The country with the most casinos is the United States. According to the World Casino Directory, there are currently 2135+ casinos open and accepting bets from the gambling US public. Almost every state in the country offers casino gambling, and if the state doesn’t regulate gambling, you can usually find Native American casinos operating. Nevada alone, which is home to Fabulous Las Vegas, has a whopping 360 casinos! The only states without any casinos are Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah.
It’s interesting to note that casinos in America directly employ over half a million people and host over 900,000 slot machines. Additionally, they generate over $70 billion in revenue each year. Some states offer both casino gambling and card rooms, while Washington D.C. residents have the MGM National Harbor only about 10 minutes away in Oxon Hill, MD.
Top Casino Gaming States in the USA
The USA has 29 states with tribal casinos and 24 states with commercial casinos. In states like Nevada and New Jersey, gamblers can find casinos pretty much all over the place.
Nevada Casinos
Nevada – commonly known as the home fabulous Las Vegas – has more casinos than any other state in the US. Sin City, Nevada, is literally jam-packed with casinos (more than a whopping 360, to be exact). Many gamblers in the United States play here at one or more of the over 270 casinos operating in Vegas.
The Las Vegas Strip in Paradise is the crown jewel of Nevada. It’s home to many popular casinos, among them the Bellagio Casino, Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino (formerly Aladdin Casino), and MGM Grand. The first two boast more than 2000 slot machines along with blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud poker, and baccarat. Players will find plenty of other casino table games.
Off-Strip casinos (these are establishments located outside of the ever-popular Las Vegas Strip) are also available in abundance. The vast majority of these off-strip casinos are spread across the township of Winchester, the cities of North Las Vegas, & Henderson, and downtown Vegas. Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Summerlin is among the most popular off-strip Vegas casinos, along with Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, and Golden Nugget.
Nevada has hundreds of other low to mid-tier casinos located outside Las Vegas. Reno is famously considered Vegas’ little sister, and it features more than 24 commercial casinos. The ones that come top of mind among gamblers are Atlantis Resort Spa Casino, Eldorado Resort Casino, and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. Together, the three major Reno, Nevada casinos offer more than 6,000 slot machines, baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, Pai Gow Poker, blackjack, and other popular casino table games.
New Jersey Casinos
New Jersey is another state with the most casinos in the United States. Nevada help a monopoly on casinos for nearly half a century since the state passed the law legalizing gambling in 1931. It wasn’t until 1976 that Garden State entered the casino gambling scene. The New Jersey residents voted on a referendum in 1976, essentially allowing establishment of casinos in Atlantic City.
Atlantic City quickly caught on as the preferred destination for thousands of gambling tourists, especially those from neighboring New England states of Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Atlantic City was almost as popular as Vegas among casino gamblers between the late 1970s and early 1980s – Vegas soon redeemed itself as the go-to gambling destination in the US.
The tide turned heavily in mid-2000s for Atlantic City, as its casino gambling industry fell on economic downturns in the region. By 2014, the New Jersey gambling hub had only 12 casinos. To make the matters worse, 4 additional casinos close up shop that year, with another following in 2016.
Today, nine Atlantic City casinos make New Jersey proud – the best of which include Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Atlantic City, and Tropicana Atlantic City. Among the oldest and most popular casinos in Atlantic City is Harrah’s Casino. Located in the vast property of Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, the casino provides gamblers with nearly 4000 slot machines and table games – we’re talking about blackjack and exotic options like Pai Gow Poker, Red Dog, and Let It Ride.
Casino gambling in Nevada doesn’t end with Atlantic City. There are a few casinos located off the hub, the biggest of which are Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The East Rutherford-based Meadowlands is actually a racetrack with sports betting and casino games on the side.
Tribal Casinos in the USA
There are over 900,000 slot machines and video lottery terminals in the U.S. About 40% of them are in tribal casinos like Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Arizona. At many Native American Indian casinos gamblers can still enjoy the same great casino table games. Cliff Castle Casino offers over five hundred slot machines and casino table games like Poker and Blackjack. Well more than half the U.S. states have tribal casinos, and in 2015 those casinos earned a total of $29.9 billion in gross gaming revenues, about 3/4 as much as all commercial casinos combined.
California has the most tribal casinos with more than 70 offering Class II and Class III machines and table games. Michigan for example has quite a few Indian Casinos. Kewadin Casino in St Ignace, Michigan is an Indian Casino that offers more than eight hundred slot machines as well as casino table games like 3 card poker, Caribbean stud poker, blackjack, let it ride, Pai Gow poker, craps and roulette. Most find that the Native American Indian casinos are the same as other casinos. Others find that they prefer gambling at Indian Casinos.
Aside from casinos, sports betting finally made a comeback in the USA after a Supreme Court ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018. Within a year, eight more states had joined with Nevada in offering sports gambling. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed her state’s bill into law the day before the first anniversary of the court overturning the Bradley Act.
Top Countries for Casino Gambling
1. United States
As of writing, the US has 2128 casinos that are open and accepting bets from the gambling public. Almost every state in the country offers casino gambling. With a few exceptions, if a state doesn’t regulate gambling, it is likely that there will be Native American casinos operating within its borders. These casinos are often located on Native American reservations and are owned and operated by tribal governments.
Some states offer both. Nevada alone, home of Fabulous Las Vegas, has 360 casinos. The only states without any casinos are Utah, Hawaii, and Alaska. Card rooms are aplenty in New Hampshire. And with MGM National Harbor within the vicinity, Washington D.C. won’t have to look hard for some casino gambling action.
2. Romania
Romania is the European nation with the most casinos. The Eastern European country is home to numerous cities that feature legal casinos. The combined 49 Romanian cities offer 454 casinos – these gambling venues feature mostly electronic slots, plus a handful of table games.
Bucharest has the most casinos in Romania. That comes as no big surprise given that Bucharest is not only the capital but the largest Romanian city. Together, the 160 casinos in Bucharest offer plenty of casino gambling action – over 50 table games and nearly 700 video poker & slot machines.
As far as the entire Romania is concerned, the Casino at JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel is the largest by square footage of the gaming floor. The Marriott-owned casino boasts 14 table games, 4 poker tables, and 159 gaming machines.
3. United Kingdom
Casino gambling (both land-based and online) has long been popular for UK residents. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (commonly shortened UKGC) plays the role of enacting and maintaining strict standards around this pastime activity. The regulations put into motion make it easy to authenticate the legitimacy of online casinos that are regulated and may operate legally within Great Britain.
The majority of Brits place great priority on sports and excitement. You’ll be hard-pressed to envision the United Kingdom without betting because of how profoundly it has become ingrained into the culture. The local gambling operators rake in millions of pounds because Britons enjoy novel gaming and punditry.
Nearly all British-facing gambling platforms are based in the United Kingdom because the market is well-established. The likes of William Hill have been serving the British pundits for nearly a century. Residents’ love for gambling explains the tremendous popularity of casino sites and bookmarkers.
Gambling in Britain runs the gamut from casino games to betting on darts and football (soccer). Speaking of which, Brits love betting on their favorite soccer home teams, with outfits in the top-tier English Premier League (EPL) taking the center-stage. Manchester United, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, and Liverpool FC account for the biggest sportsbook handle every weekend. Britons also love wagering on local horse races – talk about Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot, and Boodles May Festival.
4. Mexico
Mexican casinos range from simple electronic bingo parlors with sports betting to highly sophisticated gaming venues. A notable feature of casinos in Mexico is that none of their slot machines use standalone random number generators or programs – they are all connected to central servers.
Most Mexican casinos are owned and operated by a few large companies — most notably Codere, Big Bola, and Emotion. The vast majority have online casino versions, as well. Combined, there are 2000+ gambling venues in Mexico, the best of which are resort casinos in Riviera Maya, Tijuana casinos, and Casino Life in Mexico City.
5. France
France has one of the largest collections of casinos outside of Eastern Europe. It ropes tightly with Slovakia, Mexico, Canada, and Australia for the 3rd position among the countries with the most casinos. Frances offers an incredibly unique casino gambling scene than what you’d expect to find in Las Vegas. The vast majority of French casinos are old and elaborately decorated in both historical significance and golden décor.
Most gamblers would be hard-pressed to find casinos as lovely and extravagant as Palais de la Mediterranee Casino at Nice and Lyon Vert Casino, nestled in the city of Lyon. The latter started accepting customers in 1929. Based in Limousin (not the luxury car brand!), Casino Partouche d’Evaux-les-Bains is another ancient yet nice French casino that swung its doors open in 1912. Lyon Vert Casino is the largest of the bunch, offering well over 400 slot machines, along with blackjack, Stud Poker, and roulette tables.
6. Canada
Casino gambling has long been popular for Canadians. Canada might not have her own Las Vegas, but the northern neighbors sure do love gambling like Americans. The country ranks sixth by casino count, with a total of 223 casinos. The vast majority are actually owned by these lottery operators in conjunction with private companies like Gateway and Great Canadian.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission plays the role of enacting and enforcing the rigorous standards around Canadian casinos owned by the First Nation tribes. They also own their casinos and have established gambling commissions that work at provincial level.
What is the gambling capital of the world?
Macau is now considered by most as the world’s gambling capital. And with good reason: based in the South China Sea, the Chinese territorial state is way larger than Las Vegas with many more extravagant and luxe casinos. 33 Macau casinos alone rakes in more than $3 bn and 66% of this revenue can be attributed to high-rollers from mainland China and Hong Kong.
Which country has the best gamblers?
Australia has the best gamblers. More than 39% of Aussies gamble regularly but the rate of gambling addiction down under is commendably low. Aussies love to gamble horse racing, cricket, and rugby, but occasionally try their luck on casino games – we’re talking pokies, poker, and blackjack.
Which country is famous for casinos?
Macau, China is the most famous for casinos. This small Chinese administrative territory is famous for its lavish, high-stake, and exquisite casinos. Most of the casinos found in Macau are operated or owned by large multinationals like Wynn, Caesars Palace, MGM, Venetian, and Casino Lisboa.
There are more than forty casinos currently operating in Macau. They are typically located in extravagant high-rise buildings that deliver delightful gaming experiences. The region is known for attracting high-roller gamblers from all over the world, including mainland China and other parts of Asia.
Other countries famous for casinos include:
- United Kingdom
- United States
- France (Covers Monte Carlo casinos in Monaco)
- Singapore