Top 10 gambling getaways

By Editorial Staff

updated 4:00 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2007

Don’t roll the dice when planning your next gambling getaway! Choose instead from these action-packed gaming vacation destinations where the odds are in your favor for good times both on and off the floor. We’ve rounded up a winning mix of tried-and-true stateside contenders where Lady Luck rules the roost, as well as up-and-coming Asian hotspots that are raising international stakes. Card sharks can also ante up in sunny Caribbean and Mediterranean destinations, add big game to their card game in Africa, or make their wagers beside thundering waterfalls in Canada. From high rollers to slot slingers to those who just enjoy being around betting buzz, this list is the jackpot for gamers of every ilk. 

1. Aruba
Aruba offers visitors that rare win-win Caribbean vacation: Days relaxing on Palm Beach morph into nights spent rolling the dice at the island's 10 alluring casinos. Most maintain addresses in glitzy hotels, and offer floor action until 3 a.m., but a few, like the elegant Crystal Casino in the Renaissance Aruba Resort, operate 24-7 in bustling downtown Oranjestad. Smoke a hand-rolled Cuban cigar at the Latin-themed Copacabana Casino at the Hyatt Regency, or try your hand at Caribbean Stud Poker (a poker game said to be invented in Aruba) at the Marriott’s Stellaris Casino, the island's largest gambling destination. Spring-breakers can also have their fun, thanks to the Caribbean's legal gambling age of 18. Indeed, given the enticements of Aruba’s casinos, you might be forgiven for missing out on the island's famous near-perfect weather.

2. Atlantic City
This ain’t your daddy’s Atlantic City. A wave of development has crashed ashore at this long-standing Jersey Shore resort, bringing with it big-money investors who are betting big-time that this East Coast gaming mecca has what it takes to be a little Las Vegas-by-the-sea. The last few years have witnessed serious upgrades at the city's 11 casinos, from celebrity chef restaurants — headed by the likes of Wolfgang Puck and Michael Mina (both at the Vegas-style Borgata) — to sprawling spas and New York-style nightclubs. Add to the pot a historic concert hall that draws the likes of The Police, The Rolling Stones, and Madonna, as well as sparkling new retail, dining, and entertainment complexes like The Pier Shops at Caesars (where Tiffany & Gucci boutiques hold court) and the Havana-inspired The Quarter at Tropicana, and you get a high-ante gaming destination that promises plenty of payoff.

3. Goa
In a nation renowned for spiritual pilgrimages and Yoga retreats, it would seem that the state of Goa is very much the yin to India’s yang. Synonymous with hedonism, this southern state's white-sand beaches, five-star hotels, and all-night-long seaside parties are already legendary; add on the fact that it's the only place in India to allow gambling dens, and you can imagine the activity at its eight hotel casino-resorts. But it's the state's newest gaming offerings that make Goa our wild card entry: five new floating casinos are in the works to entice gamblers to sail the Mandovi River instead. One ship is already doing brisk business: the lavish MS Caravela  departs several times a day from Panaji (the state capital), carrying 300 players who can opt to dine or hit the sundeck and swimming pool when taking a break from the tables or slot machines.

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4. Las Vegas
Las Vegas is world-renowned as a city of gambling, gluttony, and the ultimate good time. Two distinct neighborhoods draw revelers: an old-fashioned gambling quarter downtown, as well as a sexy “Strip” chockfull of the newest and hottest resorts and attractions around. Though downtown Fremont Street provides a peek into the classic gambling halls of yesteryear (like the 1906 Golden Gate), the central hub of Sin City is Las Vegas Boulevard, better known as the Strip.

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Lined by dozens of casino resorts varying in theme from ancient Egypt to tropical oases, this thoroughfare buzzes around the clock with Broadway-style shows, world-class eateries, celebrity-owned nightclubs, and ultra-high-end shops. But Vegas isn't all show. Gamblers can get their hands on slot machines, table games, off-track betting, and professional tournaments of every price and style. And with tawdry attractions, rental stretch Hummers, and showgirls around every corner, you'll quickly realize they didn't coin the phrase "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" for nothing.

5. Macau
Five years ago, no one would have believed that the small, Chinese peninsula of Macau would ever rival America’s Sin City, but today it's not only surpassed that casino-superstar in gambling revenue, but it's gaining on it in reputation to boot. Whether you’re a card player (poker, blackjack, baccarat) or a fan of roulette, boule, or slots, Macau has your game. Packed into its 11 square miles (less than half the size of Manhattan island) are 26 casinos, including the $2.4 billion Venetian Macau — the mammoth gaming/hotel complex with 4,000 slots and 800 gaming tables that became the world’s largest casino when it opened in August 2007. Now Wynn and MGM are upping the ante with billions of dollars’ worth of expansions scheduled for their Macau resorts, and big-name properties — the Four Seasons, Shangri-La, InterContinental — have high-rolling plans to open new casino-hotels here as well. Conclusion? Move over Vegas, Macau is on a roll!

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