Gambling has been a popular form of entertainment for centuries, but now casinos across North America have elevated the experience to include much more. Whether you’re a big spender or you just enjoy a few casual games, there are numerous slots to try out, table games to explore, and even sportsbooks to have a flutter on. However, along with all the standard casino fare, you can also expect to find award-winning hotels and restaurants offering world-class cuisine, spa treatments, and shopping opportunities. 

Live casinos are second to none when it comes to delivering an interactive, immersive experience, with gaming floors full of dynamic gambling options and professional teams of croupiers, bartenders, and cashiers. In this environment, players get a tangible thrill from the community aspect of real-world casinos through chatting with other players and dealers, as well as placing their chips by hand. Moreover, to cater to both serious gamers and newer players, casinos have a wide variety of options when it comes to staking, so you can find starting bets lower than a dollar and high-limit lounges in which players wager tens of thousands of dollars.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Known as the playground of the Americas, Atlantic City in New Jersey blends the sparkle of the Las Vegas Strip with the incredible beaches of the Jersey Shore. It’s one of the nation’s best destinations for casinos, especially for gamblers who want to play on the East Coast, and it’s also home to many big-league poker tournaments. Atlantic City has a history of casino gambling that dates back to the 1920s, and it’s still going strong today. 

As well as all the glitz of standard casino gaming, Atlantic City has plenty to offer more serious players. For poker fans, Hurrah’s is one of the most popular destinations, as it runs tournaments every day in its 28-table poker room. At the Golden Nugget, high-limit tables are set away from the main floor and include single 0 roulette, craps, mini-baccarat, and blackjack. 

With an impressive number of world-class casinos, players are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a house for the night in Atlantic City. Expect gaming floors crammed with everything from penny slots to live dealer tables and electric table games. In recent years, resorts have invested heavily in boosting their offerings to include great food and entertainment, so for business travelers, families, and couples, Atlantic City has plenty to offer. 

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Dubbed the Entertainment Capital of the World, it’s hard to think about Las Vegas without bringing to mind big, vibrant casinos and the neon-bathed strip. Blending old-style glamour with nightly shows from the best contemporary stars, Vegas is a mecca for people who come alive at night. The four-mile-long main section of the city is home to some of the largest, most extravagant hotels and casinos in the world. The right one for each player will depend on what they enjoy. 

At Caesar’s Palace, the sportsbook is the main draw, as an LED video wall shows off all the latest betting lines from the dozens of events that are being covered at any one time. Bettors can simply take a seat in the middle of the action and order food and drinks delivered right to their table. For people who are here for the slots and arcade games, it has to be the MGM Grand. In the Level-Up area, there are numerous fun titles from the original Pac-Man to the horse-racing classic Sigma Derby and Pop-a-Shots. 

Cancun, Mexico

Set in idyllic surroundings, the resort city of Cancun in Mexico offers a sweeping seaboard and a world-class food scene. It’s also home to some of the country’s top casinos, some of which – such as the Royalton Riviera Cancun – offer guests a luxury stay with endless bars, restaurants, and pools to explore, as well as a great casino experience. 

Another excellent option is Red, a 24/7 casino with an extensive collection of table games including baccarat, craps, and roulette. To add an element of excitement to the sportsbook, horse racing and greyhound racing are both live-streamed. The largest of Cancun’s casinos is the plush Dubai Palace. This casino houses more than 400 slot machines and lays on a generous buffet service throughout the day to keep hungry patrons satisfied. 

Tijuana, Mexico

In Mexico, the border town of Tijuana is home to one of the country’s most celebrated casino complexes, the Casino Caliente. With a history dating back to 1928, this luxurious resort keeps guests from around the world entertained with a heady blend of table gambling, racing, and nightlife. Along with an impressive sportsbook, the casino has a greyhound racing track and a soccer stadium that’s home to the Xolos de Tijuana team. For its high-roller guests, Caliente has developed a VIP casino that boasts a lavish interior themed around a Las Vegas sports bar, along with a collection of sporting mementos and a massive screen for watching live events.

At the recently refurbished Pueblo Amigo center, another of the brand’s casinos has over 1,000 video slots, along with roulette and craps that are played using real dice and card games. Every game on offer is played in adherence to Las Vegas house rules. Finally, to keep guests refreshed, there are plenty of well-stocked bars and a full-service restaurant with numerous different types of cuisine. 

Palm Springs, Florida, USA

Nestled in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs is a playground for Americans, with a vast array of spa resorts, golf courses, and stunning vacation rentals. This coastal haven is also home to some of the best casinos in the country, with a great choice of resorts offering entertainment as well as full-service hotels, fine dining, and therapeutic treatments. On the gaming floors, there’s a huge amount of choice, with everything from vast bingo halls to classic table games and endless slot machines. Some houses, like Fantasy Springs, also lay on live entertainment in the form of musical specials, comedy shows, and theatrical productions. 

At the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, guests can try their luck on over 1,400 slot machines or test their poker face in the 16-table poker room that stages daily tournaments. Along with a full-size concert hall, players who stay at this hotel can relax in one of the numerous swimming pools and visit the luxury spa for the duration of their stay. Palm Springs has something for everyone; as most casinos are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, the city is ready for action whenever players want to enjoy a few games. 

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 

Dominating the skyline in Edmonton, Alberta, the River Cree Resort and Casino is the city’s first native-owned house. It’s also one of the largest casinos that the province has to offer, with more than 1,300 slot machines and a vast collection of table games on the main floor. Choose from Texas hold ’em. Craps, roulette, and blackjack. There are 12 games set up in the Poker Room, so players can concentrate on the game without any distractions, and for sports fans, the casino provides live hockey in two rinks. 

The River Cree Resort has several places for patrons to eat, with Italian, Cantonese, and traditional American cuisine all available from one of the in-house restaurants. Whatever time of year guests arrive in Alberta, they’ll find a selection of fun events like holiday markets, along with concerts and comedy shows. Players who plan to stay close to the action could book a room in the luxury hotel that forms part of the complex. Here, guests can take advantage of a whirlpool, swimming pool, and fitness center. 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada 

In Canada’s Montreal, there is a diverse spread of casinos, some of which specialize in poker and others that offer a larger, more generalized gaming floor. Set in the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake, the Playground Poker Club is one of the largest poker rooms in North America. This stand-alone establishment has an impressive 70 tables, and it stages around 90 tournaments annually. There are cash games of No Limits Hold ‘em and Pot Limit Omaha, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

The larger Casino de Montreal on Notre Dame Island has an enormous gaming floor and is also open 24/7 for most of the year. Comprising three separate buildings, the casino offers its patrons more than 100 gaming tables with poker, roulette, and blackjack, as well as thousands of slot machines. Players can bet with anything from one cent to 100 dollars in the slots, and several progressive jackpots keep up with player activity and rise every hour. In the Zone, players can compete against each other on 80 interactive consoles and see their scores displayed on a huge screen – a very popular choice for groups of friends on a night out. Along with a huge range of restaurants and bars, there are nightly music and comedy shows at the Cabaret du Casino.