Oldest Casinos in the World

By Alex Smith, Last updated Mar 23, 2024

Over the last few hundred years, land-based casinos have attracted glamor, glitz, and wealth. However, if you go to somewhere like Las Vegas today, the bright, vibrant lights that make up many land-based casinos are a pretty modern development. The old-school land-based casinos were very different to what you see today – and in the past, land-based casinos were known for their traditionalism.

Thinking about this, we decided that it would be fun to look at the oldest land-based casinos in the world. Below, we’re going to look at some of the most historic casinos and oldest casinos in the world. Please note that you won’t see any land-based casinos on the Las Vegas strip here! These are all classic land-based casinos, so let’s get started by taking a look at the first establishment!

Casinò di Venezia

The Casinò di Venezia is the oldest casino in the world. As the name suggests, the Casinò di Venezia is based in Italy, and, unsurprisingly, it’s situated in Venice! You’ll find it nestled alongside the famous Venetian canals. According to research, the Casinò di Venezia dates all the way back to 1638. The entrance to the land-based casino is also situated on the canals, and gorgeous Venetian architecture makes you really feel that you’ve been transported back in time a hundred years.

While the gaming house offers much of the same history that you would find if you went there hundreds of years ago, the Casinò di Venezia also combines modern, state-of-the-art technology into its gaming infrastructure. Today, you will find the Casino di Venezia offering everything from fine-dining experiences and music shows to slot machines and classic casino games like roulette and blackjack.

In addition to these casino games, the Casino di Venezia is also home to some 600 slot machines. This is a really big number, especially when you consider the amount of floor space that video slots take up!

The Casinò di Venezia is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful land-based casinos in the world. Entering from the grand canal is an experience in itself, and stunning views of the grand canal accompany your every spin.

Casino de Monte Carlo

The Casino de Monte Carlo is one of the most famous land-based casinos in the world. In fact, when it was first created, the Casino de Monte Carlo was known as the Monte Carlo casino de Spa. It’s a land-based casino that is instantly recognizable to many players as the gaming hall was featured in the well-known James Bond movie, Casino Royale. Casino de Monte Carlo was given its current name in 1866 in honor of Prince Charles III. He had a central part in the development of the casino – and Monte Carlo actually means Mount Charles in Ligurian.

In addition to Casino Royale, Casino de Monte Carlo also featured in another James Bond film; Goldeneye. Thanks to the fact that the Casino de Monte Carlo is located in one of the most affluent and wealthy areas in the world – Monte Carlo – the land-based casino still attracts some of the world’s wealthiest clients today! In addition to the gambling house, there are also a wide variety of grand rooms and grounds – perfect for an evening stroll or business function.

As soon as you pull up to the Casino de Monte Carlo you will notice luxury supercars. The decor inside Casino de Monte Carlo is designed to keep up with this luxury, and you will find a range of exclusive bars, concert halls, a theater – and, of course, a selection of equisette, and expensive restaurants. Because of this, the Casino de Monte Carlo is also known as a dining and cultural attraction. Regular opera and ballet performances are put on there.

Of course, in addition to the land-based casino’s stunning decor and affluent-like performances, there is also a sizable gaming area. As one of the oldest casinos, Casino de Monte Carlo offers a wide variety of casino games – like baccarat, blackjack, and roulette. However, there’s also a wide variety of modern games like slot machines and automatic roulette.

Casino Baden-Baden

Casino Baden-Baden is a German-based land-based casino that is the country’s oldest gaming establishment. It’s located, unsurprisingly, in the historic spa town of Baden-Baden, and it’s one of the grandest land-based casinos in the world; a far-cry from what you’d expect to find in Las Vegas or other well-known gambling areas of the 21st century. Casino Baden-Baden hosts some of the country’s wealthiest clientele, and it started welcoming patrons back in the 1820s. Boasting some of the most beautiful neoclassic architecture and grand, opulent interiors, the Casino Baden-Baden is truly stunning.

Today, the Casino Baden-Baden is open to guests from all over the world. The casino is located in Kurhaus. Don’t get mixed up with Kurhaus Casino, which is a completely different gambling establishment in the city. In addition to gaming facilities, the land-based casino also offers a wide variety of events. For example, you will find events, conferences, and an in-house spa – all hugely popular attractions that people come to see from all over Germany.

It’s said that the city Casino Baden-Baden is based in – Kurhaus – dates back to the Roman Empire! This makes it not only one of the oldest land-based casinos in the world, but also one of the land-based casinos in the oldest area in the world!

The Casino Baden-Baden offers players a wide variety of gaming activities. You will find casino table games like roulette and blackjack, along with tons of baccarat tables. Naturally, there is also a wide variety of slot machines, although you won’t find as many video slots as you would in larger, more modern-looking casinos.

Crockford’s Club

When it comes to the oldest land-based casinos in the world, London would never be far behind. Home to some of the most well-known and recognizable land-based casinos in the world, London is well-known for its famous casinos. Crockford’s Club is arguably the city’s most well-known gambling establishment, and the venue lays claim to being one of the oldest gaming sites in the world. Crockford’s Club was founded in 1823, and it was originally designed to be a gentlemen’s club.

Crockford’s Club was a member’s club for a long time, and it’s believed to have welcomed some of the world’s most prominent politicians and decision makers through its doors. However, the Crockford’s Club had a pretty turbulent history, and this resulted in a number of closures. For example, it shut its doors between 1823, 1845, and, finally, in 1970. Unfortunately, it never reopened – but the Crockford’s Club casino opened its doors soon after the club shut. However, the Crockford’s Club Casino doesn’t have any real connection to the original member’s club.

The Crockford’s Club Casino has a wide variety of casino games for players to enjoy. There is also a private, high-stakes poker room where some of the world’s biggest cash games take place!

Golden Gate Casino

The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is one of the oldest gambling establishments in the world. It’s located on One Fremont Street in Las Vegas – so, despite the name, you won’t find the Golden Gate Casino in San Francisco! The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino operated until 1909 when land-based casinos were outlawed in Nevada. As a result of this closure, the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino’s blackjack and roulette tables were placed into storage. In 1955, Abe Miller – the property’s long-time owner – received permission to reopen the casino on the ground floor of the Sal Sagev.

The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is famous for a number of reasons. One of the unusual reasons behind its success is the fact that the land-based casino was the first to serve a fifty cent shrimp cocktail! Now a Las Vegas cliche, it continues to serve this famous shrimp cocktail until today.

While the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino isn’t one of the largest land-based casinos in Vegas, it does offer a pretty decent selection of casino games. You will find yourself able to play many different variations of roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, and there is a wide variety of video slots on offer.

Golden Gate Hotel and Casino also offers quite a large selection of progressive jackpot video slots. Many of these progressive jackpot video slots give players the chance to win millions of dollars – so, unsurprisingly, they’ve become one of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino’s most popular casino games. They are played frequently, and if you walk into the land-based casino on the weekend, you will see lines of players playing the slot machines!

The Golden Gate Casino isn’t, unfortunately, as popular as some of the other land-based casinos on this list. However, the Golden Gate Casino is a historic establishment, and it’s likely to be for many years – or probably decades – to come!

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