The Most Exclusive High Stakes Casinos in the World
When the rich and famous go to the casino, they want to be treated like royalty – and that’s only natural. If you’re playing for high stakes and aiming for huge jackpots, casinos will offer luxurious incentives to keep you gambling. These include exclusive VIP areas where celebrities and other high-rollers hang out. There are also no deposit-free spins that you can go for.
They’ll also offer generous comps, which are basically complimentary items given out by casinos to encourage players to gamble more. They include concert tickets, gourmet meals or even free rooms in the hotel next door. It’s just part of the favourable treatment you get if you put your money where your mouth is on the table.
Let’s take a look at five casinos which go all out to treat high-rollers.
The Ritz Club, London Piccadilly
While the Ritz Hotel has been around for over a hundred years, the exclusive casino is a much newer edition. In 1977, the Mecca Group leased the basement of the building and quickly founded the very exclusive Ritz Club casino which now offers round-the-clock play, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Owned by the Barclay brothers and tipped to be worth around £200m, this is a members-only establishment which carries a joining fee of £1,000. Once on board, players can look forward to all of the luxury that is associated with the hotel in the heart of London’s Piccadilly. On hand, there are 111 rooms and 23 suites with prices that are as luxurious as the accommodation itself.
The available games here include roulette, blackjack, stud poker and punto banco
The highest rollers in the building enjoy even more exclusive access in the Salles Prives – private gaming rooms, one of which carries a minimum stake of £1m.
Aspinalls, London Mayfair
John Aspinall was a major figure in the world of casino play and had previously opened the notorious Clermont Club. With a rich history linked to the early days of casino gaming – when it was reserved for nobility only – this was a much sought-after gambling venue in London before it closed in March 2018.
Aspinall’s second venture, the eponymous Aspinalls, opened in the 1960s in London’s Mayfair and is said to be even more exclusive. The joining fee here is set at £1,000 but prospective new players must be proposed by an existing member. Once past that barrier, there is plenty of capacity here with a number of VIP rooms that can each hold up to 25 players at any one time. Poker is a big focus here but members can also enjoy blackjack, baccarat, roulette and slot machines.
As well as its wonderful restaurant, Aspinalls is also renowned for its number of craps tables, which sets it apart from other casinos in London. It’s a fun game played with two dice, where you’re aiming to roll a 7 or 11. This game of chance carries the excitement of roulette, as you’re only ever a whisker away from a potentially huge jackpot. But you need to find out how to play before you take to the craps tables at Aspinalls. It’s not a place for rookies.
Thankfully, there’s a comprehensive guide to craps out there that will show you not only the basic rules of the game but also the best betting strategies so you come away with the biggest winnings. It’s by John Grochowski, a prominent gambling author and columnist, who sure knows his stuff when it comes to getting the most from this classic casino game. Find out how to play craps and then put your skills to the test among the best.
The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
No casino review would be complete without a trip to Vegas – still the casino capital of the world for many gamblers. There are numerous venues to play but for exclusivity, it’s hard to match the qualities of the Cosmopolitan.
Located right on Las Vegas Boulevard, this is actually one of the newer venues here having first opened its doors to customers as recently as 2010. In a short space of time and in a crowded market, it has beaten off the competition to become known as a high roller’s paradise.
The first thing to note is that the Cosmopolitan is vast, with over 100,000 square feet of floor space and a capacity for thousands of players at any time. Like many of its Vegas contemporaries, the slots tend to dominate here but there is lots of choice when it comes to table play including poker, blackjack and roulette.
In addition to its extensive VIP offerings, high rollers can also get exclusive rewards and earn points for every dollar they spend on the tables with a Cosmopolitan Identity membership. On-site amenities include hot tubs, tennis courts and high-class restaurants and along with its exclusive hotel suites, the venue provides opulent surroundings to back up the high stakes and high-rolling casino play.
Sun City, North West Province, South Africa
Sun City is a popular tourist destination in modern South Africa – and its casino is highly regarded as one of the best places to play for high-roller clients looking for that added luxury.
The resort was first opened in 1979 and among the many attractions here are four hotels and two world-class golf courses including the Gary Player Country Club which is home to top tournaments attracting the world’s best golfers.
But it’s the casino that is the destination for high-stakes players: In fact, there are two venues here the Jungle Casino and the more opulent Sun City Hotel Casino. The Sun City location boasts 330 slot machines, many of which come with progressive jackpots while the most popular table games are blackjack, poker, punto banco and the American variant of roulette.
Sun City is the location for high rollers, with $1m stakes a regular occurrence, while the Jungle Casino is marginally smaller with 250 slots and fewer progressive jackpots. While this is very much an exclusive gambling location, Sun City offers gaming lessons, so beginners can come along and dream of playing with the big guns. And the big guns around here generally hold Sun MVG cards which entitles them to exclusive access to the Salon Prive (where minimum bets start at 500R) and VIP gaming.
The Venetian, Macao
Behind the obvious choice of Las Vegas, the Chinese city of Macao would lay a tangible claim to be the best tourist destination in the world when it comes to casino play. This Venetian is actually a sister version of a site in Vegas but this is considered by the high-roller players to be the more luxurious of the two.
The venue opened its doors to the public in August 2008 and as well as being known as a high-stakes location, it is simply vast. Here, players will find no fewer than 9,800,000 square metres of floor space on the exclusive Cotai Strip and the gaming area has 3,000 rooms which contain over 800 tables and a staggering 3,400 slot machines. But don’t worry, there are also some exclusive high-stakes areas reserved for VIPs – and the finest luxury suites in Asia.
Slots are obviously a key feature and many have progressive jackpots with seven-figure sums at stake but no one game really dominates at the Venetian. Blackjack, roulette and all variants of poker are here along with Punto Banco and craps so it’s a site that will suit all players. Minimum stakes on the tables start at $200 and go all the way up to $2,000 in the high-limit Ruby Room. In slots, it starts at two cents.
So there you have it – these are the most exclusive high stakes casinos in the world. Check out these high-class gambling hubs if you’re looking to be treated like nobility at the tables and go up against high rollers at every opportunity.
