The Gambling Den – A Guide to the World’s Most Expensive Entertainment Destination

From the glittering Las Vegas strip to the illegal pai gow parlors of New York’s Chinatown, about 51 million people—more than a quarter of those over 21 in the United States—visited a casino last year. While some travelers travel the world with casinos on their bucket lists, others find them by accident, stumbling onto a gambling den that proves to be exactly what they need for a night of pure self-indulgence.

While nothing can quite out-Vegas Vegas, many of the world’s largest casinos strive to make up for it by offering an even more extravagant experience. Whether it’s rocking out on a loaner Fender guitar while checking out memorabilia from Taylor Swift or Guns N’ Roses at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, or taking in the sights of Macau’s LED dome while playing some blackjack and roulette, there’s something for every type of gambler.

Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently; this is why most casinos have a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department, which operates closed-circuit television. This system is referred to in the industry as “the eye in the sky.” The majority of casinos have this technology in place, but not all do, and some even rely on old-fashioned methods of keeping an eye on their patrons, such as having guards patrol the floor.