Ranked here by resort score: the rooms, restaurants, pools, spas, golf and entertainment. Each review also carries a separate casino score for the gaming floor.
01Cable Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas
Three hotels, one beach and the largest casino in the Caribbean
The best resort in our set: exceptional beach, golf, spa and dining across three distinct hotels. The casino is beautiful and large, but only visitors may play and there is no confirmed live poker room.
Best for: Beach vacations, couples, golf, high-limit table players
02Sun City, North West Province, South Africa
A fantasy palace in the bushveld, with South Africa’s original casino resort next door
One of the most spectacular resort hotels in the world, with two championship golf courses and a Big Five game reserve on the doorstep. The Sun City casino is solid and well regulated but modest by international standards.
Best for: Bucket-list stays, golfers, safari add-ons, families
03Verona, New York, USA
Golf, spa and an 18-plus casino floor in the heart of upstate New York
The best-rounded tribal resort in our set, with real golf, an excellent spa and a well-run 32-table poker room. The partial-smoking floor and rural location cost it points.
Best for: Golfers, spa weekends, poker, 18-to-20-year-olds where legal
04Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA
The tribal casino that rewrote the map of American gaming
The deepest, most varied casino in our set, with a genuine poker room, a huge bingo hall and a smoke-free floor. The hotel side is solid rather than spectacular.
Best for: Poker players, bingo regulars, table-game variety, New York–Boston road trips
05Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Atlantic City’s tallest tower, with a sleek floor and a sky-high salon
The most modern hotel product in Atlantic City and a stylish, well-regulated casino with standout high-limit spaces. The lack of a confirmed live poker room holds its casino score back.
Best for: Boardwalk weekends, sports bettors, high-limit table players, nightlife
Every casino game has a built-in house edge. Set a budget and a time limit before you play, never chase losses, and stop if it stops being fun. Minimum ages depend on the jurisdiction.