Las Vegas is synonymous with gambling. There are around 150 different casinos in Nevada city. Simply think of any casino games and you’ll likely find it among the bright lights of Sin City!
But is Las Vegas still the gambling capital of the world?
There are a number of gambling hotspots around the world today, including the likes of Macau, Monte Carlo and Vegas’ east coast rival, Atlantic City. We investigate the best of the rest to uncover whether Las Vegas is still the world’s number one for a spin on the slots.
Macau
Macau has become a real powerhouse in the gambling world in the last decade and you’ll find around 40 casinos in the special administrative region of China.
Many of the casinos found in Macau are also found in Las Vegas, with the likes of The Venetian, the Wynn and MGM.
While in terms of volume there are much fewer casinos than Las Vegas, the Monte Carlo of the East, as Macau is often known, has exceeded gambling revenue of Las Vegas multiple times and can comfortably be a contender for casino capital of the world status.
London
When it comes to luxury gaming, London certainly competes with anywhere in the world. There are just 27 casinos in the UK capital, but with the likes of The Ritz, Les Ambassadeurs and Crockfords you’ll find some of the most glamorous gaming destinations around.
Many of these are private members clubs and you’ll find some of the world’s elite playing there. Gambling capital of the world though? Perhaps not.
There’s little to really appeal to the masses and while you’ll find the popular Hippodrome casino in Leicester Square, there is little else to really write home about.
Few other cities in the UK can really compete for gambling capital of the world status, with only a handful of casinos that can even be put in the same bracket as anywhere in Las Vegas.
Atlantic City
Atlantic City has long tried to compete with Las Vegas but has fallen upon hard times in more recent years.
The New Jersey city has just nine casinos these days and some of the big names have left. You’ll still find the likes of Caesars and Bally’s though and over the last few years things are beginning to look up for Atlantic City, with the introduction of online gambling in the state boosting revenue for venues significantly.
Monte Carlo
When it comes to the most famous casino in the world, it’s difficult to argue that it isn’t the Monte Carlo Casino. It’s an iconic venue and people flock from all over to play at the destination.
However, it’s just one venue and compared to Las Vegas it’s a drop in the ocean. It’s perhaps Macau that is the closest to Las Vegas in terms of the gambling capital of the world, but with Las Vegas continuing to go from strength to strength and continually developing it’s fair to say that nowhere has trumped America’s Playground for the tag of casino capital of the world.
