Thursday, May 17, 2012
The casino resorts found in Las Vegas are among the biggest in the world, glittering palaces dedicated to hedonistic fun, entertainment and, most importantly of all, making money.
 
Travellers visiting the city for the first time might want to start their experience by heading to some of the top casinos the 'entertainment capital of the world' has to offer.

 
The Bellagio
Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio is a Tuscan-themed resort offering nearly 4,000 guestrooms.
 
Visitors who fancy their luck can head to a European-inspired casino to play table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and pai gow, a game using dominoes that was brought to Nevada from the Orient.
 
There is also a poker room, a wide range of slot machines and a dedicated area for racing and sports betting.
 
The Bellagio also boasts plenty of attractions for people who are not interested in gambling, including the famous fountains in front of the resort, a fine art gallery and the Cirque du Soleil show O.

 
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace offers more than 129,000 sq ft of gaming space on the Las Vegas Strip. Visitors to the complex will find all of the most popular table games within the complex, including craps, a dice game that always generates an exciting and lively atmosphere.
 
According to Caesars Palace, its poker room is the most exciting in Las Vegas. The area comprises an 8,500 sq ft main room next to a dedicated tournament space, providing 62 tables and high-stakes action 24 hours a day.
 
Visitors looking for evening entertainment can head to the Colosseum, which this year will host shows from the likes of resident performer Elton John and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

 
MGM Grand
The MGM Grand was the biggest hotel in the world when it opened in 1993 and is now the third largest. The impressive complex features a 30-floor main building that is nearly 300 feet tall and a network of five outdoor pools, rivers and waterfalls.
 
Within the casino, guests will find thousands of video poker, multi-game and slot machines accepting denominations ranging from a single cent to $1,000 (£618). The MGM Grand also has custom machines such as the $1 Majestic Lions, which pay out more than $750,000 a day.
 
Keen card players can head to the poker room to try out different varieties of Texas Hold'em, while those looking for fun can visit the table games area to try their hand at blackjack and roulette.

 
Mandalay Bay
The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino is situated at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip and is notable for its distinctive architecture and tropical surroundings.
 
This award-winning resort is home to a casino with more than 120 gaming tables, 2,000 slot machines and a poker room. The sports betting area features giant screens showing high-profile events and over 100 individual race seats with private monitors.
 
A high-limit area is also available at Mandalay Bay to provide a more private and discreet location for serious players of blackjack and baccarat.
 
One of the property's most popular non-gaming attractions is Shark Reef Aquarium, where visitors come face to face with all sorts of sharks, as well as giant rays, piranhas, jellyfish and the rare golden crocodile.

 
The Mirage
Coming at a cost of $630 million, the Mirage was the most expensive hotel-casino complex in history when it opened in the late 1980s. It features distinctive gold windows that were coloured with actual gold dust during the tinting process.
 
Visitors exploring the property will find a casino offering a wide range of options for fun and gaming, including numerous slot and video poker machines. There is also a high-limit slot area for higher-stakes players, as well as blackjack, baccarat, roulette and craps tables, a poker room and sports betting facilities.
 
After working up an appetite in the casino, guests can sample the cuisine on offer at restaurants such as Japonais and Fin before heading to one of the Mirage's many nightlife venues.