If all you know of casinos is Las Vegas and Atlantic City, you’re missing out. All over the world, in strange locations, people inspired by luxury and the promise of winning big built casinos. These 5 weird casinos show that you can build one almost anywhere. From rain forests to frozen tundras, a casino doesn’t need neon lights and a boardwalk to be a destination, it just needs a few gamblers.
Desert Cave Hotel & Casino. Coober Pedy, Australia. The town of Coober Pedy is a strange enough place on its own. Eighty percent of the residents live underground in homes they carved from the limestone landscape. Their subterranean homes help to protect them from the harsh summer temperatures in South Australia. There’s a grassless golf course, they filmed Pitch Black there, and it’s the opal capital of the world. They also have an underground casino and hotel. The stylish hotel offers guest rooms both above and below ground, but the game rooms, and restaurants are all below ground. (x)
Casino Jet Lounge. France. While it’s still just an awesome idea, this may be the casino of the future. AirJet Designs teamed up with Designescence to create the luxury travel idea of the future. Various airlines, including Virgin, have toyed with the idea to put casinos on their planes, but no one has yet executed the concept. The Casino Jet Lounge is a callback to the glamour of air travel in the 50s and 60s and the designers name-checked James Bond as a style inspiration. The concept art is cool, with futuristic seating, subdued lighting, and glamour to spare. (x)
Casino. Esperanza Base Station, Antarctica. All the “cities” of the southernmost continent are research bases staffed by countries from all over the world. There are no year-round residents in those cities, and across the entire continent the population booms at 1,000 in the summer and dwindles to 200 in the winter. Those people still know how to have fun, however. In the Argentinian base of Esperanza, there are several permanent structures, including a school, a hospital, and church. Over the backdoor of the church there’s a hand-painted sign that reads “Casino.” The room also serves as the community center. (x)
Sun City Casino Resort. South Africa. Another casino in an exotic location that’s a little less… exotic, the Sun City pairs the adventure of safari with casino luxury. Lush forests and grass covered ground surround the hotel, giving it a feeling of luxury and privacy. They offer 33 tables of games, and almost a thousand slot machines. The rooms range from standard hotel rooms, to cabanas for families, and the extravagant Palace of the Lost City, with its maze, water park, and zipline. The casino’s just two hours from Johannesburg, and you can spend your days on safari and your nights playing baccarat.(x)
Resorts World Genting. Panhang, Malaysia. This resort stands out in technicolor glory on top of the mile-high peak of Mount Ulu Kali. It’s difficult to get to; You can drive an hour from Kuala Lumpur or take one of the cable cars just 15 minutes through the rainforest. Once you make it to the peak, stay in one of six hotels while visiting the only casino in Malaysia. It has two outlets in the resort, Genting Casino and SkyCasino. There’s also a theme park, a cineplex, a showroom, and a concert hall with a capacity of 5,000. The hotel views of the surrounding landscape alone is worth booking a room. (x)
And if the above don’t do it for you, you can try these casinos…