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.

Ideal for when the sh!t hits the fan when you’re on tilt!

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.

Owned and operated by Genting Singapore plc, the leading casino operator in Asia,

Resorts World Sentosa Casino opened on Chinese New Year, 2010. The Casino, which lies beneath the lavishly appointed suites of Crockfords Tower at Resorts World Sentosa, features over 500 gaming tables. Available table games include, but are by no means limited to, baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, craps, roulette, three card poker and Texas hold’em poker, plus some other, more exotic, typically Asian offerings, such as si ki pi and sic bo, or tai sai. Electronic versions of baccarat, roulette and sic bo are also available and are supplemented by 2,400 slot machines, known locally as ‘jackpot machines’.

Resorts World Sentosa is one of two integrated resorts in Singapore – the other being the Marina Bay Sands, owned and operated by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation – but the only one where poker is available. Indeed, a separate, dedicated poker room offers seven poker tables; small blinds start at S$10, with a 5% rake, capped at S$50.

How much the casino and slots especially has changed over the years. Retro casino images like these always bring the nostalgia to the fore and remind me of a different, perhaps more carefree time. Of course since those days Vegas and casinos in general have become larger than life with bigger and bigger jackpots. The online world has transformed the casino experience yet further though, with the casino essentially now being beamed into your home! Thousands of slots games, as well as poker, roulette and more are available 24/7 in an experience every bit of enthralling as the ‘real thing’. And you don’t even have to get out of bed to play! If we fast forward another 50 years I wonder what ‘going to the casino’ will look like then.

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.

Despite its chequered history, Sun City Casino Resort has evolved with the times and, especially since its most recent renovation, in 2017, become a popular holiday destination, renowned for its Las Vegas-style glamour, glitz and sophistication. Open 365 days a year, Sun City Casino Resort boasts a casino floor covering 125,000 square feet, which, put in perspective, is on a par with The Venetian, or the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas.

The state-of-the-art casino includes smoking and non-smoking areas and features 40 or so gaming tables, offering baccarat, blackjack, roulette and stud poker, to name but a few of the popular table games. Electronic gaming machines, including slot machines with stakes between R0.01 and R100 – R100 is the equivalent of just over £5.50 – number over 850. Many slot machines feature progressive jackpots and/or promotions that provide opportunities for players to win non-cash prizes.