How Many Casinos In Las Vegas and Where is The Best?

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Las Vegas’ casinos are designed to give players every possible kind of way to test their luck. While there’s a typical array of games found in every casino, each has its own distinctive style and selection of games. And every gambler will find they develop some preferences, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned poker tournament player.

For the largest, most posh casinos and newest games, the Strip is the place to play. The Venetian offers one of the world’s largest casinos, featuring a race and sports book, a popular poker room and plenty of slots and video machines.

Las Vegas flourished as a global gambling center in the mid-70s. In 1977, the Clark County gambling industry reached over $ 1 billion in revenues for the first time. In 2018, this figure was already $ 10.25 billion. Interestingly, the Strip casinos account for over 55% of all gambling money in Nevada. Since 2012, income from establishments on the Las Vegas Strip has fluctuated between $ 6.2-6.5 billion. Statistics from the Center For Gaming Research show that revenue for all Nevada casinos in the first 8 months of 2021 was $ 8,589,951,000.

How many casinos are on the Las Vegas Strip?

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It sort of depends on your definition of the “Strip,” but basically, thirty-one casinos call the Strip home, up from 29 just a few years ago.

These 31 Strip casinos range from dinky little dives like the cheesy but classic Slots A Fun, to the glamorous (and expensive) Wynn and Encore resorts. All are located right on Las Vegas Boulevard.

The 31 casinos stretch from Mandalay Bay on the South, up to the Stratosphere to the North.

Many others casino/hotels, like the Rio, Palms, and new Virgin Hotel Las Vegas (formerly the Hard Rock), aren’t included in the thirty, as they are not located right on Las Vegas Boulevard. However these near-strip casinos are within walking distance – albeit a long walk in the heat.

Vegas is a ghost town The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority released January data showing visitor volume to the city plunged 64% from a year ago, though it is up slightly from December. Convention attendance also remains virtually nil, which sent hotel occupancy plummeting 54% year over year, though again, it's up incrementally from the end of the year. With hotels running on shortened workweeks and casinos at reduced capacity, operators are looking to the back half of the year for business to pick back up, or maybe even later into 2022. A concrete industry convention this summer is seen as the first real test of whether Las Vegas can come back soon. It's the first big event since the numerous convention centers were closed a year ago, and though there have been a number of small-scale meetings (MGM has reportedly hosted hundreds since it was allowed to reopen last June), it remains to be seen whether people are ready to meet again in large crowds. The problem for many casino operators is that they no longer own their casinos; they just rent them, and the leases tend to be long term and not cancelable.

Strip-Area Casinos

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According to the Nevada Gaming Commission, there are actually 61 casinos in the Las Vegas strip area. Again however, their definition of “strip” is not as strict nor literal as ours is here, and therefore their list includes casinos off of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Going from south to north, here’s the list of casinos directly on the Las Vegas Strip:

Mandalay Bay

Luxor

Excalibur

Tropicana

New York New York

MGM Grand

Park MGM

Aria

Cosmopolitan

Planet Hollywood

Bellagio

Paris Las Vegas

Bally’s

The Cromwell

Caesars Palace

Flamingo

The Linq

O’Sheas

Harrah’s

Mirage

Casino Royale

Venetian

Palazzo

Treasure Island

Wynn

Encore

Resorts World

Slots A Fun

Circus Circus

Sahara Las Vegas

The Strat

Besides the Virgin Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Rio, Gold Coast and Palms, some of the other casinos just off the strip, which I did not include here, include OYO and the Westgate. The list above is strictly for casinos with frontage on the Strip. Yes, the Aria is a decent walk to the Strip, but it still fronts it, sort of.

Casino Facts in Las Vegas Whether you have $20 to spend or $200,000, you'll probably succumb to a casino visit during your Las Vegas stay. The first casino in Las Vegas was licensed in 1931. The largest and most profitable casino is Las Vegas is the Wynn. The current number of licensed gambling places in Las Vegas 1,701. There are close to 200,000 slot machines in Las Vegas The average visitor's gambling budget is $541 per trip.

Strip Casino Ownership

Of these thirty-one casinos, over half are owned by one of two corporations: Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International.

Caesars Entertainment owns or operates Bally’s, Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Paris, the Linq, O’Sheas, Planet Hollywood Casino, the Flamingo, and The Cromwell. You can use your Caesars Rewards at any of the casinos listed above.

MGM Resorts owns and/or operates the following, meaning you can use your M Life card at all of these casinos: Aria, Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, Mirage, New York New York, Luxor, and Excalibur.

Of the remaining twelve, two are owned by Wynn Resorts (Wynn and Encore), while two are owned by Apollo Global Management out of New York City.

The former owner of the since-demolished Frontier Hotel and Casino, Phil Ruffin, owns Treasure Island, Circus Circus, and the neigbhoring Slots O’ Fun, while Penn National Gaming owns the historic Tropicana.

The iconic Stratosphere, built by the fun and colorful Las Vegas legend Bob Stupak, is now owned by Golden Entertainment, a Las Vegas based slot, bar and entertainment company. In 2017 Golden Entertainment purchased the property from American Casinos & Entertainment Properties.

Top 10 Most Luxurious and Expensive Casinos In The World Curious to know what casinos are the most luxurious and expensive in the world? Read on to know the answer.

Las Vegas Strip Casinos Revenue

Although gambling is increasingly taking a backseat revenue-wise to shopping, shows, nightclubs, dinning and entertainment, the Las Vegas strip still does very well for itself gambling wise. According to the Nevada Gaming Commission, the 61 casinos they define as being in the Strip area had a combined revenue of over $6.587 billion in the last pre-pandemic year (2019).

However things are busier than normal now, as Las Vegas Strip gaming revenue was $625 million in August of 2021, and an incredible $793 million in July 2021.

Top 7 Best Casinos In Las Vegas

THE MIRAGE CASINO

Just as you'd expect from a classic Las Vegas casino, The Mirage has the full array of expected games: blackjack, Baccarat, craps, roulette, a variety of poker and even casino war. Guests can also enjoy non-smoking tables, once an unusual feature in Las Vegas but something more people are requesting. Slots range from a penny per play to $1,000. A full-service, non-smoking race and sports book will let you watch and wager on all the games, which are broadcast on huge 85' HD projection screens. A sports bar is also available onsite, and VIP seating is offered as well. Mobile betting is also offered.

Recommended for Casinos because: With a wide range of games and a smoke-free race and sports book, the Mirage's casino is prepared for every type of gambler.

CAESARS PALACE

Caesars Palace is a casino known as a destination for high rollers, in no small part because it keeps popping up in movies playing that part. This is a place with plenty of high limit games, so come prepared to spend some money. Poker players can enjoy a large room that offers a daily tournament schedule. A race and sports book give players a vast array of games to watch and bet on, plus private booths with their own individual screens. Numerous restaurants, an A-list of entertainers and an upscale shopping mall are also on the grounds of the hotel, in case you decide to give Lady Luck a break for a while.

Recommended for Casinos because: Caesars Palace has an upscale reputation as a high-limits casino but players will find a wide selection of games.

EL CORTEZ HOTEL & CASINO

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The El Cortez in Downtown Las Vegas has been around for decades, long before mega-sized casinos and ATM machines. The property's history includes Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, who was once a partial owner. Today the vintage casino attracts patrons who want to experience what's left of Old Vegas. Gamblers will find a large selection of low-limits games, a casual atmosphere, and a large supply of colorful customers who keep the vibe authentic. Perhaps most notably, gamblers can also find single and double deck blackjack. Las Vegas got its start Downtown, thanks to places like the El Cortez. Today, it's still a reason to make the trip to Fremont Street.

Recommended for Casinos because: The El Cortez gives players a taste of 'Old Vegas' with its vintage ambiance, low-limit machines and single and double deck blackjack.

SOUTH POINT CASINO

South Point's location on the far end of Las Vegas Boulevard means it's not considered a part of the Strip, which is a bonus for visitors looking for less glitzy options. The casino has a large local customer base, which many believe means better odds. The casino offers a wealth of machine play, with over 2,200 slot and poker machines. The casino floor holds over 60 table games, including all the standards as well as some newer games like Progressive Fortune Pai-Gow Poker, No Commission Baccarat and Three Card Poker. A non-smoking poker room, bingo room and a race and sports book round out the gaming options here.

Recommended for Casinos because: With over 2,200 slot and poker machines, South Point's casino is a great choice for players who prefer machine play.

RED ROCK CASINO, RESORT AND SPA

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This beautiful resort on the far west side of the city is one of those Vegas casinos that attracts both locals and tourists. Boasting thousands of slot/video poker machines and table games including blackjack, baccarat, craps, poker and roulette, the casino at Red Rock Resort is sure to have everyone's favorite game. There's even a 610-seat bingo hall (with a non-smoking section) and a keno lounge. Non-smokers can also enjoy a game of poker in Red Rock Resort's smoke-free poker room. A private high-limit room is available for high rollers, a mobile app is available for wagering and there's a 206-seat race and sports book with a 96-foot video wall for sports fans to watch and bet on all the latest games.

Recommended for Casinos because: The casino at Red Rock Resort has the typical casino games but also bingo and keno, which aren't offered in all casinos.

ARIA RESORT & CASINO

The sleek and sophisticated casino at ARIA features more than 150,000 square feet of gaming space, including 1,940 slot machines and 145 table games. Gamblers can test their luck at blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, Let it Ride, Pai Gow and Ultimate Texas Hold'em, among other games. ARIA also has a luxurious 24-table poker room, a favorite stop among many poker players. ARIA also boasts an intimate (and non-smoking) race and sports book that can show up to 200 live events at once and displays big events on at least one of its 220-inch TVs, so bettors are never in danger of missing any of the action. You can also use your mobile device for sports betting from anywhere in the state of Nevada when you use the BetMGM app offered at ARIA and other MGM properties.

Recommended for Casinos because: ARIA's casino has an impressive array of table games and slots, a popular poker room and a non-smoking race and sports book.

THE VENETIAN

The Venetian's stunning architecture provides bettors with one of the more memorable gambling environments on the Vegas Strip. Combined with its sister property, The Palazzo, The Venetian offers hundreds of table games in separate areas covering a huge area. Gaming options include blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, Pai Gow poker and various novelty games. For guests who prefer playing the one-armed bandit, there are more than 1,000 slot machines to choose from at the Venetian alone. Even when the casino is busy, it's large enough that you never feel crowded. There's also poolside gaming available at The Palazzo, and the Venetian offers mobile gaming for race and sports book betting no matter where you are.

Recommended for Casinos because: With a large casino offering everything from slots to baccarat, The Venetian is sure to have the right game for every type of player.

Top 10 Most Luxurious and Expensive Casinos In The World Curious to know what casinos are the most luxurious and expensive in the world? Read on to know the answer.

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