The best casinos in the USA at a glance
The history of casinos in the USA dates back to the 17th century, when the first public casino was opened in Bad Ems in 1720. A significant moment in history occurred at the Bad Homburg casino when the double zero in roulette was abolished and celebrities started visiting the casino in large numbers. Despite an official ban on gambling from 1871 to 1933, the casinos regained their popularity after reopening and continue to be a stylish and elegant entertainment option today.
Casinos throughout USA
In contrast to Las Vegas, which is probably the most famous gathering place for casinos worldwide, the over 50 casinos in the USA are distributed across the individual states. With nine casinos, California is at the top in terms of numbers, while North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, has fewer casinos overall, but the largest one is Hohensyburg near Dortmund, offering a comprehensive entertainment program including casino games, comedy shows, gastronomy, and more.
Big and small game in casinos
There are two gaming options for casinos and gaming halls, the Big Game and the Small Game. For example, if a location has only the small game, it simply means that you can play slot machines here as a customer, but nothing else, while casinos with big game also have roulette, blackjack, and poker. They may also offer occasional poker tournaments, depending on the size of the house.
Slot machines, or the small game, can be found in pretty much all casinos, with Merkur’s yellow sun enjoying particular popularity as they symbolize slot machines from the Gauselmann Group. They typically involve more unconventional handling and etiquette. On the other hand, the big game in casinos usually comes with a completely different ambience, dress code, and behavior.
Legal situation regarding casinos in USA
Currently, each individual state in the USA is responsible for regulating casinos on its own. It is of paramount importance to prevent gambling addiction, enforce the minimum age requirement, and establish a financial authority that is both controlled and monitored.
The 2008 State Treaty on Gambling primarily focuses on offline casinos, which, despite controversy, have been the decisive factor for most federal states, except for Schleswig-Holstein. The treaty prioritizes the protection of young people and players, followed by the establishment of regulated gaming channels and prevention of fraudulent activities in this field.
The legal situation for online casinos is still unclear, which the attempt to carry out a licensing procedure with the help of a gambling college was declared a failure in the fall of 2015 and now everything is open again as far as licenses are concerned except for clear specifications in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
We have tested different casinos in different US states:
