Everyone who cares about gambling must, at some point, visit Las Vegas. It is the cards, dice, slots, and roulette capital of the world, the place that inspired modern-day Macau and outdoes Atlantic City.
There are casinos to match every budget, every game, every level of gambling. The excitement is 24/7 and doesn’t let up until you do.
For those who are flying into Vegas, the adrenaline starts pumping before your plane touches down. From up in the sky, you can pick out the neon signs that front casinos along the famous Vegas Strip and in the venerable neighborhood of downtown Las Vegas.
Once you hit the ground, though, the action really heats up.
Head North for Big Gambles & Big Fun
The north end of the Strip used to be a bit of no man’s land. No longer. Four of the most desirable casinos in town, if not in the world, are situated there.
Venetian, Wynn, Fontainebleau, and Resorts World all offer luxury digs, high-stakes gambling and fabulous restaurants.
And if you think that a place can be imbued with luck, keep in mind that the record slot machine payoff at Wynn is $10.7 million taken down by a woman from Oahu, Hawaii. Though the casino is a haven for high rollers – from the poker room to the main casino floor to the private gaming salons – she had placed a measly $3 bet in the machine.
While cruising through Venetian, one person you might encounter at the slot machines is Michael Mizrachi. The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion happens to love betting on the spinning reels. If he’s not there – or taking shots with his best blackjack strategy or at the baccarat tables – scope him out in the casino’s poker room, where he regularly hosts a high-stakes game that can be watched on YouTube.
If this article interests you, keep reading. Alternatively, explore other topics like slot machine strategy and best side bets blackjack.
Take in Sports & Table Games
As for betting sports and watching the games in style, there are great sports books all over town. They feature giant screens and drinks galore. But when at Fontainebleau, which has some of the best dining spots in Las Vegas, check out the quietly elegant Fontaine for Frenchified lunch fare. The eatery boasts The Tavern, where a top-notch menu of bar food matches with a world-class sportsbook.
Few things can top watching a game in which you have a financial interest while enjoying a superior hamburger with perfect fries.
Beyond that, the casino games are nothing to sneeze at. Just ask UFC boss Dana White. White had a lucky evening at the Fontainebleau’s baccarat tables where he managed to win $1.2 million. While that score pales alongside the $20-million-plus that he snagged at Caesars Palace between January and March 2024, we’re sure that he was happy to lock down seven figures for a single night of play.
Poker & Blackjack Opportunities
If you happen to be in Resorts World at the right time, you might be able to catch a poker tournament at Alle Lounge on 66, which is an elegant drinking spot that occasionally gets transformed into a luxe poker room.
Such was the case at this year’s F1 Grand Prix weekend in Vegas when a high-stakes tournament – with a $5,300 buy-in plus rebuys – was put on to raise money for the One Drop charity.
And if you want to see how right things can go in the high limit room’s blackjack tables art Resorts World, check out this video of a smoothie-swilling guy named Cody winning some $400,000 on what he calls “my craziest blackjack run ever at Resorts World.”
We’re not arguing!
Inspiring as all of this might be – and his session is loaded with ups and downs – keep in mind that if you’re not as flush as the guys who make their way to the high limit room, casino table limits tend to be most manageable during early morning hours.
Visiting a Modern Classic
The Bellagio opened in1998 and it still rules as one of the greatest places in town to eat, gamble and sleep. Table limits are as high as anywhere, the recesses of the high-limit room are worth a peek, and Bellagio has been the site of more than a few lucky runs.
The fact that Bellagio poker room hosts nosebleed stakes games with some winners (as well as losers) who can’t help but hit the blackjack and craps tables as they head for valet-parking helps to keep the action going.
After a financial windfall – or, frankly, just for the hell of it – be sure to check out the Vault, a secret drinking spot behind an unmarked door on the Bellagio gaming floor. Drinks rank among the best on the Strip (if the casino’s mix master Craig Schoettler happens to be there, make sure he spins up a cocktail for you) and the swanky vibe is unbeatable.
Going Downtown
Classics of another sort – and for those on a lower budget – are to be found in downtown Las Vegas.
Personally speaking, this is my favorite part of town. Obviously, it is not as fancy as the Strip and the hotels are not as ritzy, though there is Circa, which opened in 2020 and is designed to give Strip properties a run for their money.
It succeeds. The rooms are great and the subterranean steakhouse, Barry’s Downtown Prime, leaves nothing to be desired.
Circa is owned by Derrick Stevens, an auto parts mogul from Detroit. His footprint downtown is large, with hotel/casino offerings that include the Golden Gate (the oldest casino in Las Vegas) and the D (an all-around cool spot with the aptly named Long Bar where Stevens can often be spotted sipping martinis). The D makes gambling fun, with a loosey-goosey vibe in the casino and limits that everyone can afford.
Same thing at the Plaza, where former Mayor Oscar Goodman (another martini lover) has an eponymous steakhouse, rooms in the new tower are major bargains and the place boasts a bingo hall.
Down the block, the El Cortez has the best double-deck blackjack games in town – card counting is not tolerated well, but the backoffs are always gentle. And if you order a cappuccino from the cocktail waitress, she’ll bring you a coffee with whip cream, which is perfect under the circumstances.
It’s always an advantage play to time your blackjack stint for dinner at Siegel’s 1941 (named for Vegas icon and dapper gangster Bugsy Siegel). The prime rib is delicious and, priced at $19.95, a steal that Bugsy would approve of.
A Final Piece of Advice
If anyone needs a tip on how to handle gambling in a Las Vegas casino, listen to J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois and a billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir.
Here’s what he said when explaining $1.4 million in Las Vegas blackjack winnings: “Anyone who has played cards in a casino knows that you often play for too long and lose whatever it is that you won. I was fortunate enough to have left before it happened.”
Let’s all make a toast to that kind of good timing when we visit Sin City and hope for a need to explain $1.4 million in casino winnings.
