at 2 locations; Emerald Queen Cascades Casino and Hotel (same phone number) is at 5700 Pacific Hwy. East, Fife, Washington 98424. Hours: Tue.–Thu. 10 a.m.–6 a.m., continuously Thu. 10 a.m.–Tue. 6 a.m. Slot Machines: 2,000: 1¢–$5; megajackpots Table Games: 56: Let It Ride, blackjack, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment most nights, featuring big names, including Loretta Lynn, Carrot Top, Jonny Lang, David Lee Roth, and Smokey Robinson Restaurants: 2: Palace Deli, I-5 restaurant and buffet Accommodations: Emerald Queen Cascades Hotel at 5700 Pacific Hwy. East, Fife, Washington 98424 (same phone number as Emerald Queen Cascades) Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary transportation is offered for groups of 25 or more. Nonsmoking area available. Sponsor of the Taste of Tacoma, Bite of Seattle, and Kent Cornucopia Days.

450. Paradise Bowl and Casino Address: 12505 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington 98445 Phone: Bowl: 253–537–6012; casino: 253–536–8995; fax bowl: 253–535–5054; fax casino: 253–536–5870 Website: www.paradisebowlonline.com Email: [email protected] Description: “Enhanced” games casino 1 mile south of Highway 512 on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma, Washington Hours: 11 a.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 12 ($3 tables available for some games): Blackjack, Dead Man’s Hand blackjack, Spanish 21, Fortune Pai Gow, three-card poker Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em ($3-$6, $4-$8). High-hand awards. Hold’em tournaments 11:15 a.m. daily, $35 buy-in, no rebuys. Entertainment: Cocktail lounge with karaoke every Thu. night Restaurants: 1: Breakfast, lunch, dinner; variety, including hotdogs, prime rib Accommodations: No Family Amenities: 32 lanes of bowling; video arcade with over 25 games including air hockey, auto racing, Star Trek Voyager, Simpson’s Bowling, Marvel vs. Capcom, Soul Caliber II, and more Dress Code: No Bonus: Over 60 pull tabs in pull tab casino as well as 6 pull tabs available in the lounge. 2 banquet rooms. Match play coupons 3 times daily on Mon. Table-side food service available in poker room.


Toppenish Toppenish (population 9,000) is 20 miles southeast of Yakima in south-central Washington.

451. Yakama Nation Legends Casino

Tukwila Tukwila (population 17,200) is a suburb 5 miles south of Seattle.

452. Grand Central Casino of Tukwila Address: 14040 Interurban Avenue South, Tukwila, Washington 98168 Phone: 206–244–5400 Website: www.grandcentralcasinos.com;click on Tukwila Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot “enhanced” games casino. Grand Central Casino features a New York-theme decor, complete with maple trees, brick-lined floors, Broadwayinspired neon lights, and theater posters. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily (closed Christmas 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 15: 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 progressive blackjack, 2 threecard poker, 4 Lucky Ladies, 1 Let It Ride, 2 Spanish 21, 3 Fortune Pai Gow, 1 blackjack. While the casino has $100 limits, up to 3 tables out of the 15 are permitted to have $200 limits at any one time. The $200-limit tables are continually rotated throughout the day. Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment nightly in the Ripe Tomato. Broadway Joe’s Nightclub features musical events, comedy acts and karaoke. See the website for upcoming events. Restaurants: 1: The Ripe Tomato (bistro; burgers, deli sandwiches, breakfast and

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 54,000-square-foot Native American (Yakama Nation) casino, 30 minutes from Yakima Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 675: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 50¢, $1, $2.50, $5; slots, video poker, progressive jackpot games Table Games: 27: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Fortune Pai Gow, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Spanish 21, Caribbean Stud Poker: 6 tables in a separate poker room: Hold’em ($3-$6 and $4-$8 both with and without kill). Regular tournaments: Daily at 10:30 a.m., mixed among limit and no-limit hold’em, 7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low. Second Tue. of each month, $2,000-guaranteed limit hold’em. Third Thu., starts limit, goes to no-limit. Entertainment: Varied, including live professional boxing and entertainers like Bill Cosby and B.B. King Restaurants: 2: Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner); deli (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Keno. Bingo (600 seats). Stay-and-play package available for out-of-town guests, includes hotel accommodations, dinner buffer for 2, deli breakfast buffet for 2, fun books with great deals. RV park nearby (see www.yakamanation.com).

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Address: 580 Fort Road, Toppenish, Washington 98948 Phone: 509–865–8800; toll-free: 1–877–7COME11 (1–877–726–6311); fax: 509–865–6253 Website: www.yakimalegends.com

salads) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Children may eat in the restaurant Dress Code: No do-rags, baseball caps must be turned forward, no gang-related attire Bonus: Grand Rewards players club. Pai gow tournaments Sun. at 11 a.m. Occasional blackjack tournaments.

Tulalip Tulalip (population 10,000) is a Native American reservation 30 miles north of Seattle, just outside Marysville, on Puget Sound.

453. Tulalip Casino and Bingo

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Address: 10200 Quil Ceda Boulevard, Tulalip, Washington 98271 Phone: 360–651–1111; toll-free: 1–888–272–1111 Website: www.tulalipcasino.com

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 227,000-square-foot Native American casino (the Tulalip tribes); separate bingo hall located 1 mile south; see website for directions Hours: 24 hours Thu.–Sun., open 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Mon.–Wed. Keno hours: Mon.–Wed. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Thu.–Sun. 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 2,000: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5; progressive and nonprogressive slots Table Games: Minimum limits of $5, $10, $15, $50, and $100, to a maximum of $500; high-stakes room for $50 and $100 minimums. 23 blackjack (nonsmoking room available 2 p.m.–6 p.m. daily), 3 baccarat, 4 craps ($5–$500, $1 minimum on prop bets), 3 pai gow poker ($10–$500). Nonsmoking room available 2 p.m.–6 p.m. daily; 6 roulette ($2–$50 inside bets, $2–$500 outside bets). Also, keno (payouts up to $100,000 on progressive jackpots; play 1–999 games just as in Nevada, with up to a year to collect on games played in excess of 20). Poker: 20 tables: Hold’em (many limits, starting at $2-$4; no-limit games are minimum/maximum buy-in: $50/$100 with blinds $2 and $4, $100/$200 with blinds $2 and $4, $300/$500 with blinds $5 and $10), 7-stud high-low, Omaha high-low. 4 tournaments weekly, all at 7 p.m., all no-limit hold’em: Mon., $65 buy-in, $50 add-on, $100 added; Tue. $35 buy-in, unlimited $20 rebuys first hour; Wed. $55 buy-in, 1 $50 rebuy, $50 add-on; Thu. $115 buy-in, no rebuys, $100 added. Other special tournaments: see the casino’s website for latest. Totally nonsmoking room; completely enclosed to keep smoke out. Daily poker classes. Entertainment: Tue. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., karaoke; Wed. 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., comedy, immediately following comedy is karaoke with a live band; Thu. Ladies Night and live ’70s/disco music played by the Afrodisiacs; periodic other live entertainment including a comedic hypnotist, live music (Ron Stubs, the Beatniks, Gruvbox, and more). See the casino’s website for the latest entertainment information. Restaurants: 4: Tulalip Bay’s Fine Dining (dinner Wed. through Sun.), Cedars Café (steakhouse; lunch, dinner), Eagles Buffet (lunch, dinner, Sun. brunch), The Casino Carvery (sandwiches, pastries, espresso, breakfast; 24 hours) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card. Slot tournaments, with a “Tournament of Champions.” Blackjack tournaments Tue. at 7 p.m., $25 buy-in, $20 rebuy. High-stakes bingo parlor with multiple sessions daily. Keno tournaments third Tue. 7 p.m. and third Sat. 1 p.m. every month, $20 buy-in, $1,000 prize pool.


WISCONSIN

Baraboo (population 10,700), 35 miles northwest of Madison, is the former headquarters of the Ringling Brothers circus. It is now the home of the Circus World Museum, which includes the largest library of circus information in the world plus other special exhibits and circus experiences.

454. Ho-Chunk Casino, Hotel & Convention Center Address: S 3214 Highway 12, Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913 Phone: 608–356–6210; toll-free: 1–800–7–HOCHUNK (1–800–746–2486) Website: www.ho-chunk.com Email: [email protected] Description: 98,000-square-foot Native American (Ho Chunk People) casino in a hotel 5 miles south of the Wisconsin Dells and 4 miles north of Baraboo Hours: Slots: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; blackjack Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–5 a.m., continuously Fri. 9 a.m.–Mon. 5 a.m. Slot Machines: 2,500: 5¢–$5; multigame and other; many ticket in-ticket out; national linked megajackpots Table Games: 47 blackjack ($3–$25 Mon.–Thu. only; $5–$50, $10–$100, $25–$250, $50–$500, $100–$1,000), craps may return soon Poker: The casino had poker and likely will again after some difficulties with the state are ironed out. Entertainment: Concerts; check website or call for information Restaurants: 4: Copper Oak Steakhouse (Sun. 5–10 p.m., Mon. closed, Tue.–Fri. 5–10 p.m., Sat. 5–11 p.m.), WoZha-Wa (bar and grill), Stand Rock Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Sunrise Cliffs Café (family; 7 a.m.–3 p.m.) Accommodations: 315 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Kids Quest child care center (Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–midnight) Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards Club for slot and table play at all Ho-Chunk Nation Gaming properties. Bingo Sun. 12:30 p.m., Mon. closed, Tue.–Sat. 6:30 p.m. Drawings for vacations and cash. Blackjack tournaments. Convention center for meetings, conferences, weddings, or other social events, 15,000 square feet of carpeted exhibit space that can accommodate up to 100 trade show booths, and a grand ballroom that seats up to 1,200 people.

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Baraboo

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Wisconsin’s casino gaming is conducted by Native American tribes. At the time of this writing, there were 23 such casinos run by 11 federally recognized tribes. Many are casinos in name only, containing only a few slot machines or table games. Just as in other states, the tribes negotiated state compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which permits tribes to operate for-profit games of chance not otherwise outlawed by the state. The minimum age for all gambling except bingo in Wisconsin is 18 in those casinos where alcohol is not served, 21 where it is. Since almost every casino serves alcohol, that effectively makes the age 21. The minimum age for bingo is always 18.

Black River Falls Black River Falls (population 3,600) is on the Black River 115 miles northwest of Madison.

455. Majestic Pines Bingo & Casino Address: W9010 Highway 54, Black River Falls, Wisconsin 54615 Phone: 715–284–9098; toll-free: 1–800–657–4621; fax: 715–284–1739; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–625–8668 Website: www.mpcwin.com

306 NORTH AMERICA

Description: 75,000-square-foot Native American (Ho Chunk People) casino. Directions: take I-94 to Exit #116 at Black River Falls, then Highway 54 east for 4 miles. Hours: Memorial Day–Labor Day, 24/7 (blackjack 10 a.m.–4 a.m.); Labor Day–Memorial Day, Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 24/7 (blackjack 10 a.m.–4 a.m.) Slot Machines: 610: 5¢–$5; multigame and other; many ticket in-ticket out; national linked megajackpots Table Games: 10 blackjack ($3–$25 Mon.–Thu. only; $5–$50, $15–$100, $25–$200), craps may return soon Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), snack bar Accommodations: 60 rooms Poker: The casino had poker and likely will again after some difficulties with the state are ironed out. Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards Club for slot and table play at all Ho-Chunk Nation Gaming properties. Cash giveaways. 500-seat bingo hall, with sessions Mon.–Sat. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 12:30 p.m. Sauna, steam room, indoor swimming pool, and whirlpool. Game room and conference rooms. Free shuttle weekdays in the area.

Bowler Bowler (population 1,600) is in northeastern Wisconsin, 130 miles north of Madison.

456. Mohican North Star Casino and Bingo Address: W12180A County Road A, Bowler, Wisconsin 54416 Phone: 715–787–3110, 715–787–4090; toll-free: 1–800–775–CASINO (1–800–775–2274) Website: www.mohicannorthstar.com Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Description: 24,000-square-foot Native American (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans) casino Hours: Slots Mon.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., continuously Fri. 8 a.m.–Mon. 2 a.m.; table games Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; craps 4 p.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,000+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1, also 10 high-stakes slots ($5, $10, $25); reel and video games Table Games: Blackjack ($3–200), craps, roulette, Let It Ride Bonus, threecard poker Poker: No Entertainment: Blues, rock: check website for schedule or call Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Separate nonsmoking slot room. 360-seat high-stakes bingo hall (open Sun. 12:30 p.m., Mon., Wed, Thu., Fri. 4:30 p.m., closed Tue., Sat.). Full-service RV park with 57 (seasonal) full-hookup sites.


Carter Carter is in northeastern Wisconsin, 70 miles northwest of Green Bay.

457. Potawatomi Bingo & Northern Lights Casino

Danbury Danbury (population 200) is in northwestern Wisconsin on the Minnesota border, 50 miles southwest of Duluth.

458. Hole-In-The-Wall Casino and Hotel Address: Highway 35 and Highway 77 Danbury, Wisconsin 54830 Phone: 715–656–3444; toll-free: 1–800–BET–U–WIN (1–800–238–8946) Website: www.stcroixcasino.com/HoleInTheWall Email: [email protected] Description: 22,500-square-foot Native American (St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin) casino, just north of Webster at the intersection of Wisconsin Highway 35 and Wisconsin 77 Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–4 a.m.; craps and roulette start at 6 Mon.–Thu. and 2 p.m. Fri.–Sun. (depending on demand) Slot Machines: 320: 1¢–$1; linked progressives with megajackpots Table Games: 9 blackjack ($3–$200), Let It Ride, three-card poker, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live shows. Polkathons. Restaurants: 3: Me-Ki-Noc Restaurant (fullservice dining), TLC Buffet, snack bar Accommodations: 45 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: TLC Players Club rewards card for slot play. Cash drawings and merchandise drawings. Free weekly craps and roulette lessons. Website has play money online slots and blackjack games.

NORTH AMERICA

Description: 16,000-square-foot Native American (Forest County Potawatomi) casino Hours: Memorial Day–Labor Day, slots Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–4:30 a.m., continuously Fri. 9 a.m.–Mon. 4:30 a.m., table games 10 a.m.–4:30 a.m. daily; Labor Day–Memorial Day, slots Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–close (usually 1 a.m.–2 a.m.), Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 a.m., tables 10 a.m.–close daily Slot Machines: Hundreds, including wide-area progressives Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No, but planned Entertainment: No Restaurants: Next door at Indian Springs Lodge & Restaurant Accommodations: Next door at Indian Springs Lodge & Restaurant Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo, with sessions Wed.–Fri. at 6:30 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1 p.m., closed Mon., Tue. Casino expansion planned, when more games and poker will come in. Cash giveaways. Seniors’ days.

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Address: Highway 32, P.O. Box 430, Wabeno, Wisconsin 54566 Phone: 715–473–2021; toll-free: 1–800–487–9522; fax: 715–473–6104; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–777–1640 Website: www.cartercasino.com

Green Bay Green Bay (population 103,000), home of football’s Packers, is at the southern tip of Lake Michigan’s Green Bay, 185 miles north of Chicago. The Oneida Nation has three main casinos in Green Bay.

459. Oneida IMAC Casino/Bingo Hall Address: 2100 Airport Drive, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54313 Phone: 920–494–4500; toll-free: 1–800–238–4263 Website: www.oneidabingoandcasino.net

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) casino. IMAC stands for Irene Moore Activity Center. This bingo hall and slots venue is half a mile from the Oneida Main Casino. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 600+: 1¢–$25; all ticket in-ticket out; reel and video slots, video poker; linked and wide-area progressives; megajackpots Table Games: No Poker: No Entertainment: See Oneida Main Casino Restaurants: 2: The Gathering (cafeteria), Fry Bread Heaven (Native American cuisine) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Derby Room off-track betting 10:30 a.m.–midnight daily. High-stakes bingo, sessions daily 10 a.m., Mon.–Fri. 6 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 5 p.m., Fri. 10 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 9 p.m. Complimentary nonalcoholic beverages and coffee. The Iroquois Smoke Shop offers discount tobacco products.

460. Oneida Main Casino Address: 2020/2100 Airport Drive, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54313 Mailing address: P.O. Box 365, Oneida, Wisconsin 54155 Phone: 920–494–4500; toll-free: 1–800–238–4263; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–333–3333 Website: www.oneidabingoandcasino.net Email: [email protected] Description: 88,000-square-foot Native American (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) casino, directly connected to the adjacent Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay; casino located at Interstate 43 and Highway 172, across from Austin Straubel International Airport Hours: Slots, 24 hours/day; 365 days/year, table games, 10 a.m.–4 a.m., craps, noon-4 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,800+: 1¢–$25; reel and video slots, video poker; linked and wide-area progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 50: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Headline entertainers from Sheryl Crow to Sammy Hagar, all at reasonable admission prices (usually $20–$30) Restaurants: 3: Pine Tree (grill and snack bar in casino; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Standing Stone Buffet and Grill (in casino mall), Shenandoah Restaurant (fine dining; in hotel) Accommodations: 408 rooms and suites in Radisson Hotel Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes players’ room. Hotel: 30,000 square feet of meeting space with accommodations for up to 1,600, indoor swimming pool, high-speed Internet access. Free shuttle between all 3 Oneida casinos. Smoke shop offers discount tobacco products.


461. Oneida Mason Street Casino

Hayward Hayward (population 2,000), in northwestern Wisconsin 255 miles northwest of Madison, is popular for fishing due to the many lakes in the area. It is the home of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, and has a 200-foot statue of a muskie with access to the mouth and a purview of the town. Hayward is the site of the annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, the world’s largest gathering of off-road mountain bike riders. It’s also the home of the Lumberjack World Championships, with competitions in logrolling, chopping, sawing, and chainsaw.

462. Lac Courte Oreilles Casino, Lodge & Convention Center Address: 13767 West County Road B, Hayward, Wisconsin 54843 Phone: 715–634–5643; fax: 715–634–6806; toll-free: 1–800–LCOCASH (1–800–526–2274); hotel reservations: 715–634–8574; toll-free: hotel reservations: 1–800–526–5634 Website: www.lcocasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 35,000-square-foot Native American (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) casino located 4 miles east of Hayward. Directions from Hayward: Highway 27 south to County Road B, east 4 miles to the intersection of County Roads B and K and the casino. Must be 21 to play (18 for bingo). Hours: Winter: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 a.m.; summer (Memorial Day–Labor Day) 9 a.m.–4 a.m. daily; craps, roulette Wed.–Sun. 6 p.m.–close; poker room

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Email: [email protected] Description: Native American (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) casino 3 miles from the other 2 Oneida casinos Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 600+: 1¢–$25; all ticket in-ticket out; reel and video slots, video poker; linked and wide-area progressives; megajackpots Table Games: No Poker: 10 tables: Mostly hold’em (limit: $2-$4, $4-$8, $5-$10, $10-$20; no-limit $2-$5 blinds with $100 buy-in, can buy another $100 if below $100, and $5-$10 blinds with $200 buy-in, can buy another $200 if below $200), 7-stud (occasionally), “round-by-round” (a mixed game, $5$10 limit, with 10 hands Omaha high-low, 10 hands hold’em). Regular tournaments Wed., Thu. 7 p.m. $50+$10 or $50+$15 buy-in, with $20 rebuys. The extra $5 goes to the dealer and starts a player with 20 percent more tournament chips. Seated players have preference for these popular tournaments. Entertainment: Free live music Restaurants: Mason Street Lodge (lounge and food; 11 a.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free shuttle between all 3 Oneida casinos. Nonsmoking slots area available.

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Address: 2522 W. Mason Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54303–4837 Phone: 920–494–4500; toll-free: 1–800–238–4263; poker room, ext. 5075 Website: www.oneidabingoandcasino.net

Mon.–Fri. 6 p.m.–close, Sat. 4 p.m.–close, Sun. noon–close. Slot Machines: 700+: 1¢, 5¢, 25¢, $1; more than half ticket in-ticket out; multidenominational machines; wide-area progressives with megajackpots Table Games: 8 blackjack ($2–$200), craps, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6 daily; plus no-limit Mon.) Entertainment: Intermittent indoor, outdoor concerts; check website or call for schedule. Restaurants: 2; Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Wigwam Restaurant (Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.–3 a.m.) Accommodations: 75 rooms, including 14 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Party Club rewards card for slot and table play. Bingo, Mon.–Fri. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. Free shuttles from nearby cities to bingo daily except Mon., Thu. Pool tournaments. Convention center can accommodate up to 400 for business meetings, seminars, conventions, or trade shows, or up to 900 for special events. Indoor pool, exercise room, sauna, and Jacuzzi.

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Keshena

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463. Crystal Palace

Keshena (population 1,400) is on the Wolf River 40 miles northwest of Green Bay.

Address: Highways 47 & 55, Keshena, Wisconsin 54135 Mailing address: P.O. Box 760 Phone: 715–799–3600; toll-free: 1–800–343–7778; fax: 715–799–1313 Website: www.menomineecasinoresort.com Description: 33,000-square-foot Native American (Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin) casino located 5 miles north of Shawano Hours: 24 hours/day; 7 days/week year-round, except closed 7 p.m. Dec. 24–5 p.m. Dec. 25. Blackjack Sun.–Thu. 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri. and Sat. 10:30 a.m.–3 a.m.; poker room Sun.–Mon. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Tue. closed, Wed. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Thu. 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 842: 12 1¢, 38 2¢, 287 5¢, 372 25¢, 126 $1, 7 $5; many ticket in-ticket out; wide- and local-area progressives; megajackpots Table Games: 8 blackjack (doubledeck pitch games, 5-deck shoes; immediate $50 bonus for 777 all same suit), 2 Let It Ride, 1 Triple Shot Bonus, three-card poker, craps, roulette Poker: 4 tables: Hold’em ($3$6), Omaha high-low ($5-$10 with full kill). Regular tournaments, all no-limit hold’em: Sun. afternoon ($35 with rebuys), Mon. evening ($35 with rebuys), Tue. evening ($45, single-table, no rebuy). Entertainment: Country, rock, and other live groups weekends at 8 p.m. Restaurants: 1: Forest Island Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Accommodations: 100 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Menominee Valuable Player’s (MVP) Club rewards card for slots and table play. Cash giveaways. Various match play offers to MVP Club members, including special senior (55+) offers. Special birthday offers. $10 match play to hotel guests. Specials for locals. 400-seat bingo hall, with sessions daily plus twice Tue., Thu.; check website or call for times. 60-space RV park, 27 with electrical hookups.


Lac Du Flambeau Lac Du Flambeau (population 1,700) is in north-central Wisconsin, 20 miles south of the Michigan border, 135 miles northwest of Green Bay.

464. Lake of the Torches Resort Casino

Milwaukee Milwaukee (population 597,000; metropolitan area 1.7 million), the largest city in Wisconsin, is located in the southeastern part of the state on Lake Michigan, 80 miles north of Chicago. Although Milwaukee is famous for its breweries, they now actually employ only a very small portion of the populace (under 1 percent); manufacturing is the main industry.

465. Potawatomi Bingo Casino Address: 1721 West Canal Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 Phone: 414–645–6888; toll-free 1–800–PAYSBIG (1–800–729–7244) Website: www.paysbig.com Description: 256,000-square-foot Native American (Forest County Potawatomi Nation) casino, the largest in Wisconsin. Hours: 24 hours/day; 7 days/week year-round, except closed 7 p.m. Dec. 24–5 p.m. Dec. 25 Slot Machines: 1,000+: Including 525 EZ Pay machines, wide-area progressives with megajackpots Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride Poker: 10 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4 to $20-$40; pot-limit Tue.), Omaha, 7-stud ($1-$5 and $2-$10 spreadlimit). Poker room is entirely nonsmoking. Entertainment: 500-seat cabaret-style Northern Lights dinner theater, with headliners like Night Ranger, Tom Jones, and Gallagher. Dream: late-night (10:30 p.m.) jazz on weekends. Restaurants: 4: The Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill (24 hours), buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Dream Dance (gourmet

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Email: Contact form on website Description: 56,000-square-foot Native American (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians) casino on the shore of Pokegama Lake Hours: Slots 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; blackjack 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 900: 2¢ and up; including wide-area progressives with megajackpots Table Games: 12 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: National musical and comedy acts such as The Smothers Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Colin Raye, and Glen Campbell, plus regional acts almost every weekend and on special occasions during the week, including country, rock and pop, blues, and bluegrass. Annual Spring Polkafest. Restaurants: 2: Eagle’s Nest Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), 24-hour food court (snacks, Mean Gene burgers, Fresher Smoothies, Cinnamon Street Bakery, tacos, subs, and sides) Accommodations: 101 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Torchlight Club rewards card for slots or blackjack. Cash drawings. Random slot drawings. Cocktail service at tables. Conventions center. Pool tournaments.

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Address: 510 Old Abe Road, Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin 54538 Phone: 715–588–7070; toll-free: 1–800–25–TORCH (1–800–258–6724) Website: www.lakeofthetorches.com

dinners; Tue.–Sat.; reservations recommended), Nest of Life Bingo Hall snack bars Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Fire Keeper’s Club rewards card. Sky Lodge gaming area on second floor is nonsmoking. Gaming tutorials available online, as well as a play-money blackjack game. High-stakes bingo with 3–4 sessions daily, with some jackpots linked nationwide. Pagers given out to those on the poker waiting list so they can play elsewhere while waiting.

Nekoosa Nekoosa (population 2,600) is in central Wisconsin 90 miles north of Madison.

466. Rainbow Casino

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Address: 949 County Road G, Nekoosa, Wisconsin 54457 Phone: 715–886–4560; toll-free: 1–800–782–4560 Website: www.rbcwin.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: 37,000-square-foot Native American (Ho Chunk People) casino Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 a.m.–2 a.m., continuously Fri. 8 a.m.–Sun. 2 a.m. Slot Machines: 600+: 1¢–$5; multigame and other; many ticket in-ticket out; national linked megajackpots Table Games: 8 blackjack ($3–$25) Poker: No Entertainment: Monthly adult comedy shows Restaurants: 2: Rainbow Grille (Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., and Sun. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.), snack bar Accommodations: No; “Stay’n’Play” packages available at 13 nearby lodging facilities, with match play coupons and restaurant discounts; closest hotels are in Wisconsin Rapids, 12 miles from the casino Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards Club for slot and table play at all Ho-Chunk Nation gaming properties. Cash and merchandise giveaways. Senior’s day Thu. with $5 match play and meal discounts. Free valet parking. Gift shop with discount tobacco products.

Turtle Lake Turtle Lake (population 1,000) is in northwest Wisconsin, close to where Highway 63 meets Highway 8, 20 miles from the Minnesota border and 72 miles northeast of St. Paul.

467. St. Croix Casino & Hotel Address: 777 US Highway 8/63, Turtle Lake, Wisconsin 54889 Phone: 715–986–4161; toll-free: 1–800–U–GO–U–WIN (1–800–846–8946) Website: www.stcroixcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 95,000-square-foot Native American (St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin) casino, not far from the hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,100+: 1¢–$5; linked progressives with megajackpots Table Games: 23 blackjack ($3–$500; 2-deck pitch and shoe games), 3 craps ($5–$500), 1 roulette (25¢ minimum) Poker: 12 tables: Hold’em ($2-$4, $3-$6, $4-$8, $6-$12, $8-$16; no-limit with blinds/minimum/maximum buy-in $1-$2/$50/$200, $2-$5/$100/$500, $5-$10/$300/$1,000).

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Weekly no-limit hold’em tournament (Thu. 6 p.m., $50+$10, no rebuys), monthly (Wed., $100+$20, $50 rebuys). Signups at 4 p.m.; seated players have preference; tournaments usually sell out. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Me-Ki-Noc Restaurant (full-service dining; 10 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), TLC Buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), snack bar Accommodations: 161 rooms, including 8 suites Family Amenities: Children welcome at hotel Dress Code: No Bonus: TLC Players Club rewards card for slot play. Blackjack tournament Tue., $30 buy-in, all returned to prize pool, starts 2 p.m. with finals at 9 p.m. Free 24-hour shuttle between casino and hotel. Free gaming lessons. Website has play money online slots and blackjack games.

Belize Belize, a Central American nation bordering the Caribbean Sea, lies just west of Guatemala and south and west of Mexico. The capital of Belize (population 282,500) is Belmopan. The national currency is the Belizean dollar, which has a fixed rate of exchange of BZ$2 to US$1. Most hotels, resorts, restaurants, and tour operators accept U.S. currency, traveler’s checks, or credit cards. Using a credit card often incurs a 5 percent service charge, added to one’s bill by the resort, restaurant, and so on. Most ATMs in Belize don’t accept foreign cards. The First Caribbean National Bank (Barclays) in Belize City is one of the few to have ATMs that can be used with foreign ATM cards. The small, essentially private enterprise economy of Belize is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction gaining in importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of the country’s exports, while the banana industry is the country’s largest employer. The electricity of Belize is 110 volts, 60 cycle AC, just as in North America. The official language is English, although you will hear some Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), and Creole. Standard Time in Belize is six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-6), the same as United States Central Standard Time. Belize has an interesting gaming history. The gaming industry began there in the ’90s, and since then has been tailored by the government to attract serious investors. Those who wish to participate in the gaming industry in Belize have two choices. They can obtain a domestic gaming license for casinos operating within Belize, or they can be part of the Internet gaming program that operates in a so-called “Export Processing Zone.” The government of Belize

NORTH AMERICA

Central America is an isthmus between Mexico and South America. It consists of, from north to south, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Several Central American countries have casinos; this section includes the best of Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.

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Central America

offers incentives to encourage telemarketing, data processing, and Internet and telephone gaming enterprises to license their operations in Belize that are unmatched by any other country. In 1996, Belize became the first country to enact legislation to legalize Internet gambling. However, this proved at first unsuccessful, because initially the legislation that the country enacted imposed a very high license fee, a gaming tax, and the posting of a substantial bond. A second detriment was the high cost of telephone and Internet service. The government acknowledged these two problems, and acted to address them. They did this by establishing the special Export Processing Zone, which caters specifically to Internet and telephone gaming and to other forms of electronic data processing. Permitting this commercial zone at once solved the license and taxation problems and the communications cost.

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BELIZE CITY

Belize City (population 70,000), the country’s biggest city and former capital, is a gateway to Belize’s historical and cultural points, located on the east coast 45 miles northeast of Belmopan.

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468. Princess Hotel & Casino Belize Address: Kings Park, Belize City, Belize Phone: +501 223 716 2 Website: www.princessbelize.com/casino.html Email: [email protected] Description: Luxury hotel and casino located 15 minutes south of Phillip S.W. Goldson International Airport Hours: Noon–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 400+ Table Games: 3: Blackjack, American roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Nightly entertainment with Russian Dancers at 10:30 p.m. at the Blue Hole bar. Live entertainment from local bands. Free shows with performances that can be viewed from machine or table. Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 181 rooms; casino is in hotel Family Amenities: Bowling alley; gaming arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Free buffet for players starting at midnight daily. Full-service marina offers scuba diving in coral reefs, and opportunities to swim alongside turtles and spotted eagle rays. Dive boats and water taxis are available to ferry guests to the outer islands and back again. Snorkeling, fishing, yacht charters, and tours.


SAN PEDRO

San Pedro is on Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island, in the Caribbean Sea 10 miles east of the mainland. The caye (pronounced key, meaning island) is about 25 miles long from north to south, and about 1 mile wide. The island, apart from where developed, is mostly white sand beach surrounding mangrove swamp in the center. San Pedro is the major settlement on the island, with residents mostly of Mexican descent who speak both Spanish and English. The island has more visitor accommodations than anywhere else in Belize.

Description: The motto of this casino is “It Ain’t Vegas,” but it still is a place that warrants your attention, having that old town feel, and offering charm and hospitality, and a delightful website. Hours: Thu.–Tue. 7 p.m.–midnight (closed Wed.) Slot Machines: 30: Slots and video poker; progressive jackpots Table Games: 4: 4 blackjack (buy-in BZ$40; minimum bet BZ$2, maximum BZ$20) Poker: No Entertainment: Big-screen sporting events Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Dress Code: Nice dress (shirt and shoes required; “special” dress suggested) Bonus: Eclectic atmosphere, where you’re just as likely to hear Sinatra as Reba McEntire, and see pictures of the Mona Lisa as W. C. Fields. Play tokens, which you can buy with either Belize or U.S. currency.

Costa Rica Costa Rica (population 4.3 million) is a popular gambling destination and has several casinos, many of which are located near the capital, San José. Popular games include canasta, a variation of roulette played with a basket of small balls in place of the roulette wheel; craps, or dominoes; tute poker (Caribbean Stud by another name); and rommy blackjack, a Latin American variation of 21. At the time of writing, 1 U.S. dollar equaled approximately 465 colones (C or CRC). The minimum age for gambling in Costa Rica is 18.

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Address: Pescador Drive y Caribena Street, San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Belize Phone: +501 226 357 0 Website: www.ambergriscaye.com/palace

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469. The Palace Casino

GUANACASTE

Guanacaste Province (population 225,000), in the extreme northwest of Costa Rica, is one of the least populated areas of the country; it contains both grazing cattle and over 100 miles of beaches. Parts of the province have been chosen by many Americans, Canadians, and Europeans as the ideal place to retire.

470. Paradisus Playa Conchal & Jazz Casino Conchal Address: Melia Playa Conchal, Cabo Velas Santa Cruz, Guanacaste 5150 Phone: General information: +506 654 4510 Website: www.casinojazz.com/landbased/conchal.php

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Email: [email protected] Description: As its name suggests, the Paradisus Playa Conchal Beach and Golf Resort is part casino, part golf, and beach resort. A short drive from Liberia International Airport (LIR) and 15 minutes from the local Tamarindo airport. Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Many slot machines; number not specified on website Table Games: Canasta (roulette), rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bar, disco Restaurants: 7 Accommodations: 310 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Setting is both tropical and oceanic, located in Costa Rica’s North Pacific Riviera. Pacific Ocean views from casino. Beach, golf, health club, shops, swimming pool, tennis court, and water sports.

471. Barceló Playa Langosta Resort & Casino Address: Tamarindo Santa Cruz La Uruca, Guanacaste 1150 Phone: +506 653 0363 Website: www.barcelo.com/Barcelo/EN/Producto/America/CostaRica/ Tamarindo/PlayaLangosta/Principal/Principal.htm?cHotel=94 Email: [email protected] Description: Offers both gaming and outdoor activities in a resort setting Hours: 7 p.m.–1 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 4: Canasta (roulette), Caribbean Stud, rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 132 rooms Family Amenities: Adult and children’s swimming pools; children’s playground Dress Code: No Bonus: Offers a comprehensive “Barceló All Inclusive” package that includes all activities and services. Jacuzzi; beauty treatment room; massage service; beach volleyball; table tennis; aerobics; boogie boarding; scuba diving; snorkeling; kayaking; underwater fishing; nearby golf course.


472. Hotel Tamarindo Diriá & Jazz Casino Tamarindo

473. Flor de Itabo Hotel & Casino Address: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste 5019 Phone: +506 670 0011 Website: www.flordeitabo.com Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is located in a family-owned and -operated hotel close to the Pacific Ocean Hours: 7 p.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 14 Table Games: 6: 1 canasta (roulette), 1 pai gow poker, rommy blackjack, 2 tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Both rooms and small apartments are available. Family Amenities: Beach, pool Dress Code: No Bonus: Free transportation to and from Liberia airport. English, German, Italian, French, and Spanish spoken.

474. Hotel Flamingo Beach Resort & Jazz Casino Address: Guanacaste, Guanacaste 5000 Phone: +506 654 4444 Website: www.casinojazz.com/landbased/flamingo.php Email: [email protected] Description: New casino on second floor in a 4-star hotel that overlooks the Pacific Ocean Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Rummy (blackjack), canasta (roulette), tute poker, craps Poker: Yes Entertainment: Lounge; piano bar Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 91 rooms Family Amenities: Covered children’s pool and indoor and outdoor play areas; billiards; air hockey Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet and meeting facilities. Beach. Large swimming pool with water volleyball and swim-up bar, fitness center, spa, beauty salon, and high-speed Internet access. Snorkeling and dive shop.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Quiet during the day and bustling at nighttime, the El Diriá Hotel Tamarindo & Jazz Casino Tamarindo lies along the Pacific Ocean among tropical gardens. Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 3: Canasta (roulette), rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: El Diriá Hotel Tamarindo Family Amenities: Water sports, nature activities, golf, tennis courts Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary breakfast by the pool, business center

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Address: Playa de Tamarindo, Guanacaste 5000 Phone: +506 653 0409 Website: www.casinojazz.com/landbased/tamarindo.php

PUNTARENAS

Puntarenas Province (population 406,000), about 45 miles west of San Jose, is a coastal resort area along the Nicoya Gulf that exports coconuts, bananas, cattle, and rice. Puntarenas is crowded on weekends, partially due to its warm year-round temperatures, which average 80 degrees.

475. Fiesta Resort & Casino Address: El Roble, Puntarenas 5461 Phone: +506 663 0808 Website: www.fiestaresort.com/casino.jsp

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Moderate resort hotel and casino situated on a dark volcanic sand beach Hours: 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 7: Canasta (roulette), Caribbean Stud, craps, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Nightly live music shows Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 310 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Kids’ club Dress Code: No Bonus: Convention and meeting space, fishing, fitness room, hair salon, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, 2 swimming pools, tennis court, water sports (including water-skiing and jet skiing), and wind surfing.

476. Barceló Amapola & Jazz Casino Address: Apto. 113 Jaco de Garabito, Playa de Jaco, Puntarenas 4023 Phone: +506 643 3337 Website: www.casinojazz.com/landbased/jaco.php Email: Management:[email protected]; information: [email protected] Description: Located in Jaco Beach close to Manuel Antonio National Park and Carara Biological Reserve Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 6: Canasta (roulette), 1 craps, 1 dice, 1 rommy blackjack, 1 tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 44 rooms; 3 villas; 6 junior suites Family Amenities: Babysitters Dress Code: No Bonus: Fax service, safety deposit box, bar, aerobics, beach volleyball, ping-pong, biking, pool, and Jacuzzi

477. Los Suenos Marriot Golf Resort & Stellaris Casino Address: Playa Herradura, Puntarenas 3000 Phone: +506 630 9000 Website: marriott.com/property/propertypage/SJOLS Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel with colonial architecture set on the Pacific Coast on a 1,100-acre rainforest resort Hours: 2 p.m.–1 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: Canasta (roulette), craps, rommy blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 191 rooms Family Amenities: Golf,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE fitness room, pool, hiking and horseback riding nearby, jogging trail, mountain biking trail nearby, nature preserve trail, sailing nearby, sauna, tennis, and volleyball Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting and convention space. Bar.

478. Kamuk Hotel & Gallo Casinos

479. Hotel Cocal & Casino Address: P.O. Box 54, Playa, Jaco, Puntarenas 4023 Phone: +506 643 3592; toll-free from US: 1–800–732–9266 Website: www.hotelcocalandcasino.com/Casino.html Email: [email protected] Description: Located in a beachfront hotel off the main street of Jaco Beach Hours: Slots 24 hours; tables 7 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 23 Table Games: 5: Canasta (roulette), rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Beach-front dining; breakfast, lunch, and dinner Accommodations: 130 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Located near unusual butterfly farm. Crocodile river trips, horseback riding, kayak and snorkel tour, sport fishing, white water rafting, bike and scooter rentals, canopy tours, surfing, and volleyball.

NORTH AMERICA

Email: [email protected] Description: Located on the Quepos coast, southwest of San José; “Kamuk” comes from the dialect of ancient native tribes, and means “white stones” Hours: Slots: 4 p.m.–3 a.m.; tables 7 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 27 Table Games: 7: Tute poker, roulette, rommy blackjack, pai gow poker, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Restaurant and Bar Mira Olas (breakfast 6–10 a.m. daily, dinner Mon.–Sat. 3–11 p.m. and Sun. 5–10 p.m.; 2for-1 sushi Tue.), Cafeteria Kamuk (full service restaurant; 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily) Accommodations: 35 rooms Family Amenities: Children under 12 stay free in hotel Dress Code: No Bonus: Conference room with meeting facilities. On-site restaurant will cook fish caught by visitors. Bar. 2 blocks from disco. Pool, beach, jungle trek, white water rafting, horseback riding, and sport fishing. National park nearby.

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Address: Quepos, Puntarenas 6350 Phone: General information: +506 777 3654; hotel reservations: +506 777 0811 Website: www.kamuk.co.cr

SAN JOSÉ

San José (population 335,000; metropolitan district 1.5 million), 10 degrees north of the equator, is Costa Rica’s capital as well as its largest city. With a blend of Old World style and bustling modernity, the city’s buildings feature both old colonial and contemporary facades.

480. Barceló San José Palacio Spa & Casino Address: Autopista General Canas El Robledal Uruca, San José 1150 Phone: General Information: +506 220 2034 Website: www.barcelo.com/Barcelo/EN/BusquedaGuiada/BusquedaDirecta/default

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Located close to the San José airport in modern facilities Hours: 8 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 18 Table Games: 15: Canasta (roulette), craps, dice, rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 254 rooms Family Amenities: Gym, Jacuzzi, massage, racquetball, sauna, spa, and tennis court Dress Code: No Bonus: Business center; convention and meeting space

481. Radisson Hotel & Casino Europa Address: Calle Central y Avenida 3–15 Barrio Tournon, Goicoechea, San José 1017 Phone: +506 257 3257; fax: +506 257 8221; toll-free from U.S.: 1–800–333–3333 Website: www.radisson.com/sanjosecr Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the city’s financial district close to shopping and entertainment; perhaps the city’s most luxurious hotel Hours: 6 p.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: 7: Three-card poker, baccarat, canasta (roulette), Caribbean Stud, craps, pai gow poker, rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: 4 tables (more for tournaments): Hold’em (limit and no-limit), Omaha high-low (limit and pot-limit). Weekly tournaments. Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 107 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: 6 meeting rooms and convention area, spa, fitness center, pool, tennis court, volleyball, soccer, basketball, jogging track, and golf practice courts


482. Martino Resort Spa & Martino’s Casino

483. Irazù Hotel Best Western & Casino Concorde Address: KM 3 Autopista Calle General Cañas La Uruca, San José 1150 Phone: +506 232 8378; toll-free from US: 1–800–272–6654 Website: casinos-concorde.com (Spanish only) Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the Best Western Hotel, 2 miles from downtown, half hour to airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 8: 1 canasta (roulette), 2 Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, 6 rommy blackjack, tute poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bar; nightclub Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 327 rooms Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Convention and meeting space. Both colones and U.S. dollars accepted in casino. Golf, massage, sauna and steam room, swimming pool, and tennis court

Nicaragua The republic of Nicaragua (population 5.6 million) is the largest nation in Central America, but the least densely populated. It lies between Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, and between the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Caribbean Sea on the east. Nicaragua has two large lakes, Lago Managua and Lago Nicaragua. The capital is Managua. Residents of Nicaragua are familiarly known as Nicos. The currency is the Córdoba; at the time of writing, $1 U.S. equaled 16.24 Córdobas (NIO); NIO1 equaled 6.2¢.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino’s glass walls afford views of the site’s tropical gardens Hours: 7 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website); includes video poker Table Games: 8: Canasta (roulette), Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, American blackjack, rommy (Costa Rican style blackjack), tute poker, three-card stud Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge with live music on weekends Restaurants: 1: Restaurant Le Gourmet (fine dining) Accommodations: 42 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: All guests receive $10 free in chips. Full service spa, gym, steam room and sauna, and swimming pool. Access to a golf course. Business center with Wi-Fi and cable Internet connection, phone, printer, and scanner. Conference and meeting center.

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Address: Frente al Zoologico de Aves, La Garita de Alajuela, Alajuela 4060 Phone: General information: +506 433 8382, casino information: +506 433 5058; toll-free from U.S.: 1–866–272–7477 Website: www.hotelmartino.com/casino.htm

MANAGUA

Managua (population 1.6 million), the capital of Nicaragua and largest city of Central America, is on the southern shore of Lake Managua. It is serviced by Augusto C. Sandino International Airport.

484. Barceló Playa Montelimar Resort & Casino Montelimar Address: KM 62 Carretera Hotel Montelimar, Managua, Managua, Nicaragua Phone: +505 522 2222 Website: www.barcelo.com/Barcelo/EN/Producto/America/Nicaragua/ Montelimar/PlayaMontelimar/Principal/Principal.htm?cHotel=95

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Located on the Barceló Montelimar Beach, this 520-acre holiday resort is great for families or couples to vacation. The beach is on the tropical western coast of the Nicaraguan Pacific and claims to be the best resort in the country, and one of the best in Central America. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 7 p.m.–2 a.m.; 24 hours Fri.–Sun. Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 7 Accommodations: 292 rooms including 202 bungalows Family Amenities: The hotel offers a complete entertainment program for children and adults; miniature golf course Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo. Hotel guests get free entry, free drinks, and free chips. The hotel also has its own airport, with a 6,560by-164-foot runway, suitable for small private aircraft. Meeting and convention space with complete AV facilities. 2 pools (one has a snack bar and is supposed to be the largest swimming pool in Central America); a bar on the beach; Jacuzzi; gym; hairdresser’s; massage service; spacious terraces and gardens; gift shop; zoo; 2 tennis courts; soccer field; athletic track; horseback riding school; and water sports such as scuba diving, kayaking, windsurfing.

485. Pharaohs Casino Address: Carretera Masaya Km 4.5 Managua, Managua, Managua, Nicaragua Phone: +505 278 3752; Pharaohs Casino corporate office: +505 270 1325 Website: www.pharaohsnicaragua.com/managua-en.htm Email: [email protected]; for international air-and-hotel casino packages, contact: [email protected]; Pharaohs Casino Travel Partners: [email protected] Description: This casino, the largest in Nicaragua, is in downtown Managua in the center of the new hotel and restaurant district. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 156: Including video poker; progressive jackpots Table Games: 77 gaming positions: Blackjack (Las Vegas rules), Caribbean Stud (with card replacement option), American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Pharaohs Casino Managua offers live entertainment 5 nights weekly. Call for schedule or see nicaragua.2night.com/home.asp for

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Managua’s complete guide. Restaurants: No Accommodations: No; however special packages available at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Managua, a 5-star hotel that overlooks Lake Managua, in the Old Managua district, adjacent to the Inter Plaza shopping mall. Dress Code: No Bonus: Jackpots listed on website. High-limit VIP salon.

MASAYA

Masaya (population 150,000) is 25 miles southeast of Managua. Masaya is also the name of a stratovolcano located there, which erupted frequently in historical times. During the rainy season, rainwater percolates into the volcano, causing it to emit acidic steam.

Email: [email protected]; for international air-and-hotel casino packages, contact: [email protected]; Pharaohs Casino Travel Partners: [email protected] Description: Pharaohs Casino Masaya is located 25 miles south of Managua in the historic town of Masaya, which has long been known as the artisan capital of Nicaragua. Hours: 10 a.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 57: Video poker, reel slots Table Games: 2: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment 5 nights a week; call for current schedule Restaurants: No Accommodations: No; however special packages available at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Managua, a 5-star hotel that overlooks Lake Managua, in the Old Managua district, adjacent to the Inter Plaza shopping mall Dress Code: No Bonus: The artisan market in town is famous for artists creating their works for onlooking customers, as well as the Thu. night Verbena, a traditional Nicaraguan street fair with local food, music, and folk dancing.

Panama Panama (population 3 million) is the southernmost country of Central America, with Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east; it forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. The capital is Panama City. The official language is Spanish, but English is widely spoken in the cities. The currency of Panama is the Balboa (PAB), officially pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1 PAB=1 USD. Balboa paper money is not used; U.S. currency is in circulation. There are centesimo coins, identical in size, value, denomination, and metal to U.S. coins. Panama has many casinos, most of them in Panama City. Winnings are not taxed. All casinos have slot machines, locally known as traganíqueles (nickel swallowers).

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Address: 4.5 KM Carreterra a Masaya, Masaya, Masaya, Nicaragua Phone: General Information: +505 278 3752 Website: www.pharaohsnicaragua.com/masaya-en.htm

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486. Pharaohs Casino

PANAMA CITY

Panama City (population 709,000), the capital of Panama, is at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, and is the political, administrative, and cultural center of the country.

487. Gran Hotel Soloy & Fiesta Casino Address: Avenida Peru y Calle 30, Panama City, Panamá Zona 4, Panama Phone: +507 227 1133 Website: www.thunderbirdgaming.com/gaming_operations/panama.html

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Description: 3,400-square-foot first-class group-oriented hotel and casino, located in the business center, near government buildings and the Pacific Ocean Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 193 Table Games: 6: Blackjack, progressive Caribbean Stud, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 200 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Bar, dance floor, rooftop swimming pool

NORTH AMERICA

488. Hotel El Panama & Fiesta Casino Address: Via Espana 111, Panama City, Panamá Zona 1, Panama Phone: +507 215 9000 Website: www.elpanama.com/english/home.html; www.thunderbirdgaming.com/gaming_operations/panama.html Email: Sales: [email protected]; reservations: [email protected]; management: [email protected] Description: Modern hotel and 20,000-square-foot casino on 9 acres in the banking and shopping district Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 320 Table Games: 21: Baccarat, blackjack, roulette Poker: 5 tables Entertainment: Live music Fri. and Sat. nights Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 335 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, convention center, gym, spa, pool, racebook, and bar

489. Riande Continental Hotel & Crown Casino Address: Via Espana y Calle Ricardo Arias, Panama City, Panamá Zona 7, Panama Phone: +507 263 9999 Website: www.hotelesriande.com/hoteles/menuconti.html Email: [email protected] Description: First-class hotel and casino in the business center overlooking the bay Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 150 Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: “Wurlitzer” lobby bar; disco nightclub Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 240 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Business center, banquet room with space for 2,000, shopping, hair stylist, pool, gym, and Jacuzzi


490. Riande Granada Hotel & Crown Casino Address: Eusebio A. Morales Street and Via España, Panama City, Panamá, Panama Phone: +507 265 1962, +507 265 5114, +507 269 1068; fax: +507 263 7197 Website: www.hotelesriande.com/hoteles/granaubici.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: First-class multistory hotel and casino, located in a commercial and residential area near restaurants and shopping, 1 block off Via Espana, close to city’s center Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 40 Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 180 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet and meeting facility, cocktail lounge, shops, swimming pool, and terrace

South America South America is a very large continent with many diverse nations, whose official languages include Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, and many native tongues. With this diversity, the casinos are equally varied, ranging from the very small to some rivaling those in Nevada. The largest South American country by far, Brazil, contains no casinos, or, in fact, any form of legal gambling other than lotteries.

Argentina Argentina (population 39.5 million), a country both cosmopolitan and idyllic, offers many opportunities for the tourist gambler. Many of Argentina’s casinos are run by La Lotteria de Beneficial (National Lottery Administration), with profits directed to the National or Provincial Ministry of Welfare. Several casinos feature only slot machines, while casinos with table games may offer little variety. Still, the beauty of the country makes Argentina a worthy destination for those gamblers who wish to vacation outside traditional gaming locales. Numerous casinos are exclusively Spanish speaking, so visitors to these venues with limited language skills are likely to experience difficulty. At the time of this writing, 1 Argentinean peso was worth approximately 50¢ US.

MENDOZA Shadowed by the towering Andes Mountains, Mendoza (population 121,000; metropolitan area over 800,000) lies on Argentina’s western border close to neighboring Chile. Famed for its wine, ski resorts, and wide range of outdoor activities, Mendoza is a popular tourist destination among locals and foreigners alike.

491. Casino Las Lenas Address: Piscis Hotel Centro de Deportes de Montana Malargue, Mendoza 5613 Phone: +54 2627–471100 Website: caigkn.caigroup.at/pls/gknweb/www.showCasino?cid=593 Email: [email protected] Description: Located in a seasonal Andes resort about 3 hours from the San Rafael airport. Only slot machines operate during the summer months.

Hours: Slots open 5 p.m.; table games open 8 p.m. Slot Machines: 40 Table Games: 7 blackjack, 1 punto banco, 4 American roulette, 3 Oasis Stud Poker, 77 bingo Poker: No Entertainment: Bar and nightclub in Plaza hotel 1 block away Restaurants: In Plaza hotel Accommodations: 86 rooms at Plaza hotel Family Amenities: Outdoor activities at resort Dress Code: Casual, but no skiwear Bonus: The Las Lenas resort has a total of 4 hotels and a sizeable shopping mall. The resort features horseback riding, rafting, mountain biking, climbing, and skiing. During the European summer, the national ski teams of Austria, Italy, and Switzerland practice in Las Lenas. Minimum gambling age is 18.

492. Regency Casino Mendoza

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Address: 25 de Mayo 1115, Mendoza, Mendoza 5500 Phone: +54 261–4411234 Website: mendoza.park.hyatt.com and click on “Regency Casino Mendoza”; casino directly: mendoza.park.hyatt.com/menph/casino.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: European-style casino on Park Hyatt Mendoza premises with slot machines on the lower level and table games upstairs. Located in Mendoza’s business district on the Plaza de la Independencia. Hours: Slot machines 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily; tables 2 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 250 Table Games: 18: Punto y banca, roulette, blackjack, regency stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: Large-screen sports bar on lower floor Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 186 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary soft drinks offered to players, business center, conference and banquet facilities, ballroom. 15 minutes from Mendoza vineyards and 90 minutes from major ski resorts. Spa, gym, outdoor pool, and garden sundeck.

MISIONES Misiones is situated near the Iguazú Falls in the extreme northeastern corner of the country in a tropical rainforest replete with exotic plants, toucans, parrots, monkeys, and unusual reptiles. There are some 275 individual cascades and waterfalls that stretch along the rim of a crescent-shaped cliff about 2.5 miles long, some dropping up to 269 feet into the gorge below, and producing a thunderous roaring that can be heard from miles away.

493. Casino Iguazu Address: Ruta 12, Km 1640, Puerto Iguazu Misiones, Misiones 3370 Phone: +54 3757–498000 Website: www.casinoiguazu.com Description: Located in Iguazu Grand Hotel Resort & Casino Hours: Mon.–Thu.: 6 p.m.–5 a.m.; weekends: 2 p.m. Fri.–5 a.m. Mon. Extended hours on holidays. Slot Machines: 130 Table Games: 27: Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker (max $10,000 per hand), craps Poker: No Entertainment: 2 lounges; bars Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 40 executive suites; 8 garden suites; 7 paradise suites; 4 master suites; 1 presidential suite Family Amenities: Babysitter on-site Dress Code: No Bonus: Hotel has business center and laundry and dry-cleaning services. Close to the Tancredo Neves International Bridge that links Argentina with Brazil and only 20 minutes to Paraguay. Health club, tennis club, swimming pools, duty-free shopping, and golf.

494. Casino Buenos Aires


Address: Elvira Rawson de Dellephiane s/n Darsena Sur Puerto, Madero, Buenos Aires 1107 Phone: +54 11 4363–3100 Website: www.loteria-nacional.gov.ar/casino.htm (Spanish only) Description: Located on the Port of Buenos Aires’ south dock, 5 minutes away from downtown Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: 600+ Table Games: 99: Blackjack, punto y banca, craps, roulette, poker variants, “casino Mount” Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Close proximity to city’s ecological reserve.

495. Golden Dreams Address: Alberdi 262, Salta, Salta 4400 Phone: +54 387–4227659 Website:: www.enjasa.com/pag_eng/casinos_eng.htm Email: [email protected] Description: 12,920-square-foot casino located on a central pedestrian street Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 350 Table Games: Roulette, poker variants, blackjack, craps, electronic horseracing, bingo Poker: Yes Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The numerous white-walled, Spanish-tiled buildings are a testament to Salta’s colonial past. In fact, it is one of Argentina’s best-preserved colonial regions. The area also holds many archeological sites from its indigenous denizens.

SAN FERNANDO DEL VALLE DE CATAMARCA San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is the capital of the traditional Catamarca province in the northwest of Argentina.

496. Hotel Casino Catamarca Address: Ayacucho y Esquiu, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Catamarca 1646 Phone: +54 3833–432928 Website:: www.hotelguia.com/hoteles/casinocatamarca/casino.htm (Spanish only) Email: [email protected] Description: Wood ceilings and carpeted floors Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: 120 Table Games: 10: American roulette, French roulette, electronic roulette, blackjack, seven and average, punto y banca, progressive Caribbean Stud, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Disco, pub with live shows Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 37 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Garden and art gallery on-site. Swimming pool.

SOUTH AMERICA

Salta is located in the colonial northwest area of Argentina in a desert landscape dotted with wild flowers and palm trees. Its sizeable indigenous population has retained traditional customs and costume.

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SALTA

SAN SALVADOR DE JUJUY San Salvador de Jujuy is the capital city of Jujuy province in a region known for its tobacco and sugarcane production. It lies about 200 miles north of Buenos Aires and about 25 miles east of the Uruguay border.

497. Casino Provincial de Jujuy Address: Alvear 1153, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy 4600 Phone: +54 3884–230330 Website: www.casinojujuy.com.ar

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Description: Located in a small city near the Humauaca ravine Hours: 10 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 10: Blackjack, punto y banca, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 for tables (free for slots) Dress Code: Proper dress Bonus: Traces of the ancient Inca population abound in Jujuy; art and engravings discovered in the region date back 9,000 years. Jujuy also has many churches erected by the Spanish conquistadors during the 13th and 14th centuries.

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TIGRE Tigre is located 15 miles north of Buenos Aires on a port with 3 inner harbors.

498. Casino de Tigre Address: Calle Peru 1385, Tigre, Buenos Aires 1648 Phone: +54 11 4731–7000 Website:: www.trileniumcasino.com.ar Email: Contact form on website Description: One of South America’s largest casinos Hours: Mon.–Wed. 11 a.m.–4 a.m.; Thu.–Sun. and holidays 24 hours Slot Machines: 1,800 Table Games: 76 (limits $2–$1,000): Roulette, punto y banca, blackjack, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Wine bar, disco, live entertainment by Argentine headliners Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Close to the city’s celebrated fruit market.

Chile Tourists have long been attracted to Chile’s extraordinarily varied topography and natural beauty. Chile (population 16 million) boasts several popular casinos, many of which also afford access to the country’s many outdoor activities. At the time of this writing, $1 U.S. was worth 418 Chilean pesos.

ARICA


Arica (population 200,000) is located in the very tip of Chile’s northern border with Peru. Lying along the Pacific Ocean coast, Arica is both an important port city and a seaside resort. Arica is also known as one of the driest inhabited places on Earth; its average annual precipitation is 0.03 inches.

499. Casino de Arica

COQUIMBO Coquimbo (population 163,000) is well known for its harbor and major fish-processing plants. Just to the north is La Serena, a popular beach destination.

500. Casino Coquimbo Address: Avenida Peñuelas Norte 56, Coquimbo, Coquimbo 1800009 Phone: +56 51 246 090 Website: www.casinodecoquimbo.cl/entrada.html (Spanish only) Email: Contact form on website Description: Small casino in the north of Chile Hours: Table games: Central Hall Sun.–Thu. 12 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri., Sat. and holidays 12 p.m.–8 a.m.; VIP Hall Fri., Sat., and holidays: 11 p.m.–8 a.m.; slots: Central Hall Sun.–Thu. 12 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri., Sat., and holidays 24 hours; traditional hall: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. every day Slot Machines: 400 Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, punto y banca, mini craps, Caribbean Stud, mini baccarat, draw poker, war, crown and anchor, challenger 21 Poker: No Entertainment: 2 bars Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Dress Code: Formal Bonus: Event center for conventions, weddings, family festivals. 18-hole golf course, with annual tournament in August.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino de Arica is located in the city center in a relatively modern building set among tropical gardens. Hours: Machines: Sun.–Thu. 12 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sat. 12 p.m.–6 a.m. Game room: Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 250 Table Games: 16: Roulette, craps, blackjack, Caribbean Stud with progressive jackpot, mini-baccarat, punto y banca Poker: No Entertainment: 3 bars, disco, nightly live music Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No; but recommendations offered on casino’s website (casinoarica.com/AricaTuristica/Hoteles.asp) Dress Code: No Bonus: The casino is a short walk from the sea.

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Address: Avenida General Velásquez 955, Arica, Tarapacá 1000116 Phone: +56 58 224 131 Website: casinoarica.com/index1.asp (Spanish only)

PUCÓN Pucón is a very small city on the southeastern shore of Lake Villarrica in the southern Andes, close to the ski slopes of the Villarrica Volcano.

501. Hotel del Lago Resort & Casino Address: Miguel Ansorena 23, Pucón, Araucanía 4920000 Phone: +56 45 291 000 Website:: www.hoteldellago.cl/english/hotel/index.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel del Lago Resort & Casino is a modern casino set among lakes, rivers, and volcanoes. Hours: March–December: Central Hall Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri. 7 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat. 6 p.m.–4 a.m.; VIP Hall Fri.–Sat. 8 p.m.–6 a.m; Bingo Hall 11 a.m.–4 a.m. every day Slot Machines: Yes, including progressive jackpots Table Games: Blackjack, mini craps, big six, crown and anchor, baccarat, chemin de fer, roulette, Caribbean Stud, punto y banca Poker: No Entertainment: Bar, piano bar, entertainment area; live music every Fri. and Sat. Restaurants: 4: El Almendro (Mediterranean; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.), Kokau Snack & Bar (sandwiches, soft drinks, desserts; 11 a.m.–4 a.m.), El Chiringuito (outdoors; juices, cocktails, ice cream drinks, cold sandwiches, ceviches; 10 a.m.–10 p.m.), El Rincón Café Accommodations: 180 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade, movie theater Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo. On-site convention and business center. Close to resort with 5 ski lifts. Gym, health club, Jacuzzi, steam room, swimming pool, and tennis court.

PUERTO VARAS Puerto Varas (population 30,000) lies on the shore of Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile’s Lake District. You can take a motor launch through several linked lakes to Argentina.

502. Casino Puerto Varas Address: Del Salvador 21 Casilla 915, Puerto Varas, Los Lagos 5550000 Phone: +56 65 346 600 Website:: www.plazacasino.cl/entrada.html (Spanish only) Description: Modern casino and hotel Hours: Most areas open noon–5 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes Table Games: Baccarat, 21 challenge, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, crown and anchor, mini craps, punto y banca, roulette, canal 21, Caribbean Draw, Let It Ride Poker:

No Entertainment: Lounge and bar Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 106 rooms Family Amenities: Fishing, water sports, hiking Dress Code: No Bonus: On-site convention center

VIÑA DEL MAR


Viña del Mar (population 30,000) is one of Chile’s most popular seaside resort cities. The cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso constitute a metropolitan region.

503. Casino Viña del Mar

Ecuador Ecuador (population 13.4 million), located along the equator in northwestern South America between Peru and Colombia, is noted for its varied landscape, which features both snow-capped volcanoes and tropical jungle. Ecuador legalized casino gaming in 1949. The legal gambling age is 21. Ecuador’s currency is the Sucre (ECS or Suc.). At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 3,870 Suc.

GUAYAQUIL Guayaquil (population 2.2 million) lies on the Guayas River, close to the Pacific Ocean. It is the country’s chief commercial city and an important seaport.

504. Hilton Hotel & Casino Colon Guayaquil Address: Avenida Francisco de Orellana, Guayaquil, Guayas Phone: +593 4 269 2944, +593 4 269 2945 Website: www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=GYEHITW Description: The casino is located inside the hotel. Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 294 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting and banquet facilities. U.S. currency used in casino. Multilingual staff. Safety deposit box. Fitness room, pool, squash, golf course, bowling, beach, jogging trail, fishing, playground, tennis court, scuba diving, basketball, and beauty salon.

SOUTH AMERICA

Description: Casino Viña del Mar is one of the largest casinos, with multiple game rooms, in South America and is popular among the Chilean elite. It first opened in 1930. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,500 Table Games: Blackjack/21 real, mini craps, big six, crown and anchor, baccarat, roulette, Caribbean Stud, punto y banca, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Bar; nightclub; live entertainment weekly in summer, 2 times a month in low season Restaurants: 3: tea room, sandwiches and snack, buffet Accommodations: 60 rooms, including suites Family Amenities: Health center; gardens Admission Charge: $6 US. Dress Code: Informal Bonus: Bingo. On-site convention center; racetrack open on Sun. from December to March.

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Address: Avenido San Martin 199 Hotel, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso 2520000 Phone: +56 32 500 600 Website: www.casino.cl/enter/index.html

505. Oro Verde Hotel & Casino Guayaquil Address: Avenida 9 de Octubre y García Moreno, Guayaquil, Guayas Phone: +593 4 232 7239, +593 4 232 7341 Website: www.oroverdehotels.com/ingles/gye Email: Reservations: [email protected]; business center: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino in downtown business district, close to Simon Bolivar Airport Hours: 10 a.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 85 Table Games: 10: Blackjack, canasta (roulette), Caribbean Stud, mini-baccarat, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar with live music Tue.–Sat., starting at 9 p.m. Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 152 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet and meeting facilities. Beauty parlor, fitness center, pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, and massage.

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506. Ramada Guayaquil Hotel & Casino

SOUTH AMERICA

Address: Melecon y Orellana, Guayaquil, Guayas Phone: +593 4 256 5555 Website: www.hotelramada.com/en_promociones.html Email: [email protected] Description: Situated in the downtown commercial district in front of the Guayas River, by the Malecon 2000 Gardens Hours: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 6: American roulette, blackjack, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 76 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting services; children’s activities Dress Code: No Bonus: Business center, free parking, meeting facility, hair salon, shops, sauna, solarium, and swimming pool

MACHALA Machala (population 217,000) lies on the gulf of Guayaquil’s southern shore. Mainly an agricultural city (primarily bananas, coffee, and cocoa), Machala has few tourists.

507. Oro Verde Hotel & Casino Machala Address: Circunvalacion Norte y Calle Vechicular UV, Machala, El Oro Phone: +593 7 293 3140 Website: www.oroverdehotels.com/ingles/machala Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel surrounded by tropical gardens built in the style of Santa Fe, New Mexico Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: 2: American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 70 rooms, including 12 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet, meeting, and convention facilities. Fitness center, outdoor pool, and massage.

MANTA


Manta (population 200,000), on the Pacific coast about 150 miles southwest of Quito, is a large commercial and resort center with a lively nightlife. The main economic activity is tuna fishing. Other economic activities include tourism and a chemical industry. Manta has an international airport as well as a large seaport.

508. Oro Verde Hotel & Casino Manta

QUITO Located high in the Andes Mountains and 14 miles south of the equator, Quito (population 1.4 million) is Ecuador’s capital city. The elevation, 9,300 feet above sea level, makes it the second highest capital city in the world after La Paz, Bolivia. Its abundance of preserved colonial architectural site prompted UNESCO to declare Quito a world cultural heritage site in 1978; consequently, the rate of new development has been dramatically reduced.

509. Hilton Colón Quito Address: Avenida Amazonas 110 Y Patria, Quito Phone: +593–2–2560666; fax: +593–2-2563903 Website: www.quito.hilton.com Description: 15 minutes from Mariscal Sucre International Airport and near the business center, banking facilities, and tourist attractions; the casino is in the hotel Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 91 Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette, others Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Café Colón (breakfast, lunch, dinner; noon–midnight daily), Vereda Tropical (teatime specialties; noon–10 p.m. daily), Portofino (fine dining; lunch, dinner; Mon.-Fri. noon–10:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat., 7 p.m.–10:30 p.m.) Accommodations: 300 rooms, including 30 suites Family Amenities: Babysitting service, children’s menu in hotel, restaurants Dress Code: No Bonus: Discount for using credit card for online room booking; see website. Business center. 15,000 square feet and many rooms for conferences and meetings. Fitness center and pool.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Facing the ocean and close to the airport Hours: 10 a.m.–3:45 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, minibaccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 81 rooms Family Amenities: Beach, fitness center, swimming pool, and massage Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting, banquet, and convention center

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Address: Avenida Malecon y Calle 23, Manta, Manabí Phone: +593 5 629 200, +593 5 629 444 Website: www.oroverdehotels.com/ingles/manta

510. Hotel Casino Plaza Caicedo Address: Avenida Shyris 1757 y Avenida Naciones Unidas, Quito, Pichincha Phone: +593–2–2445305 Website:: hotelcasinoplaza.com/english/homepage.html Email: [email protected] Description: Casino in hotel in close proximity to area’s attractions Hours: 7 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 176 Table Games: 25: Baccarat, roulette, blackjack, big six wheel, casino stud, craps, Spanish 21 Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar Restaurants: 1: Balcón Quiteño Real Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 100+ suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet and meeting center. Gym, Jacuzzi, whirlpool, sauna, and massage.

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Paraguay

SOUTH AMERICA

Paraguay (population 6.2 million) is not as well known as its neighboring countries, which include Brazil to the east, Argentina to the southwest, and Bolivia to the northwest, but it is a beautiful and fascinating country in its own right. Visitors appreciate the country’s varied topography, ranging from tropical rainforest to flat grasslands; its diverse wildlife, including parakeets and parrots; and notable theater and galleries. The capital is Asunción. The currency of Paraguay is the Guaraní (PYG). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 6,280 Guaraníes. The rate of inflation is high and the value of the Guaraní has been dropping rapidly. The minimum age for gambling in Paraguay is 18.

ASUNCIÓN Asunción (population 501,000; metropolitan area 1.5 million), the capital, is in southeastern Paraguay on the Paraguay River, close to the Argentinean border. The city has many lovely 19th century buildings along streets framed by orange trees, as well as a recent rise of new development.

511. Hotel Resort Casino Yacht and Golf Club Paraguay Address: Avenida del Yacht Numero 11s, Asunción, Asunción Paraguay Phone: +595 21 906 121 Website: www.hotelyacht.com.py/presentacion.html Email: [email protected] Description: Modern casino in 5-star yacht and golf club resort on the Paraguay river, 8 miles from downtown Asuncion and 18 miles from Silvio Pettirossi Airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: French roulette, American roulette, baccarat, midi-baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar Restaurants: 5 restaurants, plus 2 bars Accommodations: 128 rooms Family Amenities: Yacht Kids Club activities Dress Code: No Bonus: Fishing, golf, gym, hair salon, marina, spa, swimming pool, tennis courts, water sports, and meeting facility

Peru


With terrain ranging from rainforest to desert to mountain peaks, and sites including ancient ruins, colonial cities, and fishing villages, Peru (population 28 million) defies simple categorization. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south, Peru provides one of South America’s most diverse and spectacular travel destinations. The capital and largest city is Lima. Peru’s currency is the Peruvian nuevo sol (PEN). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 3.26 soles; 1 sol was worth 30.7¢.

512. Sheraton Lima Hotel & Casino Address: Pase de la Republica 170, Lima, Lima Peru Phone: +51 1 315 5000 Website: www.sheraton.com.pe/ingles/principal.shtml Email: [email protected] Description: 5-star hotel and 16,145-square-foot casino in Lima’s commercial district Hours: Mon.–Thu. 5 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–5 a.m., closed Sun. Slot Machines: 242 Table Games: 42: Baccarat, midi-baccarat, pai gow poker, craps, American roulette, European roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar, lounge Restaurants: 2 restaurants, 1 bar Accommodations: 431 rooms, including 21 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP game area. Swimming pool, sauna, and tennis court. Convention and meeting space with capacity for up to 3,000. 200 underground parking spaces.

513. Los Delfines Summit Hotel & Casino Los Delfines Address: Calle Los Eucaliptos 555, San Isidro, Lima 27 Peru Phone: +51 1 215–7000 Website: www.losdelfineshotel.com/indexingles.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Modern 2-floor casino in hotel in what is known as the “garden district” of Lima; casino uses US dollars Hours: Slots 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; tables 6 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 208: 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, plus $1 and $5 in Parlor VIP room; video slots, video poker, progressives Table Games: 17: Punto banco, midi-baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot up to U.S. $22,000) Poker: Yes Entertainment: Bar Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 196 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP room. Valet parking. Cash giveaways of $70,000 monthly. Opportunity to watch dolphin training. Fitness center, sauna, swimming pool, cake shop, and ballrooms. Convention and meeting center, business center.

SOUTH AMERICA

Lima (population 8 million), in west-central Peru, approximately in the middle of Peru’s Pacific coastline, is a busy, vibrant metropolis with interesting museums, beautiful architecture, and numerous markets selling locally crafted souvenirs.

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LIMA

Uruguay The national casinos of Uruguay (population 3.43 million) are overseen by the General Directorate within the Ministry of Economy and Finance. There are also a few privately run casinos. The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. The capital is Montevideo. The national currency is the New Peso. At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 25.5 Uruguay New Pesos (UYU); 1 New Peso was worth just under 4¢.

ATLANTIDA Atlantida (population 2,300) is a small beach town in the south of Uruguay on the “Uruguayan Riviera” on the Atlantic Ocean, 15 miles east of Montevideo.

514. Casino Atlantida

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Address: Calle 1 entre 22 y 20, Atlantida, Canelones, Uruguay Phone: 598–37 22027; fax: 598–37 24428 Website: www.atlantida.com.uy (Spanish only)

SOUTH AMERICA

Description: Small casino in the center of town Hours: 3:30 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 110: Merchandise jackpots, like motorcycles Table Games: 8: Roulette, blackjack, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Snack bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: 300 New Pesos Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP room. Nearby off-road trips, hot air balloon flights.

COLONIA DEL SACREMENTO Colonia del Sacramento (population 10,000), in the southwest of the country, 90 miles west of Montevideo and directly across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the oldest town in Uruguay.

515. El Mirador Hotel & Casino Address: Avenida Roosevelt 381, Colonia del Sacremento, Colonia 70000, Uruguay Phone: General Information: 598–52 22004; 598–52 22552 fax: 598–52 22613 Website: www.hotelelmirador.com (Spanish only) Email: [email protected] Description: Modern first-class hotel, surrounded by beautiful gardens, with a casino Hours: Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 200 Table Games: Blackjack, punto y banca, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 80 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s swimming pool Dress Code: No Bonus: High-stakes room. Win a free 2-night stay online. Swimming pool and tennis court.

MONTEVIDEO


Montevideo (population 1.4 million), the capital and largest city, is in the south of Uruguay, at the north of the very wide Plata River (Río de la Plata) estuary, some 120 miles across from Buenos Aires. In addition to being Uruguay’s most important city commercially and culturally, Montevideo is also a summer resort with miles of sandy beaches.

516. Casino de Estado Victoria Plaza

PUNTA DEL ESTE Punta del Este (population 7,000) is a resort in the south of Uruguay on the Atlantic Ocean, 60 miles east of Montevideo.

517. Conrad Resort & Casino Punta del Este Address: Rambla Williman Mansa Parada 4 Playa Mansa, Punta del Este, Maldonado, 20100 Uruguay Phone: 598–42 491111; fax: 598–42 489999 Website: www.conrad.com.uy (Spanish only) Email: [email protected] Description: 37,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 560: Progressive jackpots; VIP room with 66 machines in $1, $5, $10, $25 denominations Table Games: 63: Baccarat, midi-baccarat, roulette, blackjack, Oasis Stud, sic bo, craps, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Entertainment lounge with international stars; many shows free. See website for schedule. Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 302 rooms Family Amenities: Kids’ club Dress Code: No Bonus: Conrad Players Club rewards card for slots and table play. Bingo. 4,800-square-foot VIP area. Convention and meeting space. Spa and swimming pool.

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Email: [email protected] Description: The Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza Hotel is a deluxe new (1996) hotel with 2 casinos on-site. Hours: La Calle Colonia 759 (slots only): 9 a.m.–5 a.m. daily; La Calle Colonia 760 (main casino room): Sun.–Wed. 2 p.m.–5 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 2 p.m.–9 a.m. Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: French roulette, blackjack, baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 255 rooms and suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Business travel program including free newspaper daily, suite upgrade when available, free valet parking, high-speed Internet, and breakfast buffet. Meeting, conference, and group event space. Wedding facilities. Spa, gym, swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, solarium, and beauty treatments.

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Address: La Calle Coloni, 759/760 Republica Oriental de Uruguay, Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay Phone: +598–2 9020111; toll-free reservations from the US: 1–800–333–3333; fax: +598–2 9021628 Website: www.radisson.com/montevideouy

SALTO Salto (population 120,000) is 300 miles northwest of Montevideo on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina. The Salto Grande dam is a major hydroelectric station.

518. Hotel-Casino Horacio Quiroga Address: Parque del Lago s/n, Salto, Uruguay Phone: 598–73 34411; fax: 598–73 30901 Website: www.hotelhoracioquiroga.com (Spanish only)

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is half a mile from the hotel, in the same complex Hours: 9 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 8 Table Games: Roulette, punto y banca, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub; live entertainment Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 80 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s programs Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary drinks for players. Convention and meeting space. Currency exchange. Free parking. Free shuttle service between casino, hotel, and the city of Salto. Beach, bicycle rentals, gift shop, health club, horseback riding, hot springs, and the hotel has a spa. Jacuzzi, lake, marina, massage, playing fields, sailing, sports facilities, steam room, swimming pool, tennis court, tours, volleyball, and water sports.

Venezuela The currency of Venezuela (population 24.3 million) is the Bolivar (VEB). At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to VEB 2,145. The official language of Venezuela is Spanish. The capital is Caracas. The casino gaming situation has been in a state of flux in Venezuela, having been shut down for a period in the mid-1990s. In 1997, the government again authorized casino gaming throughout the country, and now there are a few casinos, mostly small. In addition to the mainland, Venezuela includes Margarita Island, 25 miles north of the mainland in the Caribbean and about 270 miles east of Caracas, which has at least one casino in a hotel. The minimum age for casino entrance is 18.


CIUDAD GUYANA Ciudad Guyana (population 704,000) is on the south bank of the Orinoco River, 110 miles from the Atlantic mouth of the river and 330 miles southeast of Caracas.

519. Fiesta Casino Guayana

MARACAIBO Maracaibo (population 1.8 million), known as “La Tierra del Sol Amada,” or “City Loved by the Sun,” due to its shining sun and high temperatures, is 330 miles west of Caracas. It is separated from the rest of Venezuela by Lake Maracaibo and connected to it where the lake meets the Gulf of Venezuela on the Caribbean Sea by the longest prestressed concrete bridge in the world.

520. Maruma International Hotel, Casino, Bingo, and Convention Center Address: Circunvalación No. 2, Maracaibo, 401 Venezuela Phone: +58 261 730 2700; fax: +58 261 730 2727 Website:: www.hotelmaruma.com/m08_en.htm Email: [email protected] Description: The modern and elegant 2,500-square-foot casino is located south of Maracaibo in the commercial and financial area of the business district, next to Palacio de los Eventos de Venezuela, where conventions, exhibitions, and expositions take place. The casino has 2 floors of gambling, and a special VIP Room. Hours: Slots, 11 a.m.–5 a.m. daily; table games, 2 p.m.–5 a.m. daily; VIP room, 8 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 350: Tokenized, with special jackpots Table Games: 24: 8 American roulette (number maximum, VEB 5,000), 10 blackjack (maximum VEB 5,000,000), 6 baccarat (maximum VEB 18,000,000); minimums start at VEB 3,000 Poker: 6 tables: No-limit hold’em; weekly tournaments Entertainment: La Ronda Bar Discotheque (Wed.–Sat., 6 p.m.). Live music. Events on big-screen televisions. Restaurants: 4: Canaima (buffet; 24 hours), La Pentola (gourmet; Mon.–Sat. 12 p.m.–3 p.m., 7 p.m.–midnight), La Cascada

SOUTH AMERICA

Description: Located in the InterContinental Hotel Guayana, the second legal casino to open since they were allowed in 1997 Hours: 4 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 101 Table Games: 26 Poker: No Entertainment: Cocktail lounge Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: The InterContinental Hotel Guayana has 189 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s activities at Sun. brunch, directed by a clown from 1 p.m.–4:30 p.m., including movies and face painting. Dress Code: No Bonus: High-speed Internet access, global newspaper service, secretarial services, foreign currency exchange, business center, free parking, waterfall park nearby, outdoor pool, sauna, and health center.

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Address: Avenida Guayana Parque Punta Vista, Puerto Ordaz, Guayana, 8015-A Venezuela Phone: +58 286 923 7101, +58 286 923 7113 Website: www.thunderbirdgaming.com/gaming_operations/venezuela.html

(located by the swimming pool, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. daily), Las Olas (sushi, show, bar; casino mezzanine; Mon.–Sun. 7 p.m.–midnight daily) Accommodations: 450 rooms, including 40 suites, in a 15-story hotel Family Amenities: 1 pool for kids; video game room Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting and convention facilities for 15–600. Business center. 2 pools, 2 tennis courts, gym, sauna, weight-lifting rooms, and aerobics classes. 900-seat Bingo Maruma is the biggest and the most modern bingo hall in Venezuela. Work with local groups in putting on fashion parades and organizing excursions. Maruma has a VIP room at the airport, offering express check-in, conference rooms, luggage transfer, newspapers, and free coffee.

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Caribbean The Caribbean consists of a number of islands in the Caribbean Sea known collectively as the West Indies, or alternatively as two groups of islands, the Lesser and Greater Antilles. Many count the Bahamas, which are technically in the South Atlantic, among the Caribbean islands as well. Some of these islands are countries in their own right; others are territories of European, North American, and South American countries. The countries of the Caribbean are famous for their extraordinary cultural and linguistic diversity. The gambling enthusiast will be pleased to find an equally diverse collection of casinos. Many of the biggest online gaming sites are licensed in Caribbean countries, particularly Antigua and Curaçao. Poker is big in the Caribbean, with Aruba and the Bahamas both having world-class tournaments.

AntiguaAn-tee’ga and Barbuda

Antigua (pronounced ) and Barbuda (population 78,000) is an island nation consisting of two small islands about 25 miles apart, located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The country is roughly 17 degrees north of the equator, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico. To the south are the islands of Montserrat and Guadaloupe, and to the north and west are Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Barts, and St. Martin. Together, Antigua and Barbuda’s area is about 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC. Antigua and Barbuda, a former member of the British Commonwealth, became fully independent in 1981. Barbuda is a dependency of Antigua. The islands were inhabited at least as long ago as 2400 B.C. by the Siboney, Arawak, and Carib Indians, who populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by an English colony formed in 1667. Antigua and Barbuda’s currency is the East Caribbean dollar, officially pegged to the U.S. dollar, with an exchange rate of EC$2.67 to $1 US. Antigua and Barbuda have currency controls. The East Caribbean dollar may be freely imported or exported but is subject to declaration. All foreign exchange transactions are subject to a levy of 1 percent or a minimum levy of EC$1. The official language of Antigua and Barbuda is English. The capital is St. John’s. The international telephone code is 268.

The island of Antigua has full-service public casinos, slot-only casinos, and one private casino. The operating hours vary based upon the season and whether or not cruise ships are in port. The minimum age for entering a casino in Antigua is 18.

MAMORA BAY Mamora Bay is on the south side of Antigua, and is renowned as having one of Antigua’s finest resorts. Mamora Bay has water sports and activities for both adults and children. Antigua is almost completely surrounded by well-preserved coral reefs and there are excellent conditions for spectacular shallow diving and snorkeling. Other options include kayaking, sailing, swimming, parasailing, water skiing, and windsurfing.

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521. St. James Club

CARIBBEAN

Address: P.O. Box 63, Mamora Bay Phone: Direct: 268–460–5000; reservations and information: 1–800–858–4618 Website: www.eliteislandresorts.com/site/features.asp?featureID= 106&resortID=11&islandID=1 Email: [email protected] Description: Casino-hotel complex includes a yacht club popular with international travelers. The casino has a European feel. Hours: 8 p.m.–1 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: 8: American roulette, blackjack, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment at the Jacaranda Lounge Restaurants: 4, plus 5 bars Accommodations: 282 rooms Admission Charge: No Bonus: Spa and beauty salon, tennis complex and pro shop, 4 swimming pools, fitness center and Jacuzzi, on-site tour desk, full-service 18-slip marina, and yacht club

SAINT JOHN’S St. John’s (population 24,000) is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda. The white baroque towers of St. John’s Cathedral, rebuilt in 1845 after having been destroyed in 1683 and in 1745 by earthquakes, are the first sight of Antigua for half the island’s visitors, many of whom arrive by boat to the recently completed cruise ship dock. The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda displays both Arawak and colonial artifacts recovered on archaeological digs on the islands. On Fri. and Sat. mornings there is a lively farmers’ market on the southern edge of the city, with folk crafts, colorful tropical fruits, and a bustling crowd.


522. King’s Casino

Aruba Aruba (population 103,000) is a small island that is part of the Lesser Antilles. Aruba, the westernmost of this island group, just north of the northwestern coast of Venezuela, is an autonomous part of the Netherlands. Its capital is Oranjestad. The official language is Dutch. Aruba’s currency is the Aruban florin (AWG). At the time of this writing, $1 U.S. = AWG1.79; AWG1 = 55.9¢. Casinos do not charge an entrance fee; ID and passport are not required. Languages spoken in the casinos are English, Spanish, and Dutch. All casinos accept U.S. dollars; some also accept Aruban florins. Unless otherwise indicated, money figures below are in U.S. dollars. The minimum age for casino entry is 18.

CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: Located in Heritage Quay, with duty-free shopping and an entertainment center overlooking St. John’s harbor, the Caribbean-style casino is the largest in Antigua (10,000 square feet), attracting many island and cruise ship tourists. The clientele is an equal mix of nationals and foreign tourists. Hours: 10–closing (2–4 a.m.) daily Slot Machines: 300, with betting ranges from 1¢–$5. Some cashless machines with ticket printers, all of which accept cash. Progressive jackpots. Table Games: 15: 2 American roulette ($1–$10; $5–$200 on outside bets), 8 blackjack ($5–$200), 4 Caribbean Stud ($5–$200), 2 three-card poker ($5–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment Fri., Sat., Sun.: local bands, usually 6–8 persons (considered the best on the island) Restaurants: 1: Alfredo’s (Italian; excellent “world fusion” cuisine; lunch, dinner) Accommodations: Heritage Hotel (268–462–2262), right next door in Heritage Quay, has around 50 popularly-priced rooms. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Located where the cruise ships dock, so people staying for a short time can enjoy the premises. Racebook and sportsbook. Special giveaways for cruisers. Taxi fares paid after 6 p.m. for resort guests on the island (with voucher from hotel). Complimentary drinks are provided to players. Drawings for cash prizes 2 nights a week.

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Address: King’s Building , Heritage Quay, Saint John’s, Antigua Phone: 268–462–1727; fax: 268–462–1724 Website: www.kingscasino.com/visit.html

EAGLE BEACH Eagle Beach is on the northwest coast, 4 miles northwest of Oranjestad, and is known for the Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition.

523. La Cabana All-Suite Beach Resort and Casino Address: J. E. Irausquin Boulevard 250, Eagle Beach, Aruba Phone: General information: +297 5–8575001 toll-free: 1–800–835–7193 Website: www.lacabana.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Las Vegas-style casino in Eagle Beach, 5 miles from the Queen Beatrix Airport Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Live music Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 811 rooms, all suites Family Amenities: Club Cabana Nana daycare program for kids 5–12, with beach games, pool deck games, mini pool Olympics. Babysitting services. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Many packages available including airfare and hotel; see website for details. Complete fitness center, Intermezzo Day Spa, 5 scenic trails, racquet sports, tennis on 5 lighted courts, golf nearby, scuba, and water sports.

ORANJESTAD Oranjestad (population 21,000) is the capital and main town of Aruba.

524. Aruba Grand Beach Resort and Silvermoon Casino Address: L. G. Smith Boulevard 79, Oranjestad, Aruba Phone: +297 5–865773; toll-free: 1–800–345–2782 Website: www.arubagrand.com/dining/casino.htm Email: Contact form on website Description: Lively tropical Caribbean-style 3,000-square-foot casino; accepts U.S. dollars and Aruba florins Hours: 10 a.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Nightly live entertainment in lounge Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 200 rooms Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free gaming lessons. Tournaments: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, slots. Meeting facilities for groups 25–120. Wedding packages, scuba diving, shops, swimming pool, tennis courts, water sports, and windsurfing.


525. Crystal Casino Aruba

526. Seaport Casino Address: L. G. Smith Boulevard 82, Oranjestad, Aruba Phone: +297 5–836000; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–421–8188 Website: www.arubarenaissance.com/aruba_casino.html Email: [email protected] and [email protected] Description: Newly-renovated 8,000-square-foot waterfront casino, with tropical views Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–4 a.m., tables 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 317: 1¢–$1; many ticket in-ticket out; multigame, superjackpot slots (win a car), slant tops (46) Table Games: 34: Roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment at Desires Nightclub Restaurants: 16 on resort property Accommodations: 559 rooms in 2 hotels: Renaissance Ocean Suites (all suites) has 258 ocean-view and garden-view suites; Marina Hotel at the Renaissance Resort has 301 rooms, including 10 suites Family Amenities: Children’s programs (Just Us Kids and Tots), babysitting, daycare, children’s menu Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Weekly bingo. VIP slot rewards card, with cash back for members. Racebook and sportsbook offers betting on most major race and sporting events. Resort offers spa, cinemas, shopping malls, and a private beach island with a restaurant. Scuba, water sports equipment, and gym.

CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: 13,208-square-foot casino in an elegant setting that contains Austrian crystal chandeliers, Italian marble and brass, Spanish consoles and mirrors, gold-leaf columns, and carpets woven in England, all meant to remind patrons of the grand casinos of Monaco. Part of the Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort and Crystal and Seaport Casinos complex, located downtown in front of the cruise ship terminal. Casino currency is US dollars. Languages spoken: English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 405: Ranging from 1¢–$5; reel, tokenized (134 machines), video poker, video keno, cashless (ticket in-ticket out; 64), progressive jackpots (50), multigame video and 5-in-1 progressive jackpots Table Games: 34: 11 blackjack ($5–$1,000/$2,000), 4 Caribbean Stud ($5–$500), 1 craps ($5–$1,000), 1 Let It Ride ($5–$25), 1 mini-baccarat ($10–$1,000), 5 roulette ($1–$50 single number), 1 three-card poker ($5–$50) Poker: No Entertainment: Let’s Go Latin Show with Cuban dancers plays at Crystal Theater nightly (except Sun.). Aruba Panorama show daily every hour. Restaurants: 3: L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House (steaks, seafood; 6–11 pm), Brasserie (daily buffet and international cuisine a la carte with theme nights, like Mexican night, sushi night, Italian; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), La Terraza Accommodations: 559 rooms in 2 hotels: Renaissance Ocean Suites (all suites) has 258 ocean-view and garden-view suites; Marina Hotel at the Renaissance Resort has 301 rooms, including 10 suites Family Amenities: Children’s programs (Just Us Kids and Tots), babysitting, daycare, children’s menu Dress Code: Casual during the day; casual elegant/formal in the evening Bonus: Bingo. VIP slot rewards card, with cash back for members. Free weekly slot tournaments on Mon. and Wed. Twice-yearly blackjack tournaments. Free refreshments. Regular giveaways. Resort offers spa, cinemas, shopping malls, and a private beach island with a restaurant. Scuba, water sports equipment, and gym.

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Address: L. G. Smith Boulevard 82, Oranjestad, Aruba Phone: +297 5–836000; fax: +297 5–835472 Website: www.arubacrystalcasino.com

PALM BEACH Palm Beach is on the northwest coast, 6 miles northwest of Oranjestad and 2 miles north of Eagle Beach.

527. Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino Address: L. G. Smith Boulevard 101, Palm Beach, Aruba Phone: General information: +297 5–869000; toll-free: 1–800–223–6388; casino information: +297 5–206665 Website: www.marriottaruba.com/aruba_casino.html

348 CARIBBEAN

Description: 10,700 square feet of gaming space in a beautiful beachside resort Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 287 (170 more planned for 2005); ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 24 (6 more planned for 2005): craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride, three-card poker, Caribbean Stud, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment until late in the evening Restaurants: 7 Accommodations: 413 rooms Family Amenities: Marriott Aruba Kids Club offers a supervised children’s activities program, Bon Bini Kids, with daytime and evening activities for children 5–12, plus meals and snacks. Babysitting available. Dress Code: No Bonus: Portions of the casino can be booked for private parties or slot tournaments. Automated drawings, cash-back programs for players. Outdoor pool, health club, whirlpool, sauna, tennis, beach, sailing, waterskiing, jet skiing, dedicated activities desk, Mandara Spa, windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, parasailing, volleyball, marina with charter boats and sailing nearby, deep-sea fishing nearby, horseback riding nearby, golfing nearby, and championship golf course 1 mile away.

528. Casablanca Casino Address: J. E. Irausquin Boulevard 77, Palm Beach, Aruba Phone: +297 5–864466 Casino Information: +297 5–862283 Website: www.wyndham.com/hotels/AUAPB/casablancacasino/main.wnt Description: Casino is part of Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort and Casino and has an Arabic feel Hours: Noon till close Slot Machines: 317: 5¢–$25; multi-game touchscreen, reel machines, progressive and specialty machines, video poker Table Games: 9 blackjack, 2 craps, 4 double-zero roulette, 1 baccarat, 1 mini-baccarat, 3 Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, three-card poker; also, high-limit room with 1 roulette, 3 blackjack, 1 baccarat, 1 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: The Music Hall features the music and rhythm of Aruba, and also presents Vegas-style dance revues. Restaurants: 7 Accommodations: 510 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVP Players’ Club rewards card for slot players. Weddings. Up to 10,500 square feet of convention area, with seating to 1,000. Tennis court and water sports.


529. Holiday Inn SunSpree Aruba Resort and Excelsior Casino

530. Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Copa Cabana Casino Address: J. E. Irausquin Boulevard 85, Palm Beach, Aruba Phone: General information: +297 5–861234 Website: aruba.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml Description: 12,000-square-foot casino in a year-round beachfront resort on Palm Beach Hours: Noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 267 Table Games: 21: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live band playing Latin and popular American music nightly, except Mon. Restaurants: 9 Accommodations: 360 rooms, including 18 suites Family Amenities: Camp Watapan for kids, with supervision and educational activities Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Languages spoken: Dutch, English, and Spanish. 2 lounges. Health club, swimming pool and sauna, tennis court, and water sports. Meeting rooms. Internet access in hotel in meeting rooms and public areas.

531. Radisson Aruba Caribbean Resort Address: J. E. Irausquin Boulevard 81, Palm Beach, Aruba Phone: +297 5–866555; Radisson toll-free: 1–800–333–3333 Website: www.radisson.com/palmbeachaw Email: Sales: [email protected]; reservations: [email protected] Description: First-class hotel and casino in tropical gardens on Palm Beach, 5 minutes from Oranjestad, 10 minutes to Queen Beatrix Airport Hours: Noon–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: American roulette, three-card poker, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride Poker: 3 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud. Major tournament: yearly ultimatebet.com Ultimate Poker Classic Tournament, which takes place in late Sept. The final $5,200-buy-in hold’em championship is a World Poker Tour event. In 2004, the prize pool was in excess of $4 million.

CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: Superior first-class resort hotel and Las Vegas-style 12,000-square-foot casino, 6 miles from airport; casino is in the Holiday Inn SunSpree Hours: slots 10 a.m.–5 a.m.; tables 1 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: See website Table Games: Caribbean Stud ($5 minimum), blackjack ($5–$1,000), craps, Let It Ride, roulette Poker: 7-stud, hold’em Entertainment: Excelsior Casino Band Nightly Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 600 rooms plus suites Family Amenities: Children’s activity center with various supervised activities throughout the day, free to hotel guests. Babysitting. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Snorkeling, swimming pool, sauna, health club, shops, tennis courts, water sports, and windsurfing.

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Address: J. E. Irausquin Boulevard 230 Palm Beach, Aruba Phone: +297 5–5867777; fax: +297 5–5865555 Website: www.excelsiorcasino.com

Entertainment: Live entertainment in Fandango Nightclub Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 357 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s Activity Center, at no charge to hotel guests Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Business center. 15,000-square-foot conference center, ballroom, championship golf course nearby, 2 outdoor pools, and tennis court.

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The Bahamas (population 300,000) are a chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba. (The Bahamas are not technically Caribbean islands. The Bahamas archipelago lies just a bit north of the Caribbean in the Atlantic.) Nassau, on New Providence Island, is the capital. The official language is English. The currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian Dollar (B$), and it is pegged to the US dollar, with 1 B$ worth $1 US. Even though the Bahamas mint and circulate their own legal tender, both US and Bahamian dollars are accepted interchangeably throughout the islands. The minimum age for gambling (and drinking) in the Bahamas is 18.

CARIBBEAN

CABLE BEACH, NEW PROVIDENCE ISLAND New Providence Island (population 170,000) is near the center of the Bahamas island group between Andros and Eleuthera, about a 45-minute flight from Florida. The island is a popular vacation destination, offering casino gambling, championship golf courses, nightlife, and duty-free shopping. Nassau, the capital, is a busy port of call to many cruise ships. Cable Beach, just west of Nassau, attracts more than half a million tourists a year. Paradise Island, across the bridge from downtown Nassau, similarly attracts half a million tourists a year.

532. Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino Address: West Bay Street, Cable Beach, New Providence Island Phone: 242–327–6200; toll-free: 1–800–222–7466 Website: www.wyndham.com/hotels/NASBS/casino/main.wnt Description: One of the largest (35,000 square feet) casinos in the Caribbean, offering all the casino action of Las Vegas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 687: ranging from 5¢ to $100 Table Games: 62: 38 blackjack, 7 roulette (both European and American), 7 craps, 6 Caribbean Stud, 2 baccarat, 1 mini-baccarat table, 1 Let It Ride Poker: No Entertainment: Stage Lounge features dining plus live bands. Rainforest Theater offers dining plus entertainment, everything from headliner concerts to variety acts in the atmosphere of a tropical rainforest. Restaurants: 7: Black Angus Grille, Sole Mare (gourmet Italian cuisine), Phil’s Deli (24-hour New York style deli and sports bar), Seaside Buffet, Crystal Sweet Shop (desserts), Stage Lounge. (Rainforest Theater can also be transformed into a banquet hall with seating for 550.) Accommodations: 867 rooms Family Amenities: Video game arcade Dress Code: No Bonus: Tournaments held regularly. Massage and spa at the fitness center. 2 heated pools, sauna, Jacuzzi, and scuba diving.


FREEPORT/LUCAYA, GRAND BAHAMA Grand Bahama Island (population 50,400), the northernmost of the Bahamas islands, is 55 miles east of Florida, about a 25-minute flight from Miami. Freeport/Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island is a popular year-round resort destination with beautiful sandy beaches, exotic marine life and corals, great sports facilities, and international casinos.

533. Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Royal Oasis Casino

534. Isle of Capri Address: Royal Palm Way, Lucaya, Grand Bahama Phone: 242–373–1333; toll-free: 1–877–772–6471 Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com/Lucaya Email: Contact form on website Description: 19,000-square-foot casino that opened Dec. 15, 2003 Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m.–3 a.m.; weekends, holidays 9 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 400: Includes high-stakes room with $5, $10, $25, $100 denominations Table Games: 21: Blackjack ($5–$2,000), roulette ($5–$2,000 even money bets, $5–$1000 2:1 bets, $100 on numbers), craps ($5–$2,000; up to 5X odds), mini-baccarat ($5–$2,000), Caribbean Stud ($5–$500), three-card poker ($5–$500, $8,000 maximum payout) Poker: No Entertainment: Live shows and entertainment in the Casino Cabaret; bars Restaurants: 11 Accommodations: 1,260 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s programs; daycare; freshwater swimming pool; tennis court; water sports including scuba and diving lessons with the world-famous Underwater Explorers Society. Camp Lucaya for kids. Dress Code: Proper casual Bonus: Golf nearby, marina, sponsored junkets, meeting facility, check cashing (credit card cash advances available, casino credit available for qualified players)

CARIBBEAN

Description: 28,000-square-foot casino, part of the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort, which is a premier resort set in 1,000 acres of tropical gardens. The resort features pool areas with waterslides, a new beach lagoon and water park, and world-class golf courses. Casino currency USD. Hours: 10 a.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 465: 25¢–$25 Table Games: American roulette, Caribbean Stud, minibaccarat Poker: World-class no-limit hold’em tournaments, including the Bahamas Texas Hold’Em Tournament Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 8: Paradiso (gourmet dining), Rib Room, Palm Grille (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Calypso Café, John B (poolside bar and grill), Oasis Café (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, late night snacks), Splash Bar & Grill (poolside bar and grill), Odie’s (kids-only restaurant with Garfield theme) Accommodations: 1,008 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s programs. Waterslides. Family packages in hotel. Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Royal Rewards Rated Player Program. Free gaming lessons. Convention and meeting space. Casino-sponsored junkets. Near airport. Caribbean Stud, slot, and blackjack tournaments throughout the year. Sportsbook. 2 golf courses, health club, jogging track, private beach, 2 freshwater pools, tennis courts, and water sports.

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Address: Mall Drive and East Atlantic Avenue, Sunrise Highway and East Mall Drive, Freeport, Grand Bahama Phone: 242–350–7000; toll-free: 1–800–227–6963 Website: http://www.theroyaloasis.com/casino.html

NASSAU Nassau (population 180,000), the capital city of the Bahamas and its largest city, is on New Providence Island, 180 miles southeast of and about a 30-minute flight from Miami.

535. Atlantis at Paradise Island Resort and Casino Address: Casino Drive, Nassau, Paradise Island Phone: 242–363–3000; toll-free: 1–800–722–7466 Website: www.atlantis.com

352 CARIBBEAN

Email: customer service: [email protected] or contact form on the website Description: The 100,000-square-foot casino links twin towers and spans a 7-acre lagoon. Skylights and windows bring the outdoors inside. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 980: 5¢–$100. Table Games: 78: 46 blackjack, 3 baccarat, 1 mini-baccarat, 7 craps, 9 roulette (both American and French), 2 Let It Ride, 4 Caribbean Stud, 3 three-card poker Poker: 30 tables. Regular tournaments. Major tournaments: PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (in January), which culminates in the championship, a major event of the World Poker Tour. Entertainment: Bars/lounges (Manager’s Cocktail Parties), The Joker’s Wild Comedy Club, Le Cabaret Dinner Show (Bahamian Style Revue) Restaurants: 17, plus 18 lounges/nightclubs Accommodations: 2,300 rooms, including many suites Family Amenities: Children’s Programs (game room, supervised day and night children’s activity program); a river ride and children’s pool. Water sports, including water slides. Dress Code: Casual and proper Bonus: Atlantis recreation-sponsored junkets; slots, blackjack, craps tournaments; meeting facility/business center; handicap access; casino currency US dollars. Racebook and sportsbook. Gaming lessons daily at 3 p.m.; 18-hole golf course nearby; shops; 5 swimming pools, white sand beach. Har-Tru Tennis Courts nearby.

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic (population 8.5 million) forms the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, in the waters between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. (Haiti occupies the western third of the island.) The Dominican Republic has an area of 18,815 square miles, or slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire. The capital is Santo Domingo. This island lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June to October, occasional flooding, and periodic droughts. The Dominican economy has had one of the fastest growth rates in the hemisphere over the past decade. The currency is the Dominican Peso (DOP; sometimes written as RD$), with an exchange rate at the time of this writing of 26.25 DOP to $1 US. Spanish is the official language. Gaming in the Dominican Republic is controlled by the Gaming Commission. Established in 1968, all four of its members are cabinet secretaries. By law, all casinos must be in four- or five-star hotels, with the exception of the Maunaloa Nightclub & Casino in Santo Domingo, which existed before 1968 and was grandfathered in. All casinos offer a full range of table games, including blackjack, craps, and roulette.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE To call the Dominican Republic direct from the US or Canada, just dial 1–809 and the telephone number. The minimum age for gambling (and drinking) in the Dominican Republic is 18.

PUERTO PLATA Puerto Plata (population 60,000), known for its unspoiled beaches, is on the northern (Atlantic) coast of the Dominican Republic, 100 miles northwest of Santo Domingo.

Email: Contact page on website Description: Resort complex and casino at Playa Dorada, 3 miles from town, 10 miles to Puerto Plata Airport. Casino clientele are primarily tourists. The 40,000-square-foot casino is mixed European and Las Vegas style. Languages spoken: Spanish, English, German, and French. Both US dollars and DOP are used as playing currency. Hours: 4 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 40 Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, big six wheel, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live music, disco, nightclub Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 287 rooms Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free parking. Free drinks for players. Free gaming lessons. Received Casino Player’s Best of the Millennium award. Basketball, beach, bicycle rentals, golf, horseback riding, scuba diving (lessons complimentary in pool), 2 freshwater pools, tennis court, tours, volleyball, and water sports.

537. Paradise Beach Club & Casino Address: Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–320–1215, 1–809–320–3663; toll-free: 1–800–320–9057 Website: amhsamarina.com/resorts/paradise_beach_club Email: Contact form on website Description: All-inclusive 4-star resort located in the Playa Dorada complex, right on the beach, 20 minutes from the International Airport of Puerto Plata and 15 minutes from the town of Puerto Plata Hours: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 10: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Evening entertainment and shows Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 436 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting; kid’s club Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary drinks, disco, honeymoon packages at reasonable prices, mall and championship 18-hole golf course nearby, conference room, bicycle rentals, massage, scooter rental, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, pool, tennis court, tour desk, volleyball, and wind surfing

CARIBBEAN

Address: Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Phone: General information: 1–809–320–3800, 1–809–586–3988; tollfree: 1–800–999–9182; casino information: 1–809–320–1046 Website: www.amcasgroup.com/puerto_plata.htm

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536. The American Casino at Jack Tar Village

PUNTA CANA BAVARO Punta Canta Bavaro is on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, in an area known for its beautiful white sand beaches.

538. Meliá Caribe Tropical and Casino Palma Real Address: Playa de Juan Dolio, Punta Cana Bavaro, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–221–1290 Website: www.meliacaribetropical.solmelia.com

354 CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: Part of the family-oriented Meliá All-Inclusive group of hotels. Casino in hotel. Hours: 8 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 40 Table Games: 11: Blackjack, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Disco, shows, piano bar Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 1,044 rooms Family Amenities: Arcade with video and electronic games for teenagers Dress Code: No Bonus: 8 tennis courts, 7 swimming pools, sports bar, pub, nonmotorized water sports (kayaks, canoes, windsurf, water bikes, snorkeling, sunfish sailing, and diving lessons at the pool), climbing wall, and batting cage

SANTIAGO Santiago (population 500,000), 100 miles northwest of Santo Domingo, is also known as Santiago de los Caballeros and Santiago de los 30 Caballeros. It was founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World. Rum production is one of the main industries.

539. Matum Hotel & Casino Diamante Address: Avenida Las Carreras 1, Santiago, Santiago, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–581–3107, 1–809–971–3222 Website: www.empresas-ee.com/diamatum.htm (Spanish only). Email: [email protected] Description: European-style casino with the atmosphere of the Caribbean. Casino is in the hotel. Hours: 4 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 70 Table Games: 12 (maximum DOP/USD): Blackjack (10,000/1,000), roulette (1,000/100), Caribbean Stud (1,000/50), craps (5,000/300), baccarat (10,000/1,000), big six wheel Poker: Hold’em Entertainment: Live musical entertainment nightly Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 39 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Free spins 4 times daily on a wheel of fortune for DOP500–20,000. Electronic horse racing.


SANTO DOMINGO Santo Domingo (population 2 million), the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic, is on the Caribbean Sea at the mouth of the Ozama River. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, dating back to 1496, when it was founded by Bartolmeo Columbus, Christopher’s brother.

540. Barceló Gran Hotel Lina & Casino

541. Hamaca Coral by Hilton Address: Duarte St. No. 1, Santo Domingo, 2973, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–526–4611; toll-free 1–877–GO–HILTON; fax: 1–809–523–6767; casino information: 1–809–523–6183 Website: coralbyhilton.com/Hamaca Email: [email protected] Description: Large Caribbean resort with a casino Hours: 8 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 70 Table Games: 6: Offers Vegas odds at blackjack, craps, and roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 630 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting services, bicycle rentals, children’s facilities (daily activities program for children, children’s playground, 2 children’s pools, educational games, table games, nap room with air conditioning, and adult supervision available from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.) Dress Code: No Bonus: Event center for meetings and banquets, with seating for 900 or room for 1,500, plus adjoining meeting rooms. Disco. 4 pools, 2 for children. 2 worldclass championship 18-hole golf courses nearby, 1 designed by Gary Player. Tour desk. Gym/health club, horseback riding, Jacuzzi, massage, swimming pool, and sauna. Tennis courts and tennis lessons available. Volleyball. Water sports (windsurfing, sunfish sailing, scuba diving lessons, scuba diving tours, canoes, snorkeling, pedal boats, water ski, and banana boat).

CARIBBEAN

Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel-casino in the center of Santo Domingo Hours: 4 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 45 Table Games: 15: Blackjack, pai gow poker, roulette Poker: Yes, 1 table Entertainment: Casino has its own house band. Nightclub, piano bar, cocktail lounge. Restaurants: 2: The Lina is considered one of the best in the country. Accommodations: 217 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet halls, event rooms: La Mancha with capacity for 1,500 people, Acuario for 225 people, Sala de Fiestas (party room) for 900 people, Andrómeda for 250 people (dividable into 3 rooms), Orión for 40 people, and Terraza Tropical for 200 people. Gift shop, gym, sauna, and 2 swimming pools.

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Address: Maximo Gomez, esq 27 de Febrero, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–563–5000, 1–809–686–5000 Website: www.barcelo.com/Barcelo/EN/Producto/America/Republic Dominicana/SantoDomingo/Lina/Principal/Principal.htm?cHotel=64

542. Melia Santo Domingo Hotel and Casino Diamante Address: Avenida George Washington 365, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–682–2102 Website: http://www.meliasantodomingo.solmelia.com (click on “English”) Description: One of the largest casinos in Santo Domingo; casino is in the hotel Hours: 4 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: 16: Blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live music in the Lobby Bar Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 245 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: 9 meeting rooms, with capacity up to 700. Spa and health center, 2 tennis courts, and outdoor swimming pool.

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543. Occidental El Embajador Hotel and Casino

CARIBBEAN

Address: Avenida Sarasola 65, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic Phone: 1–809–221–2131, 1–809–532–4130; toll-free: 1–800–457–0067 Website: www.grupocomar.com (click on “Casinos” and then “El Embajador”; Spanish only) Email: [email protected] Description: Surrounded by lush gardens in the residential area of the capital. The casino is located in the hotel that underwent a complete restoration in 1998. Hours: 4 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: Blackjack, roulette Poker: Yes, 2 tables Entertainment: Live music; Latin disco Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 289 rooms Family Amenities: Playground Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Spanish, English, and Chinese spoken. Meeting facility and business center. 15 minutes from the domestic airport of Herrerra; 45 minutes from the International Airport of Las Americas. Gift shop, health club, sauna, steam room, swimming pool, tennis court, and shops.

Netherlands Antilles The Netherlands Antilles (population 218,000) are part of the Lesser Antilles group of islands in the Caribbean. The Netherlands Antilles consist of two groups of islands that are an autonomous part of the Netherlands. One group, off the coast of Venezuela, consists of Bonaire, Klein Bonaire, Curaçao, and Klein Curaçao. The other group, part of the Leeward Islands, north of St. Kitt’s and Nevis and east of the Virgin Islands, consists of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten is the southern half of the island Saint Martin, the northern half of which, Saint-Martin, belongs to France. The capital of the Netherlands Antilles is Willemstad, Curaçao. The islands are mainly dependent on tourism and oil. Each island has its own local government. The official language is Dutch. The currency of the Netherlands Antilles is the Antillean guilder (ANG). At the time of this writing, $1 US = ANG1.78; ANG1 = 56.18¢ US. The minimum age for gambling in the Netherlands Antilles is 18.


BONAIRE Bonaire (population 14,000), an island about 50 miles north of Venezuela and 30 miles east of Curaçao, is known for its scuba diving and windsurfing. Kralendijk (population 1,800), the capital, is on the eastern side of the crescent-shaped island, just opposite the uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire.

544. Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino

CURAÇAO The island of Curaçao (population 150,000) is 35 miles north of the coast of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, and lies outside the hurricane belt. Curaçao is home to several online casinos. The capital is Willemstad (population 125,000). Curaçao is the name of a liqueur flavored with the dried peels of bitter oranges grown on the island.

545. Breezes Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino Address: 8 Dr Martin Luther King Blvd, Willemstad, Curaçao Phone: General Information:+599 9–736–7888 Website: www.breezescuracao.com Email: [email protected] Description: 15,000-square-foot casino. Dutch and English spoken. Hours: 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette. Also, electronic horse racing. Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 7 Accommodations: 347 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting for children under 4 years old; Teddy Bear children’s program for kids 4–12 years old; playground Dress Code: Casual Bonus: The casino accepts both US currency and NA guilders. Free $5 match play coupon for every night in hotel. Private beach, meeting facility, handicap access, dive facilities, health club, shopping arcade, snorkeling, 2 swimming pools, table tennis, tennis court, beach volleyball, and windsurfing school.

CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: 2,500-square-foot casino in a beautiful laid-back resort, ideal for those who like a quiet atmosphere and world-class Caribbean scuba diving Hours: Mon.–Sat. 7 p.m.–4 a.m., closed Sun. Slot Machines: 59 Table Games: 5: 1 American roulette, 3 blackjack, 1 roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, plus 2 bars Accommodations: 129 rooms Dress Code: Casual Bonus: English, Spanish, and Dutch spoken; convention and meeting space. Dive specials, Jacuzzi, sailing, scuba diving, shops, snorkeling, 2 freshwater swimming pools, tennis court, and windsurfing.

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Address: J. A. Abraham Boulevard 40, Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles Phone: +599 717–8285 Website: www.diviflamingo.com/diviflamingo/resort.asp

546. Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort and Emerald Casino Address: Piscadera Bay, Willemstad, Curaçao Phone: +599 9–736–8800 Website: marriott.com/property/propertypage/CURMC

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Small (5,000 square feet) casino at beachfront location on Piscadera Bay, near the capital city of Willemstad; English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamento spoken. Minimum gaming age 18. Hours: 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 135 Table Games: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 257 rooms Family Amenities: Supervised children’s activities. Swimming pool and wading pool. Dress Code: Casual dress Bonus: Free gaming lessons; sponsored junkets; tournaments; currency US dollars. 15 minutes from Hato International Airport. Over 3,000 square feet of function space, with 24,000 square feet of exhibition space available in the adjacent World Trade Center. Watersports center, tennis, 2 saunas, free-form swimming pool, 2 steam rooms, massage, duty-free shopping, arcade, tennis court, water sports, and 2 whirlpools.

CARIBBEAN

547. Hilton Curaçao Resort Address: John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Piscadera Bay, Curaçao Phone: +599 9–462–8800 Website: www.hiltoncaribbean.com/Curacao Description: Small (5,000 square feet) casino in a resort hotel Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 185 Table Games: 7: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, mini-baccarat, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment; nightclub Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 196 rooms Family Amenities: Hotel has a children’s program: Children under 18 stay for free (in room with adults); under 5 receive all meals for free; 5–12 receive breakfast free and 50 percent off all other meals with accompanying adults; 1 free babysitting service (up to 4 hours; applicable to a minimum of 3 nights stay); children’s gift. Miniature golf. Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting facility, handicap access, and bicycle rentals. Near the new Blue Bay Golf Course, the island’s only AAA championship 18-hole golf course. Health club: Equipment including a treadmill, Stairmaster, stationary bicycle, and weights. Spa includes sauna, freshwater swimming pools, Jacuzzi, massages, and beauty treatments. Scuba, snorkeling. Yoga, aerobic, and aquarobic classes. Tennis court, beach volleyball, and water sports.

548. Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino Royale Address: Pater Euwensweg 31, Willemstad, Curaçao Phone: +599 9–462–5400 Website: www.hol-beach.com Email: Several listed on website Description: 29,848 square feet make it one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean region. Gaming is in US currency. Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Dutch, and

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Papiamento. Hours: Slots 11 a.m.–4 a.m., tables: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 350 Table Games: 6 blackjack, 5 roulette, 1 craps, 4 Caribbean Stud Poker: 2 tables Entertainment: Live music in lounge Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 200 rooms Family Amenities: Video game arcade. Playground. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Scheduled shuttle service to and from Willemstad town center. Meeting facility, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, fresh-water swimming pool, 2 lighted tennis courts, and volleyball.

Email: [email protected] Description: Small Las Vegas-style casino for the budget-minded traveler Hours: Slots: 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; tables: 6 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 126 Table Games: Blackjack, roulette Poker: 3 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 74 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Free shuttle service to and from downtown and the Free Zone. Complimentary drinks for players. Landscaped swimming pool with waterfall. Day and night tennis court.

SINT MAARTEN Sint Maarten, with an area of 16 square miles, is the southern half of the 37-square-mile island of St. Martin (combined population 33,000), which is 144 miles east of Puerto Rico and 140 miles northwest of Guadeloupe. The island is known for its duty-free shopping and its casinos, both free-standing and resort-affiliated, all with a relaxed, Las Vegas-style atmosphere. Philipsburg (population 6,000) is the capital of St. Maarten and its commercial center.

550. Atlantis World Casino Address: Rhine Road 106, Cupecoy Bay Beach, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles Phone: +599 54–54601; toll-free: 1–888–843–4781 Website: www.atlantisworld.com/html/atlantis.html Email: [email protected] Description: Full-service casino located at Cupecoy, which is just past Mullet Bay’s Golf course and near the main hotels Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500 Table Games: Baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Live music Restaurants: 8 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards card, bingo, and golf nearby. Ample parking and 24 hour per day security on the premises.

CARIBBEAN

Address: Groot Davelaarweg 5, Selina, Curaçao Phone: General Information: +599 9–737–8200 Website: www.trupialinn.com

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549. Trupial Inn Hotel & Hill Rose Casino

551. Maho Beach Resort and Casino Address: Rhine Road 1, Lowlands Maho Bay, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles Phone: +599 54–52115; toll-free: 1–800–223–0757 Website: www.mahobeach.com/casino.htm

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Email: Contact via website Description: 33,000-square-foot casino known as Casino Royale. Minimum age 18 for entry. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 1 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 1 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 400+ Table Games: Three-card poker, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, roulette Poker: 4 tables. Major tournaments: St. Maarten Open, 2 weeks of events in late November, which consist of hold’em and Omaha, limit, no-limit, and potlimit. The Caribbean Poker Classic consists of 6 days of no-limit hold’em poker tournaments in December, with buy-ins of $100 and $200, plus satellites and supersatellites, all leading up to the main event, which is a 3-day $5,000-buy-in championship tournament with an estimated $1 million in prize money. Satellite tournaments are available. Entertainment: Disco and 3 nightclubs Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 537 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Private high-stakes area, handicap access, meeting facility, health and fitness club, 84 shops in shopping arcade, 3 swimming pools, 4 tennis courts, and water sports

552. Pelican Resort Club and Hollywood Casino Address: Billy Folly Road 37, Simpson Bay, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Phone: General Information: +599 54–44463 Website: www.hollywoodcasino-stmaarten.com Email: [email protected] Description: Small (7,000 square feet) casino in Pelican Key. Minimum gaming age is 18. Hours: 2 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 150 Table Games: 16: Blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Cocktail lounge; live entertainment on weekends. Sports events and movies on a big screen. Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 514 rooms Family Amenities: Playground Dress Code: No Bonus: Free $50 package to all visitors, including free plays, gifts, meals, etc. Bingo every day with $10,000 jackpot. Rewards card. Free drinks for players. Free buffet on weekends. $20 blackjack tournament Thu. 8 p.m. with all entry fees remaining in the prize pool, which is guaranteed to be at least $500. Boat trips, dock, gift shop, health club, horseback riding, hot tub, Jacuzzi, marina, pool and beach parties, duty free shopping, 4 swimming pools with waterfalls, tennis court, and water sports

553. Princess Port de Plaissance Hotel and Casino Address: Union Road, Cole Bay, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles Phone: Hotel toll-free: 1–866–786–2277 Website: www.princessportdeplaisance.com Email: [email protected] (travel agency that handles reservations) Description: Largest casino (more than 12,000 square feet) on the island, with a 30-foot bronze sculpture and waterfalls at the entrance and a 4-story gaming area. Minimum gaming age is 18. Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Slot Machines: 700 (including a second floor devoted to nickel play) Table Games: American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Bar; restaurant with live floor shows Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 176 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s play center Dress Code: Elegant-casual dress Bonus: Currency is USD. Free gaming lessons for blackjack and roulette onsite. Private high-stakes room. Casino-sponsored junkets. English and Spanish spoken. Boutique, tropical gardens, marina, swimming pool, spa, tennis court, and water sports.

SAN JUAN San Juan (population 442,000) is on the northeastern (Atlantic) coast of the island. Founded in 1521, San Juan is the oldest city in the United States. Most of the tourist hotels and casinos are in the Condado Beach and Isla Verde areas of San Juan.

554. Diamond Palace Hotel & Casino Address: 55 Condado Avenue, Condado, Puerto Rico 00907 Phone: 787–721–0810; toll-free: 1–800–468–2014; fax: 787–725–7895 Website: www.diamondpalacehotel-casino.i12.com Email: [email protected] Description: 10,500-square-foot casino in the heart of the Condado section, near the beach, 7 miles from San Juan’s Luis M. Marin International Airport, and 10 minutes from Old San Juan Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 290 Table Games: 8: Mini-baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live music nightly in cocktail lounge; piano bar Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 151 rooms (including 33 ocean-view suites in the north tower) Family Amenities: Swimming pool and children’s pool; water sports nearby Dress Code: No Bonus: Bingo. Freshwater swimming pools. Penthouse conference and activity center that accommodates up to 140 people for business conferences, weddings, parties, or corporate events.

CARIBBEAN

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (population 4 million) is a self-governing territory of the United States. The smallest and easternmost of the Greater Antilles, this island group is east of the Dominican Republic. The northeastern Caribbean Sea lies to its south and the Atlantic to its north. It includes the main island of Puerto Rico plus a number of smaller islands and keys, including Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. The capital and largest city is San Juan. The currency is the US dollar. The official languages are Spanish and English. Every casino is part of a hotel. Casinos do not have admission charges, nor do they require patrons to show ID. The minimum age for gambling is 18. To call Puerto Rico direct from the US or Canada, just dial 1–787 and the telephone number.

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555. Embassy Suites Hotel & Casino Address: 8000 Tarak Street, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico 00979 Phone: 787–791–0505; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–800–362–2779 Website: www.embassysuitessanjuan.com

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Email: General Manager: [email protected]; sales and marketing director: [email protected] Description: All-suite atrium-style hotel and 7,800-square-foot casino located in the heart of the Isla Verde tourist area, with easy access to Baldorioty De Castro Expressway Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily; tables open at noon Slot Machines: 259 Table Games: 11: Roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2; plus bar Accommodations: 299 rooms Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting facility and business center. Less than 1 mile from the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport main entrance. Health club. Lagoon pool. 2 blocks from Isla Verde Beach.

556. Radisson Ambassador Plaza Hotel & Casino

CARIBBEAN

Address: 1369 Ashford Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907 Phone: 787–721–7300; toll-free: 1–800–333–3333; 1–800–468–8512 Website: www.radisson.com/sanjuanpr_ambassador Email: [email protected] Description: First-class hotel and 9,000-square-foot casino, in the middle of the Condado Hours: Sun.-Wed. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Thurs.-Sat. 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 280 Table Games: 11: Baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret lounge with nightly live entertainment Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 146 rooms and 87 suites Dress Code: No Bonus: Business center. Meeting facility. Handicap access. Walking distance to beach. 2 miles from San Juan Luis M. Marin International Airport. Gym, hair salon, Jacuzzi, solarium, and rooftop swimming pool.

557. Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel & Casino Address: 6961 Avenue of the Governors, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico 00979 Phone: 787–253–1700 Website: www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/san_juan Email: Contact form on website Description: Deluxe hotel and 8,000-square-foot Monte Carlo-style casino; located on 8 acres of beachfront property in Isla Verde, 3 miles from San Juan Luis Marin International Airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 325 Table Games: 22: Blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, baccarat, craps Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge with live entertainment Restaurants: 5; plus bar Accommodations: 419 rooms Family Amenities: Supervised children’s activities for ages 5–12 Dress Code: No Bonus: Indoor and outdoor meeting facilities, 3 lounges, health club, spa, swimming pool, tennis court, and golf


558. San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

559. Wyndham Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino Address: 999 Ashford Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907 Phone: 787–721–1000; toll-free: 1–800–468–2016 Website: www.wyndham.com/hotels/SJUCP/main.wnt Email: Click “Email Us” on website Description: Superior first class hotel and casino, one of Puerto Rico’s largest, located on a 5-acre oceanfront site adjoining the Condado Lagoon, across from historic Fort San Jeronimo and 5 minutes from Old San Juan Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 400 Table Games: 40: American roulette (50¢–$100), 3 baccarat ($20–$4,000), 15 blackjack ($2–$2,000), 1 Caribbean Stud, 3 craps ($2–$2,000), 1 Let It Ride, 7 mini-baccarat ($10–$2,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 570 rooms, 4-diamond rating Family Amenities: Babysitting services, beach, children’s programs, 4 swimming pools plus a children’s pool, tennis court, water sports Dress Code: No Bonus: Free gaming lessons for blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat. Private gaming area. Meeting facility. Golf, health club, and shops. Transportation available to old San Juan, 20 minutes to San Juan Luis M. Marin International Airport. Swim-up bar, lap pool, lighted tennis courts, fitness center, and sponsored junkets.

560. Wyndham El San Juan Hotel & Casino Address: 6063 East Isla Verde Avenue, Carolina, Puerto Rico 00979 Phone: 787–791–1000; toll-free: 1–800–468–6659, 1–877–999–3223 Website: www.wyndham.com/hotels/SJUES/main.wnt Email: Click “Email Us” on website Description: 13,000-square-foot casino, one of Puerto Rico’s largest. European style, with paneled walls, crystal chandeliers, and tuxedoed staff. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 322 Table Games: Blackjack, baccarat Poker: 3 tables: Only poker room in Puerto Rico; with 7-stud and hold’em Entertainment: Stage with nightly entertainment visible from the casino floor. Large-screen viewing of sport events. Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 242 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: After 7 p.m., slacks and

CARIBBEAN

Description: Resort hotel and 10,700-square-foot casino on Condado Beach in the heart of San Juan’s Gold Coast, 5 miles from San Juan Luis M. Marin International Airport Hours: Slots 24 hours/day 365 days/year; table games noon–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 371 Table Games: 24: Baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge with live entertainment and dancing nightly Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 525 rooms and suites, AAA 4-diamond rating Family Amenities: Children’s pool Dress Code: No Bonus: Free gaming lessons, beach bar, beach, health club, sauna, swimming pool, tennis court, whirlpool, and shops

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Address: 1309 Ashford Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907 Phone: 787–724–8545; toll-free: 1–800–737–9559; toll-free reservations: 1–800–464–5005 Website: www.marriottpr.com

collared shirts are required Bonus: Golf, gaming, and celebrity entertainment. “Theme Weekends” include cruises, cigar events, and others. Cocktail service. Rewards card for slot customers. Sauna, outdoor pool, tennis courts, weight room, whirlpool, massage, Jacuzzi, and cardiovascular equipment.

DORADO BEACH Dorado Beach (Playa de Dorado) is a tourist village 20 miles west of San Juan.

561. Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort and Country Club Address: Highway 693, Dorado, Puerto Rico 00646 Phone: 787–796–1234; toll-free: 1–800–233–1234 Website: doradobeach.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml

364 CARIBBEAN

Email: Contact form on website Description: Deluxe resort, conference center, and Las Vegas-style 4,085-square-foot casino on a 1,000-acre north-coast, oceanfront estate 22 miles west of San Juan and San Juan Luis M. Marin International Airport Hours: Noon–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 271 Table Games: 20: 12 blackjack, 3 Caribbean Stud, 4 craps, 2 dice, 3 roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 8 Accommodations: 524 rooms Family Amenities: Game room including full-court basketball and miniature golf Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet hall, valet parking, handicap access, 72 holes of championship golf, beach, gift shop, health club, shops, 6 swimming pools, water sports, and spa.

MAYAGUEZ Mayaguez (population 100,000), in the middle of the west coast of Puerto Rico, has several major colleges.

562. Holiday Inn Tropical Casino Mayaguez Address: 2701 Highway 2, Km #149.9, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00680 Phone: General Information: 787–833–1100; casino information: 787–265–4200 Website: www.hidpr.com/mayaguez.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Modern hotel and 9,151-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino between Boqueron Beach and Mayaguez Airport. Centrally located on highway #2, 5 minutes from the Mayaguez Airport, connecting to all major U.S. cities. 1 hour and 45 minute drive from San Juan. Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 417 Table Games: 13: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, minibaccarat, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Disco; lounge with live music Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 142 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s pool Dress Code: No Bonus: Private concierge floor with lounge. Executive business center, free parking. 3 boardrooms for 15 people. Car rental and tour arrangements. Gift shop, gym, and swimming pool. The hotel is

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE within a short distance of the Lajas Phosphorescent Bay, Las Cascadas Aquatic Park, Rincón Beach (surfing capital of the Caribbean), Boquerón Beach (8 miles), Mayaguez Mall, Punta Borinquen Golf Course and tennis facilities, Botanical Gardens, Camuy Underground caves (60 minute drive), Mayaguez Zoo, and the Tres Hermanos Beach.

563. Mayaguez Hotel & Casino

PONCE Ponce (population 195,000), the second-largest city, 45 miles southwest of San Juan, is on the southern coast of Puerto Rico overlooking the Caribbean.

564. Ponce Hilton & Casino Address: 1150 Caribe Avenue, Ponce, Puerto Rico 00731 Phone: 787–259–7676; toll-free: 1–800–HILTONS Website: www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=PNCHITW Description: First class hotel and 7,500-square-foot casino, on 80 beach-front acres, 10 minutes (4 miles) from Mercedita Airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 282 Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, Let It Ride, minibaccarat, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge acts Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 253 rooms, all with private balconies overlooking the gardens or the sea Family Amenities: Babysitting facilities. Children’s activities. Playground. Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting facility. Transportation to airport available. Handicap access. Swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center, beach, and golf.

CARIBBEAN

Description: Superior first-class resort hotel convention center and 10,000-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino set on 20 hillside acres overlooking the harbor; 3 miles to Mayaguez Airport Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 341: Including video poker Table Games: 17: Baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 141 rooms Family Amenities: Beach, swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, water sports Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet hall; business center; handicap access; meeting facilities; airport transport (taxi/limo) available. The Mayaguez Resort & Casino is an independently operated, deluxe, full-service hotel located in the west coast town of Mayaguez. 15 minutes from the center of town and the University of PR, Mayaguez Campus; 10 minutes from the Puerto Rico Zoo; 15 minutes from the local Eugenino Maria de Hostos Airport; a 25-minute shuttle flight from the Luis Munoz Marin San Juan Airport; a 45-minute drive from the regional Rafael Hernandez Airport in the town of Aguadilla; 25 minutes from the golf course in Joyuda, Cabo Rojo.

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Address: Route 104, Km. 0.3, Bo Algarrobo, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00680 Phone: 787–831–7575; 787–832–3030; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–689–3030 Website: www.mayaguezresort.com

RIO MAR Rio Mar is on the northeast coast, 30 miles east of San Juan and 15 miles east of Luis M. Marin International Airport.

565.Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort, Country Club & Casino Address: 6000 Rio Mar Boulevard, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico 00745 Phone: 787–888–6000; toll-free hotel reservations: 1–888–627–8556 Website: www.westinriomar.com

366 CARIBBEAN

Email: [email protected] Description: 5000-square-foot casino in 500-acre resort on 1 mile of secluded tropical beach, adjacent to the Caribbean National Rain Forest of El Yunque Hours: Noon–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 157 Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live lounge acts, dancing, live music Restaurants: 8 Accommodations: 694 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s programs Dress Code: No Bonus: Free beverages for players. Online gaming guide. Casino credit for qualified players. Convention and meeting space. Valet parking. Boating, deep sea fishing, golf, massage, playing fields, scuba diving, shops, spa, swimming pool, and tennis court.

St. Kitts and Nevis The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis (population 39,000) is the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere. This two-island nation sits in the northeastern portion of the Leeward Islands archipelago, east of the Virgin Islands. The capital, Basseterre, is on St. Kitts. The official language is English. The currency of St. Kitts and Nevis, and seven other Caribbean states and territories, is the East Caribbean Dollar (ECD), officially pegged to the U.S. dollar at the rate of $1US = ECD2.70. To call St. Kitts and Nevis direct from the U.S. or Canada, just dial 1–809 and the telephone number.

FRIGATE BAY Frigate Bay is on the southeastern shore of the main part of St. Kitts, 3 miles east of Basseterre.

566. Royal Resort Casino Address: 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay, Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis Phone: 869–466–5555 Website: marriott.com/property/propertypage/skbrb Email: Contact form on website Description: The 40,000-square-foot casino is within the hotel. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 403 Table Games: 34: Three-card poker, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Stud, craps, Let It Ride, Spanish 21 Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 8 Accommodations: 762 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s services, childcare program Dress Code: No Bonus: Full business center. Free parking. Safe deposit boxes at the front desk. 18-hole championship golf course, beach, golf, health club, sailing nearby, sauna, snorkeling, spa, swimming pool, tennis court, and whirlpool.

CHRISTIANSTED Christiansted (population 2,600) is on the island of St. Croix, 65 miles southeast of Puerto Rico. The city is on Altoona Lagoon on the northern shore of the island.

567. Divi Carina Bay Resort & Casino Address: 25 Estate Turner Hole, Christiansted, Saint Croix 00820, Virgin Islands, United States Phone: 340–773–PLAY (340–773–7529) or 340–773–9700; toll-free: 1–800–823–9352 Website: www.carinabay.com Email: Contact form on website or [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot casino in the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort. Only casino in the US Virgin Islands. Hours: Sun.–Thu. noon–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: 20: Big six wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, roulette, three-card poker; all with limits of $5–$25 Poker: Hold’em Entertainment: Live music; calendar of events on website Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 146 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s programs, daycare Dress Code: No Bonus: Beachcomber rewards card. Bingo. Free slot tournament every Monday. Wheelchair accessible. Beach, massage, tennis court, 2 outdoor freshwater swimming pools, watersports center, 2 outdoor whirlpools, fitness center, and dive center nearby.

CARIBBEAN

The US Virgin Islands (population 125,000) are a territory of the United States, part of a larger group of islands that form an archipelago east of Puerto Rico. The other part of this island group is the British Virgin Islands, a territory of the United Kingdom. The US Virgin Islands consist of three main islands: St. Croix, the largest; St. Thomas, on which the capital, Charlotte Amilie, is located; and St. John. The official language is English. Cars drive on the left on both the British and the US Virgin Islands. The currency of both is the US dollar. Cruise ships are permitted to open their casinos to passengers while the ships are docked in St. Croix. There is one casino in the US Virgin Islands, in Christiansted on St. Croix.

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US Virgin Islands

Europe

Many casinos in Europe cater mainly to the very well off, and as such are expensive and luxurious. High minimum limits on many tables (particularly in the salle privée or private gaming room) and high-stakes poker games are common. These features tend to keep big crowds and the “Average Joe” gambler away. Most European casinos require patrons to show identification. Some require foreign nationals to surrender passports, which are returned upon leaving the premises. European Union citizens can show other ID cards and need not surrender their passports. European phone numbers are different depending on where you’re calling from. For example, a French number, say that of Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice, might be 33 4 92 14 68 08. If you were calling from the United States, you would dial 011 33 4 92 14 68 08. But if you were in France, you would dial 04 92 14 68 08. You might see the number listed as +33 4 92 14 68 08 or +33 (0)4 92 14 68 08, to let you know about the needed 0 within the country, while the + informs you that it is the country code. If you’re in doubt, ask the international operator what you need to dial, and then place the call yourself. Or, better yet, make reservations on the website.

Austria The Republic of Austria (population 8.2 million), a parliamentary representative democracy, is a landlocked nation in central Europe bordered on the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, on the north by Germany and the Czech Republic, on the east by Slovakia and Hungary, and on the south by Slovenia and Italy. The capital is Vienna. As a member of the European Union, Austria uses the euro as its currency. Casinos Austria AG runs all the casinos in Austria. Casinos Austria is also the parent company of Casinos Austria International and its partners operate 52 land-based casinos in 15 countries and 14 shipboard casinos. The minimum age for entering a casino in Austria is 18. By government regulation, a visitor must provide a photo ID on first visit. A passport or driver’s license is acceptable. Casinos Austria offers free gaming instruction at each of its 12 casinos. Casino Academy offers free game explanations for those unfamiliar with the rules of roulette and

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other games. Guests can try out their newfound skills using valueless chips. The Casino Academy offers tournaments in blackjack, roulette, and poker. Following a short introduction, players can buy into a game for just €10 or €20. Prizes are awarded to the players winning the most chips. Every Casinos Austria facility offers the following: Upon admission, every guest receives a bonus ticket enabling tokens or welcome chips worth €25 to be purchased for €21. In addition, the Lucky Pass offers a restaurant bonus of €10 on the first visit, €25 to be purchased for €19 on the second, and a “Casinos Austria Roller Pen” on the third visit. If a man doesn’t have a jacket and tie in a casino that requires them, the casino will often provide the apparel in exchange for a refundable deposit. Casinos Austria indicates that it enforces a dress code for men and not women. Nonetheless, women in shorts or halter-tops likely will be turned away. The Jackpot Casino section of each casino is less formal, often with a separate entrance, and has no jacket and tie requirement for men.

BADEN

EUROPE

Baden-bei-Wien (population 31,000) is a spa and casino town in the Vienna Woods 20 miles southwest of Vienna. Here Beethoven found inspiration for some of his best-known compositions. The 13 natural baths, which gave the town its name, have a temperature of from 72–97° F and mainly contain sulphate of lime. Baden is surrounded by approximately 120 vineyards and has about 70 wine pubs. Austria’s first casino was opened in the Kurhaus in 1934, and was the last to cease operation during WWII. During the Allied occupation, the casino served as the headquarters for Soviet forces.

568. Casino Baden Address: Im Kurpark, Kaiser-Franz-Ring 1, Baden, Niederösterreich 2500, Austria Phone: +43 2252 444 96; fax: +43 2252 444 96 222 Website: www.casino-baden.at (click on “English”) Description: Europe’s largest casino (30,000 square feet) and one of the most modern event centers in Austria. Opened March 9, 1995. Hours: Main: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino (72 slots, 1 blackjack) from 1 p.m. Slot Machines: 314; 1 tropical stud poker Table Games: 36: 10 American roulette, 4 French roulette, 10 blackjack, 1 punto banco, 2 big six wheels, 1 European seven-eleven Poker: Home of Poker-EM, billed as the largest stud tournament in the world. Poker (7stud) available on Tue. and Fri. nights. Entertainment: Comedians on select nights. Austrian performers give talks on certain nights. Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant for men; none for women. Jackpot Casino is less formal. Bonus: 4 seminar rooms and 3 event rooms with space for up to 1,100 conference participants or balls with 2,500 guests.


BAD GASTEIN Bad Gastein (population 5,900) is a winter sports and spa resort situated at an altitude of 3,280 feet in the Salzburg Alps on the slope of the Tauren Massif, 50 miles south of Salzburg. 17 sources feed thermal pools, and people come from all over to “take the waters” at what is known as the premier spa of Austria. Bad Gastein is also known for its roaring waterfall. You’ll find swimming in indoor and outdoor pools, hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, snowboarding, riding, and golf on one of the Alps’ loveliest nine-hole courses.

Email: [email protected] Description: Grand Hotel de l’Europe has been converted into a beautiful casino. Languages spoken: German and English. Hours: Winter season (end of Dec. to end of March) and summer season (mid-July to end of Sept.), daily from 7 p.m. Not open the rest of the year. Exact dates change each year, so call to find out this year’s schedule. Slot Machines: 43; 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: 2 French roulette, 2 American roulette, 3 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No. Hotels & Casinos Austria offers accommodation-and-casino packages. Web: www.hca.at; email: [email protected]. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant for men; none for women Bonus: Shuttle service to nearby towns. Casino guests can park for free in the Wasserfall parking garage. Dinner and casino specials offered; for example, receive a 4-course meal, welcome chips worth €25, a glass of Kattus Frizzante, and more for €52.

BREGENZ Bregenz (population 27,300) is in the extreme west of Austria on the eastern shores of Lake Constance, at the border of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. Bregenz is a picturesque town and popular resort with Roman excavations, medieval quarters, a museum, and a yearly classical music festival.

570. Casino Bregenz Address: Symphonikerplatz 3, Bregenz, Vorarlberg 6900, Austria Phone: +43 5574 451 27; fax: +43 5574 451 27 26 Website: www.casino-bregenz.at Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is on the grassy slopes of a 5-mile promenade, where the music festival is held each year on a floating stage. The casino, consisting of individual pavilions, is beautifully decorated with fountains, flowers, and stained glass windows above the slot machines. Hours: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino (89 slots, 1 blackjack) from noon

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Address: Grand Hotel de l’Europe, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Straße 14, Bad Gastein 5640, Austria Phone: +43 6434 2465; fax: +43 6434 2465 25 Website: www.casino-badgastein.at (click on “English”)

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Slot Machines: 225 (89 in Jackpot Casino, plus 1 tropical stud poker) Table Games: Main: 10 American roulette, 1 French roulette, 10 blackjack, 1 big six wheel, 1 European seveneleven; Jackpot Casino: 1 American roulette, 1 blackjack Poker: 7-stud, Omaha, hold’em. Christmas Poker Championship, including €190+€10 pot-limit Omaha (maximum 80 players; unlimited rebuys plus 1 add-on), limit €285+€15 7-stud high-low (maximum 72 players; 2 rebuys plus 1 add-on), no-limit hold’em €190+€10 (maximum 80 players; unlimited rebuys plus 1 add-on). Best all-around player award, for which 2 percent is deducted from prize pool. Cash games start daily at 3 p.m. (Men: Be sure to wear a jacket to the tournament.) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant for men; none for women Bonus: Free parking in front of the casino. Accepts Diners Club, VISA, MasterCard, and bank cards. Dinner and casino specials offered. Roulette tournaments on Fri.

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571. Casino Graz

Graz (population 305,000), Austria’s second-largest city, is in Styria in southeastern Austria, near the Slovenia and Hungary borders. The Old Town is mostly medieval, with some Gothic buildings. During WWII the city was partially destroyed, but restoration transformed it into a beautiful modern city.

Address: Landhausgasse 10, Grazer Congress, Graz, Steiermark 8010, Austria Phone: +43 316 83 25 78; fax: +43 316 832 578 222 Website: www.casino-graz.at (click on “English”) Description: Casino Graz is one of the newest of Austria’s casinos. The casino and restaurant, located at the Congress House, provide a social meeting place for delegates of conventions and conferences. Languages spoken: German, French, and English. Hours: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino (89 slots, 1 blackjack) from noon Slot Machines: 141; 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: 21: 7 American roulette, 2 French roulette, 7 blackjack, 1 red dog, 1 forty-one, 1 Glücksrad, 1 big six wheel, 1 seven-eleven Poker: 7-stud Entertainment: Plays; cabaret nights for charity Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant for men; none for women. Jackpot Casino is less formal. Bonus: “Dinner & Casino Night” offers 4-course dinner, welcome chips worth €25, a glass of Kattus Frizzante at the casino bar, and a night at a hotel including breakfast buffet for €119 per person. Europe’s largest blackjack tournament.


INNSBRUCK Innsbruck (population 120,000) is in the western Austrian Alps, 60 miles south of Munich, Germany. Known for scenery, mountains, and great skiing, Innsbruck has twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games, in 1964 and 1976.

572. Casino Innsbruck

KITZBÜHEL Kitzbühel (population 8,700) is in the Kitzbühel Alps of Tyrol, 60 miles southeast of Munich, Germany, and 50 miles northeast of Innsbruck. This fashionable ski resort, a favorite of the international jet set, has more than 60 cable lifts and many well-developed ski runs, and has twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games. The town dates back at least to the 12th century B.C., when it was important for the copper mined there.

573. Casino Kitzbühel Address: Hinterstadt 24, Hotel Goldener Greif Kitzbühel, Tirol 6370, Austria Phone: +43 5356 623 00; fax: +43 5356 623 00 22 Website: kitzbuehel.casinos.at (click on “English”) Description: Since its earliest days the casino has been housed at the traditional Hotel Goldener Greif. The building, constructed in 1274, is one of the most attractive in the town and has been family-owned for over 100 years. The first inn under the present name, run by the mayor Franz Kriegseisen, dates back to 1590. Hours: Early Dec. to late Sept. 7 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve. Exact dates change each year, so call to find out this year’s schedule. Slot Machines: 57; tropical stud poker (low season: 1; summer season: 2) Table Games: Low season (April 12–July 14 and Sept. 1–25): 3 American roulette, 3 blackjack; summer season (July 15–Aug. 31): 1 French roulette, 5 American roulette, 6 blackjack Poker: 1 7- stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Casino is in the hotel. 85 rooms, starting at (single/double) €137/€182 off season and €155/€206 high season (12/23–1/6, 1/16–1/23, 2/6–3/6). Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Gentlemen: Smart casual (no Tshirts or running-shoes, jacket recommended); ladies: casually elegant Bonus: Every Thu. in winter, each casino guest receives welcome chips worth €25 for €21, in addition to a free

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Description: Casino (31,215 square feet) is in Hilton Hotel Hours: Main: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino from 11:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 199 (90 in Jackpot Casino); 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: Main: 7 American roulette, 2 French roulette, 7 blackjack, 1 big six wheel; Jackpot Casino: 1 blackjack Poker: 7 stud, hold’em Entertainment: Live quiz show on Sun., in which patrons can participate Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 4-star Hilton Hotel. 176 rooms, including 14 business rooms, 4 suites, and 93 nonsmoking rooms, starting at (single/double) €116/€156. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper for men (tie appreciated but not necessary); none for women. Jackpot Casino is less formal. Bonus: Conference rooms in hotel.

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Address: Hotel Hilton, Salurner Straße 15, Innsbruck, Tirol 6020, Austria Phone: +43 512 587 040; fax: +43 512 587 040 220 Website: www.casino-innsbruck.at (click on “English”)

Bacardi cocktail (until 11 p.m.). Every Wed. night is ladies’ night, with welcome chips worth €25 for €21, in addition to a free Prosecco at the Sweetlife Bar and a raffle ticket for an 11 p.m. drawing. On the 13th of each month, there’s a drawing for €1,300, plus free bottles of Veuve Cliquot Champagne for certain lucky numbers. Skiing is practically at the hotel door. World Cup downhill, other skiing world class competitions; also, automobile racing. Jazz and gourmet festivals in town.

LINZ

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Linz (population 200,000), the provincial capital of Upper Austria, straddles the Danube 100 miles west of Vienna and 70 miles northeast of Salzburg. Linz, Austria’s third largest city, is less than 35 miles from the German border and about 20 miles from the Czech Republic. The city has an outstanding neo-Gothic cathedral, while the center of the city features a variety of Baroque and Rococo architecture. While briefly the home of Mozart, Linz is best known among classical music lovers as the home of composer Anton Bruckner.

574. Casino Linz EUROPE

Address: Rainerstraße 2–4, Hotel Schillerpark, Linz, Oberösterreich 4020, Austria Phone: +43 732 6544 87; fax: +43 732 6544 87 17 222 Website: www.casino-linz.at (click on “English”) Description: Casino is on the first floor of a modern hotel and conference center building with a glass façade revealing the outside, which is a park setting; glass flowers and leaves inside provide the impression of sitting beneath trees. Hours: Main: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino from noon Slot Machines: 210 (112 in Jackpot Casino); 1 tropical stud poker Table Games: Main: 5 American roulette, 3 French roulette, 4 blackjack, 1 big six wheel; Jackpot Casino: 3 blackjack, 1 American roulette Poker: 1 table in main casino for hold’em and Omaha Entertainment: Fashion shows, comedy shows, and musical concerts. Restaurants: 2. The Rouge et Noir is the first gourmet restaurant to open in an Austrian casino. Accommodations: 4-star Hotel Schillerpark has 111 rooms, including 2 nonsmoking floors. Rooms, suites, Internet connections. Prices start at (single/double) $130/$175 weekends, $172/$232 weekends. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper for men; none for women. Jackpot Casino is less formal. Bonus: 2,150-square-foot event facility. Dinner and casino specials offered; for example, receive a 4-course meal, welcome chips worth €25, a glass of Kattus Frizzante, and more for €52.


SEEFELD Seefeld (population 3,200), a popular year-round Alpine resort, is in Tyrol, 10 miles northwest of Innsbruck, elevation 3,450 feet. During the winter it attracts skiers from all over the world to its major ski areas, cable cars, and 25 lifts, and is also a major area for cross-country skiing, with 150 miles of trails. Summers are great for outdoor sports. The small town hosted the Olympic Nordic skiing competitions in 1964 and 1976.

575. Casino Seefeld

VELDEN Velden (population 8,500) is in the southern province of Carinthia, at the western end of Lake Wörthersee, less than 10 miles north of the border with Slovenia. The city is known for its Baumgartner Villas in the “Wörthersee architecture” style and the renaissance Velden Palace built by Bartholomäus Khevenhüller in 1590. Velden is primarily a holiday resort.

576. Casino Velden Address: Am Corso 17, Velden, Kärnten 9220, Austria Phone: +43 4274 2064; fax: +43 4274 206 4 222 Website: www.casino-velden.at (click on “English”) Description: In addition to gaming within the casino, Casino Velden is the only casino in Austria to offer gambling outdoors, in a lakeside pavilion, on the shore of Lake Wörthersee. Hours: Main: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino from noon Slot Machines: 180; 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: 1 French roulette, 8 American roulette, 5 blackjack, 1 big six wheel Poker: 1 table Entertainment: Recitals, performance art Restaurants: 1, accommodates up to 80 Accommodations: No Admission Charge:

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Description: Alpine architecture 19,320-square-foot casino (including bar and small restaurant). Language: German. Hours: Main: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily, except closed Christmas Eve; Jackpot Casino from noon Slot Machines: 81; 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: 1 French roulette, 7 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 1 baccarat/chemin-de-fer table, 1 punto banco Poker: 2 hold’em tables. Tournaments: Poker Winter Challenge (7-stud) in January, preceded by singletable satellites in December. Poker Masters (part of the wider competition that extends across other Casinos Austria) in June. 7- Stud Winter Challenge in January. Poker Party in November. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: Casino is in the hotel, which has 42 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper for men; none for women Bonus: In addition to the usual €25 chips for €21 deal, also get a glass of sparkling wine and a casino tour. Men’s night on Mon., with whisky and cigar sampling and prize drawings. Regular tournaments: slot machines, blackjack, baccarat (including Baccarat World Championships in October), and roulette.

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Address: Casinohotel Karwendelhof, Bahnhofstraße 124, Seefeld, Tirol 6100, Austria Phone: +43 5212 2340; fax: +43 5212 2340 222 Website: www.seefeld.casinos.at (click on “English”)

No Dress Code: Proper for men; none for women Bonus: “Mystery car” jackpot at slots. Openair bar with a view of the lake and live music in the summer. Disco-Club Le Cabare accommodates up to 300 guests. Slot tournaments, preceded by daily points competitions, with daily award of a digital camera. In November final, first prize is a car, second through tenth a watch. Men’s night on Mon., with free glass of Villacher Märzenbier, free entry to “Blackjack Academy,” and prize drawings for watches, tournament entries, hotel packages, etc.

VIENNA

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Vienna (population 1.6 million), the capital, is in southeastern Austria on the Danube. Vienna is famous for the charm of a long bygone empire, and impressive baroque and rococo style architecture and palaces. Called the City of Music because composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and Strauss lived and wrote their music there, Vienna is known for its coffeehouses, cuisine, and historical sites.

577. Casino Wien

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Address: Palais Esterházy, Kärntner Straße 41, Vienna, Wien 1010, Austria Phone: +43 1 512 4836; fax: +43 1 512 4836 21222 Website: www.casino-wien.at (click on “English”) Description: The casino has an area of 27,665 square feet, including the 5,920 square feet of the Jackpot Casino. Hours: Main 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; Jackpot Casino: slots 10 a.m.–3a.m, American roulette and blackjack from 1 p.m. Slot Machines: 215 (including 111 in Jackpot Casino) 2 tropical stud poker Table Games: Main: 4 French roulette, 6 American roulette, 7 blackjack, 1 punto banco; Jackpot Casino: 1 American roulette, 1 blackjack Poker: 1 7-stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper for men; none for women Bonus: Ladies’ day Wed., with welcome chips worth €25, welcome drink, and special offers for €21. Men’s night on Mon., with free glass of beer and prize drawing for watch. Book readings, artist exhibitions.

Bulgaria The Republic of Bulgaria (population 7.5 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is bordered by Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia to the west, Romania to the north, and the Black Sea to the east. The Danube forms Bulgaria’s northern border with Romania. The capital and largest city is Sofia. Bulgaria joined NATO March 29, 2004, and will join the European Union January 1, 2007. The official currency is the lev (BGN), made up of 100 stotinki (single, stotinka). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 1.51 leva; 1 lev was worth 66.3¢ US.


SOFIA Sofia (population 1.2 million) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria.

578. Viva! Casino Sofia

VARNA Varna (population 350,000), Bulgaria’s third-largest city (after Sofia and Plovdiv), is an eastern port city on the Black Sea coast.

579. Grand Casino Varna and Grand Hotel Varna Address: St. “Constantine” Resort, Varna 9006, Bulgaria Phone: +359 52 362831, +359 52 362833; fax: +359 52 362834 Website: www.grandcasinovarna.bg Email: [email protected] Description: 21,500-square-foot casino, 550 feet from the beach in the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of St. Constantine, 6 miles from Varna. Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. noon–3 a.m. or 4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–5 a.m.; tables Sun.–Thu. 8 p.m.–3 a.m. or 4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–5 a.m. (later hour based on demand) Slot Machines: 80: Video slots, video poker Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub with floorshow. Dance evenings, jazz concerts, folklore shows, national cuisine evenings. Restaurants: 5: From casual snacks to fine cuisine, including a coffee shop in the casino; 5 bars Accommodations: 5-star hotel with 327 rooms, including 35 suites Family Amenities: Children’s shows in hotel. 6-lane air-conditioned bowling alley. Admission Charge: Unspecified Dress Code: No Bonus: Free bar for casino guests. Junkets available. Spa

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Email: [email protected]; hotel reservations: [email protected] Description: The casino is located in the Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan–Bulgaria, within walking distance of the business and commercial district and government offices. The casino was recently renovated to look like other Viva! casinos. Hours: 2 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: 9: 4 American roulette, 2 blackjack Poker: 1 table. Best hand of the day award. Entertainment: Angels Nightclub has live entertainment and dancing (10:30 p.m.–5 a.m.); piano bar Restaurants: 2: Preslav (fine dining; Mon.–Fri. 7 p.m.–11 p.m.), Balkan (theme restaurant, International cuisine; 7 a.m.–10:45 p.m.); also, bar, nightclub Accommodations: 188 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Babysitting Admission Charge: Unspecified Dress Code: No Bonus: Close proximity to the Natural History Museum, National Museum of Archaeology, and National Art Museum. Free airport pickup. Roulette tournaments. Meeting and event facilities with seating from 8–230. The 4th-century St. George Rotunda is located in the interior court between the hotel and the Presidential Palace. Fitness center, saunas, barber, and beauty salon. Business center with Internet service.

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Address: Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan, 5 Sveta Nedelya Square, Sofia, 1000 Bulgaria Phone: +359 2 981 6541, +359 2 986 3501; +fax: 359 2 980 6464 Website: www.groupviva.com (click on “Casinos”)

center with hot springs and curative treatments. 1 indoor, 3 outdoor pools. Fitness center, 4 clay tennis courts, squash hall, Olympic-size floodlit football field for year-round use, and multipurpose sports hall.

Croatia

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The Republic of Croatia (population 4.5 million) is a boomerang-shaped country, formerly part of Yugoslavia, bordered on the west by the Adriatic Sea, the northwest by Slovenia, the northeast by Hungary, the west by Yugoslavia, and it wraps around much of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The capital and largest city is Zagreb. The official currency is the kuna (HRK or kn), made up of 100 lipa. At the time of this writing, the US dollar was worth 5.75 kuna; 1 kuna was worth 17.4¢ US. Casino gambling is regulated by the Croatian Gaming Board. Croatia has 14 casinos, 6 in Zagreb, and the rest in the towns of Buje, Novigrad, Porec, Umag, Opatija, and Cavtat. The Umag casino, Casino Solei, is one of the few European land-based casinos to also run an online casino. Casino patrons must be at least 18.

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BUJE Buje (population 5,300) is on the peninsula of Istria in the east of Croatia, in the northwest of the country very close to the Gulf of Venice of the Adriatic Sea. Buje is 25 miles south of Trieste, Italy, and just south of the border with Slovenia.

580. Casino Mulino ˇ Address: Skrile 75a, 52460 Buje, Croatia Phone: +385 52 725 300; fax: +385 52 725 333 Website: www.mulino.hr Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is about 5 miles northwest of Buje, by the sea, 3 miles from the Slovenian border at Portorozˇ , 6 miles from Umag, and 22 miles south of Trieste, Italy, on the road that goes along the Slovenian coast towards the Istrian coast. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 3 p.m.–3:30 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., holidays, 1 p.m.–3:30 a.m.; Sun. 1 p.m.–3:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 130: €0.05–€15, €0.20–€25 Table Games: 25: 1 French roulette (€5–€400), 8 American roulette (€2–€400), 4 blackjack (€5–€2,000), 3 punto banco (€50–€5,000), 5 Caribbean Stud (€5–€2,000; with progressive jackpot), 1 craps (€5–€500), 3 electronic roulette (€0.50–€25, €1–€50) Poker: No Entertainment: Shows, cabarets, and international artists. Piano bar. Restaurants: 1: Fine dining Accommodations: Hotel Mulino was scheduled to open in 2005. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Salle priveé. Accepts Visa, Diners, and MasterCard. All main currencies accepted at applicable exchange rates. Swimming pool, beach, and nearby spa.


OPATIJA Opatija (population 7,900), on the east coast of the Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, is on the north end of the Gulf of Kvarner of the Adriatic and is a popular summer and winter resort.

581. Casino Opatija

Czech Republic Shortly after the “velvet revolution” of 1988, casinos opened in the Czech Republic, starting with Karlovy Vary. Initially, only hard currencies were permitted (U.S. dollars, German marks, Austrian schillings), but the laws changed and gambling was permitted in the local currency. Change came again when the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union in May 2004. The Czech koruna is still widely used, with some casinos accepting both euros and koruna and others only koruna. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth CZK 23; CZK was worth 4.3¢. The laws still state that only Czech companies may operate casinos. While the operating company can be a joint venture with foreign interest, Czech interest must have the majority control. These laws were in a state of flux at the time of this writing, with a movement afoot to toughen gaming regulation. The minimum age to enter a casino in the Czech Republic is 18.

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the modern Grand Hotel Adriatic, in the midst of the Opatija Riviera. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 10: 6 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud, 2 poker, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Theater performances, shows Restaurants: 3: Main restaurant (room for over 500), Fortuna, Nimfa (fine dining) Accommodations: 301 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Small pets permitted. Indoor heated seawater swimming pool. Convention hall for conferences of up to 550; meeting rooms able to accommodate 20–120. Hotel has a private beach. Saunas, tennis courts, hairdresser, and massage.

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Address: M. Tita 200, 51410 Opatija, Croatia Phone: +385 (0)51 719 000; fax: +385 (0)51 719 015, +385 (0)51 719 025 Website: www.hotel-adriatic.hr

BRNO Brno (population 1,125,000), the second-largest city of the Czech Republic, is located in the Czech wine-producing region of central Moravia; it is 115 miles southeast of Prague and 60 miles north of Vienna. The old part of the city contains Spilbeck Castle and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Every June, an international fireworks competition called Ignis Brunensis is held in Brno. The show regularly attracts more than 200,000 spectators. Brno has several small casinos.

582. Casino Grand Brno Address: Grandhotel Brno, Benesova 18/20, Brno 657 83, Czech Republic Phone: +420 542 211 861 Website: www.czechcasinos.cz/serv03.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: Moderate first-class hotel and small European-style casino operated by Casinos Austria located downtown near the railway station, 6 miles from Brno Airport. All gaming is with the Czech koruna. Hours: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 9 Table Games: 8: 4 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 1 Oasis Stud Poker, 1 electronic multiroulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: 102 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper dress Bonus: VIP gaming area, lounge area. Accepts major credit cards.

CESKA KUBICE Ceska Kubice is a tiny town right across the German border from the town of Furth im Wald, about 100 miles northeast of Munich.

583. American Chance Casino Address: Furth im Wald, Ceska Kubice, 345 32, Czech Republic Phone: +420 379 792 011 Website: www.american-chance-casinos.com/en/ceska Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is about 1.2 miles from the German border. After an interior renovation in 2002, the casino décor displays a “Chicago during the Golden ’20s” theme, including a street façade with a barbershop and a whiskey distillery shop. Hours: Slots: 12 p.m.–6 a.m.; table games: Mon.–Fri. 3 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 12 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 46 Table Games: Casino stud poker (some tables with bonus feature, some with progressive jackpot, some with “Extra Plus” variant—see casino stud poker in glossary), Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, red dog, blackjack, American roulette, electronic roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Varies throughout the year; including Prohibition Party, Turkish Nacht, Oktoberfest Weekend; fashion shows Restaurants: 1 (regional and international cuisine; menu available on website) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Sun.–Fri. €10, Sat. €20 (returned in the form of playing chips) Dress Code: No Bonus: Players are reimbursed admission charge in chips that can be immediately used for play. Free buffet. Free gaming lessons. Starter roulette game with minimum bets of €1 at 4 p.m. daily. Free drinks to active players. Cash giveaways.


584. Casino Savoy

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino located in a nature preserve. Newly opened slot-restaurant Bayerwald Spielstub’n on premises with more gaming facilities. Hours: Daily 6 p.m.–4 a.m. (slots 6 a.m.); Sat.–Sun 3 p.m.–4 a.m. (slots 6 a.m.); Slot-restaurant Bayerwald Spielstub’n (with 20 slot machines and multiroulette): daily 6 p.m–4 a.m. (slots 6 p.m.–6 a.m.); Sat.–Sun noon–4 a.m. (slots noon–6 a.m.) Slot Machines: 20+ Table Games: 12: 5 American roulette, 5 blackjack/Oasis Stud Poker, multiroulette; touch bet roulette. Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge area. Various celebrations throughout the year, including Spring Ball, Film/Cocktail party, Mexico party, etc. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Mon.–Wed. €10, Thu.–Sun. €15. Dress Code: No Bonus: Major credit cards accepted. Casino operated by Casinos Austria.

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Address: Horni Folmava 9, Ceska Kubice 345 32, Czech Republic Phone: +420 379 793 046 Website: www.czechcasinos.cz/casino1.htm

Haté is on the border with Austria, 40 miles northwest of Vienna.

585. American Chance Casino–Route 59 Address: Znojmo, Haté, 669 02, Czech Republic Phone: +420 515 230 830 Website: www.american-chance-casinos.com/en/route59 Email: [email protected] Description: Route 59 Casino, named after part of the trans-European autoroute between Vienna and Prague on which it is situated, lies in the small town of Haté, in the heart of the tax-free zone between the Czech and Austrian border crossings. Hours: Mon.–Wed. noon–7 a.m.; from Thu. noon–Mon. 7 a.m. the casino is open all the time Slot Machines: 60 Table Games: Casino stud poker (some tables with bonus feature, some with progressive jackpot, some with “Extra Plus” variant—see casino stud poker in glossary), Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, red dog, blackjack, American roulette, electronic roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Various throughout the year including Robinson Weekend and Oktoberfest. Restaurants: 1: Regional and international cuisine. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €10 (returned in the form of playing chips) Dress Code: No Bonus: Free buffet. Free drinks to active players. All tables monitored by cameras. Parking lot also monitored by cameras.

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HATÉ

KARLOVY VARY Karlovy Vary (population 55,000), also known as Carlsbad, is in the West Bohemian hills on the warm-water Tepla River, 65 miles west of Prague and 12 miles south of the German border. It is one of the best-known spa towns in Europe, with 13 main active thermal springs and over 300 smaller ones. The hottest spring, Vrídlo, is 163° F. The city is famous for the yearly Karlovy Vary International Film Festival held in July.

586. Pupp Casino Club & Grandhotel Pupp Address: Mirove Namesti 6, Karlovy Vary 360 91, Czech Republic Phone: +420 353 224 157 Website: www.czechcasinos.cz/serv02.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: Palatial hotel and 7,000-square-foot casino. Uses the euro and the Czech koruna as currency. Hours: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 16 Table Games: 8: 4 American roulette, 3 blackjack, 1 Oasis Stud Poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 250 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Bars, restaurants, golf, tennis, casino, and thermal facilities nearby. Accepts major credit cards.

MARIÁNSKÉ LÁZNÛ Mariánské Láznû (population 16,000; Marienbad in German) is a spa town in Bohemia, 70 miles southeast of Prague and 8 miles from the German border.

587. Casino Bellevue Marienbad Address: Anglicka 281, Marienbad 353 01, Czech Republic Phone: +420 354 628628; FAX +420 354 628627 Website: www.casino-bellevue.de/v1/en/ Email: [email protected] Description: One of the most elegant casinos in Europe, it and the hotel were built in 1835 by the noted architect Johannes Kroha and in 1996 carefully refurbished. The marble foyer, huge marble columns, 1835 crystal chandelier, and gold-leafed ceilings give evidence of the Belle Époque society’s golden times. Casino Bellevue is a state-licensed house under German management. Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 12: 2 French roulette, 6 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 multiroulette machine, 1 Let It Ride, 1 red dog. Betting ranges: €1–€3,500, €5–€7,000, €10–€7,000; 50–35,000 Czech korunas. Most tables have betting in euros; some are in Czech korunas. Poker: No Entertainment: Live concerts Restaurants: Restaurant noted beyond Czech border for quality of its food. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €10 (returned in the form of playing chips) Dress Code: No Bonus: Secured car parking. The casino also provides daily transportation from Nürnberg ZOB (central bus station) and other German towns by its own bus, with fare reimbursements in casino tokens. Regular meal and free admission promotions. Ladies’ day Thu., with free

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE entry and a glass of sparkling wine. The casino accepts all convertible foreign currencies and Eurochecks and Telecredit.

PRAGUE Prague (population 1,200,000; Praha in Czech), on the Vlatava River in the heart of Bohemia, is the Czech Republic’s largest city and its capital. The city is a cosmopolitan metropolis renowned for its history and beauty.

Email: Contact form on website Description: Banco Casino is housed in a building on the border between the Old and New Towns, on what is known as the 18th most expensive street in the world. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room: 8 p.m. to “breakfast time” Slot Machines: 25 Table Games: 9: 4 roulette ($1–$200), 3 blackjack ($5–$500), 1 Spanish 21 ($5–$500), 1 Caribbean Stud ($5–$500). Poker: Newly opened Golden Prague Poker Room offers limit and pot-limit hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Bonus: At this writing, new customers get 10 percent cash back on their first deposit. Junkets offered to VIP players. With a minimum deposit of $5,000, plus commitment to a certain number of hours of play, players get meals, travel expenses, and so on reimbursed. See website. Sportsbook planned; may already be open.

589. Casino de Prague Le Hilton Address: Pobrezni 1, Prague, Czech Republic 186 00 Phone: +420 224 810 988; hotel reservations: 1–800–HILTONS Website: search the site at www.hilton.com Description: Superior first class hotel and casino. Located in the city center, 1.2 miles from the old town and 2.6 miles from Prague Castle. Hours: 2 p.m.–6 a.m. daily. Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, pontoon Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1. Accommodations: 788 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Nightclub, lounges, health club, tennis, gym, sauna, solarium, and swimming pool

590. Casino Palais Savarin Address: Na Prikope 10, Praha, hlavní mesto ˇ 110 00 Phone: +420 224 221 636 Website: www.czechcasinos.cz/serv01.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Palais Savarin is located in an architecturally beautiful building, the

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Address: Na Príkope 27, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic Phone: +420 221 967 380, +420 224 223 105; fax: +420 221 967 369; cardroom: +420 221 967 377 Website: www.bancocasino.cz/en/default.asp

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588. Banco Casino

Palais Sylva Taroucca. More commonly known as Palais Savarin, the baroque/rococo structure dates back to 1745. Gaming currencies: Czech koruna, USD, euros. Hours: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. daily. Slot Machines: 8 Table Games: 15: 6 American roulette, 5 blackjack, 1 Oasis Stud Poker, 1 pontoon, 1 touch bet roulette, three-card poker Poker: 1 table: 7-stud Entertainment: None listed Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Poker lessons for beginners. Major credit cards accepted. Salon privé.

591. Henry Casino–Hotel Jalta Address: Vaclavske Namesti 45, Prague, Czech Republic 110 00 Phone: +420 222 822 862 Website: www.jalta.cz

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Email: Inquiries: Katerina Danková, Sales Director: [email protected] Description: Moderate deluxe hotel and European-style casino located in the city center on Wenceslas Square, 12.5 miles from the Ruzyne Airport (PRG) Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 6 Table Games: 10: American roulette baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker: 1 table Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 89 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Conference center caters for all occasions, from press conferences and business meetings to fashion shows, wedding banquets, and cocktail parties. Special hotel packages include concerts, tours, public transportation, etc.

592. Millennium Casino Address: V Celnici 10, Praha, Czech Republic 117 21 Phone: +420 224 231 886; +420 224 234 533 Website: www.millenniumcasino.cz Email: General Manager: Christian Kettner [email protected] Description: Inside the Marriott Hotel. Both table games and slot machines can be played in Czech korunas, U.S. dollars, and euros. Hours: 3 p.m.–4 a.m. (Fri.–Sat. until 5 a.m.) Slot Machines: 48 Table Games: 16: 6 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 2 casino stud poker, 2 pontoon Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Marriott Hotel, 300 rooms Family Amenities: Bowling alley Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual, with tailored shorts permitted to 8 p.m. during summer Bonus: Platinum Card rewards card. Free parking for qualified players. Cash desk accepts major credit cards and does not charge commission on transactions. Staff available to explain the table rules or answer any questions. Complimentary bar services (nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages) for active players. Free taxi service for return trip. Platinum Card members receive full food and beverage service in the casino, chauffeured limousine service to and from the casino, personal invitations to Prague’s most exclusive restaurants, and many more benefits. Bowling alley and shops in the same building complex.


593. VIP Club Casino–Ambassador Hotel

Email: [email protected] Description: Tourist class hotel and 2,400-square-foot European-style casino. On Wenceslas Square in the city center, a third of a mile from the train station, 7 miles to Ruzyne Airport (PRG). U.S. dollars are the currency for the casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 5 Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Night Club Goldfingers: Luxury night club with live show Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 147 rooms Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Conference facilities can accommodate up to 1500 people, including 8 meeting rooms. Reserve rooms on the website for a 50 percent discount.

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Address: Vaclavske Namesti 5–7, 111 24 Prague, Czech Republic Phone: +420 224 193 111; fax: +420 224 226 167 Website: www.ambassador.cz/entertain_en.html

Rozvadov is near the German border, just across from Waidhaus, 65 miles northeast of Nuremberg.

594. American Chance Casino–Rozvadov Address: Waidhaus, Rozvadov, 348 07, Czech Republic Phone: +420 374 795 295 Website: www.american-chance-casinos.com/en/rozvadov Email: [email protected] Description: The recently renovated Rozvadov Casino, located just inside the RozvadovWaidhaus border crossing, features a South Seas motif. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m.–6 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 4 p.m.–7 a.m. Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: Casino stud poker (some tables with bonus feature, some with progressive jackpot, some with “Extra Plus” variant—see casino stud poker in glossary), Let It Ride, pai gow poker, three-card poker, red dog, blackjack, American roulette, electronic roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Various throughout the year, including Ladies’ Night, Italian Night, Oktoberfest Weekend Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €10 (returned in the form of playing chips) Dress Code: No Bonus: Players are reimbursed admission charge in chips that can be immediately used for play. Free buffet. Free drinks to active players. Cash and car giveaways.

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ROZVADOV

STRAZNY Strazny sits near where the German, Austrian, and Czech borders meet, just across from Philippsreut, Germany, 105 miles northeast of Munich.

595. Ingo Casino—Strazny Address: Strazny, Strazny, 38443, Czech Republic Phone: +420 388 437 011; fax: +420 388 437 014 Website: www.ingo-casino-strazny.de (German)

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Email: [email protected] Description: Small, intimate casino with German management, furnished with equipment from several European countries Hours: 3 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 14 Table Games: 13: 8 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 1 French roulette Poker: 2 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €15 (returned in the form of playing chips) Dress Code: No Bonus: Players are reimbursed admission charge in chips that can be immediately used for play. Regular dining specials.

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TEPLICE Teplice (population 53,000), 45 miles northwest of Prague, 10 miles from the German border, and 25 miles south of Dresden, claims to have the oldest known curative springs in Europe, dating back to 762. The healing powers of the spa have long attracted many visitors and lent an international flavor to the town.

596. Casino 777 Teplice Address: Filharmonie U Zámku 1, Teplice, 415 01, Czech Republic Phone: +420 417 539 998; fax: +420 417 539 997 Website: www.casino777.cz/english/C-Teplice.html Email: [email protected] Description: 4,300-square-foot casino is located a short walk from the spa area. The building housing the casino was once a royal residence. Casino was renovated in 2003. Members of the staff speak both English and German; someone who speaks only English will get along fine. Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily; terrace, slots: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. daily (only in summer); closed Christmas eve Slot Machines: 10: Reel, video, video poker Table Games: 9: 4 American roulette (3 CZK: 25–2,000 straight up, 1 EUR currency: €1–€20), 3 blackjack (2 CZK: 100–5,000, 1 EUR: €2–€200), 2 Caribbean Stud (1 CZK: 100–1,000, 1 EUR: €2–€100) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1–2: Garden café terrace open 1 p.m.–4 a.m. (only in summer); Coctail (Italian restaurant across the street; Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–6 a.m.) Accommodations: No; but patrons can stay at Hotel Prince de Ligne, 150 feet from casino Family Amenities: Fun fair for children on garden café terrace (only in summer) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Not strict; casual is appreciated Bonus: All major cards accepted. Of special historical interest are architectural details of the casino, like the

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE original frescoes on the ceiling. Located adjacent to the old royal gardens, the quaint surroundings of the building are popular with tourists. Free refreshments (soft drinks).

ZLÍN Zlín, the business center of eastern Moravia, is in the east of the Czech Republic, 47 miles east of Brno and 20 miles from the border with Slovakia.

597. Casino 777 Zlin-Ondras

Denmark The kingdom of Denmark, which consists of most of Northern Europe’s Jutland peninsula as well as several islands in the North and Baltic Seas, is part of Scandinavia. Denmark’s parliament voted to permit casino operations relatively recently, in 1990; as such, the country does not have as many gaming facilities as some other European countries. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately 5.8 kroner (DKK or kr). Denmark has a minimum gambling age of 18.

AALBORG Aalborg (population of municipal area 163,000) is one of Denmark’s most prominent cities, located in the north of the Jutland peninsula, about 240 miles north of Hamburg, Germany. Tourists appreciate Aalborg’s Limfjord oysters and handmade schnapps.

598. Casino Aalborg Address: Ved Standen 14–16, Aalborg, Nordjylland 9000 Phone: +45 9810 155 0 Website: www.casino-aalborg.dk Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino located in the city center, minutes from the airport Hours: Sun.–Thu. 8 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Small, intimate casino operated by Casinos Austria, with a warm club-like atmosphere; short distance from the city center. Casino is located in hotel. Casino currency is CZK. Hours: 8 p.m.–5 a.m. daily; slots 1 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 8 Table Games: 5: 2 American roulette (CZK25–18,000), 1 blackjack (CZK100–3,000), 1 multiroulette (10 terminals), 1 Oasis Stud Poker (CZK100–1,000) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 166 rooms; 3-star hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Not strict; smart-casual is appreciated Bonus: Major cards accepted. Meeting facility; sauna; swimming pool.

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Address: Kvitkova 4323, Hotel Ondras, Zlín, Czech Republic 760 01 Phone: +420 577 211 576; fax: +420 577 212 077 Website: www.casino777.cz/english/C-Zlin.html

Slot Machines: 40: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 kr. Table Games: 7: Blackjack, roulette, touch bet roulette Poker: Hold’em (spread-limit 50 kr.–200 kr.; small blind 25 kr., big blind 50 kr., buy-in 2,000 kr.) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 8 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: 50 kr. Dress Code: Jackets suggested for men Bonus: Features occasional blackjack tournaments.

ÅRHUS Århus (population 220,200), also spelled Aarhus, is a large, modern, university city on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula.

599. Royal Scandinavian Casino

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Address: Store Torv 4, Aarhus, Århus 8000 Phone: +45 8619 212 2 Website: www.royal-casino.dk

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino located in the city’s downtown area Hours: Sun.–Wed. 2 p.m.–3 a.m.; Thu.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 60: 1 kr.–180 kr.; 50 slots (return up to 91.7 percent), 10 touch bet roulette Table Games: American roulette, blackjack Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha. Bad beat jackpots. Thu. tournaments. Entertainment: Nightclub Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 106 rooms Admission Charge: Free entry before 7 p.m.; 50 kr. after Dress Code: Proper Bonus: City offers a wide array of music and entertainment options.

COPENHAGEN Copenhagen (city population 604,000; metro population 1,328,000), Denmark’s capital, is on Zealand, Denmark’s largest island, located between the Jutland peninsula and Sweden. The city’s crisscrossing canals, small streets, and long history make it a perennially popular tourist destination.

600. Casino Copenhagen Address: Amager Boulevard 70, c/o Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel, Copenhagen S, København (City) Phone: +45 3396 596 5; fax: +45–33 965 966 Website: www.casinocopenhagen.dk Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Copenhagen’s gold and glass ceiling has been the setting for many premiere events and film shootings. Most recently, the casino has hosted the Danish premieres of James Bond films, welcoming actor Pierce Brosnan as a guest. Operated by Casinos Austria International, the casino has 16,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily; closed Dec. 24; open Dec. 25, 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 140 Table Games: 32: 10 American roulette, 1 Viking Poker, 10 touch bet roulette, 1 punto banco, 9 blackjack with Super 7 Poker: 2 tables: Hold’em. Host of the Scandinavian Open, a stop on the European Poker Tour. Entertainment: No Restaurants:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE 4 Accommodations: Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel (casino located within the hotel) has 542 rooms and suites. Admission Charge: Daily DKK 80, weekly DKK 200, monthly DKK 600, yearly DKK 1800 Dress Code: Jacket, no sportswear Bonus: Meeting facility. Swimming pool, shops, solarium, squash, and health club.

HELSINGØR Helsingør (population 60,000; English Elsinore), near Copenhagen on the island of Zealand, with Kronborg Castle east of the town, is famous as the locale of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Marienlyst is the oldest casino in Denmark. Built in 1902, it was originally a resort frequented by European royalty. The casino’s minimum and maximum bets are DKK 10 and DKK 50 respectively, although these amounts may vary from table to table. Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, mini punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: Hotel on site Admission Charge: Hotel guests receive free entrance; daily DKK 50, weekly DKK 100, monthly DKK 250, yearly DKK 1,000 Dress Code: Proper; T-shirts are permitted only with a jacket or sweater Bonus: Free taxi service from Helsingør; minimum 3 persons. Dealers conduct “casino seminars” for guests that want to learn how to play the facility’s games; DKK 85 per person. Various package deals available; refer to website.

ODENSE Located on the island of Fyn, Odense (population 184,000) is most famous for being the birthplace of beloved fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. The city, which dates from the early 10th century, is a major commercial and transportation center, linked with Odense Fjord by a deep-water canal.

602. Casino Odense Address: Claus Bergsgade 7, Odense, Fyn 5000 Phone: +45 66 14 78 10 Website: www.casinoodense.dk Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the Radisson SAS HC Anderson Hotel and Congress Center, Casino Odense is situated in central Odense and is a popular nighttime attraction. Operated by Casinos Austria International, the casino has 5,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: Weekends 7 p.m.–5 a.m., weekdays 7 p.m.–4 a.m.

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Address: Norde Strandvejen 2, Helsingør, Frederiksborg 3000 Phone: +45 4928 012 7 Website: www.casinomarienlyst.dk; hotel’s website: www.marienlyst.dk/ukhtml/ukindex.html

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601. Casino Marienlyst

Slot Machines: 39 Table Games: 11: 4 blackjack, 5 American roulette, 2 Oasis Stud Poker Poker: 1 table: 7-stud Entertainment: The casino is connected to the Odense Concert Hall, which is also used by the hotel as a conference center. Restaurants: 1: Hans Christian Accommodations: 148 rooms Family Amenities: The city’s Hans Christian Andersen Museum details the life and accomplishments of the revered writer. Admission Charge: Daily DKK 50, weekly DKK 100, monthly DKK 250, yearly DKK 1,000 Dress Code: Nice casual (no sportswear) Bonus: The hotel restaurant, Hans Christian, has an international reputation for its fine dining experience. Hotel has a fitness room with solarium and sauna. High-speed Internet access in every room and free access in the lobby. Meeting facilities for anywhere from 4–1,200. The Hans Christian Andersen children’s museum is less than 400 feet from the hotel.

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VEJLE Vejle is located on the Jutland peninsula’s east coast, approximately an hour from Copenhagen.

603. Casino Munkebjerg Vejle EUROPE

Address: Munkebjergvej 125, Vejle, Vejle 7100 Phone: +45 7643 500 0 Website: www.casinomunkebjerg.dk Email: Contact form on website Description: Hotel and casino in a beachside forest overlooking the Vejle River. The casino has 10,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily; closed December 24–25 Slot Machines: 66 Table Games: 14: 6 American roulette (DKK10–1,000), baccarat, 4 blackjack (DKK 20–5,000), chemin de fer, craps, 1 French roulette (DKK 10–350), 1 Oasis Stud Poker (DKK 50–1,000), punto banco, 2 Viking poker (DKK 20–1,000) Poker: 7-stud, hold’em. You can book seats in poker games online (if you speak Danish; see website). Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 148 rooms Admission Charge: 50 kr Dress Code: Casual; no gym shoes or T-shirts Bonus: Free gaming lessons in blackjack, roulette, and Oasis Poker. Golf, horseback riding, tennis court, swimming pool, and sauna. Major cards accepted. Meeting facility, sauna, and swimming pool.

Estonia The Republic of Estonia (population 1.4 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is separated from Finland by the Gulf of Finland, bordered by the Baltic Sea on the west, Latvia to the south, and Russia to the east. The capital is Tallinn. The currency of Estonia is the Estonian kroon (EEK), pegged to the euro at a rate of €1 = 15.64664 krooni. At the time of this writing, $1 = 11.97 EEK, and 1EEK = 8.4¢. Estonia has a large number of casinos that offer only slot machines. Often these establishments contain more slot machines than the “true” casinos (those that offer both table games and slot machines) but do not have table games. Gambling in Estonia is restricted to those 21 and older.


PÄRNU Pärnu (population 45,000) is 70 miles south of Tallinn on the Pärnu Laht, a bay of the Gulf of Riga, which extends between Estonia and Latvia from the Baltic Sea. Pärnu is a resort town known for its beaches and mud baths.

604. Mirage Casino

TALLINN Tallinn (population 400,000), the capital, largest city, and main seaport of Estonia, is on the country’s north Baltic coast, directly opposite the Gulf of Finland and 50 miles due south of Helsinki.

605. Casino Astoria-Palace Address: 5 Vabaduse Square, Tallinn, Harjumaa 10146, Estonia Phone: +372 641 8204 Website: www.montecarlo.ee/area-27.html Description: The casino, in the center of Tallinn, is an 80-year-old building originally built as the Gloria Palace cinema. It has 3 main rooms, a bar, gaming hall, and slot machine hall. Personnel speak English and Russian. Hours: Slots 24 hours, table games 6 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 50: Video reel, video poker; “mystery jackpot” Table Games: 5: Blackjack, Oasis Stud Poker, American roulette Poker: Several tournaments every week; check website for schedule. Estonian Open Championship takes place yearly in June, with 5 days of events in limit and no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, buy-ins ranging from 550 EEK to 1,750 EEK, and some with rebuys. The World Speed Poker Championship takes place in Nov. with 6 days of events, with buy-ins ranging from €80 to €2,000. Entertainment: Musical performances, shows, and lotteries in the performance hall Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free gaming lessons. Monthly backgammon tournaments. Wi-Fi Internet access available throughout casino. Currency exchange. Chips can be purchased with credit card.

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Description: Casino Mirage is in the center of Pärnu, on the main street. Personnel speak English and Russian. Hours: Slots 7 a.m.–6 a.m., tables 6 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Blackjack, American roulette Poker: Separate poker room for open games Entertainment: Mirage nightclub Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: 15 minutes walking distance to seaside. Chips can be purchased with credit card.

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Address: Rüütli 40, Pärnu, Estonia Phone: +372 44 31 230 Website: www.montecarlo.ee/area-28.html

606. Bally’s Casino Address: Köleri 2, 10150 Tallinn Phone: +372 606 1950, fax: +372 662 0951 Website: www.ballys.ee/?&setlang=eng

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Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the center of Tallinn at the start of the Kadriorg area, the casino occupies 4 floors of a luxurious 19th century building. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Reel, poker (deuces wild and bonus poker), keno; linked and progressive jackpots, including BMW automobiles; 3 different jackpot systems, with winnings up to a few million EEK Table Games: 8 (5 on third floor and 3 in VIP room on second): Roulette, blackjack, Oasis Poker, royal poker, Casino Hold’em Poker, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge with nationally known performers Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 3 luxury suites on the top floor Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sports clothes; “proper summer clothes” permitted in summer, but “respectable clothes” requested in the evening Bonus: Bally’s Casino Silver and Gold rewards cards, for slot play and token purchase. VIP room. The casino provides a table and dealer for company events, get-togethers, and private parties, with participants receiving free game play instructions and also being able to play for free. First drink while playing is free. Free parking. Bank cards accepted.

607. Casino London Address: Mere street 8b, Tallinn 10111, Estonia Phone: +372 667 4698 Website: www.casinolondon.ee/english Email: [email protected] Description: Casino London, which first opened in Hotel Metropol on September 2, 1999, has an English atmosphere and is located in the heart of Tallinn, 3 miles from airport. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–6 a.m., tables 7 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 9: 1 EEK and 5 EEK; coin in or credit; video slots, video poker, video roulette Table Games: 4: 1 American roulette (single-zero), 2 blackjack (dealer stands on soft 17), 1 Caribbean Stud Oasis Poker Poker: No Entertainment: Night club on 8th floor of hotel, with bands and show every night Restaurants: 2: both in hotel; 80-seat à la carte restaurant (Mon.–Fri. 7–10 a.m., noon–10:30 p.m.; Sat.–Sun. 8–11 a.m., noon–10:30 p.m.), 60-seat café (7 a.m.–1 a.m.); also, lobby bar Accommodations: 144 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Bowling next door Admission Charge: No Bonus: Casino London rewards card. All suites have ISDN connection. Free wireless Internet connection (WIFI) available on 1st, 2nd, and 7th floor of hotel (including conference rooms). Summer terrace. Conference facilities for up to 70. Beauty salon. Saunas. Hotel offers accommodations for families, nonsmokers, disabled people, and those with allergies.


608. Reval Park Hotel & Casino

Finland Finland (population 5.19 million), a forested Scandinavian country with long winter nights and endless summer sunshine, has several small low-stakes roulette casinos but few large, full-service establishments. Some casinos require identification for entry and the minimum gambling age is 18. Finland uses the euro; at the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76.

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Email: [email protected]; poker information: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the Park Hotel. Casino employees speak Estonian, Russian, English, and Finnish. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; poker room is open on tournament days only, and then till 7 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 14: Roulette, blackjack, red dog, baccarat Poker: 3 tables, 7 for tournaments: Dealer’s choice, hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, sökö (mainly pot-limit, 1–2 percent rake, usually with a 100 EEK cap). Regular games, all dealer’s choice from the preceding list (all amounts in EEK): Tue. 9:30 p.m. (blinds 10–20, minimum buy-in 2,000, average pots 5,000), Wed. 7 p.m. (minimum buy-in 5,000, blinds 25–50, average pots 10–25,000), Thu. 9:30 p.m. (blinds 10–20, minimum buy-in 2,000, average pots 5,000), Sun. 10 p.m. (blinds 5–10, minimum buy-in 1,000, average pots 1,000). Bad beat jackpot, club jackpot. Regular tournaments several times weekly (usually Tue., Wed., Fri., Sun.), with buy-ins ranging from €3–€32, some with rebuys. See website for schedule. Baltic Open Championship, 5 days of events in May, all games, all limits, with buy-ins ranging from €100–€1,000, some with rebuys. Entertainment: Concerts and performances Restaurants: 1: Gourmet Accommodations: 211 rooms, including 2 suites and 3 rooms with private sauna Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Poker room can be booked for special group packages, complete with a tournament, followed by live play. Free gaming lessons can be booked online. Currency exchange. A Reval Park Hotel & Casino croupier holds the Guinness world record for length of time spinning a roulette wheel, 48 hours straight in Feb. 2005.

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Address: Kreutzwaldi 23, Tallinn, Estonia Phone: +372 630 5537 Website: www.olympiccasino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_27

HELSINKI Helsinki (population 560,000; metropolitan area 1.2 million), Finland’s capital, is an oldfashioned European city with elegant architecture and museums plus numerous parks and waterways. It is quickly becoming a popular European tourist destination.

609. Grand Casino Helsinki Address: Mikonkatu 19, Helsinki, Etelä-Suomen 00100, Finland Phone: +358 9 680 800; fax: +358 9 4370 8181 Website: www.grandcasinohelsinki.fi/en

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Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the Ramada Presidentti Hotel in downtown Helsinki close to the train station and airport, Grand Casino Helsinki offers an array of games and entertainment. The casino is on 2 floors and has 28,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: Upper table area noon–4 a.m.; lower table area 6 p.m.–4 a.m.; 363 days a year; poker 9 a.m.–4 a.m., except for tournaments, 7:15 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 300: Accept €1, €2 coins and notes from €10 to €500; also, electronic horse racing, touch bet roulette Table Games: 30 tables: American roulette (single zero), blackjack, Oasis Poker, pai gow poker, punto banco, 1 red dog, sic bo Poker: Hold’em, Omaha, sökö, 7-stud, dealer’s choice. Each game has a minimum buy-in, details of which are available from the poker pit. Tournaments several times per week, with buy-ins ranging from €20–€500; 2 international tournaments each year; check website for schedule. Entertainment: Nightclub; show and dinner program; free live music in bar Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 505 rooms Admission Charge: Day ticket with cloakroom service costs €2. Personal casino card for 1 year costs €10. Dress Code: Proper; for example, a black dress or a dark suit with a tie Bonus: Swimming pool, sauna. Grand Casino Helsinki, as part of RAY, Finland’s Slot Machine Association, distributes its profit, according to RAY’s founding principle, to support health and welfare work. More than 1,000 voluntary health and welfare organizations receive annual support from RAY.

France France has close to 300 casinos. Many are small, with just a few slots and the ubiquitous boule or punto banco, but some are quite large and luxurious, particularly those in resort towns such as Cannes and Nice. Unless otherwise mentioned, the minimum age for gambling is 18. Casino languages are usually French and English. France uses the euro; at the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76.


AIX-EN-PROVENCE Aix-en-Provence (population 130,000) is 19 miles north of Marseilles in central Provence. Aix-en-Provence is the historic, bourgeois capital of Provence, famous for its 17th-century avenue, the Cours Mirabeau, with fashionable cafés and boutiques.

610. Pasino Aix en Provence

BIARRITZ Biarritz (population 27,500) is a fashionable seaside resort at the edge of the Basque country, on the southwest Atlantic coast near the Spanish border. The picturesque fishing village offers lovely beaches, golf (including Europe’s most extensive golf training center), horseback riding, people watching, and antique shopping.

611. Casino Barrière de Biarritz Address: 1, avenue Edouard VII, BP 226, 64205 Biarritz Cedex Phone: (33) 05 59 22 77 77; fax: (33) 05 59 22 77 99 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/biar/index.asp Email: [email protected] Description: Deluxe 43,040-square-foot European style casino. Languages: French, English, and Spanish. Hours: Slots: 10 a.m.–3 a.m. during the week, 10 a.m.–3:30 a.m. Fri., Sat., public holiday, and all July and Aug.; boule: 8 p.m.–3 a.m. weekdays, 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Fri., Sat., public holidays, 5 p.m.–3 a.m. Sun.; table games: 7:30 p.m.–4 a.m. Mon.–Fri.; 6 p.m.–4 a.m. Sat., Sun. and the eves of public holidays Slot Machines: 2 slot machine areas: 220 slots (€0.1–€10) Table Games: 3 French roulette (€5–€150), 2 English roulette (€5–€100), 4 blackjack (€10–€500), 2 Caribbean Stud (€10 minimum), 1 punto banc (€20 minimum), boule Poker: No Entertainment: Events throughout the year: dancing, music, theme evenings, teams in fancy costume, and musical events

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Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant casino with traditional games room Hours: Games: Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 4 p.m.–3 a.m.; slot machines: 10 a.m.–3 a.m. (4 a.m. on Fri., Sat., and days preceding public holidays); boule: 9 p.m.–3 a.m. Mon.–Thu., 9 p.m.–4 a.m. on Fri., Sat., and days preceding public holidays, 3 p.m.–7 p.m. and 9 p.m.–3 a.m. on Sun. Slot Machines: 280 Table Games: French games: 3 French roulette, 1 30 et 40; English games: 4 English roulette, 3 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud, 3 boule (in slot room) Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts, world-famed artists, ballet, orchestra. Can book tickets online. Restaurants: 6: The Pasino has 4 themed restaurants; L’Oriental, L’Italien, La Mer (sea), and Le Japonais. Chef Jean-François Lemercier received the Meilleur Ouvrier de France award in 1993. Also, Grands Jeux restaurant and brasserie. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Conferences, exhibitions, seminars

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Address: 21 avenue de l’Europe, 13601 Aix en Provence Phone: (33) 04 42 59 69 00 Website: www.pasino-aixenprovence.com

Restaurants: 2: Le Baccara (first-class traditional cuisine prepared by chef Rémy Gouello with sea views from the games room; open from 7:30 p.m.), Le Quiniéla Café (relax over a drink in the slot machines area; open from 10 a.m.); also, Le Biarritz Latino (lounge cabaret bar; open from 10 p.m. Tue.–Sat.) Accommodations: Nearby 3-star Le President Hotel and Plaza Hotel. Others in the city. Admission Charge: €11 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Casino supports the Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque rugby club and the Biarritz Athlétic Club pelota club, international Cesta Punta showcase. The casino organizes the Golf Lucien Barrière cup and supports the international Makilas de Golf event in May and Oct. In the world of culture and local history, the Casino Barrière de Biarritz supports Bayonne bullfights, international bridge and mus tournaments, Andalusian festival, and the “Mémoires et Cultures” and “Mardis de l’Histoire” conferences.

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Everyone knows of Cannes (population 71,000), the favorite seaside playground for international jetsetters in the southeast of France on the Côte d’Azur of the Mediterranean. Much of its glittering reputation is due to the annual Cannes Film Festival in May. Cannes has three main casinos, and one in nearby Mandelieu-La-Napoule (population 16,500), 5 miles west, a beach resort with tennis courts, golf courses, and camping.

612. Casino Croisette Adress: 1, esplanade Lucien Barrière, BP 284 06406 Cannes Cedex Phone: (33) 04 92 98 78 00; fax: (33) 04 92 98 78 85 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/cann/casi_casino.asp Email: [email protected] Description: Largest casino in Cannes, dating to 1907, recently refurbished. Very elegant European decor, ideally situated in the heart of the Cannes Festival Hall. Hours: Slots, 10 a.m.–4 a.m. (5 a.m. holidays and summer); table games, 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 194 (€0.1–€10); 96 video poker (€0.1–€10); largest slot or video poker jackpot paid €50,000 Table Games: Craps, 4 blackjack (€5–€1000), 4 English roulette (€2.5–€1000), 3 French roulette (€2–€3000), 4 boule (€0.5–€20), Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Theater brings top international talents and shows. Dancing at Jimmy’z every day from 11 p.m. and tea dancing every Sun. from 3:30 p.m. Restaurants: 3, plus slot bar Accommodations: Several elegant hotels adjacent Admission Charge: €10 for games room. None in slots room. Dress Code: Elegant in games room. None in slots room. Bonus: One of the few French casinos with craps. VIP area at the International Film Festival. Sponsor of the famous Cannes philharmonic orchestra. Show jumping. Racing Club de Cannes (women’s and men’s volleyball). Variety Club International Regattas. International Dance Festival.


613. Casino de Mandelieu Address: 605 av. du Général De Gaulle, 06210 Mandelieu La Napoule Phone: (33) 04 92 97 70 00; fax: (33) 04 93 49 51 50 Website: www.accorcasinos.com/casinos/mandelieu.html Description: Casino located within the elegant Sofitel Mandelieu Royal Hotel Hours: Slots: noon–4 a.m., game room 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 248: Regular slots, 200; progressive, 6; video poker, 42 Table Games: 6 blackjack, 6 English roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret, tea dances Restaurants: 2 informal dining rooms; 3 bars Accommodations: 210 rooms Admission Charge: €7.5 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: On a private beach; water sports, pool, and health club

Email: Contact form on website Description: Modern 1992 hotel and casino, on the sea front in the “la Croisette” promenade. Deluxe 3,228-square-foot European-style casino. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Salon 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 100 slots, 30 video poker (€0.2–€5) Table Games: 14: 6 English roulette, 6 blackjack, 1 punto y banco, 1 craps Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4 restaurants/bars Accommodations: 234 rooms, including luxury suites Family Amenities: Standard in Hilton Hotels Admission Charge: €7 Dress Code: Proper in games room, casual in slots Bonus: Private beach, rooftop pool, and fitness center. Season year-round. Largest hotel conference facility in Cannes, with business and meeting facilities that can cater up to 1,200 guests; offers a complete service for exhibitions and meetings.

CHAMONIX Chamonix (population 9,600), at the base of Mont Blanc in Haute-Savoie on the FrenchSwiss border, is one of Europe’s best-known and most popular Alpine skiing resorts. The Mt. Blanc tunnel connects Chamonix with Italy.

615. Casino de Chamonix Address: 12 Place J.B. de Saussure, 74400 Chamonix Phone: (33) 04 50 53 07 65; fax: (33) 04 50 53 13 36 Website: www.accorcasinos.com/casinos/chamonix.shtml Description: Warm and relaxed atmosphere in the shadow of Mont Blanc Hours: Slots noon–3 a.m.; table games 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Open year round. Slot Machines: 82 slots (2 progressive) Table Games: 10: 4 blackjack, 4 English roulette, 2 French roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Orchestra Sat. evenings; themed evenings on Thu. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Several nearby, including 2 of Accor Hotels, the casino’s parent company Admission Charge: €8 Bonus: World Cup Skiing. Festival of the Sciences. All major currencies accepted at applicable exchange rates. Nearest airport is Geneva, 50 miles away.

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Address: 50 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, FR 06 414 Phone: (33) 04 92 99 70 00; fax: (33) 04 92 99 70 11 Website: www.cannes.hilton.com

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614. Grand Casino Riviera Noga Hilton Cannes

DEAUVILLE Deauville (population 5,000), next to Trouville on the Normandy coast of northwest France, 130 miles from Paris, 30 miles from Caen, is in an area called by some the “Riviera of Normandy.” Deauville became a summer resort to the Parisian aristocracy during the time of Napoleon III. The fashionable resort is active during a short period from mid-July through August when the “smart set” arrive for shopping, recreation, and entertainment. Visitors sail in regattas, play golf, tan on the beach, meet famous people, and gamble in the elegant casino. The highlight of the season is the late-August Grand Prix horse race. (Also see Trouville.)

616. Casino Barrière de Deauville

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Address: Societé des Hotels et Casino de Deauville, 2 Rue Edmond Blanc, BP 32400, 148002 Deauville Cedex Phone: (33) 02 31 14 31 14; fax: (33) 02 31 14 31 15 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/deau

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Email: [email protected] Description: Belle Epoque-style casino was built in 1912; the casino has 108,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: Slots: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–3 a.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; table games: Mon.–Thu. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri. 4 p.m.–3 a.m., Sat. 4 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 325: 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, €1, €2, €5, €10, €20; reel, tokenized, video, video poker, progressive jackpots Table Games: 23: 1 craps (€5–€500, €20–€2,000), 4 Caribbean Stud (€10–€100 minimums, €100–€1000 maximums), 3 French roulette (€5/€10/€20 minimums, €150/€300/€600 maximums), 4 English roulette (€2.5–€50, €25–€500), 6 boule, 10 blackjack (€5/€10/€20/€50/€100 minimums, €250–€5000 maximums) Poker: Although the casino does not have regular poker, it hosts the European Poker Tour French Open each year. Entertainment: 1,920-seat theater, with shows, concerts, revues. Cinema. Disco. Restaurants: 3. Le Plaza Café (slot room; same hours as slots), Le Brummel (Normandy specialties in a warm, elegant setting overlooking the sea; lunch and dinner; noon–2 p.m. and 7 p.m.–10:30 p.m. during the week; 7 p.m.–midnight Sat.), Le Cercle (table games room; 6 p.m.–2 a.m.); plus Le Regime’s Nightclub Accommodations: 3 hotels affiliated with the casino: Normandy Barriere; Royal Barriere, and Hotel du Golf Barriere (4-star luxury hotels) Family Amenities: Hotel Normandy Barriere is very family-orientated, offering babysitting, day care, children’s activities, and children’s menu. Admission Charge: Table games room: €12; entry to slots room is free Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Has hosted yearly American Film Festival (Festival du Cinema Américain) since 1975, early Sept. Annual Asian Film Festival. Annual jazz festival: “Swingin’ Deauville.” International bridge tournament. In the casino, the first drink is free. Room comps are given to “important and regular players.” Hotel du Golf Barriere has a 27-hole golf course. A second 27-hole golf course is nearby (St. Julien).


DIVONNE Divonne (population 5,500), on the border of France and Switzerland and 15 minutes (9 miles) from Geneva, is at the foot of the Jura mountains, facing Mont Blanc. Divonne is famous for its pure, healthful water, the medicinal properties of which have made the area an important spa region of France. Divonne offers a mild climate, beautiful countryside, sidewalk cafes, good shopping, fine hotels, and first class dining.

617. Casino de Divonne

ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS Enghien-les-Bains is a quiet spa town in Val d’Oise, 12 miles from Paris. The town is built around a lake and has thermal baths, a golf course, tennis courts, and a racetrack.

618. Casino d’Enghien-les-Bains Address: 3, Avenue de Ceinture, 95880 Enghien-les-Bains Phone: (01) 39 34 13 00.; fax: (01) 39 34 13 01 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/ceng/index.asp Email: [email protected] Description: Casino first opened 1901 Hours: Slot machines: 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; table games: 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 280 Table Games: 45: 2 punto banco, 3 stud poker, 4 French roulette, 20 English roulette, 12 blackjack, 4 chemin de fer Poker: No Entertainment: Jazz and other music in both gaming areas Restaurants: Le Baccara (in table games room; open daily from 8 p.m.–midnight) Entertainment: Jazz entertainment every Thu., Fri., Sat. 9 p.m.–midnight. Reservations recommended (+33 (0)1 39 34 13 00). Only table games room visitors may enter the restaurant. Accommodations: At nearby Grand Hotel d’Enghien and Hotel du lac d’Enghien Admission Charge: Entrance fee to slots: €10–€25; entrance fee to table games

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Email: [email protected] Description: 10 miles from Swiss border, 15 minutes from Geneva airport Hours: Slots Mon.–Fri. noon–3 a.m., Sat.–Sun. 11 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables 4 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 355 Table Games: French and English roulette, blackjack, boule, punto banco, casino stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: 700-person showroom featuring entertainers like Jerry Lee Lewis, Yvette Horner, and Billy Paul Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: Grand Hotel has 133 spacious rooms with views of Mont Blanc and Jura Mountains. Rooms equipped with balcony or terrace, mini-bar, safe, satellite TV channels, pay TV, radio, fax, ISDN modem, and Internet connections. Admission Charge: €10.50 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: As of this writing, Casino de Divonne has the European slot jackpot record: €1,312,518 for a €2.29 bet. Golf course and 3 tennis courts. Small theater, also used as cinema; chamber and orchestral music with world-renowned performers. Conducted excursions in mountains and beautiful countryside. Sailing on nearby artificial lake. Casino sponsors many of the town’s cultural events, including summer chamber music festival.

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Address: Avenue des Thermes, 01220 Divonne les Bains Phone: (33) 4 50 40 34 34; fax: (33) 4 50 40 34 24 Website: www.casinodivonne.com

room: €14 Dress Code: Formal dress required. No sportswear. Jacket and tie required in table games room. Bonus: Only casino in Ile-de-France. Enghien Jazz Festival. The 2004 festival included 75 concerts held over 5 days of festivities. Only slot machine room in the Paris region.

FORGES-LES EAUX Forges-les Eaux is halfway between Beauvais and Dieppe in the Seine Maritime.

619. Le Grand Casino Forges-les Eaux

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Address: Av. des Sources, BP 1, 76440 Forges-les-Eaux Phone: (02) 35 09 80 12; fax: (02) 35 09 61 15 Website: www.casinoforges.com/

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino complex 60 miles from Paris; closest casino in Normandy. European-style 4,950-square-foot casino. Casino languages: French and English. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–4 a.m., 5 a.m. Sat. and holidays; salon 9 p.m.–4 a.m., 4 p.m.–5 a.m. Sat. and holidays, 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Sun.; boule 9 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 260: 183 slots and 77 video poker. Table Games: 1 French roulette, 4 English roulette, 3 blackjack, 3 Caribbean Stud, chemin de fer, boule Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3, 1 luxury Accommodations: Hotel Continental has 49 rooms Admission Charge: €7 Dress Code: Elegant dress Bonus: Points reward program for slots and all games. Nearby Club Med, golf course.

LA BAULE La Baule is a fashionable resort located on a sheltered bay between Porcnichet and Le Pouliguen. The nearest airport, Nantes International, is 45 miles away. La Baule railway station connects by TGV (high-speed train) direct from Paris, Lille, Lyon, and Brussels.

620. Casino de la Baule Address: Esplanade Lucien Barrière, BP 108, 44503 La Baule Cedex Phone: (33) 02 40 11 48 28; fax: (33) 02 40 11 48 25 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/laba/index.asp Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and deluxe Las Vegas-style casino on the Atlantic Ocean beach Hours: Slot machines 10 a.m.–3 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends; table games 9 p.m.–3 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends Slot Machines: 200 (€0.1–€5), video poker. Largest slot jackpot paid: €22,700. Largest video poker jackpot paid: €20,000. Table Games: Tables 11 (minimum/maximum bet): 2 Caribbean Stud, 6 English roulette (€1/€200), 2 boule (€0.5/€20), 3 blackjack (€2/€100) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1; 3 in hotel Accommodations: Hotel Royal: 101 rooms, 9 suites Admission Charge: €7 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: 40 boutiques at hotel


MANDELIEU LA NAPOULE See Cannes.

MENTON Menton (population 26,000) is in the south of France, on the French Riviera, Côte d’Azur, 6 miles from Monte Carlo. With its mild and sunny winter climate, it is known as a traditional winter resort for elderly people. The Biennial International Art Exhibition is held in July and the Chamber Music Festival in August.

Email: [email protected] Description: Languages: French, Italian Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–3 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends; table games 8 p.m.–3 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends Slot Machines: 175 Table Games: (minimum bet): French roulette (€5), English roulette (€5), blackjack (€10), Caribbean Stud (€20) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Casino brasserie (salads, pasta, meat, and fish dishes; noon–2 p.m., 7 p.m.–10 p.m. daily), Restaurant des Jeux (gourmet cuisine with a Mediterranean touch in a cozy atmosphere, overlooking the sea; open from 8 p.m. every evening except Mon. and Tue.), Le Jackpot (cocktails, light meals in slot room; Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–3 a.m., 10 a.m.–4 a.m. weekends) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Table games room: €10 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Discotheque

NICE Nice (population 339,000) is on the Côte d’Azur of the French Riviera, and is the home of Le Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall, which houses Biblical paintings by Chagall and other artists. Nice is the birthplace of the renowned dish Salade Niçoise.

622. Palais de la Méditerranée Address: 15 Promenade des Anglais BP 1655, 06003 Nice Cedex 1, France Phone: casino information: (33) 04 92 14 68 08; fax: (33) 04 92 14 68 14; hotel reservations: (33) 04 92 14 77 00 Website: www.lepalaisdelamediterranee.com Email: casino: [email protected]; hotel: [email protected] Description: Elegant, luxurious 1930s hotel. Located near airport on Nice’s Bay of Angels. Behind its historic facade, the hotel-casino has been lovingly restored to its art deco splendor. Features an indoor-outdoor heated pool, solarium, fitness room, and sauna. Casino has separate entrance from hotel and is on 3 floors. Slot machine room is in Egyptian style, and gaming room in the style of France of the 1930s. Hours: 8 p.m.–5 a.m., year round

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Address: Avenue Félix Faure, BP 107, 06503 Menton Cedex Phone: (33) 04 92 10 16 16; fax: (33) 04 92 10 16 17 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/ment

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Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 15: Including 6 American roulette, 2 French roulette, 4 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts with headliners like Umberto Tozzi, Barbara Hendricks, and others Restaurants: 3: le Restaurant des Jeux (games room), La Frégate (southern France elegance; seats 60 indoors, 30 on terrace), Pingala Bar (light fare) Accommodations: 188 rooms, including 12 suites; 90 rooms have a sea view. Flat screen TV, DSL, WiFi. Family Amenities: Guests can rent game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, etc.) Admission Charge: €11 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Hotel provides swimming pool, fitness center, sauna, and steambath.

623. Casino Ruhl

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Address: Meridien Nice Hotel, 1 Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice Phone: (33) 04 97 03 12 22; fax: (33) 04 97 03 12 39 Website: www.guide-casino.com/Casino_Ruhl.php

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Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant medium-size European casino with main table room and separate slot room Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–4 a.m., weekends and holidays, 5 a.m.; table games, 8 p.m.–4 a.m. weekdays, 5 p.m.–5 a.m. weekends and holidays Slot Machines: 300: 161 slots (€0.2–€2), 139 video poker (€0.2–€10) Table Games: 3 boule (€1–€40), 5 French roulette (€5–€600), 6 English roulette (€5–€100), 5 blackjack (€20–€1000), 4 Caribbean poker (€20–€400), 2 punto banco (€20–€2000) Poker: 4 tables Entertainment: Las Vegas style cabaret Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 2 4-star hotels nearby: Grand Hotel Aston and Meridien Nice Hotel. Many others of all levels in Nice. Admission Charge: Mon.–Thu.: €10; Fri.–Sun. and holidays: €13; all weekend: €30 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: American bar, shops, and special events

PARIS Paris (population over 2 million; metropolitan area about 12 million), famed as the City of Lights, the capital of France, and largest city in the country, is a tourist’s delight. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, which divides into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to the south. The Seine is known for its tree-lined quais (walks along the river banks), open-air bookstalls, and historic bridges. Paris is famous for its wide boulevards, such as the Champs-Élysées, and for its many architectural gems. The Louvre is perhaps the best art museum in the world, and the Musée d’Orsay perhaps the best for modern art. You could spend years exploring the delights of Paris—and many do.

624. Aviation Club de France Address: 104, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 PARIS Phone: (33) 01 45 62 26 88 Website: www.aviationclubdefrance.com Email: [email protected] Description: Large (around 21,500 square feet) gaming area, considering that it is locat

ROYAN-PONTAILLAC The town once had three casinos, with the most recent still located on Pontaillac beach and managed by Groupe Lucien Barrière since 1986.

625. Casino Royan-Pontaillac Address: Esplanade de Pontaillac, 17200 Royan Phone: (33) 05 46 39 03 31; fax: (33) 05 46 39 39 51 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/croy Email: [email protected] Description: First-class European casino located on the esplanade overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, just a few minutes from the Royan train station and airport Hours: Slot machines 11 a.m.–3 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends; table games 8 p.m.–3 a.m,. 4 a.m. weekends; boule tables Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. and bank holidays 4 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 175; from €0.1–€10 Table Games: 2 boule (minimum €1), 4 English roulette (€2 minimum), 2 blackjack (€5 minimum), 1 Caribbean Stud (€10 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar, open from 10 p.m. every Sat. at l’Atlantic Café, plus every Sun. night in summer Restaurants: 2: Restaurant des Jeux Traditionnels (traditional French cuisine with a southern touch in a restaurant decorated in the style of an English country house library; open every evening), The Atlantic Café restaurant (overlooks the sea; authentic cuisine such as roasts and regional specialties from Charente; open every day) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Table games: €10 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Billiards, complimentary drinks, and dance floor. Meeting facility and nightclub.

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ed in the center of Paris. You walk in off the Champs-Élysées through a revolving door and climb elegant carpeted stairs to a reception area that leads to several gaming rooms and a magnificent restaurant. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: 3 POK’21 (blackjack Parisian style), 2 punto banco, 3 rami, 2 Caribbean Stud, 12 backgammon Poker: 20 tables. All popular kinds of poker, plus “Aviation” and “Courcheval” (5-card Omaha with first community card turned up immediately). Limit, no-limit, pot limit. Tournaments: 3 weekly tournaments. 4 international tournaments: Euro Final of Poker (IFOP), Feb. 1–15; Grand Prix of Paris, a World Poker Tour Event, during July; Paris Open of Poker (POP), during Sep.; Hold’em Series in Nov. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 gourmet restaurant, one of the best in Paris, with 3 large rooms. Open every day, and offering: English breakfast (6:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.); lunch (12 p.m.–3 p.m.); limited menu (3 p.m.–7 p.m.); dinner (7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.); classic and Chinese food (11:30 p.m.–6 a.m.). Accommodations: None, but the casino works with hotels, which offer discounts to ACF patrons, and helps clients with reservations. Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Located in the very heart of Paris on the most beautiful and well-known avenue in the world. Very close (700 feet) to l’Arc de Triomphe. This cardroom offers the only gambling allowed within Paris; casino gaming is not permitted anywhere else in the city.

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TROUVILLE-SUR-MER Trouville (population 6,500), on the Normandie coast of northwest France, is 130 miles northwest of Paris and 30 miles northeast of Caen. Much like its famous neighbor Deauville, Trouville developed as a seaside resort escape for the privileged of Paris. Today it is a busy fishing village with an international yacht marina, expensive villas, and a gaming casino. Activities include tennis, golf, horseback riding, swimming, and wind surfing. Nearby is the International Airport of Deauville-Saint-Gatien. (Also see Deauville.)

626. Casino de Trouville Address: Place du Maréchal Foch, 14360 Trouville-sur-Mer Phone: (33) 02 31 87 75 00; fax: (33) 02 31 87 75 01 Website: www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/casi/trou

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino built 1912. The Louis XVI and neo-Louis XVI-inspired architecture of the casino features numerous round arches, bull’s eyes, and curvilinear pediments. Inside, sumptuous mosaics, elaborate stuccos, crystal chandeliers, and embroidered fabrics evoke the luxury of palaces and casinos of the past. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–2 a.m., 3 a.m. weekends, 4 a.m. throughout July and Aug.; table games 8 p.m.–2 a.m., 4 a.m. weekends; boule room 9 p.m.–2 a.m. during the week, 3 a.m. Fri., 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Sat., 8 p.m.–2 a.m. Sun., and 8 p.m.–4 a.m. throughout July and Aug. Slot Machines: 225: 200 slots, 25 video poker (€0.10–€10) Table Games: 2 Caribbean Stud (minimum €10), 2 French roulette (minimum €2), 3 English roulette (minimum €2.5), 4 boule (minimum €1), 4 blackjack (minimum €5). Separate boule table room. Poker: No Entertainment: Musical concerts with major artists such as French chanteuse Michèle Torr Restaurants: 1: Villa Tara: Chic and friendly sea-view venue with lunchtime entertainment, cozy evening ambience, and musical and festive events on weekends. Covered heated terrace. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Table games room: €11; slots, free Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Riding lessons and outings on horseback along the beach. Hydrotherapy pool and personalized beauty care just minutes away from the beach.

Germany Germany has had casino gambling for well over two centuries. Casino games were available in Bad Ems as early as 1720 and have been available in Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden since the mid-1700s. By 1820, more than 20 casinos were in operation in Germany. All casinos were officially shut down from 1850–1900 and again during World War II. Currently, ownership varies from fully state-owned (such as by Bavaria or Lower Saxony) to private ownership. All casinos are licensed and taxed by the German government. As in other European countries, many casinos are in spa towns and other popular tourist areas. Many German town names begin with “Bad” (which literally means bath, that is spa or hot spring resort), and many have casinos. Older casinos, like those of Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, and Aachen, are known for their elegance. Newer casinos are appearing in many other areas of Germany, particularly urban centers, and many are quite modern. Unless otherwise mentioned, the minimum age for gambling in Germany is 18. All casinos require patrons to present passport or other photo ID when they purchase admission tickets.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Even though many of the casino websites are in German only, you will find that most casino employees and many patrons speak excellent English. Germany is a member of the European Union, and its currency is the euro; at the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76.

627. Casino Aachen Address: Automatenspiel Casino Aachen, Alter Posthof 12, 52062, Aachen, Germany Phone: 02 41 4 00 12 0; fax 02 41 18 08 161 Website: www.casino-aachen.de (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: The new casino, opened in 1976, occupies the beautiful old spa buildings from 1916, and has become one of the most innovative in Europe, offering, for example, video explanations of most casino games. Hours: Tables 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 110: Including bingo machines with large jackpots Table Games: 15: Baccarat, blackjack, roulette Poker: Yes Entertainment: Bar, nightclub, and disco Restaurants: 1: Brasserie Rouge et Noir (Mon.–Thu. 2 p.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €5 daily, €150 yearly; slots only: €1 Dress Code: Elegant for table games; casual chic for slots. Jackets available to rent for table games. Bonus: Private gaming area. Zero, called the most elegant club and disco in Aachen, is on the ground floor of the casino; open Fri. and Sat. nights. Theme nights. 2 banquet rooms available for weddings and private celebrations, one accommodating up to 450 people, the other up to 80.

BAD EMS The health resort Bad Ems, 35 miles southeast of Bonn, lies in the middle of one of the most beautiful regions of Germany, the Lahn Valley of the Rhine-Moselle-Lahn Rivers. It is known for fitness and vitality training, as well as the curative powers of its waters.

628. Spielbank Bad Ems Address: Römerstraße 8, D-56130 Bad Ems, Germany Phone: +49 2603 4541 Website: www.spielbank-badems.de (German only) Email: Contact form on website; also [email protected] Description: This beautiful casino in a garden setting has been around since 1720. Hours: Tables daily 7 p.m.–2 a.m.; slots daily 5 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Closed on the following

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Aachen (population 250,000), in western Germany near the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands, is 32 miles southwest of Cologne and 20 miles northeast of Liège, Belgium. Aachen is a natural health resort known for its mineral waters, making it a popular destination with European celebrities and kings for centuries. The attractive casino is located in the historic spa building of the old royal town.

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holidays: Good Friday (until 8 p.m.), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day Slot Machines: Number not specified on website; all ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 6: 4 roulette, 2 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Table games: €2.50; slots €1 (65 and older free) Dress Code: Casual, clean clothes Bonus: Ladies’ night Wed. with free entrance and 1 free drink; gentlemen’s night Thu. with free entrance and 1 free drink. Patrons are rewarded with free entrance and a free sparkling wine when visiting on their birthdays (with proof, such as ID). Free gaming lessons. Free gifts on Fri.

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Baden-Baden (population 53,000) is in the western foothills of the Black Forest on the banks of the Oos river, 10 miles east of the French border and 75 miles north of the Swiss border. The area is particularly famous for its curative hot baths.

629. Casino Baden-Baden EUROPE

Address: Kaiserallee 1, 76530 Baden-Baden, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany Phone: 07221–3024–0; fax: 07221–3024–110 Website: www.casino-baden-baden.de (German only) Email: [email protected]; contact form on website Description: First licensed for gambling in 1824, this is one of the most elegant casinos in Europe, called by some the most beautiful in world—so elegant you might expect to find James Bond playing at the baccarat table. There are 2 separate gaming areas, a full casino on the ground floor, and a slot room in the historic cellar vaults, each requiring separate admission. Patrons don’t come just for the gaming, but for the mud baths as well. Hours: Table games: Roulette, Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat., holidays 2 p.m.–3 a.m.; blackjack, Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–1 a.m., Fri., Sat. 5 p.m.–2 a.m.; baccarat, daily from 8 p.m.; poker, Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. from 8 p.m.–5 a.m. Slots: Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following public holidays: Good Friday, All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Buß-und Bettag (3rd Wed. in November), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 200 slots, including 25 video poker: €0.10–€10. Table Games: 24 (minimum bets): 1 American roulette (€2/€5/€10), 1 baccarat (€50), 3 blackjack €10), 5 French roulette (€2/€5/€10), 10 Euroulette (€2/€5/€10) Poker: 2 tables: Hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Restaurant Sommergarten (bar, bistro, restaurant) Accommodations: Nearby hotels, mostly luxury, but low-price accommodations available Admission Charge: Table games €3, slots €1. If you purchase slot admission and want to go into the table game room, you can do so for a further €2. Table game admission permits entry to both. Dress Code: Elegant for men: jacket and tie, no jeans or sport shoes Bonus: Daily poker demonstrations. Roulette, baccarat, and blackjack rules explained by appointment. Participants at Baden-Baden conferences qualify for 50 percent reduction in the price of a day ticket. Guided tours of the historical rooms are conducted outside gaming hours at 30minute intervals every day except All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and Dec. 24. Tours start at 9:30 a.m. April through Oct. and at 10 a.m. the rest of the year, and cost €4 per person, or €3 per

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE person for groups of over 30. Special tours are offered in French or English by prior arrangement. Art exhibits. Special “Candlelight and Gambling” package available for dinner, with champagne, 5-course meal, casino chips, and a nightcap; other dinner and gaming combination packages are offered also. Call or check website for details.

BAD HARZBURG

Address: Herzog-Julius-Straße 64b, 38667 Bad Harzburg, Germany Phone: 05322–9601 0 Website: www.spielbanken-niedersachsen.de/de/standorte/bharzburg (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino in town. Spielbank Bad Harzburg is a casino in the classic European style with separate areas for table games and slots. Furnishings are of a solid traditional design, lending a serious atmosphere. Hours: Tables Sun.–Thu. 1 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 1 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots noon–2 a.m. daily. Open daily, with the exception of the following public holidays: Good Friday, Buß- und Bettag (3rd Wed. in Nov.), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: Many machines; exact number not specified on website. 90 percent return claimed. Reel slots, video, video poker, video blackjack, video keno, video bingo, video roulette; progressive jackpots, both casino- and province-wide, with jackpots in the hundreds of thousands of euros. Table Games: Blackjack (minimum €10), German, American, and French roulette (which all have a single zero, and seem to differ only in limits and where bets are placed) Poker: 7-stud (pot-limit) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 101 rooms Admission Charge: Table games, €2.50; slots €2 Dress Code: Tables: elegant clothes; slots: “maintained leisure” Bonus: Group discounts and specials; see website for details. Free gaming lessons. Promotions during the year, such as free entrance to roulette area after 10 p.m., plus a free glass of sparkling wine.

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630. Spielbank Bad Harzburg

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Bad Harzburg (population 25,000), 50 miles southeast of Hannover on what used to be the East German border, is known for its mineral springs, with various levels of sulfur for curative and medicinal purposes; several top ski resorts are nearby. The medieval town Goslar, at the foot of the Harz Mountains, is 7 miles west.

BAD HOMBURG Bad Homburg (population 53,000), about 5 miles north of Frankfurt in Hesse at the foot of the Taunus Mountains, is a famous spa and resort.

631. Spielbank Bad Homburg Address: Wicker & Co. KG, Im Kurpark, D-61348 Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, Germany Phone: +49 (6172) 1701 0; restaurant: +49 (6172) 170170; baccarat hotline: +49 (6172) 170138 ; gaming: +49 (6172) 170139 Website: spielbank-bad-homburg.de/en/index.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the “Brunnensälchen” in the middle of the city park, exactly the same place where 150 years ago people played classical roulette. A white, gold, and red motif creates the elegant, exclusive atmosphere of a club. The casino is known for its attentive service and well-trained gambling staff. On sunny days in summertime, you can play in an open-air casino in the roof garden. Hours: Slots daily 1:45 p.m.–1:45 a.m.; tables 2:30 (room opens; gaming starts at 3) p.m.–3 a.m. Closed Fri. before Easter, Volkstrauertag (May 1, Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 80: €0.50, €1, and €2 machines Table Games: American roulette (minimums €2, €5, €10, €20, €50, maximums on even bets €7,000, €14,000, €21,000, €36,000; maximum payoff on other bets €36,000), baccarat, blackjack (minimums €10, €20, €50, maximums €500, €1,000, €2,500) Poker: 7-stud (split-, spread-, pot-, and no-limit). Actual limits can by changed on request. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1; plus cocktail bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: 1 day €5, 4 days €7.50, 1 month €30, 1 year €90; slots €1 Dress Code: No blue jeans, casual wear, sandals, or sneakers. Gentlemen are asked to wear jackets and ties. Bonus: Free shuttle to and from Frankfurt, 2 p.m.–10 p.m. on the hour; after that hourly from 10:25 p.m.–1:25 a.m. from Frankfurt directly to the casino in the Bad Homburg spa gardens. The first return journey to Frankfurt starts at 4 p.m.; the last goes after the end of play. See website for locations. The €6 fee is applied to the entrance fee and the difference refunded.

BAD KISSINGEN Bad Kissingen (population 23,000) is 60 miles east of Frankfurt in Bavaria, in the valley of the Saale River. Its curative waters are filled primarily with iron and salt.

632. Bayerische Spielbank Bad Kissingen Address: Im Luitpoldpark 1, Bad Kissingen, Bayern 97688, Germany Phone: +49 971 721 30 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/kissingen/index.html (German only) Email: Contact form on website Description: European-style casino that dates back to 1800 Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. 1 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 1 p.m.–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following hol-


BAD OEYNHAUSEN

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idays: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: Yes: €0.50, €1, and €1.50 machines Table Games: French and American roulette (minimums €2, €5, €10, maximums on even bets €300, €6,000, €12,000; maximum payoff on other bets €12,600), blackjack (€5–€250) Poker: 7-stud (€5–€10) Entertainment: Entertainment calendar and events on website. Restaurants: 1: Le Jeton (Bavarian and international; Mon.–Fri. from 2 p.m., Sat., Sun., holidays from noon) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €2.50; slots, €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not to play. Dress Code: Jacket and tie required for men. There are clothes checkout counters for those who need to rent items. Bonus: In 2000 in this casino, a 30-year-old contractor hit a 1.2 million mark Bavaria slot jackpot, 1 year to the day after winning a 4.2 million mark German lotto prize. Drawings for meals and prizes on holidays.

633. Casino Bad Oeynhausen Address: Mindener Strasse 36, 32547 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany Phone: 0 57 31–18 08–0; fax 0 57 31–18 08–49 Website: www.spielcasino-bad-oeynhausen.de (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This American-style casino is located in beautiful gardens on the Westphalia border. Hours: Tables Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri., Sat., and the days before holidays 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; Slots 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily. Closed Good Friday, All Saints Day, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day Slot Machines: 150: 90 percent return claimed. Reel slots, video, video poker, video blackjack, video keno, video bingo, video roulette; progressive jackpots, both casino- and province-wide, with jackpots in the hundreds of thousands of euros Table Games: 8: 6 American roulette, 2 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Beautiful gardens onsite Admission Charge: Tables: €5 daily; €150 yearly; €30 for a 10-visit card. Slots: €1 Dress Code: Elegant dress for table games; casual chic for slots. Jackets available to be rented. Bonus: Ladies’ day Wed. Blackjack and slot machine tournaments.

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Bad Oeynhausen (population 51,000), a spa, is 25 miles east of Osnabruck and 60 miles south of Bremen.

BAD REICHENHALL Bad Reichenhall (population 14,000), in southern Bavaria 65 miles southeast of Munich near the Austrian border and 5 miles southwest of Salzburg, is a spa famed for its salt pump that has been running continuously since 1796.

634. Bayerische Spielbank Bad Reichenhall Address: Wittelsbacherstr.17, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany Phone: 08651–9580–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/reichenhall/index.html (German only)

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Email: [email protected] Description: This European-style casino first opened in 1955 and was totally refurbished in 1988; it now attracts many international visitors, particularly from Austria and Italy. Hours: Tables Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25. Slot Machines: 75: €0.50–€1 Table Games: 9: 5 French roulette (€1–€6,000), 2 American roulette (€1–€600), 2 blackjack (€5–€250) Poker: No Entertainment: Entertainment calendar and events on website Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €2.50 for tables; €0.50 for slots. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Jacket and tie for men (suitable attire available for rental) Bonus: Regular customer benefits; free parking at times. Drawings for meals and prizes.

BAD STEBEN Bad Steben (very small) is 7 miles east of the A9 (Munich-Berlin) highway (exit Berg/Bad Steben), and about 65 miles south of Dresden.

635. Bayerische Spielbank Bad Steben Address: Casinoplatz 1, 95138 Bad Steben, Germany Phone: 09288–9251–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/steben (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This stylish new casino blends well with its beautiful surroundings, and offers 43,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: Tables Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Closed Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Buß-und Bettag (3rd Wed. in Nov.), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 60: €0.50 minimum Table Games: 2 French roulette (€1–€6,000 maximum), 2 American roulette (€1–€1,200 maximum), blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: Live piano music in the table games hall Restaurants: 1: Relaxa’s Rouge et Noir Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50; slots €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Jacket and tie for men (suitable attire available for rental)

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Bonus: Regular customer benefits; free parking at times. Wed.: Ladies’ night with free entrance for women plus a small prize. Mon.: Gentlemen’s night with free entrance for men, plus a small prize. Game instruction available.

BAD WIESSEE Bad Wiessee is on Lake Tegernsee in the Miesbach region of Bavaria 20 miles south of Munich. This spa is known for its iodine- and sulfur-saturated waters, the popularity of which is apparently based on the premise that if it smells and tastes bad, it must be good for you.

Email: [email protected] Description: Modern casino completed in 1969; overlooks beautiful Lake Tegernsee Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 50: €0.50 minimum Table Games: 13: 9 French roulette (€1–€12,000), 2 American roulette (€1–€1,200), 2 blackjack (€5–€500) Poker: No Entertainment: Entertainment calendar and events on website Restaurants: 1: Open year-round. Dine in summer on a terrace overlooking Lake Tegernsee. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50; slots €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Jacket and tie for men (suitable attire available for rental) Bonus: Casino was to be completely refurbished in 2004. Golf, wind surfing, sailing in summer; skiing in winter.

BAD ZWISCHENAHN Bad Zwischenahn (population 26,800) is in northern Germany’s Lower Saxony state, 30 miles west of Bremen and 60 miles east of Groningen, Netherlands.

637. Spielbank Bad Zwischenahn Address: im Jagdhaus Eiden Hotel, Jagdhaus Eiden am See, 26160 Bad Zwischenahn, Germany Phone: Telephone: 04403–9380–0 Website: www.spielbanken-niedersachsen.de/de/standorte/1073646657 (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: 10,000-square-foot casino in a beautiful rural-style building Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–2 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following: Good Friday, Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25

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Address: Bodenschneidstr. 10, 83707 Bad Wiessee, Germany Phone: 08022–9835–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/wiessee (German only)

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636. Bayerische Spielbank Bad Wiessee

Slot Machines: 160 Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, touch bet roulette Poker: 7-stud; tournaments Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 74 rooms Admission Charge: Tables €2.50; slots €1 Dress Code: Men must wear jackets in winter; at all times, “attractive” dress Bonus: Group specials available. Free gaming lessons. Drawings and giveaways. Online contest that awards free entry and other prizes. Health club, sauna, swimming pool, and whirlpool.

BERLIN

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Berlin (population 3.4 million), on the rivers Spree and Havel in northeast Germany, 35 miles from the Polish border, is surrounded by the German state (Bundesland) of Brandenburg, and constitutes a state of its own. It is the historic, political, and cultural center of Germany. The city was divided at the end of World War II into East and West sections. In 1990, the famous Wall that divided the two parts of the city came down and the two cities became one again.

638. Casino Berlin & Forum Hotel Berlin EUROPE

Address: Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin, Germany Phone: 030–23 89 41 44; fax: 030–23 89 41 13 Website: www.casino-berlin.de (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Modern casino with an intimate club atmosphere, located in the Forum Hotel some 400 feet above the streets of Berlin Hours: Table games 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily.; slots 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 5 days: Good Friday, Remembrance Day, Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 100 Table Games: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge entertainment; see calendar on website Restaurants: 1: With views of the Berlin skyline and the casino floor Accommodations: 1,006 rooms Admission Charge: €5 for tables daily (but you receive €5 to play with), €150 yearly; €1 for slots Dress Code: Chic casual for slots; elegant for tables (jackets available to rent) Bonus: New meeting facility. Private gaming facility, health club, sauna, and shops.

BREMEN Bremen (population 542,000), in the north of Germany on the Weser River, 24 miles from the North Sea and 40 miles west of Hamburg, is one of the oldest and most beautiful German cities, and a major port and international commercial center.

639. Casino Bremen Address: Böttcherstraße 3–5, 28195 Bremen, Germany Phone: 04 21 3 29 00–0; fax 04 21 3 29 00–105 Website: www.casino-bremen.de (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Classic European-style casino that dates to 1927


FEUCHTWANGEN Feuchtwangen (population 12,300) is a Bavarian town 40 miles southwest of Nuremberg and 50 miles northeast of Stuttgart.

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Hours: Table games 5 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; slots noon–1 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 6 days: Good Friday, Labor Day, Remembrance Day, Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 150 Table Games: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar; other information on the website Restaurants: 1: STäV in der Böttcherstraße (bistro; noon-11); also both Breitenweg (noon–1 a.m.) and Bremerhaven (11 a.m.–midnight) slot bars have snacks Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €2.50 per day or €100 per year for tables; €1 per day or €60 per year for slots Dress Code: Elegant dress for tables (jackets available to rent); casual chic for slots Bonus: Gift certificates available, with 90 percent return. Ladies’ night Wed. with free entrance and 1 free drink. Special promotions offering free admission and gifts to certain guests.

Address: Am Casino 1, 91555 Feuchtwangen, Germany Phone: 09852–9006–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/feuchtwangen (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This architecturally futuristic casino with its 52,000 square feet of gaming space attracts 255,000 visitors a year. Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 200: €0.50 minimum Table Games: 16: 6 French roulette (€1–€12,000), 6 American roulette (minimum €1), 4 blackjack (€5–€500) Poker: 2 tables: 7-stud (€5 stakes and up) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €2.50; slots, €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not to play. Dress Code: Elegant (jacket for men; jackets available for rental) Bonus: Free gaming demonstrations available on the last Tue. of the month with telephone reservation. Ladies’ Night first Thu. of each month with free admission and 1 free drink.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN Garmisch-Partenkirchen (population 30,000), in the Bavarian Alps region of southern Germany, 5 miles from the Austrian border and 18 miles northwest of Innsbruck, Austria, is a popular winter ski and summer health resort at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain (9,718 feet). The 1936 Winter Olympics were held here, and the Olympic Ice Stadium remains. Oberammergau, famous for its once-a-decade passion play (next performance in 2010), is 5 miles north.

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640. Bayerische Spielbank Feuchtwangen

641. Spielbank Garmisch-Partenkirchen Address: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Am Kurpark 10, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Phone: 08821–9599–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/garmisch (German only)

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Email: [email protected] Description: 45,200-square-foot European-style casino in a Bavarian-style chalet Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25. Poker room open Fri., Sat., and holidays only. Slot Machines: 180: €0.50 minimum Table Games: 5 French roulette (€1–€12,000) 3 American roulette (€1 or €5 minimum, differing daily), 2 blackjack (€5–€250) Poker: 7stud (€5 minimum stakes) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Alpenhof (gourmet and Bavarian specialties); plus 2 bars with food service Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €2.50; slots, €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Elegant (jacket for men; jackets available for rental) Bonus: Free game instruction each Thu.; check in with reception to announce your interest. There is a casino-restaurant deal that includes a meal, drinks, and casino entry for €24. Free entrance on saint name days; other free entrance promotions. Cash drawings.

HALLE Germany has two cities named Halle; this one is also called Halle an der Saale (that is, on the river Saale) to distinguish it from Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia. Halle an der Saale (population 243,000), the largest town in the Bundesland (federal state) of Saxony-Anhalt, is 15 miles west of Leipzig. The name Saale comes from a Celtic word meaning salt. Halle has been known for salt making since at least the Bronze Age.

642. Spielbank Halle Address: Franckestrasse 1, 06110 Halle/Saale, Germany Phone: 03 45–22 56–0 Website: www.spielbank-halle.de/sites/spbhalle.htm (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Attractive casino in the center of town, very near where highways 80 and 91 cross Hours: Tables 7 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots 1 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 66 (€0.50 minimum) Table Games: American roulette (€2– €5,000), blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50, slots €1 Dress Code: Casual in the slots area; elegant for tables Bonus: Game instruction available upon request.

HANNOVER Hannover (population 560,000), 85 miles south of Hamburg in the state of Lower Saxony,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE is best known for its annual April trade fair, the largest in the world, which is essentially 11 trade fairs in one, presenting industrial automation technology. In 2005, the Hannover Fair was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Hanover is the English spelling of the name.

643. Spielbank Hannover

KIEL Kiel (population 234,000) is 40 miles north of Hamburg on an inlet of the Baltic Sea.

644. Casino Kiel Address: Holstenbrücke 30, 24103 Kiel, Germany Phone: 431 /98 70 00 FAX: 031 /98 70 020 Website: www.casino-sh.de/php/index.php?action=casinos&main=kiel (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This modern casino is in the city center, opposite the Sweden dock (Stena), and cantilevered right over the harbor. Hours: Tables Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots daily 10 a.m.–2:30 a.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following public holidays: Good Friday, Dec. 24–25, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), New Years Eve from 8 p.m. Slot Machines: 58: €0.05 and up; linked jackpots Table Games: 4 American roulette (€1 minimum), 2 blackjack (€2 minimum); also, touch bet roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Cocktail bar has weekly live entertainment. Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €1 (free Fri.–Sun. 3 p.m.–8 p.m.) Dress Code: Maintained clothes Bonus: Special plans for groups of 8 or more. Coupon book for first-time visitors, including 2-for-1 admission, lucky chips, free sparkling wine, and more. Play bingo online at the site and win free first-time entry for 2 to any of the Schleswig-Holstein casinos.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Modern European-style casino Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily. Open daily with the exception of the following 6 days: Good Friday, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Dec. 24–25. Poker room open Fri., Sat., and holidays only. Slot Machines: Yes: €0.50 minimum Table Games: Roulette, blackjack Poker: 7-stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50, slots €1 Dress Code: Tables: elegant; slots: “Maintained leisure clothes” Bonus: Holiday gifts. On certain “blackjack days,” get an extra gift when you get a blackjack.

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Address: Osterstraße 40, 30159 Hannover, Germany Phone: 0511 98066–0 Website: www.spielbank-hannover.de (German only)

KONSTANZ Konstanz (population 80,000), 70 miles south of Stuttgart in southern Germany, is on Lake Constance right on the Swiss border. The Rhine River splits the town in half and flows through the lake.

645. Spielbank Konstanz Address: Seestraße 21, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany Phone: 07531 8157 0 Website: www.spielbank-konstanz.de (German only)

416 EUROPE

Email: Contact form on website Description: This elegant casino, with its red-tiled mansard roofs and elegantly groomed surrounding gardens, looks more like a manor house than a gambling establishment. The casino is right on the lakeshore and dates back to July 14, 1951. You’ll see beautiful lake and Alpine vistas from the casino, particularly when the outside terrace is open in spring and summer. Hours: Roulette, Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m.; blackjack, Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–2 a.m.; slots, 2 p.m.–2 a.m. daily. Open daily, with the exception of the following 7 public holidays: Good Friday, All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Buß-und Bettag (3rd Wed. in Nov.), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 2 rooms: €0.10, €0.50, €1, €2; wide-area linked jackpots Table Games: 6: 1 French roulette (€5 minimum), 1 American roulette (€5 minimum), 2 Euroulette (€2 and €5 minimum), 2 blackjack (€10 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Open Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–1 a.m.; plus a bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3 for tables; €1 for slots; 21 years of age minimum, ID required Dress Code: Casual for the slots; elegant for tables (jackets available for rental) Bonus: First Tue. in the month is ladies’ day, with free entrance for women to the table games and a free cocktail. Specials for dining plus gambling available, as well as a group roulette seminar. Premises available for private meetings weddings, birthdays, etc.

KÖTZTING Kötzting (also spelled Koetzting) is in southeastern Germany in Bavaria, 85 miles northeast of Munich and 8 miles from the Czech border.

646. Bayerische Spielbank Kötzting Address: Untere Au 2, 93444 Kötzting, Germany Phone: 09941–9448–0 Website: www.spielbanken-in-bayern.de/koetzting (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This modernistic building, built in 2000 to resemble a blue and white jewel, houses a 32,300-square-foot casino. Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25


Slot Machines: 60: €0.50 minimum; linked and progressive jackpots; local- and wide-area jackpots Table Games: 6: 2 French roulette (€1–€3,000, €2–€6,000), 2 American roulette (€1–€1,200 maximum), 2 blackjack (€5–€250) Poker: No Entertainment: Live piano bar Restaurants: 1: Gourmet (reservations accepted by phone till 5 p.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €2.50; slots, €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Elegant (jacket for men; jackets available for rental) Bonus: Tue. is ladies’ night with free entrance and a free drink for women. Free gaming instruction on occasion (arrange with reception). Cash drawings and giveaways.

Lindau (population 24,000) is both an island and a city in southern Bavaria on the eastern part of Lake Constance, connected with the mainland by a bridge and by a railway dam. Lindau, 50 miles southeast of Stuttgart, is very close to the Austrian border and about 5 miles from Bregenz.

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LINDAU

Address: Chelles-Allee 1, 88131 Lindau/Bodensee, Germany Phone: 08382–2774–0 Website: www.spielbanken-bayern.de/lindau (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This European-style circular building that has gaming on several floors is in a pavilion setting and offers beautiful views of Lake Constance, particularly in summer when the outdoor terrace is open. Hours: Table games Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–3 a.m. Open daily with the exception of the following 8 days: Good Friday, May 1, Fronleichnam, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Buss and praying day, Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 100: €0.50 minimum Table Games: 8: 3 French roulette (€1– €12,000), 3 American roulette (€1 minimum), 2 blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Venti Tre (regional and international cuisine) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €2.50; slots, €0.50. Players must be at least 21 to play; those 18–20 may visit in the company of those over 21, but only to observe, not play. Dress Code: Jacket and tie required for men. There are clothes checkout counters for those who need to rent items. Bonus: Monthly ladies’ and gentlemen’s nights with free entrance and small gift.

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647. Bayerische Spielbank Lindau

LÜBECK Lübeck (population 214,000), 18 miles northeast of Hamburg in eastern SchleswigHolstein, is near an inlet of the Baltic Sea. Travemünde is the port, right at the mouth of the inlet. Lübeck is famous for its marzipan industry.

648. Casino Travemünde Address: Kaiserallee 2, 23570 Lübeck-Travemünde, Germany Phone: 04502–841–0; fax: 04502–841–102 Website: www.casino-guide.de/banken_guide/travemuende.htm (German only)

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Description: Classical, traditional European-style casino in a beautiful modern building right by the Baltic Sea beach Hours: Tables 3 p.m.–2 a.m.; slots 2 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following 5 public holidays: Good Friday, Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 71: €0.05 and up; linked jackpots Table Games: 1 French roulette (minimum €2), 4 American roulette (minimum €2), 2 blackjack (minimum €2); also, touch bet roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables, €4; slots, free Dress Code: Jacket required for men Bonus: ATMs, electronic cash machines. Coupon book for first-time visitors, including 2-for-1 admission, lucky chips, free sparkling wine, and more. Play bingo online at the site and win free first-time entry for 2 to any of the Schleswig-Holstein casinos.

MAGDEBURG Magdeburg (population 226,200), on the Elbe River 60 miles southwest of Berlin, has a rich history dating back 1,300 years and is known for its beautiful Gothic cathedral completed in 1520 after 300 years of construction.

649. Spielbank Magdeburg Address: Ulrichplatz 1, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany Phone: 03915–3345–0 Website: www.spielbank-magdeburg.de/all/index.htm (German only) Email: Contact form on website Description: This casino, built in 1998, is located on the west side near the center of the city right by a small park with a beautiful fountain. Hours: Slots 1 p.m.–3 a.m.; tables 7 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 80: €0.50 minimum; multi-game machines; video poker with progressive jackpots Table Games: American roulette (€2–€5,000), blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50; slots €1 Dress Code: None listed Bonus: €10 package for €5 available online. Other promotions available at website. Merchandise giveaways. Game instruction available upon request.


MAINZ Mainz (population 184,000) is on the west bank of the Rhine River opposite the confluence of the Main River, 15 miles southwest of Frankfurt, and famous for its carnival.

650. Spielbank Mainz

NORDERNEY Norderney, one of the East Frisian islands, lies in the North Sea about 3 miles off the coast of northern Germany, some 65 miles northwest of Bremen. There is regular ferry service to and from the island; visitors are usually advised to leave their cars on the mainland, since most places are within walking distance. Bicycles are very popular and can be rented. A regular bus service runs from one end of the 8-mile-by-1-mile island to the other.

651. Spielbank Norderney Address: Kurhaus, 26548 Norderney, Germany Phone: Telephone: 04932–9110–0 Website: www.spielbanken-niedersachsen.de/de/standorte/1073647838 (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is right on the beach Hours: April–Oct. 11.00 a.m.–12:30 a.m., Nov.–March 2 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following 6 public holidays: Good Friday, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Buß-und Bettag (3rd Wed. in Nov.), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: French roulette, German roulette, American roulette, blackjack Poker: 7-stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Players can win prizes in online promotions.

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Email: Contact form on website; also [email protected] Description: This 32,300-square-foot casino in the center of Mainz between the Hilton hotel and Rheingoldhalle has a beautiful view of the Rhine. Hours: Tables 5 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots: noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes; all ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 9: 4 French roulette, 2 German roulette, 3 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: plus 2 bars Accommodations: 458 rooms Family Amenities: Health club in the hotel Admission Charge: €2.50 for tables, €1 for slots Dress Code: Casual for slots; jacket and tie for men at tables (jacket and tie available to be rented) Bonus: Ladies’ night Wed. with free entrance to the table games and a free glass of sparkling wine. Gentlemen’s night Thu. with free entrance to the table games and a free glass of whisky. Free entry on players’ birthdays.

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Address: Rheinstraße 68, im Hilton International Mainz Hotel, D-55116 Mainz, Germany Phone: +49 6131 28938 0 Website: www.spielbank-mainz.com (German only)

POTSDAM Potsdam (population 150,000), in eastern Germany, is 5 miles southwest of Berlin; the city is considered one of the most beautiful in Germany and sits on a series of interconnected lakes.

652. Spielbank Potsdam “Joker’s Garden” Address: Schloßstraße 14, 14467 Potsdam, Germany Phone: 0331–29093–00; fax: 0331–29093–10 Website: www.spielbank-potsdam.com (German only)

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Email: [email protected] Description: This 2-floor casino located opposite the Hotel Mercure, recently renovated but maintaining its 18th-century style, offers 3,230 square feet for slots on the ground floor and 4,300 square feet on the next floor for table games. Hours: Slots daily 11 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables daily 3 p.m.–3 a.m. Closed on Good Friday, Reformation Day, People Mourning Day, Dead Sunday, Christmas Eve and Day Slot Machines: 80 Table Games: 7: 2 French roulette, 3 German roulette, 2 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Events listed on website Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €5, slots free Dress Code: Elegant for tables, casual for slots Bonus: Cash giveaways. Slot tournaments. Birthday promotions.

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SCHENEFELD Schenefeld (population 18,500) is 5 miles west of central Hamburg.

653. Casino Schenefeld Address: Industriestr. 1, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany Phone: 49408–390020; fax: 49408–3900220 Website: www.casino-sh.de/php/index.php?action=casinos&main=schenefeld (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This 13,000-square-foot casino is located in the shopping center area known as “city center Schenefeld,” 15 minutes’ drive from the Hamburg city center. In early 2005, the casino celebrated the entrance of its 1 millionth visitor. Hours: Tables 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; slots 10 a.m.–3 a.m. daily. Open daily, with the exception of New Years Eve at 8 p.m. and all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Good Friday, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent) Slot Machines: 85: €0.05 and up; linked jackpots Table Games: 8: 2 French roulette (minimum €2), 4 American roulette (minimum €2), 2 blackjack (minimum €5); also, touch bet roulette (minimum €0.5) Poker: 3 tables: 7-stud. (May introduce hold’em based on popularity at recent tournaments.) Jackpots for straight flush, 4 of a kind, royal flush range from €2,000–€5,000. 3-day tournaments several times during the year with events in 7-stud and hold’em. Check website or call for dates. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Slots free until 3 p.m.; €1 after and for tables Dress Code: Jacket required; tie not required Bonus: Play bingo online at the website and win free first-time entry for 2 to any of the Schleswig-Holstein casinos. Special packages for groups.


SEEBAD HERINGSDORF Seebad Heringsdorf is a tiny village on a small Baltic island bordering Poland just off Germany’s north coast and 100 miles north of Berlin.

654. Ostsee-Spielbank Heringsdorf

STRALSUND Stralsund (population 57,000) is at the southern coast of the Strelasund (a sound of the Baltic Sea separating the island of Rügen from the mainland), 125 miles north of Berlin.

655. Ostsee-Spielbank Stralsund Address: Tribseer Damm 76, 18437 Stralsund, Germany Phone: 03831–700810; fax: 03831–7008120 Website: www.ostsee-spielbanken.de (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is part of a hotel that is right next to the Baltic Sea. Hours: Tables 7 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 70: €0.10 and up Table Games: American roulette (€2.50 minimum), blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: Fashion shows, antique automobile gatherings. Holiday celebrations. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Casino located inside Intercity Hotel and associated with the nearby 134-room Steigenberger Hotel Baltic Admission Charge: €2 for tables; free for slots Dress Code: Smart dress Bonus: Conference facilities. Special Web offers: see website. Pets allowed in Intercity Hotel.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is inside a recently built (1997) hotel right next to the Baltic Sea Hours: Tables 7 p.m.–2 a.m.; slots 2 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 70: €0.10 and up Table Games: American roulette (€2.50 minimum), blackjack (€5 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: Fashion shows, antique automobile shows. Holiday celebrations. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: Hotel Maritim has 133 rooms in 4 stories. Admission Charge: €2 for tables; free for slots Dress Code: Smart dress Bonus: Diamond displays from jewelers. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Conference facilities for up to 600. Special Web offers: see website.

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Address: Strandpromenade, 17424 Heringsdorf, Germany Phone: 038378–22818; fax: 038378–22819 Website: www.ostsee-spielbanken.de (German only)

STUTTGART Stuttgart (population 600,000), 95 miles south of Frankfurt and 60 miles north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border, is the capital of Baden-Wurttembergis state in southwestern Germany.

656. Spielbank Stuttgart Address: Plieninger Straße 100, 70567 Stuttgart, Germany Phone: 0711–90019–0; fax: 0711–900–1949 Website: www.spielbank-stuttgart.com/stuttgart (German only)

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Email: Contact form on website Description: This casino, first opened in 1996, has 2 separate gaming areas, slots and tables. Hours: Table games: Roulette, Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; blackjack, Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–1 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–2 a.m.; baccarat, daily from 7 p.m.–5 a.m. Slots: Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following 7 public holidays: Good Friday, All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Buß-und Bettag (3rd Wed. in Nov.), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 250: €0.10, €0.50, €1, €2; wide-area linked and progressive jackpots Table Games: 19: 3 French roulette (€2/€5 minimum), 2 American roulette (€2/€5 minimum), 6 Euroulette (€2/€5 minimum), 5 blackjack (€10 minimum), 3 baccarat (€50 minimum) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Bistro Ecco (gourmet; open from 5 p.m.); plus, 3 bars Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €2.50 for tables; €1 for slots. If you purchase slot admission and want to go into the table game room, you can do so for a further €2. Table game admission permits entry to both. Must be 21 to enter and show proper ID. Dress Code: Elegant for table games (jackets available to rent) Bonus: Ladies’ day on the last Wed. of each month: women receive free entrance and cocktail. Gentlemen’s day on the first Tue. of each month: men receive a free drink and snack. Dining packages available that include casino entry and chips.

TRAVEMÜNDE See Lübeck.

TRIER Trier (population 100,000; French Trèves), on the Mosel River in southwest RhinelandPalatinate 8 miles from Luxembourg, is Germany’s oldest city, dating back at least to the Roman Empire. The city is known for its well-preserved Roman buildings, among them the Porta Nigra (the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps), a complete amphitheater, ruins of several Roman baths, and the huge Basilica (the 220-foot throne hall of the Roman Emperor Constantine, currently used as a Protestant church). Trier is also near the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine-growing region.


657. Spielbank Trier

WESTERLAND Westerland (population 9,200) is on the North Frisian Island of Sylt in the North Sea about 8 miles off the mainland. Westerland is in the middle of the 20-mile-long island, and the terminus of a railroad causeway to the mainland. List, at the north end of the island, is the northernmost point of Germany.

658. Casino Westerland-Sylt-Strandcasino Address: Kurpromenade, 25980 Westerland, Germany Phone: 04651–834411; 04651–834412 Website: www.casino-sh.de/php/index.php?action=casinos&main= westerland (German only) Email: [email protected] Description: This first-class casino is also Germany’s northernmost and smallest casino. It is in the center of town in the century-old town hall building, 2.5 miles from the Westerland Airport and a quarter mile from the Westerland train station. There are 2 slot areas, 1 in the main building and the other on the Dependance boardwalk. Hours: Tables daily starting at 6 p.m.; slots: daily starting at 5 p.m. in the main building, and at 11 a.m. on the Dependance boardwalk. Open daily, with the exception of the following 5 public holidays: Good Friday, Dec. 24–25, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent). Tables are closed on Mon. and Tue. from Jan. 10–Mar. 22, Apr. 4–26, and Oct. 31–Dec. 20. Slot Machines: 82: €0.05 and up; linked jackpots Table Games: 2 American roulette (minimum €2), 1 blackjack (minimum €5); also, touch bet roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €5, slots €1 Dress Code: Smart (no tie required) Bonus: Coupon book for first-time visitors, including 2-for-1 admission, lucky chips, free sparkling wine, and more. Play bingo online at the site and win free first-time entry for 2 to any of the Schleswig-Holstein casinos.

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Email: Contact form on website Description: Casino is located directly opposite the Porta Nigra in the middle of Trier, with a great view of this world cultural heritage site. Hours: Tables daily 7 p.m.–2 a.m.; slots 1 p.m.–1:30 a.m.; closed Good Friday, All Saints Day (open at 8 p.m.), Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Totensonntag (the Sun. preceding the 1st Sun. in Advent), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. Blackjack is open Fri.–Sun. only. Slot Machines: 70 Table Games: 3 roulette, blackjack (open Fri.–Sun. only) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 108 rooms Admission Charge: Table games €2.50, slots €1 Dress Code: Casual, clean clothes Bonus: First and second visits are free (for table games), and seniors 65 and older free entrance always. Free entrance and a glass of sparkling wine for patrons on their birthdays. Free gaming lessons. Free drink on Wed.

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Address: Porta-Nigra-Platz 1, D-54292 Trier, Germany Phone: Tel: +49–651–26075 Website: www.spielbank-trier.de (German only)

WIESBADEN Wiesbaden (population 270,000), an international spa resort city, is on the north bank of the Rhine, opposite Mainz, and about 12 miles east of Frankfurt.

659. Spielbank Wiesbaden Address: Kurhausplatz 1, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany Phone: 0611–536–100; fax: 0611–536–199 Website: www.sbwb.de/english/framont.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: This elegant casino dates back to the end of the 18th century, and entertained such famous visitors as Otto von Bismarck, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Dutch writer “Multatuli” (Eduard Douwes Dekker), Richard Wagner, and Elvis Presley. Located in the former spa hotel, its main room, which used to be the wine room, is decorated in neoclassical fashion with filigree woodcarvings, golden friezes, precious woods, and crystal chandeliers. Dostoyevsky’s loss at Casino Wiesbaden of 3,000 gold rubles in one ruinous session in 1865 almost bankrupted him, causing him to dictate his famous biographical novel The Gambler in a record 26 days to get quick payment from his publisher. Hours: Tables 2:45 p.m. to at least 3 a.m.; slots 2 p.m.–2 a.m. Open daily, with the exception of the following 7 public holidays: Good Friday, May 1, Corpus Christi, Volkstrauertag (Remembrance Day), Memorial Day, Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 170: €0.50 minimum; including video, bingo, roulette, video poker; regular jackpots to €20,000; superjackpots to several hundred thousand Table Games: 11 (minimum ranges): 5 French roulette (€2–€50), 1 American roulette (€2–€50), 1 roulight (€2–€50), 4 blackjack (€10–€100) Poker: 4 tables (minimum stake depends on limit): 7-stud, hold’em, Omaha, draw poker. Free demonstration sessions Fri., Sat. 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tournaments every Mon.: No-limit hold’em 1st Mon., pot-limit Omaha 2nd Mon., pot-limit hold’em 3rd Mon., spread-limit Omaha 4th Mon., stud 5th Mon. Buy-ins either €100 or €150, usually 1–4 rebuys in first hour of €100, plus €100 add-on. See website or call for latest schedule. Entertainment: Live pianist in Restaurant Käfer’S; jazz in beer garden Sun. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Classical, jazz, and other musical concerts. See website for schedule. Restaurants: 2: Casino restaurant (6 p.m.–midnight), Restaurant Käfer’S (French brasserie; 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sun. brunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.); also, Restaurant Käfer’S has a terrace that is open in summer (11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.) and beer garden (11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Tables €2.50, slots €1 Dress Code: Jacket and tie for table games (tie overlooked in summer heat) Bonus: Free gaming lessons on Fri. and Sat. Real-time live roulette spins for all tables viewable on the website. Casino sponsors various regional events, such as horsemanship exhibitions, rallies, etc. Ladies’ night on the first Tue. of each month, with free entry, glass of sparkling wine, and small present. On your first visit, get a free voucher good for free admission the next time.

Gibraltar Gibraltar (population 28,000), on the southern coast of Spain, is near Europe’s closest point to North Africa, where the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean meet at the Strait of Gibraltar. Now a 2.5-square-mile territory of the United Kingdom, Gibraltar was one of

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE the Pillars of Hercules of ancient times, the other being Monte Hacho on the other side of the Strait at the northernmost tip of Morocco. Perhaps Gibraltar’s most famous tourist attractions are the tailless Barbary Apes that live wild on “The Rock,” originally brought to Gibraltar from North Africa by the British in the 18th century. The currency of Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound (GIP), pegged 1:1 to the pound sterling of the United Kingdom (though not quite valued the same because of the commission UK banks charge to exchange currency). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth GIP 0.534; GIP1 bought $1.87.

660. Gala International Casino

Greece Greece (population 11 million), the land of gods, temples, and mythology, also has its share of slot machines, blackjack, and roulette. Since the early ’90s, Greece’s casino industry has slowly expanded onto some of the country’s most famous sites, including Loutraki, Patras, and Thessaloniki. Greece has an unusual age restriction: individuals must be at least 23 years old to enter a casino. As a member of the European Union, Greece’s currency is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76.

LOUTRAKI Loutraki (population 17,000), a popular spa resort near the Corinth Canal, 35 miles west of Athens and 5 miles northeast of Corinth on the Gulf of Corinth, is easily accessible from Athens by train, bus, or car. The population exceeds 100,000 in the summer due to the influx of visitors.

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Email: [email protected] Description: The Gala International Casino is next door to the Rock Hotel, and overlooks the Bay of Gibraltar. Hours: Slots noon–2 a.m.; main casino 9 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 150+: Table Games: 8: American roulette, blackjack, casino brag; stakes as low as £1 Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Gourmet restaurant in hotel Accommodations: Rock Hotel, a 4-star hotel with 104 rooms, including 9 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: 300-seat bingo, played nightly from 9 p.m. Gala International Casino also has an online casino, where you can see more information about the land-based casino at www.galainternational.com/about/index.html. Online booking specials for hotel. Wedding packages available at the hotel, as well as conference and meeting facilities.

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Address: Europa Road, Gibraltar Phone: +350 73000; fax: +350 73513 Website: www.rockhotelgibraltar.com

661. Club Hotel Casino Loutraki Address: 48 Posseido Street, Loutraki, Peloponnisos 20300 Greece Phone: +30 7440 655 01 Website: www.hotelsofgreece.com/central/loutraki/clubhotelcasino/index.html Description: The Club Hotel Casino Loutraki offers 24-hour gaming in an opulent setting; first opened in 1928, it closed in 1935, and then was reestablished in 1995. The casino has 32,000 square feet of gaming space. Hours: 24 hours/day; 363 days/year (except Good Friday and the Sat. before Easter) Slot Machines: 600 Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, dice, Caribbean Stud, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3, 1 lounge Accommodations: 267 guest rooms, including 13 suites Admission Charge: €15 (government imposed) Dress Code: No Bonus: Many hotel rooms have views of the Corinthian Gulf.

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PATRAS Patras (In Greek, Patrai; population 200,000), 80 miles east of Athens near the northern tip of the Peloponnesos on the Gulf of Patrai, is most famous for its annual Carnival festivities, celebrated at the start of the Greek Orthodox Lent.

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662. Casino Rio & Porto Rio Hotel Address: 18 Voukourestiou Street, Port Rio, Dytiki Ellada 26500 Greece Phone: +30 2610 993 997 Website: www.portoriohotel.gr Email: Contact form on website Description: French-type casino in upscale hotel on a private beach in Rio (In Greek, Pio) about 5 miles from Patras Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 80 Table Games: 40 tables: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, French roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 235 rooms, including 13 suites and 48 bungalows Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sauna, solarium, swimming pool, and health club. In 2006, Patras will be designated that year’s “Cultural Capital of Europe,” ushering in a year of special festivities, events, and attractions.

RHODES Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands, lies close to the Turkish shore about 90 miles northeast of Crete. The island offers old towns, olive groves, and whitewashed buildings. Steeped in history and mythology, Rhodes was believed to be the home of Apollo, god of the sun.


663. Casino Rhodos

THESSALONIKI Thessaloniki (population 1,000,000), Greece’s second-largest city and the principal city and capital of the region of Macedonia in the north of Greece, was originally the capital of the Roman province Macedon, and still boasts many of the artifacts of its storied past.

664. Regency Casino Thessaloniki Address: 12 KM Thessaloniki Airport, Thessaloniki, Kentriki Makedonia, 55103 Greece Phone: +30 2310 491 234 Website: www.thessaloniki.regencycasino.hyatt.com/index.shtml Email: [email protected] Description: One of Europe’s largest and most luxurious casinos in the Vegas style with several gaming and entertainment opportunities; the more adventurous players can visit the casino’s Club Regency, which offers higher betting limits Hours: Main gaming 24 hours/day; 365 days/year, hours vary for individual games; Club Regency 6 p.m.–7 a.m. daily, except punto banco: 10 p.m.–7 a.m. Slot Machines: 446: €0.10–€5; video poker, video roulette (€0.10–€1), 345 video reels, progressives, megajackpots, car jackpots, high-limit section (€0.50–€5) Table Games: 89: Main gaming, 77: 38 roulette (€1–€200), 32 blackjack (€5–€750), 6 casino stud (€10–€500), 1 punto banco; Club Regency, 12: 5 American roulette (€10–€500), 5 blackjack (€30–€3,000), 1 poker variant (€10–€500), 1 punto banco (€20–€2,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Vergina Theatre, which hosts concerts, performances, award shows and other events Restaurants: 3: Jewels (24 hours), Alfredo’s (fine dining; open Oct.–May, Tue.–Sat. 9 p.m.–2 a.m.), O Kipos (summer restaurant; open May–Sept., every day except Sun. 9 p.m.–2 a.m.); plus bars and lounges Accommodations: None on site, but the casino is less than 2 miles from Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki hotel Admission Charge: €6 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Smart Club rewards card for slot players. Gift shop. ATMs on the

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Email: [email protected] Description: 2 large floors of gambling inside a historic building on the northern tip of the island. The casino originally opened in 1929; the agreements that founded the State of Israel in 1948 were signed in the original hotel, the Grande Albergo delle Rose, also called the “Dream of the East,” the predecessor of the current hotel. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 300, from €0.10–€10 machines; prizes include cars, motorcycles, jewelry, various cash awards Table Games: 34: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, mini punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Sports bar Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 33 suites Admission Charge: €15 Dress Code: Proper dress Bonus: Conference and meeting space. Sea views from a private terrace. Limousine transfer to and from Rhodes airport or port for hotel guests. Summer hotel discounts and discounts for casino guests.

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Address: 4 Papanickolaou Street, Rhodes, Notio Aigaio 85100 Greece Phone: +30 224 109 7500 Website: www.casinorodos.gr

main casino floor, which accept all major credit and debit cards. Also, a branch of Eurobank is in the reception area, with foreign exchange and other banking facilities. Close to Thessaloniki Airport.

Hungary

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The Republic of Hungary (population 10 million) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania. The capital and largest city is Budapest. The currency of Hungary is the forint (HUF), abbreviated Ft. At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 191.5 forints; HUF 1 was worth a bit more than half a cent. Hungary was one of the first Eastern Europe countries to install casinos after the fall of communism in the early 1990s. Attracting both international and national visitors, the casinos currently constitute an important component of the tourism industry. The minimum age for gambling is 18.

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BUDAPEST Budapest (population 1.1 million), Hungary’s capital and largest city, is sophisticated and cosmopolitan, with a wealth of historical and cultural treasures. Straddling the two banks of the Danube River in the north-central region, Budapest provides an engaging, lively atmosphere that is well-matched by its casinos.

665. Casino Las Vegas & Sofitel Atrium Budapest Address: 2 Roosevelt Square, Budapest, Budapest 1051, Hungary Phone: +36 1 317 6022 Website: www.lasvegascasino.hu; hotel: www.sofitel.hu Email: [email protected] Description: The casino, opened in 1992 by Sylvester Stallone, uses the euro in addition to Hungarian forints and is located inside the 5-star Sofitel Atrium Budapest hotel. Known as Budapest’s premier casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: 53 Table Games: 26: American roulette, blackjack, punto banco, Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpot), Caribbean Draw Poker (progressive jackpot), electronic roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 351 rooms Admission Charge: €10 euros, or 3,000 HUF Dress Code: Informal Bonus: Hotel guests receive free casino admission. Major credit cards accepted.


666. Tropicana Casino Address: 2 Vigado Street, Budapest, Budapest 1051, Hungary Phone: +36 1 327 7250 Website: www.tropicanacasino.hu

Address: Ybl Miklós ter 9, Budapest, Budapest 1013, Hungary Phone: +36 1 202 4244; fax: +36 1 202 6764 Website: www.varkert.com Email: [email protected] Description: Located in a building designed by Miklós Ybl, one of Hungary’s most famous architects, the Várkert Casino originally formed part of the Royal Palace water supply system when it was erected in 1897. Today, it is an upscale, elegant gaming facility. Casino currency is U.S. dollars or Hungarian forints. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, craps, punto banco, Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpot), Caribbean Draw Poker (progressive jackpot), three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: Casual dress Bonus: Smart Points rewards card for slot machine and table game play. Accepts Visa and MasterCard.

GYÖR Györ (population 131,000), 70 miles east of Budapest and 10 miles south of the Slovakia border, is approximately midway between Vienna and Budapest. Sometimes called the City of Rivers, a reference to the presence of three major rivers, Danube, Rába, and Rábca, Györ is also known for its long history, varied architecture, and overall charm.

668. Casino Györ Address: Baross Gábor u. 33., 9024 Györ, Hungary Phone: +36 9 652 4151; fax: +36 9 631 9449 Website: www.casinosaustria.com/cai_cas_casinos.aspx and click on Europe on the map, then Hungary, and then Györ Email: [email protected] Description: Small but classy casino close to the train station. Gaming currency is forints. Hours: 4 p.m.–4 a.m. daily

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667. Várkert Casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is decorated in a tropical jungle theme. Hours: 11 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud (progressive jackpot), Caribbean Draw Poker (progressive jackpot), craps, poker variants, punto banco Poker: 4 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash drawings. Online poker game on casino’s website. Special tickets available for bonus payouts on all games.

Slot Machines: 12 Table Games: 12: 6 American roulette, 4 blackjack, 2 house-banked poker variants Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: HUF 1,000; upon entrance, visitors receive HUF 1,000 complimentary chips Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free gaming lessons for blackjack and roulette

KECSKEMÉT Kecskemét (population 101,000), a town both modern and classic, lies between the Danube and Tizsa rivers, about 50 miles southeast of Budapest.

669. Casino Kecskemét

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Address: Kossuth Lajos ter 3, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary Phone: +36 7 648 0160 Website: www.casinosaustria.com/cai_cas_casinos.aspx Click on Europe on the map, then Hungary, and then Kecskemét

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Email: cke@casinoKecskemét.hu Description: Small, simple casino located in the Hotel Aranyhomok Hours: 6 p.m.–4 a.m. daily; closed Dec. 24 Slot Machines: 14 Table Games: 6 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 2 house-banked poker variants Poker: 2 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2, Hungarian and Mediterranean Accommodations: 111 rooms Admission Charge: HUF 1000; upon entrance, visitors receive HUF 1,000 complimentary chips Dress Code: Smart Bonus: English and German spoken; free gaming lessons for blackjack and roulette.

SOPRON Sopron (population 56,000) is in northwestern Hungary, 2 miles from the Austrian border and less than an hour from Vienna. It is famous for the baroque and gothic architecture in the old town area. During certain weeks in June and July, festivals feature ancient dance and music.

670. Casino Sopron Address: Liszt Ferenc u. 1, 9400 Sopron, Hungary Phone: +36 9 951 2350; fax: +36 9 951 2351 Website: caigkn.caigroup.at/pls/gknweb/www.showCasino?cid=838 or www.casinosaustria.com/cai_cas_casinos.aspx and click on Europe on the map, then Hungary, and then Sopron Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the Ferenc Liszt Cultural Center on Szechenyi Square among the city’s most famous buildings. Some games accept euros, while others take only HUF. Hours: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 44 Table Games: 4 blackjack, 8 American roulette (1 with linked betting terminals), 2 house-banked poker variants Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €10 or 2,000 HUF Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: All staff speak German; some speak English. Weekly drawings. Regular themed party nights.


DUBLIN Dublin, the capital and largest city (population 500,000; urban area over 1,000,000) of the Republic of Ireland, is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey in the County Dublin. The name is derived from the Irish Dubh Linn (“the Black Pool”). The modern Irish-language name Baile Átha Cliath (“The City of the Ford of the Reed Hurdles”) refers to the settlement that once adjoined the Black Pool. The earliest reference to Dublin is in the writings of Ptolemy around A.D. 140, who called it Eblana. Dublin is a great drinking town. You’ll see bar-hopping tourists and locals every night in the central Temple Bar area. Dublin is the home of Trinity College, where you can view the ancient Book of Kells. Famous writers, composers, and philosophers who came from Dublin include Jonathan Swift (writer, satirist), John Field (pianist, composer, wrote the first nocturnes), Bram Stoker (novelist, author of Dracula), Oscar Wilde (playwright, author, poet), George Bernard Shaw (playwright), William Butler Yeats (poet, playwright), James Joyce (author, poet), and Samuel Beckett (playwright, novelist, poet). Entertainers include Bono (U2 lead singer) and Sinead O’Connor (singer).

671. Merrion Casino Club Address: 81 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Ireland Phone: +353 (0)1 662 9325; fax: +353 (0)1 662 9328 Website: www.merrioncasinoclub.com Email: [email protected] Description: Private membership club with Georgian style decor Hours: 6 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: 6: 4 blackjack (€3–€500), 2 roulette (€0.50–€400, depending on wager), casino brag (ante €3–€180, pair plus €2–€60), punto 2000 (€10–€3,000) Poker: Special tournaments include the world-class World Poker Challenge

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The Republic of Ireland (In Irish: Éire; population 3.9 million), usually referred to simply as Ireland, constitutes five-sixths of the large island west of Great Britain across the Irish Sea. (This excludes the northeastern portion of the island, which is Northern Ireland.) Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom. The capital and largest city is Dublin. The currency of Ireland, a member of the European Union, is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. Commercial casinos are illegal in Ireland, but private membership gambling clubs exist in cities around the country. The minimum age for club entrance is 18. The clubs of Ireland do not have the 24-hour waiting period to join that is required in the United Kingdom. You can apply for membership on your first visit to a club—or on the Web— and play immediately. You must provide positive identification. All clubs in Ireland are nonsmoking. While not full-blown international casinos, a few warrant consideration on your next visit to Ireland.

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Ireland

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in June, the world’s largest pot-limit hold’em tournament, preceded by a week of events, including daily satellites and supersatellites. (2004 buy-in was £6,000.) Also, Irish Easter Festival, Irish Masters (culminating in the €1,500-buy-in no-limit hold’em European Poker Tour final event), Irish Open (was a €10,000-added event in 2004). Regular tournaments (registration 8:30 p.m., start time 9 p.m.): Mon. €10 satellite for entries into Tue. Tournament (no registration fee); Tue. €100+€10 hold’em, no rebuys or add-ons, guaranteed €2,750 prize pool; Wed. €20+€3 hold’em, 2 rebuys, 1 add-on, guaranteed €2,750 prize pool; Fri. €25+€3 hold’em, 5 rebuys, 1 add-on, guaranteed prize pool; Sun. (registration 7:30 p.m., start time 8 p.m.) €10+€3 hold’em, 3 rebuys, 1 add-on, guaranteed €3,250 prize pool of double the prize fund. Cash games start at between 9 and 10 p.m. every day, potlimit hold’em and Omaha with buy-ins ranging from £50–£250. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Café Royale Accommodations: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Cash bonuses offered at certain times of year for various roulette hits, certain blackjack hands, or minimum play at brag or poker, with prizes ranging from €5 to €100,000. The Merrion Square Bridge Club (club night every Mon. at 7:30 p.m.) offers a range of beginners’ and improvers’ classes. Bonus to new members of €10 in free chips on first visit. (Offer available only on website.) The poker room claims that its table charges are “among the lowest in the world.”

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672. Fitzwilliam Card Club Address: Clifton Hall, Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin, 2, Ireland Phone: +353 (0)1 611 4677; fax: +353 (0)1 611 4678 Website: www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com Email: [email protected] Description: Custom card club with casino action, located in the heart of Dublin. Hours: 6 p.m.–7 a.m. nightly. Poker room open from 4 p.m. Thu.–Sun. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 8: 2 roulette, kalooki, 1 Brit brag, 1 punto banco, 4 blackjack Poker: Charity and points tournaments held regularly, plus league play. Regular tournaments (registration 8:45 p.m., start time 9 p.m.): Sun., Wed.: Hold’em €20+€3, 2 rebuys first 75 minutes plus add-on; Mon.: Hold’em freeze-out, €100+€10, no rebuys or add-on; Tue.: Five-card draw (jacks or better), €20+€3, 2 rebuys first 75 minutes plus addon; free-entry hold’em satellite to €250 game that takes place last Thu. every month, with unlimited €10 rebuys first 75 minutes; Fri.: Hold’em €50+€5, with 1 rebuy or add-on in first hour; Sat.: half hold’em, half Omaha, €15+€3, 3 rebuys first 75 minutes plus add-on. Also, prior to World Series of Poker, every Sun. at 6:30 p.m.: Free entry satellite for grand final satellite to WSOP main event. The entry fee to the supersatellite is €270, with €10 rebuys for the first 75 minutes. Private cash games every night, with buy-ins generally ranging from €50–€250 buy-in; bigger games available upon request. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Fitzwilliam Coffee Bar (café) Accommodations: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Great poker action. Bonus to new members of €10 in free chips on first visit. (Offer available only on website.) Casino runs a poker school for 8 weeks at a cost of €200. Casino rents its Balcony Room, which overlooks the main casino floor, to private functions, providing a comfortable and secluded atmosphere that at the same time soaks up the “buzz” of the casino floor.


Italy

CAMPIONE D’ITALIA Campione d’Italia, a small medieval town, is on Lake Lugano in the Lepontine Alps in northwestern Italy, just across the Swiss border from Lugano, 35 miles northwest of Milan.

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The Italian Republic (population 58 million), commonly called Italy, is a southern European country, consisting of a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean, Sardinia and Sicily. The mainland is bordered on the northwest by France, the north by Switzerland and Austria, and the northeast by Slovenia. Two independent countries, San Marino and the Vatican City, lie entirely within Italy. The capital and largest city of Italy is Rome. The currency of Italy is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. The minimum age for gambling in Italy is 18.

Address: Piazzale Milano 1, Campione d’Italia, Lombardia 22060 Phone: 39 4191 640 1111 Website: www.casinocampione.it (Italian only) Email: [email protected] Description: The elegant casino was built in 1933, with 4 gaming rooms. A new, larger, and more modern casino, 12 stories in height, is slated to replace it in 2005. Gaming is conducted with Swiss franc (CHF) tokens. Hours: Noon–5 a.m., weekends noon–6 a .m. except Dec. 24–25 Slot Machines: 350+: CHF 1 and up; video slots, video poker; linked jackpots; mystery jackpots; high-stakes room with 40 machines; jackpots can reach over CHF 400,000 Table Games: 52: Traditional games room: 17 French roulette (minimum CHF 10), 4 fair roulette (minimum CHF 10; even bets CHF 100–500), 1 American roulette (minimum CHF 2; double-zero), 6 chemin de fer, 2 30/40 (with 31 insurance available on minimum bets of CHF 500; minimum CHF 200), 6 blackjack (6-deck shoe; minimum CHF 20), 1 punto banco (minimum CHF 40), 1 Caribbean Stud (with a CHF 2 progressive jackpot bet; minimum CHF 20). American games room: 6 fair roulette (minimum CHF 5 on 4 tables, 10 on 2 tables), 2 blackjack (6-deck shoe; minimum CHF 20), 2 punto banco (minimum CHF 20), 2 Caribbean Stud (with a CHF 2 progressive jackpot bet; minimum CHF 20). Sala Super Privé: 3 chemin de fer, 1 blackjack, 2 French roulette, 1 30/40. Poker: No Entertainment: Shows, events, and star performances Restaurants: 1 restaurant: La Boule (elegant, haute cuisine); 2 bars: Seven Eleven, Jackpot Accommodations: No; Gran Hotel Campione nearby offers 44 rooms Admission Charge: American games, free; traditional games, CHF 15, with a CHF 10 token given to play on; Jet Slot Privé, CHF 15, with CHF 10 slot tokens given Dress Code: French Games and Jet Slot Privé, jacket and tie, Jackpot Club: American games room, casual Bonus: Chemin de fer tournaments. Valet parking. All currencies accepted. Private gaming area. Convention and meeting space, with seating for 500.

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673. Casino Municipale di Campione d’Italia

SAN REMO San Remo (population 50,000), the largest resort on the Italian Riviera, is in western Italy on the Ligurian Sea, 10 miles east of the French border and 70 miles southwest of Genoa.

674. Casino Municipale di Sanremo Address: Corso degli Inglesi 18, San Remo, 18038 Phone: 0184 5951 Website: www.casinosanremo.it (Italian only)

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Email: Contact form on website Description: The San Remo, located in a park area near the sea, originally opened in January 21, 1905. Its first owner and designer was the French architect Eugene Ferret. Guests can gamble in the “Privatissimo” (the Golden Room). Hours: Opening times: Slot machines 10 a.m., table games 2:30 p.m. Slot Machines: Yes: reel slots, video reel, multigame, video poker; progressive jackpots, mystery jackpots Table Games: Roulette, chemin de fer, trente et quarante, Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot), punto banco, fair roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: “Teatro dell Opera” has performances and events; nightly music on roof garden Restaurants: 2: Art Nouveau, The Roof Garden Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Free Mon.–Thu.; €7.50 Fri.–Sun. Dress Code: Slots: proper dress; jacket required elsewhere. Jackets available for a deposit; jackets not required in summer. Bonus: 3 bars. One of the oldest casinos in Italy. Nearby Airport (Nice). Periodic baccarat (chemin-de-fer), Caribbean Stud, gin rummy, and roulette tournaments.

SAINT-VINCENT Saint-Vincent, a spa town in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy, less than 20 miles south of the Swiss border and 75 miles northwest of Milan, is known for its Roman and medieval past as well as the beautiful mountain scenery.

675. Casino de la Vallee Address: Valle d’Aosta, Saint Vincent, Valle d’Aosta 11027 Phone: 39 1665 221, 39 1665 222 87 Website: www.casinodelavallee.it Email: [email protected] Description: The first gambling house appeared in Saint-Vincent in 1872. The present Casino de la Vallee, one of the largest in Europe, first opened its doors in 1947. The casino has 2 main halls, the French and American rooms. Hours: Slots 2 p.m.–3:30 a.m., Sat. and holidays 10:30 a.m.–4 a.m.; American games 3 p.m.–3:30 a.m., Sat. and holidays 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; French games 4 p.m.–3:30 a.m., Sat. and holidays 4 p.m.–4 a.m.; closed Dec. 24 Slot Machines: 289: 273 slots, 106 video poker, 10 multigame; €0.05–€50 Table Games: French games: 17 French roulette (numbers €10–€300; even bets €5,400 maximum), 16 English roulette (numbers €5–€100; even bets €1,800 maximum), 3 trente et quarante €20–€3,000), 4 poker “Teresina” five-card stud (€5 ante, €500 buy-in; €10 ante, €1,000 buy-in), 2 Saint-Vincent Poker Caribbean Style (€10–€250), 9 chemin de fer (minimum


Venice (population 272,000), on Italy’s northeastern Adriatic Sea coast, is a lagoon city consisting of 150 canals that separate 117 small islands, joined by 400 bridges and the Lido, a natural breakwater that protects the city from the sea. From Easter through October, millions of tourist jam St. Mark’s Square and the city’s famed narrow streets.

676. Venice Casino Address: Via Triestina 222, 30030—Tessera—Venezia Phone: 39 4152 971 11 Website: www.casinovenezia.it Email: [email protected] Description: Lively casino close to Marco Polo Venice-Tessera airport Hours: Slots Sat. 11 a.m.–6 a.m., other days 11 a.m.–4:45 a.m.; games halls: Sat. 4 p.m.–4:45 a.m., other days 4 p.m.–3:45 a.m. Open every day except Dec. 24–25. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Caribbean poker, blackjack, American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Occasional shows Restaurants: 1 restaurant, 1 bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €5, or €10 for wardrobe service, parking, and a €10 token Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Occasional tournaments. Theater (La Perla). Free shuttle to airport.

677. Cà Vendramin Calergi Address: Cannareggio, 2040, Venice, Veneto 30121 Phone: 39 4152 971 11 Website: www.laroulette.org/casino_venezia.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Upscale casino on the Grand Canal in a Renaissance palace built in 1509 Hours: Slots 11 a.m.–3 a.m.; games 3 p.m.–3 a.m. Open every day except Dec. 24–25. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: French roulette, American roulette, chemin de fer, 30 et 40, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Occasional shows Restaurants: 1 restaurant, 1 bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €5, or €10 for wardrobe service, parking, and a €10 token Dress Code: Jacket required Bonus: In 1882, composer Richard Wagner worked on the Parsifal score in the palace, where he stayed until his death. Occasional tournaments.

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VENICE

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bets: €50 and €200, and €300 in salon privé). American games: 28 American roulette (€2.5–€50, €5–€100, €10–€300; even bets €5–€250), 11 blackjack (€10–€300, €25–€700, €50–€1,500, €100–€2,000, €200–€2,000), 4 punto banco (€25–€1,000), craps (€10–€1,500). Poker: No Entertainment: Disco slot club; live erotic shows Fri. and Sat. Restaurant has live floor shows. Restaurants: 1: Italian and international; 8 p.m.–1 a.m. Accommodations: No; Grand Hotel Billia is nearby Admission Charge: €5, 10 day pass €20. Fortuna Card, a pass available in every hotel and restaurant in Aosta Valley, allows tourists and skiers to pay only €2.5 daily for admittance to the Casino de la Vallée. Dress Code: Smart dress required, tie for French games Bonus: Yearly film festival hosted by casino. Area recreation includes: skiing, trout fishing, and visiting medieval castles and historic villages.

Latvia

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The Republic of Latvia (population 2.3 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is bordered by the Baltic Sea on the west, Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, and Russia and Belarus to the east. The capital and largest city is Riga. The currency of Latvia is the lat (LVL, abbreviated Ls), pegged to the euro at a rate of 1 lat = €0.702804. At the time of this writing, $1 = 0.54 lats, and 1 lat = $1.87. In 2004, Latvia enacted a law that restricts slot machines to “defined” gaming halls (those with more than ten gaming machines). Bars and cafes that have slot machines and have been in operation since before June 2002 are permitted to continue as long as they have no more than five slot machines. Because of this rule change, the number of gambling operations was cut by more than half in 2004 to about 700. The number of casinos also dropped from 20 in 2003 to 15 in 2004. (Among the 700 gambling operations are a large number of establishments that offer slot machines only.) Latvia’s gaming industry is regulated by the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Lotteries. Casino customers must register and show proof of identification before entering. Gambling in Latvia is restricted to those 21 and older.

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RIGA Riga (population 739,000), the capital and largest city in Latvia and the surrounding Baltic States, is on the Baltic Sea coast at the mouth of the Daugava River.

678. Olympic Casino in Radisson SAS Daugava Hotel Address: Kugu iela 24, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia Phone: +371 744 7444; hotel reservations: +371 706 1111; Radisson reservations toll-free: 1–800–333–3333 Website: lv.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_57 Description: Hawaiian-themed casino in the Radisson Hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 50: Mystery jackpots, plus progressive and linked jackpots, including several possibilities to win cars Table Games: 10: Blackjack, American roulette (single-zero), Oasis Poker Poker: 3 tables: dealer’s choice, hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, sökö (mainly potlimit, 1–2 percent rake). Regular games (all amounts in lats): Tue. 9:30 p.m. (dealer’s choice, from the preceding list; blinds 1–2, minimum buy-in 100, average pots 150), Fri. 10 p.m. (hold’em/Omaha; minimum buy-in 100, blinds 2–4, average pots 200), Sat. 9:30 p.m. (dealer’s choice, from the preceding list; blinds 1–2, minimum buy-in 50, average pots 100), Sun. 9:30 p.m. (hold’em/Omaha; blinds 1–2, minimum buy-in 50, average pots 100). Bad beat jackpot, club jackpot. Regular tournaments in all games, with buy-ins ranging from 5 lat/€8–70 lat/€100, some with rebuys and add-ons. See Website for schedule. Competitions among teams made up from Latvian companies, with the best team winning a trip to France. Latvian Open Championship, 5 days of events in March, all games, all limits, with buy-ins ranging from €100-€1,000, some with rebuys. Entertainment: Concerts and performances Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 361 rooms, including 34 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Slot

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE tournaments. Monthly cash drawings, with coupons given out for certain slot machine combinations. Full service business center, travel agent, bank, shopping gallery and gift shop, renta-car service, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, massage, solarium, sauna, and beauty salon.

679. Tower Voodoo Casino

Lithuania The Republic of Lithuania (population 2.3 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is bordered by the Baltic Sea on the west, Latvia to the north, Poland to the south, Belarus to the southeast, and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Vilnius. The currency of Lithuania is the litas (LTL, abbreviated Lt), pegged to the euro at a rate of €1 = Lt3.4528, and divided into 100 cents. At the time of this writing, $1 US = Lt2.66, and Lt1 = 37.6¢. Gambling in Lithuania is regulated by the State Gambling Control Commission. By law, slot machines must have at least a 90 percent payback. Gambling in Lithuania is restricted to those 21 and older.

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Email: [email protected] Description: First themed club (West African voodoo) in Latvia; casino is in the Reval Hotel Latvija, which is in the center of Riga, overlooking a quiet, picturesque park Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: Caribbean Stud, blackjack, American roulette, six-card poker, and Casino Hold’em Poker; also, touch bet roulette Poker: Yes Entertainment: Nightclub, disco Restaurants: 1: Restaurant Esplanade (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 382 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sportsbook. Free drinks to players. Conferences, meeting, and banquet facilities, with 400 seats in theater style, banquet hall up to 200 seats in banquet style, and 10 smaller meeting rooms of various sizes.

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Address: Elizabetes street 55, LV-1000, Riga, Latvia Phone: +371 7 77 22 85; fax: +371 7772286 Website: www.tower.lv/html4/index.html?l=2

KAUNAS Kaunas (population 400,000), the second largest city, lies at the junction of the rivers Nemunas and Neris in central Lithuania 50 miles west of the capital, Vilnius.

680. Olympic Casino Sphinx Address: Donelaiãio st. 27, Kaunas, Kaunas, Lithuania Phone: +370 37 409962 Website: lt.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_62

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Description: An 8,600-square-foot casino with an Egyptian motif Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 45: Including video poker Table Games: 10: 3 blackjack, 3 American roulette (single-zero), 4 Oasis Poker Poker: No Entertainment: Show on casino stage almost every evening; cabaret shows Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP room with 2 card tables and 1 roulette wheel. Several online games available at website.

VILNIUS EUROPE

Vilnius (population 574,000), the capital and largest city, is in southeastern Lithuania where the Rivers Vilnia and Neris meet, about 25 miles west of the Belarus border.

681. Casino Planet Address: J. Basnaviciaus g. 4, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 52 72 53 85; fax: +370 52 72 53 87 Website: www.casinoplanet.lt/casino_en.html Email: [email protected] Description: This casino, which opened May 31, 2002, is 50 percent owned by Casinos Poland World B.V. and 50 percent by UAB Palangos Vetra. Hours: 7 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: 11: 7 blackjack, 4 American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Highly trained staff, and only the newest and best equipment is employed. There is another Casino Planet in the Hotel Palangos Vetra in Palanga on the Baltic coast in western Lithuania.

682. Casino Tornado Address: Pamenkalnio 38/Tauro 8 LT-2001, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 5 264 46 16 Website: www.casinotornado.lt/en Description: Casino opened May 2, 2003, in a former café; has 2 gaming halls Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 30: 5 cents and up; video reel and video poker Table Games: Roulette (minimum lt2.5), Oasis Poker (minimum lt10), blackjack (minimum lt10) Poker: No Entertainment: Fashion shows Restaurants: 1, plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: 30-seat banquet hall available for special occasions. Large-screen plasma TV in bar.


683. Grand Casino World

684. Olympic Casino Gedimino Address: Gedimino Avenue 21/2, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 5 260 82 58 Website: lt.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_48 Description: Casino has a Middle Eastern motif; 2 slot halls and a third tables hall. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 36 Table Games: 6: Blackjack, American roulette (single-zero), Oasis Poker Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret shows Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Slot tournaments. Monthly cash drawings, with coupons given out for certain slot machine combinations.

685. Olympic Casino Konstitucijos Address: Konstitucijos ave. 12, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 526 38650 Website: lt.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_49 Description: Located in the modern part of Vilnius and opened in 2002, this Las Vegasthemed casino was Lithuania’s first. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 30: Mystery jackpots Table Games: 3: Blackjack, American roulette (single-zero), Oasis Poker Poker: No Entertainment: Performances most evenings Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Slot tournaments. Monthly cash

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Description: This casino, the largest in Vilnius with 32,300 square feet of gaming space, is located in the heart of the city, the Old Town, in a 3-story “glass palace.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 100+: 5 cents and up; 95.5 percent payback Table Games: Let It Ride, blackjack, roulette, Oasis Stud Poker, mini-baccarat, three-card poker Poker: Cash games: Most popular is pot-limit Omaha, with average buy-in Lt150—Lt750 and a rake of 1–2 percent with a cap of Lt10. Regular tournaments daily except Thu. and Sat. at 6 or 7 p.m., potand no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, with buy-ins ranging from Lt20–Lt600, with no entry fees. See website for schedule. In 2004, the club held satellites for the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic at Commerce Casino, Los Angeles. 4 quarterly tournaments, including the Grand Casino Challenge, and the Poker Carnival Invitational, each 4 days of events, in all games, with buy-ins ranging from €100–€1,000. Entertainment: 250-seat nightclub New Orleans Restaurants: Tokyo (Japanese; Mon.–Thu. 11–midnight, Fri.–Sat. 11–2, Sun. 12–midnight); also, “the sunny bar Hawaii” Accommodations: No, but poker promotional rates available at Scandic Neringa Vilnius Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Grand Club rewards card for slots and table play. Card throwing competitions. Bikini competitions. VIP room. Free food and drink for poker tournament players. Cash giveaways.

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Address: A. Vienuolio Street, 4, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 700 555 99 or 8 (700) 555 99 Website: www.grandcasino.lt

drawings, with coupons given out for certain slot machine combinations. Bar shows major sporting events.

686. Olympic Casino in Reval Hotel Lietuva Address: Konstitucijos ave. 20, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 5 211 11 10 Website: lt.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_56

440 EUROPE

Description: This 19,375-square-foot casino, one of the largest in Northern Europe, is in the newly renovated Reval Hotel Lietuva, in the center of Vilnius, a 10-minute walk to the medieval old town, 5 miles from the airport and 3 from the train station. The casino, which opened in May 2003, has a Hawaiian décor, with blooming orchids, bubbling springs, and bungalows with straw roofs. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 119: Reel and video machines Table Games: 17: 6 blackjack, 4 American roulette (single-zero), 6 Oasis Poker, 1 baccarat Poker: 3 tables: Dealer’s choice, hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, sökö (all games mainly pot-limit, 1–2 percent rake, capped at 50 Lt). Regular games every day at 9 p.m. (amounts in Lt): Mon. pot-limit hold’em (blinds 2–4, average pot 1,000, maximum pot 5,000), Tue.–Sun. pot-limit hold’em and Omaha (blinds 5–10 and 10–20, average pot 1,000, maximum pot 10,000). Bad beat jackpot, club jackpot. Regular tournaments in all games, with buy-ins ranging from €6–€75, some with rebuys and add-ons. See website for schedule. Lithuanian Open Championship, 5 days of events in April, all games, all limits, with buy-ins ranging from €30–€600, some with rebuys. Entertainment: Regular shows; cabaret shows Restaurants: 1: Restaurant Riverside (Mon.–Fri. 6:30–11:30, Sat.–Sun. 7–11:30) Accommodations: 291 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Slot tournaments. Monthly cash drawings, with coupons given out for certain slot machine combinations. Largest conference center in Vilnius, 15 multifunctional rooms that accommodate up to 1,200 people, the largest room seating 600. Fully equipped business center with 3 workstations. Modem connections in all hotel rooms.

687. Olympic Casino Vokieciu Address: Vokieciu str. 12, Vilnius, Lithuania Phone: +370 5 262 49 31 Website: lt.olympic-casino.net/client/eng/index.php?id=27_129_151_50 Description: This “cozy gambling house,” in 2 halls, is in one of the oldest streets of Vilnius’s Old Town, and has a theater theme. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: 3: Blackjack, American roulette (single-zero), Oasis Poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Olympic Casino Bonus rewards card for slots and table play. Slot tournaments. Monthly cash drawings, with coupons given out for certain slot machine combinations.


Luxembourg

MONDORF-LES-BAINS

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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (population 443,000) may be tiny, but its marvels are many. Tucked away with Germany to the east, France to the south, Belgium to the west and the Netherlands to the north, Luxembourg presents, in compact form, many of the highlights boasted by its more well-known neighbors: a surprisingly varied topography that provides skiing, hiking, and wine-tasting opportunities; historic castles and churches; and frequent festivities, including an annual animated Carnival celebration. The capital and largest city is Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a member of the European Union, and its currency is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. The legal gambling age is 18.

688. Casino 2000 Address: Rue Th. Flammag, Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg 5618 Phone: +352 23 611 1 Website: www.casino2000.lu/index_gb.html Email: [email protected] Description: Upscale casino hotel featuring fine dining and entertainment Hours: Winter: Mon.–Thu. 7 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 p.m.–5 a.m., Sun. 4 p.m.–5 a.m. Summer: Mon.–Sat. 7 p.m.–5 a.m., Sun. 4 p.m.–5 a.m. Slots: Mon.–Thu. 1 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 1 p.m.–3:30 a.m., Sun. 4 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: 3 blackjack (with jackpot side bet), 3 French roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Dinner shows, galas, and private celebrations Restaurants: 1 in casino; 2 restaurants and 3 bars in hotel Accommodations: 31 rooms, including 3 suites Family Amenities: Special hotel rates for children Admission Charge: €2.50 for blackjack and roulette, €0.50 for slot machines Dress Code: No Bonus: Various hotel and casino packages available that include meals, chips, wine-tasting tours, and other amenities. Periodic blackjack tournaments. Banquets available for conferences or private events.

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Mondorf-les-Bains (population 3,600) is principally a spa town located in the vineyarddotted Moselle Valley in southern Luxembourg, 12 miles southeast of the capital. Attractions include rose gardens, parks, a renowned thermal spa, and a popular casino.

Macedonia The Republic of Macedonia, a landlocked former part of Yugoslavia, is bordered by Serbia and Montenegro to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. The capital and largest city is Skopje. The official currency is the Macedonian denar (MKN), made up of 100 deni. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 46.5 denars; 1 denar was worth 2.15¢. By law all casino patrons must provide identification on first entry. Entry is restricted to those at least 18 years of age.

BITOLA 442

Bitola (population 100,000), the second-largest city, is in southwestern Macedonia, 7 miles north of the Greek border, and is a university town.

689. Le Grand Casino—Bitola

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Address: Hotel Epinal—Bitola, Marshal Tito bb, 7000 Bitola, Republic of Macedonia Phone: +389 (0)47 224 777, +389 (0)47 224 770; fax: +389 (0)47 232 724; hotel fax: +389 47 224 778 Website: hotel and casino: www.hotelepinal.com; casino: www.legrandcasinoonline.com Email: hotel: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the beautiful Hotel Epinal, located on the main street (Shirok sokak) less than 10 miles from the Greek border. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 15 Table Games: 8: Let It Ride, big six wheel, Mediterranean Poker (Caribbean Stud), American Poker, American roulette (double-zero), single-deck blackjack, punto banco, two dice (craps), two up Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Gradska Kafeana Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, diner; terrace dining in summer) Accommodations: 82 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free drinks while playing. Fitness center for hotel guests, with cardiovascular equipment, sauna, massage, etc. Function rooms available for meetings and conferences, presentations, seminars, and training sessions.


SKOPJE Skopje (population 6500,000), the capital and largest city, is in the north of Macedonia on the upper Vardar river about 20 miles south of the Kosovo province of Yugoslavia.

690. Le Grand Casino–Skopje

691. Viva! Casino! Address: Bul Aleksandar Makedonski b.b., Skopje, Macedonia Phone: (+389 2) 31 16 599, (+389 2) 31 33 333; fax (+389 2) 32 22 221 Website: www.contimak.com Email: [email protected] Description: Tropical-themed casino is located in the Continental Hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 10: 5 roulette, 3 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Live music, entertainers Restaurants: 1: With international cuisine and smorgasbord; plus, bar Accommodations: 200 rooms and suites, including 6 apartments Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cash giveaways, beauty shop, and gift shop. Convention hall with facilities for up to 1,000 persons. Business center, with computer, fax, phone, audio and video equipment, and translator.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is located in the Holiday Inn, 1 block from the Vardar River Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 15 Table Games: 11: Let It Ride, big six wheel, Mediterranean Poker (Caribbean Stud), American Poker, American roulette (double-zero), single-deck blackjack, punto banco, two dice (craps), two up Poker: No Entertainment: Macedonian traditional music played by folk groups in Ogniste restaurant Restaurants: Iris (breakfast, lunch, dinner; 6 a.m.–midnight), Ogniste (Macedonian meals; 10 a.m.–midnight); also, bar (6 a.m.–midnight) Accommodations: 178 rooms, including 15 suites, on 9 floors Family Amenities: Children’s menus in hotel restaurant, free breakfast for children up to 12 years Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free drinks while playing. Conference hall with facilities for up to 800 persons. Car rental. Shopping center nearby.

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Address: Le Grand Casino–Holiday Inn Hotel, Vasil Agilarski 2, Skopje, Macedonia 1000 Phone: (+389 2) 292 929 fax: (+389 2) 115 503; hotel reservations (+389 2) 329 2929; fax: (+389 2) 329 2929 Website: www.holiday-inn.com.mk; casino: www.legrandcasinoonline.com

Malta

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The Republic of Malta (population 400,000), one of Europe’s smallest countries, has an area of 122 square miles, and consists of three islands, Gozo, Comino, and Malta (the biggest at 96 square miles) plus two uninhabited rock islets. The capital, Valletta, is on Malta. The nation has no rivers or lakes, no major natural resources, and very few trees, but it is strategically located some 50 miles south of Sicily and very densely populated. Inhabited since before 540 BC, the islands have been ruled and fought over by various powers for centuries. The official currency is the Maltese lira (MTL or Lm), made up of 100 cents. The lira replaced the Maltese pound, which was on a par with the British pound sterling (GBP) until the late 1960s; the traditional £ sign is still sometimes seen locally. At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 0.33 liri; 1 lira was worth $3.01. To gamble in Malta, foreign nationals must be 18 years old, while Maltese citizens must be 25. Malta has three casinos, all of which are worth a visit.

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ST. JULIAN’S St. Julian’s is on the northeast coast of the island of Malta, about 2 miles northwest of Valletta.

692. Dragonara Casino Address: Dragonara Palace, St. Julian’s STJ 02Malta Phone: +356 2138 2362; fax +356 2138 2371 Website: www.dragonara.com Email: [email protected] Description: The Dragonara, now run by the French company Accor, was originally built in 1870, opened as a casino in 1964, and then was remodeled and reopened in 1999. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–6 a.m., continuously Fri. 10 a.m.–Sun. 6 a.m. Slot Machines: 174: Including 79 reel slots, 35 video reels, 44 video poker Table Games: 21: 10 roulette, 5 blackjack (dealer stands on soft 17), 3 Dragonara Stud Poker (Caribbean Stud), 1 midi-punto banco, 1 chemin de fer, 1 Casino Hold’em Poker; also, 12-seat Royal Ascot horse racing Poker: No Entertainment: Live music Restaurants: 1: Dragonara Casino Brasserie and Bar (French Mediterranean; seating capacity 55 indoors and 50 more on adjoining terrace during summer season); plus a bar, which has a snack menu during the day. Accommodations: Westin Dragonara Resort has 313 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Courtesy shuttle from area hotels. Theme buffet nights every Wed. for Lm 1 per person.


ST. PAUL’S BAY St. Paul’s Bay, on the bay of the same name, is on the northeast coast of the island of Malta about 8 miles northwest of Valletta.

693. Oracle Casino-New Dolmen Hotel

VITTORIOSA Vittoriosa is on Grand Harbour, on the island of Malta, about 2 miles south of Valletta.

694. Casino di Venezia Address: The Waterfront Captain’s Palace, Palazzo del Capitan, Vittoriosa, Birgu, Malta Phone: (+356) 805580 Website: www.casinovenezia.it/malta/main.htm (Italian only) Description: Casino is located in a classic Italian palazzo right on the Mediterranean Hours: Slots 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily; tables, Mon.–Thu. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sun. 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Blackjack, punto banco, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Bucintoro Restaurant (Venetian atmosphere) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart Bonus: A cruise and casino visit combination is available from Sliema, including meal and match play, with Captain Morgan Cruises every Thu. 7:30 p.m.–midnight, June–Oct.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Oracle Casino, on the Mediterranean shore, contains 3 halls. Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes: Video and reel, touch-screen roulette, linked progressive jackpots Table Games: 12: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, Casino Hold’em Poker, punto banco; includes 2 high-stakes tables; also, autoroulette with stakes from 10 cents-Lm10 on 1 number Poker: No Entertainment: Cabaret. Theme nights, events, and promotions, lottery. Amazonia Club has lively entertainment and salsa, pop, and house music. Restaurants: 4: In the casino is the Delphie Brasserie (bistro); the rest are in the hotel: La Sybylle (fine dining; Tue.–Sat.), Menhir (the hotel’s main restaurant; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Batubulan (terrace grill open for lunch and dinner during the warm summer months), Café Delos (24 hours); plus 2 bars Accommodations: 380 rooms and suites on 5 floors Family Amenities: Kids club for children 5–12 in summer months, with tournaments, sports activities, color painting, and more Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Multilingual staff. Free slot tournaments: Mon. 10 p.m., Tue. 2 p.m., Wed. 2 p.m., Thu. 10 p.m. Free coffee and snacks weekdays 1–4 p.m. Swimming pools, diving, conference facilities, weddings, banquets, tennis, spa, gym, indoor pool with hydro massage. The megalithic Bugibba Temple, preserved on the grounds of the hotel, dates back to the Maltese Copper Age.

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Address: The Promenade, Qawra Seafront, St. Paul’s Bay, SPB05, Malta Phone: +356 205 74119; fax +356 215 741 18 Website: www.oraclecasino.com

Moldova The Republic of Moldova (population 4.4 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, surrounded by Ukraine to the north, east, and southeast, and bordered on the west by Romania. The capital and largest city is Chisinau. The currency is the Moldovan leu (MDL), divided into 100 bani. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 12.58 lei, and 1 leu was worth 7.9¢. The casino business in Moldova is in its initial stages.

CHISINAU 446

Chisinau (population 920,000), the capital and largest city of Moldova, is in the center of the country, approximately midway between the borders of Romania and Ukraine.

695. Cosmos Casino Address: 2 Negruzzl sq., Chisinau, MD-2065 Moldova Phone: +373 22 542770, +373 22 542757; fax: +373 22 542744 Website: www.hotel-cosmos.com/frames.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: Cosmos Casino is in the multistory Hotel Chisinau, which is in the center of Chisinau. Hours: 2 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot machines: 3 Table Games: 2: 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 1: Moldavian and European cuisine Accommodations: 332 rooms, including 16 suites Family Amenities: Children under 12 free if sharing parent’s room Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Internet café, beauty salon, conference hall, medical facility, gift and antique shop, and currency exchange office. Near a modern mall, the Grand Hall.

Monaco The Principality of Monaco (population 32,000), a city-state with an area less than threefourths of a square mile, or some 470 acres, is the second-smallest country of Europe, after Vatican City. Monaco is on the Mediterranean, surrounded by France and very near the Italian border. Monaco is second only to Macau on the list of the world’s most densely populated countries. Monaco is ruled by Prince Albert II. The currency of Monaco is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. The capital of Monaco is Monaco, city and state boundaries being contiguous. Monte Carlo (which is often mistakenly believed to be the capital) is but a district of the state. Monaco is known for its four (soon to become five) world-class casinos, its Opera House, its beaches, its glamour, and for being the hangout of very famous people. Residents of Monaco (Monegasques) are not permitted to play in the casinos of Monaco. They are permitted to enter for dining or attending shows.


696. Café de Paris Address: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo 98000, Principality of Monaco Phone: +377 92 16 23 00 Website: www.casinomontecarlo.com/en/monte_carlo/cafe_de_paris.asp Email: [email protected] Description: This is the modern casino, dedicated to the Grand Prix, situated on the famous Place du Casino. It has 2 gaming areas, including the newest and best slot machines on the Riviera, and a total area of 14,913 square feet. Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. (or later) daily Slot Machines: 457: Slots and video poker; mystery jackpot among 140 linked machines, which pays randomly not based on whether the chosen machine has a winning combination when chosen; megajackpots in excess of €3 million Table Games: 15: 8 blackjack, 6 American roulette, 1 craps Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Cabaret du Casino de Monte-Carlo: show Wed.–Sun. at 9:30 p.m. Restaurants: 1: La Brasserie du Café de Paris (250-seats; French traditional cuisine) Accommodations: See start of section Family Amenities: Babysitting available Dress Code: No Bonus: See start of section

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Monte Carlo, a district of Monaco, contains four casinos, with a fifth to open November 2005; all are run by the Société des Bains de Mer and known collectively as Les Casinos de Monte-Carlo (spelled with a hyphen in French). Customers of Les Casinos de MonteCarlo are customers of Société des Bains de Mer, which is the host of the first urban resort in Europe, including the five casinos, five luxury hotels and sea resorts, 24 restaurants (two created by Alain Ducasse), a world-famous spa, two theaters, an opera house, and Jimmy’z Night Club. The website for the resort is www.montecarloresort.com and for the casinos www.casinomontecarlo.com. Monte Carlo has an active ballet and opera season in fall and winter, and a cultural festival in spring. Monaco also offers a number of international events, such as the Grand Prix, Master Series Tennis Tournament, Fireworks Festival, Red Cross Gala, Rose Ball, Circus Festival, Monte-Carlo Rallye. The biggest event of the year is the Monte-Carlo Formula One Grand Prix in May. For the best seat in the house, book a meal at one of the Société des Bains de Mer restaurants and enjoy lunch or dinner so you can combine a world-class meal with viewing one of the world’s foremost racing events. Les Casinos de Monte-Carlo host two major poker tournaments, the Monte-Carlo Millions sponsored by Prima Poker and, sponsored by Poker Stars, the Monte Carlo Grand Final of the European Poker Tour. The casinos do not offer poker at other times of the year. All of the casinos offer accommodations in three 4-star Société des Bains de Mer hotels only a few hundred feet away, plus two beach resorts only a five-minute drive distant. Together, they encompass 1,000 rooms and suites. Employees all speak French, Italian, and English. Les Casinos de Monte-Carlo organizes special private group training for any game.

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697. Le Casino de Monte-Carlo Address: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo 98000, Principality of Monaco Phone: +377 92 16 23 00 Website: www.casinomontecarlo.com/en/monte_carlo/casino.asp

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Email: [email protected] Description: Also called Le Grand Casino de Monte-Carlo, this is the elegant and legendary casino of international renown: the first, the biggest, and the best. This historical monument was built between 1865 and 1891. Every masterpiece of art remains untouched from the end of the 19th century. There are 5 different gaming areas, from the slot machines areas to the salons privés. The gaming area is 26,000 square feet. Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. (or later) daily Slot Machines: 280: €0.10–€20 Table Games: 41: 14 French roulette, 4 English roulette, 1 craps, 2 trente et quarante, 6 chemin de fer, 1 banque à deux tableaux (16 seats), 5 punto banco, 8 blackjack Poker: See start of section Entertainment: International show nightly at 9 p.m. Restaurants: 3: Mosaik (light Italian cuisine), Le Train Bleu (elegant Italian cuisine; lunch noon–6 p.m., dinner 7 p.m.–casino close), Les Privés (elegant French and Italian; Thu.–Sun 8 p.m.; seasonal: closed June–Sept.) Accommodations: See start of section Family Amenities: Babysitting available Admission Charge: €10 Dress Code: Casual; jacket and tie required after 9 p.m. in the salons privés and restaurants Bonus: Chemin de fer tournaments 4 times a year, with prizes in excess of €50,000. See start of section for more.

698. Monte-Carlo Bay’s Casino Address: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo 98000 , Principality of Monaco Phone: +377 92 16 23 00 Website: www.casinomontecarlo.com Email: [email protected] Description: This casino is scheduled to open in November 2005 and will be the first hotel and resort to be built by Société des Bains de Mer since 1920, featuring the same quality as the existing casinos and hotels in an exceptional setting. This 5,000-square-foot casino, part of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, will have 175 of the latest slot machines. Other details were not available at the time of this writing, so call or check the website.

699. Sporting Monte-Carlo Address: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo 98000, Principality of Monaco Phone: +377 92 16 23 00 Website: www.casinomontecarlo.com/en/monte_carlo/sporting_monte_carlo.asp

Email: [email protected] Description: This is the Summer Casino of the mythic Salle des Etoiles, situated on a peninsula with a breathtaking sea view. This 12,800-square-foot casino is open only in the summer. Hours: Fri.–Sun. in July and daily in August open 10 a.m.–2 a.m. (or later) Slot Machines: 110: €0.10–€10; slots and video poker Table Games: 34: 10 French roulette, 4 English roulette, 7 blackjack, 1 craps, 1 trente et quarante, 7 chemin de fer, 4 punto banco Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Jimmy’z Nightclub: dancing Restaurants: 3:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Salle des Etoiles (traditional French; restaurant and show; 1,000 places), Alain Ducasse’s Bar & Boeuf (creative French cuisine; seasonal restaurant open late May–mid-Sept.; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.; closed Mon. part of that time), Le Fuji (elegant Japanese; seasonal restaurant open late May–mid-Sept.; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: See start of section Family Amenities: Babysitting available Admission Charge: €10 Dress Code: Jacket required Bonus: Salle des Palmiers. Private gaming rooms. Big summer chemin de fer tournament. See start of section for more.

700. Sun Casino

The Netherlands The Netherlands (population 16 million) is on the North Sea in Western Europe, bordered on the south by Belgium and the east by Germany. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, Queen Beatrix. Natives of the country are called the Dutch. Although many people refer to the Netherlands as “Holland,” Holland is actually only a portion of the Netherlands. The Holland Casinos group operates the only legal casinos in the Netherlands. Many of the casinos offer free lessons and low limits for beginners. (See the bonus section of each casino listing for details.) Also, Holland Casinos offers free Let’s Play! online game practice on its website. The site is in Dutch only, but the games portion is easy to navigate without an understanding of Dutch. All winnings are tax-free for players in Holland Casinos; the casino pays whatever taxes apply. The currency of the Netherlands is the euro. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth € 0.76. The minimum age for gambling in the Netherlands is 18.

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Email: [email protected] Description: This 13,340-square-foot casino is inside the Fairmont Hotel. Redesigned in 2001 with a circus motif, the whole casino is a shrine to American games. Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. (or later) daily Slot Machines: 390: Divided between the main room and the jackpot room; €0.10–€20; slots and video poker; progressive jackpots in excess of €1 million Table Games: 2 singledeck blackjack, 13 multiple-deck blackjack, 10 American roulette, 2 craps, 4 Caribbean stud, 2 three-card poker, 1 casino war, 3 mini-baccarat, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Le Circus (informal French cuisine) Accommodations: See start of section Family Amenities: Babysitting available Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Various programs are available in combination with the Sun Casino/Grand Hotel such that if you give them a certain amount of action, they will pay for your room. A deposit of €4,000 and 4 hours of action per day at an average bet of €50 earns 1 night, €8,000 and €100 earns 2 nights, and €12,000 and €120 earns 3 nights.

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Address: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo 98000, Principality of Monaco Phone: +377 92 16 23 00 Website: www.casinomontecarlo.com/en/monte_carlo/sun_casino.asp

AMSTERDAM Amsterdam (population 740,000; municipal area 1.5 million), the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, is at the southwest shore of the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel, which was created by the damming of the inland sea the Zuiderzee) and is characterized by its extensive canal system. Although Amsterdam is the capital, the seat of government is not located there, but instead in The Hague. Amsterdam is a Renaissance city, with many buildings dating to the 16th and 17th centuries. Among its outstanding museums are the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum, and the Anne Frank house. Amsterdam is famous also for its coffeehouses that legally sell marijuana and hash.

701. Holland Casino Amsterdam

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Address: Max Euweplein 62, Hirsch Passage 7, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1017 MB Phone: From inside the Netherlands: 020 521 1111, from outside: +31 (0)20 521 1111; fax: +31 (0)20 521 1110 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/amsterdam.php

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Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: Part of Holland Casinos, this 93,000-square-foot casino is in the heart of Amsterdam, with parking nearby. Complete driving and public transportation directions on website. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 700: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent Table Games: 55: American roulette (€2 minimum), Novo Multi Keno, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, French roulette (€2 minimum), punto banco, sic bo, pai gow poker. High-limit area with €20 minimum bets. Poker: 5 tables: Only Dutch, English, or German may be spoken at the poker table. Regular tournaments Tue. evening. The MasterClassics of Poker & Lido International is a major tournament, a week of events in Nov. of no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha with buy-ins ranging from €200–€5,000. Entertainment: The Lido Club (open Fri. and Sat. night from 7:30): live acts and DJs; fashion shows Restaurants: 1: open 1:30 p.m.–2 a.m.; plus 3 bars Accommodations: No; nearby Amsterdam Marriott Hotel is recommended Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Random “mystery jackpot” on linked slots, not based on winning combination. Special company parties can be arranged, in which all attendees are trained in the desired game, and then a mini-tournament is held, with special prizes for the best players. Ladies’ Day Wed., with free entry and a welcome drink. Monthly Special Ladies’ Day, with special prizes to win, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons and an area to practice those lessons with €1 chips.


BREDA Breda (population 166,000), 30 miles southeast of Rotterdam and 8 miles north of the border with Belgium, is known for its beautiful old buildings, many surrounded by moats.

702. Holland Casino Breda

DEN HAAG Den Haag (population 470,000; metropolitan area 700,000), known as The Hague in English, is the administrative capital of the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix lives and works in Den Haag. The city is host to several institutions of the United Nations, chief among them the International Court of Justice, located in the Peace Palace, and known familiarly as the World Court.

703. Holland Casino Scheveningen Address: Kurhausplein 1, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland 2587 RT Phone: +31 (0)70 306 7777; fax: +31 (0)70 306 7888 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/scheveningen.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: This aristocratic 97,000-square-foot casino, styled like a large cruise ship with an elegant restaurant and bar, is the largest and most luxurious of all the Dutch casinos, located directly behind the Scheveningse Boulevard, opposite the famous Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel and next to the Fortis Circus Theater. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 630: €0.01 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent Table

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Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: Part of Holland Casinos, this 93,000-square-foot casino is located on the edge of the city center next to a main thoroughfare, easily reached by bus from the Central Station. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 700+: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent Table Games: 55: American roulette, multi-roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, pai gow poker, punto banco, big six wheel, sic bo Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: 1: Brasserie Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.5 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Special Ladies’ Day first Wed. evening of each month 7 p.m., with free entrance and a welcoming drink, demonstrations, entertainment, and free roll on big six wheel, plus meal discounts. Breda has a Downtown Experience, which is open every Sat. night from 8 p.m.–12:30 a.m. More information at www.downtownbreda.nl (Dutch only). Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in American roulette, blackjack, and big six wheel Wed., Fri., and Sat. from 8 p.m. and Sun. from 6 p.m., plus mini-tournaments for beginners Sat. from 8 p.m.

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Address: Kloosterplein 20, Breda, Noord-Brabant 4811 GP Phone: +31 76 525 1100; fax: +31 (0)76 522 5029 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/breda.php

Games: 45: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: 1: The Navigator (fine dining; including South African menu) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Random “mystery jackpot” on linked slots, not based on winning combination. Free gaming lessons. Special company parties can be arranged, in which all attendees are trained in the desired game, and then a mini-tournament is held, with special prizes for the best players. Ladies’ Day Wed., with free entry and a welcome drink. Meeting facilities for up to 300. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in roulette, blackjack, and slot machines Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight and an area to practice those lessons with €1 chips.

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EINDHOVEN Eindhoven (population 208,000) is 70 miles southeast of Amsterdam and 10 miles north of the border with Belgium.

704. Holland Casino Eindhoven EUROPE

Address: Heuvel Galerie 134, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant 5611 DK Phone: +31 (0)40 235 7357; fax: +31 (0)40 235 7360 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/eindhoven.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: The casino is located in the city center in the Heuvel Galerie opposite the Frits Philips Muziekcentrum (Music Center) on the Eindhoven Market square, within easy walking distance of the Central Station. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 400: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent Table Games: 20: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: 1: Black Jack Café Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Ladies’ Day Wed., with free entry and a welcome drink. Special Ladies’ Day monthly, with special prizes to win, free entry, free spins on the big six wheel, fashion makeovers, massages, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in roulette, blackjack, and slot machines Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight, after which players can play with €0.50 chips on American roulette and €1 chips on blackjack, plus use special tokens in slot machines.


ENSCHEDE Enschede (population 153,000) is 75 miles east of Amsterdam and about 3 miles from the border with Germany.

705. Holland Casino Enschede

GRONINGEN Groningen (population 179,000), in the north of the Netherlands, is 90 miles northeast of Amsterdam.

706. Holland Casino Groningen Address: Gedempte Kattediep 150, Groningen, Groningen 9711 PV Phone: +31 (0)50 317 2317; fax: +31 (0)50 317 2300 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/groningen.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: 32,000-square-foot casino located in the center of town, within walking distance of the station. The ring road, which connects to 3 motorways, is only a short distance away. Parking garage connected to the building. Hours: 1:30p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 380: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 20: American

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Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: Casino is in the center of Enschede. The casino has 2 gaming rooms, each with its own ambience. On the ground floor, open daily, is a large gaming hall with table games and slot machines, plus a restaurant and high-limit area. The second floor, open Fri. and Sat. evenings, has a large selection of slot machines and the big six wheel. Here also is the Let’s Play! area. The third floor is used for groups of 100–750. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 650: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 25: American roulette, multiroulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: 1: Café Royale (fine dining) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Cash and trip giveaways. Special Ladies’ Day monthly, with special prizes to win, fashion makeovers, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Tournaments in roulette, blackjack, slots to determine the best player of the year. Meeting area for groups of 100–750. Let’s Play! area available on second floor on Fri. and Sat. evenings with free gaming lessons.

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Address: Boulevard 1945 105, Enschede, Overijssel 7511 AM Phone: +31 (0)53 750 2750; fax: +31 (0)53 750 2700 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/enschede.php

roulette, blackjack (with a variant of the perfect pairs side bet available), Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: Hold’em tournament every Tue. 7 p.m.–1 a.m. (€10 buy-in). (This is the only poker available here.) Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: 1: Brasserie (5 p.m.–1 a.m.) Accommodations: No; nearby hotels Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Special Ladies’ Day monthly, with special prizes to win, fashion makeovers, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Free coffee and cake on Sun. Valet parking. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in roulette, blackjack, and slot machines Fri. and Sat. 8:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. and an area to practice those lessons with €1 chips.

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Nijmegen (population 158,000) is 60 miles southeast of Amsterdam and about 4 miles from the border with Germany. Nijmegen was the birthplace of Eddie Van Halen.

707. Holland Casino Nijmegen EUROPE

Address: Waalkade 68, Nijmegen, Gelderland 6511 XP Phone: +31 (0)24 381 6381; fax: +31(0)24 381 6209 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/nijmegen.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: A 31,000-square-foot casino located on the Waalkade in the middle of the renovated lower town. Casino was being completely remodeled at the time of this writing. Parking garage connected to the building. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 390: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 30: French roulette, American roulette (Fri.–Sat. after 8 p.m. minimum €2), blackjack (with a variant of the perfect pairs side bet available; 1 table has a €5 minimum), Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live music Sat. and some other evenings Restaurants: 2: Royal Flush Brasserie, Carre Café (1:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. On Sun., free cake with any coffee order 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in roulette, blackjack, and slot machines.


ROTTERDAM Rotterdam (population 600,000), the second-largest city in the Netherlands, 35 miles southwest of Amsterdam, has the second-largest port in the world (after Shanghai), serving as a transit point for goods transported between the European continent and the rest of the world.

708. Holland Casino Rotterdam

SCHIPHOL AIRPORT Schiphol Airport, south of Amsterdam, has one large terminal split into three large departure halls. There are frequent trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam.

709. Holland Casino Schiphol Airport Address: Postbus 170, 2040 AD Zandvoort (mailing address; physical address is in the airport, as described below) Phone: +31 (0)23 5740574; fax: +31 (0)23 5740577 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/schipholairport.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: Since April 1, 1995, Schiphol has been the world’s only major airport with its own casino offering table games and slots. The casino is behind customs in the central departure hall, between Gates E and F. There is also another smaller gaming room in the Schengen area. Go up the stairs beside Gate D (follow the small arrow) and turn left. Hours: 6:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. daily Slot Machines: 100: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 4:

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Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: 30,000-square-foot casino in the Plaza shopping center, diagonally opposite the central station Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 630: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 52: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel, sic bo Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment; theme nights, fashion shows, special dance nights Restaurants: Villa Fortuna (5:30 p.m–1:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. High-limit area. Special Ladies’ Day last Wed. of each month, with special prizes to win, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Let’s Play! Club on the second floor offers free gaming lessons in American roulette and blackjack. On your first, second, or third visit, you can get a voucher for which you could win €25.

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Address: Plaza-Complex, Weena 624, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland 3012 CN Phone: +31 (0)10 206 8206; fax: +31 (0)10 206 8500 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/rotterdam.php

American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No, but has a small bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Free admission upon showing boarding pass with valid ID Dress Code: Casual dress Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Reception desk with flight information. Flight announcements and boarding calls are heard within the casino and a wall clock lets you keep track of the time. Casino employees are multilingual to advise guests on the games. 15 different currencies can be exchanged for chips, tokens, or coins at the casino cash desk.

THE HAGUE See Den Haag.

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UTRECHT Utrecht (population: 244,000), 20 miles southeast of Amsterdam, is the home of Utrecht University, the largest university of The Netherlands.

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710. Holland Casino Utrecht Address: Overste den Oudenlaan 2, Utrecht, Utrecht 3527 KW Phone: +31 (0)30 750 4750; fax: +31 (0)30 750 4700 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/utrecht.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: Casino is next to Jaarbeurs, close to Dutch Railway station. Casino has a low-limit hall open at certain times. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31. Low-limit area available on the tables Wed., Fri., Sat., and Sun. starting at 8 p.m., and on the slot machines Sun. starting at 1:30 p.m. Slot Machines: 700: €0.01 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 45: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: Hold’em tournament every Thu. 8 p.m.–midnight (€50+€5). (This is the only poker available here.) Entertainment: Live music 3 or 4 nights a week and holidays, theme nights, fashion shows, special dance nights Restaurants: Brasserie Café Royale (5 p.m.–1:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Double-point promotions some days. Catered banquets and celebrations available for smallto-large groups, including casino entry, meal, drinks, chips, mini-tournaments. Special Ladies’ Day occasionally, with free entry, special prizes to win, free spins on the big six wheel, fashion makeovers, massages, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons in roulette, blackjack, and slot machines Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m.–midnight.


VALKENBURG Valkenburg (population: 17,800), is in the southeast of the Netherlands, close to where the borders of Germany and Belgium meet the Netherlands, and about 10 miles northeast of Aachen.

711. Holland Casino Valkenburg

ZANDVOORT Zandvoort (population: 16,900), 12 miles west of Amsterdam on the North Sea and a major beach resort, is the site of the Circuit Zandvoort automobile race track.

712. Holland Casino Zandvoort Address: Badhuisplein 7, Zandvoort, Noord-Holland 2042 JB Phone: +31 (0)23 574 0574; fax: +31 (0)23 574 0577 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/zandvoort.php Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: This 17,000-square-foot casino, completed in 1976 in a beach resort overlooking the sea, was the first member of Holland Casinos. Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 280: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 20:

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Email: [email protected] (corporate head office) Description: 19,000-square-foot casino in the center of beautifully landscaped Valkenburg, near Thermae 2000 health resort spa Hours: 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; closed May 4 and Dec. 31 Slot Machines: 380: €0.02 and up; reel, video, roulette, bingo, poker machines; machines accept bills and tokens; progressive, bonus, megajackpots; average return 92 percent; bonuses on some bingo slot machines; mystery prizes on some machines Table Games: 30: French roulette, American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows, dance classes, Fabulous Fifties rock ’n’ roll dinner shows, special dance nights Restaurants: Le Jardin (gourmet; 6 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Sun., holidays 4 p.m.–1:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Parking garage next door. Ladies’ Day Wed., with free entry and a welcome drink, fashion and beauty exhibits. Special Ladies’ Day occasionally, with free entry, special prizes to win, mini-tournaments, fashion makeovers, massages, plus demonstrations in fashion, cooking, and health. Slot machine mystery jackpots, independent of actual display, award merchandise, travel, and other prizes. Holiday fair in May in coordination with the health spa. Special celebration on the Queen’s birthday, April 30, with a free drink and other giveaways. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons and an area to practice those lessons with €1 chips.

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Address: Kuurpark Cauberg 28, 6301 BT Bad Valkenburg Phone: 31 (0)43 6099 600; fax: 31 (0)43 6099 699 Website: www.hollandcasino.com/visit/valkenburg.php

American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, theme nights, fashion shows Restaurants: La Tribune (brasserie; 4 p.m.–2 a.m.; snacks available before 4 p.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3.50 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Holland Casino Favorites Card; to be eligible, visit Holland Casino 4 or more times within a year. Let’s Play! Club offers free gaming lessons Fri.–Sat. 8:30 p.m.-midnight, followed with an invitation to play American roulette with €1 chips.

Poland 458 EUROPE

Poland (population 38 million) joined the European Union in 2004. Its currency, the zloty (PLN; abbreviated zl), is still in wide use. At the time of this writing, the exchange rate was approximately 2.91 to the dollar, or about 34¢ per zloty. The capital and largest city in Poland is Warsaw. The first casino opened in Warsaw in 1989 for the purposes of attracting hard currency and boosting tourism. Now there are 15 or more casinos, all in cities. The major ones are run by Casinos Poland. All casinos are licensed by the state lottery system, which is under the ministry of finance. The minimum age to enter a casino in Poland is 18.

GDYNIA Gdynia (population 256,000), an important seaport on Gdań´ sk Bay on the Baltic Sea on the north coast of Poland, is part of a metropolitan area called the Tricity (population 1.1 million), which also includes the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdań´ sk, and suburban communities. Gdynia lies about 12 miles northwest of Gdań´ sk.

713. Casino Gdynia ´ Address: Musical Theatre, Grunwaldzki 1, Gdynia, Gdansk 81–372, Poland Phone: +48 58 661 13 37; fax: +48 58 661 85 20 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/gdynia.php Email: [email protected] (head office) Description: Modern small (2,422 square feet) casino in a musical theater (Teatru Muzycznego) Hours: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 20: Take tokens with values of 0.5 zl, 1 zl, 5 zl Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 4 American roulette (1/50, 2/100, 25/250 per number), blackjack (5/50, 5/300), Mini-Poker (5/50), Poker Plus (5/300), Casinos Poland Poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. Foreign exchange counter.


CRAKOW Crakow (population 757,500; metropolitan area 1.2 million; Kraków in Polish), in southern Poland on the Vistula (Wis a) River, 140 miles south of Warsaw and 165 miles north of Budapest, has traditionally been one of the leading scientific, cultural, and artistic centers of the country. It was once the national capital and has a history of more than a thousand years.

714. Novotel Bronowice Hotel & Casino—Kraków

POZNAN´ Poznan´ (population 579,000) is in western Poland, 165 miles west of Warsaw and 200 miles east of Berlin. Almost completely destroyed during World War II, Poznan´ has been beautifully rebuilt with tall, modern glass buildings, a reconstructed old square, and a cosmopolitan feel.

´ 715. Casino Pozna n–Polonez Hotel ´ 36, Poznan, ´ Poznan´ 61–714 Address: Al. Niepodleg osci Phone: +48 61 853 06 05, +48 61 853 06 04; fax: +48 61 853 06 06 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/poznan.php ´ Email: Monika Kwa sniewska: [email protected] Description: Type: First-class European-style casino (3,014 square feet) in the city center Hours: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30: Take tokens with values of 0.5 zl and 1 zl Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 6 American roulette (1/100, 2.5/100, 5/100, 25/250 per number), 2 blackjack (10/300, 25/500, 50/800), mini-poker (5/50, 10/100), poker plus (5/300, 25/500), 2 Casinos Poland poker (5/100, 25/200) Poker: No Entertainment: Live shows on anniversaries Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 228 rooms Admission Charge: 1 zl Dress Code: No

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Email: Krzysztof Barszcz: [email protected]; [email protected] (hotel) Description: Casino (2,788 square feet) near the city center in large hotel; 7 miles from airport and about 3 miles from train station; casino first opened in 1989 Hours: 11 a.m.–8 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30: take tokens with values of 0.5 zl and 1 zl Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 5 American roulette (2/250, 25/500 per number), 3 blackjack (10/400, 25/500, 100/1,000), Mini-Poker (5/50), Poker Plus (10/400, 25/500, 100/1,000), 3 Casinos Poland Poker (5/100), 1 pai gow poker (20/500) Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment on holidays; fashion shows Restaurants: No Accommodations: 304 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. Foreign exchange counter. Casino rents out tables and staff for outside events.

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Address: Armii Krajowej St. 11, 30–150 Kraków Phone: (+48 12) 636 08 07; fax: (+48 12) 636 84 84; hotel: (+48 12) 637 50 44 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/krakow.php (casino); www.orbis.pl/indexH.php4?h=19&j=2 (hotel)

Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. Casino rents out American roulette and blackjack tables and staff for outside events.

WARSAW

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Warsaw (population 1,676,600; urban area 2.4 million; Warszawa in Polish), the capital and largest city of Poland, is on the Vistula (Wis a) river 365 miles east of Berlin and 330 miles north of Budapest. Completely destroyed during World War II, the city today is a modern metropolis with theaters, opera houses, museums, and art galleries. It is also home to many industries, including the manufacturing, steel, electrical engineering, and automotive industries, and contains 66 higher learning institutions, including Warsaw University, Warsaw University of Technology, the Higher School of Business, and the Medical Academy.

716. Hyatt Hotel & Casino EUROPE

Address: Belwederska 23, 00–761 Warsaw Phone: +48 22 559 14 40 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/warszawa-hyatt.php Email: [email protected] Description: Modern first-class hotel on the west bank of the Vistula River, just south of Warsaw’s Central Business District and the Pulawska Financial Centre, with a 5,920square-foot casino; staff speaks Polish and English Hours: 8 p.m.–11 a.m. daily; closed Dec. 24 Slot Machines: 9: Take tokens with value of 1 zl; reel, video, linked; include video poker Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 2 American roulette (2.5/100, 5/100, 10/250, 50/500, 100/1,000 per number), 2 blackjack (10/500, 50/800, 100/1,000, 500/5,000), 1 Casinos Poland Poker (10/200, 50/500); also 1 multiroulette Poker: No Entertainment: Casino organizes events with shows and catering Restaurants: 2: Venti-tre (fine Italian dining), Q Club Restaurant and Bar Accommodations: 250 rooms and suites Admission Charge: 2.5 zl Dress Code: Casual, no sport shoes Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. Foreign exchange counter. Business amenities and work spaces on 2 floors in hotel.

717. Marriott Hotel & Casino Address: Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, 00–697 Warsaw Phone: +48 22 584 96 50; fax: +48 22 584 96 66 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/warszawa.php Email: [email protected] Description: First-class hotel with a casual, small (4,845 square feet), European-style 2story casino at LIM Center across from the main train station, 10 minutes from the Old Town, and 6 miles from Okecie Airport (WAW); staff speaks Polish and English Hours: 11 a.m.–7 a.m. daily; closed Dec. 24

Slot Machines: 30: Take tokens with values of 1 zl and 5 zl; reel, video, linked; include video poker Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 8 American roulette (2.5/100, 5/100, 10/250, 25/500 per number; in VIP Salon 50/500, 100/1,000), 6 blackjack (10/500, 50/800, 100/1,000, 250/2,500; in VIP Salon 250/5,000), 2 Mini-Poker (5/50, 10/100), 1 Poker Plus (10/2,500), 4 Casinos Poland Poker (10/200; in VIP Salon 50/500), 1 pai gow poker (20/500) Poker: 1: 10 zl pot-limit stakes and up; dealer’s choice (7-stud, 5-stud, Omaha, hold’em, or Cesar Poker) Entertainment: Casino organizes events with shows and catering Restaurants: No Accommodations: 522 rooms Admission Charge: 2.5 zl Dress Code: Casual, no sport shoes Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. VIP Room (high stakes) offers 2 American roulette tables, 2 blackjack tables, 1 Casinos Poland Poker table, 1 poker table. Casino rents out American roulette, poker, and blackjack tables and staff for outside events.

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Wroc aw (population 634,000) is in southwest Poland on the Odra River 185 miles southwest of Warsaw and 190 miles north of Vienna, and dates to the 10th century. Wro aw has around 100 bridges spanning its 56 miles of canals making it, after Venice and St. Petersburg, the city with the third largest number of bridges in Europe.

718. Park Plaza Hotel & Casino Address: Drobnera 11, Wroc aw, W oc awek 53–332 Phone: +48 71 326 72 00; fax: +48 71 326 72 01 Website: www.casinospl.com.pl/eng/wroclaw.php Email: Joanna Piasecka: [email protected] Description: European-style casino (3,918 square feet) in a modern hotel Hours: 4 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 30: take tokens with values of 0.05 zl, 0.5 zl, 1 zl and 5 zl Table Games: (minimum/maximum, in zlotys) 6 American roulette (1/25, 2/100 per number), 2 blackjack (5/300, 25/500, 100/1,000), 1 Mini-Poker, 1 Poker Plus (5/50, 10/100), 2 Casinos Poland Poker (5/100, 25/200) Poker: No Entertainment: Live shows on anniversaries (Oct. 22) Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 178 rooms in modern 6-story building Family Amenities: Swimming pool, sauna, solarium Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP Guest Card offers discounts for many services, lodging, meals, free transportation, and discounts in outside establishments; see website. Casinos Poland organizes the Polish Blackjack Championships yearly at all its branches all over the country in the fall. Foreign exchange counter. Casino rents out American roulette, Casinos Poland Poker, and blackjack tables and staff for outside events.

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WROC AW

Portugal Portugal (population 10.6 million) is on the Atlantic Ocean on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, bordered to the north and east by Spain. The capital and largest city is Lisbon. Portugal uses the euro; at the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. Portugal has eight casinos, all privately operated and regulated by the Portuguese Ministry of Tourism. The main casinos are in coastal towns and on the island of Madeira. These casinos have a relaxed atmosphere with generally low stakes. Portugal has different gambling age rules for tourists and for locals. Foreigners 18 and older may gamble, but only those citizens of Portugal at least age 21 are permitted to enter casinos, and some casinos restrict local play to residents over 25.

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719. Casino Solverde de Espinho

Espinho (population 10,225), on the Atlantic at the southern end of the Costa Verde, 12 miles south of Porto and 160 miles north of Lisbon, is a popular summer beach resort. It also has tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, and a bullfighting ring.

Address: Rua 19, No. 85, Espinho, Aveiro 4500 Phone: 351 22 733 5500 Website: www.solverde.pt/index_ingles.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Modern casino in a hotel in the center of Espinho, by the beach Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,000 Table Games: Portuguese dice, French roulette, American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, ponto e banca; also, electronic horse racing machines, virtual roulette, virtual blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Daily international cabaret in the nightclub Restaurants: Baccara (Portuguese), Coffee Shop (American), Jardim (Portuguese); plus 2 bars, Ponto de Encontro, Domino (Pub) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Children’s programs, cinema, playground, miniature golf, wading pool Admission Charge: Tables €3, slots free Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Private gaming area, beach, billiards, dance floor, disco, gardens, gift shop, golf, gym, health club, heliport, horseback riding, hunting, Jacuzzi, massage, nightclub, piano bar, playing fields, racquetball, sauna, solarium, sports facilities, 2 squash courts, steam room, 2 heated indoor and outdoor saltwater swimming pools, 1 children’s pool, 4 tennis courts, water sports, wind surfing, tours, turkish bath, volleyball, wind surfing, and wine cellar


ESTORIL Estoril (population 24,000) is on the Atlantic Ocean 9 miles west of Lisbon, in an area known as the Portuguese Riviera.

720. Casino Estoril

FARO See Vilamoura.

FUNCHAL See Madeira.

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Email: [email protected] Description: This deluxe 27,000-square-foot European- and Las Vegas-style casino in Parque Estoril claims to be the largest casino in Europe. It has 2 gaming rooms, a table room and a slot room; both have table games and slots. Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 1,200: Megajackpots in excess of €1 million Table Games: 24: 5 blackjack, 4 American roulette (single-zero), 6 French roulette, 3 Caribbean Stud, 2 ponto e banca, 4 bancas francesas Poker: No Entertainment: National and international stars, like Michael Bolton and Ute Lemper. Jazz bar, disco bar, gardens, nightclub, theater (400 seats, jazz, ballet, classical), showroom (Black and Silver Room, with dinner every night at 8:30 p.m., show at 11 p.m. except Mon.; Du Arte Garden, with music and cocktails every night, 150 people), and movie theater. Restaurants: 2: Buffet; Chinese food Accommodations: No; several good hotels nearby Family Amenities: Movie theater Admission Charge: Nominal. Guests of the Estoril Sol Hotel are admitted without charge. Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Free gaming instruction for all games. Portuguese, French, English, and Spanish spoken. Private gaming area. Convention and meeting space with seating capacity for 900 for dinner or 1,200 for meetings and conferences.

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Address: Praca Jose Toedoro dos Santos, Estoril, Lisboa 2765–237 Phone: +351 21 466 7700 Website: www.casino-estoril.pt

MADEIRA The Madeira Islands (population 250,000) are a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco. The Island of Madeira lies some 540 miles east of Casablanca and 575 miles southeast of Portugal. Funchal (population 100,000), on the Island of Madeira, is the capital of the Madeira Islands. Madeira is known for its eponymous wine.

721. Casino Da Madeira & Casino Park Hotel

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Address: Avenido Infante, Funchal, Madeira, RegiÇo Autónoma da Madeira 9000 Phone: +351 29 123 1121 Website: Unfortunately, Casino Da Madeira has no website yet, but it should be mentioned here because it is well worth visiting.

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Description: European- and Las Vegas-style casino Hours: Tables 6 p.m.–4 a.m., slots 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 200 Table Games: Blackjack, American roulette (single-zero), French roulette, French bank, baccarat (chemin de fer), craps Poker: No Entertainment: Disco. Cabaret has live international entertainment. Copacabana nightclub has live music. Restaurants: 1; plus a bar Accommodations: No; but several nearby hotels Family Amenities: Arcade Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Proper dress; jacket and tie after 8 p.m. Bonus: Gambling action takes place on intermediate floors in 4 rooms: the American, the European, the salle privée (for casino VIPs), and the slot machine rooms.

MONTE GORDO Monte Gordo is in southeast Portugal on the Atlantic Algarve coast about 4 miles west of the Spanish border.

722. Casino de Monte Gordo Address: Vila Real St. Antonio, Monte Gordo, Faro 8900 Phone: +351 28 151 2225 Website: www.solverde.pt/index_ingles.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Recently renovated, Monte Gordo Casino has an unmistakable PortugueseSpanish flair. Hours: 4 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 201 Table Games: French roulette, American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, ponto e banca Poker: No Entertainment: Shows, musical nights, musical entertainment such as Tutti Frutti Band Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Informal Bonus: Casino game explanations on the website. Private gaming area.


PORTIMAO Portimao is on the Algarve Atlantic coast of southern Portugal, 115 miles south of Lisbon. Praia da Rocha is a small village south of Portimao, right on the edge of the sea.

723. Hotel Algarve Casino

PÓVOA DE VARZIM Póvoa de Varzim (population 60,000) is a popular summer beach resort on the Atlantic Ocean in northern Portugal, 15 miles north of Porto and 30 miles south of the Spanish border.

724. Casino da Póvoa de Varzim Address: Edificio do Casino da Póvoa de Varzim, Póvoa de Varzim, Porto 4490–403 Phone: +351 25 269 0870 Website: www.casinos-estorilpovoa.com Email: [email protected] Description: This casino, which opened in 1934, is the largest in northern Portugal. Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 665: €0.10 and up; video slots; jackpots in the hundreds of thousands of euros. The slot machines are called “slot girls,” because each machine has a brass plate with a woman’s picture and name. Table Games: American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, French roulette, baccarat, French bank, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Disco. Daily live show with national and international headliners. Piano bar has live music (Tue.–Sun. 10:30 p.m.–3 a.m.). Art gallery. Restaurants: 3: Varandos do Mar (gourmet; open from 8:30 p.m.; closed Tue.–Wed.); games room has a buffet with Portuguese specialties; slot room has a bar with meals and a buffet. Accommodations: 208 rooms Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Clube IN rewards card for slots play. Convention area and meeting space with seating for 700 for dinner and room for 500 for meetings and conferences. Banquet hall, health club, private gaming area, swimming pool, and tennis courts.

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Email: [email protected] Description: European-style casino in the village of Praia da Rocha, overlooking the sea, 1 mile from the Portimao train station Hours: 4 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 305 Table Games: American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, French roulette, ponto e banca Poker: No Entertainment: Shows, musical nights, musical entertainment such as the Animação Musical Royal Flush Band Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 209 rooms Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Informal Bonus: Location is on beachfront. Convention area and meeting space for 276 and 340 people, respectively. Private gaming area. Golf nearby, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, boating, shops, water sports (jet skiing, paragliding, wind surfing), tennis courts, and 2 heated seawater swimming pools.

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Address: Praia da Rocha, Portimao, Faro 8500–802 Phone: +351 28 240 2000 Website: http://www.solverde.pt/index_ingles.htm

VILAMOURA Vilamoura is a vacation and tourist resort area on the central Algarve coast of southern Portugal, a few miles west of Faro and about 130 miles southeast of Lisbon.

725. Casino de Vilamoura Address: Vilamoura, Quarteira, Faro 8125 Phone: +351 28 931 0000 Website: www.solverde.pt/v_inglesa/casino-vilamoura/intro.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: European-style casino located near the international airport of Faro Hours: 4 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 350 Table Games: French roulette, American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, French Bank, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom with national and international stars. Blackjack disco. Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Nominal Dress Code: Informal Bonus: The casino’s website contains instructions on how to play many of its games. Convention and meeting space (Salao Royal), with seating capacity for 350 people.

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Romania Romania (population 22.4 million), on the Black Sea in Eastern Europe, is bordered on the northeast by Ukraine and Moldova, the west by Hungary, and the south by Serbia and Bulgaria. The Danube River forms its southern border. The Carpathian Mountains and the Transylvanian Alps run through the country. Romania has several casinos. The largest ones are in Bucharest, the capital city. Many casinos use dollars as their gaming currency; others accept both lei and dollars. The currency of Romania is the leu (plural lei). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 26,668 lei. The minimum age to gamble in Romania is 18.

BUCHAREST Bucharest (population 2.3 million; Romanian Bucuresti), the capital city and industrial and commercial center of Romania, is in the southeast of the country, on the Dâmbovita river, 120 miles east of the Black Sea.

726. Casino Palace–Bucharest Address: 133 Calea Victoriei, sector 1, Bucuresti, Romania Phone: 0040 21 2310220; fax: 0040 21 3111645 Website: www.casinopalace.ro Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Palace, in downtown Bucharest on Calea Victoriei, the largest avenue in Bucharest, is housed in Casa Vernescu, a historic building constructed in 1821 and considered one of the most beautiful monuments of the old Bucharest architecture. The casino has 8 elegant gaming rooms on 2 floors (gaming area: 5,380 square feet) and is completely air-condi-

727. Casino Bucharest Address: Hotel Intercontinental, 4 N.Balcescu Blvd., Bucharest 1, Romania Phone: + 40 21 312 2600 (night phone: + 40 21 310 2020 ext.7592); fax: + 40 21 312 5163 Website: www.casinobucharest.ro Email: [email protected] Description: This 3,200-square-foot casino is operated by Casinos Austria. First opened in 1991, the casino was relocated in 2001 within the Hotel Intercontinental and the new premises completely refurbished in a contemporary design. Hours: 6 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Number not specified on website; 25¢ minimum; include video poker Table Games: 14: 7 American roulette (single-zero; $1 minimum), 5 blackjack, 1 Oasis Poker, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live jazz night on the first Fri. of each month

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tioned. The casino management as well as part of the casino staff is international; the majority of the clients are locals—Romanians and expatriates. Perhaps 15 percent are visitors, mostly in the area on business. The casino accepts bets in lei and U.S. dollars. Hours: 24 hours/day; 364 days/year (closed Dec. 25 from 7 a.m.–7 p.m.) Slot Machines: 77: Slot machine credit values are either in lei (1,000, 2,000, and 10,000) or dollars (10¢, 25¢, and $1). Betting ranges are 1,000–500,000 lei and 5,000–2,500,000 lei and 25¢$50. All machines have bill acceptors. There is 1 “mystery” jackpot linking all machines (including touch bet roulette) and 1 progressive jackpot linking only the Orion brand machines. Also, 20 touch bet roulette (minimum 5,000 lei and 25¢, maximums of $20 and $40 or 200,000 lei). These have a ticket in-ticket out system for cashing out. Table Games: 24: 9 American roulette (single 0; minimum straight-up 10,000 lei and $1, maximum 2,000,000 lei and $300), blackjack (6 decks; minimum 100,000 lei and $5), 2 Caribbean Stud (with progressive jackpot; minimum 100,000 lei and $5), three-card poker, punto banco (minimum $5), punto 2000, 1 craps (minimum 100,000 lei and $5), 3 three-card poker (minimum $5). Sometimes 2 table games are near each other, 1 in lei and 1 in dollars. Poker: 2 tables: 1 hold’em ($5-$10 or $10-$20) and 1 draw poker table. When busy, a second hold’em table is opened, with minimum $500 buy-in. Some tournaments. Entertainment: Live bands every night in the casino lobby, starting at 9 p.m. Restaurants: 1: Casa Vernescu Restaurant (international cuisine), considered one of the best restaurants in Bucharest, open daily 6 p.m.–1 a.m. Accommodations: No, but the casino has partnership deals with Hilton Hotel Bucharest, JW Marriott Hotel Bucharest, and Crowne Plaza Hotel Bucharest Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper (no shorts, jeans, or sport shoes) Bonus: “Smart points” awarded based on length of time played and average bets, redeemable for benefits offered in the Smart Points catalogue (mobile phones, watches, home appliances, trips, even cars, etc.). First-time visitors receive 1 500,000 lei voucher for match play bonus chips valid for the day of their registration and another 1 valid 30 days from the date of their registration. They also get a special guided tour of the building, receiving information about the history and architecture. All arriving passengers at Otopeni, Bucharest’s international airport, receive a $20 voucher for match play bonus chips and a 25 percent discount coupon for the Casa Vernescu Restaurant. Casa Vernescu Art Gallery exhibits paintings of Romanian artists, with a new exhibit every 6–8 weeks. Complimentary bar and buffet for players, free courtesy car, free valet parking, free newspapers and magazines. The restaurant hosts weekly casino parties every Fri. and special parties (casino anniversary, New Year’s Eve, etc.).

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Restaurants: 4; plus bar and lounge Accommodations: 403 rooms Family Amenities: Indoor swimming pool Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: U.S. dollars are the currency of the casino. Most foreign currency exchanged (no commission). Most credit and debit cards accepted. Local currency (lei) may be exchanged also. Private gaming room for VIP guests. Courtesy car available to drive patrons to and from the casino between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.; contact the casino for details and scheduling.

728. Casino Lido Address: 13 C.A. Rosetti St., Bucharest, Romania Phone: +4021–311–01–01; fax: +4021–311–01–02 Website: www.casinolido.ro

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Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the Lido Hotel in the heart of Bucharest, the casino has a Romanian architectural style with Oriental elements. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: American roulette (single-zero), blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: International cuisine; plus bar Accommodations: 110 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free bar and buffet. Private gaming room. Website has an online roulette game you can play. Chauffeur services available for casino guests. Jacuzzi, massage, swimming pool, and sauna.

729. Casino Partouche Address: 1–3 Episcopiei, Bucharest, Romania 70000 Phone: +40–21–3033733; fax: +40–21–3152121 Website: www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=BUHHITW Description: The casino is located inside the hotel Athénée Palace Hilton in the heart of the city center. The hotel, built in 1914, is within walking distance of the shops, business center, museums, and downtown entertainment facilities and only 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–6 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 5 Table Games: Blackjack, pai gow poker, roulette, big six wheel, craps, Let It Ride, baccarat, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 272 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting service, children’s menu, cribs, high chairs Admission Charge: Free for hotel guests Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free drink for hotel guests. Business center; meeting rooms. Free parking for hotel guests. Beauty salon, barber shop, fitness room, and pool. Small pets allowed in hotel.

RUSSIA The Russian Federation (population 144 million) covers much of eastern Europe and all of northern Asia. Even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia is the largest nation in the world in area, covering 6.6 million square miles (nearly twice as large as second-place Canada) and seventh-largest in population. Moscow is its capital and largest city. Russia contains scores of casinos. At the time of this writing, Russia was in the process of changing its rules on export of

MOSCOW Moscow (population 11.2 million), the capital of Russia, on the river Moskva in the western portion of the country, was the capital of the former Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Kremlin, which serves as the center of the national government. Moscow is also well-known as the site of Saint Basil’s Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes. Moscow contains many casinos.

730. Casino Mirage Address: 21 Novyi Arbat, Moscow, Russia Phone: (095) 787–7501; fax: (095) 787–7501 Website: english.casino-mirage.ru Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Mirage is located on 2 floors of a Moscow high-rise. Both floors offer the same games with the first floor featuring low stakes and the second featuring higher stakes slots. In addition, two VIP rooms have “unlimited” stakes. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 150 Table Games: 45: Blackjack, roulette, multipoker, 1,2,5 poker, 12-jokers blackjack, Oasis Poker, 3- or 6-poker, craps, punto banco Poker: Yes Accommodations: No Entertainment: Shows 10 p.m.–1 a.m. nightly except Mon. (till midnight Sun.). Restaurants: 1; also, 2 bars Bonus: Rewards card for slot play. In the VIP rooms, if you want to play without being disturbed or recognized by anyone, management will accommodate you. Hors d’oeuvres for players.

731. Casino Orlyonok Address: Metro–Vorobyovi gori, 119334, Moscow, Kosygina St. 15 Phone: 7(095) 939 8888; fax: 7 (095) 938 2200 Website: www.orlenok.ru/2/site.html Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Orlyonok is in the Orlyonok Hotel, which features everything from restaurants, a nightclub, and recently renovated rooms to a casino with a variety of games. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 480 Table Games: 19: American roulette (minimum €0.5, maximum on even

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currency. If you intend to make large wagers while in a Russian casino or otherwise think that you might want to leave the country with considerably more cash than you brought in, check with your nearest Russian consulate about current regulations. When you enter the country, you must declare all cash you are bringing in, and you must account for your cash when you leave. If you have a windfall in a casino, you may wish to accept payment in the form of a check or bank draft or you may prefer to wire the money home. If you leave with more than $10,000 in your possession, you need special permission of the Russian Central Federation Bank. There is a 35 percent tax on gambling winnings in Russia. The currency of Russia is the rouble (RUB; also spelled ruble). Use of foreign currency in Russia is prohibited. All casinos in Russia use roubles as their currency, or use tokens for gaming. Where we list limits in euros or dollars these are meant to be equivalences as listed on the casinos’ websites. The value of the rouble fluctuates, so listed equivalences may change. At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 27.8 roubles; 1 rouble was worth 3.6¢.

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bet €1,000), blackjack (bonuses for 777 of different suits, 678 of same suit, 777 of same suit) (€5–€100, €10–€200, €25–€500), 3-, 5-, 6-, 7-card poker variants (minimums €5–€100 to maximum €2,000 and minimums €10–€200 to maximum €4,000) Poker: No Accommodations: 260 rooms Entertainment: Live music, dance shows, karaoke, and adult nightclub (8 p.m.–8 a.m.). Restaurants: 5: European restaurant (24 hours), sushi bars, cafes, and restaurants with Japanese, Chinese, and Korean food, Greek restaurant, pizzeria, traditional Russian restaurant Bonus: The Orlyonok Hotel features a medical center that can provide various cosmetic procedures including hair transplantation, laser photocoagulation, sclerotherapy, diode epilation, and ultrasound liposuction. It also has judicial and notary consultation services available, as well as a photo shop that sells film and cameras and develops film.

732. Metelitsa Casino Complex

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Address: 21, Novy Arbat, Moscow 119019 Phone: (095) 291 11 30, 291 11 70 Website: www.metelitsa.ru/eng/casino

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Email: [email protected] Description: First opened in 1993, this casino is made up of a ground floor, which has the main Cherry casino and a smaller exclusive salon privé with higher-stakes games, as well as a lower ground floor called the Sportland casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 13 American roulette (main casino: single number €2–€200, even chances €5–€2,000; Sportland: single number 25 roubles–1,000 roubles, even chances 1,000 roubles to 2,0000 roubles), blackjack (main casino: €10–€500; Sportland: 100 roubles–2,000 roubles), blackjack switch (€10–€200 on each box and each player must play 2 boxes, with the bet on each box the same; bonus supermatch, €5 to original bet), Oasis Stud Poker (main casino: ante €10–€500, bet €20–€1000, progressive jackpot wager €5–€25; Sportland: ante 100–2,000 roubles, bet 200–4,000 roubles, progressive jackpot wager 25 roubles to 1/2 ante), Russian poker (ante €10–€500, bet €20–€1,000), punto banco, craps (minimum €5), Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker (main casino: ante €10–€500, bet €20–€1000, bonus €5 to ante; Sportland: ante 100–4,000 roubles, bet 200–8,000 roubles, bonus 50 roubles to ante) Poker: No Accommodations: No Entertainment: Nightclub, with stage, dance floor; presenting Russian and international stars (Sun.–Thu. 9 p.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 p.m.–6 a.m.). The casino has its own production company, Metelitsa Productions, based at the Metelitsa Entertainment Complex. The company produces events and presents artists throughout the most prestigious venues in Moscow, as well as in Metelitsa itself. Restaurants: 2 Admission Charge: 1,450 roubles, which are returned in the form of “lucky chips,” which are accepted at casino tables and slot machines; nightclub admission is 700 to 1,000 roubles Dress Code: Smart casual (no sportswear); dress code does not apply to Sportland Bonus: Free guarded parking for customers. Free taxi transportation for casino clients. Metro station: Smolenskaya or Arbatskaya.


733. Shangri La Casino

SOCHI Sochi (population 315,000) is on the Black Sea in the south of Russia, near the border with Georgia. Known for its beautiful beaches, Sochi is a very popular resort, and each summer hosts a renowned film festival, Kinotavr.

734. Casino Lazurnaya Address: 103 Kurortny Prospect Sochi, Krasnodarskiy kray 354024, Russia Phone: 8 (822) 97 85 50 Website: english.contigroup.ru/Default.aspx?type=CustomModule&item=223 Email: [email protected] Description: First opened May 23, 2002, and located on the third floor of the high-rise Radisson Hotel on the Black Sea coast, Casino Lazurnaya is part of the Conti Group chain. Betting is done in dollar equivalents. Hours: 7 p.m.–7 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 7: 2 American roulette (single numbers $1–$25, even chances $10–$500), 5 other card tables, including blackjack ($5–$150), Golden Oasis Poker ($5–$100), 3-card poker ($5–$100), Russian poker ($5–$50), Caribbean Draw Poker ($5–$30) Poker: No Accommodations: 300 rooms Entertainment: Fashion shows Restaurants: 4 restaurants in hotel; 1 sushi bar Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sport clothing Bonus: Merchandise and automobile drawings, pool, darts, and computer center; hotel has its own beach. Frequent player cards available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Free bar for players.

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Description: The name is a term coined by English writer James Hilton, referring to a mysterious place of “harmony, happiness, and joy” among the Himalayas. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: American roulette (single number: €2–€50, €5–€100, €25–€200; even chances €25–€1,000, €50–€2,000, €100–€2,000), blackjack (€10–€500, €25–€1,000, €100–€2,500), blackjack switch (€10–€200), craps (minimum €5), Spanish 21 (€10–€500), Caribbean Stud Poker: Shangri La has a separate poker club room with tournaments three times a week (Omaha on Tue. and Sun.; Texas hold’em on Thu.), and features four tables with 5- and 7-card poker, 5-card draw poker, Texas hold’em, Irish hold’em, Omaha, dealer’s choice, and backgammon. A private table can be arranged at the players’ request. Accommodations: No Entertainment: Live music, jazz performances, and shows like the Storm ballet Restaurants: 1 European, 1 buffet, 1 V.I.P. restaurant; open from 3 p.m.–midnight. A special casino menu is available 24 hours a day for X.O. club members. Admission Charge: No Bonus: Shangri La Casino has 3 gaming rooms: Shangri La, X.O., and Macao. X.O. is open by invitation only, and boasts some of the highest limits in Europe.

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Address: #2, Pushkinskaya Square, Moscow, Russia, 103006 Phone: +7 (095) 209 6400; fax: +7 (095) 209 4157 Website: www.shangrila.ru

ST. PETERSBURG Saint Petersburg (population 4.7 million), known as Petrograd from 1914–1924 and Leningrad from 1924–1991, is in northwestern Russia on the delta of the Neva River at the east end of the Gulf of Finland, 420 miles northwest of Moscow. Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, is home to the Hermitage, considered by many to be the finest art museum in the world.

735. The Astoria Casino Club Address: Malaya Morskaya ulitsa., 22, Saint Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 812 313 50 20 Website: english.contigroup.ru/?type=CustomModule&item=219

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Email: [email protected] Description: The Astoria Casino is part of the Conti Group. With its luxurious and exquisite fittings, crystal chandeliers, velvet furniture, and columns, it was built to reflect the style of a theatrical salon rather than a gambling hall. Casino currency is roubles. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: Yes Table Games: 10: 3 American roulette (single number: 10–1,000 roubles; even chance: 100–20,000 roubles); 7 card games, including blackjack (50–5,000 roubles), Golden Oasis Poker (50–5,000 roubles), Caribbean Draw Poker (50–500 roubles) Poker: No Accommodations: 5-star hotel with 436 rooms and suites Entertainment: International stars in concert 2 to 4 times a month, live music 1 to 2 times a week, shows daily, erotic shows 1 to 2 times a week, and discos daily. Restaurants: 1: Russian and European (24 hours) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sport or extremely casual clothing Bonus: Frequent player cards available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Car giveaways, pool, and darts. Accepts most major credit cards. Metro station: Nevskiy pr.

736. Casino Neva-DA! Address: Klochkov Pereulook, 2, St. Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 812 440 99 50 Website: english.contigroup.ru/?type=CustomModule&item=224 Email: [email protected] Description: Opened in 2001, this 3-story Conti Group casino on the Neva River is decorated with a variety of American icons—famous Hollywood faces, Uncle Sam, and the Statue of Liberty. Gaming is both in roubles and dollars (equivalents). Hours: 24hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 16: 4 American roulette (single number: 10 to 500 roubles, $2 to $50; even chance: 100 to 10,000 roubles; $10 to $1,000); 12 card games, including blackjack (50 to 7,500 roubles; $10 to $300), Golden Oasis Poker (50–7,500 roubles; $10-$300), Caribbean Draw Poker (50–7,500 roubles; $10-$300), three-card poker (100 to 2,000 roubles) Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts 1 to 2 times a month, live music from 9 p.m.–11 p.m. Fri., Sat., and Sun., sport programs, children’s holidays (private birthday parties, family events), and discos every day at 10 p.m. Restaurants: 1: Mexican, American, European (24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sports outfits Bonus: Frequent player cards

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Free bar for players, with water, cognac, whisky, beer, juice, mineral water, and light entrees. Accepts most major credit cards. Metro station: Prospect Bolshevikov.

737. Casino Olympia

738. Club Conti Address: Kondratyevskiy Prospect, 44, St. Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 812 321 6565, +7 812 540 6760 Website: english.contigroup.ru/?type=CustomModule&item=222 Email: [email protected] Description: 2-level casino, with a slot room (Egyptian Hall), a main casino (Red Hall), and a VIP (high-stakes) area on the upper level. This Conti Group casino was built on the site where the movie Giant was filmed. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 17: 5 American roulette (single number: 10–1,500 roubles, even chance: 100–30,000 roubles); 12 card games, including blackjack (100–10,000 roubles), Golden Oasis Poker (100–10,000 roubles), Caribbean Draw Poker (50–1,000 roubles) Poker: No Accommodations: No Entertainment: Concerts (180 to 200 concerts a season), children’s holidays (weekly), and fashion shows Restaurants: 1: Russian and European (24 hours) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sport clothing Bonus: Frequent player cards available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Car giveaways. Free bar for players, with juice, mineral water, coffee, and tea. Accepts most major credit cards. Metro station: Lenin Square.

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Email: [email protected] Description: This Conti Group casino opened in 1998 in what was originally a real palace, Count Dolgorukaya Palace. There are 2 gaming rooms, with table games located in the Musical Hall and the Oak Hall. Gaming is both in roubles and dollars. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 11: 4 American roulette (single number: 10 to 500 roubles, $2 to $50; even chance: 100 to 10,000 roubles; $10 to $1,000); 7 card games, including blackjack (100 to 2,500 roubles; $10 to $200), Golden Oasis Poker (100–2,500 roubles; $10–$500), Caribbean Draw Poker (50–1,000 roubles; $5–$50), three-card poker (100 to 2,500 roubles; $10 to $200), stos ($10 to $200) Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts twice a month, live music shows twice a month, and fashion shows at least once a month. Restaurants: 1: Russian and European (24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sports outfits Bonus: Frequent player cards available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Free bar for players, with fruit, cookies, water, and alcoholic beverages. Pool, darts, and guarded parking lot. Accepts many major credit cards. Metro station: Prospect Chernyshevskaya. Computer center. Caribbean Draw Poker tournaments with prizes up to $125,000 plus automobiles.

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Address: Liteiny Prospect, 14, St. Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 812 275 50 60 Website: english.contigroup.ru/?type=CustomModule&item=225

739. Palace Casino Address: 4 Alexandrovsky Park, St. Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 812 232 8173 Website: english.contigroup.ru/?type=CustomModule&item=226

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Email: [email protected] Description: This Conti Group casino opened in 1993 and is located in what was once an opera hall. It has a cozy, almost homelike atmosphere and is known for its low limits. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 9: 3 American roulette (single number: 5 to 500 roubles, $1 to $50; even chance: 50 to 5,000 roubles; $10 to $500); 6 card games, including blackjack (bonuses for 77 of one suit, 777 of any suits, 5, 6, or 7 cards adding up to 21) (50 to 10,000 roubles; $5 to $500), Golden Oasis Poker (50 to 10,000 roubles; $5–$500), Caribbean Draw Poker (100–1,000 roubles; $5–$50) Poker: No Entertainment: Erotic shows daily from 10 p.m.–6 a.m. Restaurants: 1: Russian and European (24 hours) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No sports outfits Bonus: Frequent player cards available for discounts throughout the casino and drawings. Free bar for players, with champagne, vodka, red wine, white wine, beer, juice, and cigarettes. Guarded parking lot. Accepts many major credit cards. Metro station: Prospect Gorkovskaya. Computer center. Caribbean Draw Poker tournaments with prizes up to $125,000 plus automobiles.

740. Taleon Club Address: Moika River Emb., House 59, Saint Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 (812) 315–76–45, +7 (812) 312–53–73; fax: +7 (812) 311–96–46 Website: www.taleon.ru Email: Contact form on website Description: The Taleon Club is located near a canal in the Eliseev Palace Hotel, a building with a rich history. It was originally the site of an empress’s palace until it was torn down and eventually replaced by a commercial building in 1796. In 1858, the merchant brothers Grigori and Stepan Eliseev purchased the building and created a palace-like interior, which remains today, placing the structure among the most elegant hotels and casinos in the world. Some of the art that was in the casino is now in the Hermitage Museum, including several Rodin sculptures. A red-carpeted staircase leads to 2 gambling halls, a large main salon, and a smaller, more intimate hall. There is also a VIP hall that offers high-stakes games. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes: All video machines Table Games: blackjack, Oasis Poker (5-card), Oasis Poker (6-card), American roulette, punto banco Poker: Daily tournaments: Mon. 7stud limit ($20+5, 1 $25 rebuy), Tue. pot-limit Omaha ($45+5, 1 $50 rebuy, $300 added), Wed. dealer’s choice ($20+5, 1 $25 rebuy), Thu. no-limit hold’em ($72+8, 1 $75 rebuy, $300 added), Fri. $800 freeroll, Sat. pot-limit 7-stud ($35+5, 1 $35 rebuy, $300 added), Sun. pot-limit hold’em ($45+5, 1 $50 rebuy, $300 added). Yearly European Open Poker Challenge Tournament in Oct., 5 days of events, with supersatellites, no-limit and pot-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, with buy-ins ranging from $100–$500, plus add-ons. Entertainment: Occasional fashion shows, accompanied by live music; cigar evenings, with music, fine food, and wine. Restaurants: 3: Taleon (fine dining), Victoria (fine dining),

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Atrium Café Accommodations: 5-star Eliseev Palace Hotel has 29 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Daily drawings for up to $8,000 in chips. Highest limits in Saint Petersburg. Taleon Club has a real-money online casino, accessible from the website, based on actual spins of a roulette wheel in the casino. Cigar lounge, which also features fine cognacs. Hotel has a modern business center, health spa, fitness center, and beauty salon. Internet connections in hotel rooms.

741. Vegas Casino and Bar

Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro (population 10.6 million) are two former Yugoslav republics united since 2003 in a loose confederation, bordered on the south by Albania and Macedonia, the west by Bosnia and Herzegovina, the east by Bulgaria and Romania, and the northeast by Croatia. The states cooperate politically only partially, and each has its own economic policies and currencies. There are two capitals, Belgrade in Serbia and Podgorica in Montenegro. Each state plans to seek full independence by holding a referendum, which will likely not happen until at least 2006. The autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija is also pursuing independence. Kosovo and Metohija and Montenegro both use the euro as their currency. The official currency of Serbia is the Serbian dinar (CSD), divided into 100 para. At the time of this writing, $1 US = 62.47 dinars; 1 dinar = 1.6¢.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 16,000-square-foot casino on 2 floors in the heart of Saint Petersburg Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 160+: Many linked, with mystery jackpots, and jackpots up to 10 million roubles Table Games: 19: American roulette, blackjack, three-card poker, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Oasis Stud Poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Vegas Sportsbar (buffet; 11 a.m.–4 p.m.); plus bars Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: VIP salon on the ground floor for VIP customers. Drawings and giveaways of cash and vehicles. Currency exchange. Sportland, a 24-hour sportsbook, offers bets on sports events all over the world, with 3 projection screens, 10 large plasma TVs, and 40 TVs, all featuring numerous satellite and TV channels.

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Address: Manezhnaya Square, 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia Phone: +7 (812) 110 5000; fax: +7 (812) 110 5544 Website: www.vegas.ru/index.html

BELGRADE Belgrade (population 1.7 million), the capital of Serbia, is in the north-central region.

742. Casino Fair Play Address: Terazije 25, Beograde, Srbija 11000, Serbia and Montenegro Phone: +381 11 3233 613; hotel reservations: +381 11 323 5574; hotel fax: +381 11 323 8257 Website: www.casinofairplay.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in Hotel Kasina, less than half a mile from Republic Square in the city’s business district. Built in 1856, the hotel is one of the oldest in Belgrade. The casino opened in January 1994, and has a relaxed atmosphere. Each roulette table has its own scoreboard and monitoring cameras. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: No Table Games: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Full restaurant, Beer House (restaurant and minibrewery) Accommodations: 90 rooms, including 7 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Banquet room for press conferences, smaller seminars, and symposiums. Beauty parlor, hairdresser, souvenir shop, boutique, and travel agency.

Slovakia Slovakia (population 5.4 million) does not attract nearly as many visitors as the Czech Republic, the other country created from the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia. It seems travelers have yet to fully discover Slovakia’s numerous treasures, making it a fantastic vacation bargain site. A landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic to the northwest, Austria to the southwest, Poland to the north, Hungary to the south, and Ukraine to the east, Slovakia has mountains, forests, lovely towns, and a rich history. The capital and largest city is Bratislava. Slovakia’s currency is the koruna (SKK). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth SKK 30; SKK 1 was worth 3.3¢.


BRATISLAVA Bratislava (population 430,000), Slovakia’s capital and largest city, lies on the Danube River’s eastern bank, 37 miles east of Vienna, Austria. Bratislava is a lively city filled with good restaurants and wine bars; the city boasts beautiful monuments, museums, an opera scene, theaters, concerts, and a few nice casinos.

743. Casino Cafe Reduta

ˇ KO SICE Koˇsice (population 242,000), Slovakia’s second-largest city, is in the country’s southeast, 12 miles from the Hungarian border. It is a lovely Eastern European city, with old churches, fountains, plazas, and shops selling Bohemian crystal and other regional treasures.

744. Casino Ko sˇ ice Address: Hotel Slovan, Hlavna Ulica 1, Kosice, ˇ 04001 Slovakia Phone: +421 55 6227 943 Website: www.casinos.sk/html/kosice.html Description: A sizeable casino in the expansive Hotel Slovan Hours: 3 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 15: With progressive jackpots Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Oasis Poker with progressive super bonus, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Casino bar and restaurant; hotel restaurant Accommodations: 4-star hotel with 187 rooms, including suites, on 10 floors Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Hotel has in-room broadband Internet facilities. Meeting facilities. Nearby Koˇsice Zoo is one of the largest in Central Europe.

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Description: A smaller, upscale casino and bar located in the Reduta building in Bratislava. Hours: 1 p.m.-4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 5 Table Games: American and French roulette, blackjack, Oasis Poker with progressive super bonus, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The beautiful old building on a quiet street corner dates back to the early 1900s.

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Address: Medena 3, Bratislava 81102 Slovakia Phone: +421 2 5443 2021; fax: +421 2 5443 1006 Website: www.casinos.sk/html/kasina.html

´ PIE Sˇ TANY ´ (population 242,000) is a spa resort town located in the valley of the Vah river in Piesˇtany western Slovakia, 70 miles northeast of Vienna. Thermal waters are said to have curative effects on arthritis.

´ 745. Casino Pie sˇ tany ´ Address: Pribinova 1, Pie sˇ tany 92101 Slovakia Phone: +421 33 7628 808 Website: www.casinos.sk/html/piestan.html

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Description: Located in a villa and featuring various gaming, entertainment, and dining possibilities Hours: 6 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 6 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Oasis Poker with progressive super bonus, slot machines with progressive jackpot, mini-baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No; nearby Hotel Magnolia has 122 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free parking in Hotel Magnolia parking lot. The city has a glass bridge connecting to Spa Island.

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Slovenia Slovenia (population 1.94 million) became a member of the European Union in May 2004. Its capital and largest city is Ljubljana. Slovenia has some ten casinos, most in large hotels catering to an international clientele. Slovenian casinos use euros as their gaming currency. Slovenia is a great place to visit, with beautiful scenery and attractive casinos. It is also very safe. The minimum age for gambling in Slovenia is 18.

BLED Bled (population 11,120), 25 miles northwest of Ljubljana in the Julian Alps and 10 miles south of the Austrian border, is a winter resort on the shore of Lake Bled, which features a small island with a church on it.

746. Casino Bled–Park Hotel ˇ Address: Cesta Svobode 15, Bled, Goriska 4260 Phone: +386 4 574–11–50 Website: www.casino-bled.si Email: [email protected] Description: First-class hotel with 11,000-square-foot casino, located near Lake Bled, 22 miles from Ljubljana Airport Hours: 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 85 Table Games: Blackjack (minimum €2; with 21+3 optional side bet), American roulette (minimum €1), Caribbean Stud (minimum €2) Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 229 rooms Admission

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Private gaming area. French, English, and German spoken. Sauna and rooftop swimming pool.

ˇ BRE ZICE Bre zˇ ice (population 23,000) is 5 miles west of the border with Croatia, and 15 miles west of Zagreb.

747. Grand Casino Lido

KOBARID Kobarid (Italian Caporetto; population 23,000) is in western Slovenia, 4 miles from the Italian border and 45 miles east of Ljubljana.

748. Aurora Casino Address: Staro selo 60a, Kobarid, 5222 Phone: +386 5 388–45–00 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=16 Email: [email protected] Description: New casino (as of July 30, 2004) located in a picturesque area near a small village called Staro selo, not far from Kobarid Hours: Slots: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year; gaming floor: Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. and Italian holidays: 2 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 150: €0.01 and up; all EZ Pay ticket in-ticket out Table Games: 10 (minimum/maximum): 6 American roulette (€0.50/€200), 1 blackjack (€2/€150), 1 double-deck blackjack (€5/€300), 1 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €5/€150), 1 midi-baccarat (€10/€300; tie €40) Poker: No Entertainment: Musical concerts, dance shows, magic shows, and other events (Fri., Sat., Sun., Italian holidays, and days preceding holidays) Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Mon.–Thu. free admission; Fri.–Sun., Italian holidays, and days preceding holidays €5 (until 4 p.m. admission is free) Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Bingo on Fri., Sat., Sun., and days preceding Italian holidays. Guide for how to play and rules for the games the casino offers is on the website.

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Email: [email protected] Description: New and modern casino located in a hilly forest area between Gorjanci and the wine-growing slopes of Bizeljsko Hours: 7 p.m.–2:30 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 22 Table Games: Caribbean Stud, blackjack, American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Showroom, featuring pop stars, magicians, and acrobats Restaurants: Not on site, but there is 1 in each of the nearby hotels Accommodations: No, but 4 nearby hotels have a combined total of over 350 rooms; see www.lido-casino.com/hotel.php Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Guide for how to play the games the casino offers is on the website. Nearby Terme Catez spa.

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Address: Topliska Cesta 35, Breˇzice, Spodnjeposavska 8250 Phone: +386 7 499–48–00 Website: www.lido-casino.com

KRANJSKA GORA Kranjska Gora (population 5,500) is a winter sports center in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia, less than 5 miles from where the Italian, Austrian, and Slovenian borders meet, and about 45 miles northwest of Ljubljana.

749. Hotel Casino Kranjska Gora Address: Vrsiska 23, Kranjska Gora, Osrednjeslovenska 4280 Phone: +386 4 587–82–00 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=3

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Email: [email protected] Description: Completely renovated luxury casino, located in a hotel within a mountain tourist resort Hours: 24 hours/day; 364 days/year (closed Christmas Eve); tables 3 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 300: €0.25 and up Table Games: 22 (minimum/maximum): 13 American roulette (€1/€200), 5 blackjack (€2/€500), 1 single-deck blackjack (€10/€500), 1 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €2/€300), 1 midi-baccarat (€10/€1,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Theater showroom, with acts like Cheryl Porter, The Platters, Nu sˇa Derenda, Zoran Predin, and Gibonni. See website for a complete list of current entertainment. Restaurants: 2: Montana (full-service restaurant), The Garden (selfservice restaurant) Accommodations: 29 rooms, including 4 apartments, in a 4-star hotel Family Amenities: Skiing, swimming pool, sauna, and tennis court Admission Charge: €8, in exchange for which you get tokens worth €10. You get 1 additional token worth €2 on your first 3 visits to the casino. Any visit to the casino between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. is worth 1 additional €2 token. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Bingo nightly, with €4 minimum. Accepts all major credit cards, and converts all major currencies at the current exchange rate. Highstakes Diamond Privé room. Convention and meeting space, with seating capacity for 25. Guide for how to play and rules for the games the casino offers is on the website.

NOVA GORICA Nova Gorica (population 25,000, 36,000 including suburbs) is a resort town on the Italian border of western Slovenia, 20 miles northwest of Trieste, Italy.

750. HIT Hotel Casino Park Address: Delpinova 5, Nova Gorica, 5000 Phone: +386 5 336–20–00 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=2 Email: [email protected] Description: Major international American-style casino first opened in 1984; located in a modern hotel in the center of town Hours: 24 hours/day; 364 days/year (closed Christmas Eve) Slot Machines: 443: €0.25 and up Table Games: 33 (minimum/maximum): 18 American roulette (€1/€1,000), 4 blackjack (€2/€1,000), 2 single-deck blackjack (€2/€1,000), 4 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €2/€1,000), 1 midi-baccarat (€5/€2,500; tie €300), 1 mini-baccarat (€10/€2,000), 1 craps (€2/€200), 1 Let It Ride (3 bets


ˇ Address: Kidriceva 7, Nova Gorica, Gori ska 5000 Phone: +386 5 336–30–00 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=1 Email: [email protected] Description: Major international American-style casino that bills itself as the “biggest entertainment center in Europe”; the building is designed to look like a cruise ship Hours: 24 hours/day; 364 days/year (closed Christmas Eve). Main salon and Privé slot machines: Nonstop. Main salon gaming tables: Mon.–Thu. and Italian holidays, 2 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sun. and days preceding Italian holidays, operates nonstop. Privé gaming tables, Mon.–Thu., Sun., and Italian holidays 8 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat. and the days preceding Italian holidays 8 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 800: €0.25 and up; megajackpots Table Games: 43 (minimum/maximum): 26 American roulette (€2/€300), 2 French roulette (€10/€500), 1 blackjack (€5/€1,000), 1 singledeck blackjack (€20/€500), 2 double-deck blackjack (€50/€1,000), 5 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €5/€500), 1 midi-baccarat (€50/€2,500), 2 mini-baccarat (€20/€1,000), 2 chemin de fer, 1 Let It Ride (3 bets of €5/3 bets of €500) casino war (€2–€100) Poker: No Entertainment: Dance and music shows, featuring a varied nightclub program. Disco. Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 105 rooms Family Amenities: Amusement park Admission Charge: Mon.–Thu., free entry; Fri.–Sun., holidays, and the day before Italian holidays, €5 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Private gaming area. Bingo nightly, with €5 minimum. Bonanza bingo with €2 minimum. Guide for how to play and rules for the games the casino offers is on the website. Boutique, health club, massage, sauna, swimming pool, and tennis court.

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751. Hotel Casino Perla

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of €2/3 bets of €500) big six wheel (€1–€50) Poker: 4 tables: hold’em, Omaha, Omaha highlow (all pot-limit). Twice-yearly pot-limit Omaha championship tournaments. Entertainment: Arena concert hall, with acts like Ezio Greggio, Ivana Spagna, Pupo, Little Tony, and Fausto Leali. See website for a complete list of current entertainment. Restaurants: 1: Gourmet; plus several bars that also offer snacks Accommodations: 4-star hotel has 80 rooms and 4 apartments Admission Charge: Mon.–Thu., free entrance; Fri.–Sun., holidays, and the day before Italian holidays, €5 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Tournaments in blackjack and other games. Hotel guests get free admission to the Park and Perla casinos, the Captain Hook’s Club, and the Arena concert hall. Bingo nightly, with €4 minimum. High-stakes Luxor Privé room. Guide for how to play and rules for the games the casino offers is on the website. Sportsbook, with a maximum bet per coupon of €5, and maximum winnings up to €10,000, with winnings paid immediately. Health club, massage, sauna, and tennis court.

OTO ˇCEC Otoˇcec Ob Krki is a river resort area 40 miles east of Ljubljana and 32 miles west of Zagreb, Croatia.

752. Hotel Casino Otoˇcec Address: Hotel Sport, Grajska 2, Otoˇcec, Dolenjska 8222 Phone: +386 7 332–25–96 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=5

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Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel and casino are nestled in a wooded area near a castle. Hours: The doors of casino are open from 7 p.m.–3 a.m. throughout the year with the exception of Christmas Eve. Gaming tables and slot machines operate from 7 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 50: €0.25 and up Table Games: 7 (minimum/maximum): 4 American roulette (€1/€25), 1 blackjack (€5/€100), 1 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €5/€100). Bingo: €3. The game is played on Fri. and Sat. at midnight. Poker: No Entertainment: Bar has entertainment. Hotel has a disco. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: The casino is located in Hotel Otoãec Admission Charge: Upon entering the casino, guests must buy chips worth €4. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Bingo Fri. and Sat. at midnight, with €5 minimum. How to play each game is listed on the casino’s website. Riding, boating, tennis, fishing, and hunting nearby. At the hotel: sauna, swimming pool.

ˇ ROGA SKA SLATINA Rogasˇka Slatina (population 10,500), 2 miles west of the border with Croatia, 30 miles northwest of Zagreb, and 50 miles northeast of Ljubljana, is famous for its mineral water, spa, and crystal glass.

753. Resort Casino Rogaˇska Slatina Address: Zdraviliski trg 10, Rogaˇska Slatina, Savinjska 3250 Phone: +386 3 581–62–88 Website: www.hit.si/index_a.php?razrez_id=2&enota=4 Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel with Mediterranean-style casino in a spa town, surrounded by a beautiful resort park Hours: 8 p.m.–3 a.m. daily (except Christmas Eve) Slot Machines: 90: €0.01 and up Table Games: 8 (minimum/maximum): 4 American roulette (€2/€30), 2 blackjack (€5/€100), 1 HIT Progressive Draw Poker (a version of Caribbean Draw; €2/€50) Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts, shows. Nightclub. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 416 rooms Admission Charge: €3 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: The casino’s website contains a guide for how to play each game. Spa on premises, with special spa programs. Sports facilities.


BARCELONA Barcelona (population 1.6 million; urban area 4.7 million), the second-largest city, is in the southeast on the Balearic Sea (part of the Mediterranean). Barcelona is a modern city also known for its Roman ruins. The architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926) had a tremendous influence on Barcelona’s design. His Sagrada Familia church, an art deco landmark, has been under construction since 1882 and is not scheduled for completion until 2020. The city is also known for its La Rambla boulevard, crowded till late at night with crowds visiting the outdoor market, which features bird sellers and florists and watching the street entertainers. Barcelona has some very fine beaches.

754. Casino Barcelona Address: Marina, 19–21, Port Olímpic, Barcelona 08005, Spain Phone: +34 93 225 78 78; fax: +34 93 221 85 72 Website: www.casino-barcelona.com Email: [email protected] Description: The 86,000-square-foot casino is in one of the most exclusive areas of the city, Port Olímpic, by the beaches and sea. The casino, right under the Hotel Arts and next to Frank O. Gehry’s renowned fish, has a casual atmosphere. Staff members speak Spanish, Catalan, English, and someone who speaks only English will get along with no problems. Hours: Slots 11 a.m.–5 a.m., game room 3 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 211: Coin and tokenized; 47 reel, 71 video, 17 progressive jackpots, 64 linked jackpots, 42 video poker (€0.50–€5), 19 video keno, bingo slots (€0.50–€10), lotto slots (€0.50–€2.50); 12 electronic horseracing, electronic roulette Table Games: 45: 9 French roulette (€2–€300), 10 American roulette (€2/€5–€100), 12 blackjack (€5–€500), 1 baccarat (€20–€1000), 2 mini-baccarat (€10–€1000), 6 Caribbean Stud (€5–€500) Poker: 8 tables; limit, pot-limit, and no-limit hold’em and Omaha, and póker sintetico. The hold’em games are mainly €20-€40 and €30-€60 limit, and the Omaha is mainly pot-limit, with €5

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The Kingdom of Spain (population 40.3 million), on the Iberian Peninsula in the southwest of Europe, is bordered on the northeast by France and tiny Andorra and on the east by Portugal. The Mediterranean Sea is on its east and southeast coasts, and the Atlantic beyond the Strait of Gibraltar borders the rest of Spain’s coastline. Spain entirely surrounds the tiny British territory of Gibraltar. Spain also includes the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, and others) in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the north of Africa, and some small uninhabited islands in the Mediterranean. The capital and largest city is Madrid. As a member of the European Union, Spain uses the euro as its currency. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth approximately €0.76. Spain has around 30 casinos. These listings include islands that belong to Spain. In some of Spain’s smaller casinos, only Spanish is spoken. Many offer casino passes to their guests to save the admission charge. Check at your hotel. The minimum gambling age in Spain is 18.

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and €10 blinds. The community cards are dealt counterclockwise, but otherwise the games are similar to those elsewhere. The house rake in poker is relatively high: €5 from the first €100, €5 from each successive €200, with a rake cap of €25 on pots of €900 or more. Tournaments include the internationally renowned Barcelona Open, with buy-ins from €200 to €1,000, a week of events in Sept., including pot- and no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, culminating in the European Poker Tour (EPT) final event; the World Heads Up Poker Championship, with buy-ins from €200 to €2,000, 10 days in May, with events in nolimit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha (and €100 supersatellites); and the DealerEM 2005 in Sept. Regular tournaments throughout the year are pot-limit and no-limit. Entertainment: Sala Baccara: discotheque with live shows. Open air entertainment. Cabaret with dinner in summertime. Restaurants: 4 (all 9 p.m.–1 a.m.): La Brasserie (buffet; with live music on weekends), La Terrazza (Italian), Le Gourmand (fine French), Teppan-Yaki (Japanese); also, Snack Mystery, (snack bar; 3 p.m.–5 a.m.), plus 3 bars Accommodations: Nearby Hotel Golf Peralada, 55 rooms and suites; Hotel Arts. Many other hotels nearby. Admission Charge: €4.50; free to guests of major hotels upon presentation of the hotel-issue voucher. Free entrance to the slot area. Dress Code: Proper. Jacket and tie recommended, especially at night. Bonus: Accepts all major currencies at applicable exchange rates. Disco: ’70s, ’80s music. Daily 11 p.m.–4 a.m.; private parties up to 30 guests. Free cigarettes in the poker room, as well as sandwiches, wine, and soda. Blackjack tournaments. International mus tournaments. Sala Baccara can be used for private parties. Free gaming lessons. Blackjack, slot, bridge, and chess tournaments.

BENALMÁDENA Benalmádena (population 30,000) is in the heart of the Costa del Sol, on Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast, between Málaga and Marbella, 270 miles south of Madrid.

755. Casino Torrequebrada Address: Avenida del Sol/PO Box 67, s/n, 29630 Benalmádena, Málaga, Spain Phone: +34 95 244 6000; fax: +34 95 244 5702 Website: www.casinotorrequebrada.net/index.php?SEC=home&l=en Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in Hotel Torrequebrada. Languages: Spanish, English, and French Hours: Table games: 9 p.m.–5 a.m. (last admission at 4:30 a.m.). Slots: 4 p.m–5 a.m. From 4–9 p.m., you don’t need an ID, but after 9 the slot room is incorporated into the main casino and ID or passport is required. Slot Machines: Reel machines (traditional; €0.50-€1.50), video reel machines (€0.20/€0.50, depending on the machine, to maximum bet €1.80, €2.50, and €4.50), video poker (€0.50/€1–€4.50), keno machines (€0.50–€3) Table Games: 25: 9 American roulette, 12 blackjack, 3 French roulette, 1 punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Fortuna Night Club with a flamenco and Spanish art ballet Restaurants: 3. Casino Torrequebrada Restaurant (typical dishes and Nuevo Mediterranean Cuisine; you can make reservations online), Bar Terraza (casual dining), Pavillion (buffet); plus regular and piano bar Accommodations: Hotel Torrequebrada, urban, relaxed atmosphere, 7 miles from Málaga International Airport. 44 double, 220 twin, 44 junior suites, executive suites, plus 2 “Royal


Presidential Suites” Admission Charge: Day €4, week €20, month €40, year €100 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Bingo machines simulate a bingo game. Choose the number of cards you want to play and the amount of coins wagered on each card. Minimum bet €0.50; maximum €6. Many golf courses.

BILBAO Bilbao (population 354,000; urban area 935,000), a prosperous business and manufacturing center, is in northern Spain in the narrow Nervión River valley, 10 miles from the Atlantic coast and 55 miles east of the French border.

Email: [email protected], [email protected] Description: 19,368-square-foot casino Hours: 5 p.m.–5 a.m.; sala privada (table games)–7:15 a.m. Slot Machines: Number not specified on website; €0.10, €0.20, €0.50, €1; reel, video reel, video poker Table Games: American roulette, 4 blackjack, French roulette, mini-punto y banca, pai gow poker Poker: 2 tables of 7-card stud. Yearly tournament. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: €3 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Yearly trade shows.

CADIZ See Puerto de Santa Maria.

LAS PALMAS Las Palmas (population 378,000; urban area 610,000) is the provincial capital of Gran Canaria, or Grand Canary Island, at the center of the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean almost due west of southern Morocco. Las Palmas is Spain’s largest port. The main attraction of the island is tourism, with many resort hotels, nightclubs, discos, and shopping centers.

757. Casino Gran Canaria Address: Calle Las Retamas 3, Playa de San Agustin, San Bartome Tirjana, Gran Canaria Island, Canarias 35290, Spain Phone: +34 928 762 724; FAX: +34 928 762 566 Website: www.casino-palace.net Email: [email protected] Description: Casino located within Hotel Melia Tamarindos. Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French, and German Hours: 9 p.m.–4 a.m. weekdays, 9 p.m.–5 a.m. weekends and holidays

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Address: Navarra 1, Bilboa 48001, Spain Phone: +34 94 4240 007 Website: www.gran-casino-nervion.es

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756. Gran Casino Nervión de Bilbao

Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: Blackjack, American roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Dinner show with live ballet, cabaret ice skaters, illusionists, and musicians Restaurants: In hotel Accommodations: 302 rooms. Many other hotels in the area. Family Amenities: Hotel has children’s playground Admission Charge: €3 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Swimming pools, private beach, tennis, squash, miniature golf, convention center, and discotheque

758. Gran Casino De Las Palmas Address: Leon y Casillo 227, Hotel Santa Catalina, 35005 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias, España Phone: +34 928 23 39 08, +34 928 23 48 82; fax: +34 928 24 05 63 Website: www.casinolaspalmas.com

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Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant hotel with 9,900-square-foot casino Hours: 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: Blackjack, French roulette, American roulette (single-zero), Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2, one gourmet Accommodations: 224 rooms, of which 10 are suites Admission Charge: €3 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Hotel has a spa. Frequent conferences and international art expositions.

IBIZA Ibiza (population 17,000), the third largest of the Balearic islands, is in the Mediterranean off the Spanish coast east of Valencia. Ibiza Town attracts jet-setters from all over Europe. The D’Alt Vila (Old Town) sits atop a hill overlooking the port. The Old Town is Europe’s most ancient fortress city, and looks like something out of a fairy tale—particularly when illuminated at night. Ibiza has a lively marina, busy port, and a popular main square, Vara de Rey. Ibiza is known for its wild night life. The beaches are outside the town and include two official nude beaches, Salinas and Es Cavallet.

759. Casino de Ibiza Address: Paseo Juan Carlos 1,Ibiza 07800, Balearic Islands, Spain Phone: Tel: 0034 971 31 33 12; fax: 0034 971 31 51 92 Website: www.casinoibiza.com/index_i.html Email: [email protected] Description: European style casino Hours: Slots: Sun.–Thu. 5 p.m.–5 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.–6 a.m.; Aug., 5 p.m.–8 a.m. daily; table games: Sun.–Thu. 10 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 10 p.m.–5 a.m.; July, Aug. and Sept., 10 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Poker, roulette, keno, bingo, etc. Includes special “rollover jackpot.” Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto y banca Poker: No Entertainment: Piano bar with live music. Open Sun., Wed., Thu. 11 p.m.–4:30 a.m.; Fri.–Sat. 10:30 p.m.–5 a.m., Aug., open every day. Restaurants: 1: Jackpot Restaurant, featuring gourmet international cuisine, with emphasis on the best of Mediterranean food,

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE rated “5 fork.” Well-stocked wine cellar. Banquet room available year round for special celebrations and groups of 40–100 people. Accommodations: Nearby hotels Admission Charge: Entry passes are available in the casino reception area upon presentation of a valid driver’s license, passport, or national identity document. Passes: daily, €3; weekly, €15.03; monthly, €30.06; annual, €75.15. Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Exhibitions of art, sculpture, photography, and other interests throughout the year.

LLORET DE MAR

Address: Calle dels Esports, 1, Girona, Cataluna 7310, Spain Phone: +34 972 36 61 16 Website: www.casino-lloret.com Description: First-class hotel-casino 1 hour north of Barcelona, behind an illuminated façade. Languages: French, English, German, Spanish, and Catalan. 22,000-square-foot European style casino. Hours: Year round. 5 p.m.–3 a.m. Sun.–Thu.; 5 p.m.–4 a.m. Fri., Sat., holidays. Slots open at noon. Slot Machines: 101: 40 reel, 51 video reel, 9 multigame, 1 electronic roulette Table Games: 18: 4 American roulette, 4 blackjack (€5–€500), 2 boule (€1–€40), 1 punto banco (€10–€500 ), 4 French roulette (up to €30,000), 3 Caribbean Stud Poker: Hold’em, póker sintetico, and Omaha, and tournaments Entertainment: Piano bar Restaurants: 3: Cafeteria L’Angel (snack bar), Dafne (Mediterranean), La Boule (fine dining) Accommodations: 417 rooms Admission Charge: €3.30 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Blackjack, roulette, slot tournaments

MADRID Madrid (population 3.1 million; metropolitan area 5.6 million), the capital of Spain, is a cosmopolitan city that offers entertainment, sightseeing, fine food, one of the world’s top art museums (the Prado), and more. In what was once the cradle of the Spanish Empire, and is now a city of contrasts, the old coexists with the ultra-modern.

761. Casino Gran Madrid Address: 28250 Torrelodones, Madrid Phone: +34 900 900 810 Website: www.casinogranmadrid.es Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is located in a small suburban town 20 minutes from the center of Madrid. Ask for directions or take a taxi or the free shuttle because the casino is not easy to find. The casino has 3 gaming rooms. Hours: Year round, except Dec. 24. Gaming rooms and bars open 4 p.m.–5 a.m. Tables

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760. Casino de Lloret

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Lloret de Mar (population under 1,000), 40 miles northeast of Barcelona in Gerona Province on the Mediterranean, is a small, relaxed beach resort town on the busy, touristy Costa Brava. It offers beach activities, water sports, and a casino.

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with the smallest limits are open only on weekends and holiday eves. Slot Machines: 180+. Slots take coins as small as €0.2. There are single-line and multi-line machines. They pay regular, super, and progressive jackpots. There is video poker, video blackjack, video keno, and Royal Ascot, a game that simulates a horse race. Table Games: (minimum/maximum) French roulette (€2.5–€75/€5–€150), American roulette (€2.5–€50/€5–€100), blackjack (€2–€100/€5–€250/€10–€5000), casino stud poker (€5–€125/€10–€250), baccara (€10–€500/€20–€1000), chemin de fer, punto y banca. Poker: Omaha and hold’em. The hold’em game is usually no limit, with a €250 buy-in, and minimum €200 rebuys. The game is unusual, played with antes, not blinds, with cards to players and community cards dealt counterclockwise, and action also proceeding counterclockwise, always starting with the button. The house take in poker is extremely high, €40 per hour per player. Entertainment: Night club, with shows, performances, and galas by famous artists. On Sat., the night club is open as a discotheque. Generally open 12 a.m.–5 a.m. on Fri., Sat., and holiday eves. Restaurants: 2: The Casino Restaurant offers Spanish-Basque and international cuisine. Open 9 p.m–2 a.m. Sun.–Thu. and 9:15 p.m.–3 a.m. Fri., Sat., and holiday eves. A sampling menu with the selections from the cuisine is available from Sun.–Thu., except on the eves of holidays and other special dates. The wine cellar is mainly Spanish, with red and white Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Penedés. The casino periodically invites renowned and local caterers to present the best of their cuisines at special Gastronomic Days. To avoid waiting, the casino recommends reserving a table by calling 900 900 810. There is also a buffet, with over 40 specialties daily. Sun.–Fri.: €20. Sat.: €22. Accommodations: No. The most convenient accommodations for visitors to the casino are in Madrid near the Plaza de Espana. Casino Gran Madrid offers free regular bus service, leaving from and returning to opposite No. 6 Plaza de Espana. Admission Charge: Daily entry €3; weekly ticket €15; monthly ticket €30; quarterly ticket €45 Dress Code: Proper. From Oct. 14–May 14, gentlemen are required to wear a jacket or blazer. A tie is not required. The rest of the year (summer), jacket not required. Bonus: Casino accepts foreign currency. Slots are in a separate room. Free bus service at regular intervals, which departs regularly from Plaza de Colón starting at 3:30 p.m., with the last return at 5:30 a.m. Bus stops: Colón: next to Cafeteria Riofrío (Génova, 28). Plaza España: at No. 6, Plaza de España. Free parking and valet service.

MALLORCA Mallorca, sometimes spelled Majorca (population 310,000), is the largest of the three Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, 130 miles southeast of Barcelona and 90 miles east of Valencia. Palma de Mallorca is a bustling cosmopolitan resort on the southern tip of the island. The town is a popular destination for sun-seeking Europeans. The area has fine beaches, gourmet international restaurants, elegant shops, and exciting nightlife. Most of the bars and discos open late (after 10:30 p.m.), and the real action starts after midnight. Palma de Mallorca’s international airport, 5.5 miles from the city, is served by direct flights from Valencia, Barcelona, and Madrid. Regular ship service is available between Palma and Barcelona. Companta Trasmediterranea has scheduling information. The casino is in nearby Calvia.


762. Gran Casino de Mallorca

MARBELLA Marbella (population 116,000) is on the Costa del Sol, in Andalucia at the south of Spain on the Mediterranean, midway between Malaga and Gibraltar. It has 320 sunny days per year. The Malaga area has the greatest concentration of golf courses in Europe—more than 40. At least one is open 24 hours a day.

763. Casino Marbella Address: Hotel Andalucia Plaza, Puerto Banus, Marbella, Malaga, Andalucia 29600, Spain Phone: +34 952 81 40 00; fax: +34 952 81 28 44 Website: www.casinomarbella.com/en/home.html Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in hotel. Gaming area: 53,625 square feet. Clientele: 45 percent Spanish. Hours: Slots: Winter: 12 p.m.–5 a.m., summer, 12 p.m.–6 a.m. Games Room: Winter: 7 p.m.–5 a.m., summer, 8 p.m.–6 a.m. Closes Dec. 24 and 31 at 1 a.m. Slot Machines: 72: €0.25–€5; reel slots and video machines, including video poker and multigame machines; all machines are cashless Table Games: Blackjack, casino stud poker, American roulette (single-zero), French roulette Poker: No Entertainment: “Gastronomic journeys,” shows, live music on weekends Restaurants: 1: International cuisine (hours: summer: 9 p.m.–4 a.m.; winter: 8:30 p.m.–2:30 a.m.) Accommodations: 393 rooms, with 23 suites Admission Charge: Nominal. Go to the website to get a free entrance voucher. Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Currently the leader of Spanish casinos in terms of visitors’ incomes. The casino actively seeks young people ages 18–25 for its dealer school, and then usually hires graduates, particularly those with knowledge of foreign languages. Find out more information—or apply—on the website.

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Email: [email protected] Description: 172,200-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino Hours: Summer (July through Sep.), table games: Mon.–Sat., 6 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.–5 a.m.; slots, 3 p.m.–5 a.m. every day. Rest of the year: Mon.–Thu., 6 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 6 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.–5 a.m.; slots, 3 p.m.–5 a.m. every day. Slot Machines: 79 Table Games: 19: (minimum-maximum) 9 American roulette (€2.5– €100); 6 blackjack (€5–€1,250), 2 Caribbean Stud (€5–€100), 1 craps (€5–€500), 1 punto y banca (€10–€500) Poker: No Entertainment: The Paladium Room, termed by casino publicists as the best auditorium in Europe, offers Nevada-style “spectacles” (glitzy shows). Restaurants: 2: Gourmet and cafeteria Accommodations: Nearby hotels Admission Charge: Day €4; week €20; month €40; year €100 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Live soccer broadcasts. Organized, catered weddings, baptisms, and birthdays by on-site specialists. Business banquets, conferences, and meetings.

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Address: Ubanizacion Sol de Mallorca, Calvia, Islas Baleares 07181 España Phone: +34 971130000; fax +34 971131465 Website: www.casinodemallorca.com

PERALADA Peralada is in the northeast province of Gerona, 10 miles northeast of Figueras, 85 miles northeast of Barcelona, 10 miles from the French border, and 10 miles from the Mediterranean. It is served by Gerona Airport, which is about 25 miles away. The highlight of Peralada is its completely restored 14th-century castle, in which the casino can be found.

764. Casino Castell de Peralada Address: Calle Sant Joan, s/n, Peralada, Girona, Cataluna 17491, Spain Phone: +34 972 538 125; fax: +34 972 538 087 Website: www.casino-peralada.com/an/index.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: This casino in a 14th-century castle is in the Alt Empordà, north of Barcelona and 20 minutes from the French border. Hours: Casino: Mon.–Thu., 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri. and holiday eves, 8 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sat., 7 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sun. and holidays, 7 p.m.–4 a.m.; slot room: Mon.–Thu., 2 p.m.–4 a.m.; Fri., Sat., and holiday eves, 2 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sun. and holidays, 1 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes: €0.20–€15; reel slots, video poker, multigame machines, video slots Table Games: Blackjack, French roulette, boule, Caribbean Stud, póker sintetico, punto y banco Poker: Hold’em and draw poker. Every Feb. is the Peralada Poker Open, 3 days of events with limit and no-limit hold’em and draw poker. The limit hold’em buy-in is €100+€10 entry fee, rebuys of €100 during the first hour, and an add-on of €100. The no-limit hold’em buy-in is €100+€10 entry fee, with rebuys of €50 during the first hour, and an add-on of €50. The draw poker buy-in is €100+€10 entry fee, with rebuys of €50. Smaller rebuy events are held in July and Nov. Regular limit tournaments are held throughout the year. Some tournaments also have satellites. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Restaurante Castell de Peralada: open daily till midnight July and Aug. The rest of the year, 9 p.m.–midnight Sun., Wed., Thu. and 9 p.m.–2 a.m. Fri. and Sat. Closed Mon. and Tue., except holidays and holiday eves. Snackbar: Open every day till closing. A garden restaurant for al fresco dining is open every day from 10 p.m–1 a.m. There is also a banquet hall with 5 large rooms, the largest of which can seat 1,000. There is also a bar. Accommodations: No. Nearby Hotel Golf Peralada has 55 rooms and a Mediterranean-style restaurant. Other hotels are in Figueras, about 10 miles southwest of Peralada. Admission Charge: €3.30 Dress Code: Proper. Jacket and tie recommended in the evening. Bonus: Mystery Club rewards card. Frequent tournaments throughout the year. International Festival of Music Castell of Peralada in summer. The Castle has a museum with valuable glass collection and a library in excess of 70,000 volumes. The casino offers complete business and meeting facilities. Golf club in Peralada.


PUZOL Puzol (population 15,000) is a small resort town 225 miles southwest of Barcelona and 16 miles north of Valencia on the Costa del Azahar. Nearby Valencia (population 791,000) is the third-largest city in Spain.

765. Hotel Casino Monte Picayo

PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA Puerto de Santa Maria is 5 miles northeast of Cadiz, across the Bay of Cadiz in the Atlantic Ocean, and 90 miles west of Malaga. Cadiz is an international port city, from which Columbus departed on his second voyage to the New World. Fine beaches extend all the way to the Costa de la Luz, northwest of Cadiz, towards the Portuguese border.

766. Casino Bahia de Cadiz Address: Carretera Madrid-Cadiz, km. 649, 11500 Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, Spain Phone: +34 956 871 042; fax: +34 956 857 127 Website: www.casinobahiadecadiz.es (click on Inicio and then English) Description: 77,000-square-foot American-style casino, in a modern building of typical Arab-Andalusian architectural design. Languages: Spanish, English, and French. The casino is a few miles north of the city. Hours: Open year round 5 p.m.–5 a.m. weekdays, 5 p.m.–6 a.m. weekends/holidays Slot Machines: Yes: Traditional, video, video poker Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, punto banco, poker sin descartes Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub shows; music and dance floor Restaurants: 2: Fine restaurant open from 9 p.m., snack bar from 5 p.m. Accommodations: Nearby: Melia El Caballo Blanco Hotel, first class hotel and bungalows; 94 rooms, 1 suite, restaurant, bar, and swimming pool Admission Charge: €2 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Movie theater. Dancing in the nightclub. Bridge, mus, canasta, and dominoes tournaments.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Deluxe hotel and casino on a 20-acre mountain estate overlooking the gulf. Casino gaming area: 33,600 square feet. Hours: 7 p.m.–5 a.m. daily; closed March 19, Dec. 24 Slot Machines: 48 Table Games: 22: 6 Caribbean Stud, 6 blackjack, 6 American and French roulette, 2 punto y banca Poker: No Entertainment: Concerts, recitals, shows Restaurants: 2, open 7 p.m.–5 a.m. daily: 1 gourmet, 1 cafeteria; 3 bars Accommodations: 5-star hotel with 79 rooms and 4 suites, restaurant, cafeteria, 3 bars, disco, sauna, tennis swimming pools, mini-golf, and shops. Family Amenities: Miniature golf Admission Charge: €5 Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: Disco. Swimming, swim-up bar, tennis court. Wedding chapel. Bullfight ring (within the hotel complex). Horse riding club. Conference and convention rooms.

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Address: Urbano Monte Picayo, Puzol, Valenciana, Comunidad 46530, Spain Phone: +34 961 421 211; fax: +34 961 424 190 Website: www.cirsa.com; hotel: www.hvsl.es/CAzahar/MontePicayo.htm

Sweden The Kingdom of Sweden (population 9 million) is in Scandinavia in Northern Europe, bordered on the west by Norway and the northeast by Finland. To the southwest are two straits of the North Sea, while on the east lies the Gulf of Bothnia and on the southeast the Baltic Sea. The capital and largest city is Stockholm. The currency of Sweden is the Swedish Krona (SEK). At this writing, the exchange rate was 7.14 to $1 US, or a valuation of about 14¢ per krona. Sweden has four casinos, all owned by the government and run by one company, Cosmopol. This is specified by law. The minimum age to enter a Swedish casino is 20.

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GÖTEBORG Göteborg (population 478,000), also known as Gothenburg, located on the west coast just across the juncture of the Skagerrak and the Kattegat from the northernmost point of Denmark, is Sweden’s second-largest city.

767. Casino Cosmopol Göteborg EUROPE

Address: Packhusplatsen 7, 411 13 Gothenburg, Sweden Phone: +46 31 333 55 00 Website: English: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3473; Swedish: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=2484 Email: [email protected] Description: This 27,000-square-foot casino is located in Stora Tullhuset at Packhusplatsen, which was built in 1865–1866 by the City of Gothenburg. It is in a neighborhood once associated with shipping and emigration. Hours: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 213 Table Games: 27: 1 sic bo, 1 big six wheel, 9 American roulettes, 8 blackjack, 4 Caribbean Stud, 1 punto banco Poker: 3 regular tables: hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Limits (in Swedish Krona): 40–80, 100–200, 200–400, 300–600, 500–1,000; pot-limit with blinds of 50–100 and 100–200. Weekly tournaments Mon. nights, larger monthly tournament, with sometimes up to 15 tables. Special events include the annual Christmas Poker Week, Swedish Open Poker Championship, and usually 1 or 2 other tournaments in the summer. The Swedish Open is becoming a major event, with players from all Scandinavian countries and many from other European countries. See website for tournament schedule (www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3255). Entertainment: Pianists, jazz bands, and drag performances Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Daily: SEK 30; yearly 250. Identification required. You will be registered and a photo taken. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Restaurant Casanova offers a beautiful view of the harbor. “How to Play” leaflets are available in the entrance hall and at the gaming tables at the casino, as well as at the website.


MALMÖ Malmö (population 250,000; metropolitan area 500,000), Sweden’s third-largest city, is in the south, 20 minutes by car (over a bridge) from Copenhagen, Denmark.

768. Casino Cosmopol Malmö

STOCKHOLM Stockholm (population 760,000; metropolitan area 1.7 million), on the eastern coast, is the capital and largest city of Sweden.

769. Casino Cosmopol Stockholm Address: Kungsgatan 65, Box 5, 101 20 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 (0)8 781 88 00; fax: +46 (0)8 781 88 90 Website: English: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3474; Swedish: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=2486 Email: [email protected] Description: 37,700-square-foot casino in the middle of the city, about 2 minutes walk from the central station Hours: 1 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 300: SEK 1 to SEK 125 per play Table Games: 27: 1 sic bo (SEK 20 minimum), 11 American roulette (SEK 20–200), 7 blackjack (SEK 50–500), 5 Caribbean Stud (SEK 50/100), 2 punto banco (minimums SEK 50 and 200), craps (50 SEK minimum) Poker: 3 tables: hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Limits (in Swedish Krona) for hold’em and Omaha: 100–200, 200–400, 300–600, 500–1,000; pot-limit with buy-ins of 2,500, 5,000, and 10,000. Weekly tournaments Tue. with 500 buy-in and Thu. with 1,000 buy-in, rotating among limit, no-limit, and pot-limit hold’em and pot-limit dealer’s choice. Weekly tourna-

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Email: [email protected] Description: 27,440-square-foot casino located in a big park, surrounded by water and about 10 minutes walk from the central station and not more than 5 minutes walk from the center of Malmö Hours: 1 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 184 Table Games: 20: 1 sic bo, 8 American, 6 blackjack, 4 Caribbean Stud, 2 punto banco Poker: 2 tables: hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud. Limits (in Swedish Krona): 40–80, 100–200, 200–400, 300–600, 400–800, 500–1,000; pot limit with blinds of 25–50, 50–100, and 100–200. Weekly tournaments Sun. nights, rotating among limit and pot-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha. Also satellites for the Swedish Open. See website for tournament schedule (www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3614). Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: 1 à la carte restaurant, 1 bistro Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Daily: SEK 30; yearly 250. Identification required. You will be registered and a photo taken. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Malmö is a favorite of nightlife enthusiasts. The casino is in a beautiful lakeside park.

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Address: Kungsparken 33, 211 33 Malmö, Sweden Phone: +46 40 664 18 00 Website: English: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3472; Swedish: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=2485

ments are currently limited to 50 seats, which have been completely sold out since the poker room opened. Expansion of the poker room is planned. There are larger monthly tournaments, with 60 seats, and the casino plans soon to have events with 10–15 tables. Poker weekend events also take place with tournaments every day. There are also satellites and supersatellites. See the website for the tournament schedule (www.casinocosmopol.se/ pl.dll?PageID=3566). Entertainment: Live piano Restaurants: 2: 1 à la carte restaurant, 1 bistro Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Daily: SEK 30; yearly 250. Identification required. You will be registered and a photo taken. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: The casino is in a beautifully restored building built in 1912 that once was the Palladium Cinema, famous for gala premieres.

SUNDSVALL 494

Sundsvall (population 100,000) is in the north of Sweden, in Medelpad on the western shore of the Gulf of Bothnia, 200 miles north of Stockholm.

770. Casino Cosmopol AB Sundsvall EUROPE

Address: Casinoparken 1, SE—852 29, Sundsvall, Sweden Phone: +46 (0) 60 14 11 00 Website: English: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3475 Swedish: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=2488 Email: [email protected] Description: 13,000-square-foot casino located on the harbor, a 5-minute walk from the train station and about 30 minutes by car from the airport. This building originally housed a small casino in the mid-19th century. Hours: 1 p.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 125 Table Games: 12: 4 American roulette (range, in Swedish Krona, 20–9,000 or 50–18,000, depending on bet), 4 blackjack (ranges 50–10,000, 100–2,000, 200–4,000, 500–10,000, depending on table), 3 Caribbean Stud (50 ante-100 bet and 100 ante-200 bet), 1 punto banco (50–5,000, 500 on tie bet), 1 touch bet roulette (range 10–4,500, depending on bet) Poker: Weekly hold’em tournaments Mon. nights. There are 4 tournament tables, accommodating 40 players. Tournaments average 25–40 players. (See website for tournament schedule: www.casinocosmopol.se/pl.dll?PageID=3354.) On any given night, there are 1 to 3 cash tables. The pot-limit hold’em games have a buy-in of SEK 1000, with blinds of 25 and 50. Entertainment: Pianists; showroom Thu. to Sun. Restaurants: 4, 1 of which is a bistro. Terrace dining in the summer. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Daily: SEK 30; yearly 250. Identification required. You will be registered and a photo taken. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Opened in July 2001, this was Sweden’s first international casino. Casiopejia, the à la carte restaurant, has established a reputation as one of Sundsvall’s best restaurants.


Switzerland (population 7.4 million), a landlocked country in western Europe, is bordered on the north by Germany, the west by France, the south by Italy, and the east by Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has long been known for its political and military neutrality, and for the privacy of its banks. Switzerland has two types of gaming licenses. An “A” license permits an unlimited number of slot machines and unlimited types of gambling tables. A casino with such a license is known as a Grand Casino A type. A “B” license permits a maximum of 150 slot machines and three types of gambling tables. At this writing, the exchange rate for the Swiss franc (CHF) was approximately 1.26 to the dollar, or a valuation of about $0.80 per CHF. The minimum age for casino entrance is 18.

BADEN

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Switzerland

771. Grand Casino Baden Address: Spielbank Baden AG, Haselstrasse 2, 5400 Baden, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0) 56 204 07 07 Website: www.grandcasinobaden.ch Email: [email protected] Description: The largest casino in the Zürich area, with gaming areas on 2 floors, slot machine area of 6,780 square feet and grand jeux of 10,120 square feet Hours: Sun.–Thu. 3 p.m.–4 a.m. Fri.–Sat. 3 p.m.–5:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 267 machines, including 44 video poker, 5 bingo, and 24 roulette. Machines accept coins and notes (up to CHF 1000). Minimum play CHF 0.10; maximum CHF 480. There are 4 different jackpots: Swiss Jackpot, a linked jackpot of the 5 Grand Casinos (Basel, Baden, Bern, Luzern, and St.Gallen, each of which has 20 machines) and can go up to CHF 4 million; Baden Mystery Jackpot, the big jackpot of Grand Casino Baden, played on 226 machines; Lucky 14 jackpot, played on 14 machines; the Magic-Seven-Jackpot, played on 7 machines. Table Games: 23 tables. The limits depend on the day of the week and customer demand; minimum starts at CHF 2. 6 American roulette, 1 baccarat, 1 punto banco, 6 blackjack, 3 French roulette, 2 quick roulette. Poker: 3 tables. Here are the regular games, showing for each game days, times, limit (CHF), and buy-in (CHF): 7-card stud (daily 7:15 p.m.–4 a.m., 30–60, 500), 7-card stud (Tue., Thu., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.–4 a.m., 50–100, 500), hold’em, (Mon., 8 p.m.–4 a.m., 40–80 with blinds 20–40, 500), Omaha (Wed., 8 p.m.–4 a.m., 40–80 with blinds 20–40, 500), 7-card stud (Sun., 8 p.m.–4 a.m., pot-limit with ante 10, 1000). There are 4 tournaments during the year, plus a ladies’ championship and 2 annual high-limit weekends that feature pot-limit Omaha with a minimum CHF 2,000 buy-in and 7-card stud with CHF 100–200 limits and CHF 20 ante. The 7-card stud tournament has a buy-in of CHF 300, 2 rebuys and an add-on. Entertainment: Various, including a blues festival, samba show from Rio de Janeiro, Latin nights, live music with free surprise gifts for all, special

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Baden (population 16,000) is 15 miles northwest of Zürich and is popular for its hot sulphur springs.

yearly Asian weekend with dragon dancing, and other traditional offerings. Restaurants: 1: Gourmet dining with extensive wine list Accommodations: No Admission Charge: CFH 10 Dress Code: Winter: jackets for men. Summer: no sneakers or flip-flops and men should at least wear a nice shirt. Bonus: Special newcomers night every weekend, in which all new players receive a complimentary cocktail, gaming lessons, and an invitation to play in a free game in which each player can win up to CHF 200. Various special packages are available for visitors. For example, 1 includes a movie, casino entry, cocktail, and a CHF 5 chip all for CHF 40. 1 very special package is shuttle service from Zürich for CHF 20, for which guests get CHF 10 in lucky chips and their CHF 10 entrance fee. Considering that the normal taxi price would be around CHF 60 one way, this is a particularly good deal. There are many other guest packages. Slot tournaments.

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BAD RAGAZ Bad Ragaz (population 5,000), in eastern Switzerland, 5 miles south of the border with Liechtenstein, is a popular spa and health resort destination.

772. Casino Bad Ragaz EUROPE

Address: CH-7310, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)81 303 30 30; fax: +41 (0)81 303 30 33 Website: www.resortragaz.ch/english/casino/index.php Email: [email protected] Description: This casino, incorporated within the resort of the Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz and with a striking architectural design, opened on Dec. 27, 2002. Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m.; tables Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 125: CHF 1 and up; slot, video poker; mystery jackpot up to CHF 100,000; linked and progressive jackpots Table Games: 7: 4 American roulette (single-zero), 2 blackjack, 1 Tamina Stud Poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment, wide screen video, concerts, lectures. See website for current events. Restaurants: Located in the hotels Accommodations: 237 total rooms between 2 deluxe hotels: Grand Hotel Quellenhof (106), Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz (131) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casually well-dressed: jacket, but no tie, is required Bonus: Fitness club, massage, golf, tennis, and skiing. Limousine service available from many hotels, airports, etc. See website. Meeting space for up to 250. Public thermal baths.


BASEL Basel (population 188,000; urban area, which includes sections that cross canton and national boundaries, 690,000), in northwest Switzerland on the Rhine where the borders of Switzerland, Germany, and France meet, is a major industrial center for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

773. Grand Casino Basel

BERN Bern (population 127,000), the capital, is in west-central Switzerland. Residents speak Bernese German, a high-Alemannic dialect, and French.

774. Grand Casino Bern Address: Kornhausstrasse 3, 3000 Bern 25, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)31 339 55 55; fax: +41 (0)31 339 55 50 Website: www.grandcasino-bern.ch/en/index Email: [email protected] Description: This casino inside the Hotel Allegro opened July 6, 2002. Hours: Slots Sun.–Wed. 11:30 a.m–2 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 11:30 a.m–4 a.m.; tables Sun.–Wed. 2 p.m.–2 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 263: Linked and progressive jackpots, local and the wide-area Swiss Jackpot, a linked jackpot of the 5 Grand Casinos (Basel, Baden, Bern, Luzern, and St. Gallen, each of which has 20 machines) and can go up to CHF 4 million Table Games: 11: American roulette, blackjack, Bärenpoker (with progressive jackpot), punto banco Poker: 7-stud, hold’em Entertainment: Live bands. Sun. afternoon dancing (tea dances 3:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.). Restaurants: 2: Restaurant Meridiano (Tue.–Fri. 11:30–2:30, 6 p.m.–11:30 p.m., Sat. 6 p.m.–midnight, closed Sun. and Mon.), Restaurant Allegretto (6:30

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Email: [email protected] Description: 14,000 square feet of gaming space on 2 floors, 1 for slots and 1 for table games Hours: Sun.–Thu. noon–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 290: Reel slots, video reel, video poker, video roulette, multi-games; linked and progressive jackpots, local and the wide area Swiss Jackpot, a linked jackpot of the 5 Grand Casinos (Basel, Baden, Bern, Luzern, and St. Gallen, each of which has 20 machines) and can go up to CHF 4 million (see website for current totals) Table Games: 17: 2 French roulette, 5 American roulette, 7 blackjack, 1 baccarat, 2 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment includes blues, production shows, etc. Restaurants: 2: Chez Georges (gourmet; Sun.–Thu. 6 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–4 a.m.), La Brasserie (Sun.–Thu. noon–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–4 a.m.); plus 3 bars Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Dinner and gaming packages. Meeting and banquet area for 50–150. Public transportation access.

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Address: Flughafenstrasse 225, CH-4025 Basel / Bâle, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0) 61 327 20 20; fax: +41 (0) 61 327 20 30 Website: www.grandcasinobasel.com (French and German only)

p.m.–2:30 a.m., 5:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.); plus 2 bars; Accommodations: 171 rooms Admission Charge: CHF 10 (includes a complimentary drink) Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Business center in the hotel. Conference and seminar facilities for up to 1,500. Sauna, whirlpool, solarium, fitness equipment, massage, jogging trails, and free bike rental for hotel guests.

COURRENDLIN See Jura.

CRANS-MONTANA 498

Originally three cities, Crans, Montana, and Aminona amalgamated in the 1960s to form one resort, Crans-Montana (population 6,000), a popular winter sports resort 28 miles southeast of Montreux and 40 miles south of Bern, also the site of the European Masters golf tournament.

775. Casino de Crans-Montana EUROPE

Address: CH-3963, Crans-Montana, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0) 27 485 90 40; fax: +41 (0) 27 485 90 41 Website: www.casinocm.ch (Then click the British flag) Email: [email protected] Description: Small casino between Crans and Montana Hours: 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 120: CHF 0.10 (30 machines), CHF 0.50 (7), 1 CHF (83) Table Games: 2 blackjack, 2 roulette, casino stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Loft Bar and Terrace can be rented for special occasions, like birthdays, business dinners, etc. Every year in Feb.–March, Crans-Montana hosts the Caprices Festival, upwards of 90 concerts by such stars as Deep Purple, Morcheeba, The Servant, and Sinclair.

DELÉMONT See Jura.

FRIBOURG Fribourg (population 37,000) is a beautiful medieval town 14 miles southwest of Bern.


776. Casino Fribourg Address: Route du Lac 11, CH- 1763 Granges-Paccot/Fribourg, Switzerland Phone: (41) 26 467 70 00; fax: (41) 26 467 70 07 Website: www.accorcasinos.com/casinos/fribourg.shtml

JURA Jura (population 70,000) is a canton in the northwestern part of Switzerland, bordering on France. The capital, Delémont, is 28 miles north of Bern.

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Description: Modern European casino that opened in the spring of 2003 Hours: Slots: Noon–4 a.m. daily; tables, 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 100 Table Games: 6: 2 blackjack, 2 casino stud poker, 2 English roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Disco. Tea dances. Showroom. Restaurants: 1; plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: International folk festival in August. Numerous cultural festivals throughout the year.

Address: Delémont-Courrendlin, Sur Haute Rive, CH-2830 Courrendlin, Switzerland Phone: Tel.: 00(41) 32 436 10 80; fax: 00(41) 32 436 10 81 Website: www.accorcasinos.com/casinos/courrendlin.shtml (French only) Description: The relatively new casino (opened in December 2002) is close to nature and blends well with summer and winter activities that are located nearby. Hours: Slots Noon–4 a.m. daily; tables 6 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 75 Table Games: 6: 2 blackjack, 2 English roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: Theme evenings. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Disco. National horse competition. Artisan studios in Delémont.

LOCARNO Locarno (population 15,000) is on the north shore of Lake Maggiore near the Italian border, about 45 miles northwest of Milan. An important film festival, the Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Locarno, takes place every August.

778. Casino Locarno Address: Largo Zorzi 1, 6601 Locarno, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)91 756 30 30; fax: +41 (0)91 756 30 31 Website: www.casinolocarno.ch (Italian or German only) Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the historic resort spa, along with the town’s theater and tourism office, near the Piazza Grande and close to the harbor of Lago Maggiore; casino first opened August 3, 2003. Hours: Sun.–Thu. noon–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 150 Table Games: 10: 6 American roulette (minimums CHF 5/10/20 to a

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777. Casino du Jura

maximum of 3,600 on even bets), 3 blackjack (minimums CHF 10/20/50 to a maximum of 1,000), 1 midi-punto banco with 9 places (minimums CHF 20/40 to a maximum of 1,000 on punto or banco and 100 for a bet on a tie) Poker: No Entertainment: Presentations in the adjoining theater Restaurants: 1: Le Bistro; plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Bonus: Any employee will gladly explain any game. Casino sponsors Football Club Locarno, Festival Internazionale del Film, Centenario AC Bellinzona, and Hockey Club Ambrì Piotta, and partners with the city theater.

LUCERNE Lucerne (German Luzern; population 60,000), in central Switzerland at the north end of Lake Lucerne, is 20 miles southwest of Zürich.

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779. Grand Casino Luzern Address: Haldenstrasse 6, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland Phone: Tel.: +41 (0)41 418 56 56; fax: +41 (0)41 418 56 55 Website: www.grandcasinoluzern.ch/casino/cgi/startframe_ehtml.htm

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Email: [email protected] Description: 11,840-square-foot lakeside casino with 2 levels Hours: Slots noon–4 a.m. daily; tables 7 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 217 total in 3 different areas; Swiss Jackpot, a linked jackpot of the 5 Grand Casinos (Basel, Baden, Bern, Luzern, and St. Gallen, each of which has 20 machines) and can go up to CHF 4 million Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, mini-punto banco, Luzern Stud Poker, craps Entertainment: Shows and concerts. Piano bar. Nightclub. Restaurants: 2; plus 3 bars Accommodations: No Poker: 7-stud Admission Charge: CHF 10 from 4 p.m., includes a Lucky Chip (valued at CHF 5) Dress Code: No Bonus: Free lessons and free promo games noon–4 a.m. Dinner and gambling packages available.

MENDRISIO Mendrisio (population 6,000) is in southern Switzerland between Lake Lugano and the southern tip of Lake Como, near the Italian border, about 25 miles northwest of Milan.

780. Casino Admiral Mendrisio Address: Via Angelo Maspoli 18, 6850 Mendrisio, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)91 640 50 20; fax: +41 (0)91 640 50 25 Website: www.casinomendrisio.ch (Italian only) Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the design of a neoclassical temple Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–5 a.m., Fri., Sat., holidays 11 a.m.–7 a.m.; table games Sun.–Thu. 1 p.m.–5 a.m., Fri., Sat., holidays 1 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 150: Tue.–Fri. bonus “Slotto” promotion 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: Randomly designated machines receive an extra CHF 500. Table Games: 29: 18 American roulette (single-zero), 9 blackjack (with a bonus bet on successive blackjacks), 2 punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Open 11 a.m.–3 a.m. daily; plus a bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free parking (1,000 spaces), with immediate access to casino. Shuttle service to Bergamo and Milan.


MONTREUX Montreux (population 20,000) is a resort town at the east end of Lake Geneva, about 30 miles northeast of Geneva, which is at the west end. Montreux holds several noteworthy festivals, including an international television festival awarding the Golden Rose of Montreux (annually in spring) and the Montreux Jazz Festival (annually in July). The main square of Montreux, Place du Marché, has a statue of Queen singer Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva.

781. Casino Barrière de Montreux

PFÄFFIKON Pfäffikon (also Pfaeffikon) is a suburb of and 10 miles east of Zürich.

782. Casino Zurichsee Address: Seedammstrasse 3, 8808 Pfaeffikon SZ, Switzerland Phone: 055 416 30 30; fax: 055 416 30 31 Website: www.casinozuerichsee.ch Email: [email protected] Description: Themed casino that simulates the center of Zürich. Casino is located in the Hotel Seedamm Plaza, 20 miles from Zürich, close to the motorway and the dam that crosses the lake. The casino opened in November 2002. Hours: Slots Sun.–Wed. noon–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. noon–4 a.m.; table games Sun.–Wed. 3

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Email: [email protected] Description: The only “A” license Casino in the French-speaking part of Switzerland Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–4 a.m.; tables Sun.–Thu. 4 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 4 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 310: 10 centimes to CHF 20 (about $0.80 to $16), progressive and linked jackpots, local and wide-area; electronic horseracing, electronic roulette; super jackpots with car, motorbike, etc., prizes. Table Games: 21 (with limits in Swiss francs): French roulette (1,500), English roulette (1,000), blackjack (10,000), casino stud (2,000), craps (2,000), punto banco (10,000) Poker: No Entertainment: Orchestras every weekend, on the stage in Le Tempo Bar, featuring a panoramic view of Lake Geneva and the Alps Restaurants: 3: Le Récital Restaurant (gourmet, with Dom Perignon cellar, terrific view), Le Saxo Restaurant and Wine Bar (cuisine from the 3 Rivieras, French, Italian, and Swiss, in a chic, jazzy deco), L’Entracte Restaurant (in the gaming area); also, 2 bars Accommodations: Nearby top hotels: Montreux Palace, Royal Plaza, Hôtel Eden au Lac Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No (no bathing suits) Bonus: Disco. The worldrenowned Montreux Jazz Festival takes place in July, with many of the concerts at Casino Barrière de Montreux. The casino showroom is over 15,000 square feet, and accommodates, in addition to concerts and shows, banquets from 100 to 1,500 persons. On December 4, 1971, after a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers, a terrible fire burned the Casino Barrière de Montreux down. A member of Deep Purple, who was in Montreux at this time, was witness to the casino fire. Inspired by the flames, thick smoke, and the proximity to Lake Geneva, he wrote the song “Smoke on the Water,” which became an international hit.

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Address: Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux, Switzerland Phone: + 41 21 962 83 83 Website: www.casinodemontreux.ch

p.m.–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; open 362 days a year. Closed: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day Slot Machines: 150: Current largest jackpot posted at website Table Games: 10: 4 American roulette, 4 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: The largest covered aquatic park in Europe (Alpamare Pfäffikon SZ) is nearby. Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: 142 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart attire: no sneakers, jacket preferred Bonus: Banquet rooms, seminar and meeting rooms, and fitness club.

SCHAFFHAUSEN Schaffhausen (population 34,000) is in northern Switzerland on the Rhine River, 25 miles north of Zürich. The nearby Rhine Falls in Neuhausen am Rheinfall is Europe’s largest waterfall and a main tourist attraction.

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783. Casino Schaffhausen Address: Herrenacker 7, Postfach 205, 8201 Schaffhausen, Switzerland Phone: Phone: 052/630 30 30; fax: 052/630 30 31 Website: www.casinoschaffhausen.ch

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Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant casino whose buildings recently housed the Jezler silver works. The casino was designed by the renowned casino architect Paul Steelman, who also designed the Mirage in Las Vegas. Hours: Sun.–Thu. 2 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 2p.m.–4 a.m.; open 362 days a year. Closed: Good Friday, National Prayer Day, Christmas Day Slot Machines: 123 Table Games: 8: 4 American roulette, 3 blackjack, 1 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart Bonus: Conference room for up to 150 people. Game rules explained individually or on tours of the casino.

ST. GALLEN St. Gallen (population 75,000), in northeastern Switzerland, 40 miles east of Zürich and 5 miles south of Lake Constance, is a modern and cosmopolitan city with an imposing baroque cathedral in the center of its beautiful Stift district, an area that has been given World Cultural Heritage Status and is under the protection of UNESCO.

784. Grand Casino St. Gallen Address: St. Jakob Strasse 55, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland Phone: 071 394 30 30; fax: 071 394 30 31 Website: www.grandcasinostgallen.ch Email: [email protected] Description: This large, modern casino opened on Nov. 28, 2003, in the new Radisson SAS Hotel complex in the Adlerberg, near the Olma exhibition site. Hours: Slots Sun.–Wed. 12 p.m.–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 12 p.m.–4 a.m.; tables Sun.–Wed. 3 p.m.–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 3 p.m.–4 a.m.; open 363 days a year. Closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Slot Machines: 165: Swiss Jackpot, a linked jackpot of the 5 Grand Casinos (Basel, Baden, Bern, Luzern, and St. Gallen, each of which has 20 machines) and can go up to CHF 4 million (current largest jackpot posted at website) Table Games: 14: 6 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud Poker: 1 table: Hold’em Entertainment: Events area with musical bar Restaurants: 1: Voyage Accommodations: 123 rooms Dress Code: Smart clothes; jacket preferred Bonus: Beauty salon. In-house parking available. Business and conference facilities in hotel. ATM.

St. Moritz (population 5,600; German Sankt Moritz) is a resort town in the Alps, particularly popular with the jet set, 85 miles southeast of Zürich. It has excellent skiing facilities, elegant and palatial hotels, a health spa, and holds two international horse races every year on its frozen lake. St. Moritz was the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics, as well as the 2003 Alpine Skiing World Championships.

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ST. MORITZ

Address: via Mezdi 29, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland Phone: +41 (0) 81 837 54 54; fax: +41 (0) 81 837 54 50 Website: www.casinostmoritz.ch Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Description: Casino St. Moritz is located in the west wing of the very elegant Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. Hours: Daily 8 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 75 Table Games: 6 (CHF minimum/maximum): 3 American roulette (10/200), 2 blackjack (20/800), 1 “Piz Nair” Stud Poker (ante 10/20, bet 200/400) Poker: No Entertainment: Lounge bar Restaurants: No Accommodations: 184 rooms and suites in a 5-star hotel Family Amenities: Kindergarten Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: 5 conference rooms accommodate up to 500. Business center. Ski and mountain bike rental available in the hotel. Tennis indoors and outdoors at the hotel. Direct access to the Signalbahn cable car to Corviglia slopes, and cross-country ski trails as well as the cross-country ski center. Mountain biking, jogging, and Nordic walking. Scheduled offerings of outdoor and indoor activities.

Ukraine Ukraine (population 47.7 million), a former member of the Soviet Union, is a republic in eastern Europe bordered on the east by Russia, the north by Belarus, the west by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, the southwest by Romania and Moldova and the south by the Black Sea. It is the largest country contained entirely within Europe. Kiev is the capital and largest city. The currency of Ukraine is the hryvnia (UAH), which is divided into 100 kopiykas. At the time of this writing, $1 US = 5.27 hryvnias; UAH1 = 19¢. Ukraine has many small casinos scattered throughout its towns and cities, though most would not be considered of world-class status and are not listed here.

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785. Casino St. Moritz

KIEV Kiev (population 2.6 million), the capital, largest city, and cultural center of Ukraine, on the Dnieper River 532 miles southwest of Moscow, and 303 miles north of Odessa, was founded in 482 A.D. and is one of the biggest cities in Europe. More than half the city’s area is made up of parks and gardens that soften the look of the utilitarian construction that appeared after World War II.

786. Gabriela Entertainment Complex Address: Khreschatik str. 1/2, Evropeyskaya Square, Dnipro Hotel, Kiev, Ukraine Phone: (380 44) 228 88 21 Website: www.casino-gabriela.kiev.ua

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Email: [email protected] Description: Medium-sized casino, in Dnipro Hotel Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 10: 3 American roulette, 3 blackjack ($5 or $25 min. to $100 or $300 max. bet), 1 electronic roulette, 3 Caribbean Draw (min $1, highest payoff $1,000), VIP-poker ($25–$300 minimum to $5,000 highest payoff) Poker: No Entertainment: Live music. Restaurants: 1: Smorgasbord; 3 in hotel Accommodations: 192 rooms, including 40 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Membership cards with benefits. Free drinks for players. Frequent special tournaments and prizes; see website for more information about these. There is also a “VIP hall” with higher-stakes gaming.

The United Kingdom The United Kingdom (population 60.2 million) consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom. Casino gambling was legalized in Great Britain in 1960. By law, all casinos must operate as private membership clubs, and have a 24-hour waiting period to join. A member can bring a guest in who has not undergone that waiting period. Most casinos have membership applications available on their websites. These can be filled out prior to a visit. The waiting period requirement is in a state of flux at this writing, and may soon be removed. Other restrictions, such as a limit on the number of slot machines, may also be lifted. The minimum age for casino entrance is 18. Casinos in London often have an admission charge; those outside London generally do not. At the time of this writing, the waiting period situation is such that if you are unable to make your own arrangements to go as a guest of a member, and you wish to gamble, we advise you to consult your hotel concierge upon arrival in the United Kingdom. Here you will find the best source of up-to-date information on admission requirements, fees, wagering limits, and games available. The concierge can assist you in obtaining membership to the casino of your preference. Don’t try to obtain membership by writing in advance of your arrival from overseas. You must follow the Gaming Act, which specifies that you submit your application from within the country and wait at least 24 hours for acceptance and

ENGLAND England is the largest, most populous (49 million), and most densely populated of the four “Home Nations” that constitute the United Kingdom. England occupies the southeastern portion of the island of Great Britain. It is named after the Angles, one of a number of Germanic peoples who settled there in the 5th and 6th centuries. England has not had a separate political identity since 1707, when Great Britain was established as a political entity. The capital city of England, London, is also the capital and largest city of the UK. At the time of this writing, the British pound (GBP) was worth about $1.88. The pound is divided into 100 pence, often shortened to p.

Birmingham Birmingham (population 992,000; metropolitan area 2.6 million), in the industrial Midlands, is England’s second largest city. Birmingham is largely an industrial and manufacturing city.

787. China Palace Address: 16–18 Hurst Street, Birmingham, England B5 4BN, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)121 622 3313; fax: +44 (0)121 622 6528 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Midlands” on the map, and then “Birmingham” on the next map) Description: Located in Chinatown; from the outside it looks something like a palace Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 6 Table Games: 20: 2 blackjack, big six, three-card poker, sic bo, punto 2000, Caribbean Stud, touch bet roulette, autoroulette, 8 mah-jong tables Poker: 2;

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admission to the casino. You may also sign up for membership online once you’ve arrived on your laptop, the hotel business center, or an Internet café. The only exception to the 24hour waiting period rule is the Hilton Hotel & Casino in the Isle of Man. To enter any casino in the United Kingdom, it is required by law that all members and guests of members must show ID. This can be in the form of a passport, driver’s license, or other valid formal identification. A passport is best for those whose citizenship is of a country outside the European Union. Even though many casinos list their roulette as “American,” usually the game has one zero. The American version of the game means less formality than that associated with French roulette. In particular, players place their own bets. The wheel and payouts are the same. The casinos of the United Kingdom generally have only a few slot machines; some have none. They generally do not offer large jackpots. Table games and poker are much more popular—as are games played among individuals with the only interest by the casino being collection of a fee for the use of the facilities. Such games include kalooki, mah-jong, and others. As of March 2003, England, Scotland, and Wales had over 126 casinos. More are opening all the time. There are currently no licensed casinos operating in Northern Ireland.

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hold’em tournaments Wed. at 10 p.m. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, open 8 p.m.–2 a.m. daily Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: 2 soft-gaming tables.

788. Grosvenor Casino Address: Fiveways Leisure Complex, Broad Street, Birmingham, England B15 1AY, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)121–631 3535; fax: +44 (0)121 665 6434 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”)

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Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Centrally located on fashionable Broad Street Hours: Sun.–Tue., 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Wed.–Sat., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 16: Roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, electronic roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: 52 seat à la carte restaurant open 7 p.m.–2 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: Free membership Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free parking in secure covered car park (parking garage). Nonsmoking gaming area.

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Blackpool Blackpool (population 142,000) is in the northwest of England on the Fylde Coast of the Irish Sea in Lancashire County, north of Liverpool, and is called “Britain’s undisputed capital of entertainment.” After London, Blackpool is the most popular tourist destination in England, with 6 miles of beach. It is famous for its Golden Mile of fair attractions, a 518foot tower modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the illuminations that attract thousands of visitors each year. In 1879, Blackpool became the first place in the world to have electric street lighting. The Blackpool Illuminations (“the greatest free show on earth”) were first created in 1912 to extend the holiday season by eight weeks over their competitors.

789. Grosvenor Casino–Blackpool Address: Sandcastle, South Promenade, Blackpool, England FY4 1BB, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1253 341 222; fax: +44 (0)1253 405 637 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Off-the-beaten-path casino with a good cardroom and a good, inexpensive restaurant Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 11: Roulette, blackjack, electronic roulette Poker: 3 tables, more for tournaments (up to 120 players). Regular tournaments, including Northern Lights Festival in November. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: A la carte restaurant, open 7 p.m.–2 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Satellite TV in all areas, nonsmoking gaming area, full disabled facilities, and free parking


790. Castle Casino

Bradford Bradford (population 300,000; metropolitan district 478,000), in West Yorkshire, 175 miles northwest of London, is home to the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television, the most popular museum in the U.K. outside London, and the site of the world’s only Cinerama theater.

791. Gala Casino, Leisure Exchange Address: Vicar Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England BD1 5LD, United Kingdom Phone: 01274 303 010; fax: 01274 303 030 Website: www.galacasinos.co.uk/CasinoDetails.aspx?CasinoCode=557 Email: [email protected] Description: Largest casino in Bradford Hours: Mon.–Fri.: noon–6 a.m.; Sat.: noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website) Table Games: 21: 10 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 2 Brit Brag, 2 jackpot casino stud poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Live music every Sat. evening Restaurants: 1: noon–3 a.m.; plus bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free food on Sat. evening

Brighton Brighton (population 248,000), a major seaside resort, is in southeastern England, on the English Channel. It is famous for its Asian-style Royal Pavilion, constructed between 1784 and 1787 as a residence for the Prince of Wales and later King George IV. Purchased by Brighton in 1850, the Royal Pavilion and the Dome (its former stables) now house a museum, picture galleries, and assembly halls. You can still buy Brighton Rock there, a hard candy that was also the name of a 1938 Graham Greene novel.

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Description: Casino looks like an old castle or mansion Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 8 Table Games: 14: 8 American roulette, 3 blackjack, 3 progressive jackpot casino stud poker, 1 craps, 1 three-card brag, punto 2000, mah-jong, kalooki, autoroulette Poker: 3 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: 8 p.m.–2 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: 1 soft-gaming table (kalooki). Valet service from 2 p.m. daily. Disabled access.

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Address: 64 Queens Promenade, North Shore, Blackpool, England FY2 9QG, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1253 352 628; fax: +44 (0)1253 500 646 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Northern Casinos” on the map, and then “Blackpool” on the next map)

792. Grosvenor Casino Address: 9 Grand Junction Road, Brighton, BN1 1PP Phone: +44 (0)1273 326 514; fax:+44 (0)1273 325964 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”)

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Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Casino close to sea, next door to St. Christopher’s at The Palace Hotel Hours: Sun.–Fri., 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 12 (maximum £2,000 jackpot) Table Games: 11: 7 American roulette, 4 blackjack, casino stud poker, big six wheel, sic bo, three-card poker, electronic roulette Poker: Regular tournaments (maximum 45 players per tournament): Wed. (9 p.m.): £10 pot-limit hold’em (£1,250 guaranteed with 30 players); Sun. (8 p.m.): £20 pot-limit 7-card stud (£2,500 guaranteed with 40 players); Fri. (7:30 p.m.): £10 pot-limit hold’em “rookie night” tournaments, with 1 hour of rebuys and an add-on. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Grill Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Nonsmoking areas. Disabled access. Free car parking with valet service.

793. Rendezvous Casino at the Marina EUROPE

Address: Brighton Marina Village, Brighton, Sussex, England BN2 5UT, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1273–605602; fax: +44 (0)1273–605456 Website: www.lciclubs.com/Our-Casinos-Brighton.htm Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Description: 21,000-square-foot casino, located in the heart of Brighton’s marina Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 17: American roulette, blackjack, craps, casino stud poker, punto banco Poker: Several tables. International tournaments every few months. Regular tournaments (all start at 8:30 p.m.; maximum 100 players per tournament): Wed.: £30 no-limit hold’em; Thu.: £10 pot-limit hold’em (beginners’ night); Fri.: £50 pot-limit Omaha; Sun.: £30 no-limit 7-card stud Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, gourmet. 7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m. Sun. lunch: 1 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Average price per person: £20 (includes 3 courses and wine). Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual; jacket preferred after 8 p.m. Bonus: Online sports betting. Large designated nonsmoking area. Salle privée. Valet parking. Check-cashing facility. Debit cards, traveler’s checks, and foreign currency accepted.

Bristol Bristol (population 400,000), the largest city in the southwest of England, and not far from Wales, is between Somerset and Gloucestershire and has been politically administered by both counties in part at various times. However, Bristol is historically a county in its own right and is properly called the City and County of Bristol. Bristol is home to a dramatic suspension bridge, a spectacular balloon fiesta, and a flourishing arts and media scene, and is surrounded by beautiful countryside.


794. Grosvenor Casino

Coventry Coventry (population 305,300), in the west Midlands, is the 10th-largest city in England. It has been a center of automobile and cycle manufacture, with the Triumph motorcycle created in 1902 in a Coventry factory. Although the automotive industry has declined, the Jaguar factory remains and a large Peugeot car factory is located in Ryton just outside the city.

795. Stanley Annabelle Casino Address: 11–12 King William Street, Coventry, England CV1 5JD, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)247 622 3256; fax: +44 (0)224 7652 5441 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Midlands” on the map, and then “Coventry” on the next map) Description: Busy club with friendly atmosphere Hours: Sun.–Fri., 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: Electronic roulette, blackjack, American roulette, casino stud poker, progressive casino stud poker Poker: 1 cash game daily, Omaha or 7-stud. Regular tournaments: Mon., Wed.: £10 hold’em (6 tables); 1st Fri. of each month, £100 hold’em (6 tables) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Other tournaments: Fri., Sat.: £10 kalooki (8 tables); Sun.: £10 mah-jong; Tue.: £10 Choi Ti Dee. Buffet served at all tournaments. Free buffet Mon. and Wed., midnight–1 a.m. Regular buffet with free hot and cold drinks and sandwiches. Free parking.

Douglas Douglas (population 26,000), is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is at the north of the Irish Sea, between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: 2 theme pubs at ground level, casino on first floor Hours: Sun.–Tue., 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Wed.–Sat., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10: 25p minimum, £1,000 maximum jackpot Table Games: 15: 4 blackjack, 1 punto banco, 8 American roulette, 4 blackjack, 2 casino stud poker, big six wheel, sic bo, three-card poker, electronic roulette Poker: 7-card stud and hold’em. Regular tournaments (all start at 9 p.m.; maximum 45 players per tournament): Tue., Fri., Sat.: £10 potlimit hold’em. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1. “Gallery Menu” Mon.–Sat. 7:30 p.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 4:30 p.m.–midnight, Sun. lunch till 7:30 p.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card. Disabled facilities. Nonsmoking areas.

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Address: 266 Anchor Street, Bristol, England BS1 5TT, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)117 929 2932; fax: +44 (0)117 925 4226 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”)

796. Gala Casino Isle of Man Address: Central Promenade,Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 4NA, United Kingdom Phone: 01624 662 662; fax: 01624 625 535 Website: www.galacasinos.co.uk/CasinoDetails.aspx?casinoID=39

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the Hilton Hotel, a holiday resort on the central promenade on Douglas Bay. This is the only hotel in the U.K. with an onsite casino. Hours: 7 p.m–3:30 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: 4 American roulette (single-zero), 3 Brit Brag, casino stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Atlantis Restaurant (à la carte menu; 7 p.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 4 floors of rooms and suites Family Amenities: 18 club rooms in hotel, designed for family stays Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Unlike other U.K. casinos, you don’t have to wait 24 hours to join the Hilton Hotel & Casino in the Isle of Man. All you need is identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, or check guarantee card. Fill out an application form, and you’re ready to play. 300seat bingo hall.

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Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (population 91,000), a town on the Norfolk coast of the North Sea, is 110 miles northeast of London, and has been a seaside resort since 1760. For hundreds of years it has been dependent on the herring fishery, and today it services offshore oil rigs. Much is left of the old city, including the original protective medieval wall. The Tolhouse, complete with dungeons, dates from the late 13th century and is said to be the oldest civic building in Britain. The old part of Great Yarmouth is linked to the mainland by Haven Bridge. Charles Dickens used the town as a location in David Copperfield.

797. Grosvenor Casino Address: Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, England NR30 3JG, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1493 850 444; fax: +44 (0)1493 859 771 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Casino was previously located in nearby Gorleston-on-Sea Hours: Sun.–Tue., 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Wed.–Sat., 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 6, with a maximum of £1,000 jackpot on some machines Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker Poker: Hold’em, 7-card stud. Regular tournaments (maximum 50 players per tournament): Wed. (8 p.m.): £20/50 pot-limit 7-card stud; Fri. (8 p.m.) £20/50 pot-limit hold’em. Poker leagues for hold’em, 7-card stud run throughout the year, each culminating in a £1,000 free-roll freeze-out tournament in Dec. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Grill Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: £5 kalooki tournaments on Tue. at 2:30 p.m.


Leeds Leeds (population 700,000), the second largest metropolitan district in the U.K., centrally located midway between Edinburgh and London, complements its economic success with a lively arts, sport, and entertainment scene. Leeds’ residents originate from more than 75 nations all over the world.

798. Napoleons Casino & Restaurant

Leicester Leicester (population 284,000), the largest city in the English East Midlands, is 170 miles northwest of London.

799. Gala Casino Leicester Address: 90 Highcross, Leicester, England LE1 4NN, United Kingdom Phone: 0116 261 9151; fax: 0116 242 6080 Website: http://www.galacasinos.co.uk/CasinoDetails.aspx?CasinoCode=558 Email: [email protected] Description: Gala’s newest casino is located in central Leicester. Hours: Mon.–Fri. noon–6 a.m., Sat. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website Table Games: 14: 8 American roulette, 2 jackpot casino stud, 3 Brit Brag, big six wheel Poker: Regular tournaments Entertainment: Live entertainment every Sat. in bar Restaurants: 1: 60-seat restaurant, à la carte menu; also, bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual; no sportswear Bonus: Low stakes for beginners first Sat. of every month at 8 p.m., with complimentary food and drink, a tour of the casino, and a chance to practice skills in the Play & Party Pit; play starts at 10p roulette and 50p blackjack. Drawings for merchandise for members.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the heart of Leeds Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–5 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 4 (25p/£250 jackpot, 50p/£500 jackpot) Table Games: 11: 6 American roulette (25p–£50), 2 blackjack (£1–£200), 1 casino stud poker (£2–£200 ante bets; progressive £1 bet offers up to £50,000 jackpot), 2 three-card poke (£2–£100 ante and bet, £5–£50 pair-plus), 10 touch bet roulette stations (20p–£25) Poker: Cash dealers available for games on Thu. and Sat. Regular tournaments: Thu. and Sat. £10 buy-in, £2,000 guaranteed with 39 players. First Thu. of each month £20 buy-in. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Breakfast daily midnight–3 a.m. (from £3.35); Sun. brunch 1:30 p.m.–10 p.m. (3 courses £8.50); à la carte menu Mon.–Sat. 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; table d’hôte Mon.–Fri. 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m. (3 courses £10.50) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free sandwiches.

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Address: Westport Centre, West Street Leeds, England LS3 1LX, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)113 244 5393, fax: +44 (0)113 242 0285 Website: www.asleisure.co.uk/casinos/leeds

Liverpool Liverpool (population 442,000; with the surrounding Merseyside urban area 1.4 million) is in the northwest of England, on the north side of the Mersey estuary, and in the extreme southwest of the county of Lancashire. Everyone knows Liverpool as the home of the Beatles. Inhabitants of Liverpool are officially known as “Liverpudlians,” but more commonly called “Scousers.” They are noted for their distinctive accent, called Scouse. Liverpool is also one terminus of the Mersey Ferry, made famous by the song “Ferry Cross the Mersey” by Gerry and the Pacemakers, a song now played on the ferryboats themselves every time they prepare to dock at Liverpool. In 2001, Speke Airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport, in honor of the late John Lennon. The airport’s logo consists of a sketch that Lennon had drawn of himself, and the words “Above us only sky,” lyrics from his best-known song, “Imagine.”

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800. Grosvenor Casino Address: 76–78 West Derby Road, Liverpool, England L6 9BY, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)151 260 8199; fax: +44 (0)151 263 3986 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”)

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Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Casino housed in a large building near the A57 Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 5 Table Games: 5 American roulette, 3 blackjack Poker: Regular tournaments (all start at 9 p.m.): Tue.: £5 pot-limit hold’em, £750 guaranteed; Thu.: £10 pot-limit hold’em; last Thu. of the month: £20 pot-limit hold’em. Also weekly stud tournaments. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Café bar menu 7 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; sandwich menu 7 p.m.–3:45 a.m. daily Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Extensive free parking. Weekly kalooki tournaments.

801. Stanley Liverpool Casino Address: 45–55 Renshaw Street, Liverpool, England L1 2SF, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)151 708 8866; fax: +44 (0)151 707 2149 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Northern” on the map, and then “Liverpool” on the next map) Description: In city center, near hotels and nightlife Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 11: 5 blackjack, electronic roulette, progressive casino stud poker, punto 2000, mah-jong Poker: 3 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: No, but menu service available from bar Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Free sandwiches in gaming area


London London, the capital of England and one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, is composed of 32 boroughs and 610 square miles with a population of over 7.3 million, making it one of the most populous cities in Europe. The London metropolitan area (6,267 square miles) has a population of 14 million, larger than the combined populations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, making it the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and in the top 20 of the world. London has many casinos.

802. 50 St. James

803. Hard Rock Casino Address: 3–4 Coventry Street, London, England W1D 6BL, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)207 287 7887; fax: +44 (0)207 478 0266 Website: www.hardrock.com/casinos/casinos.asp?loc=london Description: 18,000-square-foot casino is part of the Hard Rock Café. Hours: Sun.–Fri: 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Sat.: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 20 Table Games: 12: Blackjack, touch bet roulette, three-card poker, super stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Hard Rock Café Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Hard Rock music culture, in the form of a rock ’n’ roll history museum.

804. Les Ambassadeurs Club Address: 5 Hamilton Place, London, England W1J 7ED, United Kingdom Phone: General information: +44 (0)20–7495–5555; fax: +44 (0)20–7495–1223 Website: www.lciclubs.com/Our-Casinos-Les-A.htm Email: [email protected] Description: The casino bills itself as “one of the most exclusive gaming clubs in the world, offering extraordinary quality of service.” Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: No Table Games: 21: 7 American roulette (£5 to £1,000; 1 table at £2 until

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Email: [email protected] Description: One of the most prestigious gaming addresses in London Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily; bar: 12 p.m.–3 a.m. (12.30 a.m. Sun.) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 6 blackjack (£10 to £10,000), 1 casino stud poker (£25 ante (£10 until 8 p.m.) to £2,000 ante bets), 3 punto banco (£25 to £25,000), 9 American roulette (£5 to £1,000) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: One of the finest in London, with dinner served in a dining room of exceptional beauty with views of the fashionable St. James’s Accommodations: No Admission Charge: There is a lifetime full membership fee of £1,000, or off-peak complimentary membership between 12:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dress Code: Smart, with a jacket and collared shirt required at all times Bonus: 3 salles privées, 1 of which has a private lounge and dining room

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Address: 50 St. James’s Street, London, England SW1A 1JT, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)20 7491 4678, fax: +44 (0)20 7318 6616 Website: www.lciclubs.com/Our-Casinos-50-St-James.htm

8 p.m.), 6 blackjack (£10–£10,000), casino stud poker, with and without a progressive jackpot (£25 ante to £2,000 ante bets; £10 minimum ante until 8 p.m.), punto banco (£25–£25,000) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1, gourmet. Lunch: 12:30 p.m.–3p.m. Mon–Fri; dinner: 7:30 p.m.–3 a.m. (2.30 a.m. Sun). Average price per person: £55 (includes 3 courses and wine). Accommodations: No Admission Charge: There is a lifetime full membership fee of £1,000, or £500 off-peak membership between 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dress Code: Smart, with a jacket and collared shirt required at all times. Tie required after 8 p.m. Bonus: 2 salles privées, 1 with a private dining room. Check-cashing facility. Valet parking.

805. London The Mint

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Address: 43/45 Cromwell Road, London, England SW7 2EF, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)207 589 4041; fax: +44 (0)207 589 6714 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “London” on the map, and then “London” again on the next map)

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Description: Casino is in the heart of the fashionable Kensington district (about a mile from Victoria Station and right across from the Natural History Museum), and has 2 gaming areas. The main area is more casual. The Silver Room has higher limits and service to match. Hours: Casino: Sun.–Fri: 2 p.m.–6 a.m.; Sat.: 2 p.m.–4 a.m.; bars: 2 p.m.–3 a.m.; restaurant: 7.30 p.m.–1.30 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: American roulette (table minimum: £1 on a number, £5 on the outside bets), casino stud poker, with and without a progressive jackpot (£5 minimum), blackjack (£5 minimum), three-card poker (£5 minimum), punto banco (£10 minimum), single-zero touch bet roulette (minimum: 50p on a number, £2 on the outside bets) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Reservations recommended Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual. No denim. Bonus: The main gaming area offers a complimentary buffet and bar drinks. Free valet parking 2 p.m.–6 a.m.

806. Palm Beach Casino Address: 30 Berkeley Street, London, England W1J 8EH, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)20 7493 6585; fax: +44 (0)20 7493 6475 Website: www.lciclubs.com/Our-Casinos-Palm-Beach.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is housed in the former Mayfair Hotel Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 12 American roulette (£2–£500), 7 blackjack (£10–£2,000), casino stud poker (£10 ante–£500 ante bets), punto banco (£10–£25,000), touch bet roulette (£2–£500) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Open 7 p.m.–3 a.m. Average price per person: £32 (includes 3 courses and wine). Breakfast menu available 1:30 a.m.–3 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual, with jacket and collared shirt required at all times Bonus: Salle privée. Valet parking. A buffet is available in the bar from 1:30 p.m.–3 a.m.


807. Victoria Casino

Luton Luton (population 186,000), 30 miles north of the center of London on the M1 motorway and officially part of the East of England region, is the home town of the Luton Town football club. Their nickname, “The Hatters,” dates back to when Luton had a substantial straw hat-making industry. London Luton Airport is nearby, servicing mostly charters and lowcost flights. Luton is known for shopping and ethnic restaurants.

808. Grosvenor Casino–Luton Address: Dunstable House, 50 Dunstable Road, Luton, England LU1 1EE, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1582 414 166; fax: +44 (0)1582 724 057 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Full casino that also has a major cardroom that accommodates over 160 players Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m.

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Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: The casino is “conveniently located” in the heart of London. It has 2 gaming areas on 2 floors, a very popular cardroom, 2 sports bars, a bistro, and a restaurant. The main gaming area is on the lower floor, with a bistro, a sports bar, and the cardroom. The other gaming area is on the top floor, along with the restaurant and a sports bar. Hours: 12:30 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 10 blackjack (£10 minimum), 16 roulette (table minimum: £2 on a number, £5 on the outside bets), 6 progressive jackpot casino stud poker (£10 minimum), 2 punto banco (£10 minimum), 2 craps (£3 minimum), touch bet roulette, three-card poker (£10 minimum). Minimum bets are lower before 8 p.m. Poker: 8 tables, with more added during tournaments. Games include hold’em, Omaha, 7-stud, and dealer’s choice, usually pot-limit or half-pot-limit. The Vic, as they call it, has some of the best poker action in the U.K., including several world-class tournaments. 2 are the British Open, a week of events held in March, with pot-limit hold’em (£200+£20), pot-limit Omaha high-low (£200+£25), pot-limit 7-card stud freeze-out (£500+£25), no-limit hold’em freeze-out (£750+£25), potlimit Omaha (£500+£25), no-limit hold’em freeze-out (£1,250+£25), and the European Poker Championships, 10 events held over 8 days June–July, with buy-ins ranging from £2,000–£20,000. Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart Bonus: Every Sun. at 3 p.m. poker training session for beginners who might feel intimidated by the high stakes of some of the games, followed by a £10 no-limit hold’em tournament from 4:15 p.m.–6 p.m., with rebuys for the first 30 minutes, and a final add-on. Disabled facilities. The Vic has what may be the largest baccarat table in the world, seating 25 players. Play is facilitated by 2 TV screens showing dealer and cards as they are dealt.

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Address: 150–162 Edgware Road, London, England W2 2DT, United Kingdom Phone: General information: +44 (0)20 7262 7777; cardroom: +44 (0)20 7298 2411; fax: +44 (0)20 7724 8257 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”)

Slot Machines: 6: Including £1,000 jackpot machines Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, electronic roulette Poker: Major tournament is the Grosvenor U.K. Open, a week of events, featuring pot- and no-limit hold’em, and pot-limit 7-stud, with buy-ins ranging from £50+£5 to £1,000+£30 for the main event, no-limit hold’em. Daily tournaments, featuring pot- and no-limit hold’em, and pot-limit 7-stud, most with buy-ins of £10+£1 or £20+£2, but also monthly of £100+£10 and £250+£15. There are 1-table satellites for the latter. Some tournaments have no rebuys, and others unlimited rebuys. Sun. poker tournaments start at 5 p.m., others generally at 8:30 p.m. Cash games include £100 buy-in dealer’s choice and occasionally £100 buy-in Omaha. Entertainment: Live acts when cardroom is closed (2 Fridays a month) Restaurants: Lounge bar and à la carte restaurant Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Free security controlled parking. Valet service Mon.–Fri. 8 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 6 p.m.–6 a.m.

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809. Stanley Luton Casino Address: Skimpot Road, Luton, England LU4 0JS, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)158 259 1148; fax: +44 (0)158 249 9849 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Southern” on the map, and then “Luton” on the next map)

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Description: Casino is located on Skimpot Road just north of Craddock Road near where the A505 meets the A5065, which is where Luton Road meets Dunstable Road, a few blocks from the River Lea Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 14: American roulette, blackjack, progressive stud poker, punto banco, touch bet roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No, but food service available to players 2 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Weekly mah-jong tournaments, 12 tables. Valet parking, secured parking lot. Free soft drinks and beverages to players.

Manchester Manchester (population 422,000; urban area over 2.5 million) is the regional capital of the northwest of England, and the U.K.’s largest economic region outside London. It is the northwest’s regional center for finance, commerce, retail, culture, and leisure, home to Manchester International Airport and has one of the largest student populations in Europe. While manufacturing remains important, Manchester has attracted growth in the knowledge-based industry and is in the top ten of European cities for business location. It has at least six casinos.

810. Hard Rock Casino Address: The Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, Manchester M4 2BS Phone: +44 (0) 161 838 5300; fax: +44 (0) 161 838 5301 Website: www.hardrock.com/casinos/casinos.asp?loc=manch Description: Casino is part of the Hard Rock Café Hours: 4 p.m.–4 a.m. daily

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Slot Machines: 30 Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, touch bet roulette, big six wheel, three-card poker, super stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Hard Rock Café Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Hard Rock music culture, in the form of a rock ’n’ roll history museum.

811. Manchester Strand

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne (or Newcastle-upon-Tyne) (population 260,000; metropolitan area over 800,000), often called just Newcastle, is in northeast England, some 265 miles from London. You can get there on an electrified high-speed railway line on trains capable of sustained speeds up to 150 mph. The trip from London takes under three hours, depending on stops. The “new castle” that gave the city its name was constructed by the Normans in 1080. The castle’s keep and one of its gates still exist. Newcastle’s development as a major city came from its role in the export of coal from the Northumberland coal fields. The phrase “taking coals to Newcastle” refers to an obviously pointless task. In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were the basis of the city’s prosperity, but heavy industries declined in the second half of the 20th century and office and retail employment are now of main importance.

812. Grosvenor Casino–Newcastle-upon-Tyne Address: 100 St James Boulevard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England NE1 4BN, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)191 260 3303; fax: +44 (0)191 261 9543 Front Desk Fax: +44 (0)191 232 2197 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: The casino is across the Redheugh bridge from the city center, with an entrance to the park area directly from the A189 highway. Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 6: 25p, £250 maximum jackpot, 50p, £1,000 maximum jackpot Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker Poker: Regular tournaments: Mon., Wed., and

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Description: Casino is a short walk from Manchester’s Chinatown Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 14: American roulette, blackjack, electronic roulette, progressive casino stud poker, sic bo, Punto 2000 Poker: 2 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Large restaurant, open 8 p.m.–6 a.m. Toasted sandwiches £1; free in cardroom. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Restaurant provides table service of beverages, sandwiches, and cookies.

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Address: 40–44 Princess Street, Manchester, England M1 6DE, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)161 236 3034; fax: +44 (0)161 236 5509 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Northern” on the map, and then “Manchester” on the next map)

Sun. They hold 2 months of tournaments in the spring, pot- and no-limit hold’em, with rebuys and add-ons, initial buy-ins ranging from £20 to £100, and most of the events with no registration fee. In 2004, all February events were every Tue., Thu., and Sun. at 9 p.m. and all March events every Tue. and Sun. at 9 p.m. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4: Including Gallery restaurant, open 7 p.m.–midnight (last orders 11:30 p.m.); breakfast menu: midnight–2 a.m.; bar menu: daily 2 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: 2 bars, open daily from 2 p.m.–2 a.m. (Sun. 10:30 p.m.). Cardroom also available for private games. Private parking; valet service available.

813. Stanley Newcastle Casino

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Address: Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, England NE1 3NZ, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)191 232 0900; fax: +44 (0)191 232 2197 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Northern” on the map, and then “Newcastle” on the next map)

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Description: Modern building with mirrored glass exterior Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: Number not specified on website; jackpot machines Table Games: 18: American roulette, blackjack, electronic roulette, progressive casino stud poker, punto banco, three-card poker Poker: 3 tables. Regular tournaments: Tue., Thu., Sun. First Tue. of each month: £100 tournament. Entertainment: No Restaurants: Bar meals served till midnight. Complimentary hot and cold drinks and cold and toasted sandwiches. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Cardroom has mah-jong section.

Portsmouth Portsmouth (population 187,000) is in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England, 70 miles southwest of London. Once the world’s largest naval base and home to many famous ships, Portsmouth has declined in recent years but remains a major dockyard and base for the English Royal Navy. Bombed extensively during World War II, most of the city has since been rebuilt, although developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs. Most of Portsmouth’s tourist attractions relate to its naval history, including the D-Day museum and several restored ships. Portsmouth was the birthplace of Charles Dickens.

814. Stanley Portsmouth Casino Address: Oriel House, Alec Rose Lane, 21–23 Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth, England PO1 2SA, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)239 273 6668; fax: +44 (0)239 282 2255 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Southern” on the map, and then “Portsmouth” on the next map) Description: Casino located near the A3, east of the marina Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 8: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, progressive casino stud poker, autoroulette Poker: 2 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: Service

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE just for seated players. Grill menu served 6:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. daily. Also bar food menu. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Tea, coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches free to players.

Ramsgate (population 42,000) is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent in southeast England, about 15 miles from the famous cathedral city of Canterbury and 70 miles east of London. Other notable towns in Thanet (total population about 250,000) are Birchington, Westgate, Broadstairs, and Margate, with Ramsgate being the most southerly. Ramsgate’s main industries are tourism and fishing, with some light industry. You will hear a number of languages spoken because Ramsgate’s colleges specialize in courses for students of EFL (English as a foreign language). In Roman times, the Isle of Thanet was separated from the English mainland by the Wantsum channel, a stretch of water that has since silted up and become barely navigable.

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Ramsgate

Address: The Pavilion, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, England CT11 8LS, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1843 585 678; fax: +44 (0)1843 581 383 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Medium-sized casino housed in a blue-domed building near the harbor Hours: Mon.–Fri.: 5 p.m.–5 a.m.; Sat.: 5 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sun. 3 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 6: 25p minimum, £1,000 maximum jackpot Table Games: 11: 5 roulette, 3 blackjack, 3 casino stud poker Poker: Regular tournaments (all start at 9 p.m.): Sun: £20 potlimit hold’em.; Tue.: £20 pot-limit 7-stud; Thu: £20 no-limit hold’em; Fri., Sat.: £5 dealer’s choice. Cash games: £50 buy-in dealer’s choice on tournament nights. Entertainment: No Restaurants: Licensed à la carte menu restaurant. Open Sun.–Fri. from 8 p.m. (Sat. from 7 p.m.). Breakfast menu available from midnight. Sun. lunch 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Monthly kalooki competitions. Insured valet parking after 7 p.m. Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card.

Reading

Reading (rhymes with bedding; population, 233,000; urban area, 370,000) is in Berkshire at the confluence of the Rivers Thames and Kennet, about 25 miles west of London and Oxford. There once was a prison in Reading; while imprisoned there from 1895 to 1897, Oscar Wilde wrote “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” Another writer, Thomas Hardy, described the town somewhat disparagingly in his novel Jude the Obscure, in which it is called Aldbrickham. Some famous people who came from Reading include composer and artist Mike Oldfield (“Tubular Bells”), actresses Kate Winslet and Jacqueline Bisset, and actor Kenneth Branagh. Among large employers in Reading are technology giants Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, and Oracle, as well as The Prudential and Gillette. The town also hosts two annual music festivals, Reading Festival and Womad.

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815. Grosvenor Casino–Ramsgate

816. Reading Sporting Club Address: 18 Richfield Avenue, Reading, England RG1 8PA, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)118 939 1811; fax: +44 (0)118 959 9448 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Southern” on the map, and then “Reading” on the next map)

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Description: Plain-looking 1-story casino in a parking lot Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 24 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, progressive stud poker, big six wheel, three-card poker, sic bo, Punto 2000, touch bet roulette Poker: 4 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Full à la carte menu. Private dining for 16. Bistro with full range of wines, beers, spirits. Fast food and snack menu available. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Nonsmoking gaming room. Plenty of free parking. Valet parking Fri.–Tue.

Salford EUROPE

Salford (population 220,000), close to the north side of Manchester, was one of the U.K.’s first industrial cities and gained status at the start of the industrial revolution. Famous residents included Albert Finney, Tim Burgess, Alistair Cooke, Walter Greenwood, James Prescott Joule, Mike Leigh, Sir Ben Kingsley, Sir Jimmy Savile, Christopher Eccleston, and L.S. Lowry. Salford University, one of four universities in Greater Manchester, has approximately 19,000 students.

817. Grosvenor Casino Address: Riverside, Regent Park Salford, England M5 4QU, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)161 839 0467; fax: +44 (0)161 839 0479 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Elegant casino in the heart of Salford Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 6: 25p minimum, £1,000 maximum jackpot Table Games: 8 roulette, 3 blackjack, 2 casino stud poker, 1 mini-dice Poker: Regular tournaments. You must arrive and register before 9 p.m. to ensure tournament entry. (This rule is strictly enforced.) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: A la carte menu available 7 p.m.–11:30 p.m.; breakfast menu midnight–2 a.m. Cafe bar open Mon.–Sat. 4:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m.; Sun. 4:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., with bar meals and sandwiches available daily. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Air conditioning, satellite TV, full disabled access. Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card. Cardroom is also available for private games. (Note that while floor waitresses, reception staff, and bar/restaurant staff may receive gratuities, gaming staff are not allowed to accept tips.)


818. Stanley Albion Casino

Sheffield Sheffield (population 512,000, with an urban area of over 1,000,000), in South Yorkshire in the north-central part of England 140 miles northwest of London, is the fourth largest city in England. Mary Queen of Scots spent 14 years, from Nov. 28, 1570, imprisoned in Sheffield Castle. Some Robin Hood legends say the character must have been from the Sheffield region, partly due to the association of “Robin of Locksley” to the Sheffield region of Loxley. The World Snooker Championship is held yearly in the Crucible Theatre. The Sheffield Ski Village is the largest artificial ski resort in Europe, and the city also has two indoor climbing centers. Sheffield is also gateway to the Peak District, which has some of the loveliest panoramas and best hiking in the U.K..

819. Napoleons Casino & Restaurant Owlerton Address: 17 Livesey Street, Off Penistone Road, Sheffield, England S6 2BL, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)114 285 5566; fax: +44 (0)114 285 2758 Website: www.napoleons-casinos.co.uk Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant casino with excellent restaurant Hours: Sun.–Fri. 7 p.m.–5 a.m., Sat. 6 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 7: 4 with 25p minimum (£250 jackpot), 2 with 25p minimum (£500 jackpot), 1 with 50p minimum (£500 jackpot) Table Games: 11: 6 American roulette (50p–£50), 3 blackjack (£1–£400), 1 casino stud poker (£2–£200 ante bets), 1 three-card poker (£5–£100), 14 touch bet roulette stations (20p–£25) Poker: 10 tables. Regular tournaments (9:15 p.m.): Hold’em: Wed., pot-limit hold’em, £20 entry with rebuys; last Wed. of month, £50 with rebuys. Thu.: no-limit hold’em, £10 entry with rebuys. Larger tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from £100 to £500 (plus rebuys and add-ons), in pot- and nolimit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, generally last 3 days. Check website for dates. There

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Description: Casino with friendly atmosphere located near Manchester Hours: 2 p.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, electronic roulette, progressive stud poker, kalooki Poker: 3 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Open 7:30 p.m.–2 a.m. daily. Table d’hôte menu available 2 p.m.–11 p.m. Breakfast menu available 11 p.m. till restaurant close. Complimentary hot and cold drinks and cold and toasted sandwiches. Bar open Mon.–Sat. 6:30 p.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 6:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual; no shorts after 7 p.m. Bonus: Free car parking with valet service. 8 kalooki tables, with tournaments run by casino 4 nights a week. Mah-jong room with 6 tables.

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Address: Cromwell Road, Castle Irwell, Salford, England M6 6DA, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)161 792 3794; fax: +44 (0)161 792 8502 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Northern” on the map, and then “Manchester” on the next map)

are also regular private cash games with dealers. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Supper Mon.–Sat. 7 p.m.–11 p.m. (3 courses £12.50; seasonal special of 4 courses £12.50); à la carte menu Mon.–Sat. 7 p.m.–11 p.m.; varied menu Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Some of the best poker tournaments in the north of England.

Southampton

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Southampton (population 221,000) is a major port on the south coast of England, approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth. An outstanding harbor makes it the principal port on the south coast, and one of the largest in the U.K. Sailing is a popular sport here. Southampton was the original point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower, for which event you can find a memorial on Town Quay. In common with most of the luxury liners of the time, the Titanic sailed from Southampton, and it is still an important ocean liner port, frequented by luxury ships such as the QE2, the Oriana, and most recently, the Queen Mary 2. Look for a memorial to the crew of the Titanic in Above Bar Street.

820. Grosvenor Casino–Leisure World EUROPE

Address: West Quay Road Southampton, England SO15 1RE, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)23 8033 4333 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Unique casino that offers a premier movie club as part of its membership. Near LeisureWorld Complex. Take the M3 towards Southampton, then M27 west towards Bournemouth. Exit M27 junction 3. Join M271 towards Southampton, then follow English Heritage signs for “waterfront.” Hours: Sun.–Tue. 2 p.m.–5 a.m., Wed.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 6: 2 minimum 25p (£250 jackpot), 4 minimum 50p (£1,000 jackpot). “Las Vegas-style machine lounge.” Table Games: 9 American roulette, 2 casino stud poker, 4 blackjack, electronic roulette Poker: Regular tournaments: Tue., Thu. (8 p.m.) £10 pot-limit hold’em (first Thu. of the month, £50) Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Wed. (7 p.m.), Sun. (5 p.m.): £10 kalooki tournament (first Sun. of the month, £20). Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card. The Movie Club is an exclusive facility run jointly by Grosvenor Casinos and Odeon Cinemas. Membership is free, but benefits are available only to Grosvenor members (any casino). Movie Club members can purchase special movie meal deals each week and attend special screenings throughout the year. For example, “The Movie Pass” costs £12.50 per person and offers a £10 food voucher (valid at the casino restaurant), £2.50 drink voucher (valid in the casino bar), and includes a cinema ticket. (This makes the movie effectively free.) The deals are available Mon.–Thu. every week, with 7–10 different films per week and starting times between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.


Torquay Torquay (population 63,000), 170 miles southwest of London, is a town on the southwest coast of England in the county of Devon that has extended along the coast of Torbay to the point that it is now inextricably intermingled with the neighboring town of Paignton. In the 19th century it became a fashionable seaside resort, renowned for its healthy climate. Torquay was the birthplace of mystery novelist Agatha Christie. It is the setting of Fawlty Towers, the popular 1970s BBC sitcom starring John Cleese, although location filming for the show was actually done in Cambridge, Berkshire, and Bedfordshire. Torquay is popular for what the British call “self-catering accommodation” (rental units with kitchens) and English Riviera holidays.

Description: Casino is in an elegant old-fashioned white building that almost looks like Fawlty Towers Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Open daily, except call the casino to find out about Christmas Day. Slot Machines: 12 Table Games: Electronic roulette, blackjack, American roulette, casino stud poker, progressive casino stud poker Poker: Regular tournaments: Tue. (9 p.m.): hold’em £10 (first Tue. in month £20), maximum 44 participants. Private cardroom games available during other casino hours. Cardroom charge £2 per person per hour. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: For light hot meals, with seating for 28, in addition to bar seating for 22 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card. ATM on site for all major cards, credit and debit. Accepts all major currencies.

SCOTLAND Scotland (Alba in Gaelic; population 5 million), part of the United Kingdom, occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The country consists of a mainland area, plus several island groups, including Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides. Three main geographical and geological areas make up the mainland. They are, from north to south, the generally mountainous Highlands, the low-lying Central Belt, and the hilly Southern Uplands. Most of the population resides in the Central Belt, which contains three of the country’s six cities, Edinburgh (the capital), Glasgow (the largest city), Stirling, and many large towns. Most of the remaining population lives in the northeast Lowlands, which contains two of the remaining three cities, Aberdeen and Dundee. The final city, Inverness, is where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth. In 1999, almost 300 years after its dissolution, the people of Scotland chose to reconvene the nation’s parliament. Its limited powers permit governing the country on certain purely domestic matters and the minimal ability to collect taxes. Scotland is known for bagpipes, Robert Burns, golf and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, haggis (sheep or calf entrails stuffed with oatmeal, suet, and spices,

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Address: Abbey Road, Torquay, England TQ2 5NR, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)180 329 4901; fax: +44 (0)180 321 3323 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Southern” on the map, and then “Torquay” on the next map)

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821. Stanley Torquay Casino

and boiled in the animal’s stomach), kilts and tartans, Loch Ness (the supposed home of the Loch Ness monster “Nessie”), Scotch whisky and its distilleries, the Scottish Highlands, shortbread, the thistle (the country’s national emblem), and tweed (especially Harris Tweed). The currency of Scotland is the pound sterling (GBP), the same as the rest of the U.K. The casinos of Scotland are overseen and licensed by the government similarly to those of England.

Edinburgh

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Edinburgh (population 450,000) is located on the east coast of Scotland on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. The name is pronounced ED-in-burra. It has been the capital of Scotland since 1492 and is the site of the Scottish Parliament, reestablished in 1999. Edinburgh is famous for the Edinburgh Festival, a collection of several arts festivals, among them celebrations of theater, opera, music, dance, film, science, children’s shows, and many others, to which people come from all over the world. The city is affectionately nicknamed “Auld Reekie” (Old Smokey), a reference to its factories. Famous people born there include Alexander Graham Bell, Tony Blair (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes), Sean Connery, and Irvine Welsh (novelist, author of Trainspotting). Edinburgh has several small casinos.

822. Stanley Berkeley Casino Address: 2 Rutland Place, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 2AD, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)131 228 4446; fax: +44 (0)131 228 6079 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Scottish” on the map, and then “Edinburgh” on the next map) Description: Located in the west end, this casino is typical of Edinburgh Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 11: £2,000 maximum payout Table Games: 10: American roulette, electronic roulette, blackjack, big six wheel, casino stud poker, progressive casino stud poker, punto banco Poker: Regular tournaments: Mon., Fri. (9 p.m.), £10 pot-limit hold’em. Cash games: Fri. (11 p.m.), £30 buy-in pot-limit dealer’s choice. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Seats 40 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Complimentary nonalcoholic drinks and sandwiches to gaming customers. Check cashing. ATM that accepts most debit cards, plus global Kwikcash.

Glasgow Glasgow (population 580,000; greater metropolitan area 1.8 million), Scotland’s largest city, is on the River Clyde in west central Scotland. The name comes from the Brythonic glas cu (modern Gaelic has glaschu), “green hollow,” usually romantically translated as “the dear green place.” Glaswegians call their city “Glesga” and refer to Scots from the Scottish Highlands and the Western Isles as “teuchters.” Famous Glaswegians include musicians and bands Del Amitri, Mark Knopfler, Lulu, and Simple Minds, scientists William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) and Joseph Lister, detective Allan Pinkerton, and economist Adam Smith.


823. Gala Casino–Merchant City

824. Stanley Berkeley Casino Address: 506–516 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3LW, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)141 332 0992; fax: +44 (0)141 331 0843 Website: www.stanleycasinos.com (Click on “Casino Locator” and click on “Scottish” on the map, and then “Glasgow” on the next map) Description: City center location, located in an eclectic neighborhood Hours: Sun.–Fri. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10: £2,000 maximum payout Table Games: American roulette, touch bet roulette, blackjack, big six wheel, progressive casino stud poker, punto banco, three-card poker, sic bo Poker: 3 tables Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Full valet service. Free tea, coffee, soft drinks, and sandwiches for table game players. Mah-jong and kalooki.

WALES Wales (population, 3,000,000) is one of the four major nations comprising the United Kingdom. Its Welsh name is Cymru, approximately pronounced KUM-ree. Wales, west of England on the Irish Sea, has had no real independence since 1282. It has no significant national government, and, like the other three nations of the U.K., does not issue its own currency nor is it in control of any armed forces. Wales is a beautiful green country with an abundance of rain. The capital and main city is Cardiff. Much of Wales is mountainous, particularly the north and central portions. The Brecon Beacons in the south and Snowdonia in the north are joined by the Cambrian Mountains. The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon. A notable town is Portmerion, on the north of Cardigan Bay, the location of The Village in the popular BBC series The Prisoner.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Largest casino in Glasgow (30,000 square feet), with the longest opening hours, in an expensively furnished venue Hours: Mon.–Fri. noon–6 a.m.; Sat. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 50 Table Games: 17: 8 American roulette, 4 blackjack, 2 Brit Brag, 2 jackpot casino stud poker, 1 punto banco. Plus 40 electronic roulette terminals. Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1. American-themed (6:30 p.m.–2:30 a.m.) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Parking for 500 cars. Elevator direct to the casino floor. Disabled facilities. Cardroom.

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Address: 18 Glassford Street, Glasgow, Scotland G1 1UL, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)845 604 6464 Website: www.galacasinos.co.uk/aboutMerchant.asp

Cardiff Cardiff (population 305,000), the capital and largest city of Wales, is on the Bristol Channel at the south of the country, and some 30 miles from Bristol, England. It has two well-preserved Norman castles you can visit.

825. Les Croupiers Address: 32 St Mary’s Street, Cardiff, Wales CF1 2AB, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)29 2038 2810; fax: +44 (0)29 2066 6443 Website: www.les-croupiers.co.uk

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Description: European-style with 4,000 square feet, making it one of the largest casinos in the U.K. outside London Hours: Sun.–Tue. 2 p.m.–6 a.m., Wed.–Sat. 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 10: Maximum £1,000 jackpots Table Games: 25: 12 American roulette (straight up 50p–£400, even money £5–£2,000), 8 blackjack (£2–£2,000), 5 casino stud poker (£4–£400) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Mah-jong room. Licensed bar. Free refreshments.

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Swansea Swansea (population 223,000), the second-largest city in Wales, is on the Bristol Channel at the south of the country, and some 40 miles west of Bristol, England, across the Channel. In addition to being a holiday resort, Swansea is also a commercial center, and the recently regenerated dock areas are home to some cutting-edge high-tech industries. Famous people born there include poet Dylan Thomas (whose memorial is at Cwmdonkin Park), actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, singer Bonnie Tyler, author Mary Balogh, and entertainer Sir Harry Secombe.

826. Grosvenor Casino Address: 15—16 High Street, Swansea, Wales SA1 1LG, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1792 655 227 Website: www.grosvenor-casinos.co.uk (Click on “Find a Casino”) Email: Grosvenor casinos: [email protected] Description: Informal casino located on the High Street between the A4118 and A4067, not far from the train station Hours: 7:30 p.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: Maximum £1,000 jackpots Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker, electronic roulette Poker: Regular tournaments: Mon. £100 pot-limit hold’em freeze-out; Wed. £10 pot-limit hold’em (£20 first Wed. of each month); Sun. £10 dealer’s choice. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Check cashing available to members and guests when accompanied by a check guarantee card.

Africa You can find casinos in Africa from Morocco and Egypt on the Mediterranean through Senegal on the Atlantic and Kenya on the Indian Ocean to South Africa on the southern tip. This continent that straddles the Tropic of Capricorn, the Equator, and the Tropic of Cancer is the second largest, after Eurasia, both in terms of area (11.7 million square miles) and population (more than 800 million), and contains 54 countries. Many of those countries have no casinos for economic, political, and religious reasons. Most African casinos require patrons to show identification. Some require foreign nationals to surrender passports, which are returned upon leaving the premises.

Botswana Botswana (population 1.6 million) is a landlocked nation of southern Africa, formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. Botswana gained independence from Great Britain on September 30, 1966. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Namibia to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. Its economy, mainly cattle-raising and mining, is closely tied to South Africa’s. The capital is Gaborone. Botswana’s currency is the Pula (BWP). At the time of this writing, BWP4.45 equals $1 US. The Pula is divided into 100 Thebe. The minimum age for gambling in Botswana is 18.

GABORONE Gaborone (population 186,000), home of the University of Botswana, is the capital and in the southeast part of the country right on the border with South Africa.

827. Gaborone Sun Casino Address: Chuma Drive Gaborone Phone: +267 395 1111; fax: +267 390 2555 Website: www.suninternational.com/adv-casino, click on “Casino,” then on “Casino Resorts”; choose “Gaborone Sun” from the menu on the left and click on “Gaborone Sun Casino” in the submenu Email: [email protected] Hours: Slots 24 hours/day, 365 days/year, tables 1 p.m.–“late” Description: “Upmarket” casino located inside a luxury hotel in the capital city. The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is 10 miles from the Gaborone Sun. Slot Machines:

Many; denominations range from 10t (thebe) to P5 (Pula); including video slots and progressives; all slots coinless; there is a salon privé for top players Table Games: 11: American roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Goombay’s Grill (a la carte), Savuti (buffet) Accommodations: 5-star hotel with 196 standard and luxury rooms (also includes 4 suites) Dress Code: No Bonus: Golf, tennis, squash, swimming, gymnasium, shopping, and salon onsite. Meeting and conference area. Business center with email, secretarial, and fax services.

828. The Grand Palm Hotel Casino and Convention Resort

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Address: The Grand Palm Hotel Casino and Convention Resort, Gaborone, Botswana Phone: +267 363 7777; fax: +267 391 2989 Website: www.grandpalm.bw/casino.html

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: Las Vegas-style casino 2 miles from the city center and 7 miles from the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport; the casino is located inside the resort hotel Hours: slots 24 hours/day, 365 days/year; tables Sun.–Fri., 1 p.m.–close, Sat., noon–close Slot Machines: 133+: state-of-the-art slots, denominations ranging from 25t (thebe) to P25 (Botswana Pula); progressive jackpots Table Games: 10: 4 American roulette (minimum bet P1), 4 blackjack (minimum bet P20), 1 Arizona hold’em poker, 1 punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: The Fig Tree (light meals; daily 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; casual dress; no reservations necessary), The Beef Baron Grill and Rib Room (upscale grill house; smart dress required; dinner; reservations required), Livingstone’s (buffet; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; smart casual dress; no reservations except groups over 10 people) Accommodations: 187 rooms, deluxe rooms, and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Grand Palms Winners Circle rewards card for slot play; can be redeemed for meals and hotel stays, plus other benefits. Foreign currency can be exchanged at either the slots or casino cash desk.

Egypt The Arab Republic of Egypt (population 74.7 million) is situated mainly in northeastern Africa; its Sinai Peninsula is generally considered part of southwest Asia. Egypt is bordered to the west by Libya, to the south by Sudan, the northeast by Israel, the north by the Mediterranean Sea, and the east by the Red Sea. Most of the population of Egypt lives on the banks of the River Nile. Much of the country is desert, the Sinai Desert and part of the Sahara Desert within Egypt, and very sparsely populated. Egypt’s glory lies in the past; many world treasures from its ancient civilization, including the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Karnak Temple, and the Valley of the Kings, attract tourists and historians. The capital and largest city is Cairo. The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP or LE), divided into 100 piastres. At the time of this writing, $1 = EGP5.79, and EGP1 = 17.3¢. The minimum age for gambling in Egypt is 21.


CAIRO Cairo (metropolitan area population 15 million), also known by its Arabic name, alQahira, is the capital and largest city of Egypt. It’s also the largest city in both Africa and the Middle East, and is located on the east bank of the Nile, 100 miles south of the Mediterranean. Al-Qahira means “The Subduer,” a name earned historically from the many armies destroyed attempting to invade the city or defeated elsewhere by troops sent from Cairo, as, for example, the Mongols, Crusaders, and Ottomans. The Pyramids of Giza are across the Nile from Cairo.

Email: [email protected] Description: This casino in the Semiramis Inter-Continental Hotel in the heart of Cairo on the banks of the Nile was extensively renovated and refurbished in 2000, and is 10 miles from the airport. Hours: 24 hours daily, except during Ramadan, when hours are 8 p.m.–7 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 28 Table Games: 14: 6 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: 739 rooms, including 79 suites Family Amenities: Babysitting services available at the hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Hotel staff speaks Arabic, English, French, German, and Italian. Business center with secretarial services and Internet. Beauty salon. Florist. Laundry. Near shopping, golf, and tennis. Walking distance from the Museum of Egyptology, and the city’s commercial and entertainment districts.

SHARM EL SHEIKH Sharm el-Sheikh (population 23,000), near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, is a resort town on the Red Sea, close to Mount Sinai. The main industry is foreign tourism, with the waters of the Red Sea famed for recreational diving and snorkeling. Sharm el-Sheikh has an airport that receives few scheduled flights, but many charters arrive from all over, particularly from Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

830. Casino Royale Address: Jolie Ville, Mövenpick Resort and Casino, Peace Road, Naama Bay Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Phone: Phone: +20 69 3601 731; fax: +20 69 3601 733 Website: www.casinosaustria.com/factsheets/factsheet.aspx?fac=1&id=641 Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Royale, managed by Casinos Austria International, has an ancient Pharaonic motif rendered in 20th century style, using the gold and blue marble of the time.

AFRICA

Address: Hotel Semiramis Inter-Continental, Corniche El Nile, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt Phone: +20 2 795 67 24; fax: +20 2 795 67 25 Website: www.casinosaustria.com/factsheets/factsheet.aspx?fac=1&id=640

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829. Casino Semiramis

Despite the elegance, the casino offers gaming in a relaxed club-like atmosphere, and is right on the beach in Naama Bay on the Red Sea. Minimum age 18; ID required. Hours: 8 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 57 Table Games: 16: 7 American roulette, 5 blackjack, 4 Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 6: Orangerie (buffet; breakfast and dinner daily), Seagulls (à la carte; lunch and dinner), La Fleur (fine dining, French; dinner daily), Pool Terrace (snacks and ice cream; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. daily), Beach BBQ (barbecue; lunch and dinner), Zigolini (fine dining, Italian; dinner) Accommodations: 335 rooms in 42 bungalows directly on the beach Family Amenities: Supervised kids’ club Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual; gentlemen are requested not to wear shorts Bonus: U.S. currency. Tennis, diving, parasailing, horse and camel riding, fitness center, and nearby golf course. Newly built convention center for up to 500 guests.

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Ghana

AFRICA

The Republic of Ghana (population 20 million) is in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Togo to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north. The capital and largest city is Accra. The official language is English, but other languages, such as Twi, Ewe, and Dagbani, are spoken. Ghana is still an emerging country. The currency of Ghana is the cedi (GHC). At the time of this writing, $1 US was equal to 9,020 Ghanaian cedis. Casino gambling is in its infancy in Ghana. In December of 2003, KaiRo International opened the La Palm Atlantic Casino in Accra, Ghana. The minimum age for gambling in Ghana is 18.

ACCRA Accra (population 1.6 million) is the capital, Ghana’s largest city. The administrative, communications, and economic center of Ghana, Accra is on the portion of the Gulf of Guinea known as the Gold Coast.

831. La Palm Atlantic Casino Address: No. 1 Bypass, Accra Phone: 233 21 785420/1; fax: +233 21 786120 Website: www.gbhghana.com/casino.html Email: [email protected] Description: Located on the seashore, La Palm is minutes away from the business, shopping, and entertainment districts and near the financial center, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and State House. It is across from the International Trade Fair Centre, and a short drive from the National Museum and the Arts Centre. The casino is located within the La Palm Royal Resort. The currency used in the casino is U.S. dollars. Hours: Slots open at 1 p.m. daily; tables open at 6 p.m. daily Slot Machines: 34: 10¢ and up Table Games: 3 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 3 housebanked poker variations, pontoon; all table games have a $1 minimum Poker: No Entertainment: Fri. and Sat., live entertainment by “Sole Black” and others Restaurants:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE 8: Including the Continental (buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner), Bali Hai (French Polynesian; dinner) Accommodations: 144 rooms and suites Family Amenities Resort has a pool area for children Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sports betting facilities. Private beach. 30 acres of gardens. Largest swimming pool in Ghana and a fitness center, salon, spa, and massage treatments. Shopping. Cheese and wine promotion on Tue. Casino accepts only U.S. currency but cedis and most major currencies can be exchanged. Cash giveaways.

MOMBASA Mombasa (population 900,000) is the second-largest city in Kenya and is located in the southeast on Mombasa Island on the Indian Ocean. It’s separated from the mainland by two creeks, and connected to the mainland by bridge, ferry, and a causeway.

832. Golden Key Casino Address: P.O. BOX 33 80100, Mombasa, Kenya Phone: +254 (041) 471071/474600/1/1; fax: +254 (041) 471079/474630 Website: www.tamarind.co.ke Email: [email protected] Description: 3,500-square-foot casino on the rooftop of the famed Tamarind seafood restaurant, overlooking and with a great view of the old port of Mombasa Hours: Slots 3 p.m.–3 a.m. daily; tables 9 p.m.–4 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 p.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: Multigame machines: KES5–KES45, KES 5–KES250, KES5–KES500 and KES5–KES2,000; most with keyed-in credit, but some take coins Table Games: 10 (minimum/maximum): 4 roulette (KES25/1,000 and KES100/1,000), 6 card games (4 are reversible and can be switched to a different game on demand; games are blackjack, Caribbean Stud, pontoon, and mini-baccarat (KES100/3,000, KES500/5,000, KES1,000/10,000) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Tamarind Restaurant (often referred to as one of Africa’s finest seafood restaurants), Casino Terrace (snack meals from the casino menu), Tamarind Dhow (2 authentic ocean-going jahazis—traditional Arab sailing boats—formerly used for cargo trading along the Kenyan Coast and to the Arab States, which have been completely refurbished as floating restaurants, without losing any

AFRICA

The Republic of Kenya (population 32 million) is in eastern Africa, bordered on the east by Somalia, north by Ethiopia, northeast by Sudan, east by Uganda, south by Tanzania, and southeast by the Indian Ocean. Nairobi is the capital and largest city. Lake Victoria is also located on the eastern border of Nairobi. The currency of Kenya is the Kenyan shilling (KES), which is divided into 100 cents. At the time of this writing, $1 US = KES73.2; KES1 = 1.4¢. Kenya is one of the oldest inhabited places on earth. Fossil findings indicate that protohumans lived there 20 million years ago, and hominids like Homo habilis and Homo erectus 2.6 million years ago. The minimum age for gambling in Kenya is 18.

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of the traditional aspects of the original dhow; also specialize in seafood; these go out on lunch and dinner cruises), Harbour Restaurant (serves village residents) Accommodations: Tamarind Village has 55 1-, 2-, and 3-room apartments, all overlooking the sea Family Amenities Childcare facilities available Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Comped dinners and stays for casino clients at the Tamarind Village and Restaurants. Greens fees paid for visiting golf players. Diners at the Tamarind Restaurants issued free bets for the casino. Food and drinks are complimentary to players at the casino. Bridge tournaments, 2 swimming pools, water sports, deep sea fishing, and gym.

833. Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort Address: P.O. Box 84383, Mombasa, Kenya Phone: +254 040 3203624, +254 040 3202620; fax: +254 040 3202046 Website: www.leisurelodgeresort.com/v3/index.php?page=facilities

532 AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: 2,300-square-foot casino in the Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort, which bills itself as “the only world-class hotel on Kenya’s south coast” Hours: Noon–3 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 45: 29 reel machines, 6 video poker, 10 multigame machines Table Games: 3 roulette, 2 blackjack, 1 house-banked poker variant, 1 pontoon Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Diani restaurant, Bahari Terrace Accommodations: The resort offers 253 rooms, consisting of 36 standard rooms, 104 “superior” rooms, 93 club garden rooms, 16 oasis villas, 4 suites. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Championship golf course, 4 large pools, and diving school. Deep-sea fishing and dolphin safaris (diving with dolphins) by arrangement. 2 floodlit clay tennis courts, windsurfing school, beach volleyball, water polo, table tennis, health club, and business center with Internet access. Shopping, massage, and hair and beauty parlor.

Morocco The Kingdom of Morocco (population 31.7 million) is in northwest Africa, bordered to the east, southeast, and south by Algeria, to the southwest by Western Sahara, the east and northwest by the Atlantic, and the northeast by the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco is separated from southern Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar. The capital of Morocco is Rabat, and the largest city Casablanca. The currency of Morocco is the dirham (DH or MAD). At the time of this writing, $1 = 8.55 dirhams; 1 dirham = 11.7¢. Morocco has a ski resort, Oukaimden, in the Atlas Mountains 45 miles from Marrakech, elevation 8,450, with the highest ski lift in Africa.

AGADIR Agadir (population 679,000) is a seaside resort on the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Morocco near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, 250 miles southwest of Casablanca.


834. Casino Le Mirage

Email: [email protected] Description: Located inside the Valtur resort in a new part of Agadir, Casino Le Mirage is modern and inviting. The casino is popular both with gadiris (inhabitants of Agadir) and tourists. The large gaming hall, with both slot machines and table games, has a Las Vegas ambiance. Hours: 6 p.m.–5 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 50: Reels, video poker, multigame Table Games: 9: 4 English roulette (minimum 10 DH), 3 blackjack (minimum 100 DH), 2 Caribbean Stud (100 DH minimum with 50,000 DH maximum bonus on royal flush) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Hanging art from the featured artist of the month decorates the casino. The casino bar has some of the lowest rates in Agadir.

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Address: Village Valtur d’Agadir, S.T.B. parcelle 31, Agadir, Morocco Phone: + 212 (0) 48 84 87 77; fax: + 212 (0) 48 84 87 74 Website: www.casino-lemirage.ma/english/index.html

Address: Avenue Mohammed V -, 80000 Agadir, Morocco Phone: +212 48 82 11 11; fax: +212 48 82 79 25 Website: www.shemscasino.com/uk_intro.htm Email: [email protected] Description: Located next to the Sheraton Hotel 700 feet from the beach of Agadir in the Birds Valley area, this casino has a tree-lined entrance and great sea views. Hours: Daily 4 p.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 80 Table Games: English roulette, blackjack, punto banco, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Belly dancing and Oriental and Moroccan music at Kheima’t Shem’s Restaurants: 2: Jean Cocteau (French cuisine), Kheima’t Shem’s (Moroccan food) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: New bar next to the casino; private room available for rental.

MARRAKECH Marrakech (population 823,000), often spelled Marrakesh in English, is in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The name is a Berber word that means “the country of god.” Marrakech has the largest souk (market) in Morocco, in front of which lies the Djemaa el Fna, probably the busiest square in all of Africa. Here you find a tumult of acrobats, boxers, storytellers, snake charmers, water carriers, juice-squeezers, henna-painters, monkey men, and many other exotics. The labyrinthine souk contains many artisan districts, each with master workers in brass, wool, carpets, iron, and more. The Marrakech International Film Festival is held annually in December.

AFRICA

835. Shem’s Casino

836. Le Grand Casino de La Mamounia Address: Avenue Bab Jdid, 40 000 Marrakech, Morocco Phone: +212 44 38 86 00; fax: +212 44 44 49 40, +212 44 44 46 60 Website: www.mamounia.com/eng/services/casino.php

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Description: This casino, located in the La Mamounia hotel, offers 21st-century gambling in an atmosphere reminiscent of the golden age of grand European casinos. Hours: Slots open 4 p.m., tables 8 p.m.; both stay open late Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: 15: Roulette, blackjack, punto banco, poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Marrakech l’Impériale, Le Marocain, L’Orangeraie, L’Italien, Les Trois Palmiers; also 5 bars Accommodations: 231 rooms, including 57 suites and 3 3-bedroom private villas Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Every room has a private terrace. Gardens on the premise are tended by 40 gardeners. Fitness center, salon, spa, golf, tennis, squash, bocci/boules, ping pong, and billiards. Foreign exchange. All major credit cards accepted. Business center.

TANGER AFRICA

Tanger (Tangier in English; population 350,000, 550,000 with suburbs) is in northern Morocco on the Atlantic coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

837. Moevenpick Hotel & Casino Malabata Address: Route de Malabata, Baie de Tanger, 90000 Tanger, Morocco Phone: +212 39 329300, +212 39 329350; fax: +212 39 941909 Website: www.moevenpick-hotels.com/hotels/HKTNGHH Email: [email protected] Description: This casino, located less than 3 miles from the city center, is on the beach on the Strait of Gibraltar. Hours: 4 p.m.–7 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 200 Table Games: 30: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, punto banco, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Le Paradisier (coffee shop/light snacks; breakfast and lunch), La Mouette (seafood; dinner), Layali (Moroccan and Oriental; dinner) Accommodations: 240 rooms Family Amenities: Playground on the hotel property Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Large outdoor swimming pool and garden during summer months. Fitness center inside the hotel with sauna, Hammam, and Jacuzzi, with beauty treatment and massage available. Jogging track on property. Golf, horse riding, and tennis nearby.

Namibia Namibia (population 1.8 million) is in southwest Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s bordered on the south by South Africa, east by Botswana, and north by Angola and Zambia. The capital is Windhoek. The currency of Namibia is the Namibian dollar (NAD, also N$). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth N$6.04, and N$1 was worth 16.6¢. The South African rand is pegged 1:1 to the Namibian dollar and is legal tender in Namibia. The minimum age for casino entry is 18.


SWAKOPMUND Swakopmund (population 35,000) is Namibia’s premier beach resort, and is on the Atlantic Ocean at the northern edge of the Namib Desert and Namib Naukluft Park. Swakopmund, 130 miles east of Windhoek, is one of the best-preserved examples of German art-deco architecture in the world.

838. Mermaid Casino and Swakopmund Hotel

WINDHOEK Windhoek (population 230,000) is the capital of Namibia. It is a major trade center of sheepskins and is also known for its hot springs. Windhoek is 135 miles east of Swakopmund.

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: The Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre was built in and around a beautifully restored railway station dating back to 1901. The 8,600-square-foot Casino is located inside the hotel, less than 5 miles from the Swakopmund airport. English, German, Afrikaans, and a variety of Namibian dialects are spoken. Hours: Slots Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 a.m.; table games Mon.–Fri. 7:30 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat. 4:30 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun. 5:30 p.m.–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 234: 200 slots and 34 video poker; including linked progressive machines Table Games: 9: 3 roulette (N$5/N$10–N$200), 4 blackjack (N$25–N$500, N$50–N$1,000, N$100–N$2,000), 2 “raise’em poker” (N$25–N$250); salon privé has higher limits Poker: No Entertainment: 320-seat Spitzkoppe Hall has shows and concerts. Cinema. Restaurants: 2: Platform 1 (buffet or à la carte; breakfast, lunch, light meals; 6 p.m.–11 p.m.), The Captain’s Tavern (seafood; lunch, dinner; 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Sun. in the off season) Accommodations: 90 rooms: 44 twin rooms, 30 family rooms, 14 luxury rooms, and 2 luxury suites Family Amenities: Children’s game room; babysitting services Admission Charge: N$5; minimum age for entry 18 Dress Code: No Bonus: Salon privé. Promotions include car giveaways, drawings for holidays, cash prizes, and an entrance drawing of N$10,000 on the first Fri. of every month. Those who come on packages receive a casino voucher for a free lunch and drink. Tables have holiday promotions. Free drinks for customers based on play. Outdoor pool, cinema, specialty shops, gym, house doctor, hair salon, internet and email facility, laundry, hair salon, and reflexologist. Conference and banquet facilities in Spitzkoppe Hall. Casino arranges themed evenings, such as an Arabian evening in the desert, for any number of people, and can also organize outdoor activities like skydiving, quad bike trips in the dunes, dolphin cruises, and fishing trips.

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Address: 2 Theo-Ben Gurirab Street, Swakopmund, Erongo, Namibia Mailing Address: P.O. Box 616, Swakopmund, Namibia Phone: Tel: +264 (0) 64 410 5200; fax: +264 (0) 64 410 5287 Website: www.legacyhotels.co.za/asp/hotels/hotel_contact.asp?hotelid=8

839. Desert Jewel Casino and Windhoek Country Club Resort Address: Western Bypass, Windhoek, Khomas, Namibia Phone: +264 0–61 205 5911; fax: +264 0–61 25 2797 Website: www.legacyhotels.co.za/asp/hotels/hotel_contact.asp?hotelid=7

536 AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is located inside the hotel. The entire resort has a desert oasis theme. The resort is on the outskirts of Windhoek and borders a championship 18-hole golf course. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; tables Mon.–Fri. 3 p.m.–4 a.m., Sat.–Sun. noon–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 290 Table Games: Roulette (N$5/N$10–N$200), blackjack (N$25–N$500, N$50–N$1,000, N$100–N$2,000), “raise’em poker” (N$25–N$250); salon privé has higher limits Poker: No Entertainment: Ellingtons Jazz Lounge, with a fine selection of drinks and cigars Restaurants: 2: The Kokerboom Restaurant (à la carte or buffet; breakfast, lunch, dinner), The Terrace and Pool Bar (light meals and sundowners) Accommodations: 151, including 6 suites Family Amenities Babysitting Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Doctor and nurse on call. Reflexologist and massage. Laundry, shops, and hairdresser. Business center with secretarial support. Gym, golf course, tennis court, swimming pool, and squash courts. Conference and banquet facilities.

840. Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino Address: 129 Independence Avenue, Gustav Voigts Centre, Windhoek, Khomas 9000, Namibia Phone: +264 61 280 0000; fax: +264 61 22 22 60 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/kalahari Email: [email protected] Description: The Kalahari Sands Casino has a desert motif. The casino is in the center of the hotel, which is 30 miles from the Windhoek airport, and is in an area that is the gateway to Etosha National Park and the Namib Desert. Hours: 10 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 129: Coinless, all with a smart card system; playing denominations range from 50 cents to N$10; all slots accept bill denominations of up to N$100; linked and progressives Table Games: 8: 3 American roulette, 3 blackjack, 2 house-banked pokerbased games Poker: No Entertainment: Oasis Bar Lounge Restaurants: 1: The Dunes (à la carte and buffet carvery; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; smart casual dress required) Accommodations: 173 rooms including 1 presidential suite, 5 deluxe suites, 16 executive rooms and 151 twin rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: MVG rewards customer loyalty program. Meeting and conference facility. Business center with secretarial services. Gym and swimming pool.

Senegal The Republic of Senegal (population 10.2 million) is in West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. The Senegal River forms the boundary between Senegal and Mauritania to the north, and

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE it is bounded by Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south. The capital is Dakar. The main religion is Islam and the official language is French. Senegal entirely surrounds Gambia, the smallest country in Africa. The currency of Senegal is the CFA franc, a currency used in 12 formerly French-ruled African countries, as well as in Guinea-Bissau (a former Portuguese colony) and Equatorial Guinea (a former Spanish colony). There are two CFA francs, those of West Africa and Central Africa, and they are not interchangeable. Both, however, are pegged to the euro at the rate of 1 CFA franc = €0.0655957. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 490 West African CFA francs (XOF or just f).

841. Terrou-bi Address: Boulevard Martin Luther King B.P.1179, Dakar, Sénégal Phone: (221)-839–90–39; fax: (221)-821–40–74 Website: www.terroubi.com (French only) Email: [email protected] Description: The air-conditioned casino is on the northeast edge of Dakar, 5 minutes from the center or town, right on the ocean. Hours: Tables 10 p.m.–3 a.m.; slots 2 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 130: Reel, video reel, video poker; denominations of 50f, 100f, 200f, 500f, 1,000f Table Games: 5 English roulette, 4 blackjack, 3 casino stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: Various promotions; see the casino’s website Restaurants: 2: La Restaurant Gastronomique (open daily except Sun.), La Terrasse (daily lunch and dinner) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP salon, pool, banquet hall, and nightclub.

South Africa The Republic of South Africa (population 43.6 million) covers the southern end of the African continent. South Africa has three capitals: Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). The country has 12 official languages: Afrikaans (related to Dutch), English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana, and Venda. South Africa entirely surrounds the country of Lesotho. The currency of South Africa is the rand (ZAR or R), divided into 100 cents. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth R6.2; R1 was worth 16.1¢. The minimum age for gambling is 18.

AFRICA

Dakar (population 2.1 million), the capital of Senegal, is on the Atlantic Coast. It is the westernmost city of Africa.

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DAKAR

BRAKPAN Brakpan (population 194,000), 25 miles east of Johannesburg, is a gold and uranium mining town.

842. Carnival City Casino and Entertainment World Address: Private Bag X777, Brakpan 1540, South Africa Phone: 011 898 7000; fax: 011 898 7024; Infoline Number: 082 234 7777 Website: www.suninternational.com/Resorts/CarnivalCity

538 AFRICA

Description: Part of the resort complex, this lively casino in Brakpan on the East Rand of Johannesburg is accessible from the Springs N17 toll freeway to the north, the R23 (Heidelberg Road) to the east, the R554 (Elsburg Road) to the south, and Century Road to the west. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,750 (538 in the smokers’ area, 99 in the slots privé area): 10 cents to R100, all accept bill denominations up to R200. Includes smart card slots (cashless), video poker, progressive slots with jackpots up to R2,000,000. Also has electronic horseracing. Table Games: 60: Blackjack, midi punto banco, American roulette, magic poker, raise’em poker (22 tables are in the smokers’ area) Poker: No Entertainment: The Big Top Arena (sporting events, pop concerts, commercial launches; including Dionne Warwick, Helmut Lotti, The Vengaboys, Alphaville, and World Heavyweight Championship fights), Mardi Gras Theater (dance and musical entertainment, featuring local artists) Restaurants: 5, plus a fast food court and a coffee shop: Lotta Foods (buffet), Masuya Restaurant (Chinese, Japanese, Tepenyaaki), Squires Steak Restaurant (steakhouse), Giovannis (Italian), Ocean Basket (seafood) Accommodations: Carnival Club Hotel: 48 rooms; Road Lodge: 92 rooms Family Amenities: 6 cinemas with 900 seats. The Magic Factory includes many children’s activities, including Barbie World, Playstation World, kids karaoke, bowling, pool, Daytona racing cars, Star Wars simulator, interactive coloring room, mini motorbikes, soft play area, magic jungle for ages 4–10, carousel rides, elephant rides, go-kart racing, and a crèche for newborns to 3 years old. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG (Most Valued Guest) Membership Club allows use of a special lounge and parking privileges. Casino has both smoking and nonsmoking areas. The Tables Privé (available 24 hours) is available to top players only for superior and exclusive service, with 5 blackjack tables, 4 American roulette tables, and 1 baccarat table. An added advantage for players is the private room accommodating an American roulette table and a blackjack table. Shopping. Meeting and conference rooms.

CAPE TOWN Cape Town (population 2.9 million) is the third-largest city in South Africa as well as the legislative capital. Cape Town is known for its natural harbor and its location near the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town attracts more tourists than any other South African city.


843. GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World

DURBAN Durban (population 3.1 million), the second-largest city, is in eastern South Africa on the Indian Ocean.

844. Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World Address: Suncoast Boulevard, Marine Parade, Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa Phone: 031 328 3000; fax: 031 328 3001 Website: www.suncoastcasino.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: 75,000-square-foot casino, with smoking and nonsmoking areas Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,250 Table Games: 50: Blackjack, house-banked poker variants, roulette, punto banco, dice Poker: No Entertainment: Dancing at Café Vacca Matta Restaurants: 11: Including Café Vacca Matta (Italian), Cape Town Fish Market (seafood), Centre Court Buffet & Grill (buffet), Circus Circus (coffee shop), Halaal Restaurant (Mediterranean), Havanna Wine Bar & Grill, John Dory’s Fish and Grill (seafood, sushi) and more Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Movies. Whitewater park. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Festival rewards card with rewards in food and drink, parking, merchandise, free play, cash back, and more. Conference facilities available. Shopping.

AFRICA

Description: The casino is in the Goodwood area, just north of Cape Town, and celebrates the city’s past and present in its architecture. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,750: All smart card capable; including reels and video poker; progressives with jackpots never lower than R50,000 Table Games: 60: American roulette, blackjack, raise’em poker, punto banco Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub; a revue bar showcasing top theatrical, comedy, and musical productions Restaurants: 8, including: Bukhara (Indian; +2721 535 4444), Cape Town Fish Market Restaurant (sea food; +2721 535 3110), Lai Kung (Chinese; +2721 535 0083), Kyoto (Japanese; +2721 535 0083), Squires Grill and Chop House (steakhouse; +2721 534 9194), Bella Gina (Italian), Union Castle Grill Room (upmarket meat and vegetarian dishes; +2721 505 7342), Quarterdeck (buffet; +2721 505 7777) Accommodations: 158 rooms: 38 deluxe, 120 standard Family Amenities: Children’s activities, including ice-skating and supervised parties, movies, rides, races and arcade games. 6 cinemas Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG Club (GrandWest MVG Office, +2721 505 7318) entitles cardholders to MVG Lounge, and tables/slots privé area, and exclusive parking area. Also available to MVG members: Special events and preferential hotel rates. Tables privé area, available to top players only, has 4 blackjack tables, 4 American roulette, and 1 punto banco. Also for top players, the Captain’s Cabin accommodating an American roulette table, a blackjack table, and a midi punto banco table. Conference and meeting facility.

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Address: 1 Vanguard Drive, Goodwood, Cape Town, South Africa Phone: +2721 505 7777; fax: +2721 534 1278 Website: www.suninternational.com/resorts/grandwest

EAST LONDON East London (population 500,000) is in southeast South Africa on the Indian Ocean.

845. Hemingways Casino Resort Address: Cnr. Western Avenue and Two Rivers Drive, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa Phone: 043 707 7777; fax: 043 707 7070 Website: www.tsogosun.co.za/hemingways

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Description: Key West-themed complex of gaming, retail, and entertainment; casino is 14,628 square feet with smoking and nonsmoking facilities Hours: slots 24 hours; tables open noon weekends, 6 p.m. weekdays Slot Machines: 380 Table Games: 12: Blackjack, showdown poker, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No; 24-hour food and beverage service available from the 3 casino bars Accommodations: 70 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Festival Card rewards program; rewards include food, beverages, merchandise, and more. Conference facilities.

AFRICA

EMPANGENI Empangeni (population 16,500) is in the hilly countryside of the Uthungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal Province in the east of South Africa, on Richards Bay of the Indian Ocean, 120 miles northeast of Durban.

846. Tusk Umfolozi Casino Address: 2 Copper Drive, Kuleka, Empangeni, South Africa Phone: 035 787 8200, fax: 035 787 3780 Website: www.tusk-resorts.co.za/default_umfolozi_body.html Email: [email protected] Description: Tusk Umfolozi Casino has a Zulu nation motif, from an entrance featuring a water cascade from earthenware pots up a staircase supported by pillars wrapped in coils of rope, to a view over a tropical garden that was formerly an industrial area. The casino has accommodations for the disabled, including wheelchair access throughout, and much of the gaming area has been designated nonsmoking. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 300: Many denominations and jackpots Table Games: 10: American roulette, progressive blackjack, house-banked poker variants with progressive jackpots Poker: No Entertainment: Shaka’s Supper Club is a cabaret Restaurants: Nandi’s (Zulu-themed à la carte restaurant), Shaka’s Supper Club Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Babysitting services available; the casino has a video arcade for youngsters Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Tusk Club rewards program; see casino for details. The Empangeni Country Club offers tennis, bowls, and squash in beautiful natural surroundings. 18-hole golf courses in both Empangeni and Richards Bay. Ample secure parking available. Conference facilities available. Super 9 Roulette, a lotto-style game played on a roulette wheel, every Tue. evening at 7:30 p.m.


JOHANNESBURG Johannesburg (population 3.2 million) is the largest city in South Africa and the secondlargest city in sub-Saharan Africa. Local residents often call the city Jo’burg. Johannesburg has yielded 40 percent of the world’s gold supply. In addition, 40 percent of all the world’s human ancestor fossils have been found in nearby areas.

847. Caesars Gauteng

848. Gold Reef City Casino Address: Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2159, South Africa Phone: Casino: 011 248 5000, fax: 011 248 5100; hotel: 011 248 6800, fax: 011 248 6863 Website: www.goldreefcity.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: Gold Reef City Casino and Theme Park recreates the history of South

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: This elegant octagon-shaped casino has a classical Roman motif, with stained-glass window domes, complementary murals, frescoes, columns, and arches, and marble floors. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,640: 5c-R500; includes traditional reel slots, video, and poker slots; progressive jackpots of R500,000 and up Table Games: 50: American roulette (R2.50 min. bet), blackjack (R10 min.), house-banked poker variants (R50 min.), midi punto banco (R50 min.) Poker: No Entertainment: Main theater has world-class dance extravaganzas, musicals, and plays. Showbar has regular live entertainment, including dance reviews, comedy, live bands, and televised sporting events (Mon.–Sat. noon–3 a.m., Sun. noon–midnight). Restaurants: 19: 8 fine dining restaurants and 11 casual dining restaurants. Fine dining includes Aurelia’s (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Cleopatra’s Table (buffet; lunch and dinner), Fu Li Ha (Asian fusion; lunch and dinner), Tribes African Grill (steakhouse; lunch and dinner). Casual dining includes Debonair’s Pizza, Milky Lane, Nando’s, and Hot Dog Café. Accommodations: Emperor Hotel: 196 rooms; Senator Hotel: 63 rooms Family Amenities Chariots Entertainment World: video arcade featuring virtual reality and simulator games, indoor roller coaster, bumper car track, pool tables, Internet café, live musical performance and magic shows, coloring competitions, kiddies’ disco, DVD hour for younger children Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Salon privé (slots area has 72 machines in denominations of R10 to R500 and includes progressives; tables area has 5 American roulette, 9 blackjack, 3 punto banco/baccarat tables; separate Regency room has 2 blackjack and 1 punto banco; Imperial Suite offers 1 each American roulette, blackjack, and punto banco; Regency room and Imperial Suite must be pre-reserved with the management). Keno. Nonsmoking tables area features 8 roulette, 10 blackjack, 1 house-banked poker variant, 1 midi punto banco. Conference and banquet facilities.

541

Address: 64 Jones Road Kempton Park, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Phone: +27 11 928 1000; fax: +27 11 928 1439 Website: www.caesars.co.za

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Africa in décor and in its theme park, which recreates early 19th century mining life, and its Apartheid museum, which documents that historically significant period in the nation’s history. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,600: 2c-R100; slots jackpots up to R1 million Table Games: 50: Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, pai gow Poker: 5-stud, 7-stud, draw poker, Manila poker, jackpot poker Entertainment: A replica of the Globe Theatre is hosting the world premiere of Richard Loring’s That’ll Be the Day. Reservations: Phone 011 248 5168 or fax 011 248–5166 (or check the casino’s website for the latest entertainment). Restaurants: 5: Nazzaros (Italian/Mediterranean), Back O Moon (African fusion and jazz bar), The Fishmonger (seafood), Boston BBQ (buffet and family restaurant), Gasoline Alley (Continental) Accommodations: 38 rooms Family Amenities: Theme park includes underground tours, gold pouring, historical exhibits, and amusement attractions Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The most popular tourist destination in Johannesburg is Gold Reef City with 1.5 million visitors per annum. Sports betting. Salon privé has 60 slot machines with denominations ranging from R5 to R100 and 8 gaming tables.

849. Montecasino AFRICA

Address: Montecasino Boulevard (Cnr William Nicol / Witkoppen Roads), Fourways, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa Mailing Address: Private Bag X118 Bryanston, 2021 South Africa Phone: +27 (0) 11 510–7000, +27 (0) 11 510–7777; fax: +27 (0) 11 510–7070 Website: www.montecasino.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: Designed to replicate an ancient Tuscan hilltop village, this 91,500-squarefoot casino is a few hundred yards from the off-ramps of major highways leading to Pretoria, East and West Rand, and the Johannesburg International Airport. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,700: 5c–R100; includes progressives Table Games: 70: American roulette, house-banked poker variants, blackjack, dice, baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Dance floors, live entertainment, and sports bars. Pieter Toerien Theater features plays such as Address Unknown and Defending the Caveman. Restaurants: 17, including: Ocean Basket (seafood), Splendido (family), The Meat Co. (grill house), La Scala (Italian), Marco Polo (Oriental), Beira Alta (Portuguese), Cobblestone Pub (pub grub), Wine Gallery of Africa (African fusion), Tuscan BBQ (buffet), and many more Accommodations: 246 rooms Family Amenities: Bambini Crèche (for children 12 months to 8 years); indoor skate park; bird gardens; Magic Co., featuring video games, Star Dancer, Shooting Gallery and more; cinema Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Club Festival rewards program offers special competitions, promotions, and events. Montecasino is the second-most popular tourist destination in Johannesburg, with 1 million annual visitors. Guide to playing baccarat, roulette, and blackjack available at the casino’s website. Shops, cooking school, foreign exchange facilities, and conference and events facilities.


KARENPARK Karenpark is a tiny suburb northwest of Pretoria. The casino’s website provides a map and driving directions.

850. Morula Casino

KIMBERLEY Kimberley (population 170,000), in south-central South Africa 260 miles southwest of Johannesburg, is known for its rich deposits of diamonds. It was here that Cecil Rhodes founded the DeBeers Company in 1871, with some of its original diggings still functioning. Kimberley was also the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lighting.

851. Flamingo Casino Address: N12 Transvaal Road, Kimberley, South Africa Phone: +2753 830 2600; fax: +2753 830 2601 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/flamingo Email: [email protected] Description: Casino located on a 25-acre site at the Kimberley Golf Club, 4 miles from the center of Kimberley on the N12 road to Johannesburg, next to the Kimberley Golf Club Hours: Slots 24 hours daily; tables Mon.-Fri. 5 p.m. to close, weekends 1 p.m. to close Slot Machines: 200: Including R1 million jackpot linked progressive machines Table Games: 9: Blackjack, American roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Sports bar, show-

AFRICA

Description: Morula Casino, 20 minutes from Pretoria on a direct route over well maintained roads, is in an area that overlooks the Nooitgedacht Dam. Hours: Slots open 24 hours; tables noon until close Slot Machines: 600: 10c–R25; reel, poker, and video slots; smart cards (coinless) machines available; featuring mystery jackpots Table Games: 15: 3 blackjack (R50–R1000), 6 American roulette (R5–R100), 2 house-banked poker variants, 3 perfect pairs blackjack (R50–R1000 bets), 1 raise’em poker (R25–R250) Poker: No Entertainment: Frequent live entertainment outdoors or at the Club 7 Arena. Razoos bar features live performances Wed.-Sun., including comedy, jazz, blues, and dance. Restaurants: 1: Calabash Restaurant (buffet, à la carte and buffet at dinner; breakfast/dinner weekdays, breakfast/lunch/dinner weekends) Accommodations: 34 rooms Family Amenities: The Magic Company: video and interactive games, supervised crèche, jungle gym, swimming pool, and school holiday entertainment program Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG Card (Most Valued Guest) can be used in slots and allows holders to enter exclusive MVG lounge. Meeting and conference facilities. Tennis courts, volleyball, and miniature golf. Private high-stakes room with blackjack, punto banco, house-banked poker variants, and American roulette.

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Address: P.O. Box 59401, Karenpark 0118, South Africa Phone: +27 (12) 799 0000 ; fax: +27 (12) 702 2714; Infoline: +27 (12) 799 0060; MVG Desk: +27 (82) 234 8777 or +27 (82) 234 5679 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/morula

ing televised cricket, rugby, and other international sporting events Restaurants: 1: Squires Grill and Bar (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Accommodations: 90 rooms (road lodge) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG Club rewards card: offers goods and services as rewards, including exclusive parking area and preferential hotel rates. Separate areas in the casino for smokers and nonsmokers. Conference facilities.

KLERKSDORP Klerksdorp (population 50,000), 130 miles southwest of Johannesburg at the junction of N12 and N30, is a center of gold mining and uranium production. It is also known for agriculture and Sussex cattle.

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852. Tusk Rio Casino Address: c/o Tusk Boulevard and the N12, Meirings Park, Extension 8, Klerksdorp 2570, South Africa Phone: (018) 469–9100; fax: (018) 469–4326 Website: www.tusk-resorts.co.za/default_rio_body.html

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: First opened October 1, 2004, this casino has a Rio carnival theme. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 220: In smoking and nonsmoking areas Table Games: American roulette, house-banked poker variants Poker: No Entertainment: The Barnyard Theater features frequent live music with South Africa’s best musicians Restaurants: 1: Copacabana Street Café Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Video arcade directed at all ages; crèche for children to be looked after Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Tusk Club members’ club. Featuring bonus roulette, progressive blackjack and progressive poker. Conference facilities available. Bingo Mon. starting at 8 p.m.

LANGEBAAN Langebaan, in southeast South Africa on the Atlantic coast, 100 miles northwest of Cape Town on the N7 or R27, is a fishing harbor and seaport. Its protected lagoon is popular for watersports.

853. Casino Mykonos Address: Lientjiesklip Road Langebaan 7357, South Africa Phone: (022) 707 6970; fax: (022) 707 6907 Website: www.casinomykonos.com Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Mykonos is part of a resort facility in a beautiful harbor. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–late daily; tables Mon.–Fri., 6 p.m.–late, Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–late Slot Machines: 260: 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2, R5, R10; tokenized slot machines, including stepper, video, and poker slots Table Games: 9: 3 American roulette (R2 or higher), 4 blackjack (R20, R50, R100, or higher), 1 Reef Routine poker (R10 or higher), 1 pontoon (R20 only) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Boston BBQ (barbecue buffet); more restaurants at the resort Accommodations: No Family Amenities:

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Childcare available, and children’s game center, crèche, and Cosmic Candy facilities available for children Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas. How to play casino games guide available online. Gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, squash and tennis courts; health and beauty salon; putt-putt golf, bikes, go-karts, boat trips, and gift shop—all at the resort.

MAFIKENG Mafikeng (population 49,300) is on the Upper Molopo River, 160 miles west of Joannesburg and 15 miles south of the Botswana border.

Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in a hotel situated in the historic town of Mafikeng, capital of the North West province. Hours: Mon.–Fri., 4 p.m.–close, Sat., Sun., public holidays, 1 p.m.–close Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website: 10c–R10; high-denominations smoking area available Table Games: Blackjack; American roulette; house-banked poker variants Poker: No Entertainment: Cinema Restaurants: 2: Palm Terrace (à la carte international food), Tuskers Carvery and Grill (family); plus a bar Accommodations: 150 rooms, including 73 twin rooms, 24 luxury rooms, 28 family rooms, 20 executive rooms, 3 suites, 1 presidential suite, 1 disabled room Family Amenities Babysitting; crèche; playground Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Tusk Club members’ card. Conference and banqueting facilities. English, Afrikaans, and Setswana spoken. Swimming pools, water polo, 2 tennis courts (floodlit), volleyball, miniature golf, soccer field, 18-hole championship Leopard Park golf course adjacent to the hotel, health and beauty clinic, and paintball wars.

MOSSEL BAY Mossel Bay (population 55,000) is on the southern edge of South Africa on the Indian Ocean, 200 miles east of Cape Town.

855. Garden Route Casino Address: 1 Pinnacle Road, Mossel Bay 6500, South Africa Phone: (044) 606 7777; fax: (044) 606 7500 Website: www.gardenroutecasino.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: This casino located on the outskirts of Mossel Bay, in Western Cape, on Pinnacle Point, opened in December 2002. Hours: Mon.–Sun. 10 a.m.–close Slot Machines: 244: 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, R1, R2, R5, all traditional coin operated, 6 machines with R10 denominations in the privé Table Games: 10: roulette (R5–R100;

AFRICA

Address: Nelson Mandela Drive, Mafikeng, South Africa Phone: (018) 389–1111; fax: (018) 386–1661 Website: www.tusk-resorts.co.za/default_mmabatho_body.html

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854. Tusk Mmabatho Casino

R10–R200), blackjack (R25–R500; R50–R2000), house-banked poker variants (R25–R250); 2 additional tables in salon privé: blackjack (R200–R4000), roulette (R10–R200; R25–R250) Poker: No Entertainment: Televised sports on screens in the casino Restaurants: 1: Admirals (buffet; lunch, dinner) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Elegant Bonus: “Strike it Rich” membership card: invitations to special functions, VIP parking, accommodation discounts, food discounts, free merchandise and more. Cosmic Candy sweetshop onsite. Gaming instruction available at the casino’s website. Smoking and nonsmoking areas.

PIETERMARITZBURG Pietermaritzburg (population 468,000), the capital of KwaZulu-Natal Province, is 40 miles northwest of Durban. Industries are aluminum, timber, and dairy products.

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856. Golden Horse Casino

AFRICA

Address: 45 New England Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa Phone: +27 33–3958000; fax: +27 33–3958100; after hours: +27 33–3958136 (Guest Relationship desk) Website: www.golden-horse-casino.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: Golden Horse Casino has an ancient Assyrian motif, featuring on the outside walls locally made reproductions of wall panels from the 6th century B.C. The casino is in The Guinness Book of World Records for having the biggest horse statue in the world, a 45-foot Pegasus. Hours: Sun.–Thu., 10 a.m.–4 a.m.; Fri.–Sat., 10 a.m.–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 450: 2c, 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, R1, R2 (slots privé has 9 R5 machines, 5 R10 machines, 2 R25 machines, 4 R5 poker starting at R20,000 progressive, 2 R10 poker starting at R40,000 progressive) Table Games: 21: Smoking area: 3 roulette (R5–R100), 1 roulette (R10–R200), 2 blackjack (R25–R500), 1 blackjack (R50–R1000), 1 blackjack (R100–R2000); nonsmoking area: 4 roulette (R5–100), 1 blackjack (R25–R500), 2 house-banked poker variants (reef routine or Oasis Stud; R10–R100); tables privé has 4 roulette (R25–R500 limits; 1 blackjack with R100–R500 limits, 1 blackjack with R200–R4000 limits) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 3: Boston BBQ Terrace (buffet), Café Cavallo (breakfast, light meals, pizza, open very late), Silks Restaurant (Indian) Accommodations: 96 rooms Family Amenities: Educare Center: Open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight, the center offers a secure and stimulating environment based on the Montessori system for kids 0–8 years, under the constant supervision of friendly attendants and featuring educationally based fun activities. Also, video game arcade. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Equus Rewards Card program, with prizes such as a Nissan 350Z. How-to-play guide available at the casino’s website. Conference facilities available. Olwazini Discovery Centre, an interactive learning center that highlights many interesting aspects of science, technology, and culture and is under the pavilion at the Scottsville racecourse, can seat up to 180 people. A computer room and a hands-on laboratory are planned for the future.


POLOKWANE Polokwane is 150 miles northeast of Pretoria in northeast South Africa near Pietersburg in Limpopo, the northernmost province.

857. Meropa Casino

SECUNDA Secunda (population 468,000), 90 miles southeast of Johannesburg, a 90-minute drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, is a coal mining town that also produces synthetic fuel, diesel, and other petrochemicals.

858. Graceland Hotel Casino and Country Club Resort Address: eMbalenhle Road, Secunda, Mpumalanga, South Africa Phone: Phone: (017) 620–1000; fax: (017) 620–1567 Website: www.graceland.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: Graceland, like its inspiration, the Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley home and museum, is built in the style and grand proportions of a mansion of America’s Old South. Hours: Noon to closing, daily Slot Machines: 380: 284 in nonsmoking area; 1c–R10; includes traditional reel slot machines, video multi-line slots, video poker, video roulette, 50c standalone progressives. 46 in smoking area; 1c to 50c denominations. 50 in the privé: 50c to R25; traditional reels

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] Description: Meropa Casino is a 21⁄2 hour drive from Pretoria, just off the N1. It features the latest casino technology, including smart card cashless slot machines. Hours: Slots open 24 hours daily; tables open noon to close Slot Machines: 250: 10c–R10; Smart Card electronic slots; 54 slots in smoking area, 196 in nonsmoking area Table Games: 12: American roulette, blackjack; 2 American roulette tables, 2 blackjack tables in smoking area; 4 of each in nonsmoking area Poker: No Entertainment: The amphitheater overlooking the WildThingZ gardens has entertainment every weekend and also on public holidays. The performances are varied and can range from a musical concert to tribal dancing. Hours: Sundays and public holidays, 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Restaurants: 2: Squires Grill and Bar (à la carte, steak, chicken, vegetarian dishes; lunch, dinner), WildThingZ Tea Room (sandwiches, quiches, scones, muffins; breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 102 rooms Family Amenities: The Magic Company, featuring indoor video arcade with over 50 video games and simulators; crèche for babies and young children Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG rewards card with food discounts and parking benefits for holders. Shopping, craft market, speedway, magic golf, bird and reptile park, butterfly park and insectarium, daily raptor and snake shows. Conference facilities.

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Address: Plot 59 Sterkloop, Roodepoort Road, Polokwane, Limpopo, 0700, South Africa Phone: +2715 290 5400; facsimile: + 2715 290 5401 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/meropa

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and video poker. Table Games: 16: nonsmoking area has 2 American roulette (R1, R2.50, R5 minimums), 2 blackjack (R10, R25, R50, R100 minimum), 1 house-banked poker variant (R10 minimum); smoking area has 2 American roulette, 2 blackjack, 1 housebanked poker variant; privé has 2 American roulette (R5, R10), 3 blackjack (R50, R100, R200), 1 Arizona hold’em (R25) Poker: No Entertainment: Limelight Theater screens movies nightly; for more information contact the Guest Relations Desk, (017) 620 1102. Augusta Club Lounge has live entertainment every Fri. night. Restaurants: 3: Blue Bayou (à la carte, American Southern dishes; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Palm Terrace (light meals, teas), American Café (light meals; 24 hours) Accommodations: 62 standard rooms, 31 family rooms, 3 junior suites, and a presidential suite Family Amenities: Video arcade (The Magic Company); Kidzden Play Center (supervised with minimal charge); Indy Raceway (go-karts) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Gaming how-to guide available on the casino’s website. The Graceland Country Club facilities include a Gary Player-designed 18-hole championship links-style golf course. Tennis, swimming, and gym.

SUMMERSTRAND AFRICA

Summerstrand is on the south coast of South Africa on the Indian Ocean, 5 miles south of Port Elizabeth and 400 miles east of Cape Town.

859. The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World Address: Marine Drive, Summerstrand 6013, South Africa Phone: +2741 507 7777; fax: +2741 507 7778 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/boardwalk Email: [email protected] Description: This resort with English elegance and Victorian regency, with its Tivolistyled gardens and debonair casino, overlooks a beautiful lake and gardens, and is on the Port Elizabeth beachfront in the exclusive suburb of Summerstrand. Hours: Noon to close daily Slot Machines: 747: 5c–R50; electronic smart-card operated machines; there are mystery jackpot machines Table Games: 22: American roulette (R5, R10 limits), blackjack (R25, R50), Easy Poker (R25), midi punto banco; smoking and nonsmoking areas Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 8: The Bayside Pantry (buffet with à la carte available for lunch and dinner; breakfast, lunch, dinner daily; no children under 18), Lai King Chinese (Cantonese), Kyoto Japanese (Teppanyaki, sushi), 34° South (seafood), Squires Legendary Grill, Leonardo’s (Italian), Café Dulce (light meals, cakes, snacks, coffee), Tarantino’s Accommodations: Courtyard Suite Hotel: 64 rooms; City Lodge: 147 rooms; Road Lodge: 92 rooms; Beach Hotel: 58 rooms Family Amenities: The Magic Company: go-karts, carousel, bumper boats, mini-golf; crèche for 18 months–7 years old; video arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG Club rewards program allows access to exclusive events, a lounge, and parking. Virtual area open 24 hours daily with touch bet roulette and interactive blackjack, denominations from R5-R100. Shopping and conference facilities. Televisions around the casino for sports viewing.


SUN CITY Sun City, 100 miles northwest of Johannesburg, was originally developed as a luxury casino resort by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It opened on December 7, 1979 in what was then the independent state of Bophutatswana, which allowed many activities not permitted by South Africa’s apartheid regime, such as gambling and topless shows. Sun City soon became a popular getaway destination, and still is even after Bophutatswana has again become part of South Africa.

860. Sun City

TEMBA Temba, 25 miles north of Pretoria, is widely known as the starting point for safaris to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

AFRICA

Description: The world-famous Sun City resort is a monument to fantasy, recreating an idealized African rain forest experience. The resort contains 4 world-class hotels, including the Palace of the Lost City. The casino continues the jungle motif. Next to the resort is Pilanesberg National Park, a great place to view wild game in a natural habitat, one that is certified as a malaria-free zone. Hours: Slots in the Sun City Hotel are open 24 hours; slots in the Jungle Casino (slots only) are open 24 hours Fri.–Sat., and 10 a.m.–1 a.m. Sun.–Thu.; tables at the Sun City Hotel are open 1 p.m.–close Mon.–Fri. and 11 a.m.–close weekends and public holidays. Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website. Reel, progressive slots, and poker slots are available in the Jungle Casino and Sun City Hotel. The International Room is invitation-only and also has slots. The slots privé (in the Sun City Hotel) contains higher limit (R5-R100) slots. Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, house-banked poker variants, punto banco. Higher limits in the salon privé, located in Sun City Hotel. Poker: No Entertainment: Extravaganza Theatre presents Odyssey, a theatrical extravaganza. 4 cinemas. Sports bar with televised sports, and live entertainment Fri. and Sat. nights. Restaurants: Many at the hotels; 3 at the entertainment complex: Leonardo’s Pizza Workshop (dinner weeknights, lunch and dinner weekends), Squires Loft Outpost (steaks and seafood; lunch, dinner), News Café (European-style; breakfast, light lunches, cocktails, and dinner) Accommodations: 5 hotels with a total of 1,535 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s video arcade, Waterworld waterpark, Animal World Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual in the slots privé and for tables Bonus: Safari and wildlife. Meetings and conference facilities. Bingo lounge. Tennis, golf, mini golf, squash, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cycling and jogging trails. Shopping and spa.

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Address: P.O. Box 2, Sun City, 0316 North West Province, South Africa Phone: +2714 557–1000 Website: www.suninternational.co.za/resorts/suncity

861. Carousel Casino and Entertainment World Address: P.O. Box 777, Temba 0404, South Africa Phone: +2712–718 7777; fax: + 2712–718 7207 Website: www.suninternational.com/resorts/carousel

550 AFRICA

Description: Carousel Casino and Entertainment World has a carousel theme, featuring marble horses beneath a waterfall at the entrance. Visitors walk through a lavish rose garden on the way in. The Carousel was the first casino in South Africa to pay a jackpot of over R5 million (on the first day of 1996), and has since created 100 instant millionaires. Hours: Slots 24 hours; tables 11 a.m.–close Slot Machines: 848: 5c–R100 Table Games: 37: American roulette (R5–R100), blackjack (R50–R1000), house-banked poker variants (R25–R250), midi-punto banco, Diamond Rush Progressive blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Cheyenne Saloon entertainment bar Restaurants: 6: Giovanni’s (Italian), Squire’s Loft Explorer’s Club (grill), Café Rossini, BJ’s, Koffie Kroeg, Player’s Restaurant (Sat. and Sun. only; buffet) Accommodations: 57 rooms Family Amenities: The Magic Company: arcade games, interactive computer and simulation games; outdoor go-kart racing; 2 cinemas. Tumble Town: fully supervised indoor adventure park for children ages 3–12. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: MVG rewards card. Salon privé for private gaming and dining: higher-denomination slots (R10–R50); R25 limit for American roulette, R200 for blackjack and midi-punto banco. Meeting and conference facilities. Smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas. American roulette and blackjack lessons for groups or 1-on1. Motocross and supercross.

VANDERBIJLPARK Vanderbijlpark (population 250,000) is a large industrial city on the Vaal River, 35 miles south of Johannesburg. VECOR, the largest complete heavy engineering works in the Southern Hemisphere, and ISCOR (Iron and Steel Corporation) are the main employers.

862. Emerald Safari Resort Address: 777 Frikkie Meyer Boulevard, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa Phone: +27 16 982 8000; fax: +27 16 982 2546; toll-free reservations: 0800 00 7777 (within South Africa) Website: www.emeraldsafari.co.za Email: [email protected] Description: Emerald Safari Resort is on the banks of the Vaal River less than an hour from Johannesburg, and features sumptuous yet understated elegance. Hours: 10 a.m.–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 600: Including 16 progressives with jackpots paying from R500 to R500,000 and more Table Games: 24: American roulette, River Poker, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 7, including Café Rossini, Da Romana, Marhaba’s (steak and seafood) Accommodations: 102 rooms Family Amenities: Babysitting available. Also, bowling, putt-putt golf, video arcade, animal world, and aquadome. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Emerald Club rewards card, rewarding

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE by special events, tournaments, and drawings. Free game instruction at the casino 2 p.m.–10 p.m. daily. Frequent promotions: see the casino’s website for more information. Conference and meeting facilities available. Pool, beauty center, riverboat cruises, gamedrives, and water sports.

Swaziland

Mbabane (population 58,000) is the capital of Swaziland and is located in the southwest part of the country in Hhohho province.

863. Royal Swazi Sun Valley Address: Main Road, Mbabane, Manzini, Swaziland Phone: +268 416 5000; fax: +268 416 1859 Website: www.suninternational.com/Resorts/RoyalSwazi Email: [email protected] Description: The elegant Royal Swazi Sun Resort is in the Ezulwini Valley, a scenic area of hiking, river rafting, and game drives. Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–close, Fri.–Sat. 24 hours; tables Mon.–Fri. 7 p.m.–close, Sat. 2 p.m.–close, Sun. 1 p.m.–close Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: 8 American roulette, 6 blackjack, 2 house-banked poker variants (1 raise’em, 1 easy) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Planters Restaurant and Bar (à la carte), The Terrace (buffet) Accommodations: 149: 1 royal suite, 4 suites, 87 standard twins, 43 luxury balcony rooms, 14 family rooms Family Amenities: Children’s entertainment Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Bingo Mon., Thu. 9 p.m., Sun. 5:30 p.m. 18-hole golf course. Health and beauty spa. Shops. Meeting and conference facilities. Courtesy shuttle among the 3 area hotels.

PIGGS PEAK Piggs Peak (population 4,600) is in the southwest of Swaziland in Hhohho province, 35 miles north of Mbabane.

AFRICA

MBABANE

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The Kingdom of Swaziland (population 1.1 million) is a small landlocked country in southern Africa, surrounded on three sides by South Africa and with Mozambique to the east. The capital is Mbabane. The currency of Swaziland is the Swaziland lilageni (SZL). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth SZL6.03; SZL1 was worth 16.6¢.

864. ORION Piggs Peak Casino Address: King Maswati II Highway Piggs Peak, Hhohho, Swaziland Phone: +27 11 407 8700 Website: www.piggspeak.com/onland_casino.asp?BTag=PPD-Direct

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Email: [email protected] Description: Just across the Swaziland border from the Eastern Transvaal portion of South Africa, Orion Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino is situated on 11,120 acres of mountain forest and nature reserve, 4 hours from Johannesburg, South Africa and 50 minutes from the Malelane gate of Kruger National Park. This casino has an online cardroom, Poker333. Hours: daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Slot Machines: 82 Table Games: 2 American roulette, 3 blackjack Poker: 1 table: Irregularly scheduled hold’em tournaments Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Egumeni; Forest Accommodations: 102 luxury air-conditioned rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Swimming pool, gym, sauna, tennis and squash courts, and hiking trails. Business and conference facilities.

AFRICA

Tanzania The United Republic of Tanzania (population 36 million) is on the east coast of central Africa on the Indian Ocean. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique on the south. The political capital is Dodoma, while the commercial capital is Dar es Salaam. The currency of Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS), although U.S. dollars are widely accepted. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 1,100 shillings. Tanzania is known for having the highest point in African, Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,341 feet.

DAR ES SALAAM Dar es Salaam (population 2,500,000), the largest city and economic center and former capital of Tanzania, is on a harbor on the Indian Ocean,

865. Hotel Sea Cliff Address: Toure Drive, Msasani Peninsula, P.O. Box 3030, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Phone: +255–22–2 600 380–7, +255–22–2 600 444; fax: +255–22–2 600 476 Website: www.hotelseacliff.com/cas.html Email: [email protected] Description: The luxurious Hotel Sea Cliff is located at the northeastern point of the Msasani Peninsula at the end of Toure Drive, close to the city center of Dar es Salaam, and 14 miles from the international airport. Hours: Slots, noon–close; tables 2 p.m.–close Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website; including progressives. The current jackpot is the largest in Tanzania, over 20 million shillings. Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, pontoon Poker: No Entertainment: Bowling (the first bowling alley in

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Tanzania) Restaurants: 2: Little India Restaurant (a la carte Indian cuisine and seafood); Karambezi Café (variety) Accommodations: 107 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Bowling Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Breakfast included with room rate. Shopping. Banquet and conference facilities. Business center with Internet and email and secretarial services. Health club.

KAMPALA Kampala (population 1.2 million) is both the capital of Uganda and its largest city. It is located 7 miles north of Lake Victoria. Entebbe International Airport is 22 miles away.

866. Kampala Casino Address: Pan Africa House 2nd Floor Plot 2, Kimathi Avenue, P.O. Box 7832, Kampala, Central, Uganda Phone: +256 (413) 43630; fax: +256 (413) 43632 Website: www.ugandatourism.org/Casino.php Description: 4,300-square-foot casino features a private gaming area. Although the casino does not have its own website, the site for Uganda Tourism provides all pertinent information. The casino accepts both Ugandan shillings and U.S. dollars. Hours: daily noon–2 a.m. Slot Machines: 20: UGX 200–UGX 600; including progressives; 4 video poker machines Table Games: 14: 4 American roulette, 4 blackjack (US$2–$100), 2 Caribbean Stud ($2–$50), 1 Let It Ride ($2–$50), 3 pontoon ($2–$100) Poker: No Entertainment: Live bands, fashion shows, lotteries Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: UGX 10,000 Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Junkets. Credit card and cash advances available. Valet parking.

AFRICA

The Republic of Uganda (population 25 million) is a landlocked country in east central Africa, bordered on the east by Kenya, the north by Sudan, the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the southwest by Rwanda, and the south by Tanzania. Much of the southern part of Uganda includes a large portion of Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. The capital is Kampala. The currency of Uganda is the Ugandan shilling (UGX), although U.S. dollars are widely accepted. The pound sterling is also sometimes used. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 1,703 shillings. The minimum age for gambling in Uganda is 18.

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Uganda

Zimbabwe The Republic of Zimbabwe (population 12.6 million) is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, bordered on the east and northeast by Mozambique, south by South Africa, west by Botswana, and north by Zambia. The Zambezi River forms its northwestern border. The world’s largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, is a popular tourist destination on the Zambezi. Harare is the capital and largest city. The currency is the Zimbabwe dollar (ZWD or Z$), which is divided into 100 cents. At the time of this writing, $1 US = Z$6,078. Because of runaway inflation and the collapse of the economy, many organizations prefer to use the U.S. dollar. The minimum age for gambling is 18.

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MUTARE Mutare (population 200,000) is the third-largest city in Zimbabwe and is located in the eastern part of the country near the Mozambique border, 135 miles southeast of Harare.

867. Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino AFRICA

Address: P.O. Box 1322, Mutare, Zimbabwe Phone: (263–20) 60115, 60177, 60741, 60742, 60198, 60192, 60171; fax: (263–20) 61165; emergency fax: (263–20) 61165 Website: www.leopardrock.co.zw Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is located in the Leopard Rock Resort, the venue of one of the best golf resorts in the world. Hours: Slots open daily at 10 a.m.; tables open at 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends Slot Machines: 82: Includes reel slot and video poker, as well as 3 jackpot progressives Table Games: 12: 6 American roulette, 6 blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Various promotions are held from time to time, often on weekends. Contact the casino for more information. Restaurants: 3: The Conservatory (a la carte), La Roche (table d’hote), The Terrace (a la carte al fresco; light lunches and teas) Accommodations: 58 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Babysitting Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Cocktail bar next to the casino. Well-appointed salon privé that can be booked in advance for gaming groups and private functions. Business services. Laundry. Gift shop. Championship 18-hole golf course. Game reserve. Conference facilities.

JULIASDALE Juliasdale (population 3,300) is located 130 miles southeast of Harare at an elevation of 5,649 feet, and is considerably cooler than many nearby towns at lower altitudes.


868. Montclair Hotel & Casino

AFRICA

Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Description: The casino is in the Montclair Hotel, which was built in 1949 as a getaway for families in the capital city and the surrounding farming communities, and the hotel retains its Old World charm. The area, high in the hills, is cool, allowing luxuriant gardens to thrive around the hotel. Hours: Slots 10 a.m.–closing; tables 8 p.m.–closing Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: Roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 85 rooms Family Amenities: Putt-putt golf, video games Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Volleyball, swimming, lit tennis courts, 18 holes of golf, horse riding, and nature walks.

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Address: P.O. Box 10, Juliasdale, Zimbabwe Phone: 00–263 29 2441 / 6; casino: 00 263 29–2231; fax: 00 263 29 2447; telex: 00 263 81 272 Website: www.montclair.co.zw

Asia The casinos of Asia are as diverse as the countries. They range from very small to opulent palaces that rival those of Las Vegas. Many people are confused by what exactly constitutes Asia, and with reason, because geographers and cartographers are not in agreement. Eurasia is the actual continent, split into Europe and Asia. Most agree that the Suez Canal separates Asia from Africa. At the southwest the Dardanelles and the Bosporus separate European Turkey from Asian Turkey, with the Sea of Marmara between the two sections. The Black Sea separates Europe’s Ukraine from the Asian portion of Turkey. The Caucasus Mountains separate the European part of Russia from Asian Georgia to the south. The Caspian Sea separates Asian Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan from Europe. The Ural River and the Ural Mountains, running all the way to Nova Zemblaya in the Arctic Ocean, separate the Asian parts of Kazakhstan and Russia from the European parts. Small parts of Azerbaijan and Georgia are in Europe. The eastern boundaries are more clearly defined: Asia ends at the Pacific. Asia also includes several island nations of the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the Pacific. Cyprus, in the Mediterranean, although often considered culturally part of Europe, and in fact a new member of the European Union, is part of Asia. Most Asian casinos require patrons to show identification. Some require foreign nationals to surrender passports, which are returned upon leaving the premises.

Cambodia Cambodia has many casinos and some of them appear to be quite large, with perhaps hundreds of slot machines and scores of tables. Unfortunately, these casinos do not have websites, so we were unable to get enough information to rate them and chose not to include them. Cambodia is particularly popular with Thais since casino gambling is not permitted in their country. Accordingly, many of Cambodia’s casinos are on the Thailand border.

Poipet Poipet, in the northeast of Cambodia on the Thailand border, is 140 miles east of Bangkok. Many Thais cross the border to the gambling strip of Poipet, less than a mile long, which has 8 casinos.

869. Ho Wah Genting Poipet Casino and Hotel Poipet Cambodia

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Address: Ho Wah Genting Poipet Casino Resort Co. Ltd., National Street No.5, next to border river, Poipet Commune, O’Chrov District, Banteaymeanchey Province, Kingdom of Cambodia Phone: Hotel: +661–782–4822; VIP Services: +661–782–3822; fax: +661–782–3934 (hotel and VIP Services) Website: www.hwgenting.com

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: Full-service hotel and casino resort, located on the Thailand-Cambodia border. Casino has 2 gambling halls. The Main Hall on the ground floor has 2 pits, with several games including slots. The First Floor (on what Americans would call the second floor) has 2 pits with higher-limit games, primarily baccarat and roulette. Casino currency is the Thai baht. Casino bills itself as “The Las Vegas of the East.” Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website. Also includes electronic roulette. Table Games: Baccarat, mini-baccarat, blackjack, casino war, fan-tan, roulette, super popo, three card draw, tai sai, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Buffet with Thai and Chinese cuisine Accommodations: 216 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Daily van transportation from Bangkok. Chips can be purchased at tables. Junket packages available. Close to historic Angkor Wat.

Cyprus Cyprus (Greek Kypros and Turkish Kibris; population 776,000) is an island in the eastern Mediterranean, 50 miles south of Turkey, 60 miles east of Syria, and 250 miles north of Egypt. The capital is Nicosia. Cyprus is divided ideologically into a Turkish north and Greek south. All the casinos are in the north, which calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a designation recognized by no country other than Turkey. At the time of this writing, discussion was under way in the Greek section to introduce casinos. The minimum age for gambling in Cyprus is 18.


FAMAGUSTA Famagusta (population 36,000) is on Famagusta Bay on the east coast of Cyprus, 35 miles east of Nicosia.

870. Casino Salamis Bay & Hotel

GIRNE Girne (in Turkish, Kyrenia in Greek; population 18,000) is on the north coast of Cyprus, 15 miles north of Nicosia.

871. Jasmine Court Hotel & Casino Address: Naci Talat Caddesi Girne, Keryneia Cyprus Phone: +90 392 815 14 50; fax: +90 392 815 14 88, +90 392 815 14 89, +90 392 815 14 64 Website: www.jasminecourthotel.com Email: [email protected] Description: Hotel on the sea, with a 53,820-square-foot casino; claims to be the largest casino in East Europe and Asia Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 500 Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, others Poker: No Entertainment: Jasmine Music Club, with live music and concerts Wed., Fri., Sat. 11 p.m.–4 a.m. Cyprus Nights (Thu. in summer) with folk dancing, belly dancing, and Turkish music. Turkish music in Terrace Restaurant. Restaurants: 5: Greenhouse (Turkish; breakfast, dinner), Babacakka (seafood), Terrace (Turkish; breakfast, dinner in summer), California Dream Snack Bar (noon–5 p.m.), Café de Paris (patisserie); plus 4 bars Accommodations: 192 rooms and suites, some with kitchens Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Meeting and conference facilities with capacity for banquets of up to 500 and receptions of up to 700. Massage, fitness center, swimming pool, market, and jewelry shop. Shuttle to town during the day for hotel guests.

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: 9-story hotel with modern casino Hours: Noon–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 140 Table Games: American roulette, French roulette, craps, blackjack; also, electronic horse racing Poker: No Entertainment: Dance nights, local groups Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 392 rooms and suites Family Amenities: 2 children’s pools. Special supervised dinners, videos, disco for children. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Indoor swimming pool, outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, massage, shops, wellness and beauty center, free fitness center, table tennis, darts, beach volleyball, aerobics, and water gym.

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Address: Salamis Casino Famagusta, Ammochostos Cyprus Phone: +90 392 378–8201; hotel reservations: +90 392 378–8200 Website: www.salamisbayconti.com

872. Dome Casino Address: Kordonboyu Street Dome Casino Mersin-10 Girne Cyprus Phone: +90 815 32 25; fax: +90 392 815 56 75 Description: Luxurious 7,500-square-foot casino located in the Dome Hotel Hours: Mon.–Thu. noon–6 a.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–7 a.m. Slot Machines: 100 Table Games: 12: 4 roulette, 4 Caribbean Stud, 4 blackjack tables Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 170 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Racebook, with simultaneous betting on horse and dog races in Britain, plus betting on many other sporting events. Water sports, pool, table tennis, and car rental service.

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Lebanon

ASIA

Lebanon has one casino, privately run and overseen by the Lebanese government. Foreign nationals 21 years of age or older are permitted to gamble in the casino. Lebanese nationals and residents are permitted to gamble as long as they are not state employees, military personnel, or cashiers in banks or other commercial establishments, and as long as their annual income exceeds LBP 30 million (equivalent to $20,000 US). The currency of Lebanon is the Lebanese pound (LBP). At the time of this writing, $1 US was equivalent to LBP 1,513.

MAAMELTEIN Maameltein is part of Jounieh, 10 miles north of Beirut on the Mediterranean coast, a city known for its seaside resorts and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk and the téléphérique (suspended cable car) that takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon.

873. Casino du Liban Address: Casino du Liban Maameltein, Jounieh, P.O. Box Jounieh: 550, P.O. Box Beirut: 4488 Phone: Tel: 961 9 855 888 / 853 222; fax: 961 9 851 441/2/9 Website: www.cdl.com.lb Email: [email protected] Description: This beautiful, luxurious casino, located in the heights of Maameltein, less than 2 miles from Jounieh and overlooking its bay, opened in 1959. It functioned intermittently from 1975–1989, when unrest in the country forced the casino to close for a time. A $50 million renovation was completed in 1996, and it has been attracting an international clientele ever since. The casino has 4 separate gaming rooms, each with different operating hours. The slot area is 9,150 square feet. Hours: 364 days a year (except Holy Friday). Gaming rooms: International, 5 p.m.–5 a.m.; Mediterranean, 8 p.m.–5 a.m.; Cercle D’or (high-stakes room): 11 p.m.–5 a.m.; slot area: noon–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 369: LBP 500 (33¢), 1,000 (66¢), 5,000 ($3.30), 20,000 ($13.20); slots,

Macau Macau (population 454,000), the oldest European colony in China, dating back to the 16th century, is a small territory on the southern coast of China, 45 miles southwest of Hong Kong and 90 miles south of Guangzhou. The official name of Macau (also Macao) since the Portuguese government transferred sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China in 1999 is the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. The main language spoken by natives of Macau (Macanese) is Cantonese; Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and English are also spoken. Macau consists of two districts, the Northern District, which is the Macau Peninsula, and the Island District, which consists of the islands of Taipa and Coloane. Macau has some of the largest casinos in the world. Many forms of gambling are legal; the most popular game is pai gow tiles, a game played with Chinese dominoes. Gamblers from Hong Kong often take a one-day excursion to the city. Ferry service by hydrofoil between Hong Kong and Macau is available 24 hours/day; 365 days/year. Tipping dealers and croupiers is not required. This must be mentioned, because sometimes some few will insist on a share of a winning bet, which you can politely deny. Foreign visitors must be 18 to gamble; local residents, 21. The currency of Macau is the Pataca (MOP). At the time of this writing, 1 Pataca was worth 12.49¢; $1 US bought MOP 8.006.

ASIA

video poker, video roulette; also, electronic horse racing; including linked and progressive jackpots; payback between 95–98 percent Table Games: American roulette (singlezero), blackjack, punto banco, casino stud poker (minimums starting at LBP 10,000, about $6.60) Poker: No Entertainment: Casino du Liban has both a 750-seat showroom and a 1,015-seat theater where plays, operas, ballets, Broadway musicals, concerts, Vegas-type lavish entertainment, and other shows are performed. La Martingale has live music with pianist and singers. Restaurants: Restaurants inside gaming rooms, requiring membership: International (buffet; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.), Mediterranean (bistro; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.), Cercle d’Or (gourmet; 10 p.m.–2 a.m.). Restaurants outside gaming rooms, requiring membership: La Terrasse (Lebanese; overlooking Jounieh Bay; 8 p.m.–1 a.m. June–Oct.), La Martingale (international; overlooking Jounieh Bay; 8 p.m.–1 a.m.), Baccara (restaurant-night club open for private parties only). Accommodations: No Admission Charge: None; entrance to game rooms requires free membership card, which can be obtained at the registration desks daily 5 p.m.–5 a.m. Passport, identity card, or driver’s license is required. Dress Code: Main gaming rooms: Suit and tie for men, formal dress for women; slot machine area: Smart casual (no jeans or sport shoes) Bonus: All major currencies and credit cards accepted. 2 salles privées for high rollers.

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MACAU CITY Macau City, the capital of Macau, occupies all of the Macau Peninsula, known as the Northern District.

874. Hotel Lisboa Address: 2–4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macau, Macau Phone: +853 377 666; Hong Kong toll-free hotline: 800–96–9130; China toll-free hotline: 10–800–853–0023 Website: www.hotelisboa.com

562 ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: 5-star 40-story hotel, recently remodeled at a cost of $250 million, considered by some to be Asia’s finest casino hotel, with the largest casino (323,000 square feet); hotel calls itself a city within a city Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many (number not specified on website) Table Games: Roulette, baccarat, blackjack, keno, cussec, pai gow tiles, fan-tan Poker: No Entertainment: Crazy Paris show (Las Vegas style revue). Live music entertainment and dancing in Portas do Sol (Tue.–Sun.). Restaurants: 18: Robuchon a Galera (gourmet French; lunch noon–2:30 p.m., dinner 6:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Portas do Sol (breakfast, Dim Sum lunch, and haute cuisine dinner), Noite e Dia Coffee Shop (24 hours), more Accommodations: 927 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Children under 12 free in hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Swimming pool, fitness center, sauna, spa, beauty parlor. 15 minutes from Macao International Airport and 5 minutes from MacauHong Kong Ferry Terminal. 17,250 square feet of meeting and banquet space, including 6 multi-purpose meeting and banquet rooms, all offering advanced audiovisual capabilities, can accommodate as many as 590 guests for meetings, 1,000 for set menus, and 1,240 for cocktails.

875. Mandarin Oriental Casino Address: 956–1110 Avenida da Amizade, P.O. Box 3016, Macau, Macau, Macau Website: www.mandarinoriental.com Email: [email protected] Description: World-class resort in the center of the city on 162,000 square feet of land, this hotel has a Portuguese Palacio ambiance and a casino. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 60 Table Games: Baccarat, blackjack, roulette, pai gow tiles Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Mezzaluna (Italian), Tung Yee Heen (Chinese), Naam (Thai), Naam Garden, Café Girassol, Sidewalk Cafe and Cake Shop; also, bar Accommodations: 435 rooms, including 28 suites Family Amenities: Daily programs for kids in Kids Co. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Conference and banqueting facilities for up to 460 guests. Fully equipped business center. Spa, tennis, and water sports. Weddings. Mandarin Oriental Learning Center, which has a 360-degree rockclimbing tower, trapezes, and more.


876. Sands Macao

ASIA

Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Description: Over 165,000 square feet of casino space with 65-foot high ceilings and custom-designed gaming surveillance, lighting, and sound canopies. 2 60-foot-high water walls and a 260-foot-wide, 50-foot-high window wall are part of this luxury casino owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp., which also owns the Venetian in Las Vegas. Opened February 7, 2005, the 17,000-square-foot Pearl Room is the first nonsmoking environment in Macao. The casino is 10 to 15 minutes by taxi or free shuttle bus from Barrier Gate, 5 minutes by taxi or free shuttle bus from Macau Ferry Terminal and Heliport, and 15 minutes by taxi from Macau International Airport. The casino currency is the U.S. dollar. Slot Machines: 853: 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $50, $100; specifically designed for the Asian market; mechanical and video reels, video poker, video roulette, electronic mahjong, electronic sic bo; machines take either Sands Tokens, which come in $5 and $100 denominations, or Hong Kong banknotes; more than 60 individual and 5 linked progressive jackpots. Also, Mystery Millions Jackpot link has approximately 600 slot machines contributing to a 2-level mystery jackpot. The Mystery Millions top award base amount is $1 million, and the jackpot prize is between $1-$4 million. There are 5 other Mystery Jackpot links. Table Games: 360: Featuring baccarat, fan-tan, Caribbean Stud, yee hah hi (chicken, crab, and fish), three-card poker, three-card baccarat, blackjack, big and small, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Xanadu Entertainment Bar offers top international entertainment on a large stage, plus multiple large plasma screens for sporting events. Open 24 hours. Restaurants: Copa Steakhouse (dinner 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Tue.), Restaurante Perola (Portuguese and Chinese; dinner 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed Mon.), Golden Court (Cantonese; 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily), Ruby Room (Shanghai cuisine; 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.; closed on Wed.), 888 Las Vegas Buffet (lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner: 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.), Moonlight Food Market Noodle Shop, Moonlight Food Market Dai Pai Dong (24 hours); plus Winner’s Circle Bar (Las Vegas-style) Accommodations: 51 premium suites, available only to Sands special VIP members, ranging in size from 1,000–8,000 square feet Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Languages spoken: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. The private suites offer massage areas, saunas, karaoke rooms, entertainment centers, butler service, remote-controlled drapes, lighting, audio-visual equipment, and Jacuzzis. The Sands provides its VIP guests with private jets, limousine, helicopter and jetfoil services, private entrances, high-limit gaming areas, private dining, and many other amenities.

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Address: Largo de Monte Carlo, No. 203, Macao, Special Administrative Region of the People’s, Republic of China Phone: Call center hotline: (853) 883–388; fax: (853) 883–377 Website: www.sands.com.mo

TAIPA Taipa (population 7,000) is a small island connected to the Macau Peninsula and to the island of Coloane by bridges.

877. Macao Jockey Club Casino Address: 142, Estrada Governador Albano de Oliveira, Taipa, Macau Phone: +853 837 788; fax: +853 837 777; Hong Kong toll-free hotline: 800 933 966 Website: www.grandview-hotel.com

564 ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the Grandview Hotel, which opened in January 2004 Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many (number not specified on website) Table Games: Roulette, craps, blackjack, pai gow tiles Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 2: Grandview Chinese Restaurant (Cantonese seasonal specialties and Dim Sum; lunch, dinner, weekend, and holiday brunch), Valencia Restaurant (Macanese and Continental; 24 hours); plus Cherrie’s Corner (bar with snacks, coffee, tea, Internet access) Accommodations: 407 rooms, including 41 suites Family Amenities: Children’s playground, children’s motorcar play land, game center Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sports and racebook. Hotel is 10 minutes from the Macau Ferry Terminal and 5 minutes from the Macau International Airport. There is scheduled shuttle bus service between Macau Ferry Terminal, Lisboa Casino, and the Grandview Hotel. Meeting facilities. Outdoor swimming pool, table tennis, ladies’ and men’s sauna and steam rooms, Jacuzzi, massage, and fitness center. Mah-jong rooms.

878. New Century Hotel & Casino Address: Av. Padre Tomas Pereira, No. 899, Taipa, Macau Phone: 00853–831111 Website: www.newcenturyhotel-macau.com Email: [email protected] Description: Multistory hotel overlooking the Pearl River, with 160,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: 19: Blackjack, roulette, fan-tan, pai gow tiles Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 5: Caesar Terrace (seafood and grill; 6 p.m.–11 p.m.), Scenic Veranda Coffee Shop (24 hours), New Century Chinese Restaurant (8 a.m.–11 p.m.), Waterfall Garden Tea House (light snacks, refreshments; 7 a.m.–9 p.m. in summer, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. in winter), Silver Court Food Street (Chinese; 24 hours) Accommodations: 550 rooms Family Amenities: Children’s playroom, video games Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Sauna, steam room, fitness center, tennis, table tennis, and snooker tables.


879. Casino Taipa

Malaysia The Federation of Malaysia (population 25.7 million), in Southeast Asia, consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China Sea. West Malaysia, also known as the Malay Peninsula, is a peninsula bordered on the north by Thailand and connected by a causeway and a bridge on the south with the island of Singapore. East Malaysia, the northern part of the island of Borneo, is bordered to the south by Indonesia’s Kalimantan province and by the much smaller Sultanate of Brunei on the northern coast of the island. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is on the Malay Peninsula. The currency of Malaysia is the ringgit (MYR or RM). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth RM3.8; 1 ringgit was worth about 26.3¢. The minimum age for gambling in Malaysia is 21.

GENTING HIGHLANDS Genting Highlands is at 6,000 feet altitude 30 miles northeast of Kuala Lumpur.

880. Casino de Genting Address: Genting Highlands, Resort Pahang Darul Makmur, Genting Highlands, Pahang 69000, Malaysia Phone: +60 3 610–22883 Website: www.genting.com.my/en/casino/index.htm Description: Casino de Genting is in the 5-star Genting Hotel. Casino de Genting consists of 5 main gaming areas: Circus Palace, Showboat, Monte Carlo, Hollywood, and International Room/VIP Room. Starworld, a new casino associated with the complex, opened in November 2004. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: There are over 3,000 slots; play coins of RM0.20, 1, and 5, and tokenized machines of RM0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 5.00. Starworld has 600. There are linked progressive jackpot machines and standalone progressive jackpot machines.

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the Hyatt Regency Macau, which is set on 3 acres of greenery, with views of the Taipa Bridge Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: Baccarat, blackjack, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Disco, golf, heath club, swimming, tennis Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 351, including 25 suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No shorts or T-shirts Bonus: The hotel offers 12 soundproof conference rooms. Business center. Tennis courts, floodlit at night. Fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, squash, basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

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Address: 2 Estrada Almirante Marques Esparteiro, Taipa Island, Macau Phone: +853 831 234 Website: macau.regency.hyatt.com

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Payouts in the millions. Table Games: 400+: Baccarat, mini-baccarat, blackjack, roulette, French boule, mini-dice (chuck-a-luck), tai sai, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud, casino war, pai gow tiles, pontoon, keno (with jackpots up to RM50,000); Starworld: 50 Poker: No Entertainment: 6,000-seat Arena of Stars Showroom with international entertainers such as Richie Jen, Aaron Kwok, Sammi Cheng, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Michael Learns to Rock, Sir Cliff Richard, Richard Clayderman, Kitaro, Maksim, Jim Brickman, and the Vienna Boys Choir; has also hosted the Miss Malaysia Chinese International Pageant and Global Chinese Music Chart Awards Star Showcase Restaurants: Each hotel has several restaurants Accommodations: Genting Hotel has 570 rooms and suites. There are 6 other hotels in the resort complex, adding several thousand more rooms. Family Amenities: Genting Theme Park, a complete amusement park with scores of family attractions, including an indoor roller coaster, Snow World (23° F, real snow, real snow slides), ferris wheel, monorail; also, video arcade, kiddie rides, redemption game arcade Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart Bonus: Genting World Card rewards card for table games and slots. Pontoon tournaments. Weekly baccarat tournaments. Golf tournaments. Slot tournaments. Over 40,000 square feet of high-tech meeting, convention, and business center, with facilities for 2,000 banquet-style or 4,000 seated. Room promotions: Check website. Shopping and arcade.

ASIA

Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal (population 25 million) is a landlocked country in the Himalaya of South Asia, bordered on the north by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, and surrounded on three other sides by India. Although Nepal is the only official Hindu country in the world, the country officially prohibits discrimination against other religions. Many say that Buddhism, the second most widely practiced religion, started in Nepal. Sometimes known as “the rooftop of the world,” Nepal contains eight of the ten highest mountains in the world. At the time of this writing, the country was in somewhat of an upheaval and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev had dissolved the government and dismissed the prime minister. The capital and largest city is Kathmandu and the official language is Nepali, a variant of Hindi. Nepalese time is 15 minutes ahead of India, even though the countries are at the same longitude. Some attribute this to a Nepalese desire not to be dependent on India. The currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR), divided into 100 paisa. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth NPR72; NPR1 was worth 1.4¢. Foreign visitors, other than Indian nationals, are required to pay hotel bills and airline tickets in foreign currency, and any other payments in Nepalese currency, which must be purchased only at banks or authorized foreign currency exchanges. Nepalese casinos use Indian currency, the Indian rupee (INR), sometimes abbreviated IR or R. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth INR43.6; INR1 was worth 2.3¢. The lakh is a unit of 100,000 Indian rupees (about $2,300). Foreigners other than Indian nationals are often permitted to play in U.S. dollars. The minimum age for gambling in Nepal is 21.


KATHMANDU Kathmandu (also spelled Katmandu; population 450,000) is both the capital and the largest city in Nepal. It is located in the Valley of Kathmandu in central Nepal, near the confluence of the Baghmati and Vishnumati rivers. The Baghmati is considered sacred, flowing eventually into the Ganges. The city is a mixture of the old and the new, filled with temples and urban sprawl. One of the best-known temples is Swayambhunath, sacred to Buddhists. It is also known as the Monkey Temple because of the many monkeys that run free.

Email: [email protected] Description: This large casino, part of the Hotel de L’Annapurna complex, has 200 welltrained croupiers, gaming equipment imported from Las Vegas, and well furnished, spacious rooms. It’s a 15-minute drive to the Tribhuvan International Airport. The Royal Palace, Jama Masjid, Clock Tower, many commercial banks, shopping arcades, restaurants, and airlines offices are within walking distance. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website. Denominations of INR 5, 10 or 20 qualify to win a jackpot of up to 5 lakh. Table Games: Blackjack, pontoon, baccarat, roulette, kitty, paplu. For most games, the minimum bet is IR 100; however, for blackjack and pontoon, the minimum is IR 20. Poker: No Entertainment: Gazal songs are presented on the second floor by renowned singers after 8 p.m. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 175 rooms Family Amenities: Pool, video games Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Progressive baccarat jackpot for drawing 555 of hearts; jackpot starts at INR 20,000, increasing daily by INR 1,000 until hit. Tournaments on the second floor in mah jong, flush, and kitty. Complimentary refreshments for players.

882. Casino Everest Address: Hotel Everest, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977–1-4490450, 4488100, 4490593, 4488099, 4220567; fax: 977–1-4490284 Website: www.casinosnepal.com/casinoeverest.html Email: [email protected] Description: Friendly casino housed in what used to be one of Kathmandu’s biggest banquet halls. Now banks of slot machines are on opposite sides, surrounding a circle of gaming tables. Casino Everest is in the quiet area of Baneshwor, with quick airport access and not far from Patan, Bhaktapur, and the Temple of Pashupatinath. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, paplu, pontoon Poker: No Entertainment: Regular entertainment including dance performances, gazal songs, fashion shows, lotteries, and many other programs. Restaurants: Free buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily Accommodations: 162 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free drinks and buffet for players.

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Address: Hotel de L’Annapurna, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977–1-4228650, 977–1-4227812, 977–1-4223479; fax: 977–1-4225228 Website: www.casinosnepal.com/casinotimes/ctaprmay2003/casinoanna.htm or www.casinosnepal.com/casinoanna.html

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881. Casino Anna

883. Casino Nepal Address: Soaltee Compound, Tahachal, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977–1-4271011,4271445; fax: 977–1-4271244 Website: www.casinosnepal.com/casinonepal.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: While Casino Nepal is the oldest casino in Kathmandu, it provides the latest entertainment facilities to foreigners. The casino is located within Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza, a 5-star property in Tahachal, Kathmandu, and has a quiet atmosphere, well-trained gaming staff, and a stylishly furnished and spacious gaming hall. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, pontoon, flush, tri-flush, marriage, Caribbean Stud, miniflush. For most games, the minimum bet is IR 100; however, for blackjack and pontoon, the minimum is IR 20. Poker: No Entertainment: Sports, movies, and other entertainment programs broadcast on a giant screen in the casino Restaurants: 1: Continental, Chinese, and Indian menu Accommodations: 317 rooms and suites Family Amenities: 24-hour shopping mall. Bowling. Fun World: video games, including simulated motorbike and car driving. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Flush and Paplu tournaments are organized occasionally. Foreigners other than Indians can play the games in U.S. dollars, while Indians can play in Indian currency.

884. Casino Rad Address: Radisson Hotel, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 4411818; fax: 9771 4425698 Website: www.casinorad.com Email: [email protected] Description: 12,000-square-foot casino Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website; R1-R20 Table Games: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, pontoon, mini flush, palplu, kitty, flush Poker: Draw and stud poker Entertainment: Live entertainment and dancing Restaurants: 3 at the hotel: Fun Café (breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Western and Asian specialties), the Olive Garden (Italian), Terrace Café (snacks) Accommodations: 172 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Guide to rules of casino games on casino’s website. Rooftop swimming pool, health club, sauna, steam rooms, and fitness center at the hotel.


885. Casino Royal

Philippines The Republic of the Philippines (population 86 million), in the western Pacific Ocean, is in South East Asia. Located 750 miles from mainland Asia, it consists of more than 7,000 islands, and is geographically a part of the Malay Archipelago. The Philippines and East Timor are the two predominantly Catholic nations of Southeast Asia; the Philippines is one of the most westernized countries of the area. Official languages are Filipino and English. The capital is Manila and the largest city is Quezon City. The official currency of the Philippines is the Philippine peso (PHP, often written as a P with two or one horizontal lines, or simply just a P), divided into 100 centavos or sentimos. At the time of this writing $1 US bought 54.8 pesos; P1 was worth 1.8¢. The minimum age for gambling is 21.

PAGCOR The casinos of the Philippines are run by the government-owned and -controlled Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR); there are 14 Casino Filipino branches in major cities. There are also three slot machine arcades and Casino Filipino VIP clubs. The corporate offices of PAGCOR are at the Hyatt Manila Hotel and Casino, Pedro Gil cor Mabini and del Pilar Sts., Ermita, Manila, Philippines. The main corporate phone numbers are (632) 242–0121 and (632) 521–1542. The main website is casinofilipino-online.com and the company email [email protected] or [email protected]. English and Tagalog are spoken in all casinos. Some casinos have Chinese, Japanese, and Korean interpreters. Casino Filipino has over 6,500 slot machines in its casinos. This excludes those operated

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Royal, in one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, was once a real palace belonging to the former aristocratic rulers of Nepal, and was built with exotic materials transported from far away. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Many; number not specified on website Table Games: Pontoon, blackjack, baccarat, beat the dealer, roulette, kitty Poker: No Entertainment: Regular live entertainment programs Restaurants: Complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet for players Accommodations: 270 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Kids’ Corner with video games Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Complimentary food and beverages for players. Hotel arranges guided tours of nearby temples and shopping areas. The hotel, in one of the best areas of Kathmandu, is within walking distance of the royal palace.

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Address: Hotel Yak & Yeti, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: 977–1-4228481, 4410007, 4225550, 4226666; fax: 977–1-4223933 Website: www.casinosnepal.com/casinoroyal.html

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by VIP slot arcades licensed by PAGCOR. Betting limits are from 10¢–$2. They have progressive jackpots and linked machines. Casino Filipino has more than 500 table games. Betting limits range from $5 to $20,000. Instructions on how to play each game are available at www.casinofilipino-online.com/ casinogames.php Most of the casinos are open 24/7/365. Those that are not operate 16 hours a day on weekdays (noon–4 a.m.), and are open 24 hours on weekends. Some of the casinos have live entertainment, with shows that feature singers, bands, and occasional outside productions. The Poker King Challenge Series, organized by the Poker Club of the Philippines, is a series of elimination rounds to determine the Poker King of the Philippines for the year. Several rounds of the series are held in various PAGCOR casino sites throughout the country during the year. The top three winners of each round win seats in the Grand Finals held in December. The entry fee for each tournament round is P1,000. Members of the Poker Club of the Philippines get a 50 percent discount on the tournament fee. Semifinals and the final event are held at Airport Casino. Eliminations are held at Casino Filipino Hyatt-Manila.

ASIA

ANGELES Angeles City (population 390,000) is located on the island of Luzon, 50 miles northwest of Manila and near the Clark International Airport and Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) (formerly Clark Air Base).

886. Casino Filipino–Angeles Address: Mc Arthur Highway Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines Phone: (045) 892–5073, (045) 892–5074; fax: (045) 625–7600 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/angeles.php Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in a new building that honors the Kapampangan culture and tradition, and offers lavish interiors, excellent food, and many entertainment options. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 400 Table Games: 46: 1 baccarat, 14 mini-baccarat, 2 casino stud poker, 20 super 6, 1 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 1 roulette, 2 pai gow poker, 4 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Live entertainment at Club Sinukwan Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Personalized services. Lavish food and beverage amenities.


BACOLOD Bacolod (population 429,000) is on the northwestern coast of the island of Negros, which is between Mindanao and Luzon.

887. Casino Filipino Bacolod

CEBU Cebu (population 718,000) is on the eastern shore of the island of Cebu, which lies to the north of Mindanao.

888. Casino Filipino Cebu Address: Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines Phone: Hotel: (032) 231–0218; marketing: (032) 232–9888 ext- 203; fax: (032) 231–0679 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/cebu.php Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Filipino Cebu is located in the Waterfront Hotel, and features lavish furnishing, nonstop entertainment, and many gaming options. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 600 Table Games: 52: 2 baccarat, 11 mini-baccarat, 2 blackjack, 1 Big and Small, 2 casino stud poker, 18 super 6, 1 Red and White, 3 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 3 roulette, 1 craps, 2 pai gow poker, 5 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Sally’s Piano Bar (open daily 6 p.m.–2 a.m.) Restaurants: 5: Café Uno (buffet; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Tin Gow (Szechwan, mandarin; lunch and dinner), Café Fortuna (Asian, Western, and Filipino; open 24 hours), La Gondola (Italian; lunch and dinner), Port Seafood Restaurant and Bar (Filipino; lunch and dinner) Accommodations: 562 rooms, deluxe rooms, and suites Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Shopping. Spa, pool, and fitness room. Convention and events facilities.

ASIA

Description: Casino Filipino Bacolod Hotel and Casino is known for its first-class gaming and personalized service and the famed Filipino hospitality, and is popular among local and foreign tourists. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: 19: 2 mini-baccarat, 1 blackjack, 1 Big and Small, 11 super 6, 1 midi-baccarat, 1 roulette, 1 pai gow poker, 1 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: The Ilongos, natives of Panay Island, are known for their hospitable nature.

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Address: Golden Field Commercial Complex, Singka, Bacolod City, Philippines Phone: No Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/bacolod.php

DAVAO Davao (population 1.1 million), the third-largest city in the Philippines, is on Davao Gulf in the southeast of the island of Mindanao. With more than 926 square miles, Davao is one of the world’s largest cities in terms of land area.

889. Casino Filipino Davao Address: Davao Grand Regal Hotel, Lanang, Davao City, Philippines Phone: (082) 234–3998; fax: (082) 235–0032 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/davao.php

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Filipino-Davao, located at the Grand Regal Hotel, is known as one of the best attractions of Davao. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 500 Table Games: 20: 1 baccarat, 1 blackjack, 13 super 6, 2 midi-baccarat, 1 roulette, 1 pai gow poker, 1 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: World-class performances from the country’s top artists Restaurants: 1: International cuisine Accommodations: 217 suites in hotel Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Conference facilities. Fitness center. Wedding facilities.

ASIA

MANILA Manila (population 1.6 million; metropolitan area 10 million) is the capital and secondlargest city of the Philippines. It is located on Manila Bay on the west coast of Luzon, the largest and northernmost Philippine island. Manila is often called the Pearl of the Orient. The metropolitan area, known as Metro Manila, but often referred to as just Manila, consists of 17 cities and municipalities. Only Quezon City, a suburb and the former capital, has more people.

890. Casino Filipino Hyatt-Manila Address: Hyatt-Manila Hotel, Pedro Gil cor. Mabini and del Pilar Sts., Ermita, Manila, Philippines Phone: No Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/hyatt.php Description: Hyatt Hotel Manila and Casino, one of the newest hotels in Manila, is located along Mabini and Pedro Gil in the heart of Malate, in an area of restaurants, karaoke bars, and music lounges. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: 51: 6 baccarat, 4 mini-baccarat, 1 Big and Small, 33 super 6, 3 roulette, 1 craps, 3 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: 2: Lily (Chinese; 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.), Market Café (breakfast, lunch, and dinner; 24 hours) Accommodations: 460 rooms and suites Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: 110-foot outdoor lap pool, Jacuzzi, children’s pool, pool bar, fitness center, and spa. Gift and retail shops.


891. Casino Filipino Pavilion

Description: Casino Filipino-Pavilion is located in the elegant Manila Pavilion Hotel. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 1,000 Table Games: 24: 8 mini-baccarat, 1 blackjack, 10 super 6, 1 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 1 roulette, 2 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Alegria Lounge presents name entertainment, ballroom parties, and bingo games. Restaurants: 3 in hotel Accommodations: 590 rooms Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Higher-stakes VIP rooms. Business center and conference rooms in hotel, with facilities for 10–1,000.

892. Casino Filipino Silahis

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Address: 2nd Floor Holiday Inn Hotel, U.N. Avenue corner Ma. Orosa St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines Phone: (632) 523–8691–97 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/pavilion.php

Description: Casino Filipino Silahis is located in the elegant Grand Boulevard Hotel in what is known as Manila’s “Sunset Strip,” Roxas Boulevard. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 800 Table Games: 71: 4 baccarat, 20 mini-baccarat, 3 blackjack, 1 Big and Small, 1 casino stud poker, 26 super 6, 1 Red and White, 4 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 3 roulette, 1 craps, 2 pai gow poker, 2 pontoon, 2 casino war Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Becks Bar offers nightly entertainment featuring the top show-bands of the country. Restaurants: 2 in hotel: Café Montana (Asian, American, European), Fu Manchus (Cantonese) Accommodations: 500 rooms and suites Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Meeting facilities, with 8 function rooms.

OLONGAPO CITY Olongapo City (population 194,000) is in the southwest of Luzon on the China Sea.

893. Casino Filipino Olongapo Address: #30 Magsaysay, Drive Olongapo City, Philippines Phone: (047) 222–4565/66; fax: (047) 222–4567 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/olongapo.php Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Filipino Olongapo is located in the Subic Freeport, a well-known recreational area. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 200 Table Games: 7: 4 super 6, 1 midi-baccarat, 1 roulette, 1 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Near recreational facilites like the Subic Yacht Club, Subic Marina, Subic Aqua Sports, Grande Islands, and top-rated golf courses. Also near entertainment hub.

ASIA

Address: Grand Boulevard Hotel, 1990 Roxas Blvd., Manila, Philippines Phone: (632) 525–7966 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/silahis.php

PARAÑAQUE CITY Parañaque City (population 450,000), on Manila Bay on the west coast of Luzon, is part of metropolitan Manila, about 7 miles south of the capital.

894. Airport Casino Address: PIRC Bldg. Ninoy Aquino Ave., Parañaque City, Philippines Phone: (632) 854–1605, (632) 854–0602, (032) 341–0373 (Marketing); fax: (032) 340–5194 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/paranaque.php

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Description: The Airport Casino, Pagcor’s flagship casino, features great entertainment and many gaming choices. Casino is located within the airport. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 800 Table Games: 98: 4 baccarat, 18 mini-baccarat, 1 blackjack, 1 Big and Small, 3 casino stud poker, 53 super 6, 1 Red and White, 1 midi-baccarat, 2 PhilKor’s Zero, 3 roulette, 1 craps, 4 pai gow poker, 6 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Live band performances and sing-along sessions at Club Horizon Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Completely remodeled. 3 VIP rooms: Jetsetters International VIP Club, First Class, Business Class.

PASAY CITY Pasay City (population 355,000) is part of metropolitan Manila and is located about 2 miles south of the capital.

895. Casino Filipino Heritage Address: EDSA cor. Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, Philippines Phone: (632) 854–8888 ext. 7599; fax: (632) 854–8715 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/heritage.php Description: Casino Filipino Heritage is located at the corner of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Roxas Blvd, one of the busiest intersections of metropolitan Manila. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 700 Table Games: 86: 11 mini-baccarat, 2 blackjack, 4 casino stud poker, 54 super 6, 1 Red and White, 5 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 4 roulette, 1 craps, 3 pontoon Poker: See start of section Entertainment: Hotel lobby lounge has nightly live entertainment, including pop, soul, R & B, Latin, jazz, and retro. New Hong Kong Golden Pavilion Restaurant has ballroom dancing starting 9 p.m. Restaurants: Hotel lobby lounge (Continental breakfast), New Hong Kong Golden Pavilion Restaurant (Cantonese, Japanese, Korean cuisine; includes mini-brewery; lunch 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., dinner 5:30 p.m.–2 a.m.) Accommodations: 467 rooms Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Outdoor swimming pool with poolside bar (and children’s pool); gym with sauna and Jacuzzi. Full-service business center with broadband Internet. 15 function rooms and 2 ballrooms, with room for small meetings up to 700. Beauty salon.


TAGAYTAY CITY Tagaytay City (population 45,000) is on Quezon 35 miles south of Manila, in a hilly area overlooking Lake Taal and the Taal Volcano. The climate is relatively cool and thus popular in the summer.

896. Casino Filipino Tagaytay

South Korea South Korea (population 48 million), or the Republic of Korea as it is officially known, lies on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, bordered on the north by North Korea, and with the Sea of Japan to the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west. The capital and largest city is Seoul. The official language is Korean. The currency of Korea is the won (KRW). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 1,017 won. South Korea has a number of casinos, two state-controlled horse-racing tracks, a lottery, and online casinos and lottery.

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: Casino Filipino Tagaytay captures the feel of 19th-century Cavite, in an area that boasts cool weather and panoramic views of Taal volcano. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 500 Table Games: 50: 1 baccarat, 15 mini-baccarat, 1 Big and Small, 1 casino stud poker, 21 super 6, 1 Red and White, 2 midi-baccarat, 1 Genuine Pairs, 2 roulette, 1 craps, 1 pai gow poker, 2 pontoon, 1 casino war Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $2 Dress Code: Semiformal Bonus: Come to this casino to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

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Address: Tagaytay Kaybagal South, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines Phone: (046) 4131–506; fax: (046) 4132–163 Website: www.casinofilipino-online.com/tagaytay.php

BUSAN Busan (population 3.7 million), also known as Pusan, is the second-largest city of South Korea. It’s also a harbor city on the Sea of Japan in the southeast of the peninsula, 200 miles southeast of Seoul.

897. Paradise Casino Busan Address: 1408–5 Choong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Korea Phone: (Overseas +82 51) (051 in Korea) 742 2110; fax: +82 (0)51 742 2113 Website: www.pusancasino.co.kr

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Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is in the Paradise Hotel on Haeundae Beach, 50 minutes by cab from Kimhae International Airport in Busan, which in turn is a 1-hour flight from Kimpo International Airport in Seoul to Kimhae International Airport in Busan. The Paradise Hotel & Casino Busan has the only casino in Busan. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 40: 33 mechanical, 7 video slot machines Table Games: 8 blackjack, 13 baccarat, 6 roulette, 1 tai-sai Poker: No Entertainment: Dinner shows Restaurants: 13 Accommodations: 250 rooms, all with private balconies overlooking the beach Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: How-to-play gaming guide at the casino’s website. Complimentary food and drinks for players. Health club/spa includes indoor/outdoor natural mineral hot spring. A limousine bus leaves the airport for the casino every 20 minutes. Baccarat tournaments. Casino hosts a regional golf tournament. Duty-free mall across the street. Beach with water activities and cafés that serve sliced raw fish at Kwangan-Ri Beach.

JEJU CITY Jeju City (population 259,000), also known as Cheju, is on Jeju Island (Cheju Do), the largest island of South Korea, which is 120 miles south of the peninsula in the Strait of Korea. In addition to the main island, Jeju Province contains another 61 small islands. Jeju City is a resort city known for its casinos. The city has an international airport.

898. Jeju KAL Hotel and Casino Address: 1691–9 2Do 1Dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-Do, Korea Phone: (064) 757–8111; fax: (064) 757–8120 Website: www.jejukalcasino.co.kr Email: Contact form on website Description: This Las Vegas-style casino is the largest on the island. The casino, 2 floors of gaming, is in the hotel. Hours: 2 p.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 10 Table Games: 7 blackjack, 3 roulette, 4 baccarat, 1 big six wheel, taisai Poker: No Entertainment: Live music at Hanla Coffee Shop and Buffet Restaurant; nightclub; karaoke Restaurants: 4: Tamlajung (Korean; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Tsukigi Uemura (Japanese; lunch and dinner), Sim Hayang (Chinese; lunch and dinner), Buffet Restaurant (buffet; breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Accommodations: 282 rooms

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE and suites in an 18-floor building Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Dutyfree shop. Fitness center with sauna, gym, and pool. How-to-play gaming guide at the casino’s website. Jeju KAL membership card: deals on the hotel and food. Business center and banquet facilities at the hotel.

899. Oriental Hotel and Casino

900. Crowne Plaza Hotel and Casino Jeju Address: 291–30 yeon-Dong, Jeju-city, Jeju-do, Korea Phone: (064) 741–8000; fax: (064) 746–4111 Website: english.crowneplaza.co.kr Email: [email protected] Description: A wide selection of games, snack bar, VIP lounge, and multilingual staff Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: Roulette, tai-sai, blackjack, baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Jazz music at the hotel bar Restaurants: Arirang (traditional Korean food; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Ginza (Japanese: sashimi, teppanyaki, sushi; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Café Baccarat (buffet and a la carte; breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Accommodations: 224 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Computers and Internet in guest rooms. Banqueting facilities. Indoor swimming pool, sauna, massage services, fitness center, and barber shop. Nearby beach and Halla mountain.

ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: The casino is located inside the Oriental Hotel, which is in the Tap-dong seaside area, less than 3 miles from the Cheju international airport. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Yes (number not specified on website); reel and video slots Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, dai-sai Poker: No Entertainment: Live music at Mont Blanc, Bar Orion, and the Lobby Lounge Restaurants: 2: Man Hae Jung (KoreanJapanese food; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Mont Blanc (Western food; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; buffet at breakfast) Accommodations: 313 rooms Family Amenities: Bowling alley Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: The Tap-dong seaside area in front of the hotel has a park and a walkway for jogging or walking. Nearby Yongduam rock, coastal road, and cafe street. Sauna and barbershop at the hotel. Banquet facilities.

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Address: 1197, Samdo 2-Dong, Jeju City, Jeju-do, Korea Phone: (064) 752–8222; fax: (064) 752–9777 Website: english.oriental.co.kr/casino/casino_01.asp

901. The Shilla Jeju’s Casino Address: 3039–3 Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo-shi, Jeju-do 697–130, Korea Phone: +82–64–735–5114 ; fax: (064) 735–5415 Website: cheju.shilla.net/eng

578 ASIA

Email: [email protected] Description: The Shilla Jeju’s Casino has a European-style atmosphere, and is located in the Shilla Jeju Hotel on the coastline near Jungmun Golf Course, at the center of the Jungmun Tourism Complex. About 50 minutes by taxi or airport limousine from Jeju International Airport, Shilla Jeju is a 5-star resort that has hosted former President Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia, and China’s Jiang Zemin. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: Roulette, blackjack Poker: No Entertainment: Light classical music entertainment in the lobby lounge; karaoke and disco dancing at Dalmoree Restaurants: 3: Cheonjee (Korean; breakfast, lunch, dinner), Hinode (Japanese: sushi, teppanyaki; dinner), Cozy Café (Asian and Western; breakfast, lunch, dinner) Accommodations: 429 rooms and suites on 7 floors Family Amenities: Kids Club: supervised ball pool, jungle gym, playground slide, video room; babysitting Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Spa and fitness club with massage, yoga, meditation, racquetball courts, and swimming pool. Golf. Meeting and convention facilities. 10 percent room tax charged waived for foreigners.

INCHEON Incheon (population 2.5 million), or Inch’on, is a major seaport on the Yellow Sea located on the west coast of South Korea, approximately 25 miles west of Seoul.

902. Paradise Olympos Casino Address: #3–2, 1-Ga, Hang-Dong, Joong-Gu, Incheon, Korea Phone: (032) 762–5181; fax: (032) 762–5911 Website: www.paradiseincheon.co.kr/en/Casino Email: [email protected] Description: Opened in 1965 on the site of the British legation, Paradise Olympos Casino was the first casino in Korea, and now attracts an international clientele. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, tai-sai, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub; karaoke modeled after Shinjuku Karaoke in Tokyo Restaurants: 3: Korean Restaurant (lunch and dinner), Japanese Restaurant (lunch and dinner), Alexander (grill, Continental, Chinese cuisine; breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Accommodations: 176 rooms and suites Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: How-to-play gaming guide at the casino’s website. Blackjack and baccarat tournaments. Sauna.


GANGWON Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Jeongseonngun is in the southeast of the province.

903. Kangwon Land Resort

SEOUL Seoul (population 9.7 million) is the capital and largest city in South Korea. It is located in the northwest on the Han River.

904. Walker Hill Casino Address: San21, Kwangjang-dong, Kwangjin-ku, Korea Phone: +82 2 2204 3426~7; fax: +82 2 455 2121 Website: www.seoulcasino.co.kr Email: Contact form on website Description: Located in the Walker Hill Hotel overlooking the Han River, Paradise Casino Seoul is a Las Vegas-style casino open to foreigners only. Sheraton Walker Hill is in the northeast part of Seoul, not far from almost any part of the city by taxi, one of the casino’s regular shuttles, or a subway system known for its safety and efficiency. Sheraton Walker Hill is part of the 139-acre, mountainous site of the A-Cha Fortress from the Silla Dynasty (57 BC–668 AD). Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, tai-sai, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: The 720-seat Kayagum Theater Hall, the largest in Asia, presents

ASIA

Email: Contact form on website Description: In a countryside setting far from city life, Kangwon Land Resort offers views of mountain and valley. See website for driving and other transportation directions. Hours: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 a.m., open continuously Sat. 10 a.m.–Mon. 10 a.m. Slot Machines: 960: Denominations of 100 won and 500 won coins and 1,000 won, 5,000 won, and 10,000 won bills; including traditional reel slots, video poker, video blackjack, video keno, electronic slots, and progressives; average return 90 percent Table Games: 100: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, tai-sai, big wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Cinema Restaurants: World Fusion (Oriental and Western dishes; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Orien (Korean, Chinese, Japanese; lunch and dinner), Casino Buffet (buffet; lunch and dinner) Accommodations: 199 rooms and suites; main casino hotel should open soon Family Amenities: Golf, theme park with a 3D cinema, virtual reality simulations including marine tour, crazy rafting, race car, helicopter jump, and more; arcade of video games; quiz world Admission Charge: 5,000 won; free with foreign passport. Must be 19 or older to gamble and must have a passport to gain free entry. Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary drinks for players. Gaming instruction at the casino’s website. Conference and banquet facilities. Sauna, swimming pool, and fitness center. Golf.

579

Address: Sabukri 424, Sabukeup, Jeongseonngun, Kangwondo, Korea Phone: +82–33–590–7081~2 Website: www.kangwoncasino.com

the Walker Hill Show, a traditional Korean review, with a dance troupe that offers a mix of folk songs, ancient musical instruments, and traditional dances. There are 2 shows nightly with wine or dinner. A separate dinner show 2 or 3 times a year features the best Asian performing groups and famous singers. Sirocco features karaoke and a live band Tue.–Sun. Restaurants: Ondal (Korean), Sekitei (Japanese), Golden Dragon (Chinese), Four Seasons (buffet), Del Vino (Italian), The View (buffet and à la carte, Western, Fusion, Asian; breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Sirocco (Oriental and Moroccan food) Accommodations: 368 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary food and drink for players. 3 outdoor pools, health club, golf range, tennis courts, and jogging course.

Sri Lanka 580

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (population 19.6 million) is an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of India. The capital and largest city is Colombo. The currency of Sri Lanka is the rupee (LKR). At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth LKR 99.4; 1 rupee was worth barely more than 1¢. There are no slot machines in Sri Lanka. The minimum age for gambling in Sri Lanka is 18.

ASIA

COLOMBO Colombo (population 737,000; metropolitan area 2.2 million), the capital and largest city in Sri Lanka, is on the southwest coast.

905. Bellagio Address: 430 R A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 11 2 575271 Website: No Email: [email protected] Description: Bright and lively casino; customers mostly Sri Lankans Hours: 24 hours daily (closed only Poya Day, a national holiday) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 20: Baccarat, blackjack, mini flash, roulette, Asia poker, 3-card baccarat Poker: No Entertainment: Special nights with magic shows, dances Restaurants: 2: A fine dining restaurant and a buffet Accommodations: Players recommended to stay at the Hilton Colombo Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No shorts; smart casual Bonus: Complimentary drinks for players; gaming lessons available. English widely spoken.


906. MGM Club

Email: [email protected] Description: Centrally located near a shopping center, this casino features several table games, no slots (just as everywhere in Sri Lanka), and welcomes an international clientele. Employees speak English. Hours: 24 hours daily; closed Poya Day (close 6 a.m., reopen midnight) Slot Machines: No Table Games: 3 baccarat, 2 blackjack, 2 Asian poker, 3 roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Live music, with wine and dinner Restaurants: In-house buffet, free for players Accommodations: No (see bonus section) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Complimentary food for players. By request and upon approval of the management, players’ hotel bills (when staying in Colombo) may be paid by the casino for “heavy” players.

581

Address: 170 Galle Road, Colombo 4, Sri Lanka Phone: 94 112 591319, 94 112 502268; fax: 94 112 45010079 Website: No

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (population 83 million), in Southeast Asia is bordered on the north by China, the northwest by Laos, the southwest by Cambodia, the east and southeast by the South China Sea, and the extreme southwest by the Gulf of Thailand. The capital is Hanoi (former capital of what used to be North Vietnam) and the largest city Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon, former capital of what used to be South Vietnam). The currency of Vietnam is the dong (VND), divided into 10 hào, which is further subdivided into 10 xu. By the time you read this, the dong is likely to be the currency unit with the world’s smallest value. At the time of this writing, $1 US was worth 15,821 dong.

HA LONG CITY Ha Long City (population 150,000) is on the Gulf of Tonkin, 140 miles northeast of Hanoi, and near the Peoples Republic of China.

907. Royal International Gaming Club Address: Halong city, QuangNinh province, Viet Nam Phone: 84–33–846658,: 84–33–848888; fax: 84–33–847148, 84–33–846728 Website: www.royal-gaming.com Email: [email protected] Description: The entertainment and resort complex is at Bai Chay Beach in Ha Long City, on a site with an area of 25 acres and a coastal length of close to 1 mile. Casino uses US currency. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 70: 25¢–$1 Table Games: 18: Baccarat, blackjack, roulette, sic bo, pai gow, three-card poker; minimum bets range from $1–$20, maximum is $2,000 Poker: No

ASIA

Vietnam

Entertainment: Disco open from 5 p.m.–1 a.m. Live nightly performance of Vietnamese music at the restaurant. Restaurants: 2: VietNamese Restaurant (Asian, Western, and Vietnamese traditional food; lunch and dinner), Casino Restaurant (southern Chinese cuisine and international buffet; open 24 hours daily) Accommodations: 112 rooms Family Amenities: Amusement park with water puppet show and Vietnamese cultural show; playground for both adult and children: includes a merry-go-round, bumper cars, and an exercise area for both adults and children. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Recreational facilities include antique museum, art gallery, cock fighting arena, folk dancing performance stage, and a house of horrors. Royal Beach Park for swimming and picnicking. Spa and gardens.

HAIPHONG 582

Haiphong (population 1.5 million) is at the delta of the Red River on the Gulf of Tonkin, 60 miles east of Hanoi. The third-largest city in Vietnam, it is the primary seaport for the northern region of the country, and is also a major industrial center.

908. Doson Casino ASIA

Address: Zone 3, Doson Town, Hai Phong, Vietnam Phone: (+84 031) 861888; fax: (+84 031) 861199 Website: www.info.vn/index.php?rcom=1&comid=48313&lang=en Email: [email protected] Description: The casino opened in 1992 and is located 10 miles south of the city. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: Number not specified on website Table Games: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, cussec; more games planned Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant (Cantonese cuisine) Accommodations: Doson Resort 4-star hotel scheduled to open in mid 2005 Admission Charge: No. Casino is for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese. (Locals cannot play.) Dress Code: No Bonus: Complimentary soft drinks for players. 2 VIP rooms. Sauna, gym, outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, and golf practice yard will be at the resort.

Oceania The region of Oceania is generally understood to include several thousand islands of the Pacific (New Zealand, the rest of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia) plus Australia. Some of the islands are also considered part of Asia. This section of the book includes Australia, New Zealand, and a number of circumambient islands, some of which are territories of other countries. Just as varied as the locales are the casinos. At least one of the casinos of Australia is larger than any in Nevada. In fact, Star City in Sydney has the largest gaming area by far of any casino in the world. Other casinos throughout Australia are not as big, but still not provincial by any means. Those of New Zealand are more laid-back, just as the country itself is. And casinos on the smaller islands can add that extra something to a tropical visit.

Australia Australia (population 20.2 million), the smallest continent, is divided into eight internal states and territories. They are, with capital city in parentheses: Australian Capital Territory (Canberra), New South Wales (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne), Queensland (Brisbane), South Australia (Adelaide), Western Australia (Perth), Tasmania (Hobart), and Northern Territory (Darwin). Australia arose out of New South Wales (as described under that heading). The capital of Australia is Canberra; the largest city is Sydney. Australia has many horse tracks but not very many actual casinos considering its size, although most pubs have video poker machines. The currency of Australia is the Australian dollar (AUD). At the time of this writing, 1$ US was worth AUD1.31, AUD1 was worth 76.6¢ US. Figures in this section are given in Australian dollars. The minimum age for gaming is 18.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a geographical entity similar to Washington, D.C. It is located in southeastern Australia between Sydney and Melbourne, near the Snow Mountains.

Canberra Canberra (population 221,000) is Australia’s capital. The name is pronounced CAN-bruh.

909. Casino Canberra Address: 21 Binara Street, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Phone: +61 2 6257 7074 Website: www.casinocanberra.com.au

584 OCEANIA

Email: [email protected] Description: European-style, first-class casino, located at the Convention Center, 10 miles from Canberra Airport. Casino clientele are primarily Australian tourists and locals. Hours: Noon–6 a.m. daily Slot Machines: No Table Games: Caribbean Stud, roulette, blackjack, pai gow tiles, mini-baccarat, big six wheel, sic bo, rapid roulette Poker: 6 tables: 5- and 7-card stud, Canberra Manila, Omaha, hold’em, draw poker. Weekly tournaments, $50-$100 entry, plus a 10 percent commission, which goes into a pool that is played for in a freeroll tournament in December. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No; see website for local hotel packages Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Premier players club. Gaming guides on website. Frequent blackjack tournaments. Disco Saturday nights with cover charge of a nominal charity donation or a dinner and disco package for $40 (opens 9 p.m., dinner from 6 p.m.). Restaurant offers low-carb, high-protein menu.

NEW SOUTH WALES New South Wales (NSW) is Australia’s most populous (6.8 million) and oldest state, located in the southeast, north of Victoria. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland.

Sydney Sydney (population 170,000; metropolitan area 4 million), home of the 2000 Olympics, is the capital of New South Wales on the southeastern coast of Australia on the Tasmania Sea (part of the South Pacific). Sydney is known for its magnificent harbor, the architecturally unique Opera House, more than 70 beaches, the Sydney Tower (the tallest structure in Australia), fine restaurants, theaters, and other tourist attractions.

910. Star City Address: 80 Pyrmont Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2009 Phone: +61 2 9777 9000 Website: www.starcity.com.au Email: Contact form on website Description: The only casino in New South Wales; located on the shores of Sydney Harbour, with sweeping views of the harbor and city skyline. Over 1.5 million square feet make this easily the world’s largest casino in terms of gaming area. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year

NORTHERN TERRITORY The Northern Territory (population 198,000) is a federal territory occupying the north-central portion of Australia. The capital city is Darwin; the other two sizable settlements are Alice Springs (in the desert interior 930 miles to the south) and Katherine. Residents of the Northern Territory are often called Territorians. Its area of 521,000 square miles gives it a population density of about 0.38 people per square mile.

Alice Springs Alice Springs (population 28,000), in the Macdonell Ranges of the southern part of the Northern Territory, was once an isolated telegraph station in the heart of the Australian wilderness; now Alice Springs is a pleasant modern town and a gateway to the attractions of central Australia. The town is at about the midpoint of the Ghan, the 1,800-mile Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin Central Australian Railway. The name is an abbreviated version of its previous nickname, the Afghan Express, which in turn comes from the Afghan camel trains that trekked the same route before the advent of the railway.

OCEANIA

Slot Machines: 1,500 Table Games: 200: Blackjack, American roulette, craps, mini-baccarat, sic bo, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud, pai gow tiles, pontoon, rapid roulette, rapid sic bo Poker: 6 tables (6 more planned soon): hold’em ($5-$10, $10-$20; half-pot-limit with blinds of $5 and $5), Manila ($5-10, $10-$20) Entertainment: International theater productions; free live entertainment; Lyric Theatre with international and local entertainers; “Lido”-style showroom that accommodates up to 1,000 people Restaurants: 7; plus 6 bars Accommodations: 5-star hotel with 473 rooms, plus 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments Family Amenities: Darling Harbour has many family-friendly activities, including playgrounds, a carousel, an Imax theater, paddle boats for hire, etc. (See www.darlingharbour.com.au.) Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Total Star Rewards card (membership is free). Multiple promotions and lots of family-friendly entertainment. Sportsbook and sports bar. Private gaming room for members. Many dinner-and-casino packages available. Regular blackjack tournaments. You can download free interactive blackjack and roulette games from the website, enabling you to practice these games at home before coming to the casino. Regular drawings for luxury cars, cash, and vacations for Total Star Rewards members. Wedding packages available for those who want to get married in a luxurious setting.

585


911. Lasseters Hotel Casino Address: 93 Barrett Drive, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0871 Phone: +61 8 8950 7777; toll-free within Australia: 1–800–808–975 Website: www.lassetershotelcasino.com.au

586

Email: [email protected] Description: Casual casino with comfortable limits for all players Hours: Weekdays 7 p.m.–3 a.m.; weekends, holidays 7 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 250: 1¢–$1 Table Games: 20 (minimum/maximum): American Roulette ($2/$25; $5/$50), blackjack ($5/$400; $10/$500), big six wheel ($2/$400 on even bet), mini-baccarat ($5/$400), craps ($2/$100 pass line or $200 don’t pass), Caribbean Stud ($2/$200 ante bet), sic bo ($2/maximum depends on odds), two-up ($2/$400) Poker: Yes, 1 table Entertainment: Live Band Restaurants: 2, and a pub Accommodations: 140 Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Gaming guides. Free game instructions for beginners; private gaming area; blackjack tournaments. Club Lasseters bonus points, earned by table or slot play, redeemable for cash or free play. Swimming pool and tennis courts.

OCEANIA

Darwin Darwin (population 109,000) is a coastal port town in northern Australia, on the Timor Sea. Known as Australia’s frontier town, it has a laid-back attitude and fun-loving reputation. It has two large shopping malls. The Darwin Beer Festival is celebrated in June, with a series of races featuring boats constructed entirely of beer cans. Darwin has great beaches, including an official nude beach (Casuarina), a fascinating aqua scene where visitors hand-feed local fish, and Botanic Gardens. Darwin is reputed to suffer more lightning strikes than any other inhabited place in the world.

912. MGM Grand Darwin Address: Gilruth Avenue, Mindil Beach, Darwin, Northern Territory 0800 Phone: +61 8 8943 8888 Website: www.mgmgrand.com.au and click on “Casinos” Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Description: Part of Skycity Darwin, an 18-acre beachside destination resort, the casino is in a 5-star hotel. Hours: Slot machines 24 hours/day, 365 days/year; main gaming floor Sun.-Thu. noon–4 a.m., Fri. and Sat. noon–6 a.m. Slot Machines: 458, plus video poker (all ranging from 1¢–$1) Table Games: 29: 8 American roulette ($2–$50), 13 blackjack ($5–$1,000), 4 Caribbean Stud ($5–$200), 1 mini-baccarat ($25–$1,000), 1 sic bo ($5–$500, 1 two-up ($5–200) Poker: No Entertainment: Disco Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 107 rooms; casino in hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Keno ($1–$9,999 bets) with progressive jackpots. Private gaming area. Sauna, spa. Beach, golf (nearby), swimming pool, tennis courts, gardens.


QUEENSLAND Queensland (population 3.8 million) is a state that occupies approximately the entire northeast quarter of Australia. The capital city is Brisbane. It is the only Australian state with a unicameral legislature.

Brisbane

Address: Top of the Queen Street Mall, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Phone: +61 7 3306 8888; casino guest services: +61 7 3306 8886; tollfree number within Australia: 1-800-506-888 Website: www.conrad.com.au/treasury Email: [email protected] Description: 3 floors of gaming. Elizabeth Street Level has slots; Queen Street Level has gaming in a 4-story atrium that has coconut palms among the gaming tables, and offers blue skies above during the day and starry nights. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1300+: billed as “largest and most comprehensive range of modern gaming machines in Queensland” Table Games: Over 80: Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, pai gow, Caribbean Stud, Craps, sic bo, the Treasury Wheel, Treasury 21 Poker: No Entertainment: Free, plus special showroom events. Includes comedy, live music, dancing, etc. See current listing on the website. Restaurants: 6 Accommodations: 2 hotels with 130 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual; smart casual after 6 p.m. Bonus: Private gaming area, Club Conrad, offers premium players minimum wagers on blackjack ($50), baccarat ($50), and roulette ($5). Website includes how-to-play guides. Close to Botanic Gardens, shopping, entertainment, etc.

BROADBEACH Broadbeach (population 136,000) on the Gold Coast is south of Surfers Paradise, north of Burleigh Heads, and about 50 miles south of Brisbane. The 22-mile strip of beaches known as the Gold Coast is the most commercially developed resort area in Australia. Its main attractions are swimming and surfing. Broadbeach offers beachfront craft markets on the first and third Sunday of every month.

OCEANIA

913. Conrad Treasury Brisbane

587

Brisbane (population 940,000; metropolitan area 1 million), the largest city in Queensland, is inland from Moreton Bay just north of the Gold Coast in the southeastern portion of the state.

914. Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel Address: Broadbeach Island, Broadbeach, Queensland 4218 Phone: +61 7 5592 8100; fax +61 7 5592 Website: www.conradjupiters.com.au

588 OCEANIA

Email: [email protected] Description: 60,000-square-foot casino has 2 levels of gaming, with a tropical resort ambience. Casino is in hotel. Club Conrad offers private gaming facilities; guests are admitted by membership or invitation. In addition to English, multilingual staff speak Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean. Hours: 24 hours/day; 362 days/year; closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, Anzac Day Slot Machines: 1,402: 1¢ machines with minimum investment of $1; progressive and linked jackpots Table Games: 70: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, Caribbean Stud, sic bo, pai gow, mini-baccarat, Jupiters 21 (local game) Poker: No Entertainment: Jupiters Theatre has 1,125 tiered seats, including 8 spaces for wheelchairs, showcasing international acts. Currently offering concerts and various headlining shows. See website for current live entertainment options. Restaurants: 5: Andiamo (Italian), Charters Towers (contemporary cuisine), Zen (Chinese; winner 2004 Best Chinese Restaurant in Australia), Spinners Café (24 hours), Food Fantasy (buffet). Also 9 nine bars, including an old English pub. Accommodations: 594 rooms, including 2 penthouses, 28 suites. All rooms offer hinterland or ocean views. Disabled rooms and wheelchair access rooms available. Casino is located on the ground floor in hotel. Family Amenities: Games Room on lower level Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual; smart casual after 6 p.m. Bonus: Golf (nearby), water sports, gym, private gaming area, nightclub, free gaming instruction, swimming pool, tennis courts, sauna, tournaments. Nonsmoking gaming areas available. Car giveaways and promotions (check website for current promotion). Hotel offers 4 levels of executive floor rooms and lounge for corporate travelers. 24-hour room service. Hair and beauty salon; fashion boutiques located on lower level. Major shopping mall located just across the road.

Cairns Cairns (population 130,000), in northeast Queensland along the Great Barrier Reef, is a major tourist center. The climate is tropical with monsoon rains occurring between November and March. Nearby attractions include rainforests and offshore reefs.

915. The Reef Hotel Casino Address: 35–41 Wharf St., Cairns, Queensland 4870 Phone: +61 7 4030 8869, +61 7 4030 8888 Website: www.reefcasino.com.au Email: www.imbri.com/reefcasino/contact.php Description: The Reef Hotel Casino complex includes the Sofitel Reef Casino, a 5-star hotel. The casino is part of the Casinos Australia group. Hours: Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.–4 a.m. and open continuously from 10 a.m. Fri.–4 a.m. Mon., year round, excluding Good Friday, Anzac Day (Apr. 25, Australia and New Zealand memorial to soldiers who died in war), and Christmas

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Slot Machines: 533 Table Games: 44: Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, sic bo, Reef Routine, Paradise Pontoon, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Nightclub Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 128 rooms; 5-star Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Handicap access, security parking, private gaming area, rooftop pool, blackjack tournaments, spa, sauna, pool, free gaming instruction, business center. The complex is close to many shopping outlets, and to departure points for cruises to the Great Barrier Reef.

Townsville

Address: Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4810 Phone: +61 7 4722 2333; casino information +61 7 4722 2373 Website: www.jupiterstownsville.com.au Email: [email protected] Description: Situated on the Breakwater Marina and overlooking Magnetic Island and the Castle Hill. Called the first fully themed casino in Australia, it has a village square décor. Hours: 10 a.m.–2 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 280 Table Games: 25: Blackjack, roulette, sic bo, Caribbean Stud, baccarat, Jupiters Wheel (casino’s big six wheel version) Poker: No Entertainment: Big name shows and rock homage groups. See website for current events. Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: 194 rooms; casino in hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Free frequent player’s card. Regular cash drawings. Online brochures contain how-to-play information.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA South Australia (population 1.5 million) is a state in the southern central part of Australia, along the Indian Ocean. The capital is Adelaide. South Australia became a British colony in 1836 and joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Most of the state’s population resides in the fertile coastal areas and in the valley of the Murray River.

Adelaide Adelaide (population 1,090,000) lies along the shores of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf St. Vincent, 450 miles northwest of Melbourne. Known as the “Festival City,” this capital city of South Australia is famous for its cosmopolitan mixture of restaurants and cabarets. Adelaide is also known as the “City of Churches.” It is a well-planned metropolis with European-style boulevards, green spaces, wide beaches, and extensive facilities for golf, tennis, picnics, and water sports. The Australian Formula One Grand Prix takes place here in late October.

OCEANIA

916. Jupiters Townsville Hotel & Casino

589

Townsville (population 155,000), in north Queensland, on the mainland coastline, parallel to the Great Barrier Reef, and south of Cairns, is Australia’s largest tropical city.

917. Sky City Adelaide Address: North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 Phone: +61 8 8212 2811 Website: www.skycityadelaide.com.au

590

Email: [email protected] Description: An elegant casino in the splendid old Adelaide Railway Station between the present Adelaide Suburban Railway Station and Adelaide’s Constitutional Museum. Bills itself as top entertainment destination with activities running around the clock. Hours: 11 a.m.–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 800 Table Games: 70+: 20 American roulette ($2–$5,000 bets), baccarat ($5–$20,000), 47 blackjack, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps ($2.50–$2,000), mini-baccarat ($5–20,000), 4 pai gow, 2 sic bo Poker: No Entertainment: Free live entertainment every night at the Balcony Bar, including jazz, swing, and the classics. Daytime concert series; look on the website for details. Restaurants: 3 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Monthly blackjack tournament. Online how-toplay guides on the website. VIP game room.

OCEANIA

TASMANIA The island of Tasmania (population 477,00), an Australian state, is 150 miles south of the eastern portion of the continent, separated from it by the Bass Strait. Tasmania has an area of some 26,400 square miles. The capital and largest city is Hobart. Other major population centers include Launceston in the north, and Devonport and Burnie in the northwest.

Hobart Hobart (population 190,000), a busy harbor in southern Tasmania and the state capital, is Australia’s southernmost port town. It is an easy-going, charming city, noted for its authentic colonial flavor, yet modern enough to provide a good variety of nightlife, restaurants, and entertainment.

918. Wrest Point Hotel Casino Address: 410 Sandy Bay Road, Hobart, Tasmania 7005 Phone: +61 3 6211 1750 or +61 3 6225 0112 Website: www2.wrestpoint.com.au Email: [email protected] Description: Australia’s first casino, opened in 1973. Cylindrical multistory building in a beautiful harbor setting. Hours: Table games 2 p.m. “until late”; slots open 9 a.m.–5 a.m. Slot Machines: 650: 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, and $1. Those in main casino area are linked, and jackpots start at $9,500–$10,500. Table Games: 22: 2 baccarat, 10 blackjack (minimum $10), 1 big six wheel, 1 Caribbean Stud, 3 pontoon (minimum $5 or $10), 5 roulette, 1 sic bo Poker: No Entertainment: Movies, music, dancing and tea Restaurants: 5

Launceston Launceston (population 68,000), in northern Tasmania, is a historic town at the confluence of the Tamar and Esk Rivers. Its name is pronounced LON-s-stun. It is an agricultural and commercial hub of the northern region. Beautiful old houses and large public parks are the town’s main landmarks.

919. Country Club Resort Address: Country Club Avenue, Prospect Vale, Tasmania 7250 Phone: +61 3 6335 5777 Website: www.countryclubcasino.com.au Email: [email protected] Description: Country club-style casino hotel Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 492 Table Games: 17: 9 Blackjack, 1 pontoon, 4 roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Monthly Zodiac parties; see website for details. Seasonal holiday shows, offered with or without dinner. Restaurants: 5 Accommodations: 2 hotels; 177 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: Federal Rewards Club Members earn points on all food and beverage purchases at Country Club Resort and Wrest Point. These points accumulate dependent on level of membership, and can be used for discounts on those purchases and toward shows. Free movies in showroom most Sundays and Mondays for club members. Free T’ai Chi classes each Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. (subject to room availability); entry is free to all Federal Rewards Club and Senior Club Members, and $3 for nonmembers. Driving range, health club, horseback riding, sauna, spa, swimming pool, tennis courts.

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Accommodations: 291 rooms. Casino is in hotel. Family Amenities: Marina, swimming pools, sports facilities, tennis courts Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper Bonus: All gaming areas are nonsmoking. VIP gaming room. Blackjack tournaments. Some of the latest movies are screened at Wrest Point every Tuesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and entry is free for FRC and Seniors Club members. Tea, refreshments, entertainment, and a sing-along are held on the second Wednesday morning and fourth Friday afternoon of the month, at $3 per person. Social dancing with afternoon tea is held on the first Thursday afternoon of the month in The Showroom, with a class that caters for everyone from beginners to experts. Look on the website for other promotions. For those who want to play table games but don’t know how to play, Wrest Point offers Crash Course Casino on the last Friday of each month, gathering beginners together and letting them loose on the tables. There is no risk involved; they don’t play for real money and it is fun for all participants, plus prizes are awarded. The casino also runs private sessions for large groups of beginners. Look on the website or call the casino for bookings.

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VICTORIA Victoria (population 4.7 million), situated in the southeastern corner of the continent, is Australia’s smallest mainland state in terms of area but is also the country’s most densely populated state. Victoria shares the Murray River as a border with New South Wales to the north and borders South Australia to the west. Victoria is topographically, geologically, and climatically diverse. The southeast has wet, temperate climate in Gippsland, the snow-covered Victorian alpine areas rise to more than 6,000 feet (with Mount Bogong the highest peak at 6,516 feet), and extensive semiarid plains are in the west and northwest.

Melbourne 592

Melbourne (population 52,000; metropolitan area 3.5 million), on Port Philip Bay along the Indian Ocean in South Australia, is the capital of Victoria; it is nicknamed “the Emerald City of Oz” because of its 1,625 acres of public gardens and parklands. The city offers many attractions, including museums, zoo, sports, theater, science, commerce, history, fine restaurants, horse racing, and the Crown Galleria Casino.

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920. Crown Entertainment Complex Address: 8 Whiteman Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3006 Phone: +61 3 9292 5505; toll-free within Australia: 1800 801 098; main switchboard: +61 3 9292 8888 Website: www.crownltd.com.au Email: Contact form on website Description: Crown Casino is one of the largest gaming facilities in the southern hemisphere, with a main floor that is more than 1,500 feet long. The casino has several smaller themed rooms, such as the discreet and exclusive Mahogany Room, the glamourous Teak and Oak Rooms, and the exciting West End. Patrons can watch international sports on the largest screens in the southern hemisphere. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 2,500 Table Games: 330: Baccarat, big wheel, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, craps, pai gow, poker, Pontoon Pandemonium, rapid roulette, roulette, sic bo, threecard poker Poker: Hold’em, stud, draw, Manila, Omaha, at limit, half-pot, and pot-limit stakes. Australian Poker Championship, a week of events in January, capped by the 3-day Aussie Millions event, featuring a prize pool of over $1.3 million. Buy-ins range from $200–$10,300, and also including the World Speed Poker Championship, with a first prize of $100,000, and a no-limit hold’em heads up tournament. Entertainment: Large showroom; free live entertainment (see website for list) Restaurants: 29, and more than 30 bars Accommodations: World-class hotel with nearly 600 rooms and suites Family Amenities: Galactic Circus: Australia’s largest indoor theme park, including circus, family games, amusement park; laser wars; bowling; multiplex theater Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: VIP area. Huge spa. Health club. Indoor pool, tennis courts. Complex has 14 cinemas. Shopping arcade with more than 30 world-class shops, including Armani, Guess?, Vuitton. Meeting rooms, media center, banquets, outside catering, disabled facilities, free parking for over 5,000 cars.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA Western Australia (population 2 million) is Australia’s largest state, occupying the western third of the mainland, bordering South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Perth

Address: Great Eastern Highway, Burswood, Western Australia 6100 Phone: +61 8 9362 7777 Website: www.burswood.com.au Email: [email protected] Description: Burswood International Resort Casino is on the banks of the scenic Swan River in Burswood, which is located 10 minutes from the domestic and international airports and a short 5 minutes from Perth. The resort is surrounded by 250 acres of landscaped gardens and parklands. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/week Slot Machines: 1,300 Table Games: 122: 2 baccarat, 64 blackjack, 5 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 28 English roulette, 1 French boule, 16 mini-baccarat, 1 pai gow, pontoon, two-up Poker: Several types and tables; draw poker; 7-stud Entertainment: The resort’s highly acclaimed entertainment venues stage an average of 200 events each year and in 2001 alone attracted over 500,000 people. Burswood Theatre and the Burswood Dome. See website or call for current information. Restaurants: 9; plus 6 bars Accommodations: InterContinental Burswood Hotel has 413 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Proper; elegant (jacket and tie) for International Room Bonus: Free gaming lessons in blackjack, English roulette, and two-up. Private gaming area. Convention center. Burswood offers a lagoon-style swimming pool, fully equipped gymnasium, heated pool and spa, floodlit tennis courts, cycleways, jogging tracks, the picturesque Burswood Park heritage trail, and a challenging 18-hole public golf course and clubhouse.

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921. Burswood International Resort Hotel & Casino Hotel

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Perth (population 1.4 million), on the banks of the Swan River on Western Australia’s Indian Ocean coast is the capital of Western Australia and a modern, bustling town that boasts an interesting colonial past and 19th-century architecture. Perth has beautiful golden beaches, sophisticated nightlife, and great shopping. The city hosted the America’s Cup races in 1987.

Mauritius The Republic of Mauritius (population 1.2 million) is an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean 600 miles east of Madagascar and 125 miles northeast of Réunion. In addition to the main island of Mauritius, there are also the islands St. Brandon, 400 miles northeast of the main island, and Rodrigues, 400 miles east, and the Agalega Islands, more than 600 miles north. The capital and largest city, Port Louis, is on the main island. The currency of Mauritius is the rupee (MUR), which is divided into 100 cents. At the time of this writing, $1 = 28.72 rupees; 1 rupee = 3.5¢. Many of the casinos of Mauritius are operated by one company, Casinos of Mauritius. The minimum age for gambling in Mauritius is 18.

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CUREPIPE

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922. Casino de Maurice

Curepipe is on a high plateau in the center of the island, 15 miles south of Port Louis. The main attraction for visitors is an extinct volcano, Trou aux Cerfs, west of the town near the botanical gardens and the massive wooded crater floor.

Address: Teste de Buch Street, Curepipe, Mauritius Phone: +230 602 1300 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-maurice.html Email: [email protected] Description: This recently renovated casino, in a town with many excellent restaurants and great shopping, is very friendly and offers a colorful mixture of local and international ambiance. Hours: Mon.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sun., public holidays 2 p.m.–4 p.m. Slot Machines: 150: 1–10 Mur Table Games: 16: 12 American roulette (25–500 Mur), 3 blackjack (50–3000 Mur), 1 Oasis Poker (50–500 Mur) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted.

FLIC EN FLAC Flic en Flac (also spelled Flic en Flacq) is on the western shore 12 miles southwest of Port Louis.

923. La Pirogue Address: La Pirogue Hotel Wolmar, Flic en Flac, Mauritius Phone: +230 453 6022, +230 453 6023 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-lapirogue.html Email: [email protected] Description: Set in a 4-star hotel complex, the casino is known for a friendly atmosphere with customer-oriented staff.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Hours: Mon.–Sat. 9 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun., public holidays 3 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 30: 5–10 Mur Table Games: 12: 6 American roulette (25–1,000 Mur), 5 blackjack (50–5,000 Mur), 1 Oasis Poker (100–1,000 Mur) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: seafood Accommodations: 250 rooms Family Amenities: Family oriented, children’s club available Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted. Casino bar. Meeting facilities. Pool bar. Tennis court. Water sports. Marlin fishing. The resort organizes the world marlin fishing competition. “Fun roulette” available 9 p.m.–11 p.m.

PAILLES

Address: Domaine Les Pailles, Pailles, Mauritius Phone: +230 286 0405 / 286 0107 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-gcm.html Email: [email protected] Description: The luxurious casino is on a private estate, the Domaine Les Pailles cultural center and nature park, covering more than 3,700 acres, close to Port Louis. Hours: Mon.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sun., public holidays 2 p.m.–4 p.m. Slot Machines: 58 (2–5 Mur) Table Games: 24: 14 American roulette (25–4000 Mur), 7 blackjack (50–10,000 Mur), 3 Oasis Poker (100–1000 Mur) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 4 luxury themed restaurants serving European, Oriental, and Indian food Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Salon Privé with American roulette, blackjack, Oasis Poker. English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted. The private estate offers horseriding, organized tours, a working sugar mill, and a train ride.

PORT LOUIS Port Louis (population 150,000), the capital and largest city of Mauritius, is a port on the northeast coast and the business center of the island.

925. Le Caudan Waterfront Address: Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius Phone: +230 210 4203 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-caudan.html Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is in the center of Port Louis Hours: Mon.–Sat. 8 p.m.–4 a.m.; Sun., public holidays 2 p.m.–4 p.m. Slot Machines: 197: 2–10 Mur; linked video poker jackpots, other linked jackpots Table

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924. Grand Casino du Domaine

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Pailles is a suburb a few miles south of Port Louis.

Games: 16: 8 American roulette (25–1000 Mur), 5 blackjack (50–5000 Mur), 3 Oasis Poker (100–1000 Mur); touchbet roulette, with 12 monitors, is coming soon Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: No Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted.

POSTE DE FLACQ Poste de Flacq is on the northeast coast of Mauritius, about 15 miles east of Port Louis.

926. Le Saint Geran

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Address: Poste de Flacq, Mauritius Phone: +230 415 18 25 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-stgeran.html

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Email: [email protected] Description: Casino is located inside the Le Saint Geran Sun Hotel Hours: Tue.–Sat. 9 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 20: 2–5 Mur Table Games: 6: 3 American roulette (50–1,000 Mur), 2 blackjack (50–5,000 Mur), 1 Oasis Poker (50–500 Mur) Poker: No Entertainment: Dancing in the evenings with a theme band, and there is cabaret on several nights of the week Restaurants: 4 Accommodations: 175 rooms and 12 suites Family Amenities: The hotel strives to cater to provide a family environment. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted. Casino bar. Golf club. Health club. Tennis. Scuba diving. Water sports.

TROU AUX BICHES Trou aux Biches is on the northwest coast 10 miles north of Port Louis.

927. Trou-aux-Biches Address: Royal Road, Trou aux Biches, Mauritius Phone: +230 265 66 19 Website: www.casinosofmauritius.com/casino/casino-tab.html Email: [email protected] Description: Newly renovated casino situated in the north of the island. Casino inside the hotel. Hours: Mon.–Sat. 9 p.m.–4 a.m., Sun., public holidays 3 p.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 70: 2–5 Mur Table Games: 19: 10 American roulette (25–1,000 Mur), 6 blackjack (50–10,000 Mur), 3 Oasis Poker (100–1,000 Mur) Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: seafood Accommodations: 231 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: English and French spoken. Foreign currencies and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners) accepted. Hotel complex features golf course, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, beautiful beaches.


New Zealand (population 4 million) consists of two islands, North Island and South Island, whose combined area is about that of Colorado. The capital, Wellington, on the South Island, is the southernmost national capital in the world, while Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, is on the North Island. South Island is known for the New Zealand Alps, attracting skiers to some of its world-class resorts and mountaineers for the excellent climbing. The country is also known for its friendliness and laid-back atmosphere. The currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD). At the time of this writing, $1 US would buy NZD 1.41, and NSD 1 was worth 71.1¢. Figures in this section are given in New Zealand dollars. The Minister of Internal Affairs announced in mid-2004 that the government will not license further casinos in New Zealand. Sites already licensed in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown will be permitted to remain open. The minimum age to enter a gambling area in New Zealand is 20.

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New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, 412 miles north of the capital, Wellington, on the North Island on the shores of Waitemata Harbor, is surrounded by water and volcanic hills. Auckland’s population (380,000; metropolitan area 1.3 million) is more than double that of Wellington. Auckland is home to many cultures. Most inhabitants (over 60 percent) are of European descent, mainly British, but large Maori and Pacific Island communities also exist. The largest Polynesian population of any city in the world is in Auckland. Communities of people of East Asian origin also inhabit Auckland, due to New Zealand’s rate of immigration, the highest in the world, most of which flows into Auckland. Ethnic groups from all over the world are in Auckland, making it New Zealand’s most cosmopolitan city.

928. SKYCITY Auckland Address: Federal Street and Victoria Street, Auckland, North Island 1001, New Zealand Phone: General information +64 9 363–6000 Website: www.skycityauckland.co.nz Email: [email protected] Description: SKYCITY offers a large number of gaming machines, with huge cash and merchandise jackpots, as well as nearly 100 tables of the most popular games. Hours: 24 hours/day; 365 days/year Slot Machines: 1,200+ Table Games: 100+: Blackjack, baccarat, tai-sai, Caribbean Stud, pai gow, roulette, big six wheel Poker: No Entertainment: Free entertainment ranges from live bands to quiz shows, 6 nights a week in New City Bar in SKYCITY Casino. SKYCITY Theatre has live plays. Restaurants: 6, including Orbit, a revolving restaurant high atop Sky Tower, and the Observatory Accommodations: 1 4-star hotel with 344 rooms and 1 5-star hotel (scheduled completion 2005) Admission Charge: No

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Auckland

Dress Code: No Bonus: Rewards program awards Action points to give savings on SKYCITY Hotel accommodation, Sky Tower tickets, parking in SKYCITY car park, valet parking, and SKYCITY Theatre tickets. Part of the complex, the Sky Tower, at 1,076 feet, is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere; visit after 6 p.m. for just $10.

CHRISTCHURCH Christchurch (population 364,000), the South Island’s largest city, is on the eastern Pacific coast overlooking Pegasus bay. The Avon River flows through the center of the city. Christchurch is the most English city outside of England, and was named after Christ Church College in England.

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929. Christchurch Casino Address: 30 Victoria Street, Christchurch, South Island 8001, New Zealand Phone: +64 3 365–9999; toll-free in New Zealand 800–227–466 Website: www.christchurchcasino.co.nz

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Email: [email protected] Description: Superior first-class European-style casino located opposite the Parkroyal Hotel, near the Town Hall Conference & Exhibition Center, 6 miles from Christchurch International Airport Hours: daily 24 hours except: Good Friday: Closed midnight to midnight—gaming starts at midnight; Anzac Day 25 April: Closed from 3 a.m.–1 p.m.; Christmas Day: Closed midnight Dec 24th.–midnight December 25. Poker room open from 8 p.m.–6 a.m. Thu.–Sun. Slot Machines: 500; see website for current jackpots Table Games: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud, big six wheel, tai-sai, keno (with jackpots), electronic racing Poker: 2 tables: draw, 5-stud, hold’em, two-card Manila, three-card Manila, Omaha Entertainment: Canterbury Bar has live bands. Restaurants: 3, plus 2 bars Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Casino does not permit entry by those in jeans, sportswear, thongs, workboots, T-shirts, or track suits. In addition, guests may not bring in hats, coats, or large bags. These items must be checked at the cloakroom on the ground floor. Bonus: Free breakfast, lunch, or dinner in The Grand Café on a visitor’s birthday (official ID required, and reservation must be made). Plan offers complimentary soft drinks provided for designated drivers. Offers $2 blackjack for those who want to learn to play, noon–8 p.m. every Sun.–Thu. Free bingo at 9:30 a.m. every Wed., Thu., and Fri. during June, July, and August in Café Caesars, with a $500 prize pool, offering 6 cards for each of 10 games. Senior citizen lunches $2 for those over 55.

DUNEDIN Dunedin (population 114,000) is the second-largest city in the South Island, located on the southeast coast 200 miles southeast of Christchurch. Dunedin is notable as a center for ecotourism. It is also the home of the University of Otago.


930. Dunedin Casino

HAMILTON Hamilton (population 143,600) is in the Waikato district 90 miles south of Auckland on the North Island. This rapidly growing small city is home to about 25,000 students, who attend the University of Waikato.

931. SKYCITY Hamilton Address: 346 Victoria Street, Hamilton, North Island 2001 Phone: +64 7 834–4900 Website: www.skycityhamilton.co.nz Email: [email protected] Description: Situated in the middle of the Riverside Centre, SKYCITY Hamilton has something for everyone. Hours: Sun.–Wed. 9 a.m.–3 a.m., Thu.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 a.m.; half day for Anzac day; closed Christmas Day and Good Friday Slot Machines: 339 Table Games: 23: Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, tai-sai, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Ongoing free live shows at the bar in the casino (Number Eight Bar); look on website for latest listings Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Players who use their Action Card when playing on the tables or gaming machines go into a weekly (8 p.m. every Wed.) drawing for $2,000 cash. If not won, the jackpot rolls over to the next week and continues to a maximum of $10,000. Various other promotions include random drawings. Free bingo every Monday starting at 1 p.m. with up to $300 in prizes.

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Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant casino housed in the former Grand Hotel, considered “one of the finest hotels in the Southern Hemisphere” Hours: Sun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.–4 a.m. Slot Machines: 180 Table Games: Baccarat, blackjack, big six wheel, roulette, Caribbean Stud, tai-sai Poker: Hold’em, two-card Manila Entertainment: On www.dunedincasino.co.nz/whats_on.htm are several links to city attractions. Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: 178 rooms; casino is in hotel Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Smart, neat attire Bonus: Various promotions and contests and deal nights; see website; other free cash drawings, and bingo. Club members get triple points on Tuesdays. Casino arranges package tours (golf, sightseeing, sport fishing). Learn to play blackjack for free any night for groups of 4 or more, with practice chips. Free bingo every Sunday11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

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Address: 118 High Street, Dunedin, South Island 9001, New Zealand Phone: +64 800 477–4545 Website: www.dunedincasino.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN Queenstown (population 8,600) is a resort town in Otago, in the southwest of the South Island. Queenstown is surrounded by New Zealand’s Southern Alps and is close to four world-class ski areas (Cardrona, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Treble Cone). The town’s name came about because the destination was one considered “fit for Queen Victoria.” A typical resort town, Queenstown is a center for adventure tourism, including skiing, jet boating, bungee jumping, hiking, and climbing. Queenstown also has a reputation as a wine and food center, and is in the middle of a small wine-producing region, particularly known for its pinot noir.

932. SKYCITY Queenstown Casino

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Address: 16—24 Beach Street, Queenstown, 8009 Phone: +64 3 441–0400 Website: www.skycityqueenstown.co.nz

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Email: [email protected] Description: Located in the heart of Queenstown, SKYCITY Queenstown Casino opened in December 2000 and is part of the SKYCITY Entertainment Group. Hours: Noon–4 a.m. daily Slot Machines: 80 Table Games: American roulette, midi-baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: Free live entertainment many nights at the Wild Thyme bar; find schedules on the website Restaurants: 2 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Neat and tidy Bonus: Action card points give reduction in food and beverages, special competitions, birthday surprises. With an Action Points balance of over 500,000 guests have the option of a specially tailored prize.

Northern Mariana Islands The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; population 80,000) is an archipelago consisting of 14 islands that lie where the North Pacific Ocean meets the Philippine Sea, extending 375 miles from north to south with a total land area of 181 square miles. The capital is Saipan. The area was recognized as a Trust Territory of the USA in 1947. In 1975, the residents of the Islands voted in favor of becoming a self-governing commonwealth of the USA, an event that finally occurred in 1978. The commonwealth maintains control over matters such as immigration, customs, and taxation, while the US government attends to other matters. The executive authority of the CNMI rests with the governor, who is elected for a term of four years. The official currency of the Mariana Islands is the US dollar. The minimum age to enter a gambling area in the Northern Mariana Islands is 21. There is exactly one casino in CNMI.


933. Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino Address: One Broadway, Tinian, MP 96952, USA Phone: 1–670–328–2233; fax 1–670–328–1133 (dial direct from US) Website: www.tinian-dynasty.com.cn/eng/yule.htm# Email: [email protected] Description: Elegant, $150 million Renaissance-inspired casino of 75,000 square feet. Casino officially opened in 1998. Hours: 24 hours/day 365 days/year; poker 7:30 p.m.–6 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights Slot Machines: 250: reel, video reel, video poker and Sega horse racing. 10¢, 20¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1. The games are played with tokens; bill acceptors are close to the machines. Table Games: (minimum/maximum) 4 baccarat ($100 with a $20,000 differential, that is, maximum difference between bets on player and banker side), 10 midi-baccarat ($100/$20,000), 4 roulette ($2/$50 and $10/$200 straight up, maximum even chance bet $5,000), 3 mini-baccarat ($5/$300, $10/$500, $25/$1,000, $50/$2,000), 10 blackjack ($5/$200, $10/$500, $25/$1,000, $50/$2,000), 5 Pacific Poker (a game like Caribbean Stud; $5/$500 and $10/$1,000 and a jackpot that can reach $50,000), big six wheel $1/$500, $5/$1,000), craps ($5/$500, $10/$1,000 on the pass line), sic bo ($5/$500, $10/$1,000 on big and small) Poker: 1 table on the main gaming floor, with more set up to meet demand during tournaments. Hold’em ($4-$8), Omaha, 7-stud, draw poker. 2 major poker tournaments per year, with regular satellites. Entertainment: Live singers, dancers. Boxing, wrestling, Thai boxing, caged ultimate fighting, K1 (freestyle, anything goes karate). Christmas, New Year, and Chinese New Year are marked with big celebrations. New Year is celebrated with a fireworks display and concerts while Chinese New Year has feasting and a traditional Lion Dance. Restaurants: 5: Dynasty Court (Cantonese), Sagano (Japanese), Broadway (eclectic a la carte menu plus international buffet), Casino Café, pizza bar Accommodations: First 5-star hotel and casino in CNMI,

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Part of the Mariana Island chain, the island of Tinian is the second-largest of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands at 39 square miles. It lies 3 miles south of Saipan, about 1,675 miles east of Taipei, 2,110 miles east of Hong Kong, and about 1430 miles southeast of Tokyo. On the east is the Pacific Ocean and on the west the Philippine Sea. The closest major airport is on Guam, 100 miles distant and 45 minutes away by plane. Saipan has its own International Airport, offering twice-weekly flights to Guangzhou, China. From there it is a 60-minute ferry trip to Tinian. (The extra time is because each dock is at the far end of its respective island.) Tinian also has an airport for small planes; you can make the trip from Saipan in a ten-minute flight. Saipan offers regular direct flights to and from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and soon Beijing. The best way to travel from the US is to fly to Guam and connect to Saipan with Continental Airlines. The events that brought World War II to a close were launched from Tinian. The B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay left the island in the early morning of August 6, 1945, to deliver the atomic bomb (Little Boy) that destroyed Hiroshima. Days later, a second device (Fat Man) was dropped on Nagasaki. Tinian now has a museum displaying wartime artifacts, such as atomic bomb pits, bunkers, and bombed buildings.

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TINIAN

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built on 150,000 square feet of land facing Taga beach southwest of Tinian. 412 rooms, including 2 presidential suites and 22 business suites Family Amenities: Hotel has a 8,000-square-foot pool with waterslide, children’s play area, beach volleyball, table tennis, big barbecue pit for alfresco dining, all set among a tropical garden setting. The hotel fronts on sandy beaches, where families can find jet skis, kayaks, motor scooters, and snorkeling equipment to rent. There is a reef that teems with tropical fish and is safe to snorkel around. Other activities include scuba diving, parasailing, fishing, turtle tours, boat cruises, and even flying lessons in a Cessna. Families have access to all the restaurants except the Casino Café. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No strict dress code, but sleeveless shirts for men and thongs and sandals are not allowed Bonus: Royal Ascot racing game, with 23 stations. Baccarat and blackjack tournaments. Special entertainment events for groups arranged on request. To encourage Chinese tourism, there are 2 weekly round trip flights from Guangzhou, a 4–5 hour flight. Shopping arcade. Spa, with sauna and massage therapy. Salons.

Réunion

OCEANIA

Réunion (population 763,000), an island in the Indian Ocean 600 miles east of Madagascar, 20 miles wide by 40 miles long, is an overseas département (département d’outre-mer, or DOM) of France. The island has three volcanic remnants, mountains that rise to almost 10,000 feet within only a few miles. These mountains interrupt the flow of monsoon winds, which causes heavy precipitation, particularly on the eastern slopes, which face the constant trade winds from May through October. This produces mist, cloud, and light rain even in the so-called dry season. The administrative capital and largest town is Saint-Denis. The currency is the euro.

934. Casino de Saint-Denis Address: Barachois Place Sarda Garriga, Saint-Denis, 97400 Réunion Phone: +262 262 41 33 33 Website: www.casinodestdenis.fr Description: Small, French-style casino with 2 gaming halls Hours: Slots weekdays 10 a.m.–2 a.m., weekends 10 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables weekdays 9:30 p.m.–2:30 a.m., Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.–3 a.m. Slot Machines: 80 Table Games: American roulette, blackjack, casino stud poker Poker: No Entertainment: Bar; nightclub Restaurants: 1: Baccara (French and Creole; noon–3 p.m., 7:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.) Accommodations: Hotel le Saint-Denis has 110 rooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Gardens nearby. Shops. Freshwater swimming pool. Tennis court. 18-hole golf course nearby.


Vanuatu

Port Vila (population 30,000), on the south coast of the island of Efate, 1,200 miles off the east coast of Australia, is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. The country’s most important harbor and airport are located in Port Vila, making it the nation’s economic and commercial center.

935. Le Meridien Port Vila The Palms Casino Address: Tassiriki Park, Port Vila, Shéfa, Vanuatu Phone: +678 220 40 Website: www.lemeridien.com/vanuatu/port_vila/hotel_vu1668.shtml Email: Contact form on website Description: Le Meridien, 10 minutes from the main township of Port Vila, is known as Vanuatu’s premier international deluxe resort. Set on 50 landscaped acres with a private beach frontage overlooking Erakor Lagoon and its own private island, the hotel features Vanuatu architecture and offers Port Vila’s only international casino. Hours: Slots Sun.–Thu. 11.30 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 11.30 a.m.–3 a.m.; tables Sun.–Thu. 12.30 p.m.–2 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 12.30 p.m.–3 a.m.; depending on play, casino may stay open later Slot Machines: 60 Table Games: 10: Blackjack, baccarat, roulette Poker: No Entertainment: Nightly entertainment in lounge Restaurants: 1: La Verandah Restaurant (breakfast, buffet, and à la carte dinners; 6 p.m.–10 p.m.); plus lounge and bar Accommodations: 144 rooms and suites; includes lagoon bungalows called “Fales,” which are designed for couples Family Amenities: Children’s programs; wading pool Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Business center; handicap access; golf (9 hole course); swimming pool; tennis court; volleyball; water sports

OCEANIA

PORT VILA

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Vanuatu (population 200,000), which means “the land that always existed,” is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean made up of 83 tropical islands some 300 miles northeast of New Caledonia and 1,300 miles east of Australia. The capital and largest city is Port Vila. Vanuatu, formerly New Hebrides, gained independence from France and the United Kingdom in 1980. The major languages are Bislama, English, and French. The currency of Vanuatu is the Vanuatuan Vatu (VUV). At the time of this writing, 1 Vatu was worth $0.0096; 1 US dollar bought VUV 104.21. Vanuatu has two casinos.

Cruise Ships Some of the best casinos in the world are on cruise ships. On some, the cruise is the main emphasis and the casino is a nice added amenity. These include the vessels of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. On others, the casino is the raison d’être for the cruise, providing an opportunity to sail three miles from the US coastline into international waters, where gaming restrictions of the mainland do not apply. These include Palm Beach Princess Line and Southern Elegance Casino Cruises.

THE BIG “M” CASINO The Big “M” Casino is a gambling cruise ship that sails from Fort Myers Beach, which is on the west coast of Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles southeast of St. Petersburg.

936. The Big “M” Casino Address: 450 Harbor Court, Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931 Phone: 239–765–PLAY (239–765–7529); toll-free in Florida only: 1–888–373–3521 Website: www.bigmcasino.com Email: [email protected] Description: 162-foot gaming yacht at Moss Marine, which is located just over the Sky Bridge on Fort Myers Beach Hours: Winter schedule (Jan.–March): 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily ($10), 6 p.m.–11:30 p.m. daily ($10, except $20 Sat.). Summer schedule (April–Dec.; no Monday cruises): Tue.–Sun. 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ($10); Tue.–Sun. 6 p.m.–11:30 p.m. ($10, except $20 Sat.) Slot Machines: 185: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5; video slots, video poker; megajackpots; up to 98 percent payback Table Games: Blackjack ($10–$500, $25–$1,000, $50–$1,000), roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Live entertainment on all 6 p.m. cruises Restaurants: Morning buffet $5.95; evening buffet $12.95; à la carte available for both Accommodations: No Admission Charge: See Hours; you must be 21 to board; ID required Dress Code: No Bonus: Big “M” Casino Player’s Club rewards card for slot play. Free parking. Bingo on all 10:30 a.m. cruises. $20 of playing tokens for $10 coupon on website.

CARD PLAYER CRUISES

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Card Player Cruises is the company to consider if you are interested in playing poker on a cruise ship. Their cruises feature a dedicated cardroom (separate from the casino), professional dealers, a wide variety of poker games and limits, free lessons, beginner tables, poker seminars, and tournaments. Players of all skill levels are comfortable on a Card Player Cruises poker vacation. In addition to five poker cruises a year, Card Player Cruises hosts the annual PartyPoker.com Million tournament aboard one of Holland America’s ships. This is a World Poker Tour event that is televised, featuring a prize pool of several million dollars. This tournament has awarded first prize of at least $1 million since its inception in 2001, and that figure is likely to rise, based on the popularity of poker tournaments. Card Player Cruises does a tremendous repeat business due to going the extra mile to ensure that their customers have a great time. The poker room has no-smoking and noabuse policies. Their rates are extremely competitive and they offer welcome-aboard parties, gifts, and shore excursions. Due to cruise line policies, only players booked through Card Player Cruises can participate in the poker room. To view the list of poker cruises offered, check the Card Player Cruises website (www.cardplayercruises.com) or call the office at 888–999–4880 or 702–655–0919 in Las Vegas.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES In addition to offering its own cruises all over the world, Carnival Cruise Lines is the parent company of Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, Windstar, Princess, and The Yachts of Seabourn. Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the world, based on passengers carried. Address: 3655 Northwest 87th Avenue Miami, Florida 33178 Telephone: 305–599–2600; fax 305–406–4855; toll-free reservations 1–888–CARNIVAL (1–888–227–6482) You can find toll-free vacation reservation phone numbers for the US, and for Italy, the U.K., Norway, and Germany, plus email addresses, on the website: www.carnival.com. The line has a fleet of 20 vessels. Primary home ports are Miami; San Juan; Long Beach; Tampa; New Orleans; Port Canaveral, Florida; Galveston, Texas; VancouverWhittier/Anchorage; New York; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; and Mobile, Alabama. Cruising areas are the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, and Europe. Every vessel has a casino that offers slots, craps, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud, and Caribbean Draw. There is a slots rewards card that earns points that can be redeemed on any of the Carnival subsidiaries. Slot machines are available in denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, $1, $5, $25. Progressive and linked jackpots are available, one of which, MegaCash, is the world’s largest cruise ship jackpot, with potential prizes over $1 million. Every vessel offers complimentary gaming lessons.


DISCOVERY CRUISE LINE Discovery Cruise Line, based in Florida, offers a pleasant vacation package to Freeport, Grand Bahama. You can either make it a one-day trip, or choose to stay there for a while.

937. M/V Discovery Sun

CRUISE SHIPS

Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Description: 3,600-square-foot casino on a cruise vessel that departs Port Everglades (pier 4) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida every day at 7:45 a.m., arrives Freeport, Grand Bahama at 1 p.m.; returns same day to South Florida from Freeport 4:45 p.m., arrives Port Everglades at 10 p.m.; package prices. Packages are available to stay overnight or longer in Freeport. Both English and Spanish are spoken. US currency used in casino. The casino is run by Casinos Austria. Hours: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–9:15 p.m.; closed within 3-mile limit to international waters, which takes about 30 minutes; casino is closed in port Slot Machines: 126: 35 5¢, 65 25¢, 26 $1; 25¢ and $1 machines accept tokens, 5¢ machines accept US nickels; includes video poker; 5¢ and 25¢ progressives Table Games: 8: 4 blackjack ($5–$100, $10–$200, $25–$300), 1 three-card poker ($5–$100), 1 Oasis Stud Poker ($5–$200), 1 mini-craps ($5–$100; single odds), 1 American roulette ($5–$300, can bet $1 with a minimum of 5 $1 bets per spin) Poker: No Entertainment: Dancing, live music. Live entertainment show presented on the return portion of the cruise. Caribbean music is played on the top deck, and a band in the international lounge plays a variety of music. Karaoke. Also, games, contests, disco, and more. Restaurants: 7-course dining in the Grand Bahama Grill. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets served in Galaxy and Neptune dining rooms. Special meals can be ordered in advance. Accommodations: Private cabins available at extra charge Family Amenities: Club Discovery for children ages 6–12 provides a learning experience, with an emphasis on marine life and experiences. Additional activities include arts and crafts, face painting, XBox games, board games, cartoons, movies, and more. Admission Charge: No charge to enter casino. Must be 18 years old to gamble. Dress Code: No bathing suits. Shirts must be worn at all times. Bonus: Complimentary beverages for players with minimum bet of $25 per hand. Players club for frequent travelers with average bet of $25 per hand, for a minimum 3 hours per segment. Rated frequent travelers members receive discounted cruise fares, match play coupon, and complimentary dinner.

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Address: 1775 Northwest 70th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 Phone: Reservations 305–597–0336; toll-free 1–888–213–8253; fax 305–477–2867 Website: www.discoverycruise.com

EMERALD PRINCESS DINNER & CASINO CRUISE Georgia does not have casino gambling within its borders; nonetheless, it has two casinos, both of which are cruise vessels. These vessels sail for only a few hours at a time and always start and end at the same place. Both are small, but one, which sails from Brunswick, merits mention to those who want to have a fun evening of cruising, dining, and gambling. Brunswick (population 16,500) is in southeastern Georgia, 45 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, and about 7 miles inland.

938. Emerald Princess Dinner & Casino Cruise

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Address: 1701 Newcastle Street, Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia 31520 Phone: 912–265–3558; toll-free 1–800–842–0115; fax 912–265–8296 Website: www.emeraldprincesscasino.com

CRUISE SHIPS

Email: [email protected] Description: 3-level cruise ship (Panamanian registry) docked at the waterfront, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, that makes short trips into international waters (3 miles offshore) to allow patrons to gamble without falling under the jurisdiction of the state government Hours: Sailings: Mon.–Thu.,7 p.m.–12 a.m.; Fri.,7 p.m.–1 a.m.; Sat.,11 a.m.–4 p.m.; 7 p.m.–1 a.m.; Sun.,1 p.m.–6 p.m. Gaming usually starts 45 minutes after departure and ends 45 minutes prior to return, that is, it is permitted only when the ship is in international waters. Slot Machines: 130: 5¢, 25¢, $1, $5 Table Games: 11: 7 blackjack ($5–$100, $10–$200, $25–$500), craps ($5–$300, with double odds), roulette ($5 minimum bet), Caribbean Stud ($5–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: Southeastern Georgia entertainment, including professional DJs, on third deck Restaurants: 1: Seating for 80. Meal is included with admission cost. Vegetarian selection available. Accommodations: No, hotels 5 miles away. Admission Charge: $10 per cruise, $20 Sat. evening April–Aug. only. Group rates of $7 per person for groups of 25 or more, Jan.–March, when booked 10 or more days in advance. Minimum age to participate in a cruise is 18. Dress Code: Casual (no cut-off shorts, beachwear, tank tops for men, or bikini tops for women) Bonus: Bingo. Online drawings for free tickets and gaming tokens (see website). The Emerald Princess offers a game it calls EZ Money, which is a combination of several other games and offers free cash prizes.

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE Holland America Line, whose parent company is Carnival, has 12 vessels that sail to more than 280 ports of call and all seven continents. You can find vessels in these places in the following months: Alaska/Glacier Bay/Inside Passage: May–Sep.; Eastern Canada/New England: May–Oct.; Caribbean: year round; Europe: April–Oct.; Hawaii: Feb., March, April, Sept, Oct.; Mexico: Jan.–April, Oct, Nov., Dec.; Pacific Northwest: April, May, Sept.; Panama Canal: Jan., April, May, Oct.–Dec.; South America: Jan.–early May, late Nov., Dec.

Shared Characteristics of Holland America Line Vessels Address: Head office: 300 Elliott Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 1–206–281–3535; fax 1–206–281–7110; Reservations 1–877–SAIL HAL (1–877–724–5425) Website: www.hollandamerica.com Description: US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: The casino closes only on port days. Actual hours vary, depending on itinerary, although the ship must be in international waters (usually 3 miles offshore), which limits opening time to usually 30 minutes after departure and 30 minutes prior to docking. Slot Machines: Each vessel has a large number, specified in listing. Table Games: Each vessel has a different mix of games, specified in listing. Poker: While the casinos do not regularly have poker, each year Card Player Cruises hosts the PartyPoker Million tournament aboard one of Holland America’s cruises to the Eastern Caribbean. See the Card Player Cruises section for more information. Entertainment: Each vessel has a show lounge that presents Las Vegas- and Broadway-style musical programs that feature vocalists, comedians, illusionists, and variety performers. Each also has a theater that shows recently released movies. Restaurants: Main dining room with 4 seatings, plus 2 restaurants Accommodations: All include penthouse suites and other types of suites, and outside and inside cabins. Family Amenities: Club HAL activities are age-appropriate, and include storytelling, arts and crafts, ice-cream sundae or pizza parties, ship tours and bingo for ages 5–8; miniature golf, table tennis, theme parties, on-deck sports events, and scavenger hunts for ages 9–12; and a teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, sports tour-

CRUISE SHIPS

These are scheduled cruises and their stops. Asia and Pacific: Xingang, China; Hong Kong, China; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; Yokohama, Japan. Canada and New England: Gloucester, Massachusetts; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Quebec City, Quebec; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Caribbean: Catalina Island, Dominican Republic; Cozumel, Mexico; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Road Town, Tortola; Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Coastal: San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; Vancouver, British Columbia; Victoria, British Columbia. Europe: Warnemunde, Berlin, Germany; Cadiz, Spain; Livorno, Italy; Helsinki, Finland; St Petersburg, Moscow. Hawaii: Honolulu; Hilo; Kona; Lahaina Maui; Nawiliwili Kauai. Mexico: Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa; Loreto; Pichilingue/La Paz; Santa Rosalia; Manzanillo. Pacific Northwest: Astoria, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Vancouver, British Columbia; Victoria, British Columbia. Panama Canal: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; St Thomas, US V.I. South America: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Callao/Lima, Peru; Punta Arenas, Chile; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Valparaiso, Chile. World Voyage: Mumbai (Bombay), India; Hong Kong, China; Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand; Sydney, Australia; Thilawa, Myanmar. See website for dates. A thirteenth vessel, the MS Noordam, is scheduled to be launched in 2006. Its characteristics will be like those of the MS Oosterdam and Westerdam. All Holland America Line vessels have casinos. They share the following characteristics, which we do not repeat for each vessel:

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naments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, movies, and videos for ages 13–17. There is special food for kids, including special sandwiches, tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. Baby food, high chairs, and booster seats can be requested in advance of boarding, and babysitting services are available for a small surcharge. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: Each ship’s dress code applies in the casino as well. Evening dress falls into 3 categories. Each night a daily program delivered to the stateroom announces the suggested dress for the following evening. For designated casual evenings, guests may wear comfortable, relaxed clothing; however, T-shirts, jeans, swimsuits, tank tops, and shorts are not allowed in the dining room, Lido restaurant, or public areas during evening hours. On informal nights, dresses or pantsuits for women and jackets (tie optional) for men are standard. On festive formal evenings, women usually wear cocktail dresses or gowns and men usually wear business suits or tuxedos. Each vessel typically has 2 formal nights per week. Bonus: Dancing in several lounges, plus a dance floor in the Crow’s Nest nightclub and observation lounge. Internet café. Card room for private games. Piano bar. Private lounge for suite guests. Wedding packages. Swimming pools. Spa, with saunas, steam rooms, massage rooms, beauty salon/barber shop, jogging track. Most vessels have wheelchair-accessible cabins and facilities. All have some triple and quadruple cabins.

CRUISE SHIPS

Individual Holland America Line Vessels 939. MS Amsterdam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,469-square-foot casino in 55,451-ton, 1,258-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 104: 15 10¢, 70 25¢, 18 $1, 2 $5; 9 video Table Games: 11: 5 blackjack (3 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel, 1 tournament table Poker: Card Player Cruises has a package on the Alaska Cruise Aug. 14–21, 2005. Also see start of section. Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 690 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section


940. MS Maasdam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section

Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 4,500-square-foot casino in 81,769-ton, 1,848-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 130: 22 5¢, 79 25¢, 25 $1, 4 $5; 15 video Table Games: 11: 5 blackjack (3 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 924 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: The MS Oosterdam was chartered exclusively in March 2005, for the PartyPoker.com Million IV, the world’s largest limit hold’em tournament. Also see start of section.

942. MS Rotterdam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,674-square-foot casino in 59,652-ton, 1,316-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 116: 14 5¢, 76 25¢, 25 $1, 2 $5 Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (2 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 658 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

CRUISE SHIPS

941. MS Oosterdam

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Description: 3,674-square-foot casino in 55,451-ton, 1,258-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 104: 16 5¢, 80 25¢, 20 $1, 3 $5; 10 video Table Games: 11: 4 blackjack (3 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel, 1 Let It Ride Bonus Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 629 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Poker: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

943. MS Ryndam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,469-square-foot casino in 55,570-ton, 1,258-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 104: 14 5¢, 69 25¢, 19 $1, 2 $5 Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (3 regular, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 629 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

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944. MS Statendam

CRUISE SHIPS

Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,469-square-foot casino in 55,451-ton, 1,258-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 104: 14 5¢, 69 25¢, 18 $1, 3 $5 Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (2 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 629 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

945. MS Veendam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,674-square-foot casino in 55,451-ton, 1,258-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 97: 13 5¢, 63 25¢, 18 $1, 3 $5; 10 video Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (3 regular, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 629 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section


946. MS Volendam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section

Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 4,500-square-foot casino in 81,769-ton, 1,848-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 126 Table Games: 11: 6 blackjack (5 regular, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 Let It Ride Bonus Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 924 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

948. MS Zaandam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 3,552-square-foot casino in 60,906-ton, 1,440-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 111: 17 5¢, 62 25¢, 29 $1, 3 $5; 7 video Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (2 regular, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: Card Player Cruises has a package on the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal Cruise Oct. 22–Nov. 1, 2005. Also see start of section. Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 720 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

CRUISE SHIPS

947. MS Westerdam

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Description: 3,552-square-foot casino in 60,906-ton, 1,432-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 109: 18 5¢, 64 25¢, 24 $1, 3 $5; 7 video Table Games: 9: 4 blackjack (2 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 716 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

949. MS Zuiderdam Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: 4,500-square-foot casino in 81,769-ton, 1,848-passenger vessel Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 133: 22 10¢, 80 25¢, 27 $1, 4 $5; 25 video Table Games: 12: 6 blackjack (4 regular, 1 dealt face-up, 1 fun 21), 1 craps, 1 roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 three-card poker, 1 big six wheel Poker: See start of section Entertainment: See start of section Restaurants: See start of section Accommodations: 924 cabins and suites. Also see start of section. Family Amenities: See start of section Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: See start of section

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IMPERIAL MAJESTY CRUISE LINE

CRUISE SHIPS

950. M/V Regal Empress Address: Head office: Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, 2950 Gateway Drive, Pompano Beach Florida 33069 Vessel home port: Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale Phone: 954–956–9505; toll-free: 800–394–3865; fax: 954–971–6678 Website: www.imperialmajesty.com Email: Email links can be found on website Description: The casino has a classic elegance and has a bar that seats 20. Sails to Nassau Bahamas from Ft. Lauderdale, every other day. Gaming is in U.S. dollars. ATMs dispense $300 maximum, with a flat rate of $8 per transaction. Hours: Casino opens approximately 30–45 minutes after departure, which is 5 p.m. Slot Machines: 115: denominations of 5¢, 25¢, $1 Table Games: 1 roulette wheel (minimum spread $3; minimum outside bet $5; maximum straight up $10, split $20, street $30, corner $40, six lines $60, columns or dozens $100, maximum even chance $200); 5 7-player blackjack tables ($5–$300); Caribbean Stud (ante minimum $5, maximum $300) Poker: No Entertainment: 4 venues, including 2 shows nightly in the Grand Lounge, a trio at the pool bar, piano bar (Commodore Lounge), karaoke in the Mermaid Lounge Restaurants: 2: Caribbean dining room holds 595 guests and offers 2 seatings; La Trattoria (buffet) Accommodations: 457 cabins, including 29 suites Family Amenities: A program of supervised children’s activities is offered for children ages 3–12. Admission Charge: No. Minimum age for gaming is 18. Dress Code: Casual Bonus: Accepts major credit cards. Ship has international officers and crew; it is a contractual obligation that they be able to communicate in the English language. In addition, many other languages are spoken.


LEISURE LADY CASINO The Leisure Lady remains in international waters at all times, and shuttles bring passengers to the boat from Fort Meyers Beach. The Leisure Lady Casino shuts down long enough to receive passengers and put passengers back on the shuttle, but this is only a few minutes at a time. Apart from that, the casino is open for the stated hours.

951. Leisure Lady

PALM BEACH PRINCESS LINE Palm Beach Princess Line has one vessel, the Palm Beach Princess, which sails twice daily on a gambling cruise from the Port of Palm Beach. Port of Palm Beach is located in Riviera Beach, Florida, which is 5 miles north of West Palm Beach and 70 miles north of Miami.

952. Palm Beach Princess Address: Port of Palm Beach, One East 11th Street, Riviera Beach, Florida 33404 Phone: 561–845–SHIP (561–845–7447); toll-free: 1–800–841–SHIP (1–800–841–7447) Website: www.pbcasino.com Description: 7-deck, 6,659-ton, 421-foot, 850-passenger vessel with a 15,000-square-foot casino; lower casino is completely nonsmoking (primarily slot area, but Jan. through May, also offers blackjack; nonsmoking blackjack available year round Sat., Sun. day cruises) Hours: Casino open each cruise 30 minutes after departure and 30 minutes before arrival. Cruises twice daily 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m. (Approximately 1 day per month the ship does not sail for the general public. Check website or call for dates.)

CRUISE SHIPS

Email: [email protected] Description: 165-foot casino ship, with water shuttles to transport passengers in under 40 minutes to the boat Hours: Sun.–Thu. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. (closed Mondays during off season), Fri., Sat. 9:30 a.m.–12:30 a.m. See website or call for shuttle times. Slot Machines: 180+: 25¢, $1, $5; video slots, video poker Table Games: 12: 7 blackjack ($5–$100, $10–$200, $25–$500), 1 roulette ($5 minimum, with 5 $1 bets; $10 maximum number, $200 maximum even), 2 craps ($5–$300; 2X odds), 1 Let It Ride, 1 Oasis Stud poker ($5–$25) Poker: 2 tables: Hold’em ($5-$10, $10-$20). Game usually goes only Fri. and Sat. evenings, sometimes Sun. Entertainment: No Restaurants: 1: A la carte menu Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 per person on all cruises, except Friday and Saturday nights $20 per person. Must be 21 to board, with valid photo ID required at time of boarding. Dress Code: No Bonus: Leisure Lady Casino VIP card has 3 levels with benefits for cardholders. You can stay on board for as long or as short a time as you like, dependent only on shuttle schedules. Coupon on website for free boarding pass, free well drink, free deli sandwich. Sportsbook. Blackjack tournaments.

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Address: 2080 Main Street, Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931 Phone: 239–765–1777; toll-free 1–877–764–1777 Website: www.leisureladycasino.com

616 CRUISE SHIPS

Slot Machines: 400: 5¢–$5; progressives with jackpots up to $25,000 Table Games: 2 craps ($5–$200 available on all day cruises, except Sundays; $10–$300 on all cruises; 2X odds), 2 Let It Ride ($10–$100; if not enough demand, then $5–$100), 2 American roulette (minimum $10, or $5 on day cruises upon request; $25 maximum on numbers), 17 blackjack ($5–$50, $10–$200, $15–$200, $25–$300, $50–$500; also, at upper management discretion only, $100–$1,000, $200–$1,000 maximum; 4 tables offer a 21 Madness side bet) Poker: 8 tables: call poker number for live game offerings. No-limit hold’em tournaments ($55 buy-in with $30 rebuys) Mon., Tue., and Wed. evening sailings. Poker room is nonsmoking. Entertainment: 180-seat Palm Beach Lounge features live entertainment, cabaret shows, revues, 2 bands, games, and dancing. 120-seat Lido Bar is a poolside outdoor lounge with Calypso music. Restaurants: 1: Royal Palm Dining Room (180 degree view while dining, with seating for 170; features different themed buffets nightly; also à la carte) Accommodations: No Family Amenities: Holiday celebrations for families Admission Charge: Mon.-Fri. morning and Sun.-Thu. evening cruises, $30. Sat., Sun. brunch cruise and Fri., Sat. evening cruise, $40. These are full fare prices, for ages 21–49. Those in the following categories get a $5 discount for all cruises: Florida resident, AARP (50+), AAA, senior (65+). Children 5 and under free, and children 6–12 $20 weekdays, $25 weekends. Dress Code: Suggested dress code for day cruise is “Florida casual” and for evening cruise is “cocktail casual.” Bonus: Tournaments. Bingo. Sports bar has 9 televisions featuring live broadcasts with betting available and seating for 100. Sportsbook available Mon.–Fri. evening cruises and Sat.–Sun. daytime and evening cruises. Massage therapy available on board.

PRINCESS CRUISES Princess Cruises, whose parent company is Carnival, has 15 vessels, sailing to and from many ports, as detailed in the following descriptions. All Princess Cruises vessels have casinos. They do share some characteristics, which we do not repeat for each vessel:

Shared Characteristics of Princess Cruises Vessels Address: Corporate Headquarters: Princess Cruises, 24844 Avenue Rockefeller, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Phone: 661–753–0000; toll-free 1–800–PRINCESS (1–800–774–6237); fax: 661–753–0133; poker room information and tournament reservations: 1–888–822–9219 Website: www.princess.com (entire company and fleet); individual vessel’s website listed for each Description: A description for each vessel appears in listings. Hours: This applies to all vessels: At sea, slots open at 9 a.m., tables at 2 p.m.; closing time is at casino’s discretion based on the number of people still playing during later hours (usually as late as players want to play). If the ship is headed to a port (based on international water and gaming laws), where ships generally arrive around 5–6 a.m., the casino must close before reaching those waters. On port days, the casino opens at the earliest opportunity after sailing, which is approximately 30 minutes after departure from a port (excepting American ports of call, 1 hour).

Individual Princess Cruises Vessels 953. Coral Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/co/index.html Description: The Grand Casino, Princess’s first city-themed casino, simulates the look and feel of London. Vessel home port: Ft. Lauderdale. 1,970-passenger, 92,000-ton Coral Princess sails most of the year through the Panama Canal, departing from Ft. Lauderdale, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. It spends summer sailing across the Gulf of Alaska, departing from Vancouver. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 230+ Table Games: 5 blackjack, 2 Let It Ride, 2 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 2 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 688seat Broadway-style theater with 36-foot proscenium; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 4 (on the ship): 2 main dining rooms and 2 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 987 cabins (879 outside/108 inside), including: 16 suites with private balconies, 184 mini-suites with private balconies, 8 mini-suites (no balcony), 527 outside cabins with private balconies, 144 standard outside cabins, 108 inside cabins. 83 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: Kids’ swimming pool. Child and teen centers. Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 9-hole putting course. 4 swimming pools. Also see start of section.

CRUISE SHIPS

Slot Machines: This applies to all vessels: Denominations: 5¢, 25¢, $1, and in some, but not all, $5, $25. Progressive jackpots. All have token (usable only in casino), credit, and bill acceptor machines (no coins). Table Games: Not all vessels have all the same table games, but where they do, the following minimum/maximum bets apply: blackjack ($3/$50, $5/$100, $10/$200, $25/$300), Let It Ride, ($5/$50; $1 bonus bet), American roulette ($1 and $2 minimum games, with these maximums on both: $10 inside bet, $175 columns and dozens, $350 on any even money bet), 2 Caribbean Stud ($5/$50), Caribbean Draw Poker ($5/$50), craps (line bets $5/$100 with single odds, proposition bets $1 minimum), three-card poker ($5/$50). Entertainment: In all cases, the casino has no entertainment, but each vessel has something special. Admission Charge: No Dress Code: General onboard attire is either smart casual (how one would dress for a fine restaurant at home) or formal (depending on the occasion). No separate dress codes for the casino. Bonus: This applies to all vessels: With credit card registration at check-in, passengers can charge up to $1,500 per day to their onboard accounts, to a total of $5,000. ATMs are available. Get a view from a bridge cam on the ship at the website. 24-hour Internet café. Spa. Gym. Indoor game tournaments, such as backgammon, chess, bridge. Wedding chapel. Duty-free shops. Some wheelchair-accessible cabins.

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954. Dawn Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/dp/index.html

618 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: Casino has a stained glass ceiling sculpture that simulates a moving American roulette wheel. Vessel home ports: Fort Lauderdale, San Juan, Acapulco (Caribbean cruises) Vancouver/Seward (Alaska cruises). 1,950-passenger, 77,000-ton Dawn Princess sails the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, and Hawaii. In summer it sails the Gulf of Alaska. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 180+ Table Games: 4 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 550seat Broadway-style theater; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 2 main dining rooms and 4 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 975 cabins (603 outside/372 inside), including: 6 suites with private balconies, 32 mini-suites with private balconies, 372 outside cabins with private balconies, 193 standard outside cabins, 372 inside cabins. 70 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: 2-level children’s and teen’s centers Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 4 swimming pools. Library. Also see start of section.

955. Golden Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/np/index.html Description: Vessel home port: Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan (Caribbean) Southampton (Summer 2005). 2,600-passenger, 109,000-ton Golden Princess sails winter/spring/fall on a 7-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary, and summer 2005 in Western Europe. See website for dates. Atlantis Casino: At 13,500 square feet, one of the largest casinos at sea; tropical theme featuring hologram artwork. Seats 77. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 264+ Table Games: 8 blackjack, 3 Let It Ride, 2 American roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 Caribbean Draw, 1 craps, 3 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 715-seat Broadway-style theater with 36-foot proscenium; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 3 main dining rooms and 3 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 1,300 cabins (928 outside/372 inside), including: 28 suites with private balconies, 180 mini-suites with private balconies, 8 mini-suites (no balcony), 502 outside cabins with private balconies, 218 standard outside cabins, 372 inside cabins. 80 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: Kids’ swimming pool. Child and teen centers. Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 9-hole putting course. 4 swimming pools. Also see start of section.


956. Grand Princess

957. Island Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/ip/index.html Description: The Grand Casino simulates the ambiance of Paris. Vessel home port: Ft. Lauderdale. 1,970-passenger, 92,000-ton Island Princess sails the Panama Canal and Alaska. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 230+ Table Games: 5 blackjack, 2 Let It Ride, 2 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 2 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 6: 2 main dining rooms and 4 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 987 cabins (879 outside/108 inside), including: 16 suites with private balconies, 184 mini-suites with private balconies, 8 mini-suites (no balcony), 527 outside cabins with private balconies, 144 standard outside cabins, 108 inside cabins. 83 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: Kids’ swimming pool. Child and teen centers. Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. Also see start of section.

CRUISE SHIPS

Description: Vessel home port: Galveston (Caribbean cruises), Barcelona/Venice/Rome (Europe cruises). 2,600-passenger, 109,000-ton Grand Princess sails winter/spring/fall on a 7-day Western Caribbean itinerary, and summer on 12-day Mediterranean or Greek Isles itineraries. See website for dates. Atlantis Casino: At 13,500 square feet, one of the largest casinos at sea; tropical theme featuring hologram artwork. Seats 77. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 250+ Table Games: 8 blackjack, 3 Let It Ride, 2 American roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 Caribbean Draw, 1 craps, 2 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 748-seat Broadway-style theater with 36-foot proscenium; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 3 main dining rooms and 3 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 987 cabins (879 outside/108 inside), including: 16 suites with private balconies, 184 mini-suites with private balconies, 8 mini-suites (no balcony), 527 outside cabins with private balconies, 144 standard outside cabins, 108 inside cabins. 83 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: Kids’ swimming pool. Child and teen centers. Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 9-hole putting course. 4 swimming pools. Also see start of section.

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Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/ap/index.html

958. Regal Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/gp/index.html

620 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 1,590-passenger, 70,000-ton Regal Princess sails from San Francisco, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Manaus, Brazil for Alaska, Hawaii/Tahiti, Europe, Asia, South Pacific, and South America trips on 10–17-day trips. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 150+ Table Games: 5 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 Caribbean Draw poker, 1 craps, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 1 main dining room and 2 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 795 cabins, including: 14 suites with private balconies, 36 mini-suites with private balconies, 8 mini-suites (no balcony), 134 outside cabins with private balconies, 440 standard outside cabins, 171 inside cabins Family Amenities: Kids’ swimming pool. Child and teen centers. Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 2 swimming pools. Also see start of section.

959. Royal Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/rp/index.html Description: 1,950-passenger, 77,000-ton Royal Princess sails from Civitavecchia, Italy, Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fort Lauderdale, and Manaus, Brazil to Alaska, Hawaii/Tahiti, Europe, Asia, South Pacific. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 100+ Table Games: 3 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has production shows, reviews, dance, many others. 600-seat showroom features Broadway- to Las Vegas-style entertainment shows each night. A 150-seat cinema shows first-run and classic films. Restaurants: 2 main dining rooms and 4 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 975 cabins (603 outside/372 inside), including: 6 suites with private balconies, 32 mini-suites with private balconies, 372 outside cabins with private balconies, 193 standard outside cabins, 372 inside cabins. 70 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: 2-level children’s and teen’s centers Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 4 swimming pools. Library. Also see start of section.


960. Star Princess

961. Sun Princess Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/sp/index.html Description: Casino has a stained glass ceiling sculpture that simulates a moving American roulette wheel. Vessel home ports: Fort Lauderdale, San Juan, Acapulco (Caribbean cruises), Vancouver/Seward (Alaska cruises). 1,950-passenger, 77,000-ton Sun Princess sails the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, and Hawaii. In summer she sails the Gulf of Alaska. See website for dates. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 180+ Table Games: 4 blackjack, 1 Let It Ride, 1 American roulette, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 craps, 1 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 550seat Broadway-style theater; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 2 dining rooms and 2 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 975 cabins (603 outside/372 inside), including: 6 suites with private balconies, 32 mini-suites with private balconies, 372 outside cabins with private balconies, 193 standard outside cabins, 372 inside cabins. 70 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: Child and teen centers Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 4 swimming pools. Also see start of section.

CRUISE SHIPS

Description: Vessel home ports: Los Angeles (Mexican Riviera cruises), Vancouver/ Seward (Gulf of Alaska cruises). 2,600-passenger, 109,000-ton Star Princess sails winter/spring/fall on a 7-day Mexican Riviera itinerary, and summer on a 7-day Gulf of Alaska itinerary. See website for dates. Atlantis Casino: At 13,500 square feet, one of the largest casinos at sea; Greek mythology theme. US dollars are the casino gaming currency. Hours: See start of section Slot Machines: 250+ Table Games: 8 blackjack, 3 Let It Ride, 2 American roulette, 2 Caribbean Stud, 1 Caribbean Draw, 1 craps, 2 three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: Vessel has 715-seat Broadway-style theater with 36-foot proscenium; production shows, reviews, dance, many others Restaurants: 7: 3 main dining rooms and 4 specialty restaurants Accommodations: 1,301 cabins (935 outside/366 inside), including: 25 suites with private balconies, 180 mini-suites with private balconies, 502 outside cabins with private balconies, 228 standard outside cabins, 366 inside cabins. 80 percent of outside staterooms have balconies. Family Amenities: 2-level children’s and teen’s centers Dress Code: See start of section Bonus: Bingo. Gaming lessons. Slot and blackjack tournaments. 9-hole putting course. 4 swimming pools. Also see start of section.

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Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: www.princess.com/ships/tp/index.html

RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES Radisson Seven Seas Cruises is a luxury cruise line with vessels that sail literally all over—and around—the world. Although casinos are not a main emphasis of this cruise line, each ship has one and the casino provides a nice diversion for passengers that enjoy gaming.

962. Seven Seas Voyager Address: Corporate Headquarters: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Suite 410, 600 Corporate Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33334 Phone: 954–776–6123; toll-free: 1–800–477–7500; fax: 954–772–3763 Website: www.rssc.com

622 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: Casual and lively shipboard casino, with 2,585 square feet of gaming space. Ship accommodates 700, has 9 decks, weighs 46,000 tons. Cruises to Europe and the Mediterranean (summer), the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Costa Rica (14 nights, from Ft Lauderdale to Los Angeles, late December), and world cruises Hours: Casino closed while ship is in port. Slots: open all day at sea; in port, open 30 minutes after sailing. Table games: open at sea 2 p.m.–6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until everyone leaves; in port, 9 p.m. until everyone leaves. Slot Machines: 51: reel, video, video poker Table Games: 1 roulette ($1–$300), 3 blackjack ($5–$200), 1 craps ($5–$100), 1 Oasis Stud ($5–$200) Poker: No Entertainment: Constellation Theater offers cabaret-style acts and full-scale production shows. Observation Lounge has piano music. Restaurants: 5: Compass Rose (international; breakfast 8 a.m.–9:30 a.m., lunch noon–1:30 p.m., dinner 7 p.m.–9:30 p.m.), La Veranda (Mediterranean; breakfast buffet 7:30 a.m.–10 a.m., lunch buffet noon–2 p.m., dinner 7 p.m.–9:30 p.m.), Latitudes (Asian; dinner 7:30 p.m.), Signatures (French; dinner 7 p.m.–9:30 p.m.), Pool Grill (light lunch and snacks; 11 a.m.–4 p.m.) Accommodations: 700-guest all-suite, all-balcony ship Family Amenities: Club Mariner is a program offered during summer months and holiday seasons, with activities for children from 6–11 and 12–17, and special activities for each group, including games, craft projects, movies, and “food fun.” Teens help counselors select the activities they prefer. Admission Charge: No; minimum age for casino entry is 18 Dress Code: Smart casual Bonus: Ship has a spa. Dancing overlooking the sea. Internet Café. Free computer classes. Or if bridge is your game, a certified Master Bridge instructor teaches contract and duplicate bridge.


963. Radiance of the Seas Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: As 1 of 4 Radiance-class ships, the Radiance of the Seas offers luxuries including indoor costal scenery, more outside space than any other Royal Caribbean ship, and a futuristic yacht-like design. Miami is the home port. Customers normally find the ship in the Caribbean or Alaska. Radiance of the Seas sails western and eastern Caribbean itineraries from the Port of Miami through April. From May–November it sails the Panama Canal, Alaska, and Hawaii itineraries from San Diego and Vancouver and then returns to the Port of Miami. The casino has a French art nouveau theme and is 600 square feet with a capacity of 256 people. US dollars are used in the casino. Hours: Usually open 15–30 minutes after leaving port, that is, the casino generally opens as soon as the ship hits international waters; however, some ports allow the casinos to remain open in port. The casino is closed during the main port day for debarkation and embarkation. Slot Machines: 192: 5¢–$5, all with bill acceptors; progressive jackpots Table Games: 11: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let it Ride, American roulette, and craps; the minimum is $5 on most games, and the maximums range from $300–$1,000 Poker: No Entertainment: While the casino has no special entertainment,

CRUISE SHIPS

Address: 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132 Phone: 305–539–6000; reservations toll-free: 1–800–327–6700 Website: www.royalcaribbean.com The line has a fleet of 18 vessels. They depart from Barcelona, Spain; Boston, Massachusetts; Cape Liberty Cruise Port, New Jersey; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Ensenada, Mexico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Galveston, Texas; Harwich, England; Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Port Canaveral, Florida; Quebec City, Quebec; San Diego, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Seward, Alaska; Southampton, England; Tampa, Florida; and Vancouver, British Columbia. They sail for the following destinations: Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, New England, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Panama Canal, and Transatlantic. Every vessel has a casino, named Casino Royale. Each casino has a different theme, such as nautical, Las Vegas old and new, French art nouveau, Mardi Gras, and so on. One vessel, Legend of the Seas, has an elegant Tiffany theme. Each vessel has from 150 to more than 300 slot machines; you can play from 25¢–$5. There are many video poker machines. All machines award payouts in credits. Many offer progressive jackpots. Each vessel has anywhere from 8–16 gaming tables, and offers blackjack, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let it Ride, American roulette, and craps. Multiple-deck blackjack games offer Nevada rules; single-deck games pay only 6:5 on blackjack, do not permit doubling after splits, and permit entry only after a shuffle. While the casinos do not regularly have poker, you can find many poker cruises on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Two vessels in particular are worth noting.

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ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES

624 CRUISE SHIPS

Radiance of the Seas offers many options. The Aurora Theatre is home to productions from Royal Caribbean. The Schooner Bar features music and piano sing-alongs. The Hollywood Odyssey showcases live jazz or Latin music nightly with performances by nationally known entertainers and others. Restaurants: 6: While the casino has no restaurants, the vessel has several dining options. The main dining room features a different menu each night and a changing dress code, which includes at least 1 formal night per cruise. Windjammer Café and Seaview Café are casual (breakfast, lunch and dinner, and feature open seating), Portofino (Italian specialty restaurant, at an extra $20 per person), Chops Grille (6 p.m.–11 p.m.; reservations required, and an extra $20 per person applies), Solarium Café Accommodations: 1,056. Ocean view: 817 (577 with balconies); interior: 238; staterooms with a third or fourth berths: 569; wheelchair-accessible staterooms: 15 Family Amenities: Offers the Royal Caribbean youth program, Adventure Ocean, one of the industry’s leading youth programs. Child oriented facilities and amenities include movies, books, separate dining, and a nonalcoholic beverage card for a nominal fee. Admission Charge: No. Minimum age for casino entry is 18 (21 in Alaska). Dress Code: Shirt and shoes Bonus: A 2-story nightclub called the Vortex. All Royal ships offer slot and tables tournaments ($20 buy-in) and all offer gaming lessons, in-cabin TV lessons, and plasma screens in the casino that review all areas the casino has to offer.

964. Voyager of the Seas Address: See start of section Phone: See start of section Website: See start of section Description: Voyager of the Seas is a member of Royal Caribbean’s signature Voyager class, among the largest ships at sea. Voyager of the Seas, the first Voyager-class ship, was launched in 1999, followed by 4 sister ships: Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and the latest ship, Mariner of the Seas. Each is the length of 3 football fields. Each has a shopping, dining, and entertainment “street,” the Royal Promenade, which runs through the center of the ship. According to Royal Caribbean, the Voyager class ships offer one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the market. Each 142,000-ton vessel offers activities like a rock-climbing wall, miniature golf course, inline skating track, and ice-skating rink. Miami is the home port. Customers normally find the ship in the Caribbean. Voyager of the Seas sails alternating western and eastern Caribbean itineraries from the Port of Miami through April. From May–November, she sails alternating Bermuda and Caribbean itineraries from Cape Liberty Cruise Port before returning to the Port of Miami. The casino has an art deco design and is 840 square feet, with a capacity of 500 people. US dollars are used in the casino. Hours: Usually open 15–30 minutes after leaving port, that is, the casino generally opens as soon as the ship hits international waters; however, some ports allow the ships to remain open in port. The casino is closed during the main port day for debarkation and embarkation. Slot Machines: 282: 5¢–$5, all with bill acceptors; progressive jackpots Table Games: 16: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Let it Ride, American roulette, and craps; the minimum is $5 on most games, and the maximums range from $300–$1,000 Poker: No Entertainment: While the casino has no special entertainment, Radiance of the Seas offers many options. The 1,350-seat theatre spans 5 decks in height and offers

SCOTIA PRINCE CRUISES Travel in style between Maine and Nova Scotia, and do a little gambling on the way.

965. MS Scotia Prince Address: 468 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–341–7540 Website: www.scotiaprince.com Email: [email protected] Description: 4,999-square-foot casino on a cruise ship/ferry that travels between Portland, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The ship departs Portland at 8 p.m. and Yarmouth at 9 a.m., and goes back and forth daily. Hours: On night sailing, 8:45 p.m.–closing (as long as players remain); day sailing 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed within 3-mile limit-international waters, which takes about 30 minutes; casino is closed in port Slot Machines: 170: 10¢–$5 Table Games: 8: 4 blackjack ($5–$200), 1 Caribbean Stud ($5–$200), 1 roulette ($1–$200), 1 craps ($5–$100), 1 big six wheel ($1–$10) Poker: No Entertainment: Show lounge has Broadway-style shows, both evening and daytime, and

CRUISE SHIPS

state-of-the-art production technology. At this writing, shows included Rhythm and Rhyme and Vibe*ology, offering interpretations of No. 1 hits over the years. The 900-seat Studio B arena offers variety shows, game shows, and rock and roll performances. At other times, the floor disappears and Studio B becomes an ice skating rink or a venue for ice shows. The Schooner Bar features music and piano sing-alongs. The High Notes showcases live jazz or Latin music nightly with performances by nationally known entertainers and others. Restaurants: 7: While the casino has no restaurants, the vessel has several dining options. The main dining room features a different menu each night and a changing dress code, which includes at least 1 formal night per cruise. Windjammer Café and Island Grill are casual (breakfast, lunch and dinner, and feature open seating), Portofino (Italian specialty restaurant, at an extra $20 per person), Café Promenade (pizza, sandwiches, sweets, and specialty espresso drinks from Seattle’s Best Coffee; open 24 hours), Ben & Jerry’s (ice cream), Johnny Rockets (’50s grill, with burgers, french fries, and shakes) Accommodations: 1,557. Ocean view: 939 (707 with balconies); interior: 618; staterooms with a third or fourth berths: 569; wheelchair-accessible staterooms: 26 Family Amenities: Voyager of the Seas features Royal Caribbean’s complimentary, year-round Adventure Ocean program, a youth program with different rooms for different age groupings, including: Optix Teen Disco, a teen-only disco club; movies for children, shown on stateroom televisions; children’s books, available in the Adventure Ocean area and in the ship’s library; Adventure Ocean Dining, which allows young guests to dine with youth staff and new friends; Adventure Beach, a pool and water slide; Fountain Soda Package, which offers guests up to 18 years of age unlimited soft drinks for a fixed price (prices vary with cruise length; $20 for a 7-night cruise). Admission Charge: No. Minimum age for casino entry is 18 (21 in Alaska). Dress Code: Shirt and shoes Bonus: 2-story nightclub called the Vault. All Royal Caribbean ships offer slot and tables tournaments ($20 buy-in) and all offer gaming lessons, in-cabin TV lessons, and plasma screens in the casino that review all areas the casino has to offer.

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live music. Restaurants: Concorde Dining Room (buffet or 5-star à la carte menu), Manhattan Café (light snacks), Tiki Bar and Grill (on the sky deck) Accommodations: 320 cabins, including suites Family Amenities: Kids club has unsupervised activities like games, puzzles, arts and crafts, books, and more. Admission Charge: No; minimum age in casino is 21; for slots outside casino, 18 Dress Code: No Bonus: Cocktail lounge with sports TV; seating capacity 61. Accepts both US and Canadian currency.

SEAESCAPE SeaEscape offers day cruises twice daily. Port Everglades, where the vessel is docked, is 2 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale right on the Atlantic.

966. M/V Island Adventure

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Address: North Terminal, Pier 1, Port Everglades, Florida Phone: 954–453–3333; toll-free: 1–877–SEAESCAPE (1–877–732–3722) Website: www.seaescape.com

CRUISE SHIPS

Email: [email protected] Description: 8-deck 15,400-ton cruise vessel with a capacity of 975 passengers Hours: Casino open each cruise 30 minutes after departure and 30 minutes before arrival. Cruises Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m. Slot Machines: 300+: 5¢–$5; 25¢ and $1 linked progressives Table Games: 35+: 25 blackjack ($5–$100, $10–$500, $25–$1,000, $50–$1,000, $100–$1,000), 3 roulette (minimum: $5 even, $1 number; maximum: $1,000 even, $25 number), 2 craps (minimum bet $5, a.m. cruise; $10, p.m. cruise; maximum $1,000), 2 mini-baccarat ($25–$1,000), Caribbean Stud (minimum bet $5, a.m. cruise; $10, p.m. cruise), Let It Ride (minimum bet $5, a.m. cruise; $10, p.m. cruise), three-card poker (minimum bet $5, a.m. cruise; $10, p.m. cruise) Poker: No Entertainment: 180-seat Castaways Show Lounge features live entertainment, games, dancing; shows include Vegas-style choreographed revues. Sky Views Disco. La Parranda Dance Club offers covered outdoor dancing. Restaurants: 2: Sea Palms Restaurant (free buffet), Verandah Dining Room (à la carte at extra cost). Kosher meals available (at extra cost) with 72 hours notice. Accommodations: Private room rentals available, inside and outside cabins, with settee or bed; also 3 levels of suites (all at extra cost) Family Amenities: Camp SeaEscape for kids 6–12 is available on all Saturday and Sunday day cruises, an amenity for families with kids onboard, at a cost of $5 per child. Games and activities. 110-seat movie theater. Video arcade. Admission Charge: All cruises have a reserved rate of $24.95, except Fri., Sat. evenings, which are $29.95. The pier walkup rate is $10 more than the reserved rate in every instance. Dress Code: No Bonus: VIP Players Club rewards card. Bingo. Parties can be arranged, including wedding receptions, bachelor or bachelorette parties, office parties, also seminars and meetings. Reduced senior rates for brunch cruises. On most day cruises tropical drink and napkin folding demonstrations. 1 cruise per month to Bimini, Bahamas; check website or call for schedule. Pay full fare and get a coupon for a free cruise within 2 weeks. Get a free cruise on your birthday. Free round-trip shuttle service from Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, and other Broward County locations for day cruises. Souvenir, gift, and sundries shop.


SOUTHERN ELEGANCE CASINO CRUISES Take a 5- or 6-hour cruise from South Carolina and do some gambling on the trip. Little River is on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1 mile from the North Carolina border.

967. Southern Elegance

CRUISE SHIPS

Email: Contact form on website Description: 3-deck, 99-ton cruise vessel with 2 decks of casino. Vessel makes 2 trips per day into international waters, departing from Little River. Hours: Casino open each cruise 1 hour after departure and 1 hour before arrival. Cruises Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat., Sun. noon–5 p.m., Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. 7 p.m.–1 a.m.; Fri., Sat. casino opens at 8:15 p.m. Slot Machines: 200+: 5¢–$5; reel and video; standalone progressives Table Games: 9 blackjack ($5–$1,500), craps (10X odds; $1,000 maximum bet, or $1,500 on pass line), Aces Poker, Oasis Stud poker, roulette ($5 minimum, $25 maximum single number, $1,000 even money), three-card poker, Let It Ride, double exposure blackjack (Mon.–Fri. morning cruises only) Poker: 1 table: Hold’em ($3-$6 or $5-$10). There are plans to add another table. Entertainment: Live band Fri., Sat. Live entertainment for special occasions. Restaurants: 1: sit-down dining immediately upon boarding; deli available at any time Accommodations: No Admission Charge: No Dress Code: No Bonus: Tournaments. Seniors’ specials morning cruises: $30 worth of tokens for $20 plus free meal. On Mondays, locals get match play and free deli items. Live entertainment for special occasions. Free parking. Complimentary drinks while gaming. Complimentary soft drinks at all times. Free shuttle service for all area hotels and resorts in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove, Little River, and Wilmington office if enough passengers. Vacation packages available in conjunction with area hotels. Get a free meal for filling out an online survey. Online coupon offers $10 worth of tokens for $5.

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Address: 4491 Waterfront Avenue, Little River, South Carolina 29566 Phone: Toll-free: 1–877–250–LUCK (1–877–250–5825); 843–249–9811 (South Carolina), 910–798–0250 (to the Wilmington, NC office) Website: www.southernelegancecasino.com

STERLING CASINO LINES If all you want to do is take a short cruise and gamble in a first-class casino, here’s a good bet.

968. Ambassador II Address: 101 George King Boulevard, Suite #3, Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920 Phone: toll-free: 1–800–ROLL–711 (1–800–765–5711); fax: 321–783–2243 Website: www.sterlingcasinolines.com

628 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 75,000 square feet in 4 main casinos on a 5-deck, 11,940-ton vessel. Ship sails twice daily to international waters. Directions: From Orlando, take the Beeline 528 east to Cape Canaveral and follow the signs to Sterling Casino Lines Terminal. From Daytona, take 95 south, or from south take 95 north, to the Beeline 528, east to Cape Canaveral, and follow the signs. Hours: Casino open each cruise 30 minutes after departure and closes 30 minutes before arrival. Cruises daily 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–midnight; Fri.–Sat. 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Slot Machines: 1,000 Table Games: 50: Blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, big six wheel, Caribbean Stud Poker: No Entertainment: 2 performances per sailing of Starz on Stage, pop star impersonators Restaurants: 1 Accommodations: No Admission Charge: None, and no port changes Dress Code: No Bonus: Dancing. Sterling makes accommodation and bus arrangement for groups of 20 or more. Parties available for groups before sailing on the dock. Bus service from most area hotels, malls, airports. Bills itself as “most luxurious casino ship in the world.”

SUN CRUZ CASINOS Sun Cruz Casinos sail from Key Largo, Hollywood, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Daytona Beach, and Madeira Beach, Florida, and Little River, South Carolina. All vessels are American registry. Directions to all locations are on the website and also available by calling the toll-free number. The head office is: Address: 647 East Dania Beach Boulevard, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 Phone: 954–929–3880; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 954–929–3830 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com


Key Largo 969. SunCruz I

Hollywood 970. SunCruz V Address: 647 East Dania Beach Boulevard, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 Phone: 954–929–3800; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 954–924–8803 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/l-hollywood/hollywood.htm Description: 98-ton vessel that sails twice daily from Martha’s Restaurant on the Intracoastal in Dania Beach (Hollywood, Florida) Hours: Casino open each cruise 30 minutes after departure and closes 30 minutes before arrival. Sailings: Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4:15 p.m., Sat., Sun., holidays 12 p.m.–5 p.m.; Sun.–Thu. 7:30 p.m.–12:30 p.m., Fri., Sat., Holidays 7:30 p.m.–1:15 a.m. Slot Machines: 163 Table Games: 15 Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: Buffet ($10) or à la carte Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Free food and drinks while playing for card members. Sportsbook. Free $500 slot tournaments (Tue. day, Thu. evening). Senior (55+) day Monday with package discounts. Free buffet for club members on Fridays.

CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 91-ton vessel that sails daily from Key Largo. Actual passenger time on the vessel is usually 3–4 hours. (Some 5-hour trips.) You either start with the vessel when it leaves or take a water taxi. Departs MM 100 at the Holiday Inn lobby. Hours: Casino open each cruise 30 minutes after departure and closes 30 minutes before arrival. Actual sailings: Wed., Sat., Sun., 2 p.m., with water taxis to the boat at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Fri., Sat. also at 9:45 p.m., plus noon Sun. Mon., Tue., boat returns at 11 p.m.; Sun., Wed., Thu., boat returns at midnight; Fri., Sat., boat returns at 1:15 a.m. Slot Machines: 75+ Table Games: 20: Blackjack, roulette, craps (5X odds), three-card poker Poker: No Entertainment: No Restaurants: A la carte menu Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Sportsbook. Slot tournaments. The original movie African Queen boat is on display next to the dock site. Complimentary drinks while gaming. Free bus transportation from all area hotels.

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Address: Holiday Inn, Key Largo 99701 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida 33037 Phone: 305–451–0000; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 305–453–0960 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/l-keylargo/keylargo.htm

Jacksonville 971. SunCruz VI Address: 4378 Ocean Street, Mayport, Florida 32233 Phone: 904–249–9300; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 904–270–2797 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/l-jacksonville/jacksonville.htm

630 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 3-deck, 96-ton, 600-passenger vessel that sails twice daily from Mayport (Jacksonville) Hours: Casino open each cruise 45 minutes after departure and closes 45 minutes before arrival. Actual sailings: Day cruises: Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sat., Sun., and holidays 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Evening cruises: Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat., and holidays 7 p.m.–12:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 300+: 5¢–$5 Table Games: 38: Blackjack, roulette, craps (5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat, three-card poker. Limits are generally $5–$200 and $100–$2,000. Poker: 8 tables: Hold’em ($5-$10, $10-$20, no-limit weekends with $2 and $5 blinds and $200–$500 buy-ins); usually 4 tables going. No-limit hold’em tournament Tue., Wed. evening, Sun. day. Entertainment: Music and dancing Restaurants: Buffet ($10) or à la carte Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Free food and drinks while playing for card members. Sportsbook. Free $500 slot tournaments (Fri. day, Mon. evening). Women’s night Tue., men’s night Wed., with a drawing for $100. Free parking.

Port Canaveral 972. SunCruz XII Address: 610 Glenn Cheek Drive, Cape Canaveral, Fl 32920 Phone: 321–799–3511; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 321–783–4209 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/l-portcanaveral/canaveral.htm Description: 4-deck, 2,775-ton, 1,200-passenger vessel that sails twice daily from the Cove at Port Canaveral Hours: Casino open each cruise 45 minutes after departure and closes 45 minutes before arrival. Sailings: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat. , holidays 7 p.m.–12:30 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Slot Machines: 650+ Table Games: 35: Blackjack, roulette, craps (5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em. $1,000 high hand award Fri.–Sun. evening cruise; Mon., Wed. evening cruise, no-limit hold’em tournament ($100+$15). Also, Space Coast Open no-limit hold’em tournament last Sun. of each month, day cruise ($300+$25). Entertainment: Live entertainment Restaurants: Buffet ($10) or à la carte Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Sportsbook. Ladies’ night Fri. cruise, with 1 winner drawn for gold bracelet. Complimentary drinks while gaming. Free bus transportation from all area hotels. Free parking.


Daytona Beach 973. SunCruz III

Myrtle Beach 974. SunCruz VIII Address: 4495 Mineola Avenue, Little River, South Carolina 29566 Phone: 843–280–2933; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423) Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/l-myrtlebeach/littleriver.htm Email: [email protected] Description: 3-deck, 99-ton, 600-passenger vessel that sails twice daily from Little River (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) Hours: Casino open each cruise 45 minutes after departure and closes 45 minutes before arrival. Sailings: Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–4:15 p.m., Sat., Sun., holidays noon–5:15 p.m., Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–12:15 a.m., Fri., Sat., holidays 7 p.m.–1 a.m. Slot Machines: 300 Table Games: 18: Blackjack ($3–$25, $5–$50, $10–$100, $25–$200), roulette, craps (5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em Entertainment: Live entertainment Restaurants: Buffet ($10) or à la carte Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Free food and drinks while playing for card members. Members get free buffet Mon. day and evening cruise. Sportsbook.

CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 3-deck, 81-ton, 560-passenger vessel that sails twice daily from Down the Hatch Restaurant, Ponce Inlet (Daytona Beach), 10 miles south of the Main Street Pier Hours: Casino open each cruise 45 minutes after departure and closes 45 minutes before arrival. Sailings: Day cruise: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. daily; evening cruise: Sun.–Thu. 7 p.m.–midnight, Fri., Sat., and holidays 7 p.m.–12:30 a.m. Slot Machines: 222 Table Games: 13: Blackjack, roulette, craps (5X odds), Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride Bonus, mini-baccarat, three-card poker Poker: Hold’em, 7-stud. Thu. evening cruise, no-limit hold’em tournament ($100+$15). Entertainment: Live entertainment Restaurants: Buffet ($10) or à la carte Accommodations: No Admission Charge: $10 Dress Code: No Bonus: SunCruz Players Club rewards card. Free food and drinks while playing for card members. Sportsbook. Free $500 slot tournament (Mon. day cruise).

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Address: 4877 Front Street, Ponce Inlet, Florida 32127 Phone: 386–322–9000; toll-free: 1–800–474–DICE (1–800–474–3423); fax: 386–756–1342 Website: www.suncruzcasino.com/daytona.htm

TEXAS TREASURE CASINO CRUISES Texas Treasure Casino Cruises is located in Port Aransas (population of 3,400) on the Gulf of Mexico, some 20 miles east of and across Corpus Christi Bay from Corpus Christi. Reservations are recommended for cruises, and required for those who come on a shuttle bus.

975. M/V Texas Treasure I Address: 229 Highway 361 South, Port Aransas, Texas 78353 Phone: 361–758–4447; toll-free:1–866–GOT–LUCK (1–866–468–5825) Website: www.txtreasure.com

632 CRUISE SHIPS

Description: 1,000-passenger cruise ship that travels 9.2 miles into international waters for gaming Hours: Casino open each cruise 55 minutes after departure and closes 55 minutes before arrival. Sailings: Tue. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. ($10), Wed. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. ($15), Thu. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. ($15), Fri. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. ($15) and 6:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. ($19.95), Sat. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. ($19.95), Sun. noon–6 p.m. ($19.95) and 7 p.m.-–12:30 a.m. ($15), closed Mon. Slot Machines: 500 slots: 5¢–$5; slot and video poker Table Games: 24: Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride, roulette (50¢ bets $3 minimum per spin), Triple Shot, threecard poker, craps (double odds). Some minimum bets start at $3; the majority have $5 minimums. Poker: No Entertainment: Live bands playing oldies, rock, variety Restaurants: 2: Ocean View (full buffet dining room), Stephanie’s Restaurant (à la carte fine dining room; open evening and Sunday noon cruises; $15) Accommodations: No Admission Charge: See Hours; patrons must be 21, with valid ID Dress Code: No Bonus: Texas Treasure Casino Cruises Players Club rewards card for slots and table games. Admission price includes free and safe parking, international buffet, live entertainment, complimentary beverages while gambling. Seniors (55+) get $5 admission price. Free local shuttle service.

WINDSTAR CRUISES The parent company of Windstar Cruises is Carnival.

976. msy Wind Surf Address: Head office: Windstar Cruises 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, Washington 98119 Phone: 206–281–3535; fax: 206–286–3229 Website: www.windstarcruises.com Email: [email protected] Description: 1,000-square-foot casino on a small cruise ship (“msy” means motor sailing yacht) that sails around the world, to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Mayan Riviera, and Transatlantic. Check the website for itineraries. US dollars are casino currency. Hours: Hours of operation depend on the time the ship is in port, and vary, since port times vary. No fixed schedule. Casino can open after the pilot (see glossary) has departed the vessel after sailing. This is typically 30 minutes after sailing. Typically slot

CRUISE SHIPS

machines open for play as soon as possible after sailing, and the tables (other than on-sea days—see glossary) generally open at 9 p.m. and remain open as long as there are players. Slot Machines: 27: 3 at 10¢, 16 at 25¢, 8 at $1. All machines accept both cash (US dollars) and tokens. Table Games: 5: 3 Blackjack ($5–$100; 1 table offers fun 21 and a faceup game), 1 roulette ($1 minimum inside, $5 outside; maximums depend on bet), 1 threecard poker ($5–$100) Poker: No Restaurants: 2 restaurants that serve dinner: The Restaurant is the main dining room and the Bistro is an alternative dining venue serving bistro cuisine in an intimate setting. Windstar’s signature cuisine was created by famed Chef Joachim Splichal of the Patina Group. Light and vegetarian meals are also available. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Verandah, with buffet as well as a full menu. Accommodations: 1 owner’s suite, 31 ocean-view suites, 123 ocean-view staterooms Admission Charge: No Dress Code: The dress code on board is casual elegance. Suits, ties, jackets, or cocktail dresses not required. The ambiance is resort casual. Jeans, Tshirts, shorts not permitted in the public areas in the evening. Bonus: Euros can be exchanged for dollars at the cashier’s desk. With credit card registration at check-in, guests can charge up to $1,000 per day to their onboard accounts (with 3 percent service fee). Complimentary water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, and “banana” boat rides from the ship’s aft Marina Deck. Windstar won the “World’s Best Service” award in the 2004 Travel + Leisure Readers’ Choice Poll.

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Online The surge in the popularity of casinos and gambling, including poker, extends to the Internet. In 1994, online casinos didn’t exist. Now they are a multibillion-dollar industry and everyone wants to play. You can play online for pennies and you can win literally millions. Many online casinos offer online poker and many online poker rooms also have casino games, but in most cases the two markets do not overlap. Even those online sites that offer both offer them separately.

Online Casinos If you can’t make it to a casino or you just want to play casino games for real money in the comfort of your home, you need go no further than your computer. Every game you can think of is online, and this includes slot machines, table games, and poker. And just as in brickand-mortar casinos, you can win literally millions on some of the slot machines. You can even make sports bets—and bets on who will win in each category at the Academy Awards, which Survivor will be booted off the island, or who will win the next major election. Online gambling started in 1995. Within a year, there were 30 Internet gambling sites, with total annual revenues of $30 million. By the end of 2004, there were more than 1,400 gambling sites and their revenues exceeded $8 billion. By the end of 2005, the number of sites was expected to exceed 2,000, with revenues of $10 billion. Online casinos tend to be found in groups, each member of which is closely aligned with the others. In fact, many online casinos are “skins” of others, that is, they use the same software and, in the case of poker rooms, may have players from different skins competing with each other. Skins are different views into the main casino.

GETTING STARTED To play online, you must first set up an account. If you want to play for real money, you deposit cash with the specific site you want to play on. You don’t have to play for cash; most sites have play money areas in which you can try out the games to get a feel for them or just play for fun. There are several ways to set up an account. The easiest and most convenient is to establish an account with one of the online funds transferal services like NETeller, FirePay, Click2Pay, INSTADEBIT, or ECash Direct. You then link that account to a bank account or credit card. When you set up an account at a gaming site, you transfer funds into the account at the gaming site, which uses one of the services to instantly load the funds. If a

fee is associated with the transaction, most gaming sites refund that fee. You cash out the same way. You request your money, and the gaming site forwards the money to your service. From there, you can transfer the money back to your bank. You can also request payment by check or wire. You can fund your account with a credit card cash advance, although some credit card issuers do not permit cash transfers to online gaming sites. You can also mail a check or wire cash. Every gaming site explains clearly how to fund your account.

BONUSES 636 ONLINE

Almost every gaming site offers incentives to gamble on its site, in the form of matching cash bonuses, which are paid out as you play. That is, you have to give the casino a certain amount of action to earn your bonus. Many sites offer extra, periodic “reload bonuses” to regular players. Sites also offer points programs similar to the frequent player clubs, with their rewards cards, available at many brick-and-mortar casinos. Some gaming sites have restrictions on how much you can cash out at a time, how often you can cash out, and how quickly they pay. The easier and faster the transaction, the more likely a site is to be listed here.

LEGALITY Online gambling falls into a gray area of questionable legality. Be sure to check whether it is legal in your area. Players must be 18 to gamble online; some sites further restrict that to 21. If you’re under 21, be sure to check the fine print of the site you’re interested in. It would be terrible to win a huge jackpot and then find out that you won’t be allowed to cash out your winnings. And don’t try to fool the casino. They’ll be sure to check if there’s any question of propriety.

GAMES PLAYED The games played are not specified because almost every casino offers most variations. These include slot machines, video poker, video keno, video roulette, blackjack, housebanked poker variations like Caribbean Stud and three-card poker, bingo, and many others. Each site constantly puts up new games and takes down old ones, so any list here would shortly become obsolete. Many sites offer multiple-player games, another attempt at simulating the ambience of a brick-and-mortar casino. For example, when you sit down to a blackjack game, sometimes it’s just you one-on-one with against the house, but you can also play in a game with other players who are sitting at their own computers just as you are.


THE LISTINGS These groups and sites are listed in alphabetical order. We have not attempted to order them qualitatively, except to say that these are the 12 best. You will see some listed as eCOGRA members. This is a self-regulating and monitoring group. Membership in eCOGRA (www.ecogra.org) provides assurance to online players of fair and honest treatment by the member online casino or group.

978. Casino On Net

(licensed in Gibraltar)

Software: Random Logic Online locations: www.888casino.com Poker: www.PacificPoker.com Bonus: ECOGRA member. Interfaces in 8 languages. Live 24/7 support.

979. English Harbor Group: EH New Ventures (licensed in Antigua) Software: Odds On (www.oddson.com) Online locations: www.englishharbour.com, www.silverdollar.com, www.englishharbour.co.uk (U.K. English Harbour Casino—since 1997), www.caribbeangold.com, www.superslots.com, www.millionairecasino.com, www.allpokercasino.com (housebanked poker variations like Let Them Ride, tri card poker; also, progressive blackjack, slots) Poker: No Bonus: Some signup bonuses of over 100 percent. Play in 3 currencies: US dollars, British pounds, European Union euros.

980. Fortune Lounge Group (licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, in Canada) Software: Microgaming Software Online locations: www.7sultans.com, www.desertdollar.com, www.royalvegas.com, www.fortuneroom.com, www.vegaspalms.com, www.vegastowers.com, www.platinumplay.com, www.havanaclub.com, www.vegasvilla.com Poker: www.royalvegaspoker.com and www.7sultanspoker.com (part of Prima Poker Network)

637

(licensed in Costa Rica)

Software: Real Time Gaming software Online locations: bodog.com/casino Poker: bodog.com/poker Bonus: Online bookmaker, putting up lines for many sporting (bodog.com/sportsbook) and racing (www.bodog.com/racebook) events, as well as for the outcome of political races (for example, they had a line for who would be chosen the Democratic party’s presidential candidate in 2004), the Academy Awards, the Grammies, poker contests (such as world-class tournaments and the winner of Card Player magazine’s Player of the Year award), TV’s The Amazing Race and Survivor, and others.

ONLINE

977. BoDog

Bonus: Great software. Large variety of games. Generous welcome bonuses. eCOGRA member. Donates $5,000 a month to a charity voted on by players. Some of the casinos can be played without downloading any software, either through a Java interface or Flash. Interfaces at www.royalvegas.com in 3 languages (English, Korean, Chinese). Play at www.platinumplay.com in 3 currencies: US dollars, British pounds, European Union euros.

981. Geisha Lounge Casino

(licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, in Canada)

638

Software: Real Time Gaming software Online locations: www.geishalounge.com Poker: No Bonus: Large variety of games and very fast software. Birthday bonuses. Refer-a-friend bonuses.

982. Global Player

(licensed in Antigua and Barbuda)

ONLINE

Software: Proprietary Online locations: www.global-player.com Poker: No Bonus: Large variety of video poker games. Blackjack tournaments. Interfaces in 9 languages.

983. Intercasino

(licensed in Antigua)

Software: Cryptologic Online locations: www.intercasino.com, www.interbingo.com (online bingo), www.interlottery.com (online lotto) Poker: www.interpoker.com Bonus: Large variety of games. Generous monthly bonuses. Fast pay by Ecash Direct within 2 days to NETeller. Interfaces in 7 languages. Earn points while playing, good for cash.

984. Kiwi Casino


Software: Playtech (www.playtech.com) Online locations: www.kiwicasino.com Poker: No Bonus: Has a long-time good reputation. Large variety of games. Play in 3 currencies: US dollars, British pounds, European Union euros. Has a land-based parent casino in New Zealand, Christchurch Casinos Group. Interfaces in 2 languages (English, Japanese).


985. Peak Entertainment Group

986. Pharaohs Casino

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(www.peakentertainment.com) Software: Cryptologic Online locations: www.omnicasino.com (has won awards for excellence of its slots and cashout procedures), www.carsands.com (Sands of the Caribbean; limits range from as low as 25¢ on slots to $3 on up for the table games), www.49ercasino.com (low-limit games, as low as $1 per hand in blackjack), www.3diamondscasino.com (as low as $1 per hand in blackjack), www.1on1casino.com (invitation-only casino, aimed at high rollers, up to $10,000 per hand in blackjack) Poker: www.caribbeansunpoker.com, www.cspoker.com, www.sunpoker.com (all links to the same cardroom; hold’em, 7-stud, Omaha high, Omaha high-low; tournaments; bad beat jackpots) Bonus: Peak Rewards program, with tiered earning levels, good on all Peak Entertainment sites

987. Trident Lounge Group

(licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, in Canada)

Software: Microgaming Online locations: www.tridentlounge.com, www.kingneptunescasino.com, VegasUSA: www.vegasusa.com Poker: www.tridentpoker.com (part of Prima Poker Network) Bonus: eCOGRA member. Play in 3 currencies at www.kingneptunescasino.com: US dollars, British pounds, European Union euros. Interfaces at www.kingneptunescasino.com in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, Japanese). Toll-free telephone support from anywhere in the world.

988. Vegas VIP Lounge

(www.vegasviplounge.com; licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, in Canada)

Software: Microgaming Online locations: www.vegas7casino.com, www.vegasslotcasino.com, www. royalplazacasino.com, www.colosseumcasino.com, www.grandhotelcasino.com Poker: Poker room at www.colosseumpoker.com (part of Prima Poker Network) Bonus: Generous and regular promotions. Interfaces in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian). Play in 3 currencies: US dollars, British pounds, European Union euros.

ONLINE

(licensed in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles) Software: Boss Media (www.bossmedia.com) Online locations: www.pharaohscasino.com Poker: No Bonus: Good reputation. Pays within 4 days to NETeller by Web Dollar (www.webdollar.com).

Online Poker

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Online poker is an offshoot of online casino gambling. Online poker, which started in 1996, has become a $2-billion-a-year industry with some 400 sites available, and more starting all the time. You might want to play poker and not be able to make it to a cardroom. This could be particularly applicable if there is no poker in your area, and that covers a lot of places. Or you might just want to play poker for real money in the comfort of your home. Just as with online casinos, you need go no further than your computer. You can also play for much lower stakes online than you can in brick-and-mortar (b&m) cardrooms. The smallest game you’re likely to see in a b&m is $1-$2, and you won’t find many of those. But online cardrooms can afford to run games as small as 1¢-2¢. Once an online cardroom has been set up, it costs just the same to run a game at penny stakes as it does for hundreds of dollars. There are plenty of players who wish to play small and there are many who wish to play big—as well as plenty in between. Online cardrooms can—and do—accommodate all. Another draw of online cardrooms is that you can play with some of the real celebrities of the poker world at stakes that fit your bankroll. Many online cardrooms have celebrity hosts, among them world champions and other names known for their appearances on televised tournaments. Often the poker stars play in small-limit games (as small as $3-$6), deliberately to attract participation. You can chat while you play with superstars like Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, and many more. Online cardrooms host tournaments around the clock. The most popular tournaments are sit-and-gos (SNGs), in which players sit at a table until the table fills, and then the tournament starts. You can play for as little as $1. Most online cardrooms have a variety of regularly scheduled tournaments every day. Many of these are satellites or qualifiers for satellites, so you can work your way up from a small buy-in to playing in a tournament in which you can win literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many satellites offer seats to major b&m events, such as individual tournaments of the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. Who knows? You might start online for small stakes and wind up a World Champion, just like the last three World Series of Poker winners. To play online poker, you set up an account, just as you would for an online casino. (See “Online Casinos” for details.) Every poker site offers incentives to play, often in the form of cash signup bonuses. These bonuses are usually earned over the course of play to assure that you are a legitimate customer and not just playing to receive the bonus. Many sites also offer reload bonuses to regular players.

BUT IS IT LEGAL? Online poker falls into the same gray area of questionable legality as all online gambling. Be sure to check whether it is legal in your area. Players must be at least 18 to play poker online for real money; some sites further restrict that to 21. If you’re under 21, be sure to check the fine print of the site you’re interested in. It would be terrible to win a big tournament and then find out that you won’t be allowed to cash out. And don’t try to fool the cardroom. They’ll be sure to check if there’s any question of propriety.


LEARN TO PLAY FOR FREE One of the pluses of online poker rooms are their “play chip” games, something you don’t see in b&m cardrooms. Online, anyone can sit down and learn how to play without risking any real money. Be forewarned, though, play chip games are not very realistic since it’s free to play and simple to get more play chips if you go bust. Use those games only as a learning tool, to become familiar with the game itself if you don’t know how to play Specifically become familiar with how the game works on that site. Before you play for real money, you need to know how to bet, raise or fold, how to recognize when it’s your turn to act, and many other things that you might not think of if you are only familiar with b&m poker. Different sites do things differently, and it’s good to learn exactly what you’re

ONLINE

To determine the best online cardroom, we surveyed the most knowledgeable group of players, the members of the BARGE mailing list. These are online poker enthusiasts who have been discussing poker strategy via email since before online cardrooms even existed. According to BARGErs, the important criteria for what makes a site good are, in no particular order: • ease of use • quality of interface • selection of games • numbers of beatable players (or “fish,” as the BARGErs call them) • quality and stability of software • customer support • ease of cashing out • speed of receiving cashout funds • deposit and reload bonuses • speed with which bonuses are earned • promotions • freerolls • reliability of the connection • availability and frequency of tournaments • tournament guarantees • site’s ability to run large tournaments • ability to play more than one game at a time • satellites for major tournaments • availability of games at all hours • integrity and trustworthiness of site • security • financial stability • responsiveness to queries and complaints A site may have many juicy games, but if the site crashes regularly or loses your connection frequently, particularly during tournaments, then the negatives might outweigh the positives.

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doing in the play money games before committing real money. As an extreme example, in a draw game at Paradise Poker, when it’s your turn to exchange cards, you click the cards you want to discard. At Planet Poker, you click the cards you want to keep. Without familiarizing yourself with how it works, you can easily make a costly mistake. Having said that, on the best sites, the interfaces are extremely good and it’s very quick and easy to get started.

SKINS

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Groups like the Prima Poker Group have many “skins,” which are different member cardrooms that use the same software and have members from different skins competing with each other. Skins are different views into the main cardroom. For example, you may be registered with and playing on Royal Vegas, but the player sitting right next to you at your table might be registered with and playing on 7 Sultans Poker. The interfaces and appearance of each room might be quite different, but it’s all basically one big cardroom.

HAND HISTORIES ONLINE

Hand histories are an important part of most cardrooms. A hand history is a historical replay of a hand, showing who did what and revealing who held what at the showdown. Often, you can see them immediately and as part of the interface; others email hand histories upon request. You can request one hand history, or hundreds, for later analysis.

BUY-INS FOR BIG-BET GAMES In online cardrooms, pot- and no-limit buy-ins are typically a minimum of 20 times the big blind and a maximum of 100 times the big blind. Buy-ins as small as 10 times the small blind are sometimes permitted.

DOLLAR AMOUNTS The limits in all the listings in this section are in dollars. For example, .05–.10 is $0.05–$0.10 (that is, 5¢–10¢) and 1–2 is $1–$2. Where specified, pot- and no-limit buyins are the maximum permitted (unless a minimum is also specified).

THE LISTINGS These sites are listed in alphabetical order, and we have not attempted to order them qualitatively, except to say that these are the 11 best.


990. bodog.com/poker (licensed in Costa Rica) Software: Real Time Gaming Games: • Hold’em fixed limit: a large selection ranging from .05–.10 to 5–10 and a few games at 15–30; 6 maximum available only in 1–2 • Hold’em pot-limit: a few games ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 1–2 • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 2–4 • Heads-up hold’em (1–2 through 5–10) • Omaha high and high-low fixed limit: .25–.50 to 5–10 • 5-stud and 7-stud: .25–.50 to 5–10 • SNGs: hold’em no-limit with buy-ins of 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 • Pot-limit Omaha with buy-ins of 5, 10, 20, 30 • Daily tournaments, including freerolls Features: 10 percent signup bonus plus continuing cash bonus with every deposit made (thus you don’t need to wait for reload bonuses). Bonuses clear at 6 points per dollar. Limit hold’em games are typically 10-handed, while no-limit is 9-handed. Has player note editing. Software is smooth and fast. 2 all-ins allowed per day. No props or shills are used. You can play 3 tables at once. Up to 2,000 real-money players at peak times. Support competent and prompt. Extra: All-in-one site: has a sportsbook (bodog.com/sportsbook), racebook (bodog.com/racebook), and casino (bodog.com/casino).

643

(licensed in Canada)

Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from .02–.04 to 50–100; 6-handed games also available all limits up to 15–30 • Hold’em pot-limit: blinds .05–.10 • Hold’em no-limit: blinds ranging from .10–.25 to 2–4 • Omaha high fixed-limit: available up to 15–30 • Omaha high-low fixed-limit: .10-.20 to 15–30 • 7-stud high and high-low fixed-limit: .10–.25 to 15–30 (most of the action at smallest games) • SNGs: fixed-limit hold’em, no-limit hold’em, pot-limit hold’em, fixed-limit Omaha high-low, pot-limit Omaha high-low, fixed-limit 7-stud high, fixed-limit 7-stud highlow: generally buy-ins range from $1–$65 • Many regular daily tournaments scheduled • Some freerolls Features: Flop games are 9-handed. Player notes available. Satisfactory software. Up to 3 tables can be played at once. You can upload an image of your choice for your avatar. Up to 6,000 real-money players at peak times. Very fast cashouts (5 hours average). Currently 35 percent signup bonus. Frequent reload bonuses. 10 points per dollar to clear. Hand history available by email. Statistics available. Support by email.

ONLINE

989. www.absolutepoker.com

991. doylesroom.com

(licensed in Curacao)

644 ONLINE

Software: Tribeca Tables Software Games: • Hold’em fixed limit: ranging from .02–.04 to 50–100; also 6-handed games • Hold’em pot-limit: blinds of .05–.10 to 2–4; also 6-handed games • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection with blinds of .05–.10, .25–.50, .50–1 and several games ranging from blinds of 1–2 to 5–10 • Omaha high fixed-limit: ranging from .10–.20 to 10–20 (available) • Omaha high pot-limit: with blinds ranging from .05–.10 to 2–4 • Omaha high-low fixed and pot-limit: .05–.10 to 10–20 • SNGs, regular tournaments, some freerolls Features: Part of the Apex Poker Network. Up to 3,600 real-money players at peak times (900 ring game, 2,700 tournament). Flop games are 9-handed game. Both telephone and email support. Initial signup bonus typically 35 percent up to $140, with NETeller. Has a separate site that has only play money games (doylesroom.net), which is good for learning how to play. Software is smooth and very fast. Can play 2 tables at one time. Support by 24/7 live chat and by telephone. Extra: The site is run by Doyle Brunson, one of the most respected names in poker. You can get his Super/System 2 for free by accumulating a certain amount of player points. The site is closely associated with Mike Caro University of Poker.

992. FullTiltPoker.com (licensed in Costa Rica and Canada) Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed limit: .25–.50 to 200–400; 6-handed available at 2–4 and higher • Hold’em pot-limit: ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 1–2 • Hold’em no-limit: ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 25–50; 6-handed available at all limits • Omaha high fixed-limit: .25–.50 to 15–30 • Omaha high pot-limit: .05–.10 to 5–10 • Omaha high fixed-limit-low: .25–.50 to 200–400 • Omaha high pot-limit-low: ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 5–10 • Omaha high-low no-limit: ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 1–2 (available) • 7-stud high fixed-limit: .25–.50 to 200–400 (with usually a few small games going) • 7-stud high-low fixed-limit: .25–.50 to 15–30 (with usually a few small games going) • 7-stud heads-up (available) Razz (7-stud low) fixed-limit: .25–.50 to 15–30 SNGs: several, all games, many different buy-ins, including hold’em fixed-, pot- and nolimit, Omaha high-low fixed- and pot-limit, 7-stud high and high-low fixed-limit Features: At peak times, 900 ring and 2,500 tournament players. 100 percent signup bonus up to $600. Flop games are 9-handed. Excellent player notes, perhaps the best of any site; notes can be moved around, resized, given different fonts and colors, etc. Also, user-customizable color-coded note symbols appear on the positions of those players for whom you have made notes. Software is smooth and fast. You can play 4 tables at once.

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Has a separate site that has only play money games (FullTiltPoker.net), which is good for learning how to play. Hand history available online, providing a facility to literally replay any of up to the last 50 hands. Statistics available. Support by email. Extra: Endorsed and hosted by 10 world-class pros: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, John Juanda, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Erick Lindgren, Phil Gordon, Clonie Gowen, and Jennifer Harman. These pros regularly play, and at limits small enough for anyone to join.

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Software: Cryptologic Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from 1–2 to 100–200; 6-handed games also available all limits through 20–40 (large selection at 1–2 limits) • Hold’em pot-limit: blinds ranging from .50–1 to 5–10 • Hold’em no-limit: blinds ranging from .50–1 to 5–10 • Omaha high fixed-limit: 1–2 to 20–40 • Omaha high pot-limit: blinds ranging from .50–1 to 2.50–5 • Omaha high-low fixed-limit: ranging from 1–2 to 20–40 (most of the action in smaller limits) • Omaha high-low pot-limit: blinds .50–1 • 7-stud high fixed-limit: blinds ranging from 1–2 to 20–40 (most of the action at smallest games) • 1-on-1 tables are available for hold’em • SNGs and regular multi-table tournaments are available for hold’em, with the vast majority being no-limit. • Some freerolls Features: Flop games are 10-handed. Satisfactory software. Hand history is available in log viewer. There is no limit to how many tables one can play at once. Up to 3,000 realmoney players at peak times. Reasonably fast cashouts (2 days average through Ecash Direct). Currently $90 signup bonus. Regular monthly reload bonuses. 5 raked hands per dollar to clear. There is a proposition player program whereby there are frequent prompts offering up to $30 per hour to start games. Once the offer is accepted, pay terminates after 2 hours of play, or more than 4 players are seated, or if sitting out. There is live online and telephone support, as well as by email. Extra: All games can be played for dollars, pounds, or euros. InterPoker is part of Intercasino, one of the most popular online casinos.

ONLINE

993. www.interpoker.com

994. PacificPoker.com


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Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed limit: a large selection ranging from .05–.10 to 5–10 and several 10–20, 15–30, 30–60; 6 maximum available at 5–10 and up • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection with blinds of .10–.25 and .25–.50 and a few games at .50–1 and 1–2 • Omaha high and high-low and 7-stud high and high-low fixed limit: ranging from blinds of .05–.10 to 30–60, with generally a few small games going • SNGs and regular tournaments Features: Up to 7,000 real-money players at peak times (2,500 ring players, 4,500 tournament players). Initial signup bonus is typically 25 percent, with occasional reload bonuses. Flop games are 10-handed. Support, by email, is friendly and quick. Limited hand history available online. Extra: PacificPoker is part of Casino On Net, one of the most popular online casinos.

995. ParadisePoker.com


ONLINE

Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from .02–.04 to 15–30, usually a few 20–40 and 40–80; 5-player games ranging from 1–2 to 10–20 with always at least a few of each • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection ranging from blinds of .01–.02 to 1–2; and sporadic 2–5; a large selection of 5-player games with blinds of .10–.25, .25–.50, .50–1 • 7-stud high fixed-limit: usually a few games at each limit ranging from .02–.04 to 2–4; and sporadic ranging from 4–8 to 10–20 • 7-stud high-low fixed-limit: ranging from .50–1 to 10–20 • Omaha high fixed-limit: 1–2 and 5–10 • Omaha high fixed-limit-low: ranging from .50–1 to 10–20; and 5-player games: 3–6, 5–10, 10–20 • Omaha high pot-limit and high-low: ranging from .25–.50 blinds to 2–4 blinds • 5-card draw high 5-player games: 1–2, 2–4, 3–6, 5–10, 10–20 • 5-stud: 1–2, 4–8 • Pineapple, usually 1–2 games: 1–2, 3–6, 5–10 • Pineapple high-low: 3–6, 10–20 • 1-on-1 tables: limit hold’em (3–6, 5–10, 10–20), and various buy-ins for 1-on-1 tournaments of Omaha high, Omaha high-low, 7-stud high, 7-stud high-low • Single-table SNGs: limit hold’em (various limits: sporadic), no-limit hold’em (various buy-ins: large selection ), Omaha high and high-low (various limits: sporadic), 7-stud high and high-low (various limits: sporadic) • Regular daily tournaments: hold’em fixed-limit (few), hold’em no-limit (various buyins from $3–$300: large selection), Omaha high pot-limit (various buy-ins from $5 to $50), Omaha high pot-limit-low (various buy-ins from $5–$15), 7-stud high (various buy-ins from $7–$25), 7-stud high-low ($8 buy-in) Features: Good software. Large numbers of players. More game types than any other site. Signup bonus 25 percent up to maximum $50 bonus. Occasional reload promotions on

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE holidays. Real-money players vary from 2,000 to 7,000. Good note-taking facility. You can play 3 tables at once. Also has a sportsbook (sportsbook.com) and a link to blackjack games. Hand history available by email. Statistics available. Support by email.

Software: iGlobalMedia Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from .50–1 to 30–60; also 6-handed games ranging from 1–2 to 15–30 • Hold’em pot-limit: a large selection ranging from blinds of .10–.25 to 5–10; 6-handed games also available at the 2–4 level and up • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection ranging from blinds of .10–.25 to 5–10; large selection for all of the preceding, all of which are 10-handed; 6-handed games also available for all game sizes • Omaha high fixed-limit: .50–1, 1–2, 3–6, 5–10 • Omaha high and high-low pot-limit with maximum buy-in ranging from $25 to $1,000 • Omaha high-low fixed-limit ranging from .50–1 to 20–40 • 7-stud high fixed-limit ranging from .50–1 to 20–40, with a large selection at the lower limits, usually some games at all higher limits • 7-stud high-low fixed-limit ranging from .50–1 to 10–20, with a large selection at the lower limits, usually some games at all higher limits; 6 maximum is available at 1–2 • SNGs: hold’em: fixed-limit, no-limit, and pot-limit, all with buy-ins ranging from $5–$200 (there is much more no-limit than fixed-limit); Omaha: fixed-limit (buy-ins $5–$100), high-low pot-limit (buy-ins $30–$100); 7-stud high (buy-ins $10–$100), 7stud high-low (buy-ins $10–$100) • Constant regular tournaments • Occasional freerolls • Freeroll for new players • Satellites for all major events (like World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker) Features: Largest online poker room by far, with 30,000–40,000 real-money players at any given time. Huge selection of games. You can always find the games you want at the limit you want, and tournaments are always starting around the clock. Initial signup bonus is typically 20 percent. Pays interest on your bankroll (funds on deposit). Frequent reload bonuses. If you haven’t played for a while, PartyPoker offers a bonus to come back to play. Cashier dialog tells you exactly where you stand with your bonus, telling you how many points you need to clear it, and how many you currently have. Some bonus promotions earn back at 7 points per dollar, some only 5. Has the most beginners, which is good for experienced players. The loosest and liveliest games. Has a separate site that has only play money games (PartyPoker.net), which is good for learning how to play. Quick support response. Fast (4 hours) payouts to NETeller. Flop games are 10-handed. Has separate bad beat jackpot games at all limits. You can play up to 4 games at a time. Hand history available by email or in a history on your hard drive. Limited statistics available. Support by 24/7 telephone. Extra: PartyPoker has the best games in terms of selection and numbers of live players. This is mainly due to the sheer volume of players. PartyPoker was an early sponsor of the World Poker Tour. Mike Sexton, cohost of the weekly Wednesday night broadcasts, is also

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ONLINE

996. PartyPoker.com

one of the prime movers of PartyPoker, and that brings a lot of traffic. Shana Hiatt, the lovely young host of the World Poker Tour who introduces and interviews players and gives guided tours of featured casino locations, is also a host of PartyPoker, and that, too, brings traffic. PartyPoker sponsors the PartyPoker Millions Tournament, a yearly event that takes place aboard one of Holland America’s cruise ships. This is a yearly World Poker Tour event that is televised, featuring a prize pool of several million dollars. This tournament has awarded first prize of at least $1 million since its inception in 2001, and that figure is likely to rise, based on the popularity of poker tournaments.

997. PokerRoom.com

(licensed in Canada)

648 ONLINE

Software: Ongame e-solutions AB Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from .25–.50 to 5–10; also 10–20, 25–50, 50–100; 5-handed games also available • Hold’em pot-limit: blinds of .50–1, 1–2, 2–4 • Hold’em no-limit: a large selection ranging from blinds of .25–50 to 5–10; 5-handed games also available for all game sizes • Hold’em 1-on-1 available • Omaha high fixed-limit: .25–.50 to 5–10 • Omaha high and high-low pot-limit: blinds of .50–1, 1–2, 2–4 • Omaha high-low fixed-limit ranging from .50–1 to 25–50 • 7-stud high and high-low fixed-limit ranging from 1–2 to 25–50 • SNGs • Regular multi-table tournaments Features: The download version software is smooth and fast. Up to 8,000 real-money players at peak times. Initial signup bonus typically 20 percent. Occasional reload bonuses. Cashouts to NETeller in 1 day. Flop games are 10-handed; 5-handed games also available. In the big-bet games, the minimum buy-in is 10 times the small blind. Player notes, plus player classification colors are available with an ability to separately write a description assigned to each color. If you color code a player’s name, it shows up next to his name in the lobby as well as within a game. You can play up to 4 games at a time. Hand history available online. Statistics available. Support by 24/7 live chat and by telephone. Extra: You can download the software or play online through a Java interface (without having to download anything). Software is thus accessible by Mac and Linux users as well as those using Microsoft systems. May be the fastest games (in terms of hands per hour) of all online sites.


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Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit: a large selection ranging from .02–.04 to 5–10; also 10–20 to 100–200); and short-handed 6-maximum (available at fixed-limit only) • Hold’em pot-limit with blinds ranging from .10–.25 to 3–6 • Hold’em no-limit with blinds ranging from .01–.02 to 10–20, and a large selection at the lower levels • Hold’em 1-on-1 available at micro-limits • Omaha high fixed-limit ranging from .02–.04 to 15–30 • Omaha high and high-low pot-limit with blinds ranging from .01–.02 to 10–20 • Omaha high-low fixed-limit ranging from .02–.04 to 75–150 • Omaha high-low no-limit: a few at micro-limits • 7-stud high and high-low fixed-limit ranging from .04–.08 to 30–60 • 1-on-1 7-stud and high-low high fixed-limit: .04–.08 • SNGs: hold’em fixed-limit (wide spread of buy-ins), hold’em no-limit, hold’em potlimit, Omaha high-low fixed-limit, Omaha high-low pot-limit, 7-stud high fixed-limit, 7-stud high-low fixed-limit • Regular tournaments • Some freerolls Features: Good software and interface. Good reputation. Tougher than average competition, which is good for those who don’t like playing in games full of maniacs, and for those who want to develop their skills. Great support. Great tournaments, many say the best, and by far the largest selection online. Satellites for almost every major event both online and in b&ms. PokerStars allows players to organize private tournaments. Good reward program for frequent players. Frequent Player Points for table play, which can be redeemed for cash or used for tournament buy-ins. Occasional signup promotions and reload bonuses. Flop games are 10-handed game for fixed-limit and 9-handed for pot- and no-limit. Fast (7 hours) payouts to NETeller. Excellent player notes, which stay in a box at the lower left-hand corner so as not to obstruct the game. You can upload an image of your choice for your avatar. You can play up to 5 tables at a time. Hand history available by email. Statistics available. Support by email. Extra: According to many BARGErs, PokerStars has the best software, the best promotions, the best tournaments, the best support, and some of the more challenging games. “They really cater to the player” wrote one BARGEr. The last 3 World Series of Poker world champions, Robert Varkonyi (2002), Chris Moneymaker (2003), and Greg Raymer (2004), all started with a small buy-in tournament on PokerStars. Raymer parlayed $160 into $5 million. The aptly named Moneymaker started in a $39 satellite and won $2.5 million, while Varkonyi turned his satellite win into $2 million. They all honed their skills on PokerStars. PokerStars sponsors the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, a yearly World Poker Tour event that is televised, featuring a prize pool of several million dollars.

ONLINE

998. PokerStars.com

999. Prima Poker Group

(various licenses)

650 ONLINE

Software: Microgaming Games: • Hold’em fixed-, pot-, and no-limit with a large selection ranging from .05–.10 to 5–10, occasional large fixed-limit (up to 100–200); short-handed (6 maximum: available at all limits). There is more no-limit hold’em than fixed limit. • Omaha high • Omaha high-low • 7-stud • 5-stud • SNGs • Many scheduled tournaments • 1-on-1 tables Features: There are some 30 rooms connected to the Prima Poker Group network, with up to 8,000 real-money players at peak times. Players in one cardroom play with players in other cardrooms. The Belle Rock Group, part of the Prima Group, has 3 rooms, Gaming Club Poker Room, Lucky Nugget Poker Room, and Riverbelle Poker Room. Of the Prima Group members, this group offers the largest signup bonus, one that is easy to clear (play off). You can take a bonus from only 1 member of the Belle Rock Group. Other Prima Group members include Royal Vegas (of Fortune Lounge), 32 Red (based in Gibraltar), and Poker333 (connected to the Piggs Peak land-based casino in Swaziland). Each cardroom is connected to a Microgaming online casino, but the accounts and money are not commingled. That is, you cannot use your casino money in the poker room, and vice versa. Support is competent, with quick replies. Generally, there is a freeroll tournament for new players, plus other daily freeroll tournaments. Daily high hand awards. Bad beat jackpot for any quads beaten. Most members have a signup bonus. Some do not allow participating in their signup bonus if you have received one already from another room. When signing up at a second room on the network, you must use the same original identity (handle). Player notes. Player history to see what a player’s action has been in the current hand. Hand history available online. Limited statistics available. Support by 24/7 telephone. Software is relatively smooth, fast, and attractive. Find information on Prima Poker at www.primapoker.com.

1000. UltimateBet.com Software: Proprietary Games: • Hold’em fixed-limit with a large selection ranging from .01–.02 to10–20, plus usually a few 15–30, 30–60, 80–160; mini-blind games (4–8 with 1–2 blinds, 8–16 with 2–4 blinds), kill games (.25–.50, .50–1, 1–2, 2–4, 3–6) • Hold’em no-limit with a large selection with blinds ranging from .01–.02 to 2–4, plus usually a few 5–10, 10–25, 25–50 • Hold’em pot-limit with blinds of .25–.50, .50–1; also 1-on-1 with blinds of .25–.50, .50–1 • Omaha high and high-low fixed-limit ranging from .01–.02 to 80–160; high-low has half kill games at 2–4, 4–8 • Omaha high pot-limit with blinds ranging from .01–.02 to 10–25

ONLINE

• Omaha high-low pot-limit with blinds ranging from .01–.02 to 10–20 • 7-stud high and high-low fixed-limit ranging from .25–.50 to 10–20 (a few games for all the preceding) • Triple-draw lowball 2–7 and A-5 ranging from .01–.02 to 80–160 • Pineapple, crazy pineapple high, crazy pineapple high-low: .25–.50, 1–2, 3–6, 5–10 • SNGs: 1-table, both 10-handed and 6-handed, and heads-up • Multi-table tournaments • Satellites for all major events (like World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker) Features: Most limit and no-limit games are 10-handed; 6-handed games are available at many limits. Heads-up games are available at many limits and for various games. Miniblind games have smaller blinds than usual games at the specific limit. For example, a $4–$8 game normally has blinds of $2 and $4; in the mini-blind $4–$8 game, they are $1 and $2 and the $4–$8 betting starts on the flop. In kill games, if a player wins 2 pots in a row (pot must be 5 times size of big blind), that player must double the stakes by putting in a third blind twice the size of the big blind. All 7-stud games are 8-handed. All tripledraw lowball games are 6-handed. Current sign-up bonus 40 percent up to $200; occasional reload promotions. Generally 5–8,000+ real-money players at any given time. Excellent software; very fast. Player notes are available, plus a player’s chair can be flagged with any of five different colors. You can play 3 games at a time. Hand history available online. Statistics available. Support by email. Extra: UltimateBet sponsors the yearly Aruba Classic, 10 days of events on the island of Aruba, culminating in the championship, a World Poker Tour event, with of course many satellite opportunities. UltimateBet offers satellites for most major tournaments. The UltimateBet team includes several world-class players, including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Antonio Esfandiari. Some tables are named for these pros, and you can sit down and play small-stakes games with the pros.

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Glossary

SMALL CAPITALS indicate cross-references.

ace-to-five: A form of LOWBALL in which straights and flushes are irrelevant. The game is sometimes called ace-to-five lowball or ace-to-five draw. The game is sometimes played as TRIPLE-DRAW. Compare with DEUCE-TO-SEVEN. acey-deucey: See RED DOG.

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add-on: A last buy-in optionally permitted in a REBUY TOURNAMENT. At the point of the add-on, every player still in the tournament can get another buy-in, generally receiving a larger amount of tournament chips for the add-on than any of the rebuys.

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American roulette: Also called double-zero roulette. ROULETTE with two zeros, rather than the one zero of FRENCH ROULETTE. The zeros are green numbers, and cause bets of red or black, evens or odds, dozens, and so on, to lose. The presence of the zeros is how the house gets its edge. Two zeros provide the house with a much higher edge. Curiously, many players do not know this and American roulette is often more popular than French roulette in casinos where both are side by side. In some casinos, particularly in Europe, the game known as American roulette has a single zero. There the game is given its name because it is played “American-style,” that is, less formally than French roulette. Also see EN PRISON. Arizona hold’em poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. It is also very similar to LET IT RIDE BONUS. Players get three cards, there are two community cards, and players make one, two, or three bets with payments ranging from 1:1 for a pair of 10s through aces to 250:1 for a royal flush. Asian baccarat: A CALIFORNIA GAME, a variant of BACCARAT in which players receive two community cards and the player-banker receives two cards face-down. Ties push, except that, unlike in baccarat, player-banker wins ties at zero. Asian baccarat also differs from standard baccarat in that players and player-banker are not constrained to preset rules on whether to stand or hit their hands; either may always opt to stand or hit, no matter the initial two-card total. Also see CALIFORNIA BACCARAT. Asian games: The former name of CALIFORNIA GAMES. autoroulette: A completely automated form of roulette. Bets are placed on termi-


nals similar to TOUCH BET ROULETTE, but the roulette wheel is operated electronically, with the ball forced onto the wheel by compressed air. avatar: In an ONLINE CARDROOM, the graphical representation of a player at his seating position at the table in the form of a caricature or an actual picture of the player.

bad beat: In poker, the situation in which a strong hand is beaten by a long shot or improbable hand. bad beat jackpot: A progressive prize in some poker rooms given to the player with a particularly good hand who gets beaten. The procedures for collecting the prize fund and awarding the jackpot vary widely. In some large clubs, the jackpots frequently grow into the tens of thousands of dollars, leading to the interesting phenomenon of players specifically trying to get their hands beat, and often staying in for several bets on hands they might not otherwise play.

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baccarat: A casino game played between a banker and a player, usually with six or eight decks of cards, the object being to end up with a card value total closest to 9. Each participant receives two cards and has the option to take one more. Face cards are valued at 0 and the numbered cards have their face value. When the card value total is 10 or more, 10 is subtracted. For example, a 6 and a 5 is worth 1 (that is, 11 minus 10). The house makes its money by extracting a 5 percent commission from winning bank bets. The main difference from PUNTO BANCO is that the bank has an option on whether to hit (take one more card) on a total of 5. Apart from that choice on 5, both player and banker must hit or stand based on strict rules. A player must hit any total 0–5, stand on 6 and 7, and immediately turn over 8 or 9. If the player has 8 or 9 (a natural) and the banker does not have a natural, the player immediately wins. If the player does not have a natural, then the banker stands or hits according to exact rules that specify what to do if the player stands and what to do based on the third card the player received. Ties are a standoff. In some casinos, a side bet can be made, which pays 8:1, on whether the next hand will tie. In many casinos, the baccarat table is the most elegant area of the gaming area with both players and dealers formally dressed, and the game is often played for very high stakes. The baccarat layout is generally large enough to accommodate 12 players, each playing in turn against the dealer. MINI-BACCARAT and MIDI-BACCARAT are less formal versions of baccarat. Another main difference between punto banco and baccarat is that in the former, the players play against the house, whereas in the latter, the players play against each other, taking turns with the bank.

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b&m: BRICK-AND-MORTAR CARDROOM.

Banca Francesa: A Portuguese dice game, played with three dice, in which players bet on small (total of 5, 6, or 7), big (14, 15, or 16), or three aces coming up. For small or big they receive 1:1; for three aces, 61:1. Until a decision, players can add to, reduce, or change their bets. A throw of three aces is a loss for both small and big. bank: 1. (n) The HOUSE. 2. (v) To put up the money to run a game, often as part of the expression bank a game.

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banque à deux tableaux: A variant of BACCARAT, played with six decks of cards, with players seated at two sides of a layout, each side called a tableau and generally having space for six to eight players. Each side gets one hand, and both hands compete against the bank. Like baccarat, the standing and hitting rules are predetermined, with the exception that like CHEMIN-DE-FER and unlike baccarat, a player can choose whether to hit or stand on five. Bärenpoker: Austrian, Swiss, or German name for CASINO STUD POKER.

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BARGE: Big August Rec.Gambling Excursion. An annual convention held in Las Vegas by members of REC.GAMBLING.POKER (a Usenet newsgroup of poker enthusiasts) featuring a no-limit tournament, various other events, and much hilarity. Bayou Blackjack: Another name for DOUBLE EXPOSURE BLACKJACK. Bet the Set: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, in which the player makes a bet in the “Pair Square” at the same time he makes the regular blackjack wager. If the first two cards are a pair, the player wins $10 for every $1 bet; if those two cards are a pair of the same suit, the player wins $15 for every $1 bet. After settling the side bet, the player’s hand is then played as a normal blackjack hand, with bets paid according to basic blackjack procedures. Big and Small: A dice game, played with three dice, in which players bet on small (total of 4–10), big (11–17), or triple coming up. For small or big, players receive 1:1, unless a triple comes up, which loses for big and small bets. Players can also bet on various totals, specific triples, or any triple. Also called cussec. big-bet game: A POT-LIMIT or NO-LIMIT poker game; not a LIMIT GAME. Big Raise Hold’em: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Each player makes an ante bet and can also make a Big Raise bet of from one to three times the ante. After seeing their cards and


one dealer card, players decide whether to risk all. There is also an optional bonus bet. Invented by SHUFFLE MASTER.

blackjack: 1. In the game of blackjack, a total of 21 in the first two cards. Also called a natural. 2. A casino game dealt from one or more full decks of cards to players (usually between one and seven), each of whom plays his hand separately against the dealer. Face cards are worth 10; other cards have face value, except for aces, which can be played as either 1 or 11. Each player places a wager, then gets two cards. The dealer also gets two, one face down and one face up. If the upcard is an ace or 10-count card (10, jack, queen, or king), the dealer looks at the facedown card, without revealing it to the players. If the dealer has a blackjack (an ace with a 10-count card, also called a natural), the deal stops, and the dealer collects everyone’s wager, unless a player also has a blackjack, in which case that bet is a push (tie). If any player has a blackjack, the player immediately turns up his cards, and the dealer pays him 3:2 on his wager. At that point, each player, in turn, indicates whether he wishes to stand (take no further cards), or draw cards. The object is to total exactly 21 or get as close to 21 as possible without going over (busting, an immediate loss). A player can DOUBLE DOWN, if his cards are a certain total, or SPLIT, if the cards are either a pair or two 10-count cards. The game offers other options, including EARLY and LATE SURRENDER, and sometimes bonuses are paid for certain card combinations or totals. blackjack pit: See PIT.

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bingo: A game played on a pasteboard card that players purchase, divided into 25 numbered sections in a 5-by-5 grid, which is lettered B-I-N-G-O across the top and filled in with randomly chosen numbers. The center square is usually blank and considered a wild card. Balls, each labeled with a letter and number (as B9 or I20) are drawn one at a time from a cage or a blower (similar to KENO), and compared by each player to the grids on his cards one at a time until some player fills in either a row, column, or diagonal, or sometimes the entire card. That player cries out “Bingo!,” and wins a prize. Bingo is played in a bingo hall, often to raise money for charity, and at larger stakes in casinos or other gambling establishments that offer only bingo.

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big six wheel: A house-banked casino game consisting of a vertically mounted wheel and a betting layout similar to a carnival wheel of fortune; the layout usually consists of 54 slots in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, and sometimes more, plus two extra “house” symbols. The game is usually the first one you see when you walk into a casino and is also popular in carnival midways. Next to KENO, this game has the highest house edge, and is often sneered at as being a “sucker game.” Sometimes also called money wheel, wheel of fortune, or joker wheel of fortune.

Blackjack Switch: A blackjack variant in which the player can trade cards between two hands. The player must make two bets of equal size and is allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. To compensate for this favorable edge to the player, a dealer total of 22 results in a push against any player total and blackjack pays even money. There are other rules, which vary depending on venue.

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blind: In POKER, a bet made by a player before he gets his cards to start the action. A blind is part of that player’s bet if he comes into the pot, as opposed to an ante, which just “belongs to the pot.” FLOP GAMES like HOLD’EM and OMAHA usually have blinds and 7-stud has antes. (No-limit hold’em tournaments often reach a stage at which they have both blinds and antes.) Most hold’em games have two blinds, the small blind, put in by the player to the left of the BUTTON, and the big blind, put in to the left of the small blind. The small blind is usually half the size of the big blind; the minimum bet for the game is usually equal to the size of the big blind. The action on the first round of betting starts with the player to the left of the big blind.

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bonus: A side bet, or separate wager, available in many house-banked casino games in which players get paid for ending up with various holdings, according to payoff tables. Games like FORTUNE PAI GOW and THREE-CARD POKER offer bonuses. Bonus Blackjack: Optional BLACKJACK side bets on whether player, dealer, or both, will get blackjack, with a progressive jackpot paid if the player bets on both hands and the player gets ace-jack of spades. Bonus Six: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to POKER in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. It has some similarities to stud games, in that a player starts with three cards and has the option, upon increasing his bet, of receiving more cards, or declining to bet and folding. The game has an insurance bet that permits the player to receive an optional sixth card at the end. Players end up with four downcards and there is one community card. The ante is first paid 1:1 for a hand of a pair of 6s or better. In addition, the three total bets are paid off, ranging from 1:1 for a pair of 6s or better to 1,000:1 for a royal flush. Boston 5 stud: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to POKER in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Players start with three cards and pay for more cards or fold. An optional bonus bet pays on the first three cards for a pair or better. Each hand in which the player has paid for all five cards is individually compared to the dealer’s five-card hand, and the higher hand wins.


boule: A casino game similar to ROULETTE but with a different layout and different payouts. Unlike roulette, the boule wheel is slightly curved and it does not spin; the ball spins inside the wheel.

Brit Brag: CASINO BRAG. bug: See JOKER. burn: 1. In BLACKJACK, to take the top card out of play, usually by placing it face up on the bottom of the deck. 2. In POKER, to take the top card out of play, usually by placing it face down among the discards. In versions of draw poker, a card is usually burned before the draw cards are distributed; in stud and hold’em, a card is usually burned before each round of cards is dealt. bust: 1. In BLACKJACK, to exceed a count of 21 when drawing cards. For example, if you have 8-4, for a total of twelve, ask for a card, and receive a king, you have just busted. 2. In POKER, to win all of another player’s chips; usually followed by a player’s name or a pronoun. “I just busted Chris and got a $500 bounty.” button: 1. In poker, the disk or other marker that indicates the dealer position in a game dealt by a house dealer. Also known as dealer button. 2. The position from which the dealer would distribute cards if the dealer were one of the players. Also known as dealer position. California aces: See CALIFORNIA GAME. California baccarat: A CALIFORNIA GAME variant of BACCARAT, played between a player-banker and a player, with eight decks of cards plus eight jokers, the object being to end up with a total closest to 9. A hand containing two jokers, which are wild and have any value from 0–9, beats all other hands. Unlike baccarat, 8 is not a natural and player-banker and player both have an option to stand or hit 5 or 6. If the player-dealer’s up card is a joker, the deal is concluded. A three-card 9 ties with a two-card 9. The player-dealer wins all ties on 0. Apart from that, other ties are a push. A player

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brick-and-mortar cardroom: A cardroom having a real physical location, with live players, as opposed to an ONLINE CARDROOM. Also called b&m or bricksand-mortar cardroom.

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bounty: In a poker tournament, an extra prize awarded to a participant who busts out a designated player, sometimes a celebrity or poker star, sometimes any other player. bounty tournament: Poker tournament with BOUNTIES.

can surrender half of his wager before the player dealer checks for 9. Also see ASIAN BACCARAT. California blackjack: A CALIFORNIA GAME variant of BLACKJACK in which the object is to get closest to 22, played with multiple decks of cards to which a number of jokers have been added. A natural, consisting of two jokers, two aces, or ace-joker is the best hand, and pays 3:2 (2:1 for joker-joker). Also called X blackjack, where X is the name of the club. California craps: See CRAPS.

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California games: A set of cardroom games, formerly called Asian games, some of which resemble poker, but are not strictly poker, in which players place bets before receiving the hands on which they wager; other California games resemble blackjack. In these games, to get around the California legal restriction against banking games, the only interest the house has is to take a portion of every bet; one player acts as banker (and is called the player-banker), playing one hand against each player in turn. The house makes its money by collecting a “drop” from each hand. These games include PAI GOW (played with tiles, and not a card game at all), PAI GOW POKER, SUPER PAN NINE (also called super nine), CALIFORNIA BLACKJACK, NO-BUST BLACKJACK, California Aces (a variant of blackjack in which the object is to get closest to 22, with two aces being the best hand; similarly often called X aces), CALIFORNIA BACCARAT, and others. In every case, the player-banker puts up a bank and plays against and pays off each player to the extent that the money covers. This means that if the player-banker loses the amount he puts up before getting to all players, some players might have winning hands but not get paid. These games started in California and have spread to casinos around the world, where they usually are banked by the house. Where the games are banked by the house, the banker never runs short. California roulette: A version of ROULETTE played in California Native American casinos. Since California law does not permit actual roulette, the rules are circumvented by using a blower filled with ping-pong balls (just as in the most common version of live KENO), in this case 38 balls numbered 0, 00, and 1–36, from which one ball is selected. The playing layout, bets, and odds, are the same as roulette played with a wheel. Canadian stook: A Canadian variant of BLACKJACK, a house-banked game dealt from one, four, six, or eight decks of cards, in which two aces is the best hand and an automatic winner for the player (the hand cannot tie and is immediately paid at 3:2 on the original bet and even money on the raised bet), five cards under 21 next, and then blackjack rankings. A player can increase (raise) his bet up to twice the original bet after looking at his first card. Players receive cards based on whether they have raised the bet. Dealer wins a tie of 17 if the bet was raised; otherwise ties push (are a standoff).


canasta: A version of ROULETTE, found primarily in Latin America, in which a basket containing numbered balls replaces the roulette wheel, similar to CALIFORNIA ROULETTE. The betting layout and the payoffs are the same as roulette.

cards speak: The rule followed in pOKER games in many cardrooms that what a player says about his hand has no relevance: only the cards shown are of importance, and those cards, when placed face up on the table, are to be “read” by the house dealer, or any player at the table; sometimes part of the expression “the cards speak for themselves.” The cards that players actually show determine the winner of the pot. In HIGH-LOW SPLIT GAMES, the house dealer, if there is one, reads all the hands at the showdown and determines which wins the high half and which the low, unlike in home games where players declare high and low hands. Also see 8-or-BETTER. Caribbean Draw Poker: A house-banked game played at a blackjack-type table. The game is related to poker in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Players get five cards, elect to stay by increasing the bet, or fold, then replace up to two cards and compete against the dealer’s hand, which must QUALIFY (be a pair of 8s or better). An optional jackpot bet pays starting with a flush, with a straight flush winning 10 percent of a progressive jackpot and a royal flush 100 percent of the jackpot. In a variant known as VIP-poker, a player pays one ante to draw one card and two antes to draw two. Caribbean Stud Poker: A house-banked game played at a blackjack-type table. The game is related to poker in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Players get five cards, elect to stay by increasing the bet, or fold, and then compete against the dealer’s hand, which must QUALIFY (be ace-king or better). An optional jackpot bet pays starting with a flush, with a straight flush winning 10 percent of a progressive jackpot and a royal flush 100 percent of the jackpot. Often known simply as Caribbean Stud.

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cardroom poker: POKER as played in a CARDROOM, and as specifically distinct from any of the house-banked casino variations like CARIBBEAN DRAW POKER, CARIBBEAN STUD POKER, CASINO STUD POKER, PAI GOW POKER, and so on.

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cardroom: 1. An establishment, usually open to the public, in which card games, usually POKER, are played. 2. The section of a casino in which poker is played. 3. A room in a club devoted to card playing. For all meanings, sometimes referred to informally as just room.

Caribbean 21: BLACKJACK variant in which players can split any two initial cards, double any time, and redouble after doubling. There’s no free lunch in the world of casino gaming, so these features come at the expense of losing all ties. Also, the ace is worth 1 only; the “special” hand for this game is an ace plus two 10-count cards, called a Caribbean 21, which ranks higher than any other 21, and pays 3:2 if they are the player’s first three cards. Play of hands is very similar to “normal” blackjack, but there are also several other rule changes, so read the house rules carefully before playing. An insurance bet is available if the dealer’s upcard is an ace against the dealer having a Caribbean 21; it pays 9:1.

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cash baccarat: BACCARAT in which all bets and payoffs are made with cash (and not chips). casino: An establishment devoted to gaming (gambling), usually one containing house-banked games, slot machines, or both, although sometimes one devoted only or mainly to POKER.

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casino brag: A variant of THREE-CARD POKER in which the dealer needs acequeen to qualify. Also known as Brit Brag. Casino Hold’em Poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Players get two cards and decide to increase the bet or fold after seeing three community cards. An optional side bet pays on the player’s two cards plus the first three flop cards. The dealer must have a pair of 4s or better to QUALIFY. Certain hands, starting with a straight, pay bonuses. casino poker: Any of several house-dealt games in which players compete against the house to either beat the dealer’s hand or just try to make certain hands, which pay off according to pay tables. These games are not like “traditional” poker in which players compete against each other, and are “poker” only insofar as the ranking of hands. These games have a fixed house edge and involve little, if any, skill, since players make their bets before receiving their cards. Although in some of the games players can make further wagers after seeing their cards, they are not playing against each other; betting to build pots or to bluff others out are not part of these games. Casinos Poland Mini Poker: The Polish version of THREE-CARD POKER. Casinos Poland Poker: See CARIBBEAN STUD POKER casino stud poker: A house-banked game popular in European casinos played at a blackjack-type table with seven players, dealt from a single standard deck of cards. The

casino war: A house-banked game played at a blackjack-type table. This is basically the game you played as a child. The object is to have a higher card than that of the dealer (rather than to accumulate cards, as in the children’s game). The game is played with six decks. Cards are ranked as in poker, except aces are always high. A tie bet is also available, which pays 10:1 if the first two cards tie. Invented by SHUFFLE MASTER. Catch-A-Wave: A house-banked game dealt from eight decks, in which players play separately against the dealer, and guess whether the next card will be higher or lower than the one that just came, trying to make up to six correct choices in a row. Cesar Poker: See PINEAPPLE. chances: The likelihood of a particular event, usually expressed in the form of a fraction (1/3), decimal (0.33), or percentage (33%), or in the form of one number out of or in another (“1 out of 3,” or “1 in 3”). Compare with ODDS. chemin-de-fer: Similar to MINI-BACCARAT, the main difference being that players, rather than the house, cover all bets, and the house takes a commission (usually 5 percent) from all winning banker bets. The other difference from baccarat is that players have a choice on whether to stand or hit on a total of 5. Chinese lottery: See KENO. Chinese poker: See 13-CARD POKER. chip: A round, flat marker, usually about the size of a silver dollar, used to represent various monetary betting units (example: 50¢ chip, $5 chip). Chips are the units with

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game is related to poker in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. It is also very similar to CARIBBEAN STUD POKER. Each player first antes, by putting a wager (within the range of table limits) into the ante box before him, and then players and dealer all receive five cards face down, with the exception of the dealer’s last card, which is turned face up. Each player in turn decides whether his hand can beat the dealer’s. The dealer’s hand must QUALIFY by containing at least an ace and a king. Unlike poker, if the player and the dealer have the same rank of hand, it is a push. One additional option exists that is somewhat analogous to the bluff in cardroom poker. A player can win without his hand beating that of the dealer, but to do so must make an extra wager. An optional bet is available in some casinos, in which the player wins for a flush or better, with payouts ranging from 50:1 for the flush to 5,000:1 for a royal flush. A variant of casino stud (sometimes called “Extra Plus”) exists in which a player can replace one card, at the expense of invalidating the bonus bet.

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which most bets are made in casinos. They are also the score-keeping units of poker. Also called check, counter, poker chip (in poker games), token. Choi Ti Dee: A rummy-style game played with one deck of cards among, usually, four players, in which players try to rid themselves of cards, and those left with cards have points counted against them. A cardroom makes money from a Choi Ti Dee game by charging an hourly fee for the use of the facilities. Also spelled Choi Dai Dee, and sometimes known as big two.

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Chuck-a-Luck: A game played with three dice tumbled in a cage. Players make bets beforehand on a layout offering seven possible bets: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or field. Sometimes called mini-dice. Class I gaming: Defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 as social games, that is, games that can be played for small stakes or minimal prizes among friends.

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Class II gaming: Defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 as traditional bingo, or bingo played electronically, that is, on a video gaming device; pull tabs, punchboards, and other games similar to bingo, when played on the same premises as bingo; or nonbanked card games played among players, that is, specifically not against the house or a player acting as a bank, such as poker or any other nonbanked form of card game when played among players, such as PAI GOW POKER or PAN. Class II gaming device: An electronic version of a Class II game, such as bingo or similar games. Some Class II casinos have electronic machines that look like slot machines but are based on bingo, and cannot pay out the huge jackpots permitted in Class III casinos. Class III gaming: Defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 as gambling games that do not fall into the categories of Class I or II, that is, “full-blown” casino-type gaming. Slot machines, roulette, blackjack, craps, and most other casino games fall into this category. Native American tribes negotiate with states to be permitted to conduct Class III or Class II gaming. Class III gaming device: Any gaming device that involves a Class III game, such as reel slot machines, video reel slot machines, video poker, video keno, and so on. come bet: See CRAPS. community cards: The cards dealt face up in the center of the table in HOLD’EM, OMAHA, similar games, and other house-banked games that use poker rankings.


comp: 1. (n) Casino “freebie,” such as a free room, show ticket, or meal, offered by casinos to preferred customers, often those who play at certain limits or for a prescribed minimum of time. The term is a shortening of complimentary. 2. (v) To give such a gift to a player. Heard in such phrases as “they comped my meals” or “they comped two nights” (that is, gave the person free accommodations). coupon book: Booklet containing coupons for free or discounted meals, show tickets, and so on, plus MATCH PLAYS offered by the casino to bring players in.

Craps No More: See NO CRAPS CRAPS.

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craps: A house-banked casino game in which players bet on the roll of two dice. Players take turns throwing (shooting) the dice. The player holding the dice is called the shooter. Since each die has six numbers, from 1 to 6, the total on the top surfaces can be any number from 2 to 12. A craps table, which is usually felt-covered and deeply recessed in a rectangular setup with rounded corners, has a layout upon which players can place a variety of bets. Players can make one-roll bets, a bet that a player will make a point (throw the same number as the first roll before throwing a 7), bet that a player will not make a point, bet that certain number combinations will come on the next roll or before a 7 appears, and so on. To throw a 7 before “making a point” is to crap out. When a player craps out, the dice go to the next player. A bet on the initial roll that the player will win (either immediately throw a 7 or 11 or make the point) is called a pass bet. Any bet on the same thing thereafter, but not on a player’s come-out roll, is called a come bet. A bet against either of these bets is called, respectively, a don’t pass or a don’t come bet. Any of these four options is called a line bet. After a point has been established, a player can make an additional wager that he will make that point at some multiple of the original bet. The casino pays such a bet at true odds. This is called an ODDS BET, and can be made at single, double, triple, 5X, 100X, and other multiples. Making such a bet is called taking the odds. “Don’t” versions of odds are also available wherever odds are offered. Many other craps bets, too numerous to list here, are available. A version of craps is played in California’s Native American casinos that uses cards instead of dice. Such a game is often named for the casino, such as Barona Craps. Two sets, one black, one red, of cards ranked ace through 6 are placed on a layout and then two dice determine which corresponding cards to use to determine a roll. Each succeeding roll of the dice causes the corresponding cards to be chosen. This is all an elaborate ruse to get around California’s requirement that cards be used to determine the outcome of the game instead of dice, even in Native American casinos, which are otherwise permitted games not found in casinos licensed by the state. The layout, the bets, the odds, and the payoffs are exactly the same as Nevada craps.

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crapless craps: See NO CRAPS CRAPS.

crazy four poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, similar to THREECARD POKER, except using the best four of five dealt cards and involving four-card poker hand rankings. The dealer must QUALIFY with a hand of king or better. There are two bonus side bets paid according to a payoff table. Also see PLAY FOUR POKER. crazy pineapple: A variant of PINEAPPLE in which players do not discard one of their downcards until after the flop, at which point the game proceeds as in ordinary hold’em. croupier: A casino employee who runs a house-banked game, particularly ROULETTE.

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crown & anchor: An Australian dice game, played with three dice, in which players bet on which symbols will come up. Each side of the die has one of six symbols: crown, anchor, diamond, spade, heart, and club. One symbol among the dice pays 1:1, two symbols 2:1, and three 3:1.

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cussec: See BIG AND SMALL. Cyberdyne machines: Cartridge-driven pull tab dispensing machines that play on credits. dai sai: Another name for SIC BO. dark: Closed, usually with reference to the day on which a showroom has no performances. For example, “Performances Mon.–Sat. at 7 and 10 p.m., dark Sun.” dead man’s hand: In POKER, the two-pair hand aces and 8s. Legend has it that James Butler (“Wild Bill”) Hickok was holding aces and 8s when he was shot in the back by Jack McCall at the No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota, on August 2, 1876. There is some controversy as to Wild Bill’s fifth card but the term dead man’s hand usually just refers to two pair, aces and 8s, in any combination. dealer: 1. A casino employee who distributes the cards in house-banked games like BLACKJACK, PAI GOW POKER, CASINO STUD POKER, and so on, or who participates in the running of a craps game. 2. A CARDROOM employee who distributes the cards in poker games. dealer button: See BUTTON. dealer position: See BUTTON.


dealer’s choice: A form of POKER, common to home games and gaining popularity in cardrooms, in which the dealer chooses the form of poker to be played on his own deal (as opposed to playing one game exclusively for the entire playing session) or the next round. In cardrooms, the dealer usually must choose from a relatively small list of possibilities. declaration: In POKER, usually only in home games, players indicate at the showdown, in a HIGH-LOW SPLIT game, whether they’re going high or low—or both ways. Such a declaration is usually done after all the betting is over.

deuces wild: A form of draw poker in which the 2s are wild. Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em: See WILD HOLD’EM FOLD’EM POKER. deuces wild tonk: See TONK. dockside casino: A barge or similar vessel permanently docked on the water to fulfill state laws that permit gaming only on vessels that could theoretically sail. Often a dockside casino has restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and the like built on adjacent solid ground, with the equipment and facilities for gambling being the only things not on dry land. A permanently moored RIVERBOAT CASINO can be considered a dockside casino. don’t come bet: See CRAPS. Double Cross Poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Players form their best hands using two downcards and either the vertical or the horizontal arm of a set of five community cards dealt face down in the shape of a cross. To continue, players must make a raise bet, and their hands compete against the dealer, with a bonus being paid for two pair or better.

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deuce-to-seven: A form of LOWBALL in which aces are high and straights and flushes count against a hand. The lowest hand is 2-3-4-5-7 of mixed suits; the next best is 2-3-4-6-7; and so on. The game is sometimes called deuce-to-seven lowball, Kansas City lowball, or deuce-to-seven draw. The game is often played as TRIPLEDRAW. Compare with ACE-TO-FIVE.

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declare: Make a DECLARATION.

double-deck hand-held pitch blackjack: Blackjack played with two decks (rather than a single deck or the six or eight commonly used) and dealt by hand (rather than from a shoe). double down: In BLACKJACK, double your bet after seeing the first two cards and receive only one more card. Casinos have different restrictions on when and how players can double down, so be sure to check the rules.

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double exposure blackjack: A form of BLACKJACK in which both the dealer cards are dealt face up. To compensate for this advantage to the player, the rules are adjusted to favor the casino more than standard blackjack, including pays blackjacks at even money, permits doubling down only on 9, 10, or 11, player wins all blackjack ties but house wins all other ties, and does not allow insurance, resplits, or surrender. Some versions offer bonus payoffs, such as 6-7-8 of the same suit or three 7s of the same suit; and some have other restrictive rules.

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double hand: See PAI GOW POKER. double-hand baccarat: A CALIFORNIA GAME cross between BACCARAT and PAI GOW POKER. Player and player-dealer each get four cards, from which each makes two two-card hands that play against each other. Hands are ranked first as pairs (with aces the highest and deuces the lowest), then as baccarat totals. A win and a tie is a win for either player or player-dealer; however tie-tie is a win for player-dealer. double-hand poker: See PAI GOW POKER. double-zero roulette: See AMERICAN ROULETTE. draw poker: 1. A form of POKER in which players are dealt five cards face down, bet or fold based on those cards, those remaining (the active players) replace one or more cards (draw) or elect not to replace any (stand pat), and then participate in a second round of betting, after which the best of the remaining active hands (those still involved) wins all the money in the pot (or, in the case of a SPLIT-POT GAME, two hands each win half); the forms of draw poker popular in cardrooms are high draw poker, lowball, high-low split, and, rarely, deuces wild. TRIPLE-DRAW, which has three draws and four rounds of betting, is also a form of draw poker. In home or private games, other variations exist. Also called five-card draw. 2. High draw poker, often called just draw. drop: 1. The amount of money taken from the players in a specific time period, say for the duration of one shift or in a 24-hour period. 2. In poker, the amount taken from each pot. Often the drop is a specific percentage, say 5 percent to a maximum of $3;


other times, depending on local regulations, the drop might be an exact amount, say $3 every hand, regardless of the size of the pot. early surrender: In blackjack, when a player is allowed to SURRENDER before the dealer checks for blackjack.

electronic multiroulette: A variant of TOUCH BET ROULETTE. electronic roulette: See TOUCH BET ROULETTE. en prison: A ROULETTE rule, usually available only in the single-zero version, and then not in all casinos, that essentially cuts the house edge in half on even-money bets. If 0 comes up on an even-money bet (red-black, odd-even, high-low), the croupier does not take the bet. Instead it remains “in prison” for another spin. If what the player bet on comes up on that spin, then he gets the bet back; if it does not, he loses the bet. If 0 comes up again, the bet remains en prison for another spin. Some casinos offer the player the alternative of immediately losing half the bet. Mathematically, there is no difference in the long run. English roulette: Same as FRENCH ROULETTE. envy bonus: A special bonus paid to those players who placed a side bet in certain games, such as FORTUNE PAI GOW, when any player gets at least a certain holding, say four of a kind. The bonus is so called because others envy the person who got the good hand. European roulette: See FRENCH ROULETTE. European seven-eleven: A version of CRAPS, played on a smaller layout, that involves fewer employees, but otherwise plays the same.

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Eight-or-better: 1. The requirement in HIGH-LOW SPLIT games that the low half of the pot be awarded only to a hand that is 8-high or lower. This is known as a QUALIFIER. 2. A game having this requirement.

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edge: The percentage a gambling establishment extracts from each bet. See ROULETTE for one example of how it works.

Euroulette: A redesigned roulette setup, in German casinos. The game is the same, but players and croupiers stand facing one another at a semicircular table. Each Euroulette table is monitored by several video cameras, the images from which are displayed centrally. To prevent disruption if a dispute arises, players can view a video replay of the game.

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Extreme 21: A house-banked variant of blackjack, played in Canadian and other casinos using ordinary blackjack rankings, dealt from one, four, five, six, or eight decks of cards, in which 21 is the best hand and an automatic winner for the player (the hand cannot tie and is immediately paid at even money on the original bet). There are no pushes. The player plays his hand face up, and the dealer must stop whenever the dealer busts or the dealer’s total is greater than the player’s. For example, if the player stops at 14, the dealer must hit 14 and stop on 15. If the player’s total is 20, the dealer must hit 20. A player can double on any total except 21 and request additional cards. A player can split any two cards of equal point value. The dealer plays against each hand separately, starting with new cards each time.

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EZ Pay: A TICKET IN-TICKET OUT system. fair roulette: Roulette that is played like French roulette, with two exceptions. First, players have personalized chips like in American roulette (as played in European casinos). Second, and of much more interest, if 0 comes up, all even-money bets (redblack, odd-even, high-low) are returned to the players. That is, the game has no house edge on even-money bets (only). fan-tan: 1. A Chinese gambling game in which a banker places a random handful of objects, such as beans, into a cup, players place bets, and then the banker reveals the objects and removes groups of four until four or fewer remain. The players get paid for having guessed what number will be left at the end of the count. The house usually gets a commission from winning bets, which can be on either one or two numbers. 2. A card game for four players in which players build sequences that go up or down from a start of 7 and attempt to be the first out of cards and have the lowest score in points based on an elaborate numbering scheme. Several variants exist. Fast Cash: A TICKET IN-TICKET OUT system. five-card draw: 1. DRAW POKER (definition 1). 2. High draw poker, often called just draw. five-card Oasis Poker: A variant of GOLDEN OASIS POKER in which the cost of replacing three cards is three rather than two antes.


five-card stud: A poker game, STUD POKER with one card dealt face down followed by four cards dealt face up, with betting commencing on the second card and continuing with each round of cards.

flop game: Any poker game involving COMMUNITY CARDS, such as HOLD’EM or OMAHA. Flop Poker: A house-banked card game that uses poker hand rankings, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. The object of the game is to make a poker hand containing a pair of jacks or better using the player’s three dealt cards and the three community cards turned up by the dealer. flush: 1. The POKER hand consisting of five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. The hand ranks above a STRAIGHT and below a FULL HOUSE. A flush is often specified by its top one or two cards. For example, A« K« 9« 4« 2« is called an ace-king flush. Five cards of the same suit in sequence constitute a hand known as a STRAIGHT FLUSH. 2. A variant of THREE-CARD BRAG. Fortune Pai Gow: A variant of PAI GOW POKER that offers a side bet that pays a bonus based only on the player’s entire original seven-card hand. four-card poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, similar to THREECARD POKER and CRAZY FOUR POKER. Invented by SHUFFLE MASTER. four of a kind: The POKER hand consisting of four of the same rank, as four aces or four deuces. Ranks above a FULL HOUSE and below a STRAIGHT FLUSH. Also called quads. Four the Money: A form of CRAPS in which players win by throwing the dice four times in a row without throwing a 7.

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flop: In hold’em-style poker games, the three COMMUNITY CARDS turned face up after the first round of betting.

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five of a kind: In any WILD-CARD game, the POKER hand consisting of some combination of cards all of the same rank plus one or more wild cards. Ranks higher than any STRAIGHT FLUSH. For example, in deuces wild, three 7s and two 2s would be five of a kind, five 7s. Similarly, four deuces plus an 8 would constitute five 8s.

free-roll tournament: A poker TOURNAMENT that awards cash prizes for no entry fee. Usually players must qualify for such a tournament by playing a minimum number of hours in a given period of time (for example, 40 hours in a month), winning or placing in preliminary tournaments, or just by playing in certain tournaments. freeze-out tournament: A poker TOURNAMENT that has only one buy-in, as opposed to a REBUY TOURNAMENT. French Bank: See BANCA FRANCESA.

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French roulette: Roulette with one zero. Also called single-zero roulette. See AMERICAN ROULETTE. Also see EN PRISON. frequent players card: See REWARD CARD. fruit machine: The English name for SLOT MACHINE.

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full house: The POKER hand consisting of three cards of one denomination plus two of another. Ranks above a FLUSH and below FOUR OF A KIND. Often identified by the three of a kind. Three kings and two 3s is a full house, often known as kings full or kings full of 3s. full kill: In POKER, when one player wins a pot of at least a certain size, wins both halves of the pot in a high-low split game, or wins two pots in a row, in some games the stakes double on the next hand. For example, in a $4-$8 hold’em game, the next hand would be played at $8-$16. The winner of such a pot puts in an extra blind twice the size of the big blind for that next hand only. fully licensed: See LICENSED. fun 21: See SUPER FUN 21. gaming: In the casino world, another name for gambling. gaming position: Any spot in a casino at which a person is permitted to participate in a gambling game or operate a gaming device (that is, any position at which a casino patron can wager). For example, each slot machine is considered a gaming position, as is each seat at a blackjack table. The number of gaming positions at some casinos is restricted by license or governmental gaming regulations. Genuine Pairs: A Casino Filipino variant of BACCARAT that has extra side bets, with either or both hands being pairs paying 11:1 and both hands being equal in rank paying 50:1.


Glücksrad: The German name for the BIG SIX WHEEL. Golden Oasis Poker: A house-banked game popular in Russian casinos that bears some resemblance to CARIBBEAN STUD and CARIBBEAN DRAW POKER. The difference is that players can replace from one to five cards, at a cost of one ante for one or five cards, and two antes for two, three, or four. The payouts are the same as Caribbean Stud, and the dealer must qualify with ace-king or better. The game has an optional jackpot bet.

guaranteed prize pool: The PRIZE POOL in a GUARANTEED-MONEY TOURNAMENT. half-and-half poker: A POKER game in which two forms of the game are played, usually for half an hour each. For example, a half-stud, half-hold’em game would alternate half hours between 7-stud and hold’em. half kill: In POKER, when one player wins a pot of at least a certain size, wins both halves of the pot in a high-low split game, or wins two pots in a row, and the stakes increase by 50 percent on the next hand. For example, in a $4-$8 hold’em game, the next hand would be played at $6-$12. The winner of such a pot puts in an extra blind one-and-a-half times the size of the big blind for that next hand only. Also see FULL KILL. hand: 1. In POKER, the cards in the possession of a player. In a hold’em game, this would be the player’s two hole cards; in a draw game, the player’s five cards. 2. In POKER, the five cards that a player ends up with after creating the best possible combination from his available cards. 3. In POKER, one deal, that is, the accumulation of events that occur from one distribution of cards to the next. “Who won the last hand?” 4. In other card games, the cards in the possession of a player. For example, in blackjack, the two cards a player starts with plus any cards he might hit constitute his hand. handle: A player’s log-in identity or screen name in an ONLINE CARDROOM. high hand promotion: A prize offered by many poker rooms, sometimes in the form of a jackpot, to the holder of the highest hand during a specified period, often 24 hours. Also see BAD BEAT JACKPOT.

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guaranteed-money tournament: A tournament, usually poker, in which the casino or cardroom guarantees that the PRIZE POOL will be at least a certain size. This is done to attract participation. In most cases, if the casino accurately predicts attendance, the prize pool is usually larger than the guarantee, but sometimes a casino puts more into a tournament than it makes in the form of entry fees.

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grands jeux tables: See TABLE GAMES (French).

high-low split: A form of poker in which the pot is split between the highest and lowest active qualifying hands (if there are QUALIFIERS, that is certain minimum holdings for high and for low) or between the highest and lowest hands (if there are no qualifiers). High-low split is often called simply high-low. H.O.E.: A game or tournament format in which three forms of poker are played in rotation, usually either half an hour of each or one round of each. The games are limit hold’em (H), Omaha/8 (O), and 7-stud high-low (the E standing for 8-OR-BETTER). See H.O.R.S.E. and H.O.S.E.

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hold’em: A form of poker that originated in the Southwest, moved to Nevada casinos, and then expanded almost universally, with two cards dealt face down to each player, and five community cards dealt face up in the center of the table. The game has four betting rounds, one after the first two downcards, one after the first three of the community cards (called the flop) are simultaneously dealt, one after the next upcard (called the turn or fourth street), and one after the fifth (called the river or fifth street). The “official” name of the game is Texas hold’em, but just hold’em is the more common name. The game is generally played for limit stakes (all bets are in increments of a fixed limit), pot limit (a bet or raise can be no larger than the current size of the pot), or no limit (at any time a player on his turn can bet up to all of his chips). Hold’em, usually the no-limit variety, is the game seen most often in televised poker tournaments. Hold’em Fold’em Poker: See WILD HOLD’EM FOLD’EM POKER. H.O.R.S.E: A game or tournament format in which five forms of poker are played in rotation, usually either half an hour of each or one round of each. The games are limit hold’em (H), Omaha/8 (O), razz (R), 7-stud (high) (S), and 7-stud high-low (the E standing for 8-OR-BETTER). See H.O.E. and H.O.S.E. H.O.S.E: A game or tournament format in which four forms of poker are played in rotation, usually either half an hour of each or one round of each. The games are limit hold’em (H), Omaha/8 (O), 7-stud (high) (S), and 7-stud high-low (the E standing for 8-OR-BETTER). Sometimes called S.H.O.E. See H.O.R.S.E. and H.O.E. house: The management of a casino or cardroom; often preceded by the. In most casino games, players play against the house. The main exception is poker, in which players compete against each other. Also called bank. house-banked: Pertaining to a game run and financed by the HOUSE, as opposed to a player-banked game like poker and some variants of pai gow poker and baccarat.


house edge: See EDGE.

jackpot drop: In poker, the money taken out of each pot to fund the BAD BEAT JACKPOT.

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international casino: One that appeals to an international clientele, usually a large establishment with many games, and generally having staff members who speak many languages. Compare with LOCAL CASINO. jackpot: 1. The highest payoff on a slot machine. 2. Any winning payoff on a slot machine of more than a few coins. The distinction between this and the highest payoff is that many slot machines have multiple jackpots. 3. In certain table games, a prize awarded for some hard-to-get combination, as, for example, a royal flush in Caribbean Stud. 4. In poker, BAD BEAT JACKPOT.

joker: 1. One or more extra cards added to decks of cards in NO-BUST BLACKJACK, JOKERS WILD PAI GOW POKER, and other house-dealt games. A joker is a WILD CARD in forms of blackjack (and some baccarat variants) and, when combined with any other card, always constitutes a NATURAL. 2. In POKER, a 53rd card added to the deck, generally used only in draw games, which can be used only as an extra ace or to fill any straight, flush, or straight flush. For this specialized usage, it is often called a bug. jokers wild pai gow poker: A variant of PAI GOW POKER with jokers added to the deck, making five of a kind a better hand than a royal flush. juice: See VIGORISH. kalooki: A rummy-style game played with two decks of cards, including two jokers that are wild and can represent any other card. A cardroom makes money from a kalooki game in much the same way as it does from poker, by charging an hourly fee for the use of the facilities. keno: A casino game played with 80 numbered balls, in which a player marks anywhere from one to 15 or more numbers on a keno ticket and pays the house to sell him a copy of the ticket at the keno counter. The game operator then draws 20 of the balls, using various mechanisms, to determine winners. The player wins depending on how many of “his” numbers correspond with those chosen by the house. The numbers are often called spots, because once keno tickets were marked with actual spots using Chinese ink brushes. An individual keno drawing is often called a race; an older name for the game is race-horse keno. The game also once was called Chinese lottery.

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jackpot machine: Another name for SLOT MACHINE.

keno counter: See KENO. keno runner: The casino employee who circulates among patrons of a casino, often those playing at other games and eating in the restaurant, picks up their tickets to take to the keno counter, and brings back the official copies. keno writer: The KENO employee who takes keno tickets from players and sells them copies of those tickets.

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kill: In poker, when one player wins a pot of at least a certain size, wins both halves of the pot in a high-low split game, or wins two pots in a row, and the stakes increase on the next hand. The stakes usually double (FULL KILL) or increase by 50 percent (HALF KILL). kill game: A poker game in which players KILL the pots.

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Kurhaus: German: Spa hotel; casino. late surrender: See SURRENDER. Let It Ride Bonus: A house-banked card game that uses poker hand rankings and looks like a combination of five-card stud and hold’em. The object of the game is to make a poker hand containing a pair of 10s or better using the player’s three cards dealt and the two community cards turned up by the dealer. Players make three equal bets as cards are exposed and there are bonus payments. Invented by SHUFFLE MASTER. The game was formerly known as Let It Ride!; some casinos still use that name. licensed: When referring to a restaurant, the term means that the facility serves alcoholic beverages. Fully licensed, the term commonly used in Canada, means the same. limit: See LIMIT POKER and TABLE LIMIT. limit game: A game in which LIMIT POKER is played. limit poker: A form of POKER in which all bets are in increments of the betting limit. For example, in a $2-$4 limit hold’em game, players can bet or raise only $2 at a time in the first two rounds and $4 in the last two rounds. Sometimes called just limit.


line bet: See CRAPS. linked jackpot: See PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT. local casino: One that caters to a local clientele and offers only a few slot machines and maybe one or two table games of limited variety, for example, one roulette or one punto banco table. Compare with INTERNATIONAL CASINO.

mah-jong: A four-player tile game (with 104 tiles) that bears some similarity to gin rummy, the object being to discard and claim tiles to form combinations, until all of a player’s tiles fit a certain pattern. Mah-jong is a game of skill, although a lot of luck is involved. Just as in poker, over time the good players win and the poor players lose. A cardroom makes money from a mah-jong game by charging an hourly fee for the use of the facilities. Manila: A variant of HOLD’EM, popular in Australian casinos, played with a “stripped” deck from which all cards below the 7 have been removed (leaving 32 cards). At the showdown, similar to Omaha, each player forms his best poker hand using a combination of any two of his three hole cards with exactly three of the five community cards. A three-card variant is sometimes played with the 6s restored to the deck (making 36 cards). marker: Casino credit, usually in the form of a slip on which a patron signs to receive chips with which to play without actually having to produce cash. A player with marker signing privileges has established credit with the casino, and agrees to “pick up the marker” (pay back any outstanding debt) at some specified time. match play: A bonus awarded casino players, usually in the form of a coupon as part of a welcome package or in a newspaper or magazine ad, which can then be wagered along with the player’s bet and paid off in an equal amount if it wins. Match plays are often called twofers and are usually playable only on an even-money bet.

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Lucky Ladies Bonus: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, with payouts of 1,000:1 for two queens of hearts and the dealer has a blackjack, 125:1 for two queens of hearts, 19:1 for two of the same card that add up to 20 (as two kings of diamonds), 9:1 for a suited 20, and 4:1 for any other 20.

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lowball: A form of poker, usually DRAW POKER, in which the lowest hand wins. The two main kinds of lowball are ACE-TO-FIVE and DEUCE-TO-SEVEN

Match The Dealer: An optional blackjack side bet in which a player bets that either one or both of his first two cards exactly match the dealers dealer’s upcard in denomination, paying: for 1 nonsuited match, 4:1; 2 nonsuited matches, 8:1; 1 suited match, 11:1; 1 nonsuited and 1 suited match, 15:1; 2 suited matches, 22:1. Mexican stud: A variant of FIVE-CARD STUD, played with a “stripped” deck of 41 cards, including the joker, from which the 8s, 9s, and 10s have been removed. There is one hand ranking difference from standard forms of poker. In Mexican stud, a flush beats a full house. Also called Mexican poker.

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midi-baccarat: A variation of BACCARAT similar to MINI-BACCARAT that differs in two respects. Nine players can be seated at one time; players can handle their first two cards.

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mini-baccarat: A less-formal version of BACCARAT, but otherwise essentially the same. This faster version of baccarat is usually played at blackjack-like tables with up to seven players. Known in Europe as mini-punto banco. Unlike baccarat, players are not permitted to handle their first two cards. mini-dice: See CHUCK-A-LUCK. mini-punto banco: MINI-BACCARAT, that is, a faster version of PUNTO BANCO played at blackjack-like tables. Minnesota hold’em: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. There are two bets. Each player and the dealer receives two hole cards and there are five community cards. The dealer must have a pair or better to QUALIFY. Winning player hands receive even money, plus a bonus for a flush or better. mixed game: A POKER game in which the players, in agreement among each other, play several hands or rounds of different games. Might be H.O.R.S.E, H.O.S.E., H.O.E., or some other mutually agreeable set of games. money-added tournament: A tournament, often poker, in which the casino or cardroom adds cash, such that the prize pool is larger than the combined buy-ins. For example, a casino might advertise a particular tournament as a $1,000-added tournament. money wheel: See BIG SIX WHEEL.


multiaction blackjack: See MULTIPLE ACTION BLACKJACK. multiple action blackjack: A variant of BLACKJACK in which the player can place up to three bets simultaneously on the same blackjack hand before receiving cards. The player is dealt and plays a single hand, and then the dealer plays his hand out three times, using only the same upcard against each individual bet. Also called triple action blackjack.

natural: 1. In BLACKJACK, an ace with a 10-count card in the first two cards, a hand that is an immediate winner, unless the dealer also has a natural. 2. In BACCARAT, a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards. Nevada Numbers: A KENO-like game in which players statewide pick five numbers, which numbers must appear as the first five drawn, out of 80, on $2 tickets, playing up to 50 games in a row. A daily drawing at 6 p.m. awards a PROGRESSIVE prize that starts at $5 million until hit for five out of five; other pays are: four, $2,000; three, $20; two, $2, one, $1. no-bust blackjack: A CALIFORNIA GAME that closely resembles 21. The game uses a six-deck shoe. Each deck has 52 cards and up to four jokers. Card values are the same as 21, except that a joker with any card makes a total of 21. The object of the game is to make a hand whose sum does not exceed 21 and whose value is greater than that of the player-banker. When all drawing is completed, the players’ hands are compared with that of the player-banker and bets are paid off to the extent money covers. Players often have the option of splitting pairs, doubling down, and surrendering bets. A patented version of this game is called Twenty-First Century Blackjack. no-commission baccarat: A version of BACCARAT in which the house takes no commission from winning banker wagers, and pays at 1:1, unless the banker wins with a total of 6, in which case winning banker wagers are paid 1:2 (a win of 50 percent of the original bet). no craps craps: A form of CRAPS in which the numbers 2, 3, and 12 do not lose for the shooter. Instead, they become points, just as any other total, and must be thrown again before throwing a 7 to win; if the shooter throws a 7 first, he loses. Unlike regular craps, 11 is not an immediate winner; it, too, is just a point. Every total

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mus: A partnership Basque card game for all ages, played among four players with a stripped deck, involving points and drawing and betting rounds (although betting is not a necessary part of the game).

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multiroulette: See ELECTRONIC MULTIROULETTE.

except 7 establishes a point. Another difference between this game and regular craps is there are no “don’t” bets. Also called crapless craps. no-limit: The form of POKER in which a player can bet all of his chips on his turn (or all of his opponent’s, if the bettor has more) as opposed to a LIMIT game, in which all bets and raises are in multiples of the betting limit. no pair: In high POKER, a hand lower than one PAIR, usually named by its one or more high cards, as, for example, ace-king high or ace high. Oasis Poker: See GOLDEN OASIS POKER.

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Oasis Poker (Five Card): See FIVE-CARD OASIS POKER. Oasis Poker (Six Card): See SIX-CARD OASIS POKER.

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Oasis Stud Poker: See CARIBBEAN STUD POKER. odds: 1. ODDS BET. 2. The likelihood or unlikelihood of a particular event, usually expressed in the form of one number to a number. Odds of 2-to-1 against an event mean, that in three trials, the outcome is favorable once and unfavorable twice. Often expressed with a colon replacing the “-to-,” as, for example, odds of 2:1. Compare with CHANCES. odds bet: See CRAPS. When higher than triple odds, often expressed as a number followed by an X, as 100X odds. This means that, for example, if a player has a $10 line bet and establishes a point of 4, he can put up odds of as much as $1,000. If he then makes the point, he receives $10 for his original bet and $2,000 for his odds bet, since the odds against making a point of four are 2:1. This is billed as the only bet a player can make in which the house has no advantage. While that is true, a player still has to make the additional line bet, which does have a house advantage. Omaha: A variant of HOLD’EM in which each player starts with four hole cards. The difference between Omaha and hold’em is that each player forms a five-card hand by using any two of his hole cards together with any three of the five community cards. At the showdown on the end, the player holding the best five-card combination that adheres to the preceding restrictions wins the pot. Omaha/8: See OMAHA HIGH-LOW. Omaha high-low: A variant of OMAHA in which the pot is split between the holder of the highest hand and the holder of the lowest hand if that low hand is topped


by no worse than an 8. See QUALIFIER. Since the high and low hands are considered two different hands, a player can use different combinations of two cards from his hole cards and three cards from the five community cards to form his best high and best low hand. Omaha high-low is also called Omaha hi/lo, Omaha 8-or-better, Omaha split, or Omaha/8. one pair: The POKER hand that consists of one PAIR, plus three other unmatched cards. In high games, this is the second-lowest rank of hand, ranking above NO PAIR and below TWO PAIR.

overs button: A button or marker designating a player in an OVERS GAME who will play at a higher limit when only those who have such an arrangement remain in a pot. Two or more players in a $20-$40 hold’em game, for example, might agree that they will play $100-$200 either when only they are in a pot from the beginning or when others fold causing only them to remain. Each player so agreeing gets an overs button. overs game: In poker, a game in which players agree to play at higher limits when those who are not part of the arrangement have dropped. Any such player usually gets an OVERS BUTTON. pai gow: 1. See PAI GOW POKER. 2. See PAI GOW TILES. pai gow dominoes: See PAI GOW TILES. pai gow mania: A house-banked variant of PAI GOW POKER, dealt from a deck with jokers, that has two side bets. Players can bet on poker combinations in the first three cards and for all seven of their cards. After these bets are reconciled, the game proceeds like pai gow poker.

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online casino: A virtual casino that exists on the Internet. A player establishes an account with an online casino by transferring cash via an online service or sometimes a credit card, wire, or check, and then plays simulated forms of many of the games found in live casinos, such as slot machines, video poker, blackjack, and many others. Except for poker, players generally compete against the house, just as in BRICKAND-MORTAR casinos. In poker games, players compete against each other, similar to live cardrooms, except that each player is at his own computer and players at any one table might literally be scattered all over the world. The house makes its money from online poker by withholding a small percentage of each pot.

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online cardroom: An ONLINE CASINO in which only poker is offered.

pai gow poker: A banking game based on the Asian tile game pai gow. In the card version, played with one standard deck (to which one or more jokers are added in some versions) each player makes a wager, and then receives seven cards, which he arranges into two hands, one consisting of five cards and one of two, with the stipulation that the five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand. The banker hand competes against player hands in an order determined by the shaking of a number of dice. (This gives the game its alternative name of shake-shake.) This order is important, because if the banker loses his stake prematurely, not all player hands may get to compete. The house makes its money by extracting a certain fee from every player bet, prior to the actual playing of the hands (often taking that fee whether or not the hand is even played). The hand rankings are the same as in poker, but pai gow poker is not really poker. Also called double hand or double-hand poker.

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pai gow tiles: A banking game in which players arrange groups of tiles (Chinese dominoes) into two hands, which then compete severally each against the two hands played by the banker.

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pair: 1. A POKER hand containing two cards of the same denomination. 2. The specific two cards that constitute the pair, as a pair of kings. pan: A game resembling gin rummy played with eight decks of cards from which the 7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s have been removed, some of the melds of which are worth payments from active players. Like POKER, pan is played not against the house, but among players, and the house makes its money by taking one or two chips each deal or by a TIME COLLECTION. The name is short for panguingue, pronounced panGHEE-nee. pan 9: See SUPER PAN 9. pass bet: See CRAPS. perfect pairs blackjack: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos. If the first two cards are a pair, the player wins $5 for every $1 bet; if those two cards are of the same suit, the player wins $10 for every $1 bet; if those two cards are a perfect (identical) pair, the player wins $30 for every $1 bet. After settling the side bet, the player’s hand is then played as a normal blackjack hand, with bets paid according to basic blackjack procedures. Phil-em Up: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, to which a JOKER, good for aces, straights, and flushes, has been added, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed, but is not really a poker game. Each player receives two cards and three community cards


are dealt face down. Bets can be doubled and there are bonus payouts for certain hands. PhilKor’s Zero: A Casino Filipino variant of BACCARAT dealt from eight standard decks using baccarat rankings, in which players bet on the total of two cards.

pit: That part of a casino gaming floor in which games other than slot machines and poker are offered. If only blackjack is offered, might be called the blackjack pit. pitch blackjack: Blackjack dealt by hand (rather than from a SHOE). In some casinos, pitch blackjack has rules more favorable for the house than in the shoe games. play four poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, similar to THREECARD POKER. Each player and the dealer receives five cards from which to make four-card poker hands. The dealer must QUALIFY and there are bonus payouts. Also see CRAZY FOUR POKER. player-banked: Pertaining to a game run and financed by the players, such as POKER and some variants of PAI GOW POKER and BACCARAT, as opposed to HOUSE-BANKED games like ROULETTE and CRAPS.poker: 1. A card game among two or (usually) more players, in which each player makes one or more wagers that his hand (of five cards or sometimes fewer) ranks higher than those of all the other players, or that he can convince the others to retire from contention because they believe his hand ranks the highest. Poker is a game of skill, because players compete against each other. A cardroom or casino makes money from a poker game either by extracting a small amount from each pot (the rake or DROP) or by charging “rent,” known as time, from each player, collected at regular intervals. 2. In some nonEnglish-speaking cardrooms and casinos, the name for the poker hand FOUR OF A KIND. 3. Sometimes an all-inclusive term for various house-banked games that are based on poker hand rankings, but are not otherwise “real” poker, including games such as CARIBBEAN STUD and THREE-CARD POKER.

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pineapple: A form of HOLD’EM in which each player starts with three downcards, followed by a round of betting, after which each player discards one of the downcards. The first three community cards are then flopped, at which point the game proceeds as in ordinary hold’em. Compare with CRAZY PINEAPPLE.

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pilot: On a cruise vessel, a port employee who boards the vessel to help the captain dock the ship or take it out to sea, typically for 30 minutes. The pilot knows all the challenges, problems, and potential peculiarities of the particular port.

poker chip: A CHIP used in place of actual money in a POKER game. Poker Plus: The Polish equivalent of CASINO WAR. póker sin descartes: Spanish name for CARIBBEAN STUD. póker sintetico: A Spanish variant of hold’em, in which each player starts with two downcards, followed by a round of betting, after which five cards are dealt to the center of the table, each card being followed by a round of betting. At the end, both hole cards must be used in combination with three of the community cards to form the best five-card hand.

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ponto e banca: Portuguese for PUNTO BANCO.

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pontoon: 1. SPANISH 21. 2. In this game, the name for the two-card starting hand of an ace plus a 10-count card. Pontoon Pandemonium: A variant of PONTOON available in some casinos, with an optional side bet, made before cards are dealt, in which a player bets that his first two cards (before splitting, if done) will constitute a pontoon (ace plus 10-count card). If the cards qualify, the dealer presses a jackpot button, which then randomly selects a prize for each $1 wagered of anywhere from $5–$250,000. póquer: Spanish word for POKER. póquer sin descartes: Spanish name for name for CARIBBEAN STUD. pot: 1. In POKER, the chips in play on a particular hand. This includes the antes and blinds (if any) plus all the bets that have been made up to the moment. A pot constantly grows until a hand ends and a winner is determined (the showdown). 2. In poker, the interval of time from the deal of cards until the showdown. (This is also called a HAND.) pot-limit: A POKER game whose betting limit is always equal to the current size of the POT. A raise can include the size of the pot after the call is accounted for. preferred player card: See REWARD CARD. prize pool: The total amount paid out to all winners of a tournament.


Professional Poker Tour: A series of FREE-ROLL poker tournaments sponsored by the WORLD POKER TOUR, for which players qualify using a point system based on their results in a number of prestigious tournaments.

prop: See PROPOSITION PLAYER. proposition bet: In CRAPS, a bet on other than the line (pass or don’t pass, come or don’t come), for example, the field, any hard way bet, a one-roll bet on 12, and so on. proposition player: One who receives a salary from the management of a cardroom in exchange for playing in short games (those with empty seats), starting new games, filling in where needed, etc. While a proposition player works for the house, he does not play house money, nor does the house care how he plays (although it is generally understood that a proposition player will treat the other patrons and the dealers kindly and with respect). He plays his own money, and is welcome to continue propping as long as his money holds out. Frequently shortened to prop. Also called public relations player in image-conscious cardrooms. Pula at Puti: A Casino Filipino game in which players bet on where at least two of three dropped ping-pong balls will come to rest in a 100-square checkerboard comprised of 49 white compartment squares, 49 red squares, and two stars. Bets are on red or white and lose if any ball lands on a star. The English translation of the Tagalog name is Red and White, which the game is also called. pull tabs: Lottery tickets that bear some similarity to scratch-off tickets. Pull tabs are paper tickets that contain perforated windows, usually three or five, behind which are game symbols that win in certain combinations. Generally pull tabs sell for small amounts, typically 50¢ or $1, and offer small payouts, usually no more than a few

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progressive jackpot: A JACKPOT that increases the longer it goes without being won. Progressive jackpots are found on slot machines, where each dollar that goes through the machine adds perhaps a penny to the jackpot fund, in poker’s BAD BEAT JACKPOTS, Caribbean Stud, and other games. When slot machines pool their jackpots, those jackpots can quickly get very large and are correspondingly hard to hit. These are called linked jackpots.

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progressive blackjack: A house-banked blackjack game in which an extra side bet (usually $1) can be made prior to the deal of the hand. All bonus payments involve two or more aces; everything else loses the side bet. Four red or back aces pays the progressive jackpot, three suited aces pays $2,500, and so on, down to two unsuited aces, which pays $25.

hundred dollars. Pull tabs are often dispensed from vending machines and winning tickets generally must be cashed where bought. Electronic pull tab machines are also available. punt & banca: See PUNTO BANCO.

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punto banco: A less formal version of BACCARAT, often compared to Nevada baccarat or American baccarat (which are basically MINI-BACCARAT). All the hitting and standing requirements must follow certain rules. Generally, three bets are permitted: player (pays 1:1), banker or bank (pays 1:1, minus commission, usually 5 percent), and ties (typically pays 8:1). Unlike in baccarat, punto banco players play against each other, taking turns with the bank.

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Punto 2000: Variant of PUNTO BANCO, differing only in the payment of wagers made on the bank. Wagers that the bank wins are paid even money, except when the bank wins with a total of 6, in which case odds of 1:2 (a win of 50 percent of the original bet) are paid. Bets on the player are paid even money as usual. punto y banca: See PUNTO BANCO. push: In games like blackjack, the situation in which both the player and the dealer have the same hand, and the player neither wins nor loses. In some games, a tie might win for the player or for the dealer; this is not the same as a push. quads: See FOUR OF A KIND. qualifier: In a HIGH-LOW SPLIT POKER game, a particular holding that a player must have (or better) to win the low half or high half of a pot, as, for example, 8OR-BETTER. qualify: In CASINO STUD POKER, CARIBBEAN STUD POKER, and other similar games, to have a hand that contains at least some minimum, as holding for example, an ace and a king. quick roulette: A faster, less formal version of FRENCH ROULETTE. racebook: Section of a casino set aside for wagering on horse races, often showing live races on banks of monitors and television screens. race-horse keno: See KENO.


racino: A racetrack with slot machines—not considered a full-blown casino. rake: See DROP, definition 2. rami: See ROMMY. rapid roulette: See TOUCH BET ROULETTE.

rebuy: Buy more chips when low in a POKER tournament. In many tournaments, players are allowed to buy in again if they go broke or if their chip accumulation falls below a certain level, usually only during a predetermined amount of time, say the first hour of play or the first three levels. Also see ADD-ON. rebuy tournament: A POKER tournament in which players are permitted to REBUY, as opposed to a FREEZE-OUT TOURNAMENT. rec.gambling.poker: On the internet, a Usenet newsgroup devoted in large part to discussions of poker. The rec is short for recreational. Often called RGP. Red and White: See PULA AT PUTI. red dog: A casino card game played at a blackjack-style table, usually dealt from a SHOE containing four or five decks, although games with one, six, or eight decks can be found occasionally. The value of cards 2 to 10 is their denomination, jack counts 11, queen 12, king 13, and ace 14. Each player places a bet, and then two cards are dealt face up on the table. Whether players win or lose is determined by the third card that is dealt. If the two cards are adjacent (as, 2-3), this is a tie. If the two cards are not the same denomination, the player is allowed to place a raise bet, up to the size of the original bet. If the third card drawn is between the first two cards, the player wins. If the first two cards are identical, the player may not raise, but if the third card matches the first two, the player is paid 11:1. Payoffs are at even money, unless the first two cards are a pair or the spread is 3 or less. (The spread is the number of ranks that lie between the two cards. For A-2, the spread is the maximum of 11; for 6-9, the spread is 2.) Payoffs are: spread of 1, 5:1; 2, 4:1; 3, 2:1; 4–11, 1:1. It doesn’t matter how many players are at the table, since all players win or lose simultaneously. The only strategy decision that each player can make is whether to double the bet. Proper strategy says that the bet should be doubled only when the spread is 7 or greater. The

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razz: 7-STUD played low.

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rapid sic bo: SIC BO played at terminals, analogous to TOUCH BET ROULETTE.

house edge for red dog is about 3 percent. The game is also called acey-deucey. A poker game called red dog also exists, but the term as used in casinos commonly refers to the game described here. reload bonus: A payment made by an online casino or cardroom when a player deposits more cash on the site as an incentive to continue playing on the site. See SIGNUP BONUS.

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reward card: The standard club card that casinos issue to reward players. Players sign up and receive points, often electronically verified, depending on length of play and size of bets. These points are redeemable for merchandise, cash, tournament entry, parking, dining, hotel nights, and many other amenities. Some clubs and their cards are valid in only the issuing casino; others are valid in any of the individual properties of a casino chain. Also called frequent players card. RGP: See REC.GAMBLING.POKER.

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river: In HOLD’EM-style poker games, the fifth community card. riverboat casino: A casino that is on the water, but may not sail or even be capable of sailing. It could be an actual riverboat and it could cruise, but many riverboat casinos are actually stationary barges. See DOCKSIDE CASINO. rommy: A Latin American blackjack variant. Also, rummy. roulette: A house-banked casino game in which a ball is spun around the outside of a spinning roulette wheel until it drops into one of either 37 (in FRENCH ROULETTE) or 38 (in AMERICAN ROULETTE) compartments. At the roulette table, next to the wheel, is a layout on which players place bets with special roulette chips (which usually differ from the standard casino chips). Thirty-six of the numbers are colored either red or black. Players can bet on any of those numbers or the one or two zeros, on combinations of numbers, on either red or black, “the dozens” (1–12, 13–24, 25–36), odd or even, and so on. Payment depends on the likelihood of the event bet upon. For example, a bet on a single number pays 35:1. The odds against the ball dropping into a specific number are either 36:1 (in French roulette) or 37:1 (in American roulette). Not paying true odds is how the house makes its money. A player bucks that EDGE for the chance of winning a large sum. The word roulette comes from French and literally means “little wheel.” Also see EN PRISON. rouletto: The Irish name for ROULETTE.


Roulight: A German variant of ROULETTE, with number betting only on single or paired numbers. Also called Roulite. Roulite: See ROULIGHT.

Russian Poker: A variant of SIX-CARD OASIS POKER in which a player can redraw after receiving five cards or buy a sixth card. sala privada: Spanish: SALLE PRIVÉE. salle privée: French: Private gaming room, sort of a casino’s sanctum sanctorum. Such a room usually has high stakes games and may restrict admittance to the welldressed, wealthy, and famous. salon privé: See SALLE PRIVÉE. satellite tournament: A special poker tournament whose prize is usually a buyin for a larger tournament. One-table satellites usually have just one winner; sometimes second place is awarded a free entry to another tournament, or cash. In larger satellite tournaments, the winner may get entry to the larger tournament, round-trip airfare plus accommodations (if the satellite takes place in another city), plus some percentage of the excess cash accumulated in buy-ins and rebuys. Second, third, and sometimes other places also can win a percentage of this cash or buy-ins to that or other tournaments. Often shortened to satellite. A satellite tournament with a large number of entrants, awarding entry or entries to major tournaments, is called a supersatellite. sea days: On a cruise vessel, days the ship is at sea and does not stop in a port.

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Royal Match Bonus: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, with payouts of 2.5:1 if the player’s first two cards are the same suit, 25:1 for a Royal Match (king and queen of the same suit), and a Crown Treasure bonus of $1,000 if the player’s Royal Match hand is accompanied by a dealer Royal Match. Invented by SHUFFLE MASTER. Also called Royal Match 21. rummy: See ROMMY.

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royal flush: In POKER, 10, J, Q, K, A, all in one suit. In the 52-card deck, when playing without WILD CARDS, this is the highest-ranking poker hand. (In a deck with wild cards, FIVE OF A KIND is possible and ranks higher than a royal flush.) This hand ranks just above a king-high STRAIGHT FLUSH.

seven-card stud: 1. A poker game, STUD POKER with two cards dealt face down, four cards dealt face up, and one final card dealt face down, with betting commencing on the third card and continuing with each round of cards. At the showdown, a player uses the best five of the seven cards. The name is often shortened to seven-stud. 2. The high-low split version of this game, usually with an 8 QUALIFIER for low. seven-card stud high-low: Seven-card stud played as a HIGH-LOW SPLIT game. seven-eleven: See EUROPEAN SEVEN-ELEVEN. seven-stud: See SEVEN-CARD STUD.

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shake-shake: See PAI GOW POKER.

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shill: 1. A casino employee who plays at an otherwise empty table to encourage potential players to join. A shill plays house money, none of which he keeps, and always makes minimum bets. 2. A cardroom employee who helps start games or keep short or shaky games going, to keep the live players (that is, those who are not shills) from leaving. Shills often have to play according to shill rules. Most cardrooms use PROPOSITION PLAYERS in preference to shills. shoe: A dealing box that holds several decks of playing cards such that they can be slid out face down one at a time by a dealer without their front sides being visible. A shoe makes it easy to deal games like BLACKJACK and BACCARAT from multiple decks of cards. shooter: See CRAPS. shootout tournament: A POKER TOURNAMENT with no REBUYS. showdown: The point in a poker game at which all bets have been equalized and players display their cards to determine who has the best hand. Shuffle Master: A company that makes automatic card-shuffling machines for casinos and cardrooms and devises new casino games. Inventors of Big Raise Hold’em, Casino War, Four-Card Poker, Let It Ride Bonus, and Royal Match Bonus. sic bo: A game played with three dice tumbled in a covered dome and then revealed. Players make bets beforehand on a layout offering various payouts for certain totals and combinations. Unlike craps, bets are for one roll only. The less likely the combination, the higher the payoff. Also known as tai sai or dai sai.


signup bonus: A payment made by an online casino or cardroom to a player who deposits cash for the first time on the site, as an incentive to play there. A bonus needs to be earned back by, in an online casino, making a series of wagers that add up to a specified amount or, in an online cardroom, by playing a specified number of hands.

sit-and-go tournament: A special one-table POKER TOURNAMENT, primarily found in online poker rooms, which starts as soon as a full table of players are seated. Called sit-and-go because you sit down at an empty seat in such a tournament and wait for the table to fill. Also sit-n-go tournament, sit-n-go, or SNG. six-card Oasis Poker: A variant of GOLDEN OASIS POKER in which a player can buy an extra sixth card at the end (for an extra ante bet), and then play the best five of the six. The dealer requires at least a pair of 2s to qualify, but otherwise the game and the payouts are the same as Golden Oasis Poker. A variant of the game allows the player to exchange one of the six cards at the end (for still an extra ante bet); a player may not be in possession of more than six cards. six-card poker: See SIX-CARD OASIS POKER. 6-to-5 blackjack: A form of BLACKJACK in which a player’s blackjack (an ace with a 10-count card) is paid off at 6:5 instead of the usual 3:2. This is done on singledeck games in some casinos to offset the supposed player edge gained by playing one versus multiple decks. skin: One member of an ONLINE CASINO group, each member of which is closely aligned with the others, all using the same software and, in the case of poker rooms, having members from different skins competing with each other. Skins are in effect different views into the main casino. slot machine: A mechanical or electronic device that accepts coins, currency, or credits, in which players try to line up various symbols on actual or simulated spinning reels to win payouts from small to large (jackpots). Slot machine jackpots are often PROGRESSIVE or linked, or both, and can offer payouts as high as the millions of dollars. Slot machines were once called one-armed bandits, but since many no

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single-zero roulette: See FRENCH ROULETTE.

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Silverado Stud: A house-banked game, played in South Dakota, dealt from one deck, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed but is not really a poker game. Players get four cards, discard one, and there are two community cards. There are bonus payments at the end for a pair or better.

longer have handles, the term is heard less often. SNG: See SIT-AND-GO TOURNAMENT. soft-gaming table: A table in a casino in which players can play games among themselves, such as KALOOKI and gin rummy.Spanish 21: A variation of BLACKJACK dealt from six or eight “Spanish” decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards—the regular 52 cards minus the four 10s. Since removing 10-count cards from a deck increases the house edge, Spanish 21 gives the player a number of bonuses and favorable rules. Also called pontoon.

692

Spielbank: The German word for CASINO.

G L O S S A RY

split: In BLACKJACK, to form two new hands when your original hand consists of two cards of the same denomination, by equaling your original wager. You then play each hand as a new hand, one at a time and can draw additional cards to each. Some casinos permit DOUBLING DOWN on the new hand. Most casinos permit resplitting, that is, forming still another hand upon receipt of the same denomination of card. 10-count cards are considered to be of the same denomination. For example, if you start with a queen and king, you can split those. Most casinos do not permit further cards to be drawn to split aces. split-pot game: A HIGH-LOW SPLIT poker game. sportsbook: A betting establishment, often part of a casino, wherein bets can be placed on outside sporting events, such as boxing matches, baseball and football games, and so on, often showing live events on banks of monitors and television screens. sports shoes: When proscribed in a casino, usually means tennis shoes and usually includes golf shoes. spread: Start a POKER game. A cardroom might advertise, “We will spread any game players request.” spread limit: A POKER game in which the betting limits have a range, from a minimum to a maximum. For example, in $2–$5 7-stud, a player can bet at any time either $2, $3, $4, or $5. If 50-cent chips or coins are used, a player can sometimes also bet $2.50, $3.50, and so on. As in NO-LIMIT games, a raise must always at least equal the previous bet or raise (unless the player making the raise is going all in, in which case the interpretation varies from club to club).


stationary boat: See DOCKSIDE CASINO. stook: See CANADIAN STOOK.

Streak Blackjack: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, in which players bet in advance on how many consecutive hands (up to five) they will win. Strip: See THE STRIP. stripped deck: A standard poker deck from which some of the cards have been removed, as in MANILA and MEXICAN STUD. structured game: See LIMIT POKER. stud poker: 1. CASINO STUD POKER. 2. In cardrooms, a form of poker in which one or more cards are dealt to each player face down, followed by one upcard, with a betting round, more upcards, with a betting round after each, and then, in 7-stud, a final downcard, and a final betting round. The forms are FIVE-CARD STUD and SEVEN-CARD STUD, and sometimes six-card stud. suited: In card games, referring to two or more cards of the same suit. super fun 21: A BLACKJACK variant that offers more liberal rules and pays extra for certain hands, all of which is offset by blackjack paying only 1:1. super 9: See SUPER PAN 9. super pan 9: A CALIFORNIA GAME, a card game dealt from 12 decks, from which the 7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s are removed, totaling 432 cards, in which players try to get BACCARAT totals. Each player receives three cards and has the option of drawing one more card. The only resemblance of this game to PAN is the removal of the 7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s.

G L O S S A RY

straight flush: The POKER hand consisting of five cards in a row all in the same suit, as A« 2« 3« 4« 5« or 8« 9« 10« J« Q«. An ace-high straight flush, as 10« J« Q« K« A«, is given the special name royal flush. A straight flush ranks above FOUR OF A KIND.

693

straight: The POKER hand consisting of five cards in a row, of mixed suits, as A2-3-4-5 or 8-9-10-J-Q; in high poker this comes between THREE OF A KIND and a FULL HOUSE. Sometimes called run or sequence.

Superpick Lotto: An electronic version of a state-run lottery, basically a slot machine variant of KENO, in which one player at a time competes against the machine. Virtual balls, like those of a real lottery, simulate the random choosing of winning numbers. supersatellite: See SATELLITE TOURNAMENT. super 7s blackjack: A blackjack side bet that pays for player hands involving 7s: first card a 7, 3:1; first two cards unsuited 7s, 50:1; first two cards suited 7s, 100:1; first three cards unsuited 7s, 500:1; first three cards suited 7s, 5,000:1.

694

super 6: A Casino Filipino variant of NO-COMMISSION BACCARAT that also has a side bet on whether the dealer ends with a total of 6, which pays 12:1, unless the hand ends in a tie, in which case the bet loses. A further side bet is available on whether the hand will result in a tie, which pays 8:1.

G L O S S A RY

super stud poker: CASINO STUD POKER with progressive jackpots that can get very large by reason of being linked to other games in other casinos. surrender: In blackjack, throwing away your two cards in exchange for losing only half your bet. Sometimes called normal or late surrender. Normally this option is offered after the dealer checks for blackjack (with an ace or 10-count card up). If you are allowed to surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack, this is called early surrender. table games: Casino games at which players sit at tables and (usually) play against the HOUSE. Table games include blackjack, Caribbean Stud, roulette, and many others. POKER, while played at tables, is generally not considered to be a table game. table limit: The range of bets permitted at a house-banked game, usually expressed as a minimum and a maximum or a range. Tahoe pineapple: A variant of PINEAPPLE in which players do not discard any of their three downcards. At the showdown, players can use none, one, or two of their downcards (but not three) to form their best five-card hand in combination with the five community cards. When played high-low split, a different set of downcards can be used for each direction, but no more than two for either direction. Also called lazy pineapple. tai-sai: Another name for SIC BO.


10-7 Double Bonus poker machines: VIDEO POKER slot machines notable for offering up to 100.1 percent payback with optimal play. Most players do not play optimally, and casinos still make money on these machines. Texas: What casinos in non-English speaking countries sometimes call HOLD’EM.

Texas Shootout: A house-banked card game, dealt from six standard 52-card decks, which uses poker hand rankings and looks like a combination of HOLD’EM and PINEAPPLE, but nevertheless still is not poker. Players and dealer each receive four downcards and the object is to make a better hand than the dealer. Rules are always posted, which you should read. The Strip: That portion of Las Vegas Boulevard (in Las Vegas, Nevada) where the most lavish casinos are located. 13-card poker: A CALIFORNIA GAME that combines elements of PAI GOW POKER and POKER. The game is played with four players, each one taking turns at dealing (or being in dealer position if there is a house dealer). Each player is dealt 13 cards, which the player arranges into three separate poker hands: one three-card hand in front and two-five card hands; each hand must rank higher than the hand before it. The goal of the game is for all three of the player’s hands to rank higher than the opponent’s hands. Each player’s set of hands competes separately and one at a time against each other player’s set of hands. Each winning hand receives one or more chips, at whatever is the preestablished rate for the game, from the other player. In addition, certain rare hands (three of a kind or better, depending on in which of the three hands) rate bonuses from each player. The game is sometimes one of the events at major tournaments. Often called Chinese poker. 30/40: See TRENTE ET QUARANTE. three-card brag: A player-banked game dealt from one deck, a complicated variant of poker involving a lot of blind betting; three-card poker rankings are used. Sometimes called three-card poker. A variant of three-card brag called flush is played in some casinos. It’s all very complicated, so be sure to find out all the rules before sitting down to play.

G L O S S A RY

Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker: A house-banked card game, dealt from one standard 52-card deck, which uses poker hand rankings and has a lot of similarities to the “real” HOLD’EM, but nevertheless still is not poker. Players keep making bets or folding as community cards are exposed. At the end, bets are won by beating the dealer; bonuses are paid for certain starting two-card combinations.

695

Texas hold’em: The “official” name for HOLD’EM.

three-card manila: See MANILA. three-card poker: 1. A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which player and dealer each gets three cards. Two bets are made. For the original bet, a player is paid on certain holdings according to a pay scale, ranging from 40:1 for a three-card straight flush to even money on a pair. A player can also make a second bet, and then his hand competes against the dealer’s. If the player does not make the second bet, he loses the original bet. The dealer needs at least a queen high to qualify. Some casinos have other rules, sometimes involving three bets. CASINO BRAG is a variant. 2. THREE-CARD BRAG.

696 G L O S S A RY

three-card 21: A Canadian variant of blackjack, a house-banked game dealt from four, five, six, or eight decks of cards, with player and dealer each receiving three cards, with the closest to 21 winning, using ordinary blackjack rankings. Players can make up to three bets and can double after the first two cards. Certain hands are worth premiums if a second “Lucky Lucky Bet” is made. As in regular blackjack, a threecard total that exceeds 21 is a loser for either player or dealer. 3-5-7 poker: A house-banked game in which the player does not play against the dealer but tries to make up to three different kinds of poker hands that are paid off according to posted pay tables with different payoffs corresponding to the number of cards being played. Players can bet on their three-, five-, and seven-card hands. three of a kind: A POKER hand, three cards of the same denomination, plus two other unrelated cards. Ranks above TWO PAIR and below a STRAIGHT. Often called trips or triplets. ticket in-ticket out: A cashless SLOT MACHINE credit system in which a player purchases a ticket, or adds cash to an existing ticket, and then uses that for each playing session. At the end of a session, whatever credit is in the machine goes back onto the ticket until the player’s next session. A player can cash out from one machine at any point, and reinsert the ticket into another machine to resume play with the credited amount. Similar systems are also used at gaming tables (and often on both slots and tables), particularly on riverboat casinos that limit players to specific monetary losses. Also ticket in/out. tile pai gow: See PAI GOW TILES. time collection: In a POKER game, a fee assessed at regular time intervals which is levied by the house on each player in exchange for letting the player use the premises, supplying the license, furnishing cards, providing other players, and so on. The amount collected per player depends on the size of the game; and the larger the game,


the larger the time collection. Sometimes called rake or (less commonly) seat charge. Compare with DROP, definition 2. TITO: See TICKET IN-TICKET OUT.

touch bet roulette: A marriage of roulette and video terminal betting. A real roulette wheel, and sometimes a live croupier, are used, but players do not place their bets on the layout. Instead, each player makes bets on a touchscreen. Also known as rapid roulette and electronic roulette. tournament: A cardroom or casino competition among many players for prizes, usually with an elimination format. Tournaments are popular in POKER, but craps, blackjack, and slot machine tournaments are also common. trente et quarante: A French house-banked game played with six decks of cards, in which aces are worth 1 point, face cards 10, and the others face value. Players bet according to a particular scheme involving card totals and which of two rows of cards will be closer to 30 but not over 40. Triple Chance Blackjack: See MULTIPLE ACTION BLACKJACK. triple-draw: A form of LOWBALL with three draws and four betting rounds instead of the one draw and two betting rounds of “regular” lowball. Triple-draw is usually played with no more than six players. The game is sometimes called tripledraw lowball. triple-shot: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play three games in one separately against the dealer: casino war, blackjack, and poker, or any combination of these games. trips: THREE OF A KIND.

G L O S S A RY

tonk: A CALIFORNIA GAME, a rummy-like card game played with a minimum of two and a maximum of five players using a standard 52-card deck. Cards have the same values as in 21. The object of the game is to minimize the total count of cards in one’s hand by discarding spreads of four equal ranked cards or of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. Deuces wild tonk has the same basic rules as regular tonk, but uses five wild cards (four deuces and a joker) and has added hand rankings.

697

toke: The customary name in American casinos for a tip, generally one given by a player to a dealer, cocktail waitress, or other casino employee. As a verb, to toke means to give a toke.

tropical stud poker: A variant of CARIBBEAN STUD POKER, usually offered as a form of slot machine, with progressive jackpots, and in which the “call” bet can be paid (depending on the player’s holding) even if the dealer does not qualify. turn: In HOLD’EM-style poker games, the fourth community card. tute poker: CARIBBEAN STUD POKER as played in casinos of Latin America. Twenty-First Century Baccarat: See CALIFORNIA BACCARAT.

698

Twenty-First Century Blackjack: See NO-BUST BLACKJACK. 21: A common name for BLACKJACK.

G L O S S A RY

21 Madness: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, in which the player makes an extra bet at the same time as making the regular blackjack wager. If the player gets a blackjack, the dealer presses a button that activates a 21 Madness wheel, with a bonus payoff of between $5 and $1,000. 21+3 blackjack: An optional BLACKJACK side bet available in some casinos, in which the player’s first two cards in combination with the dealer’s upcard constitute a three-card poker hand, with payoffs starting at 9:1 for a three-card flush. After settling the side bet, the player’s hand is then played as a blackjack hand, with bets paid according to basic blackjack procedures. two-card manila: See MANILA. twofer: See MATCH PLAY. two pair: The POKER hand that consists of two of one denomination, plus two of another denomination, plus an unrelated card; in high poker this ranks above ONE PAIR and below THREE OF A KIND. For example, A-A-K-K-Q is two pair, known variously as two pair, aces and kings, aces up, aces over, aces over kings, aces and kings. two-up: An Australian gambling game, played with two coins placed one heads up and the other tails up, which are tossed in the air by a player (the spinner) from a flat board known as a kip, and bets paid off depending on how they land. The objective is to toss three sets of either tails or heads in a row (“spinner’s wager”), without encountering either five consecutive tosses of odds (one head and one tail) or one throw of the opposite to the spinner’s choice. Either heads or tails pays 1:1 and spinner’s wager


pays 7.5:1. When the game is played in a casino, it is banked by the house. unsuited: In card games, referring to two or more cards of different suits.

video lottery terminal: Electronic lottery, often similar to a SLOT MACHINE. video poker: A form of electronic SLOT MACHINE on which poker hands are randomly displayed and to which players can draw cards to make various poker hands. The higher-ranked the hand, the bigger the payout, typically starting with even money for a pair of jacks to a large, often PROGRESSIVE, JACKPOT for a royal flush. There are many varieties of video poker machines, such as deuces wild, joker machines, and so on.

699

video keno: An electronic form of KENO, played on a SLOT MACHINE.

video reel slot machine: See VIDEO SLOT MACHINE. video roulette: An electronic form of ROULETTE, played on a SLOT MACHINE. video slot machine: An electronic SLOT MACHINE, as opposed to a reel machine. vig: See VIGORISH. vigorish: House (casino) take, that is, the percentage it earns from offered games. In poker, TIME COLLECTION or rake. Often shortened to vig. VIP-poker: See CARIBBEAN DRAW POKER. VLT: Video lottery terminal. wheel of fortune: Another name for the BIG SIX WHEEL. Wheel of Madness: See 21 MADNESS. wide-area progressives: PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT slot machines linked to other slot machines in other casinos, often statewide and sometimes across several states, such that multimillion-dollar jackpots are often posted.

G L O S S A RY

video pull tabs: Electronic version of paper PULL TABS.

wild: Pertaining to a WILD CARD, as in the phrase deuces wild or jokers wild. wild card: 1. In POKER, a card that can take the value of any other card, as deuces wild or low hole card wild. A wild card turns a pair into three of a kind, two pair into a full house, four to a straight into a straight, and so on. Also see JOKER. 2. In some housedealt casino games, particularly CALIFORNIA GAMES, cards added to the deck that take the value of any required hand. For example, in NO-BUST BLACKJACK, a joker combined with any other card always constitutes a NATURAL.

700

Wild Hold’em Fold’em Poker: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players do not compete against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed but is not really a poker game. It has some similarity to LET IT RIDE BONUS, except that players must keep putting in new bets to continue play and deuces are WILD.

G L O S S A RY

World Poker Tour: A series of worldwide poker tournaments held throughout the year at various casinos and cardrooms and even on a cruise ship. The winners advance to a $25,000 buy-in final event that crowns a world champion. The individual events are shown later on television. Sometimes called WPT. World Series of Poker: The world’s preeminent poker tournament, held in summer in Las Vegas, consisting of more than 40 events spread over more than a month with buy-ins ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 for the main event, no-limit hold’em, and prizes ranging from around $80,000 to several million (the 2005 world champion won $7.5 million), attended by the best poker players in the world, all of whom strive to earn the coveted custom gold bracelet that goes with winning an event. Sometimes called WSOP. World Series of Poker Circuit: A series of $10,000-buy-in poker tournaments at several Harrah’s properties, each taped and aired on ESPN. Players earn points based on their performance in the WSOP circuit tournaments and the WORLD SERIES OF POKER. The top 100 point-earners receive a free invitation to that year’s World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions (an event with a sponsored prize pool in the millions of dollars), which is played shortly after the World Series of Poker world championship. WPPA: World Poker Players’ Association. WPT Hold’em: A house-banked game dealt from one deck, in which players play separately against the dealer. The game is related to HOLD’EM in the way hands are formed but is not really a poker game. Each player makes an ante bet and can also make a bonus bet equal to the ante to play against the bonus pay table; this bet wins


when the player’s two-card hand is two suited cards or any pair. Both bets are made before receiving any cards. The name comes from the WORLD POKER TOUR. WSOP Circuit: See WORLD SERIES OF POKER CIRCUIT.

G L O S S A RY

701

Some of the definitions in this glossary have been adapted from The Official Dictionary of Poker (© 2005 Michael Wiesenberg) and are used with permission.

Casino Index

A

704 INDEX

Agua Caliente Casino, 55 Airport Casino, 574 Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, 255 Aladdin Resort & Casino, 167–8 Ambassador II, 628 American Casino at Jack Tar Village, 353 American Chance Casinos Ceska Kubice, 380 Route 59, 381 Rozvadov, 385 Ameristar Casinos Council Bluffs, 88 Kansas City, 150 Vicksburg, 146 Ameristar Casino-St. Charles, 154 Apache Gold Hotel Casino, 38 Argosy Casinos Alton Belle, 73 Baton Rouge, 98 Empress Casino, 76 Kansas City, 153–4 Lawrenceburg, 85 Sioux City, 93 Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Casino Hotel & RV Park, 168 Aruba Grand Beach Resort and Silvermoon Casino, 346 Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino, 3, 348 Aseneskak Casino, 17 Astoria Casino Club, 472 Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort, 241 Atlantis at Paradise Island Resort and Casino, 1, 2, 352 Atlantis Casino Resort, 222–3 Atlantis World Casino, 359 Aurora Casino, 479 Avi Resort & Casino, 209 Aviation Club de France, 1, 2, 402–3

B Bally’s Atlantic City, 241–2 Las Vegas, 168 Orleans, 105–6 Tallinn, 392 Tunica, 141 Banco Casino, 383 Barbary Coast, 169 Barceló Amapola & Jazz Casino, 318 Barceló Gran Hotel Lina & Casino, 1, 355 Barceló Playa Langosta Resort & Casino, 316

C Cà Vendramin Calergi, 435 Cache Creek Casino Resort, 44

INDEX

Barceló Playa Montelimar Resort & Casino Montelimar, 322 Barceló San José Palacio Spa & Casino, 320 Barcelona Hotel & Casino, 169 Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, 3, 50–1 Bay 101 Casino, 56–7 Bay Mills Resort and Casino, 109 Bayerische Spielbank Bad Kissingen, 408–9 Bad Reichenhall, 410 Bad Steben, 410–11 Bad Wiessee, 411 Feuchtwangen, 413 Kötzting, 416 Lindau, 417 Beau Rivage, 132 Bellagio (Las Vegas), 1, 2, 170–1 Bellagio (Sri Lanka), 580 Belterra Casino Resort, 79 Best Western Carson Station Hotel and Casino, 157 Bicycle Casino, 2, 51 Big “M” Casino, 605 Bill’s Casino, 232 Binion’s Horseshoe Casino & Hotel, 171–2 Black Bear Casino & Hotel, 119–20 Black Oak Casino, 60 Blue Chip Casino & Hotel, 85–6 Blue Lake Casino, 43–4 BlueWater Resort and Casino, 35–6 Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World, 548 Boardwalk Hotel & Casino, 172 BoDog (online), 637 bodog.com/poker (online), 643 Bonanza Casino, 223 Boomtown Casinos Biloxi, 133 Bossier City, 99 Harvey, 3, 101 Verdi, 236 Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, 2, 242–3 Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, 172–3 Brantford Charity Casino, 20 Breezes Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino, 357 Bucky’s & Yavapai Casinos, 37 Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, 221 Burswood International Resort Hotel & Casino Hotel, 593

705


706 INDEX

Cactus Petes, 165 Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort, 275 Cadillac Ranch Casino, 296 Caesar’s Atlantic City, 243 Caesars Gauteng, 541 Caesars Indiana, 81 Caesars Palace, 173–4 Caesars Tahoe, 232–3 Café de Paris, 447 Cal Neva Resort, 158 California Hotel & Casino, 174 Camel Rock Casino, 253 Cannery Casino and Hotel, 217 Canterbury Park Racetrack & Card Club, 128 Carnival City Casino and Entertainment World, 3, 538 Carousel Casino and Entertainment World, 550 Carson Nugget, 157 Carson Valley Inn, 216–17 Casablanca Casino, 348 CasaBlanca Hotel, Casino, Golf, and Spa, 214–15 Casino 2000, 441 Casino 777 Teplice, 386–7 Zlin-Ondras, 387 Casino Aachen, 405 Casino Aalborg, 387–8 Casino Admiral Mendrisio, 500 Casino Anna, 567 Casino Arizona at Salt River, 38 Casino Arizona at Talking Stick, 39 Casino Astoria-Palace, 391 Casino Atlantida, 338 Casino Aztar, 82 Casino Bad Gastein, 371 Casino Bad Oeynhausen, 409 Casino Bad Ragaz, 496 Casino Baden, 370 Casino Baden-Baden, 1, 406 Casino Bahia de Cadiz, 491 Casino Barcelona, 483–4 Casino Barrière de Biarritz, 1, 395–6 Casino Barrière de Deauville, 398 Casino Barrière de Montreux, 501 Casino Bellevue Marienbad, 1, 382–3 Casino Berlin & Forum Hotel Berlin, 412 Casino Bled–Park Hotel, 478–9 Casino Bregenz, 371–2 Casino Bremen, 412–13 Casino Bucharest, 467–8

INDEX

Casino Buenos Aires, 329 Casino Cafe Reduta, 477 Casino Calgary, 6 Casino Canberra, 584 Casino Castell de Peralada, 490 Casino Copenhagen, 388–9 Casino Coquimbo, 331 Casino Cosmopol AB Sundsvall, 494 Casino Cosmopol Göteborg, 492 Casino Cosmopol Malmö, 493 Casino Cosmopol Stockholm, 493–4 Casino Croisette, 396 Casino d’Enghien-les-Bains, 399–400 Casino Da Madeira & Casino Park Hotel, 464 Casino da Póvoa de Varzim, 465 Casino de Arica, 331 Casino de Chamonix, 397 Casino de Charlevoix, 26 Casino de Crans-Montana, 498 Casino de Divonne, 399 Casino de Estado Victoria Plaza, 339 Casino de Genting, 2, 565–6 Casino de Ibiza, 486–7 Casino de la Baule, 400 Casino de la Vallee, 434–5 Casino de Lloret, 487 Casino de Mandelieu, 397 Casino de Maurice, 594 Casino de Menton, 401 Casino de Monte Gordo, 464 Casino de Montréal, 1, 3, 27 Casino de Prague Le Hilton, 383 Casino de Saint-Denis, 602 Casino de Tigre, 330 Casino de Trouville, 404 Casino de Vilamoura, 466 Casino Del Sol, 40–1 Casino di Venezia, 445 Casino du Jura, 499 Casino du Lac-Leamy, 1, 3, 25–6 Casino du Liban, 560–1 Casino Edmonton, 7–8 Casino Estoril, 463 Casino Everest, 567 Casino Fair Play, 476 Casino Fandango, 157–8 Casino Filipino Bacolod, 571 Cebu, 571

707


708 INDEX

Davao, 527 Heritage, 574 Hyatt-Manila, 572 Olongapo, 573 Pavilion, 573 Silahis, 573 Tagaytay, 575 Angeles, 570 Casino Fribourg, 499 Casino Gdynia, 458 Casino Gran Canaria, 485–6 Casino Gran Madrid, 487–8 Casino Grand Brno, 380 Casino Graz, 372 Casino Györ, 429–30 Casino Iguazu, 328 Casino Innsbruck, 373 Casino Kecskemét, 430 Casino Kiel, 415 Casino Kitzbühel, 373–4 Casino Koˇsice, 477 Casino Las Lenas, 327–8 Casino Las Vegas & Sofitel Atrium Budapest, 428 Casino Lazurnaya, 471 Casino Le Mirage, 533 Casino Lido, 468 Casino Linz, 374 Casino Locarno, 499–500 Casino London, 392 Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, 131 Casino Magic Biloxi, 133 Casino Marbella, 489 Casino Marienlyst, 389 Casino Mirage, 469 Casino MonteLãgo, 163 Casino Morongo Resort & Spa, 45 Casino Mulino, 378 Casino Municipale di Campione d’Italia, 433 Casino Municipale di Sanremo, 434 Casino Munkebjerg Vejle, 390 Casino Mykonos, 544–5 Casino Nepal, 568 Casino Neva-DA!, 472–3 Casino Niagara, 22 Casino Nova Scotia Halifax, 19 Sydney, 19 Casino Odense, 389–90 Casino of the Rockies, 11

INDEX

Casino of the Sun, 41 Casino Olympia, 473 Casino On Net (online), 637 Casino Opatija, 379 Casino Orlyonok, 469–70 Casino Palace–Bucharest, 466–7 Casino Palais Savarin, 383–4 Casino Partouche, 468 Casino Pie sˇtany, ´ 478 Casino Planet, 438 Casino Poznan–Polonez ´ Hotel, 459–60 Casino Provincial de Jujuy, 330 Casino Puerto Varas, 332 Casino Queen, 75 Casino Rad, 568 Casino Rama Resort, 23 Casino Regina, 28–9 Casino Rhodos, 427 Casino Rio & Porto Rio Hotel, 426 Casino Rouge, 98 Casino Royal, 569 Casino Royale & Hotel, 174 Casino Royale, 529–30 Casino Royan-Pontaillac, 403 Casino Ruhl, 402 Casino Salamis Bay & Hotel, 559 Casino Sault Ste. Marie, 23–4 Casino Savoy, 381 Casino Schaffhausen, 502 Casino Schenefeld, 420 Casino Seefeld, 375 Casino Semiramis, 529 Casino Solverde de Espinho, 462 Casino Sopron, 430 Casino St. Moritz, 503 Casino Taipa, 565 Casino Tornado, 438 Casino Torrequebrada, 484–5 Casino Travemünde, 418 Casino Velden, 375–6 Casino Viña del Mar, 333 Casino Westerland-Sylt-Strandcasino, 423 Casino Wien, 376 Casino Windsor, 24 Casino Yellowhead, 8 Casino Zurichsee, 501–2 Castle Casino, 507 Catfish Bend Casino, 91 Cherokee Casino Resort, 265

709


710 INDEX

Chewelah Casino, 287 China Palace, 505–6 Chinook Winds Casino Resort, 270 Chip In’s Island Resort & Casino, 112–13 Chips Casinos Bremerton, 286 La Center, 294 Lakewood, 295 Choctaw Casino, 266 Christchurch Casino, 598 Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, 45–6 Chumash Casino Resort, 58 Circus Circus Las Vegas, 3, 175 Reno, 223–4 Cities of Gold, 253–4 City of Caruthersville Casino Aztar, 149 Clearwater Casino, 301 Cliff Castle Casino, 32 Club Broadway Entertainment/The Big Apple Casino, 289–90 Club Cal Neva, 224 Club Conti, 473 Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, 426 Club Regent Casino, 17–8 Colorado Belle Hotel Casino, 210 Colusa Casino, 47 Commerce Casino, 2, 51–2 Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel, 1, 588 Conrad Resort & Casino Punta del Este, 339 Conrad Treasury Brisbane, 587 Copa Casino, 138–9 Cosmos Casino, 446 Country Club Resort, 591 Crazy Moose Casino Sports Bar Restaurant, 296 Crown Entertainment Complex, 2, 592 Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Royal Oasis Casino, 351 Crowne Plaza Hotel and Casino Jeju, 577 Crystal Bay Club Casino, 158–9 Crystal Casino Aruba, 347 Crystal Palace, 310 Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort and Emerald Casino, 358 Cypress Bayou Casino, 100

D Dakota Magic Casino Hotel, 262 Dakota Sioux Casino, 281–2 Desert Diamond Casinos I-1, 40 Nogales Highway, 41

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Desert Jewel Casino and Windhoek Country Club Resort, 536 Diamond Jo Casino, 90 Diamond Palace Hotel & Casino, 361 Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, 30 Divi Carina Bay Resort & Casino, 367 Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino, 357 Dome Casino, 560 Doson Casino, 582 Double Eagle Hotel & Casino, 65 Doylesroom.com (online), 644 Dragonara Casino, 444 Dunedin Casino, 599

F Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 49–50 Feather Falls Casino, 53–4 Fiesta Casino Guayana, 341 Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel, 162 Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel, 176–7 Fiesta Resort & Casino, 318 50 St. James, 1, 513 First Gold Hotel & Gaming, 276 Fitzgeralds Black Hawk, 63 Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel-Tunica, 142 Fitzgeralds Casino/Hotel, 177 Fitzgeralds Casino/Hotel, 225 Fitzwilliam Card Club, 432 Flamingo Casino, 543–4 Flamingo Casinos Las Vegas, 177–8 Laughlin, 210–11 Flor de Itabo Hotel & Casino, 317 Fond-du-Luth Casino, 121

INDEX

Eagle Mountain Casino, 55 El Cortez Hotel & Casino, 175–6 El Mirador Hotel & Casino, 338 Elbow River Inn & Casino, 6 Eldorado Casino, 161 Eldorado Hotel Casino, 224–5 Embassy Suites Hotel & Casino, 362 Emerald Casino, 29 Emerald Princess Dinner & Casino Cruise, 608 Emerald Queen Cascades I-5, 302 Emerald Safari Resort, 550–1 English Harbor Group: EH New Ventures (online), 637 Eureka Casino, 215 Excalibur Hotel/Casino, 176

711

E

Fort McDowell Casino, 34 Fort Randall Casino, 280 Fortune Bay Resort Casino, 129 Fortune Lounge Group (online), 637–8 Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino, 65 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, 263 Four Aces Casino, 276 Four Queens Hotel & Casino, 178 Foxwoods Resort Casino, 2, 3, 68–9 Freddie’s Club Fife, 292 Renton, 298 Fremont Hotel & Casino, 178 FullTiltPoker.com (online), 644–5

712

G

INDEX

Gaborone Sun Casino, 527–8 Gabriela Entertainment Complex, 504 Gala Casinos Isle of Man, 510 Leicester, 511 Leisure Exchange, 507 Merchant City, 525 Gala International Casino, 425 Garden City Casino, 57 Garden Route Casino, 545–6 Gateway Casinos Burnaby, 9–10 New Westminster, 13 Vancouver/Chinatown, 14 Geisha Lounge Casino (online), 638 Gila River Casinos Vee Quiva, 33–4 Wild Horse Pass, 33 Gilpin Casino, 63 Global Player (online), 638 Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, 179 Gold Dust Casino, 9 Gold Dust Gaming Complex, 277 Gold Reef City Casino, 541–2 Gold Strike Casino Resort, 142 Gold Strike Hotel & Gambling Hall, 166 Golden Dreams, 329 Golden Eagle Casino, 95 Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, 179 Golden Horse Casino, 546 Golden Key Casino, 1, 531–2 Golden Moon Hotel and Casino, 137 Golden Nugget Laughlin, 211

INDEX

Golden Nugget, 180 Golden Phoenix Hotel & Casino, 225–6 Graceland Hotel Casino and Country Club Resort, 547–8 Gran Casino De Las Palmas, 486 Gran Casino de Mallorca, 489 Gran Casino Nervión de Bilbao, 485 Gran Hotel Soloy & Fiesta Casino, 324 Grand Casino, 139 Grand Casinos Baden, 495–6 Basel, 497 Bern, 497–8 Biloxi, 134 Coushatta, 102 du Domaine, 595 Helsinki, 394 Hinckley, 122–3 Lido, 479 Luzern, 500 Mille Lacs, 125 Riviera Noga Hilton Cannes, 397 St. Gallen, 502–3 Tunica, 143 Varna and Grand Hotel Varna, 377–8 World, 439 Grand Central Casino of Lakewood, 295 Grand Central Casino of Tukwila, 303–04 Grand Palm Hotel Casino and Convention Resort, 528 Grand River Casino & Resort, 279–80 Grand Victoria Casino and Resort, 86 Grand Victoria Casino, 76 GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, 539 Great American Casino, 290 Great American Casino, 293 Great Canadian Casinos Coquitlam, 10 Holiday Inn, 15 Nanaimo, 12 View Royal, 16 Greektown Casino, 111 Green Valley Ranch, 162 Grosvenor Casinos Birmingham, 506 Blackpool, 506 Brighton, 508 Bristol, 509 Great Yarmouth, 510 Liverpool, 512 Luton, 515–16

713


Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 517–18 Ramsgate, 519 Salford, 520 Leisure World, 522 Swansea. 526

H

714 INDEX

Hamaca Coral by Hilton, 355 Hard Rock Casinos Las Vegas, 181 London, 513 Manchester, 516 Harrah’s Casinos Atlantic City Casino, 2, 244 Cherokee, 259–60 Council Bluffs, 88–9 East Chicago, 80 Joliet, 77 Lake Charles, 104 Lake Tahoe, 233 Las Vegas, 181–2 Laughlin, 211–12 Metropolis, 77–8 New Orleans, 106 North Kansas City, 152–3 Phoenix Ak-Chin, 35 Prairie Band, 96 Reno, 226 Rincon, 60–1 St. Louis, 152 Tunica, 144 Harveys Lake Tahoe, 234 Hemingways Casino Resort, 540 Henry Casino–Hotel Jalta, 384 Hilton Colón Quito, 335 Hilton Curaçao Resort, 358 Hilton Hotel & Casino Colon Guayaquil, 333 HIT Hotel Casino Park, 480–1 Ho Wah Genting Poipet Casino and Hotel Poipet Cambodia, 558 Ho-Chunk Casino, Hotel & Convention Center, 305 Hole-In-The-Wall Casino and Hotel, 307 Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino Royale, 358–9 Holiday Inn SunSpree Aruba Resort and Excelsior Casino, 349 Holiday Inn Tropical Casino Mayaguez, 364–5 Holland America Cruise Line MS Amsterdam, 610 MS Maasdam, 611 MS Oosterdam, 611 MS Rotterdam, 611

INDEX

MS Ryndam, 612 MS Statendam, 612 MS Veendam, 612 MS Volendam, 613 MS Westerdam, 613 MS Zaandam, 613 MS Zuiderdam, 614 Holland Casinos Amsterdam, 450 Breda, 451 Eindhoven, 452 Enschede, 453 Groningen, 453–4 Nijmegen, 454 Rotterdam, 455 Scheveningen, 451–2 Schiphol Airport, 455–6 Utrecht, 456 Valkenburg, 457 Zandvoort, 457–8 Hollywood Casinos Shreveport, 107 Aurora, 74 Tunica, 144 Hollywood Park Casino, 52 Hon-Dah Casino, 36 Horizon Casino Hotel, 147 Horizon Casino Resort, 235 Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Bossier City, 99 Tunica, 145 Hammond, 84 Horseshu Hotel and Casino, 165 Hotel Algarve Casino, 465 Hotel Casino Catamarca, 329 Hotel Casino Kranjska Gora, 480 Hotel Casino Monte Picayo, 491 Hotel Casino Otoãec, 482 Hotel Casino Perla, 481 Hotel Casino Plaza Caicedo, 336 Hotel Cocal & Casino, 319 Hotel del Lago Resort & Casino, 332 Hotel El Panama & Fiesta Casino, 324 Hotel Flamingo Beach Resort & Jazz Casino, 317 Hotel Lisboa, 3, 562 Hotel Resort Casino Yacht and Golf Club Paraguay, 336 Hôtel San Rémo, 182 Hotel Sea Cliff, 552–3 Hotel Tamarindo Diriá & Jazz Casino Tamarindo, 317

715


Hotel-Casino Horacio Quiroga, 340 Hustler Casino, 48 Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort and Country Club, 364 Hyatt Hotel & Casino, 460 Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Copa Cabana Casino, 349 Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino, 159

I

716 INDEX

Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, 182 Imperial Palace Mississippi, 134–5 Ingo Casino—Strazny, 386 Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, 252 Intercasino (online), 638 Irazù Hotel Best Western & Casino Concorde, 321 Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel Marquette, 91–2 Bossier City, 100 Black Hawk, 63–4 Biloxi, 135 Vicksburg, 147 Boonville, 149 Bettendorf, 87 Kansas, 150–1 Lake Charles, 103 Lula, 140 Natchez, 140–1 Lucaya, 351 Isleta Casino & Resort, 250–1

J Jackpot Junction Casino, 3, 124 Jasmine Court Hotel & Casino, 559 Jeju KAL Hotel and Casino, 576–7 Jerry’s Nugget, 217–18 John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 230–1 Jokers Wild Casino, 163 Jumer’s Casino Rock Island, 78 Jupiters Townsville Hotel & Casino, 589

K Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort & Casino, 272 Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino, 536 Kampala Casino, 553 Kamuk Hotel & Gallo Casinos, 319 Kangwon Land Resort, 579 Kewadin Casinos Christmas, 110 Manistique, 114 Sault, 117

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE St. Ignace, 117 Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, 282 King’s Casino, 345 Kings Club Casino, 110 Kiwi Casino (online), 638 Kla-Mo-Ya Casino, 268

INDEX

La Cabana All-Suite Beach Resort and Casino, 346 La Palm Atlantic Casino, 530–1 La Pirogue, 594–5 Lac Courte Oreilles Casino, Lodge & Convention Center, 309–10 Lac Vieux Desert Casino Resort Complex, 118 Lake City Casinos Kamloops, 11 Kelowna, 12 Vernon, 15 Lake of the Torches Resort Casino, 311 Lakeside Casino Resort, 92 Lakeside Inn and Casino, 235 Las Vegas Club, 183 Las Vegas Hilton, 184 Lasseters Hotel Casino, 586 Le Casino de Monte-Carlo, 1, 448 Le Caudan Waterfront, 595–6 Le Grand Casino Bitola, 442 de La Mamounia, 534 Forges-les Eaux, 400 Skopje, 443 Le Meridien Port Vila The Palms Casino, 603 Le Saint Geran, 596 Leelanau Sands Casino, 116 Leisure Lady, 915 Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort, 532 Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, 554 Les Ambassadeurs Club, 1, 513–14 Les Croupiers, 526 Lincoln Park Greyhound Track, 274 Little Creek Casino Hotel, 300–01 Little River Casino Resort, 113 Lode Star Casino and Hotel, 279 Lodge Casino, 64 London The Mint, 514 Los Delfines Summit Hotel & Casino Los Delfines, 337 Los Suenos Marriot Golf Resort & Stellaris Casino, 318–19 Lucky Chances Casino, 46 Luxor Resort & Casino, 185

717

L

M

718 INDEX

M/V Discovery Sun, 607 M/V Island Adventure, 626 M/V Regal Empress, 614 M/V Texas Treasure I, 632 Macao Jockey Club Casino, 561 Maho Beach Resort and Casino, 360 Main Street Station Casino Brewery and Hotel, 186 Majestic Pines Bingo & Casino, 306 Majestic Star Casino, 82–3 Manchester Strand, 517 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 186–7 Mandarin Oriental Casino, 562 Mark Twain Casino, 151 Marriott Hotel & Casino, 460–1 Martino Resort Spa & Martino’s Casino, 321 Maruma International Hotel, Casino, Bingo, & Convention Center, 341–2 Matum Hotel & Casino Diamante, 354 Mayaguez Hotel & Casino, 365 McPhillips Street Station Casino, 18 Meliá Caribe Tropical and Casino Palma Real, 354 Melia Santo Domingo Hotel and Casino Diamante, 356 Mermaid Casino and Swakopmund Hotel, 535 Meropa Casino, 547 Merrion Casino Club, 2, 431–2 Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, 94 Metelitsa Casino Complex, 470 MGM Club, 581 MGM Grand Darwin, 586 MGM Grand Detroit Casino, 111–12 MGM Grand, 2, 187–8 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Center, 72–3 Midnight Star Gaming Emporium, 276–7 Midway Casino, 289 Mill Casino Hotel, 271 Millennium Casino, 384 Mineral Palace Hotel and Gaming, 277 Mirage, 188 Mirage Casino, 391 Model T Casino & RV Park, 239 Moevenpick Hotel & Casino Malabata, 834 Mohegan Sun Casino, 2, 3, 69–70 Mohican North Star Casino and Bingo, 306 Montclair Hotel & Casino, 555 Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, 189–90 Monte-Carlo Bay’s Casino, 448 Montecasino, 542 Montego Bay Casino Resort, 237

THE ULTIMATE CASINO GUIDE Morula Casino, 543 MotorCity Casino, 112 Mountain High Casino, 64 MS Scotia Prince, 625 msy Wind Surf, 632–3 Muckleshoot Casino, 285 Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, 2, 126

O Oasis Resort, Casino, Golf, and Spa, 215–16 Occidental El Embajador Hotel and Casino, 356 Ocean’s Eleven Casino, 53 Ojibwa Casino Marquette, 114 Ojibwa Casino Resort, 108 Old Style Saloon #10, 277–8 Olympic Casino Gedimino, 439 Olympic Casinos Konstitucijos, 439–40 Radisson SAS Daugava Hotel, 436 Reval Hotel Lietuva, 440 Sphinx, 438 Vokieciu, 440 Oneida IMAC Casino/Bingo Hall, 308 Oneida Main Casino, 308 Oneida Mason Street Casino, 309 Oracle Casino-New Dolmen Hotel, 445 Oriental Hotel and Casino, 577 ORION Piggs Peak Casino, 552 Orleans Hotel and Casino, 191–2 Oro Verde Hotel & Casino Guayaquil, 334 Machala, 334 Manta, 335

INDEX

Napoleons Casino & Restaurant Owlerton, 521–2 Napoleons Casino & Restaurant, 511 Nevada Landing Hotel & Casino, 166 Nevada Palace Hotel & Casino, 190 New Century Hotel & Casino, 561 New Frontier Hotel and Casino, 190 New York-New York Hotel & Casino, 191 Newport Grand, 273 Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, 21–2 Nisqually Red Wind Casino, 298 Nooksack River Casino, 288–9 Northern Lights Casino (Walker), 130 Northern Lights Casino (Prince Albert), 28 Northern Quest Casino, 283–4 Novotel Bronowice Hotel & Casino—Kraków, 459

719

N

Ostsee-Spielbank Heringsdorf, 421 Stralsund, 421

P

720 INDEX

PacificPoker.com (online), 646 Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Gambling Hall, 219–20 Palace Casinos Cass Lake, 120 Biloxi, 135–6 La Center, 294 Palace Casino (Edmonton), 8 Palace Casino (St. Petersburg), 474 Palace Casino (San Pedro), 315 Palace Station Hotel and Casino, 192–3 Palais de la Méditerranée, 401–2 Palm Beach Casino, 514 Palm Beach Princess, 615–16 Palms Casino Resort, 193 Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, 75 Paradise Beach Club & Casino, 353 Paradise Bowl and Casino, 302 Paradise Casinos Arizona, 42 Busan, 576 California, 61–2 Paradise Olympos Casino, 578 ParadisePoker.com (online), 646–7 Paradisus Playa Conchal & Jazz Casino Conchal, 316 Paragon Casino Resort, 105 Paris Las Vegas, 194 Park Plaza Hotel & Casino, 461 Park Plaza Las Vegas Lady Luck Casino Hotel, 194–5 PartyPoker.com (online), 647–8 Pasino Aix en Provence, 359 Peak Entertainment Group (online), 639 Pechanga Resort & Casino, 59 Pelican Resort Club and Hollywood Casino, 360 Peppermill Hotel Casino, 237 Peppermill Reno Hotel Casino, 227 Pharaohs Casino (online), 639 Pharaohs Casinos Managua, 322–3 Masaya, 322 Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall, 212 PJ Pockets Casino, 291 Plaza Hotel and Casino, 195 Point Casino, 293–4 PokerRoom.com (online), 648

Q Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, 297

R Radisson Ambassador Plaza Hotel & Casino, 362 Aruba Caribbean Resort, 349–50 Hotel & Casino Europa, 320 Rainbow Casino, 312 Rainbow Hotel Casinos Vicksburg, 148 Wendover, 238 Ramada Express Hotel Casino, 213 Ramada Guayaquil Hotel & Casino, 334 Rampart Casino, 196 Rascals Casino and Restaurant, 299 Reading Sporting Club, 520 Red Garter Hotel & Casino, 238 Red Lion Inn and Casino, 160 Reef Hotel Casino, 588–9 Regency Casinos Mendoza, 328 Thessaloniki, 427 Rendezvous Casino at the Marina, 508

INDEX

PokerStars.com (online), 649 Ponce Hilton & Casino, 365 Potawatomi Bingo & Northern Lights Casino, 307 Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 3, 311–12 Prairie Knights Casino & Resort, 261–2 Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort, 122 President Casino Broadwater Resort, 136 St. Louis Riverfront, 155 Prima Poker Group (online), 650 Primm Valley Resort & Casino, 221 Princess Cruises Coral Princess, 617 Dawn Princess, 618 Golden Princess, 618 Grand Princess, 619 Island Princess, 619 Regal Princess, 620 Royal Princess, 620 Star Princess, 621 Sun Princess, 621 Princess Hotel & Casino Belize, 314 Princess Port de Plaissance Hotel and Casino, 360–1 Pupp Casino Club & Grandhotel Pupp, 382

721


722 INDEX

Reno Hilton, 3, 227–8 Resort Casino Rogaˇska Slatina, 482 Resorts Atlantic City, 244–5 Reval Park Hotel & Casino, 393 Rhythm City Casino, 89 Riande Continental Hotel & Crown Casino, 324 Riande Granada Hotel & Crown Casino, 325 Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, 196–7 Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel & Casino, 362 River Palms, 213 River Rock Casino Resort, 14 Riverside Hotel & Casino, 214 Riviera Hotel & Casino, 197 Rosebud Casino and Quality Inn, 281 Royal Caribbean Cuise Line, 3 Radiance of the Seas, 623–4 Voyager of the Seas, 624–5 Royal City Star Riverboat Casino, 13 Royal International Gaming Club, 581–2 Royal Resort Casino, 366–7 Royal River Casino Bingo & Motel, 278–9 Royal Scandinavian Casino, 388 Royal Swazi Sun Valley, 551

S Sac & Fox Casino, 97 Saddle West Hotel-Casino & RV Resort, 220 Sahara Hotel and Casino, 198 Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall Las Vegas, 199 Tunica, 145 Sam’s Town Shreveport, 107–8 San Felipe’s Casino Hollywood, 252–3 San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, 363 San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, 48–9 Sandia Casino, 250 Sands Casinos Atlantic City, 245 Macao, 2, 563 Regency Casino Hotel, 229 Santa Ana Star Casino, 251–2 Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino, 200 Seaport Casino, 347 Seminole Casino Immokalee, 72 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, 3, 71 Seneca Allegany Casino, 257 Seneca Gaming and Entertainment, 256 Seneca Niagara Casino, 256–7 7 Cedars Casino, 300

INDEX

Seven Clans Casinos Thief River Falls, 129 Red Lake, 126 Warroad, 130 Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort, 267 Seven Seas Voyager, 922 Shangri La Casino, 471 Shem’s Casino, 533 Sheraton Casino and Hotel, 146 Sheraton Lima Hotel & Casino, 337 Shilla Jeju’s Casino, 578 Shooting Star Casino and Hotel, 123 Showboat Atlantic City, 2, 245–6 Siena Hotel Spa Casino, 229 Silver Club Hotel & Casino, 231 Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, 230 Silver Nugget, 218 Silver Reef Casino, 291 Silver Star Hotel & Casino, 138 Silverado Gaming Establishment & Restaurant, 278 Silverton Hotel Casino, 200–01 Skagit, 286 Sky City Adelaide, 590 Sky City Casino, 249 Sky Dancer Hotel & Casino, 261 Sky Ute Lodge and Casino, 66 SKYCITY Auckland, 597–8 Hamilton, 599 Queenstown, 600 Skyway Park Bowl, 299 Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 2, 115 South Coast Hotel & Casino, 201 Southern Elegance, 627 Spa Resort Casino, 54–5 Spielbank Bad Ems, 405–6 Spielbank Bad Harzburg, 407 Spielbank Bad Homburg, 408 Spielbank Bad Zwischenahn, 411–12 Spielbank Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 414 Spielbank Halle, 414 Spielbank Hannover, 415 Spielbank Konstanz, 416 Spielbank Magdeburg, 418 Spielbank Mainz, 419 Spielbank Norderney, 419 Spielbank Potsdam “Joker’s Garden,” 420 Spielbank Stuttgart, 422 Spielbank Trier, 423

723


724 INDEX

Spielbank Wiesbaden, 424 Spirit Lake Casino & Resort, 263–4 Spirit Mountain Casino, 269 Sporting Monte-Carlo, 448–9 St. Croix Casino & Hotel, 312–13 St. James Club, 1, 344 St. Jo Frontier Casino, 155 Stampede Casino, 7 Stanley Casinos Albion, 521 Annabelle, 509 Edinburgh, 524 Glasgow, 525 Liverpool, 512 Luton, 516 Newcastle, 518 Portsmouth, 518–19 Torquay Casino, 523 Star City, 2, 3, 584–5 Stardust Resort and Casino, 202 Stockman’s Casino, 161 Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 202–3 Sun Casino, 449 Sun City, 549 Sun Cruz Casinos SunCruz I, 629 SunCruz V, 629 SunCruz VI, 630 SunCruz XII, 630 SunCruz III, 631 SunCruz VIII, 631 Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World, 539 Suncoast Hotel and Casino, 203 Sunset Station Hotel-Casino, 164 Swinomish Northern Lights Casino, 284 Sycuan Casino & Resort, 3, 47–8

T Tahoe Biltmore, 159 Taleon Club, 1, 474–5 Taos Mountain Casino, 254 Terrible’s Hotel and Casino, 204 Terrible’s Town Casino, 220 Terrou-bi, 537 Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel, 218–19 Thousand Islands Charity Casino, 21 Three Rivers Casino, 268 Thunderbird Casino, 265 Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, 601–2

U UltimateBet.com (online), 650–1 Ute Mountain Casino Hotel & Resort, 66–7

V Varkert Casino, 429 Vegas Casino and Bar, 475 Vegas VIP Lounge (online), 639 Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, 1, 206–7 Venice Casino, 435 Victoria Casino, 2, 515 Victories Casino & Hotel, 116 Viejas Casino, 43 VIP Club Casino–Ambassador Hotel, 385 Virgin River Hotel/Casino/Bingo, 216 Viva! Casino Sofia, 377 Viva! Casino!, 443

W Walker Hill Casino, 579–80 Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino, 239 Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort, Country Club & Casino, 366

INDEX

Tower Voodoo Casino, 437 Treasure Bay Casino Resort, 136–7 Treasure Chest Casino, 101–2 Treasure Island Resort & Casino, 127 Treasure Island, 204 Trident Lounge Group (online), 639 Tropicana Casino (Budapest), 429 Tropicana Atlantic City, 246 Las Vegas, 2, 205 Trou-aux-Biches, 596 Trump Casinos Indiana, 83 Marina Hotel & Casino, 2, 247 Plaza Hotel and Casino, 247–8 Taj Mahal, 2, 248 Trupial Inn Hotel & Hill Rose Casino, 2359 Tulalip Casino and Bingo, 304 Turning Stone Casino Resort, 258 Turtle Creek Casino, 118 Tuscany Suites & Casino, 205–6 Tusk Casinos Mmabatho, 545 Rio, 544 Umfolozi, 540 Two Rivers Casino & Resort, 288

725


726

Westward-Ho Casino, 207 Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino, 222 White Oak Casino, 121 Wild Grizzly Casino, 292 Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel, 207 Wildhorse Resort Casino, 271–2 Winna Vegas Casino, 93–4 Winners Hotel Casino, 240 Win-River Casino, 56 Wizards Restaurant and Casino, 287 Wrest Point Hotel Casino, 590–1 www.absolutepoker.com (online), 643 www.interpoker.com (online), 645 Wyndham Casinos Condado Plaza, 363 El San Juan, 363–4 Nassau & Crystal Palace, 350 Wynn Las Vegas, 208

Y INDEX

Yakama Nation Legends Casino, 303

Location Index

728 INDEX

A

B

Alberta, Canada Calgary, 6–7 Edmonton, 7–8 St. Albert, 9 Antigua and Barbuda Mamora Bay, 344 Saint John’s, 344–5 Argentina Mendoza, 327–8 Misiones, 328–9 Salta, 329 San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, 329 San Salvador de Jujuy, 330 Tigre, 330 Arizona Camp Verde, 32 Chandler, 33 Fountain Hills, 34 Laveen, 33–4 Maricopa, 35 Parker, 35–6 Pinetop, 36–7 Prescott, 37 Sahuarita, 40 San Carlos, 38 Scottsdale, 38–9 Tucson, 40–1 Yuma, 42 Aruba Eagle Beach, 346 Oranjestad, 346–7 Palm Beach, 348–50 Australian Capital Territory, Australia Canberra, 584 Austria Bad Gastein, 371 Baden, 370 Bregenz, 371–2 Graz, 372 Innsbruck, 373 Kitzbühel, 373–4 Linz, 374 Seefeld, 375 Velden, 375–6 Vienna, 376

Bahamas Cable Beach, New Providence Island, 350 Freeport/Lucaya, Grand Bahama, 351 Nassau, 352 Belize Belize City, 314 San Pedro, 315 Bophutatswana, See Sun City Botswana Gaborone, 527–8 British Columbia, Canada Burnaby, 9–10 Coquitlam, 10 Cranbrook, 11 Kamloops, 11 Kelowna, 12 Nanaimo, 12 New Westminster, 13 Richmond, 14 Vancouver, 14–15 Vernon, 15 Victoria, 16 Bulgaria Sofia, 377 Varna, 377–8

C California Alpine, 43 Blue Lake, 43–4 Brooks, 44 Cabazon, 45 Coarsegold, 45–6 Colma, 46 Colusa, 47 Gardena, 48 Highland, 48–9 Indio, 49–50 Lakeside, 50–1 Los Angeles, 51–3 Oceanside, 53 Oroville, 53–4 Palm Springs, 54–5 Porterville, 55 Rancho Mirage, 55 Redding, 56


D Denmark

E Ecuador Guayaquil, 333–334 Machala, 334 Manta, 335 Quito, 335–6 Egypt Cairo, 529 Sharm El Sheikh, 529–30 England Birmingham, 505–6 Blackpool, 506–7 Bradford, 507 Brighton, 507–8 Bristol, 508–9 Coventry, 509 Douglas, 509–10 Great Yarmouth, 510 Leeds, 511 Leicester, 511 Liverpool, 512 London, 513–15 Luton, 515–16 Manchester, 516–17 Newcastle upon Tyne, 517–18 Portsmouth, 518–19 Ramsgate, 519 Reading, 519–20 Salford, 520–1 Sheffield, 521–2 Southampton, 522 Torquay, 523 Estonia Pärnu, 391 Tallinn, 391–3

729

Aalborg, 387–8 Århus, 388 Copenhagen, 388–9 Helsingør, 389 Odense, 389–90 Vejle, 390 Dominican Republic Puerto Plata, 353 Punta Cana Bavaro, 354 Santiago, 354 Santo Domingo, 355–6

INDEX

San Jose, 56–7 San Pablo, 58 Santa Clarita, 616–17 Santa Ynez, 58 Sycuan, 47–8 Temecula, 59 Tuolumne, 60 Valley Center, 60–1 Winterhaven, 61–2 Cambodia Poipet, 558 Chile Arica, 331 Coquimbo, 331 Pucón, 332 Puerto Varas, 332 Viña del Mar, 333 Colorado Black Hawk, 63–4 Central City, 65 Cripple Creek, 65 Ignacio, 66 Towaoc, 66–7 Connecticut Mashantucket/Ledyard, 68–9 Uncasville, 69–70 Costa Rica Guanacaste, 316–17 Puntarenas, 318–19 San José, 320–1 Croatia Buje, 378 Opatija, 379 Cyprus Famagusta, 559 Girne, 559–60 Czech Republic Brno, 380 Ceska Kubice, 380–1 Haté, 381 Karlovy Vary, 382 Mariánské Láznû, 382–3 Prague, 383–5 Rozvadov, 385 Strazny, 386 Teplice, 386–7 Zlín, 387

Baden-Baden, 406–7 Berlin, 412 Bremen, 412–13 Feuchtwangen, 413 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 413–14 Halle, 414 Hannover, 414–15 Kiel, 415 Konstanz, 416 Kötzting, 416–17 Lindau, 417 Lübeck, 418 Magdeburg, 418 Mainz, 419 Norderney, 419 Potsdam, 420 Schenefeld, 420 Seebad Heringsdorf, 421 Stralsund, 421 Stuttgart, 422 Travemünde, See Lübeck Trier, 422–3 Westerland, 423 Wiesbaden, 424

F Finland Helsinki, 394 Florida

730

Cape Canaveral, 628, 630 Dania Beach, 629 Daytona Beach, 631 Fort Lauderdale, 607, 622, 626 Fort Myers, 605, 615 Hollywood, 71, 629 Immokalee, 72 Jacksonville, 630 Key Largo, 629 Miami, 72, 606, 622–3 Pompano Beach, 614 Port Everglades, 626 Riviera Beach, 615–16 France

INDEX

Aix en Provence France, 395 Biarritz, 395–6 Cannes, 396–7 Chamonix, 397 Deauville, 398 Divonne, 399 Enghien-les-Bains, 399–400 Forges-les Eaux, 400 La Baule, 400 Mandelieu La Napoule, See Cannes Menton, 401 Nice, 401–2 Paris, 402–3 Royan-Pontaillac, 403 Trouville-sur-Mer, 404

Ghana Accra, 530–1 Gibralter, 424–5 Gold Coast, See Brisbane Greece Loutraki, 425–6 Patras, 426 Rhodes, 426–7 Thessaloniki, 427–8

H

G

Hungary

Georgia

Budapest, 428–9 Györ, 429–30 Kecskemét, 430 Sopron, 430

Brunswick, 608 Germany Aachen, 405 Bad Ems, 405–6 Bad Harzburg, 407 Bad Homburg, 408 Bad Kissingen, 408–9 Bad Oeynhausen, 409 Bad Reichenhall, 410 Bad Steben, 410–11 Bad Wiessee, 411 Bad Zwischenahn, 411–12

I Illinois Alton, 73 Aurora, 74 East Peoria, 75 East Saint Louis, 75 Elgin, 76


Belterra, 79 East Chicago, 80–1 Elizabeth, 81 Evansville, 82 Gary, 82–3 Hammond, 84 Lawrenceburg , 85 Michigan City, 85–6 Rising Sun, 86 Iowa Bettendorf, 87 Council Bluffs, 88–9 Davenport, 89 Dubuque, 90 Fort Madison, 91 Marquette, 91–2 Osceola, 92 Sioux City, 93 Sloan, 93–4 Tama, 94 Ireland Dublin, 431–2 Italy Campione d’Italia, 344 Saint-Vincent, 434–5 San Remo, 434 Venice, 435

K Kansas Horton, 95 Mayetta, 96 Powhattan, 97 Kenya Mombasa, 531–2

L Latvia Riga, 436–7 Lebanon Maameltein, 560–1 Lithuania Kaunas, 438 Vilnius, 438–40 Louisiana

M Macau Macau City, 562–3 Taipa, 564–5 Macedonia Bitola, 442 Skopje, 443 Maine Portland, 625 Malaysia Genting Highlands, 565–6 Malta St. Julian’s, 444 St. Paul’s Bay, 445 Vittoriosa, 445 Manitoba, Canada The Pas, 16–17 Winnipeg, 17–18 Mauritius Curepipe, 594 Flic en Flac, 594–5 Pailles, 595 Port Louis, 595–6 Poste de Flacq, 596 Trou aux Biches, 596 Michigan Baraga, 108 Brimley, 109–10 Christmas, 110 Detroit, 111–12 Harris, 112–13 Manistee, 113 Manistique, 114 Marquette, 114 Mount Pleasant, 115 Peshawbestown, 116

731

Indiana

Baton Rouge, 98 Bossier City, 99–100 Charenton, 100 Harvey, 101 Kenner , 101–2 Kinder, 102–3 Lake Charles, 103–4 Marksville, 105 New Orleans, 105–6 Shreveport, 107–8 Luxembourg Mondorf-Les-Bains, 441

INDEX

Joliet, 76–7 Metropolis, 77–8 Rock Island, 78

732 INDEX

Petoskey, 116 Sault Ste. Marie, 117 St. Ignace, 117 Watersmeet, 118 Williamsburg, 118 Minnesota Carlton, 119–20 Cass Lake, 120 Deer River, 121 Duluth, 121 Granite Falls, 122 Hinckley, 122–3 Mahnomen, 123 Morton, 124 Onamia, 125 Prior Lake, 126 Red Lake, 126 Red Wing, 127 Shakopee, 128 Thief River Falls, 129 Tower, 129 Walker, 130 Warroad, 130 Mississippi Bay Saint Louis, 131 Biloxi, 132–7 Choctaw, 137–8 Gulfport, 138–9 Lula, 140 Natchez, 140–1 Robinsonville, See Tunica Tunica, 141–6 Vicksburg, 146–8 Missouri Boonville, 149 Caruthersville, 149 Kansas City, 150–1 La Grange, 151 Maryland Heights, 152 North Kansas City, 152–3 Riverside, 153–4 St. Charles, 154 St. Joseph, 154–5 St. Louis, 155 Moldova Chisinau, 446 Monaco Monte Carlo, 447–9 Morocco

Agadir, 532–3 Marrakech, 533–4 Tanger, 534

N Namibia Swakopmund, 535 Windhoek, 535–6 Nepal Kathmandu, 567–9 Netherlands, The Amsterdam, 450 Breda, 451 Den Haag, 451–2 Eindhoven, 452 Enschede, 453 Groningen, 453–4 Hague, The, See Den Haag Nijmegen, 454 Rotterdam, 455 Schiphol Airport, 455–6 Utrecht, 456 Valkenburg, 457 Zandvoort, 457–8 Netherlands Antilles Bonaire, 357 Curaçao, 357–9 Sint Maarten, 359–61 Nevada Carson City, 156–8 Crystal Bay–Incline Village, 158–9 Elko, 160 Fallon, 160–1 Henderson, 161–4 Incline Village, See Crystal Bay Jackpot, 165 Jean, 166 Las Vegas, 167–208 Laughlin, 209–14 Mesquite, 214–16 Minden, 216–17 North Las Vegas, 217–19 Pahrump, 219–20 Primm, 220–2 Reno, 222–30 Sparks, 230–1 Stateline, 232–5


Oklahoma Catoosa, 265 Norman, 265 Pocola, 266 Tulsa, See Catoosa Ontario, Canada Brantford, 20 Gananoque, 21 Niagara Falls, 21–2 Orillia, 23 Sault Ste. Marie, 23–4 Windsor, 24 Oregon Canyonville, 267 Chiloquin, 268 Florence, 268 Grand Ronde, 269 Lincoln City, 270 North Bend, 271 Pendleton, 271–2 Warm Springs, 272

P Panama Panama City, 324–5 Paraguay Asunción, 336 Peru Lima, 337 Philippines Angeles, 570 Bacolod, 571 Cebu, 571 Davao, 572 Manila, 572–3 Olongapo City, 573 Parañaque City, 574 Pasay City, 574 Tagaytay City, 575 Poland Crakow, 459 Gdynia, 458 Pozna n, ´ 459–60 Warsaw, 460–1 Wroc aw, 461 Espinho, 462 Portugal Estoril, 463

733

O

INDEX

Verdi, 236 Wendover, 237–9 Winnemucca, 239–40 New Jersey Atlantic City, 240–8 New Mexico Acoma, 249 Albuquerque, 250 Bernalillo, 250–1 Isleta, 251–2 Mescalero, 252 San Felipe, 252–3 Santa Fe, 253–4 Taos, 254 New South Wales, Australia Sydney, 584–5 New York Hogansburg, 255 Irving, 256 Niagara Falls, 256–7 Salamanca, 257 Verona, 258 New Zealand Auckland, 597–8 Christchurch, 598 Dunedin, 598–9 Hamilton, 599 Queenstown, 600 Nicaragua Managua, 322–3 Masaya, 323 North Carolina Cherokee, 259–60 North Dakota Belcourt, 261 Fort Yates, 261–2 Hankinson, 262 New Town, 263 St. Michael, 263–4 Northern Mariana Islands Tinian, 601–02 Northern Territory, Autralia Alice Springs, 585–6 Darwin, 586 Nova Scotia, Canada Halifax, 19 Sydney, 19–20

Faro, See Vilamoura Funchal, See Madeira Madeira, 464 Monte Gordo, 464 Portimao, 465 Póvoa de Varzim, 465 Vilamoura, 466 Puerto Rico Dorado Beach, 364 Mayaguez, 364–5 Ponce, 365 Rio Mar, 366 San Juan, 361–4

734

Q

INDEX

Québec, Canada Gatineau, 25–6 La Malbaie, 26 Montréal, 27 Prince Albert, 28 Regina, 28–9 Saskatoon, 29 Queensland, Australia Brisbane, 587 Broadbeach, 587–8 Cairns, 588–9 Townsville, 589

R Réunion, 602 Rhode Island Lincoln, 274 Newport, 273 Romania Bucharest, 466–8 Russia Moscow, 469–71 Sochi, 471 St. Petersburg, 472–5

S Scotland Edinburgh, 524 Glasgow, 524–5 Senegal Dakar, 537 Serbia and Montenegro Belgrade, 476 Slovakia

Bratislava, 477 Koˇsice, 477 Pieˇstany, ´ 478 Slovenia Bled, 478–9 Brezice, ˇ 479 Kobarid, 479 Kranjska Gora, 480 Nova Gorica, 480–1 Otoˇcec, 482 Rogaˇska Slatina, 482 South Africa Brakpan, 538 Cape Town, 538–9 Durban, 539 East London, 540 Empangeni, 540 Johannesburg, 541–2 Karenpark, 543 Kimberley, 543–4 Klerksdorp, 544 Langebaan, 544–5 Mafikeng, 545 Mossel Bay, 545–6 Pietermaritzburg, 546 Polokwane, 547 Secunda, 547–8 Summerstrand, 548 Sun City, 549 Temba, 549–50 Vanderbijlpark, 550–1 South Australia, Australia Adelaide, 589–90 South Carolina Little River, 627, 631 Myrtle Beach, 631 South Dakota Deadwood, 275–8 Flandreau, 278–9 Fort Thompson, 279 Mobridge, 279–80 Pickstown, 280 Rosebud, 281 Watertown, 281–2 South Korea Busan, 576 Gangwon, 579 Incheon, 578 Jeju City, 576–8


Barcelona, 483–4 Benalmádena, 848–5 Bilbao, 485 Cadiz, See Puerto de Santa Maria Ibiza, 486–7 Las Palmas, 485–6 Lloret de Mar, 487 Madrid, 487–8 Mallorca, 488–9 Marbella, 489 Peralada, 490 Puerto de Santa Maria, 491 Puzol, 491 Sri Lanka Colombo, 580–1 St. Kitts and Nevis Frigate Bay, 633 Swaziland Mbabane, 551 Piggs Peak, 551–2 Sweden Göteborg, 492 Malmö, 493 Stockholm, 493–4 Sundsvall, 494 Switzerland Bad Ragaz, 496 Baden, 495–6 Basel, 497 Bern, 497–8 Courrendlin, See Jura Crans-Montana, 498 Delémont, See Jura Fribourg, 498–9 Jura, 499 Locarno, 499–500 Lucerne, 500 Mendrisio, 500 Montreux, 501 Pfäffikon, 501–2 Schaffhausen, 502 St. Gallen, 502–3 St. Moritz, 503

Tanzania Dar es Salaam, 552–3 Hobart, 590–1 Launceston, 591 Texas Eagle Pass, 282 Port Aransas, 632

U Uganda Kampala, 553 Ukraine Kiev, 504 Uruguay Atlantida, 338 Colonia del Sacremento, 338 Montevideo, 339 Punta del Este, 339 Salto, 340 US Virgin Islands Christiansted, 367

V Vanuatu Port Vila, 603 Venezuela Ciudad Guyana, 341 Maracaibo, 341–2 Victoria, Australia Melbourne, 592 Vietnam Ha Long City, 581–2 Haiphong, 582

W Wales Cardiff, 526 Swansea, 526 Washington Airway Heights, 283–4 Anacortes, 284 Auburn, 285 Bow, 286 Bremerton, 286 Burien, 287 Chewelah, 287 Davenport, 288 Deming, 288–9

735

Spain

T

INDEX

Kangwon, See Gangwon Seoul, 579–80

736 INDEX

Des Moines, 289 Everett, 289–90 Federal Way, 290–1 Ferndale, 291 Fife, 292 Kelso, 292 Kent, 293 Kingston, 293–4 La Center, 294 Lakewood, 295 Longview, 296 Mountlake Terrace, 296 Ocean Shores, 297 Olympia, 297–8 Renton, 298 Seattle, 298–9, 609–10 Sequim, 300 Shelton, 300–01 Suquamish, 301 Tacoma, 302 Toppenish, 303 Tukwila, 303–4 Tulalip, 304 Western Australia, Australia Perth, 593 Wisconsin Baraboo, 305 Black River Falls, 306 Bowler, 306 Carter, 307 Danbury, 307 Green Bay, 308–9 Hayward, 309–10 Keshena, 310 Lac Du Flambeau, 311 Milwaukee, 311–12 Nekoosa, 312 Turtle Lake, 312–13

Y Yukon Territory, Canada Dawson City, 30

Z Zimbabwe Juliasdale, 554–5 Mutare, 554

About the Author is a freelance writer and author of several books on gambling, including Free Money: How to Win in the Cardrooms of California and The Official Dictionary of Poker. He has also been a Card Player magazine columnist since 1988, is the site editor for CardPlayer.com and edits Card Player’s twice-monthly email newsletters, sent to over 350,000 subscribers. Mr. Wiesenberg lives in Mountain View, California. Michael Wiesenberg

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