The Best and Worst of Theme Casinos
by Alex J. Coyne © 2017 Great Bridge Links
According to Gambling in America: An Encyclopaedia of History, Issues & Society, the first themed casino to hit the Las Vegas Strip was Caesar’s Palace, opened in 1966 by Jay Sarno. Have you ever been to a themed casino that you absolutely loved – or utterly loathed? We took a closer look at some of the best and worst themed casinos we could find.
The Casinos
The Lucky Dragon Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas is apparently one of the first newly constructed hotels to hit the Las Vegas strip in six year. Its official opening was on the 3rd of December 2016, with the uniquely Asian-themed resort boasting with 203 rooms – modest by usual Vegas standards. True to its theme, the elevator has no fourth floor – four, of course, being considered unlucky.
The D Casino & Resort in Las Vegas is the home of the aptly-named LONGBAR, the longest sports bar in the state of Nevada; this Detroit-themed hotel and casino seems to be pretty popular amongst gamblers (whether they happen to come from Detroit or not). According to their official website, The D has a total of 629 rooms and suites to pick from, and their second floor has a “Vintage”-themed casino, too. Article in Detroit Metro Times here
Yinzer Palace opened on the Last Vegas Strip in 2015, making it another fairly new addition to the list. While we’re on the topic of state-themed casinos, this one happens to be focused around the state of Pittsburgh – also known as the City of Bridges. (Yizner, if you were wondering, is Pittsburghese for a lover of Pittsburgh.)
Circus Circus in Las Vegas also happens to be the brainchild of Jay Sarno, opened just four years after the opening of Caesar’s Palace. It kind of goes without saying that it’s a circus-themed casino, also notable for their Haunted 13th Floor tour – not to be confused with the 13th Floor Haunted House in Chicago, Illinois.
Carnival City is based in Johannesburg, officially opened its doors back in 1998, marking a surge of casinos being opened in the country after the repeal of past gambling laws. Carnival City is, well, carnival themed – think of colourful jesters and stilt-walkers. This, speaking from experience, is a great gambling spot – but one to avoid if you suffer from a fear of clowns.
WWF Casino was planned to open in Las Vegas somewhere in the 90s – you can still find the original article announcing the casinos plans in the archives of the LA Times, dated August 1998! Unfortunately (or fortunately for some) this themed casino idea never made it past the concept art – available to watch on YouTube. For now, you’ll have to settle for some WWF-themed slots instead.
The Titanic Casino was another proposed theme-casino idea that, well, tanked. According to OnlineNevada.org, poker player and casino business magnate Bob Stupak proposed his idea for a Titanic-themed casino to the Las Vegas City Council in 1999. Plans for the casino were quickly rejected and the Titanic Casino was no more. Whoops.
The Venetian Macao is located in Macao, China and is the largest bricks and mortar casino in the world. It has a gaming floor that covers a total of 546,000 square feet and a total or 3,000 of gaming machines on its gaming floor. It has 870 card and table games including poker tables, 24 bars, and 3000 hotels rooms. With Venice as its theme, you can be paddled in a boat down canals lined with shops and crowds of visitors, wandering minstrels and performers while overhead a painted ceiling echos a summer’s evening.