Which Caribbean Islands have Casinos?
Except for Cuba, all Caribbean islands have casinos. This is mainly due to gambling being legal in every country that makes up the Caribbean and other services provided by these establishments, making them a popular destination for tourists from across the globe. Most casinos are open 24 hours a day and offer a variety of games and gaming machines.
If you want to visit the Caribbean and gamble, here are some of the islands that will suit your needs.
The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic has many casinos and also offers the best online gambling in Latin America. One of the largest casinos is at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, located on the northeast coast of Hispaniola island. It has all kinds of gaming tables and about 1000 slot machines, as well as restaurants and bars. The hotel’s motto is: “If you’re going to do it, do it with the Hard Rock.”
Aruba
The Hedo Hotel & Casino on Aruba has all kinds of gambling areas like table games and slot machines. All casinos in Aruba are open to locals as well as tourists from other countries.
Aruba is an independent island, but it has a special economic relationship with the Netherlands. Aruba’s government officially refers to gambling establishments as casinos rather than gaming clubs or casinos to distinguish itself from the other Caribbean islands.
Jamaica
Kingston in Jamaica and Port of Spain in Trinidad are the two islands that have casinos on the island itself.
Casinos in Jamaica include the Ocho Rios Bay Hotel & Casino and Montego Bay Convention Centre, located next to the Radisson hotel.
Jamaica has a special gambling license that allows the government to operate and control casino activities. There are also casinos in Negril, Montego Bay, Runaway Bay Country Club and Caymanas Park Country Club that private companies own. The latter was built in Jamaica’s capital Kingston but is now operated by Genting Group of Malaysia.
The Bahamas
Like in Jamaica, gambling is also controlled on the island of New Providence (Nassau) in The Bahamas. However, there are a few casinos outside that were built by private companies. These are located at Freeport and Paradise Island, which are popular tourist destinations.
Cayman Islands
The government of Cayman Islands runs the Grand Cayman casino. There is also a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that includes a small casino at sea. There are also several private casinos at Seven Mile Beach.
Antigua and Barbuda
There are two casinos in Antigua – Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Casino and the Coolidge International Airport, one of the largest casino buildings. Barbuda also has a small casino.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico contains six casinos that offer gambling services within the main island. There is also a cruise ship casino at sea that offers the most modern and advanced gaming services on a regular basis.
The British Virgin Islands
The main gambling establishment in The British Virgin Islands is the Princess Casino which opened in 2002, making it one of the newest casinos in the Caribbean. It has over 600 slot machines as well as other kinds of table games.
Other Caribbean Islands
There are dozens of small islands in the Caribbean that have casinos, but they do not compare to those on bigger and more popular islands due to their size. Aruba and Curacao are among the best locations for online gambling, considering that there are thousands of slot machines without a single land-based casino.
Gamblers of the Caribbean
Casinos in the Caribbean are pretty popular, but there aren’t as many as the ones you can find on the famous Las Vegas Strip. However, it is worth mentioning that there are plenty of other things to do in the Caribbean.
Smaller islands such as Saba Island, in the Netherlands Antilles, use casinos to make money, but they also have developing eco-tourism policies. Main tourist attractions include hiking trails, bird sanctuaries and other flora and fauna protected areas. The islands offer numerous water sports, diving with sharks and all-inclusive resorts.
Some islands are more famous for their beautiful beaches than casinos. Bonaire Island is a favourite destination for divers as it has one of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean. Other islands are famous for their unique and colourful buildings like the previously mentioned Saba Island with its Georgian-style architecture or even Anguilla, where you can find more British colonial remnants than anywhere else.
Cruises are the way to go for those who want to connect fun gambling and an all-inclusive tropical holiday! There’s a Royal Caribbean cruise line that offers you exactly this kind of adventure. On the cruise ships, a casino is a common and well-known entertainment place. Some casinos are also located on the ship’s deck, but most can be found inside the boat in almost every room.
The venues offer a broad selection of games, so there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Roulette, blackjack and craps are just a few of the casino games offered there. You can also find keno machines, slot machines, bingo and other lottery games in small gaming salons that look like standard bars or lounges.