The oldest casinos in the world – where are they?

by Staff & Contributors on August 6, 2019

in Gaming

 When you think Casino, you immediately think Las Vegas – with its mega-resorts, bright lights and dancing girls, it’s hard to think of anywhere else. But believe it or not, the first casino wasn’t built in Vegas, it wasn’t even built in the USA… it was built in Europe. To be more precise, Venice in Italy is where the Casinò di Venezia is and it originally opened its doors to the people of ‘The Floating City’ in 1638.

Although most people play at online casinos (such as https://casino.betfair.com/promotions) due to the convenience and accessibility, visiting a specific casino or city is on the bucket-lists of many. How cool would it be to play at one of the most-famous or most-historic casinos of all-time? Let’s take a look at some of the world’s oldest casinos.

Casinò di Venezia – Venice, Italy (1638)

As we mentioned in the introduction, first on our list of oldest casinos is the Casinò di Venezia. Although it is no longer in its original location, the casino has been housed at the beautiful palace, Ca’ Vendramin Calergi since the 1950s. Situated on the Grand Canal, visitors must access the Renaissance-style building by gondola. The casino is built over three floors, with Slots, Poker rooms and table games all on separate levels. The variety of table games is fairly extensive with both European and American Roulette offered, as well as two forms of Baccarat (Punto Banco and Chemin-de-Fer).

Casino de Spa – Wallonne, Belgium (1763)

The Casino de Spa is next on our list and understandably, has undergone a number of transformations over the years – most notably, in 1918 when it was rebuilt following a fire. The city of Spa used to be frequented by European royalty and noblemen, with the casino an obvious draw. However, there’s nothing old-fashioned about this casino with 152 Slot machines, as well as table games and even bingo. The casino also hosts regular tournaments.

Kurhaus – Baden-Baden, Germany (1834)

The Kurhaus of Baden-Baden is situated on the outskirts of the Black Forest and is equally as impressive from the outside, as it is indoors. Although it’s one of the most lavish casinos around, it’s not one that’s swamped by tourism. It has also been described by actress and singer Marlene Dietrich as “the most beautiful casino in the world”. You’ll find modern games such as Poker and Slots, within the Neo-Classical walls. There are smaller rooms for Poker and Roulette, should you wish to play more privately.

Grand Casino – Monte Carlo, Monaco (1856)

The Grand Casino, also known as the Casino de Monte Carlo has been around for over 150 years. Recently it was the filming location for the Poker game in Casino Royale and if it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for anyone. Not only is the Grand Casino one of the oldest in the world, but it’s also one of the most prestigious. Expect to find all the usual table games and Slots, as well as Trente et Quarante (popular in Monaco and France) and even Craps. The casino’s founder François Blanc is also famous for introducing the single zero Roulette wheel and he was the man responsible for bringing the game to Monte Carlo.

 

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