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The first pit stop for visitors in Las Vegas is usually a casino as this is the city where you can find the world's best slots and the best online casinos. There are a lot of other cities in the world that try to compete with Vegas, but very few will come close to the ambiance of The Strip.
As all the bells and whistles might get a bit overwhelming most visitors tend to forget (or not even care) about the enormous house edge casinos hold against their visitors. Let's not forget that a lot of slot machines in Vegas offer paybacks between 75% and 98% — meaning that for every dollar a player spends, he or she will only get between 75 and 98 cents in return. Just to mention: in online casinos this so-called Return To Player (RTP) is usually set somewhere between 93% and 98%, meaning gamblers in Las Vegas stand a lot less chance against the house.
It is even quite rare to find Las Vegas casinos advertising their slot odds to their visitors, which is a major drawback if you ask us. We would, therefore, encourage you to always first check out the RTP of a slot machine before you start playing for real money. As we're here to help we got you a list of 5 Vegas casinos that actually do tend to pay out a lot more than their competitors. This way you're fully prepared for your upcoming stay in the Entertainment Capital of the World. Have fun and make sure you earn some good bucks!
The top 5 most paying Vegas casinos
Megabucks
IGT's Megabucks has continued to pay enormous life-changing jackpots for close to two decades. Their slogan has always remained ‘Dream big. Win big'. They have a network of slot machines that they have linked all around Nevada. Megabucks boasts of a top prize that they build from a $10 million base amount. Players only have to spend $1 for a spin. However, if you are looking to win the top amount, you have to use $3. Although this sounds like an expensive investment, imagine leaving the casino with millions worth of winnings.
Megabucks boast that it paid the biggest slot jackpots in the history of Vegas. One of its lucky winners was Trinidad Torres. She is a 78-year-old from Utah who played $100 and managed to win over $10 million in the jackpot. She plans to use the winnings to travel to the Philippines and get a yellow Mustang.
Mandalay Bay
They have a gaming area with more than 1,700 video poker and slot games. It also features table games such as Baccarat, roulette and blackjack. They have a big 17-screen race and sports book with some of the biggest screens in the city. It also gives a plush VIP booth for extravagant spenders. The casino is known for offering some of the biggest jackpots to players.
Excalibur
More than a decade ago, a 25-year-old software engineer who was a Los Angeles Resident, managed to clinch the city's biggest jackpot on a slot. He played a $100 on the Megabucks machine. The reward was nearly $40 million for this young man. Is there a better investment than this?
Caesars Palace
This is a classic casino in Las Vegas that is also known for its upscale atmosphere. It is the place where you can find high limit games, including table games such as baccarat and blackjack, and test your luck. Those who fancy poker games can enjoy their 16-table poker room that comes with Wi-Fi and USB ports for charging. You will also find a race and sportsbook that offers numerous games to watch and bet on. This might be the place where you finally get to fulfill your dreams by winning a massive jackpot. A 49-year-old man from Illinois who described himself as a self-employed consultant used a $10 bill into the Megabucks machine and managed to hit a multimillion-dollar jackpot. This was also on his first spin too.
Aria Resort and Casino
This sophisticated and sleek casino has over 150,000 sq feet of gaming space. In it, you will find 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines. If you love gambling, try your luck at craps, baccarat, roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold'em, among others. The casino Aria is popular with poker players. It has a luxurious 24-table room exclusive for poker playing. They offer tournaments twice per day.
One woman was visiting her niece who lives in Las Vegas and decided to visit this casino. She tried her luck on the Megabucks slot machine by dropping $6. When the winning symbols appeared, she thought that the machine had broken down. It was her daughter who clarified things for her. She had won more than $12 million on that jackpot. What is more, four months later, another lucky player managed to win $10 million in another jackpot. Maybe it would be worth booking a room in this hotel and trying your luck in their Megabucks slot machine.
If you are resident of or visiting Las Vegas, why not pay a visit to any of the above casinos and try your luck. Who knows, you might become the next biggest winner.
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Every year sees 40 million visitors touch down in Las Vegas. When they arrive, the bulk will call The Strip their home away from home during their time in Sin City.
For most, that means a dizzying array of world-class entertainment running around the clock, casino gambling options more bountiful than anywhere on Earth, wining and dining and all the rest. With 28 different casino resorts operating on The Strip, it takes some truly bad luck to wind up staying somewhere that doesn't live up to the hype.
The Wynn, the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, the Aria, and the Venetian are all bona fide must-see attractions for every Las Vegas visitor, which is why they made my list of the top seven casinos on The Strip. And while these venues might cost a little more than their more budget-friendly competitors, paying a premium to enjoy the very best Las Vegas has to offer is definitely worth it.
But during my most recent trip to The Strip, which afforded me enough time to visit all 28 casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, I saw the other end of the spectrum up close and personal. You have the mid-tier casino contenders, or the seven casinos that provide a perfectly enjoyable experience while allowing guests to save a few bucks.
Then there's The Strip's disappointing duds, seven properties that seem to be stuck in the neutral, basking in their 90's reputation while refusing to evolve with the times.
The 14 casinos which make up The Strip's middle ground each have their selling points, along with clear and unmistakable drawbacks which can't be ignored.
Unfortunately, that leaves seven casino resorts to round out the list. This bunch really represents the bottom of the barrel. While it pains me even to remember my time touring the seven dreadful dumps listed below, it's my duty to warn readers about why they should stay away.
22 – Best Western Plus/Casino Royale
To be fair, the Best Western Plus/Casino Royale doesn't pretend to be anything else but what it is – a low-rent option for thrifty visitors to The Strip.
With that in mind, if all you're looking for in accommodations is a decent bed and the basic amenities, the price is right at Best Western Plus/Casino Royale.
On the other hand, this property sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the splendor and extravagance that defines The Strip in the minds of most. This is nothing more than a standard economy hotel that might be found anywhere in suburban America, but it somehow occupies valuable real estate along Las Vegas Boulevard.
I don't know about you, but without spectacular views from a hotel tower, huge swimming pools that double as a place to party, and an abundance of restaurants, bars, retail outlets, and onsite entertainment, you might as well be staying in any random hotel chain found off The Strip.
The same feeling that something essential is missing permeates the tiny Casino Royale as well. This 17,000 square foot 'mini-casino' has far less to offer than the tribal gambling halls scattered throughout the rest of the Southwest.
You'll find only four table games spread at Casino Royale – blackjack, craps, roulette, and Three Card Poker. And while 300 slot machines are clustered closely around the cramped floor, Casino Royale only has video poker built into the bar.
The reason Best Western Plus/Casino Royale earned the top spot on this list is simple. With no resort fees and free parking, this place makes it possible for budget-focused guests to pinch pennies.
Knowing you won't be stuck with surprise surcharges at every turn provides valuable peace of mind. It's especially true given the bait and switch tactics employed by the corporate-owned casinos to come.
23 – Mandalay Bay
I really wanted to love the Mandalay Bay, one of the last casino resorts to open its doors in The Strip's glory days of the ‘90s.
But even as one of MGM Resorts' supposed crown jewels since 1999, the Mandalay Bay remains stuck in the past in all the worst ways. Immediately after arriving to check in, I realized I'd be in for a tough time in terms of customer service. It was a scene that multiple one-star Yelp reviews can confirm. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that my mobile check-in attempt using the app failed to go through.
Adopting new technologies to streamline the customer's experience is an admirable goal, but only if the implementation is successful. In this case, it hasn't been. So, I joined a group of fellow guests whose mobile check-ins were a miss and stood in line for an hour to do it the old-fashioned way.
Naturally, despite it being 30 minutes past the advertised check-in time of 3:00 p.m., the desk agent told me, my room—which I had reserved months before, mind you—wasn't ready to enter.
The experience didn't get any better from there. The room was still looking disheveled when I walked in, room service meals ran into the triple-digits for a basic two-person meal, and there was a hair-trigger sensor on the mini-bar fridge.
After spending a wholly uneventful two days at Mandalay Bay—the casino is nothing special, while the once amazing pool has been rendered unusable with 'cabana fees'—I was hit hard with $124 in additional fees for using the mini-bar. The only thing is, I never touched a single packet of $7 cheese crisps or a tiny $10 shot of Hennessy.
What I did do, however, is gently place my backpack on top of the cabinet which houses the mini-bar fridge. That was enough to nudge the contents contained inside, triggering that overly sensitive sensor and marking me down for a litany of overpriced snacks and drinks.
Despite personally showing a member of Mandalay Bay's staff that the bottlecaps were still intact, and the wrappers remained untorn, they stubbornly refused to remove the charges. I've flagged them as fraudulent with my bank, so here's hoping on that front, but that ridiculous rip-off also forced me to flag Mandalay Bay as one of The Strip's seven dreadful dumps.
24 – Paris
Another property to open in 1999, the Paris Hotel & Casino was at one point a top destination on The Strip.
The iconic Eiffel Tower recreation out front houses an elite fine dining restaurant, while also offering one of the best views anywhere on The Strip in the observation deck. The French theme allowed for an array of high-end European shopping outlets, and culinary delights from Michelin star chefs. And the Caesars Entertainment operated casino was known for its low limits, generous odds, and high payback percentages on the machines.
My how things have changed…
Today, beware booking a room boasting the famous Eiffel Tower view. This view costs a whole lot more. And while it's fine by day, you'll be blasted by techno rave music from the nearby nightclub all night long.
To cap off my misery, the staff here at Paris were just about as rude as any I've yet encountered in Sin City. Dismissive smirks when you ask simple questions, excessive hoops to jump through just to get a coffee maker delivered to the room, and the same mobile check-in failures found at the Mandalay Bay make Paris a pure disappointment.
25 – Bally's
I won't waste any more time than I need to discuss the disaster that is Bally's.
After waiting around for 15 minutes just for a desk agent to show up—not to finish checking other guests in, simply to arrive and get to work—I received a room key that didn't work. After hoofing it back downstairs to get one that did, I opened the door to find one of the worst odors I've ever smelled.
It took an hour or so of haggling just to get switched to a new room, which doesn't make much sense given how empty this place was during what should've been a busy weekend. And when I found mold in the new room too, I firmly requested a refund and high-tailed it out of Bally's, never to return.
26 – Mirage
The Mirage used to be a legitimate Las Vegas destination, with Siegfried and Roy wowing audiences with their tigers and magic, and an immaculate casino that set the standard upon opening in 1989.
But the tigers are long gone—save a few sad holdovers confined to the world's sorriest zoo—and the casino doesn't appear to have been updated in 30 years.
What I hated most about The Mirage, however, was the 'surge pricing' used by bars and gift shops to shaft guests. Buy your booze or snacks during a set downtime, and they'll only be overpriced to the usual tune. Purchase them during 'peak hours' though, and you'll suddenly see the exact same selection double or even triple in cost.
27 – Stratosphere
The Stratosphere does manage to evoke its outer space theme, but only because it's so dark and empty.
Room rates here can drop into the teens ($13-$19 on weekdays, plus a resort fee), which should clue you in just to how awful the Stratosphere really is.
28 – Circus Circus
Picture a parody of a casino designed to be grotesque in every way, and you'll know what Circus Circus is all about.
I realize kids come to Las Vegas along with their parents, and they need a source of entertainment too, but focusing your entire property on carnival games is a bad look.
Everywhere you turn, you'll see young children standing in clouds of cigarette smoke, shameless salesman trying to hawk overpriced toys, and parents guzzling tall cans while their little ones look on – making for a truly depressing scene throughout.
Throw in carpets with stains that seem a century old and staff members who don't have the slightest problem when it comes to ignoring guests. The Circus Circus earns every bit of its last-place ranking on this list.
Conclusion
Las Vegas Casino Reviews
Every so often, your pat 20 at the blackjack table will be beaten when the dealer flips over an Ace and a face. Now and then, you'll spin the slots 20 times in a row and lose them all, burning through $100 before you can blink. And if you're in town playing a poker tournament, pocket Aces can get cracked more often than you can count.
Losing is part and parcel of gambling at any Las Vegas casino, which is why visitors should always try their best to book accommodations at a resort that makes the guest feel like a winner, nonetheless.
Best Casinos In Las Vegas
When you stay at any of the seven casinos listed here, you'll experience the opposite effect with the lack of amenities, exorbitant prices, and subpar service leaving you feeling like a loser even if you happen to hit the jackpot.
