Casinos around the world

26 January 2013

By John Marchel

Casinos are everywhere. In fact, today there are a total of 193 countries that belong to the United Nations, and in 2012 there were 164 countries that offer some type of gambling; casinos, horse racing or lotteries.

Currently, there are also about 170 cruise ships sailing around the world that have gambling on board. The U.S. alone now has just over 900 commercial and Indian casinos available to play in.

Whether you travel for business or for pleasure, a visit to a casino can be an attractive choice for the international traveler. Many casinos are located in resort areas, others are in major business and tourist cities. Europe, Asia, North and South Americas, Africa and the Middle East, Australasia, and the islands of the Pacific all have casinos with familiar games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps.

Some have games that are unique to their part of the world; others offer poker games similar to those found in card rooms in America. In many overseas casinos you need your passport to enter and some places they require a small entry fee. The U.S. has some very large casino facilities but, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Canada have very large casinos that can match those found in Las Vegas, the Gulf Coast and Atlantic City.

So, whatever part of the world you want to visit, there is probably a casino or some type of gambling waiting for you.

Bet You Didn't Know:

• The U.S. Playing Card Company of Cincinnati is the world’s largest manufacturer of playing cards. They supply cards to four out of five American households and distribute to more than 100 countries.

• It is well known that roulette was invented in France. Generally, the French terms for the game are replaced by English expressions in English-speaking countries. But in many casinos throughout the world, the game is conducted entirely in French even if it is not the national language.

• According to the U.S. Commerce Department, Las Vegas has almost 2 million visitors from foreign countries every year.

• Caesars (formally Harrah’s Entertainment) now owns or manages 52 casinos in seven different countries around the world.

• Visitors from foreign countries must be over 18 years old to gamble in Macau, but local residents must be over 21.

• Of the 20 countries in Western Europe with casinos, the U.K. leads with 118 facilities, followed by France with 115 and at the bottom, in a tie are Luxembourg and Finland, with only one casino in each country.