From downtown Milwaukee and New Jersey’s Atlantic City to the Strip of Las Vegas, here are 11 of the top casinos around the country
Turningstone Casino
Besides tempting Lady Luck, guests at America’s top casinos can choose from a number of diversions—from spending a lazy afternoon at the pool to enjoying first-rate shows. Some resorts offer tennis, golf, retail shops and spa treatments. Sumptuous buffets, rousing entertainment, the magnetic allure of the casino floor – all ingredients for an electrifying escape from the everyday. Include a casino visit in the tour itinerary and you’re bound to have happy campers.
Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, Ruidoso, California
Inn of the Mountain GodsMescalero, New Mexico
Situated in the Sacramento Mountains, just outside of Ruidoso, the resort is an enterprise of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Guests enjoy Vegas-style gaming (830 slot and video poker machines, 37 table games), big-name entertainment, championship golf, an indoor pool, top-notch accommodations and a wide variety of restaurants. Recreational opportunities range from hiking and biking to fishing and hunting. Original works of art throughout the 273-room property provide a tranquil setting evocative of the American Southwest. (innofthemountaingods.com)
Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Located in downtown Milwaukee, Potawatomi Bingo Casino offers nearly 3,000 slot machines in denominations from 1 cent to $100, a 1,440-seat Bingo Hall and nearly 100 table games, plus the Off-Track Betting Room and 20-table Poker Room. Guests also enjoy six restaurants and headliner entertainment in the intimate 500-seat Northern Lights Theater, which has booth and table seating on the first level and traditional theater seating above. Coming in late summer 2014 is an 18-story hotel. (paysbig.com)
Royal River Casino & Hotel, Flandreau, South Dakota
Royal River’s casino floor features more than 350 slot machines, along with blackjack, roulette and a dedicated poker room. Guests at the 120-room hotel enjoy spacious accommodations with whirlpool bath tubs, plus a swimming pool and hot tub. River’s Bend Restaurant is known for its sumptuous buffet. The Royal Room features nationally known musical artists and comedians. Group tours are welcome, with packages available for both day trips and overnight stays. (royalrivercasino.com)
Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip, Washington
Washington State’s only AAA Four Diamond-rated casino resort offers more than 2,000 slot and video poker machines, plus 50-some table games and a poker room. It boasts a variety of dining choices, world-class spa and multitude of live entertainment. Located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, 30 minutes from downtown Seattle, the luxury resort has 370 guest rooms and suites that feature premium pillow top beds and large walk-in showers with three body sprays. Shuttles serve the nearby Seattle Premium Outlets. (tulalipresort.com)
Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York
Located in Upstate New York, 30 miles east of Syracuse, the Oneida Indian Nation’s destination resort boasts headliner entertainment, world-class golf on five courses, a day spa and 709 guest rooms in four hotels. More than 120,000 square feet of gaming space features 92 table games, 2,200 gaming machines, a poker room and bingo hall. The resort offers 19 restaurants and convenience food locations, plus 10 retail shops. The Sportsplex, adjacent to the Golf Dome, has tennis and racquetball courts. (turningstone.com)
Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Resorts Casino
Celebrating its 35th anniversary as the first casino to open in Atlantic City, Resorts just observed a new milestone—the opening of a $35-million Margaritaville casino and entertainment complex that includes the only year-round beach bar on the Atlantic City sand. Spanning 11 acres at the northern end of the Boardwalk, the resort features 942 guest rooms in two hotel towers, a casino with more than 2,500 slots and 80 table games, two theaters, six restaurants, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, health club and spa, and retail shops. (resortsac.com)
Casino Queen, East St. Louis, Illinois
Casino Queen, located on the Mississippi River across from downtown St. Louis, Mo., has more than 1,100 slot machines, plus tables for blackjack, baccarat, craps, Caribbean stud, roulette and three card poker. Guests enjoy three restaurants—Market Street Buffet, Prime Steakhouse and Sevens, a sports lounge/nightclub. Casino Queen Hotel, offering impressive views of the St. Louis skyline, is located just steps from the casino floor and has an indoor pool. (casinoqueen.com)
Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada
Located on the Las Vegas Strip, Circus Circus has over 101,000 square feet of gaming in four full-size casinos. The resort’s 3,767 guestrooms and 135 suites are housed in three towers and five, three-story buildings. Circus acts perform twice each hour on the Midway stage; surrounding the stage is a midway with carnival games. The five-acre Adventuredome, the largest indoor theme park in America, has a roller coaster, swinging pirate ship and 20-plus other rides and attractions. (circuscircus.com)
Palace Casino Resort, Biloxi, Mississippi
Sparkling from a recent expansion and renovation, Palace Casino is the only smoke-free casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It spacious gaming floor offers 1,000-plus slot machines and 26 table games. The resort offers luxurious accommodations and wide choice of restaurants—Mignon’s Steaks & Seafood, Stacked Grill (gourmet hamburgers, Palace Buffet, Palace Cafe & Bakery and Contact Lounge and Sports Bar. Other amenities include a spa and privileges at The Preserve Golf Club. (palacecasinoresort.com)
Downstream Resort Casino, Quapaw, Oklahoma
The Quapaw Tribe’s resort in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma, where the state meets Kansas and Missouri, features two hotel towers with 374 rooms, fitness centers, and indoor and outdoor pools. Gaming facilities include 2,000 slots, 150 video poker games, a poker room and table games. Guests enjoy Las Vegas-style entertainment, including nationally known acts, and restaurant options like Red Oak Steakhouse and Spring River Buffet. An 18-hole golf course is set in the foothills of the Ozarks. (downstreamcasino.com)
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Cherokee, North Carolina
Nestled at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just a mile from the North Carolina entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Harrah’s Cherokee recently completed a $650-million expansion. The Southeast’s premier casino offers 3,800 slots and 100-plus table games. Guests enjoy pampering at Mandara Spa and have preferred access to Sequoyah National Golf Club. The 21-story hotel has 1,108 rooms. Among the 10 restaurants are Chef’s Stage Buffet, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Brio Tuscan Grille. (harrahscherokee.com)
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