The Strip, Las Vegas

The Strip – officially, Las Vegas Boulevard – is home to 27 casinos. These casinos on the Strip are some of the most spectacular casinos you will ever see. You have probably heard of the Bellagio – that of the renowned fountains featured in numerous movies set in Las Vegas (e.g. Ocean’s Eleven). Bellagio is also host to the World Poker Tour. This hotel has a casino that’s nearly 160,000 square feet in area. It has around 2,440 machines. Aside from slots and video poker, it also offers race and sports wagering, table games and poker; the poker room occupies 7,000 square feet of the casino’s floor space.

On the Strip, you can also find the scaled down version of the Eiffel Tower. This is the landmark for which Paris Las Vegas, a casino/hotel operated by Harrah’s, is known. The mini-Eiffel tower is an exact, 1:2 reproduction of the original. Its 83,000-square-feet casino offers slots, table games, poker, keno, and race as well as sports betting.

Another noteworthy landmark on the Strip is the Stratosphere Tower of the Stratosphere Hotel. Standing at 1,149 feet, this is the tallest building in the city. The Stratosphere Tower is not only known for the spectacular view it offers of the Las Vegas skyline. It also has 3 tower-thrill rides. This hotel has an 80,000-square-feet casino with table games, sports book, poker, and the ubiquitous slot machines.

Other remarkable casinos along the Strip are the Luxor Las Vegas that is distinguished by the replica of the Sphinx and the Las Vegas Pyramid that shoots up a powerful beam of light at night; the Venetian Resort Hotel Venetian landmarks like the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge and the Campanile Tower; and the New York New York Hotel and Casino that offers a New York-like cityscape, including a reproduction of the Statue of Liberty.

Downtown Las Vegas

This is where you will find the oldest hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, which was built in 1906. The widespread and often over-the-top development on the Las Vegas Strip has seen the decline of the downtown area. Recently, however, downtown has seen a recent surge of popularity mainly due to the Fremont Street Experience – a gaming complex on Fremont St that has a large, high-resolution screen that is over five football fields in length for a canopy. The casinos in Fremont St, however, are also a great part of the attraction. Apart from the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, you will also find Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel, Fitz Casino and Hotel, Vegas Club, Golden Nugget and, the street’s namesake, Fremont Hotel and Casino.

The Strip versus Downtown Casinos
The Strip offers the widest range of entertainment options. It is densely packed with casinos, considering its relatively small area. The casinos on the Strip are definitely a sight to behold, often with stupendous and over-the-top landmarks.

Casinos in the downtown area may be more to your taste if you like traditional and old-style casinos. The slots here, furthermore, generally offer greater returns than those you will find in the Strip. Moreover, the hotel rooms in the area are cheaper and the limits (and stakes) on tables lower than what you will find along the Strip. However, Downtown is usually deemed seedier and less safe than the Strip.