The best Las Vegas casinos

The most iconic casino on the Strip is nearing its 60th anniversary. At a time when other resorts, such as the Tropicana and Mirage, have closed, Caesars Palace continues to reinvent itself. And there’s just something about gambling here and takes you back in time. The casino offers 185 table games, more than 1,300 slot machines—from penny slots to $500 pulls±and a lively sportsbook with a newly renovated poker room next to it.

As you might expect, the action at Wynn and Encore is both sophisticated and decidedly pricey. Blackjack and other table minimums are on the higher side and $1,000 slot machines can be found mixed among the fray of more reasonable denominations. Try to seek out the single-zero roulette wheel or play poolside at the Cabana Bar.

The grand dame of the Strip, the Bellagio is a classy casino. The opulent gold and burgundy baccarat salon is the type of place you’d expect James Bond to frequent, while Club Privé is another high-limit lounge complete with a whiskey program and fine cigar selection. Of course, the casino does have plenty of places to play for every budget.

Slot machines in the airport? You bet! With a number of six-figure jackpots having been paid out over the past couple years, progressive slot machines are the games to play here. In the summer of 2023, two travelers became millionaires; within weeks of each other, one flier won $1.3 million on a Wheel of Fortune Red Hot 7 machine and another hit for $1.3 million playing Wheel of Fortune Triple Double Emeralds. Waiting on a payout that size, you might not mind missing your flight.

When you think about casinos, Circus Circus might not immediately pop to mind—after all, its signature Adventuredome, complete an arcade and midway, is kid-friendly. But the casino might just be one of the best places to play. Gamblers can play penny slots and watch circus acts at the Carousel bar, hit up Slots-A-Fun and play classic coin-operated machines or try their hand at the Magnificent Sevens slots with 97.4% payback.

Even though it’s fresh off a casino remodel, downtown’s El Cortez still has a cool old Vegas feel—and we like it for that. Well, that and the fact it has slots that are 27% looser than the Strip (as mentioned on its website). Not only are you more likely to stretch your dollar when you play here but El Cortez still has some coin-operated slots for those who like the clank-clank-clank sound when they cash out. They also have low table minimums and 10x odds on craps.

The Nugget’s an interesting spot. Located on the Fremont Street Experience, it’s more of an upscale gambling joint with approachable table minimums and over 1,000 slot machines ranging from penny and nickel slots to high-limit. The poker room has 13 smoke-free tables with cash games of all levels. Gamblers can also press their luck at the poolside blackjack tables.

This adults-only resort in downtown Las Vegas has the best sportsbook in the city. It’s a three-level space with stadium seating for close to 1,000 people that includes 44 bartop gaming machines. Add Circa’s Stadium Swim year-round pool complex with its 143-foot-wide screen and this casino is a sports lover’s dream.

Here’s a secret: Mandalay Bay has a small casino on the second floor overlooking the pool, perfect for those who want to sneak away from the wave pool and lazy river for a few hands of blackjack. Inside the resort, Mandalay has over 1,200 slot machines including popular slots like Dynamite Pop: Red Rush and Monopoly Go Wild, plus plenty of table games including Let it Ride, Caribbean stud and pai gow poker. The sportsbook also attracts quite the crowd on game days.

With new owners the Rio has taken on new life. A Canteen Food Hall and Luckley Tavern are among the latest in what’s to become a resort-wide restaurant revamp. The casino itself is huge. It’s mostly slot machines with a couple pockets of table games (the new Lapa Lounge is a paritcularly cool spot with tabletop video poker). Rio’s slots are known to be on the loose side (98% payback on all single hand video poker) and its rewards program is among the best.

When Station Casinos debuted Durango in December 2023 it was a game changer. The local casino, located about 10 miles from the Strip, is a gaming-heavy property with 83,000 square feet of casino space loaded with 2,300 slot machines and 60-plus table games. But what caught everyone’s attention was how bright it was with windows allowing natural light to shine in—something unseen anywhere else in the city. It brought a different type of energy and crowds. So did its state-of-the-art sportsbook with a covered outdoor patio called the George.

At this 117,000-square-foot casino, players can test their luck in the glow of the neon-lit Famous Foods street market-style dining hall, in the VIP high-limit Crockfords Casino & Lounge or on the 66th floor at a private casino in Allē Lounge.

The big, beautiful blue building on the Strip’s north end opened in December 2023. Fontainebleau features 42-foot-high ceilings that tower over the 150,000 square feet of its casino. From its high-limit room with 105 slot machines and video poker machines to the intimate Solo Club and poolside gaming lounge, there’s a place to play for everyone.

Spread across two properties, this Italian-themed resort sports more than 200,000 square feet of gaming space loaded with the latest slot machines and dozens of baccarat, blackjack, pai gow and roulette tables. It’s also home to a 50-table 24-hour poker room.