In 2012, the High Roller Ferris wheel and a retail district called The Linq Promenade broke ground in an attempt to diversify attractions beyond that of casino resorts. Renovations and rebrandings such as The Cromwell Las Vegas and the SLS Las Vegas continued to transform the Strip in 2014. The Lake Como-themed Bellagio was the priciest resort in the world to build when it opened in 1998, with its towering verdigris and glass Art Nouveau-inspired Conservatory and Botanical Garden. It’s also home to nearly nine acres of iconic choreographed dancing fountains and 1200 booming water cannons.
Live sports
Beyond the bright lights of the Strip, however, lies a perfectly ordinary Western city, with neighborhoods, churches, shopping centers, and strip malls. It is that city, and not the hotels and casinos, that draws thousands of new residents each year. This growth, coupled with its unusual economic basis, has made Las Vegas one of the wealthiest cities in the country, but it has also brought problems to the area. Las Vegas is among the country’s leaders in personal and property crimes, as well as suicide rates, alcohol consumption, and illegal drug use.
- The resort also has four ultra-luxe, two-story penthouses known as Skyvillas, but you must be invited to stay in them.
- Casual dining (Barry’s upscale steak offset by Saginaw’s, Victory Burger, 8East) and lively bars (Mega-Bar, Overhang, Legacy rooftop).
- The Cosmopolitan is the slightly zany, cooler younger sibling of the Strip’s megaresorts.
- The Wynn Sports Nevada app offers the most convenient way to place a horse racing or sports wager at Wynn or anywhere in Nevada.
Best Las Vegas Casinos for 2025
Try your luck at one of these legendary casinos on your next trip to Sin City.
👎 The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower – 3.1 Average
These fissures are compounded by the damage caused by occasional earthquakes; the Las Vegas Valley, particularly its northwest quadrant, lies in an active fault zone. In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, the Strip is home to many attractions, such as M&M’s World, Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall. It’s non-gaming, non-smoking and sits in the art-filled CityCenter complex. The lobby entrance seems unassuming—until you realize the actual lobby is the 23rd-floor sky lobby with 17-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views of the Strip. At the NoMad Library restaurant you’ll find yourself sitting in a grand library designed by legendary French designer Jacques Garcia. The soaring walls are filled with the actual 25,000-book collection of philanthropist David Rockefeller.
The city also suffers the modern urban ills of air and water pollution, and the roads are choked with increasingly heavy traffic as new suburbs spring up in all directions. But it’s the hotel’s aquatic deck and two floors devoted to spas and wellness that are the biggest hit with guests. One of the city’s most private pool scenes can be found at Four Seasons, which occupies floors 35 to 39 of Mandalay Bay. Its poolside restaurant, Veranda, looks out over the pool which, unlike most pools on the Strip, doesn’t accommodate non-guests. The Cosmopolitan is the slightly zany, cooler younger sibling of the Strip’s megaresorts.
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“Guests can enjoy a state-of-the-art race and sportsbook as well as poolside gaming.” Its stylish decor is equally spectacular, with beautiful blooms and artwork setting the scene for an upscale gaming experience. Refined, immaculate 110k sq ft floor with 1,000+ slots, 140 tables, poker, and a renovated sportsbook; Encore adds its own 72k sq ft casino next door. Rooms are luxe and large; pools, five-star spa, and top-tier service define the experience. Expect polished dining (Wynn Buffet, Mizumi, Wing Lei), the Awakening show, and Lake of Dreams vistas from bars and steakhouses. Edging out Aria by a single square foot, Santa Fe Station is the 5th biggest casino in Vegas.
Flamingo Las Vegas Reviewed for 2025
Spanning more than 200,000 square feet, the casino also houses a poker room, a high limit gaming lounge, 225 table games, and a sportsbook. Spanning more than 110,000 square feet, the casino at Wynn Las Vegas comes highly recommended. “From high limit salons to its variety of 1,800-plus slot machines, this casino has so much to offer players,” says Mahdavi.
Guests across our pick of review sites have left Wynn with a humbling 4.4 out of 5. The Las Vegas casino experience is a complete package – the free drinks, the celebrity chef-owned restaurants, the exhilarating nightlife, the top-notch shows and events, and of course, the 24/7 service. All these details, big and small, contribute to the extraordinary and unforgettable experience that distinguishes Las Vegas from other casino hubs around the world. The Bellagio, with its magnificently grand dancing water fountains, rivals as an art gallery with its Fiori di Como, an awe-striking glass sculpture.
- The 150,000-square-foot casino at Aria Resort & Casino features a 24-table poker room, nearly 2,000 slot machines, and 145 table games ranging from roulette and baccarat to Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.
- Live entertainment can be found in the Underground Lounge, and the pool is home to pool parties, games, and, of course, swimming.
- Choose from more than 1,800 slot machines with games in denominations up to $1,000 per play.
- Located just off the Strip, Palace Station can be reached via a free shuttle to and from the Strip which picks up at Fashion Show Mall.
The casino at Wynn Las Vegas, spread across two huge floors, is home to more than 1,800 slots, and a variety of table games including roulette and blackjack. The massive 28-table poker room plays host to daily tournaments plus a range of bigger events throughout the year. To kick off our list, we will start with the five best casinos in Vegas as ranked by their average reviews across multiple trusted review sites.
Fountain shows run day and night; “O” by Cirque, Gallery of Fine Art, and high-end dining (Spago, Prime, Picasso, Le Cirque) round it out. Chic, vertical resort smack in the Strip’s center with a stylish 100k sq ft casino, about 1,300 slots, 80+ tables, big sportsbook, and two high-limit rooms. Don’t miss the three-story Chandelier Bar, hidden speakeasies, Marquee Day/Nightclub, and a standout dining lineup (Wicked Spoon, Beauty & Essex, Eggslut, Block 16).
Binions Gambling Hall
KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap hotels and book the room that suits you best. Over the years it has settled into landmark status and is now the definition of classic Vegas glamour. The best way to enjoy the dancing fountains is from inside one of its lakeside restaurants, like the terrace at Lago by Julian Serrano or Spago. In the last eight years, Bellagio has renovated all its rooms; most recently, its Lake Como-inspired Spa Tower. There’s even a hidden bar and lounge inside a barbershop and a Japanese-inspired ski lodge that serves cocktails until late. In the summer, the Marquee Dayclub and Nightclub provide round-the-clock fun, and in the winter its Boulevard pool turns into an ice rink.
Village Pub & Poker – Rain…
There are also several bars and lounges, and even a barbershop where you can enjoy a cocktail. ‘The barbershop is like a day spa for men, definitely check that out,’ suggests Steve in a Google Review. The Las Vegas Valley is ecologically part of the Mojave Desert, whose characteristic plant is the Joshua tree. The smallest of the North American deserts, the Mojave supports significant human settlement only in the Las Vegas area and at a few points along the Colorado River. More than four-fifths of the city’s water supply comes from the Colorado River at Lake Mead. As more water has been removed from these aquifers, the vegas casino sandy soils have subsided, leading to fissuring and structural damage of the surface and the formation of large sinkholes.
We firmly believe that public awareness and education are essential to this effort. The Wynn Sports Nevada app offers the most convenient way to place a horse racing or sports wager at Wynn or anywhere in Nevada. An invitation-only tournament limited to 50 guests, the second installment of The Fifty Poker Invitational on October 25-26, 2025 features a $106,000 buy-in and an estimated prize pool of more than $5 million. A Las Vegas classic and one of the most widely played casino games in the world, compete against the dealer on your path to 21. Play it safe, draw another card, or double down, but make sure not to bust. While the craps table is my preferred habitat, I pull myself away to explore new attractions, shows, restaurants, and outdoor activities around Las Vegas with the intent of sharing my experiences.