The 15 Best Casinos NOT in Las Vegas

While the famed Las Vegas Strip with its abundant attractions tends to be the first place that springs to mind when we think about casinos, there are plenty of excellent destinations around the U.S. that offer excellent gambling options, and often with more-affordable amenities. From long-running resorts on the East Coast to popular destinations out West — and roulette tables in between — there are plenty of excellent casinos outside of Las Vegas where you can try your luck, even during the current pandemic.

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Uncasville, Connecticut
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With 364,000 square feet of gaming space, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest casinos in the U.S. Nestled in the bucolic foothills of southeastern Connecticut by the Thames River, the casino offers a spectacular interior that includes a 55-foot waterfall, a planetarium dome, a three-story high mountain of alabaster and onyx, animatronic wolves, and Native American designs developed by the Mohegan Tribe. There are nearly 5,000 slot machines and 300 table games; a 10,000 seat arena; intimate venues for music and comedy acts; multiple clubs, bars, and restaurants; and a hotel, spa, and golf club. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required in the reopened complex.

Tulalip, Washington
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Just north of Seattle, the Tulalip Casino offers 200,000 square feet of gaming, including slots, table games, bingo, and a spacious poker room. You'll also find multiple entertainment venues, a full-service spa, plenty of restaurants, shopping and a luxury 12-story hotel featuring native designs from the Tulalip Tribes of Washington who own and operate the casino. (Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required in the casino, where entry numbers are limited; some features remain closed; and there is no daily maid service.) You can also learn more about the tribes by touring the adjacent Hibulb Cultural Center, which includes historical exhibits and a 50-acre nature preserve of wetlands and forest.

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Stateline, Nevada
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While many head to Lake Tahoe for summer fun on the water or skiing in the winter, the border of Nevada and California is also home to some great casinos. Harrah's Lake Tahoe stands out as a top choice with a 24-hour casino featuring over 1,300 slots and video poker machines and an abundance of table games. They also offer multiple concert and nightlife venues, a range of eateries from casual to upscale, a spa and salon, a beautiful swimming pool, plus a 512-room hotel with two floors of luxury suites, which is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation that's almost complete. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required.

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Highland, California
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Boasting the most slots in California (more than 4,700), Yaamava' Resort & Casino offers an abundance of gaming options just an hour from downtown Los Angeles. The casino features dozens of Vegas-style poker and blackjack tables, a high-limit room, and a designated poker room. It also offers a range of dining options, from the gastropub Rock & Brews to the upscale steakhouse The Pines. In normal times, you'll find luxury car and travel giveaways and plenty of top-shelf entertainment, including country and Latin bands, DJs, stand-up comedy, and rock 'n' roll tribute bands. Yaamava' Resort & Casino has rules for masks, social distancing, and temperature checks in place, has limited the number of people allowed in — and has removed some gaming to help make it all easier. The Bear Springs Hotel is the casino's preferred hotel partner.

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French Lick, Indiana
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While the original grand French Lick Springs Hotel, built in 1845, burned down in 1897, the hotel was rebuilt bigger and better and has grown to become a 3,000-acre resort complex in the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana. The property includes two national historic landmarks, the palatial French Lick Springs and West Baden Springs hotels, which include a 51,000-square-foot casino with around 1,000 slots and video poker machines, 37 live-dealer tables, and a separate, non-smoking gaming room. The resort also features three golf courses, two spas, numerous dining options, kid-friendly activities, horseback riding, and more. And it's an easy drive from Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. Coronavirus precautions include mask and temperature requirements, and some features are available only to hotel guests.

Rancho Mirage, California
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If you're looking for a luxurious getaway with desert vistas and plenty of gambling options, the award-winning Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa should be on your itinerary. The casino offers more than 1,300 machines, 39 table games, the only live-poker room in the Coachella Valley, a high limit room, and more. The AAA Four Diamond-awarded resort also features pools, a spa, a huge concert theater and lounge, plus multiple restaurants, all operating at half capacity to encourage social distancing. Masks are required, and not every kind of mask is allowed. The resort sponsors the annual Palm Desert Food and Wine festival, a star-studded culinary event that offers tastings, cooking demos, lunches and other special events with notable chefs, vintners, and others — and is still on the schedule for March.

Tampa and Hollywood, Florida
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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers two 24-hour destinations to win big in the Sunshine State — one massive site in Tampa, and another in Hollywood between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The Tampa location offers 190,000 square feet of gaming with more than 4,000 slots, more than a hundred table games, poker, and separate areas for non-smokers and high-rollers. The Hollywood location is no slouch either, with more than 2,000 slots and nearly as many table games. Both spots also feature a range of dining options, a spa, and pool. Despite a mask rule, temperature checks, social distancing, and new air filtration systems, coronavirus has canceled the sites' live music and other entertainment.

Lake Charles, Louisiana
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Located between New Orleans and Houston, L'Auberge Casino Resort offers 75,000 square feet of games, including 1,600 slots, 80 tables, and plenty of Southern hospitality. There's a 2,100-square-foot poker room, including a semi-private high-stakes room with tableside food service and chair massages and you'll find plenty to eat, spa amenities, golfing, nightlife and entertainment, poolside partying, and beach lounging. If you're closer to New Orleans, you may want to head up to the L'Auberge Casino Resort in Baton Rouge, which offers more than 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, a poker room, and plenty of amenities. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required, and fewer guests are allowed to play at a time. Both facilities have reopened after the recent hurricanes that hit the region.

Thackerville, Oklahoma
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Even avid casino enthusiasts are often surprised to learn that the country's biggest casino is not in Vegas, but in Oklahoma. Opened in 2004 just north of the Texas border, the WinStar World Casino features a sprawling 616,960 square feet of gaming, including 7,400 electronic games, nearly 100 table games, bingo, keno, off-track betting, and high stakes games. They also have an extensive culinary lineup, multiple entertainment venues — including the Global Event Center and an outdoor Coliseum that can host big-name acts — plus a spa, retail, 280 acres of green for golfers, and a hotel with 1,399 guest rooms and suites. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required, the complex is at half capacity and games such as poker and bingo are canceled.

Pocono, Pennsylvania
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What began as an eight-room mountain lodge in 1898 and was later remodeled into the Poconos' largest and swankiest resort in the 1950s was eventually torn down and rebuilt as a hugely popular casino and hotel that opened in 2007. Mount Airy Casino Resort features more than 1,800 slots, more than 70 table games — including blackjack, craps, and Baccarat — and nine poker tables. Nestled in the scenic Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, the resort also features numerous restaurants, a spa and gym, a nightclub, and plenty of outdoor activities, including an 18-hole golf course. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required indoors, which operates at half capacity, with "bi-directional trackers" now at each entrance to the casino floor to check.

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Atlantic City, New Jersey
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The iconic seaside boardwalk of Atlantic City has long been the gambling hub of the East Coast. And while numerous casinos have closed in recent years, many still hold strong, including the highest performer, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. With more than 2,000 rooms, it's the largest hotel in Atlantic City, and offers players more than 3,400 slots, 250 table games, and Atlantic City's largest poker room. Big-name acts have been known to play the huge Borgata Events Center, and there are numerous other nightlife venues, multiple spas, shopping, and excellent food, including restaurants from top chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required indoors, and Borgata says its buildings and guest rooms have air filters that "meet or exceed published standards."

Related: 40 Iconic and Beautiful Boardwalks in the Country

Sioux City, Iowa
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If you're hoping to try your luck in Sioux City, look no further than the award-winning Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The 24-hour gaming destination features more than 850 slot machines and 28 table games, spread over a roomy 45,000-square-foot casino. You'll also find a boutique 54-room, AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel, and numerous restaurants and bars. There's a huge Battery Park outdoor venue for summer concerts, too. The Hard Rock is taking temperatures, social distancing, and guests are "strongly encouraged to bring their own masks and to wear them as much as possible."

Reno, Nevada
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The spacious and luxurious Peppermill Resort Spa Casino offers gamblers in Reno a top-notch destination for gaming. The casino features more than 1,500 slot machines, 48 table games, and a keno lounge, and before coronavirus often hosted tournaments and other special events. The resort features luxe accommodations, a spa and two pools, a range of dining options from quick bites to upscale steak and seafood restaurants, and more than a dozen nightlife venues, including bars, lounges, and a nightclub. Masks, social distancing, and temperature checks are required indoors, and Peppermill has been reconfigured to work at half-capacity.

Queens, New York
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Many people are shocked to learn there's a casino in the outer boroughs of bustling New York City, but the Resort World Casino in Queens — just a short taxi ride from JFK airport — offers some of the best gaming in the region (now with masks, social distancing, and temperature checks required). You'll find more than 6,000 slots, electronic table games, and video poker spread out over three New York-themed floors. There's also a steakhouse and food court and, in more typical times, have plenty of live entertainment. There's no on-property lodging yet, but a Hyatt Regency is scheduled to open in 2021. Until then, there are plenty of nearby hotels and, of course, the rest of New York — along with incredible food, music and other fun things to do — is just a short subway or cab ride away.

Detroit
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The Motor City has been slowly and steadily revitalizing. Helping to boost the city's tourism dollars has been the art deco-themed MGM Grand Detroit — one of three casinos in the city. It offers players plenty of gaming options, including 3,500 video slot and poker machines, 143 table games, and an exclusive poker room (closed for the duration). The highly rated hotel also features 400 guest rooms, nine rooftop VIP suites, and 56 corner suites. You'll also find several great dining options (with temporarily limited hours), including Wolfgang Puck Steak, as well as a spa and pool, virtual golf, a late night lounge, and the Event Center, which has been known to host big-name touring acts. Masks and social distancing are required.