Famous Casinos from Around the World

When anyone mentions casinos, my mind always goes to the casino in the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge. However, before you go Googling, that hotel no longer exists. The building is still there, but now the hotel and casino are known as The Park Tower Casino London. Built by a famous architect called Richard Seifert in 1973, the building and its style take me right back to the fur coat and velvet flare glamour of the late 1970s and early 80s.

While I was way too young to go in, I remember the tales from a family friend who spent most weekends somewhere dark and glorious playing poker or roulette with a martini in hand until the early hours and thinking; this must be what being an adult is all about. Years later, it always makes me smile whenever I think about that time, and it’s these memories that have led me to visit some fabulous casinos around the world whenever I get the opportunity. 

I have hit the casino floor in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, Macau, Sydney, Spain, and, of course, London and had a fantastic time, but there are loads of other casinos that I haven’t been to that deserve mention. I will let my experiences guide this article, but it’s worth saying that the best casinos are the world’s best for loads of reasons, and it isn’t always about gambling.

The Hippodrome Casino London

The Hippodrome was a go-to clubbing venue in the 1980s. Back then, we clubbers didn’t realise that this famous old dance hall had so much history. The original Hippodrome was designed by Frank Matcham for Moss Empires (Moss Bros clothing belonged to Moss Empires). The build cost was £250,000, which is around £35m in today’s money. The doors opened in 1900 as a music hall, became a cabaret venue in the 1950s called the Talk of the Town, a nightclub in 1983, and changed predominantly into a gambling venue in 2009.

Today, the Hippodrome is one of the best casinos in the world and is a modern gambling institution. The building has seen many famous people come through its doors, and the list is endless, from Frank Sinatra to Stevie Wonder, who have performed at the Talk of the Town. 

As a casino, 2013 was a big year for The Hippodrome when the owners collaborated with Pokerstars (the world’s largest online poker community). Today, Pokerstars LIVE is on the third floor, and a rooftop bar and new dining space look over London on the fourth floor. While Magic Mike, the musical strip act created by Channing Tatum, struts their stuff in the historic Matcham Room. 

The best time to visit is January to April before London gets overrun with tourists. If you’re ever in Charing Cross Road, head for The Hippodrome, and you won’t be disappointed.

The Casino de Monte-Carlo

The Casino de Monte-Carlo is probably the most famous and is undoubtedly one of the best-known casinos in the world. The beautiful casino was built in 1854 by builders commissioned by Princess Caroline and her son Charles III, Prince of Monaco, as a health spa and casino. Since the heady days of princes and princesses, the Casino de Monte-Carlo has been in the background and location for several James Bond movies, including Golden Eye, Never Say Never Again, and, of course, Casino Royale (both versions, 1967 and 2006 ) and Ocean’s Twelve filmed in 2004.

Several other movies were filmed at the casino, including Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (meerkats and all), Condorman, the 1981 film starring Oliver Reed and the little-known cartoon film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, made in 1979. This animated Japanese comedy film directed by Hayao Miyazaki shows a gentleman thief plying his trade at the casino. Kylie Minogue used the best casino in the world to film her hit video for the year 2k track ’On a Night Like This.’ If you watch any of these movies or Kylie’s video, you will note that not much has changed at this famous casino in decades. 

Today, the casino attracts tourists from all over the world to Monte-Carlo, and quite rightly so. The ambience is very different from The Hippodrome in London; The Casino de Monte-Carlo is a baroque lover’s dream, and if you love food, you can expect the best that Europe has to offer all year round in the stunning Salon Rose or Train Bleu – excellent food with a view of Monte-Carlo, tell me what’s not to love?

From old-style casinos to a new shiny resort…

The Venetian Macao

The Macau resort casino in China is new (compared to The Hippodrome and Casino Monte-Carlo). Opening in 2007, this grand hotel resort takes its inspiration from The Venetian Las Vegas, transporting guests from China to Italy via a gondola. The Venetian Macao is home to high rollers who enjoy all the benefits of this modern casino with the Paiza Club. For the rest of us, there are 3,400 slots and over 800 tables.

The Venetian Macao is an odd combination of Chinese and American culture that shouldn’t work, but it does. Personally, I prefer the Vegas version, and while we are talking about Las Vegas, I have to shout out the TI – Treasure Island Hotel and Casino for the most camp casino experience ever.

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

Treasure Island, fondly known as TI, is right on the strip in Vegas. It is named after the book written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The hotel is a casino resort complete with stuffed parrots and a galleon ship that used to sink in the lake outside three times a day; sadly (for me anyway), the last sinking (called The Sirens of TI pirate sea battle) was in 2013. 

According to the casino owners – the Radisson Hotel group there wasn’t enough space to add a massive shopping mall and keep the lake. Apparently, the call for sexy pirates is no longer viable or popular with new-season gamblers (shame). Today, the Treasure Island resort is home to the Cirque Du Soleil and, of course, all the tables and slots you would expect in a casino. The Captain’s Buffet still exists, but no one has to walk the plank before they can dive into the shrimp ring – take from that what you will, me hearties! 

Visit Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in the Spring or late Autumn when the weather is calm and so are the gamblers – What you need to know before visiting a casino here is that

Las Vegas is stag and hen party central, so if you don’t want to party hard, go somewhere else.

The Star Casino Sovereign Room

On the other side of the world, where it’s hot on Christmas Day and turkey dinners live their best life on the BBQ, is a fantastic casino –  The Star Casino Sovereign Room, in Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia. The Sovereign Room project is an expansion of the existing Star Casino, completed in 2020 and valued at a whopping 200M AUS$. The casino offers five new restaurants, including the deliciously named Flying Fish, whose motto is, ‘Put taste ahead of technique with minimal waste and maximum flavour.’ The restaurant features Australian dishes and delicacies from New Zealand; needless to say, the seafood platter was outstanding. I still dream about the Sydney Rock Oysters and Spencer Gulf King Prawn.

The Star Casino Sovereign Room has not been without its ups and downs – reportedly, The Star went through investigations and was subsequently suspended by the NSW Independent Casino Commission for extensive anti-money laundering and counterterrorism violations. Fear not, casino fans; The Star Casino Sovereign Room is up and running and back in the game, providing Sydney’s high rollers with a place to spend their downtime.

Why casinos have global appeal

Casinos have global appeal because they offer customers a chance to relax and enjoy their downtime in an atmosphere that promotes fun and inclusivity. There’s actually no best time to visit as gambling is fun anytime, but generally, it’s considered an event outing, so timing is really up to you.

My world tour by casino is almost over, but I can’t close this article down without giving you a whistle-stop tour of the best of the rest – other famous slots from around the world that make the grade are the Casino Mediterráneo Alicante and the Spielbank Berlin. The Casino Ambassador is a great shout of you’re in Prague and, finally, the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

The Casino Mediterráneo Alicante, Spain, is set in a lovely location in the city’s marina with a majestic backdrop of Santa Bárbara Castle framing the view, while the Spielbank Berlin has four casinos to tickle your fancy, and all serve a mean bratwurst. The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is the only casino I haven’t visited, but colleagues tell me it’s outstanding and put the others in the shade – shade or no shade; it looks stunning in the photos and is on my to-do list for 2024/5.