The 7 Most Famous USA Casinos

The United States has experienced a casino explosion due to laxer gambling laws and states' increasing desire to cash in on gambling. The only states that are without casinos now are Alaska, Hawaii, and New Hampshire.

With so much gambling saturation, it's become difficult to separate one casino from the next. But some casinos still stand out either due to their sheer size or place in history.

That being said, let's discuss the 7 most famous casinos in the USA.

1. The Wynn Las Vegas

Opened in 2005, the Wynn is one of the world's premier luxury casino resorts and has attained 5 star reviews from many prominent publications.

The Wynn also features a second resort attached to it called Encore, which has even more luxurious suites.

Some of the Wynn's notable features include 2,716 hotel rooms with 4,750 rooms when you include Encore, an indoor botanical garden, a spa, theater, and a golf course, which is the only 18 hole course on the Vegas Strip.

This resort also offers a number of restaurants, including Costa di Mare, Muzimi, and Lakeside. You'll find dozens of retail stores here too like Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta, and Rolex.

Aside from all its offerings, the Wynn's chairman, Steven Wynn has furthered the casino's fame by making so many headlines. From his legal fights with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to sizable donations to politicians, Wynn has generated a lot of buzz over the years.

2. Caesars Palace

Caesars has done an excellent job at developing their brand, which is one reason why it's easy to recognize their flagship property, Caesars Palace.

Opened in 1966, this Las Vegas casino has been used in numerous movies over the years, including Rocky III in 1982, Rain Man in 1988, Ocean's Eleven in 2001, Iron Man in 2008, The Hangover in 2009, and The Hangover Part III in 2013.

Caesars Palace has also played host to some of the biggest boxing matches in history, and performers like Cher, Celine Dion, David Copperfield, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Rod Stewart.

Notable features of Caesars Palace include swimming pools that are fashioned after Roman baths, Roman statues throughout the halls, the Pussycat Dolls Lounge, and the Forum Shops mall.

The latter is especially impressive because the Forum Shops span over 630,000 square feet and make more money than any other mall in America.

3. Foxwoods Resort Casino

Located in Ledyard Connecticut, Foxwoods was opened in 1986 as a bingo hall. This 4,000 seat venue remains the largest bingo hall in the world.

But bingo isn't why Foxwoods is so famous.

After adding slot machines and table games in 1993, Foxwoods experienced a rapid popularity increase that gave them the funds to continue expanding.

Their casino now spans 340,000 square feet, giving Foxwoods the world's biggest casino too. Inside, players will find over 4,700 slot machines, 380 table games, and a large poker room.

Beyond gambling, Foxwoods Resort features 2,226 hotel rooms, a two story arcade, theater, spa, and over a dozen restaurants

Unfortunately, Foxwoods went through some severe money troubles in 2012 with $2.3 billion in debt. But the end of the American recession has helped the resort regain some of its previous success.

4. Binion's

Binion's isn't the biggest casino on this list. In fact, it doesn't even have a hotel anymore because it closed in 2009.

But Binion's has more history than almost every other casino in the US.

This old Las Vegas casino got its start in 1951, when Benny Binion bought the Eldorado Club and rebranded it into Binion's Horseshoe Casino.

Binion's Horseshoe Casino quickly became famous for its high limit tables, which reached $500. This doesn't sound like much today, but it was 10 times higher than max bets at any other Vegas casino at the time.

The casino's high limit tables would eventually reach $10,000 and beyond, which made it the premier spot for high rollers.

In 1970, Binion's Horseshoe began hosting the World Series of Poker WSOP. This famed poker event remained at Binion's until moving to the Rio All Suites Casino in 2005.

Binion's ran into financial troubles in 2004, even closing for a few days before Harrah's purchased the casino from the Binion family.

Today the property is owned by TLC Casino Enterprises and is easily recognizable by its neon lights and classic feel.

5. The Venetian

Owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation; the Venetian lives up to its name by featuring canals and gondolas. You'll also see a lot of Italian architecture inside that completes the theme.

The sheer size of this resort and casino is also impressive.

The Venetian hotel complex, which includes the Sands Expo Convention Center and the Palazzo, features 7,117 rooms, making it the second largest hotel. The only bigger hotel belongs to its sister resort, the Venetian Macao.

Notable attractions in the Venetian include the Asian inspired TAO Nightclub, Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, Cantor Race & Sportsbook, a 120,000 square foot casino, and the Canal Shoppes.

As for the Canal Shoppes, you can take a gondola to visit over 100 stores, including Armani, Art of Venice, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, and Tommy Bahama.

6. MGM Grand Las Vegas

One aspect that makes MGM Grand stand out is its size because it features 6,852 hotel rooms along with a 171,500 square foot casino. The hotel is the third largest in the world – behind the Venetian and Venetian Macao – and the casino is the biggest in Clark County, NV.

MGM Grand has also done a great job of branding because their mascot, Leo the Lion, is recognizable to many Las Vegas visitors.

Another notable feature of this casino is its water complex, which has waterfalls, rivers, and five swimming pools.

Other features of MGM Grand include a 380 square foot convention center, Garden Arena, the Grand Spa, restaurants shops, and a spa.

7. The Borgata

Times have been tough for Atlantic City in recent years, but one casino that continues to excel in the once proud gambling destination is the Borgata. Opened in 2003, the Borgata has led Atlantic City in revenue since its inception.

One reason why the Borgata stands out is because it has more resort offerings than any hotel casino in the area. The Borgata was the first Atlantic City to embrace the resort aspect by offering 5 star restaurants like Bobby Flay Steak and the Wolfgang Puck American Grille, nightclubs, a spa, and entertainment.

The spa is especially notable because it spans 54,000 square feet and offers a barbershop, fitness center, pool, and salon.

In 2013, the Borgata earned some infamy when 22 cocktail waitresses launched a lawsuit against the resort for creating a "culture of humiliation and harassment" with their dress code. The lawsuit was initially dismissed, but half of the servers have been allowed to pursue the case.

The Borgata has also been featured on several TV shows, including Impractical Jokers, The Bounty Hunter, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and The Sopranos.

Conclusion

Considering that Las Vegas is a world famous gambling destination, it's no surprise that five Vegas casinos have made this list.

The Wynn is not only notable for its luxury suites and 18 hole golf course, but also for the fact that its owner has a knack for grabbing headlines.

Caesars Palace has done a good job of fitting their Roman theme through architecture and statures. This iconic look is a big reason why Caesars has been featured in more movies than any other casino.

The Venetian and MGM Grand also have unique looks coupled with size that earns them additional fame.

But Binion's has proven that size isn't the only thing that matters because their long history and classic décor makes it one of the USA's most noteworthy casinos.

Foxwoods and the Borgata are the two non-Vegas destinations to make this list.

Foxwoods shows that you can put a mega casino resort in a rural destination and still be successful. The Borgata has managed to buck the declining trend of Atlantic City through impressive amenities and hotel offerings.

With so many new casinos springing up in America, it'll be interesting to see which new casino resorts become famous one day.