The United States of America is well known for its casinos. Gambling halls began when the US was being colonised, popping up in remote places as a way of keeping hard working men entertained. Casinos in the United States can be credited with giving birth to some of the most popular casino games and rituals that we know today, including the one armed bandit that eventually evolved into today’s slot machine.
Two main cities have become known for their casinos, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Las Vegas was just a dusty little town on a little used road in the Nevada desert before it got its first casino, and now is one of the most popular destinations in the world. Riverboat casinos have become a household name in the south due to gambling laws that state that all casino games must be over water. The range of casinos in United States is huge, from massive complexes in Las Vegas, to quaint riverboat casinos in Missouri, to First Nation casinos in Michigan. Casinos in United States play a large part of the country’s history and will continue to play a large part of its future.
Pechanga Resort and Casino
Named the best casino in the United States, Pechanga Resort and Casino is a First Nations casino located in Temecula, California. It is located on an Indian reserve and is the largest casino in the state of California. Relatively new, it opened its doors in 2002; the whole resort was designed to highlight the culture of the Pechanga Indians.
The complex consists of an 185 000 square foot casino floor, a 1200 seat showroom, 522 room hotel, convention centre, cabaret lounge and seven restaurants. It is a great example of the size and opulence of casinos in United States. The casino floor is larger than the famous MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It features 3400 Vegas style slot machines and another 300 plus machines in a separate non smoking floor. 130 table games offer everything from Poker to roulette. The hotel has its own golf course, Spa and fitness centre.
The Golden Gate Casino
The Golden Gate casino is located on Fremont Street, Las Vegas. It was one of the first casinos to open its door in Las Vegas when the town was little more than a dusty stopover. Now 110 years old, the casino still exists and offers patrons a choice of table games and slot machines. It is the oldest and smallest hotel in the Fremont Street Experience.
Originally it opened as the Hotel Nevada and was assigned Las Vegas’ first telephone with the number 1. It changed its name many times, becoming the Golden Gate in 1955, and only being renovated in 2005. Today the Golden Gate is famous for its scantily clad dancing dealers and being the first hotel and casino to invent the Shrimp Cocktail. The hotel has increased its rooms to 122, 106 of which are still the original ones from 1906. The casino floor is 35 000 square feet and has a number of slot machines and table games including a high limits room. Its bar is called Bar Prohibition and is the same place where Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jnr once drank. There is only one onsite restaurant that serves a la carte food; the other eatery is a deli that offers the famous Original Shrimp Cocktail.
