Bellagio
To the worldwide audience, the Bellagio, on the Las Vegas Strip, is probably best known for the ‘Fountains of Bellagio’, which served as the backdrop for an iconic scene in the slickest Hollywood blockbuster for many a year, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, which was released in 2001. Nevertheless, since opening in 1998, on the site formerly occupied by the Dunes Hotel, the Bellagio – which, at the time, was the most expensive hotel in the world, at a cost of $1.6 billion – has become one of the most sought-after destinations for gamblers worldwide.
The casino floor, which occupies 156,000 square, hosts hundreds of gaming tables including all the usual favourites, such as baccarat, blackjack, craps and roulette, and many more besides. Slot machine players can take their pick of, literally, thousands of low- and high-stakes machines, offering jackpots of up to $2 million. The Bellagio also has a world famous poker room, which is the home of the World Poker Tour (WPT), but recreational players can participate in lower-stakes, $2/$4 blind games without the fear and trepidation of taking on the ‘big boys’.
Indeed, for anyone seeking respite and diversion from gambling activities, a naturally lit, botanical conservatory situated just off the main lobby of the Bellagio features flowers, plants and decorations that reflect the changing season. In fact, the conservatory is considered a ‘must-see’ attraction for all visitors, gamblers or otherwise.
As the name suggests, Resorts World Sentosa is what has become known as an Integrated Resort Casino (IRC) on Sentosa Island, which is part of the Republic of Singapore in South East Asia. Unsurprisingly, Resorts World Sensosa occupies a huge physical site, with the casino floor alone covering in excess of 160,000 square feet, or 1.5 hectares, which is the maximum area allowed, by law, in Singapore.
Sun City Casino Resort is, as its name suggests, an integrated resort casino in North West Province in north-central South Africa. Sun City Casino Resort opened in 1979 – long before the first inclusive elections in South Africa in 1994 – in what was, in the days of apartheid, the nominally independent Republic of Bophuthatswana. Consequently, Sun City Casino Resort was one of the few places in South Africa where affluent, white tourists could gamble legally.
The Ibiza Gran Hotel is a five-star hotel on the Balearic island of Ibiza, in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain. The hotel enjoys a prestigious location in Talamanca, on a famous stretch of sand, known as the ‘Golden Mile’, overlooking the harbour of Ibiza Town. However, from a gambling perspective, the Ibiza Gran Hotel is important as the home of Casino de Ibiza, which is, in fact, the only casino on the island.