Updated December 8, 2025
Vegas Casino Notes
This is an experiment
A subscriber to our slot channel asked us for advice about the casinos we’ve visited in Las Vegas, Nevada, so I decided to create this page.
IMPORTANT: I’ll try to update this page on a regular basis, but it may vanish based on the time I can devote to it.
The Vegas Strip
MGM Casinos & Hotels
Aria
Our Current Favorite
Aria is our favorite MGM casino, but the slots aren’t as friendly as those at the Wynn or off-strip.
2025 update: Poker area moved and expanded
- Two high-limit slot rooms
- Smoking rooms (Sky Suites only)
- Very good food court (2nd level)
- If you can swing it, the Sky Suites are fantastic. Ask if there’s a free upgrade at check-in (we’ve gotten it twice)
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Din Tai Fung (casino level): Better than the branch in Singapore, but xiao long bao are average.
- Proper Eats (2nd level): All of the options we’ve tried have been very good and affordable for Vegas
- Moneyline Pizza: Pizzas are a bargain for Vegas
- Noodle Shop: Slightly better than Panda Express
Bellagio
Always Busy, Always Noisy
A nice property that somehow routes all Strip foot traffic through the casino. If you want peace and quiet, plan to play after 2 am. Chihuly chandelier and the conservatory are nice but over-rated. Do NOT play Phoenix Link here.
Update Summer 2025: the high-limit slot room was remodeled and expanded (a vast improvement)
- Good slot selection
- Smoking rooms (ask at check-in)
- Fountain show still impresses
- No low-cost food options
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Bellagio Patisserie: Excellent quality and a good value. Coffee is ok.
- Snacks: Open 24-hours. The place to go when “open” is more important than “good”
Cosmopolitan
Domain of the Young & Loud
The best hotel for smokers (rooms with balconies). Smallish casino. The best selection of dining options.
- Rooms are trendy, but showing their age. Huge bathrooms.
- Fountain-view balcony rooms are the ones to go for if it’s your first trip
- Quirky and good public art. The cigarette machines sell mini-art pieces.
- Casino is deafeningly loud near the table games
- The Henry (ground floor): Our go-to for a late snack. The French dip is excellent.
- Jaleo (3rd level): Chef’s choice option is a feast and an amazing value for big eaters
- Beauty & Essex (3rd level): Quirky decor but std. menu. Dining room is barely lit. First-rate service. This is where I discovered I don’t like Beef Wellington.
- China Poblano (2nd level): Super quirky menu with options that are actually exciting to try and technically difficult.
Excalibur
We Don’t Geteth It
The budget hotel in the MGM roster. Big family central. Super cheap and familiar eateries in the food court (2nd level).
- The entire casino is themed (a plus) but we’ve never had good luck here (a minus)
- Spotlessly clean, but someone still feels kind of grimy
- No high-limits room
- Easy to get to from Mandalay Bay (free tram) or Luxor (walkway or free tram)
Luxor
Overlooked, but Inherently Cool
Luxor is other budget MGM Hotel. The rooms in the pyramid feel dated, but those in the two towers are more contemporary. This was the fanciest casino in Vegas when it opened.
- Amazing architecture and theming thorughout
- One of our favorite casinos
- The A/C can get overwhelmed in summer (bad)
- Easy to get to Mandalay Bay (walkway or free tram). The free tram doesn’t always stop at Luxor on the way to or from Excalibur. Inexplicable.
Mandalay Bay
The Jury is Out (For Now)
One huge jackpot here is why we started our YouTube channel. This used to be our favorite casino, but changes have made it less so. Do NOT play Phoenix Link here.
Fall 2025: Slot changes have made gambling here less friendly
- Huge casino with a good selection of 3-reel and new slots
- The best dining selections on the Strip (high-end to budget)
- Location on the far south-end of the Strip makes it difficult to visit a competitor’s casino
- Gigantic pool area. Wave pool is meh as is the lazy river when compared to the MGM Grand.
- Citizens Kitchen & Bar: Okay food, sometimes annoyingly energetic waitstaff.
- House of Blues Restaurant & Bar: Impressive breakfast and a good value.
- Ri Ra Irish Pub: Okay breakfast and lunch. Order a Guiness.
- Libertine Social: Excellent food and service. The smoked steak tartare is the best I’ve ever had.
- Kumi: Solid sashimi selection, but Morimoto is better (MGM Grand). Carries Heaven’s Sake sake, one of the best I’ve ever had.
- Slice of Vegas: Fine.
MGM Grand
Better Value Than Bellagio
The mid-tier MGM hotel and casino. Good dining options.
Summer 2025: Remodeled rooms rival Bellagio with some very quirky design choices (in a good way). Casino tightened up compared to 2024. Large poker area added near the cashier.
- Has our favorite high-limit slot room
- Huge casino. Large non-smoking area (usually empty)
- Lazy river pool is better than the one at Mandalay Bay.
- 10 minute walk to New York New York
Restaurant we’ve tried…
- Morimoto: Solid sashimi (I’m Japanese-American). Try the chu-toro sashimi and hamachi kama. It was so good we went back and ordered the same things. Skip the kinmedai (trust me).
- Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill: Decent food (except breakfast) and not eye-wateringly expensive
- Grand Wok Noodle Bar: Skip
- MGM Grand Buffet: Skip
- Netflix Bites: Skip, unless you have kids
New York, New York
Loud, Good Rollercoaster
Not our favorite except when it comes to cheap eats. The High Roller rollercoaster is good, but ask to sit in the front seats or expect sort shoulders.
- High-limit slot room is tiny and cramped
- Often has the newest slots, but slot rotation is frequent (every 3 mos)
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Gonzalez y Gonzalez: Solid Mexican. Good value.
- Nine Fine Irishmen: Okay. Get a Guiness.
- Broadway Burger Bar & Grill: Good fries. Burgers just ok.
Park MGM
Non-Smokers Haven
The only non-smoking casino in Vegas (smokers = revenue). Casino is usually calm and quiet.
Update 2025: Remodeled high-limit slot room is much better but still cramped
- Lady Gaga museum is a must (and free)
- Good selection of newer slots. Few 3-reels.
- Eataly dining area in the front is worth a visit for pastries and hot snacks. Restaurants are very good.
- Covered walkway to Aria
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Toscana Ristorante & Bar: Good food and not crazy expensive. So-so sommelier.
- Eataly cafe (near the front): Nice pastries, okay coffee.
W Hotel
The Hidden Gem
Don’t go here. We want to keep it for ourselves.
Update 2025: Rivea restaurant permanently closed. Now a Marriott hotel, but indistinguisable from when it was the Delano.
- Regular rooms are small but efficient. If you’ve been to London, you’ll feel at home.
- Panorama suites are as good as the Aria Sky Suites
- Skyfall bar (top floor) has spectacular Strip views
- Entrance is ridiculously low-key, off a parking garage
- 5-minute walk to the Mandalay Bay casino
- Skyfall lounge: Very good but pricey cocktails. Impressive Strip view from the deck at dusk. Take the W hotel elevators up, the glass elevator down.
Caesars Casinos & Hotels
Caesars Palace
The Labyrinth
We kind of enjoy getting lost here, maybe because it happens every time we visit. NOBU hotel and Caesars Suites are part of the complex (which lives up to its name).
Update 2024: High-limit slot areas remodeled
- Two high-limit slot areas
- Casino is spread across multiple rooms
- So-so food court. Korean option is the best.
- Monumental public art. 90s glamour.
Cromwell
We haven’t gambled here
Update Mar 2025: Will be rebranded as The Vanderpump Hotel in early 2026.
Flamingo
The Birds
This place was in need of a remodel and that’s slowly happening. We always stop for the bird sanctuary.
Update 2025: Pool redone.
- Casino feels like it belongs in Downtown Vegas
Harrahs
Quirky in a Bad Way
An old casino that feels like an old casino. Casino A/C is often overwhelmed in the summer.
Update 2024: High-limits area remodeled, but still not great
- Casino feels like it belongs in Downtown Vegas
- Las Vegas Monorail station
Horseshoe
Low-Key Charm
This is a budget option, but was once the nicest hotel in Las Vegas. Casino is one long room and we like the energy.
- High-limit slot room is small but pleasant
- Rooms are large. A/C tends to over-achieve
- Downstairs area has seen better days
- Large arcade for kids (downstairs)
- Las Vegas Monorail station
- Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Bar: Fancy bar food. Massive portions
The Linq
We haven’t gambled here yet.
Paris
Je ne sais pas…
We still like gambling here because of the odd theming (dusk in Paris). Yes, the legs of the ersatz Eiffel Tower come staight through the casino.
Update 2025: Finally has a good pastry shop
- Often has the newest slots
- High-limit slot room is tiny, dark, and bare bones
Planet Hollywood
Overlooked, But Worth a Visit
Often overlooked because it’s next to Paris, we think mostly because it’s hard to find the entrance. It’s attached to the Miracle Mile shopping center which has several low-cost food options.
- Casino has a good selection of 3-reel slots
- Walgreens, McDonalds, and Taco Bell on the ground floor (outside)
- We’ve had amazing luck here, although we haven’t visited since June 2025
Venetian / Palazzo
Designed by a Minotaur
We’ve only been here twice, mostly because it’s right across the street from the Wynn. Casinos are linked, but they don’t make it easy to move between them for some reason. Food options (and quality) are improving. Singing gondoliers aren’t as lame as they sound.
Update Sep 2025: Jose Andres’ Bazaar Meats opened
- Two spacious casinos, although they feel oddly cramped
- Extremely easy to get lost or turned around in the shopping area around the indoor canals
- One of the grandest, photo-worthy registration areas in Vegas
- Walkway to the Sphere. Use this entrance or you’ll burn in the summer. The long line moves fast once the doors open.
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- X Pot: Beef lovers should try this the tasting menu with the Wagyu option. Pricey, but unique. Skip the duck intestines.
Wynn / Encore
Fancy Doesn’t Mean Tight
If you’re a slot player, you need to gamble here at least once. Even though this is a five-star hotel with high room prices, the casino is very fair (as good as an off-strip casino). Rich people don’t like to lose.
- Often gets new slots before other Strip casinos
- Very fancy dining options
- Your best chance to see a celebrity
The Strat
Surprisingly Nice (You’ve Been Lied To)
YouTubers talk trash about this place but it has one of the nicest and most modern casinos on the Strip.
- Often gets new slots before other Strip casinos
- Limited dining options
- Tower offers excellent views
- High-limits room isn’t great
Resorts World
Fancy. Empty.
I’m not sure why but every time we’ve gone here, it felt empty. Mostly because it was.
- Spectacular shopping area
- Casino is one huge room
- Good selection of slots
- High-limits room is one of the fanciest in Vegas. Some slots have their own TV
Fontainebleau (fawn-tan-blow)
The most spectacular casino in Vegas
We’ve only been here three times and all were during the week. If you don’t like crowds or waiting for a slot, do as we do.
- Spectacular casino
- Sophisticated and fun public art
- High-limits slot room is large with a good selection. We’ve never won big here.
- Terrible food court for breakfast (one option, ridiculous line)
- The worst dim sum we’ve ever had (at 3x the price)
Sahara
It’s Changed.
They’ve tried to modernize this place and succeeded. The problem is that no one seems to have noticed (we did).
Updated Summer 2025: Slots (the new ones) are looser than before.
- Classy but underwhelming casino
- High-limits room game selection is limited
- Dining options are limited
- Las Vegas Monorail station