The ever-shifting legal landscape means new casinos are regularly opening in more states around America. But with some areas still banning gambling properties, and others allowing them but under strict conditions, the number of casinos available in each state varies wildly.
A look at a list of the casinos for each state throws up fascinating stats and comparisons. And it makes it easier to plan a vacation if you want to enjoy some recreational gambling.
It’s no surprise to see Nevada, the home of the biggest gambling destination in the world, Las Vegas, at the top. Thanks to casinos.us, which has a detailed list of casinos in the US that we can use to compare state by state, Nevada has 345 casinos.
Many of those will be in Vegas, but any town or city in Nevada, such as Reno or Boulder City, and will have many properties to choose from, including large resorts and the smallest, old-fashioned gambling halls. Interestingly, for such a gambling-friendly state, you have far less choice for online gambling in Nevada than in some other territories.
The list of the number of casinos in Nevada is about twice as many as the second most popular state, Montana. Montana has 171 casino properties, many of them licensed to Indian tribes, including the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes.
After that, the only other two states with a three-figure casino count are Louisiana and Oklahoma. Louisiana has 136, many of them riverboats, while Oklahoma enjoys 109 casinos, including the most Indian casinos and Indian gaming centers.
California is just shy of 100 casinos (97), but for a state with a substantial population like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco, you might have expected more. A clue is in the state’s attitude to online gambling – it’s not legal, although online sports betting was considered recently before being put on hold once more.
The number of casinos across the states then dwindles, from a tempting 57 in Washington to just two in Georgia and Kentucky. New Mexico has 26, Minnesota 24, and Mississippi 31.
While residents and visitors can enjoy some relaxing, recreational fun, you must feel for those living in states with no legal casinos.
A scan down the list finds more states with zero than you might otherwise have thought. In alphabetical order these are:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
It remains to be seen if any of those states will reverse their policy and allow legalized gambling. However, an indication is that Virginia and Tennessee have been looking at online sports betting (although online casinos and online poker are both non-starters).
The Best Casinos to Try
Now that you understand which areas have the widest choice of casinos, it should be stressed that some gambling properties are far superior to others when it comes to comfort and selection of games.
Some of the best-known casinos will, unsurprisingly, be found in Las Vegas. Perhaps the top choice in Sin City is the Bellagio. The resort, luxury hotel, and casino, right on the famous Las Vegas Strip, are known for its incredible fountain displays. Other names include the MGM, Wynn, Paris, Caesars Palace, and the Venetian. Lesser-known city casinos include the Fremont Casino.
In Los Angeles, you might like to try any of the casinos, although many are little more than enlarged poker rooms, which also offer blackjack and occasionally craps. The local Indian casinos offer slots and video poker. The best-known names include The Bicycle Hotel and Casino (otherwise known as ‘The Bike’), Hollywood Park Casino, and Commerce.
If a choice is not a priority, then perhaps you might like to visit North Carolina. According to the casinos.us list, it has just two casinos available. A search on Google suggests there may be one or two more in the form of bingo halls. But absolute casino properties are the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino.
Enjoy Casino Action
With such a variety of casino properties to enjoy, the only remaining point is to remind you to gamble sensibly. Gambling is a form of entertainment, and so long as you play within your limits, you will get the maximum enjoyment from your time at the tables or the slot machines.
