How Many Casinos Are There in Las Vegas?

Will We Ever Know the Answer?

Here’s the thing. The term “casino” is squishier than you’d think. If you’re imagining chandeliers, velvet ropes, and the scent of filtered air mixed with regret, you’re thinking of major casinos. But, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (the parental figure of all things neon and dice-shaped), a casino is any spot with more than 15 gambling machines. That includes your local grimy tavern with sad video poker screens and $2 tacos. It does not include sportsbooks, bingo halls, or the five lonely slot machines at Smith’s, which—fun fact for non-locals—is our grocery store and not a guy’s house.

So, depending on who you ask, Las Vegas has anywhere from 60 to 150+ casinos. That’s not a typo. Over 150 places where you can legally play for real money. But let’s zoom in on the part that most people care about—the Las Vegas Strip, aka Disneyland for people with money burn and livers that haven’t quite said “we’ve had enough” yet.

 

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The Strip is home to 31 casinos, give or take, depending on how you define “on the Strip” (and whether you count casinos that have been “under renovation” since Obama was in office). These 31 are the heavy hitters. The Beyoncé-level venues. The ones that generate half of Nevada’s total gambling revenue, according to actual real data and not just the vibes.

It’s only about four miles long, but don’t let that fool you—walking the entire Strip is not for the weak. You will get blisters. You will end up at Walgreens at midnight trying to buy a gallon of water and Tums. You will see someone dressed like Pikachu holding a Michelob Ultra and possibly a car or two wrapped around a light pole. That’s just part of the casino news cycle here.

 

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The Best Casinos on the Strip

Let’s fight about it for a sec. Here are the top five most iconic casinos in Las Vegas, and no, I will not be taking feedback unless it’s delivered by a showgirl in full headdress, looking xanned out on a bar top.

1. Bellagio

The moment the fountains go off to a Celine Dion song, you know you’re in the presence of a diva. Bellagio is classy, expensive, and a great place to wake up hungover.

 

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2. Caesars Palace

This is where you go when you want to feel like an emperor who also has a crippling sports betting habit. The vibes are imperial. The ceilings are high. The drinks are strong. And if you’ve ever ended a night crying in the Forum Shops, you’re not alone.

3. MGM Grand

A behemoth. A beast. A place I swindled my way into free parking for a year. You could live in MGM Grand for years and never find the exit. It has everything: concerts, boxing matches, overpriced nachos, and 171 kinds of slots.

4. The Cosmopolitan

Cosmo is for people who wear designer sunglasses indoors and somehow look good doing it (or for swingers, let’s be real). If you’ve ever wanted to eat a $25 sushi roll while watching someone win $10,000 on Wheel of Fortune, welcome home.

 

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5. The Venetian

Want to feel like you’re gambling in Italy while still surrounded by frat boys on scooters? The Venetian has gondolas, vaulted ceilings, and a tragic amount of bachelor parties. It’s iconic because it refuses not to be.

Don’t Try to Hit Every Casino in Vegas

So yeah, how many casinos are in Las Vegas? A lot. Probably more than there should be. Definitely more than any other place in the US. And because gambling regulations here are both strict and deeply confusing, that number will keep shifting like a drunk guy at the craps table. Whether you’re chasing comps, pretending you know how blackjack works, or just there to marvel at how expensive everything is, Vegas will always be the casino capital of the world.

 

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But if for some reason you’re not feeling it and still want to get your gamble on, you can check out our online casino (which comes with all the action, but less of the impossibly long parking lines).

So go forth. Gamble responsibly. Hydrate. And for the love of God, don’t try to hit every casino in one trip. That’s how people end up on the news.