The Sunday Six: Gambling Cities

1: Las Vegas

Founded by gangsters in the middle of the desert, Las Vegas is one of the more surreal fun emporiums on this earth – with travelators running through the vast casinos and over the streets for everyone too lazy to walk. Though the whales will play high stakes blackjack games, for most Vegas is more about slots, booze and parties.

2: Macau

Once Portugal’s answer to Hong Kong, now a Chinese special administrative region, Macau has all the glitz of Vegas with a uniquely Asian approach to bling. The Chinese are some of the most serious gamblers on the planet, and a status conscious culture, with more billionaires than anywhere on earth. Macau has style to match.

3: London

Relatively recent deregulation has transformed London’s gaming scene. But for many the appeal of London still lies in its traditional, old school, upper class clubs, where high stakes backgammon is played between gentlemen, on gentlemen’s rules, or the newer generation elite members clubs.

4: Monte Carlo

Did the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo get a casino bonus? Ask the good folk of Monaco, an independent principality that’s the second smallest country in the world. Southern French climes, classical glamour and one of those friendly tax regimes make this a Eurotrash destination par excellence.

5: San Juan

The capital of the Caribbean island nation of Puerto Rico, San Juan was once a destination for the Rat Pack. Today, with megacasinos set in many of its big hotels, it offers all the tropical attractions of sun, sea and sand for those who are tired of gaming.

6: Sun City

Not, actually, a city, but a resort, this South African enclave had its origins during the apartheid years, when its surrounding territory was known as Bophuthatswana and gaming was banned in the rest of the country. Today, the croupiers still function, but it’s more a family tourist experience than a den of adult fun.

Thanks to Toni Lozano for the roulette wheel image, sourced via Wikimedia Commons.