Gambling Capitals of the World: Biggest and Most Famous Gambling Cities by Continent
In recent years, legalized gambling has grown in Western countries, with gambling tax revenues surpassing all other revenue streams in many jurisdictions. Governments and gambling firms in most countries now make massive amounts of money by legalizing gambling and making it part of a casino-like gambling “market”. This growth has led to a great deal of market power for operators in gambling markets. However, Gambling is illegal and it will remain illegal activity forever.
Unregulated gambling in turn increases costs for consumers, employees, and governments. While the expanding industry may benefit the government, workers, and employers, it can result in substantial damage for individuals and communities.
Here are some gambling cities by Continent.
Britain
Global center of gambling, London hosts some of the most spectacular gambling halls and casinos in the world. Whilst many casinos are located in London, many of them are in casinos that are located outside of the capital. As a result, London is the gambling capital of the world and arguably of Europe. Some of the greatest gambling halls in the world are in London, such as Harrods, the casino at Grosvenor House Hotel, and The Dorchester Hotel.
The latter is a luxurious 5 star hotel located just outside of London in Windsor, Berkshire, which is one of the finest casinos in Europe. Many countries and overseas territories such as Monaco, Greece, Spain, Italy and Mauritius have their own casino districts which have casinos run by major casino operators. However, most of London’s most luxurious casinos are run by independent firms such as Ladbroke Group, Rank Group, and Playtech.
It is also the home of the William Hill online sports betting business. Harrods, located in London, is one of the best known casinos in Europe. It is currently owned by the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, and has hosted performances by the likes of Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. Grosvenor House Hotel, just outside of London, hosts Grosvenor Casino. It was awarded “A Global Winner for Grand Prix City of the World” in 2010, as well as “The Best Casino in Europe” in the 2009 European Casino Awards.
America
America is home to many of the largest and most prominent casinos in the world. The most famous casino is the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Casino at Wynn Las Vegas, which has a museum dedicated to its owner, Steve Wynn, and is the world’s largest resort casino in terms of rooms, has been recently named “The World’s Best Casino in 2011”.
Many other casino gambling towns in the United States are similar in terms of their gambling halls, and are similar to London in that they are luxury resorts and casinos that are run by major gambling operators. America continent also has numerous casinos located outside the U.S. in the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia, as well as cities in Australia, Africa, and Europe.
France
As in Britain, French casino gaming is also very well known across the globe. The most famous casino in Paris is the Grand Théâtre, which houses Le Cirque, which has hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson, and even a performance from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. While this is the most famous casino in Paris, other casinos in the city include the casino at the Ile de la Cité, the casino at the Palais de Tokyo, and the Casino de Monte-Carlo.
Brazil
The country which has the most casino gaming sites in the world, is also home to some of the world’s biggest casinos. Brazil is well known for its multi-billion dollar oil industry and was one of the main suppliers of natural gas to the west in the seventies. It is home to the world’s largest gaming company, Grupo BTG Pactual.
BTG has a hotel in Rio de Janeiro’s top luxury hotel, the Ipanema Palace, and it is owned by Brazilian billionaire Andre Esteves. In addition to the world’s largest gambling operation, BTG has a complex of 16 casinos located in seven major cities across the country.
Thailand
Thailand, the land of snakes and temples, has one of the largest number of casinos in the world. The country’s highest casinos are located on the Bangla road in Pattaya, and tourists flock there to gamble. As many as 1,500 people are employed by the Pattaya casinos.
There are casinos in Bangkok and other cities such as Chiang Mai and Hua Hin. The other about Thailand’s gaming sites is that unlike in other parts of the world, you are allowed to smoke inside, as long as you are not around children or pregnant women.
Philippines
With dozens of world-famous casinos located in the Philippines, it is no surprise that it is the country with the most casino gaming sites in the world. There are thousands of gaming facilities, hotels, casinos and casinos all over the country. In comparison, London only has four casino clubs and casino gambling has not yet been legalized in any major part of the country.
One of the largest and most famous casinos in the Philippines is the Wack-a-Mole casino owned by the Wack-a-Mole Corporation. The City of Dreams, located in City of Dreams Manila and is part of the entertainment complex City of Dreams.
India
The casino gaming scene in India has been highly influenced by the country’s highly liberal and western-style legal and legislative framework, which has opened a number of casinos across the country. It is estimated that there are currently between a hundred and two hundred casinos across India.
While casinos are now legal in major cities, but the maximum amount of cash that is allowed to be gambled at casinos is 1,000 rupees (US$16). The legal framework is simple – casino owners don’t have to obtain any licenses or leases to operate casinos. They are also not regulated or taxed.
Japan
With the highest number of casinos in the world, Japan is truly a land of the world’s best casinos. In addition to the largest number of casinos, the country is also home to the country’s largest gambling company. The company is called AJ Holdings, and is the second-largest gaming company in the world after Las Vegas Sands.
Japanese casinos attract millions of tourists every year, but despite the country’s high gaming levels, more than half of the public oppose casino gaming. The historical isolation from the rest of the world has put casinos out of reach for the majority of the Japanese people.
Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka are considered the three centers of Japan’s casino industry. Another problem in the country is that foreign nationals who are not citizens of Japan are not permitted to play in casinos.
Malaysia
KL is Malaysia’s largest city and the capital of the state of Selangor. About 4 million tourists visit the city on a yearly basis, and about half of them are from the United Kingdom. Kuala Lumpur is also home to many small casinos which are popular with gamblers.
The casino business in the country is extremely regulated. There are limits on how much you can spend and the amounts you can win, but despite the strict regulations, Malaysia is the highest grossing gambling country in the world.
Austria
The Austrian city of Salzburg is home to one of the world’s most famous casino gaming places – the world famous Casino Riga. As you might expect, the city has experienced quite a high number of casino gaming facilities, and there are about 45 casinos operating there.
Not surprisingly, the casino scene in Austria is highly regulated, and citizens are prohibited from playing the casino games. Because casinos are considered to be gambling businesses, they are prohibited from receiving public funding from the government.
Netherlands
As with every other country, casino gaming in the Netherlands is completely illegal. However, even though gambling itself is prohibited, one can still receive a gambling license to own a horse racing track, which many Dutch citizens do. Some people in the country might be better off going to casinos in neighboring Belgium.
Malta
The casino gaming scene in Malta has expanded significantly in the past decade and has become a major tourist attraction. The capital of Malta, Valletta, is home to the most casinos in Europe and they attract more than 1.5 million visitors each year.
One of the more played casino gaming places in Malta is the Casino della Regina (the Queen’s Casino), which is located in a palace that was originally built in 1462. In addition to a variety of slot machines, the casino in Malta also offers blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette and a variety of other casino games.
Costa Rica
Not many people know this, but Costa Rica is one of the best gaming destinations in the world. More than three-quarters of the country’s population lives in the Central Valley, a mountainous region that can only be accessed by a 4-hour road trip.
Because of its size and the highly mountainous landscape, the Central Valley is considered an ideal location for gaming. This also makes Costa Rica one of the largest gambling countries in the world.
Croatia
Croatia is the poorest country in the world. Its GDP per capita is only US $6,300 and its GDP per capita is just over US $10,000 in neighboring Slovenia, which is one of the richest countries in Europe.
Croatia is located in the northwest of Europe and has a population of 4.2 million. This number might be a bit misleading, since it includes people who live abroad, like tourists and emigrants. The country is also known for its lush landscapes and its numerous waterfalls.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia is its national park, Dinaric Alps. The park is home to numerous waterfalls, which make it one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country.
Kuwait
The Kuwaiti capital, Kuwait City, is home to several casinos and gaming venues. They are located in a number of hotels and are one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
According to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information, there are about 40 licensed casinos in Kuwait. However, only three casinos were among the top 25 casinos in the world in 2008. One of the most popular casino gaming places in Kuwait is the Sheraton Hotel.
Luxembourg
The wealthiest country in Europe, Luxembourg has a population of just over half a million. The country’s GDP per capita is US $80,000 and Luxembourg was ranked as the fifth wealthiest country in the world by BusinessWeek. This is reflected in its number of casinos. Luxembourg has a population of just over half a million and it is one of the countries with the highest rate of gambling licenses per capita.
It is home to the world’s highest number of casino games per person and the largest number of casino games per capita, too. Luxembourg has almost 50 casinos, but one of its best casinos is Casino de Bourgogne, which is the only casino in Luxembourg that offers baccarat. The building that it’s housed in was originally constructed in the 17th century.
Iceland
Iceland is a country with a population of about 335,000 people. And while it might have a population of only a few million people, there are currently more than 10 casinos, which are part of the country’s tourism industry. Iceland was ranked the best country in the world for tourism by the respected British publication Travel & Leisure in 2010. Iceland also has the highest rate of gambling licenses per capita in the world.
Monaco
Monaco is the richest country in Europe. It is also one of the world’s wealthiest countries. In 2011, Monaco has a population of just over half a million. The country is the only place in the world where casinos are legal. Monaco has some of the world’s biggest casinos, including the Hotel de Paris and the Casino de Monte Carlo. The Monaco Casino de Monte Carlo is the only casino in the world with two hotels.
Namibia
The tiny country of Namibia is about the size of Maryland, but it has just over 3 million residents. This makes it the poorest country in Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world. Namibia has a population of just over three million, and its GDP per capita is just under US $3,600. Namibia has three casinos, which are located in the capital, Windhoek. The Sesheke Sports Club is the only casino in the country that has both a hotel and a casino.
Qatar
One of the richest countries in the world, Qatar has a population of over one million and a GDP per capita of US $44,000. A casino in Doha will allow you to play every game on the table.
In fact, you can play baccarat, craps, poker, blackjack, roulette and other popular casino games with little fear of getting into trouble. This is because gambling is illegal in Qatar, but gambling is legal in Doha and the casinos in Doha are all “legal”.
Qatar has a number of top-notch casinos and several of the best are located on the Pearl-Qatar, the world’s largest man-made island. The oldest casino in Qatar is the Pearl-Qatar, which opened in 2003 and has four different floors for gambling.
San Marino
San Marino is the smallest country in the world and it is located in the middle of Italy. It has a population of just over 30,000, and it has a GDP per capita of US $8,800. Unlike many of the other countries in this list, San Marino does not have casinos. However, it does have a casino in San Marino, which is owned and operated by Intercasino. The San Marino Casino is one of only a handful of casinos in the world that offers slots as well as table games.
Conclusion
Although gambling is illegal in most of the world, the law in each country varies greatly. As a result, each country has different rules on how you can legally play casino games and what you can gamble on.
So, whether you are looking to get involved in a new country or have a favorite place to play casino games in your home country, you will want to be aware of the rules and regulations that apply in your home country. Make sure you play for fun not for money.
