Casino Lisboa

Lisbon's casinos were never really its biggest attractions till the time the government thought of promoting gaming tourism in a big way. Since then it has taken baby steps towards growing into a fully fledged industry. Estoril was the first place chosen to be promoted as a gaming destination. When it showed signs of early success, the Portuguese government began making plans for further developing the vast potential of gaming tourism in Europe.
The younger sibling of Europe's biggest casino in close by Estoril pushed its doors wide open for the public in 2006 with a more or less unlike image. It was pegged as an amusement spot with gaming as a part in contrast to the idea of a normal casino, where the gaming forms the mainstay and the entertainment is a diversion. While Estoril Casino keeps its classic and little more glamorous ambiance, Lisbon's casino puts its money on the trendier generation with a low key architecture and a more modern day environment.
There are great shows on all days and very regularly you may find well known international crowd pullers such as "Stomp" that was in the midst of the names offered in the first year at the above 600-seat Oceans Auditorium along with a range of acts at the revolving central bar, Arena Lounge.
All in all there are four elegantly devised bars, three restaurants (counting the high-end Pragma), nearly 1000 slot machines, and 22 gaming tables which include everything from the classic American Roulette to Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat; all allocated across three floors. The gaming bets belong to a very manageable range with high rollers being accommodated without low and midlevel punters feeling left out. The 1000 latest technology slot machines offer a chance to win some easy money to those who trust their luck more than in a little skill.
Gaming is open to the public every day afternoon from 3PM to 3AM and from 4PM to 4AM on Fridays, Saturdays, and on the day before a national holiday.

Bahamas Games

Are you interested in making a few thousand dollars in a single night, or dance the night away, or you just want to flaunt out your freshly obtained bronze tan? Bahamas has quite a few wonderful places to exactly that. As you probably have already heard, gambling is lawful in the Bahamas (and the gambling age is 18 and above). That is gambling is legal for all, except for the Bahamians. Bahamians who get caught gambling are subject to a monetary penalty the highest limit of which is $500. The odds are infinitely better for tourists: those who get caught gambling are honored with a complimentary drink. The Bahamas possesses three huge casinos: two on New Providence: one at Cable Beach and the other on Paradise Island, and the last one on Grand Bahamas in Lucaya. Another has just opened its doors. Each carry a wide assortment of games, including black-jack, baccarat, roulette, dice, slot machines, the wheel of fortune and of course the 'big six.' For those who are not interested in courting Lady Luck, the casinos offer shows and other entertainment, shopping and nightclubs even nature study opportunity.
Other than the casinos, there are hundreds of bars of every hue, shade and description, along with night clubs which offer everything from fun disco of the seventies to the hottest rave hits of the nineties, till the small hours of the morning. Sports betting is permitted on any sport (other than horse racing) as long as it takes place within or outside The Islands of the Bahamas -- however it lawfully cannot take place by phone or any other telecommunication device, or on behalf of another person. Despite the fact that it is against the law to gamble Bahamians do so (on the side) anyway. Playing the U.S. lottery, betting on football games, etc. is very common.
Persons Not Permitted To Gamble:
Anyone under 18 years of age
Residents or their dependents
Holders of work permits or their dependents
Nationals (they gamble illegally elsewhere)
Anyone gainfully employed in The Islands of the Bahamas
Persons who have applied for residency or work permits or their dependents
So now although there are still only 4 casinos open, things are about to change very soon with the Government policies changing.

A Gamble on Nostalgia

In 1907 a group of heroic aviators with the most enviable records to their name got together and established a club for those interested in serious gaming without the paraphernalia that come associated with other casinos. Situated in the heart of Paris, on the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Avenue des Champs-Elysees this club has exquisite service that starts right at the valet service at the gates and carries on through till the very end. The dealers and cashiers speak English so even foreign guests are made to feel very much at home here.
It is open daily 24 hours and the casino's gaming arena has twenty-nine table and poker games. The games played are Baccarat, Blackjack, and Stud Poker along with Rami/13 card rummy and tarot the classic French game. Occasionally Backgammon Tournaments are held and at other times professional tables can be furnished on request. The classic poker is played on ten tables here. There are weekly "pot-limit" tournaments; Omaha is played on Thursdays, Texas Hold'em on Sundays and a monthly tournament of "no-limit" Texas Hold'em is also organized. No free drinks are offered while playing because, this club fondly called ACF by regulars, does not believe in diluting the nature of the institution.
The property also has an excellent bar and restaurant. The restaurant is open round the clock and puts forward an assortment of cold cuts; however from midnight till dusk Chinese food can also be ordered even at the games rooms. From 7:30-11:00pm dinner is served where an appetizer, main course and dessert could set you back by 35euros. ACF is entirely non-smoking since the beginning of 2008. The club has tied up with 15 nearby hotels to help its patrons: from high-end Marriot (550 euro) to mid range Atala (156 euro) to Modern Elysees (51euros).
In the hundred years since its inception the club has not lost any values the founders had imbibed them with whether it was elegance, conviviality or sophistication.

Roman Aristocracy

In my long association with gaming and places related to it I’ve found that places where the high rollers actually flock to are not only those that have other super luxurious attractions in the form of entertainment, fitness and health, high-end shopping and artistic pursuits but those that can combine all of these in a seamless package of opulent grandeur sophisticated glamour. That is exactly the bill that Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino fits like a hand in the glove.
Promoted as the Club Where the World Goes to Play, you will get here more than 129,000 sq. feet of casino area. The Roman Empire theme of the rest of the hotel is carried onto the casino as well.
Modern “gladiators” fight for high stakes in table games, poker, and keno and of course, the ubiquitous slot machines. Caesars Palace is a latter-day Roman Empire that will amaze you with incomparable exhilaration and test all your skills with games of chance such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, mini-baccarat,
Spanish 21, pai gow and pai gow poker. Both the recreational player and the experienced veteran enjoy the excitement of the 8.500-square-foot Poker Room. The thrill of Keno lay in the thousands of likely number combinations that come up in each game. Keno is fun and popular because it’s easy to play! The stirring worlds of horse racing and sporting events at the Race & Sports Book, where you can wager on sporting events while following the action live from fields around the country is available at this casino. Caesars Palace is supposed to be the location of more million-dollar plus slot machine jackpots than any casino in the world. And while you play you can earn complimentary dollars, complimentary stays, get invited to special events and much more, if you can use your total rewards card!

The India Connection

Indians by tradition are a gambling nation since time immemorial, its national epics and mythology stand testimony to innumerable instances of heroes and villains settling scores over a hand of “Aksha” or “Pasha”. The gambling instruments were even worshipped as a lesser god. But since the British colonialism it has been outlawed in this country as it is believed to be an addiction which opens the doors to hell. This has led Indians to flock to the neighboring country of Nepal which has legal casinos.
But now the Goa government has woken up to the possibilities of the gaming tourism and provided license to several offshore casinos on barges and at least one Goa five star hotel the Leela Palace Kempinski Goa has a gaming club for its patrons aptly named the Las Vegas.
MS Caravela is a cruise ship in Panjim, Goa and is open every day 5:30pm to 6am. The cruise ship's gaming arena carries eight gaming machines and twelve table games. There are four tables of American Roulette and Blackjack each and 2 tables each of Pontoon and Stud Poker. The betting limits are INR 100.00 to INR 10,000.00; which is apparently an attempt to discourage casual punters and welcome foreign high-rollers. Rummy, which locally goes by the name of Paplu, is also played here. The eight electronic slot machines also allow a lot of gaming excitement. Cover charges are steep at Rs. 1,600 for the morning sightseeing trip (10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.), Rs. 3,000 for the sunset cruise (5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.), and Rs. 4,000 for the dinner hangout (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) but as always a rare experience comes at a pinch to the pocket. However most gamblers in India wouldn’t even feel the bite due to their deep pockets.

Casino Glamour II

The other notable movies were almost all made in the 1990’s. These glamorize the casino environment but also show the seamier side to casino management and its direct links with crime and criminal activities.

Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
Bridegroom (Nicolas Cage) decides to marry (Sarah Jessica Parker); but he loses her in a wicked poker game to a gambling pro (James Caan). The remainder of the film shows his hysterical effort to get his fiancé back. The background is set in Vegas during an Elvis-impersonator convention.

Indecent Proposal (1993)
This film's thrilling plot finds a pretty wife (Demi Moore) asked for sex by a rich bachelor (Robert Redford), for which the latter proposes to pay a cool million bucks to her and her loser husband (Woody Harrelson). The two take up Redford's offer only to find their marriage ruined.

Maverick (1994)
Mel Gibson stars as card-sharping gunslinger Brett Maverick, who joins hands with scheming gambler Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and a marshal going by the name of Zane Cooper (James Garner) on his way to the St. Louis World Series of poker . Maverick's trying to get the $5,000 required to be a part of the high-stakes contest.

Casino (1995)
This is the epic story about the rise and fall of gangster Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro). Through Rothstein, the movie recounts the story of how the Mafia seized, and ultimately lost control of, Las Vegas gambling. The first hour is almost like a documentary, detailing the inner wheels of Vegas casinos. Sharon Stone puts in the stand out performance as the voracious Ginger, the glitzy call girl turned Rothstein's wife. Other stars include Joe Pesci and James Woods.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)
Starring Jason Fleming, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham, Steven Mackintosh the film is about a group of cockney boys Tom, Soap, Eddie, and Bacon in a bind; they owe sleazy criminal and porn mafia"Hatchet" Harry a sizable amount of cash after Eddie loses half a million in a one sided game of poker.

Ocean's 11 (2001)
Fresh out of jail, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) organizes a plot to steal $163 million from the apparently unbreakable vault of Las Vegas's Bellagio casino, not just for the loot but to win his ex-wife (Julia Roberts) back from the casino's merciless owner (Andy Garcia). Oceans’ team includes Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Carl Reiner. It was earlier made with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Angie Dickinson as the members of the “Rat Pack”.

Casino Glamour

Casinos have often inspired movie makers with their larger than life settings and sometimes the movies have also influenced the casino themes with their glamour. This symbiotic relationship has often been celebrated in a lot of movies and this is a look back in wonder!
Starting almost with the development of commercial cinema and then flourishing with the rise of Hollywood casinos have played their parts as sometimes the backdrop and at other times the centerpiece of the narratives.।

Casino Royale (1954)
This movie made for live TV was the first original James Bond movie and the first James Bond was not Sean Connery as is widely believed but Barry Nelson. This movie where Bond actually earns his “00” status has been remade in 2006 with Daniel Craig as a very gritty and believable secret agent. "M", head of the British Secret Service, sends 007 to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. However another movie version made with Peter Sellers in the lead in 1967 also exists.

Diamonds are Forever (1965)
Sean Connery plays James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. This is a spy movie with a comic book feel, set in Las Vegas.

Heat (1973)
An L.A. cop (Al Pacino) becomes fixated on a deadly thief (Robert Di Nero) and his crew (Val Kilmer & Jon Voight) who are taking Los Angeles to the cleaners. A movie where the connection between gambling, glamour and crime are more explicit.

The Color of Money (1986)
In this sequel to "The Hustler" the old wise former hustler Paul Newman chooses to take Young Turk Tom Cruise and his sexy, but suspect girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) on the road to take advantage of all pool table challengers.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
This movie starring Loni Anderson, Judith Barsi, Kelly Briley, Earleen Carey, Dom DeLuise,is a musical animation that is built on the fight between good and bad and of the ideas of camaraderie.