As far as culture is concerned, Italy has a rich history overall. Italy also has an equally rich history when it comes to gambling. In 1932, the National Lottery started in Italy, and at that time, it was managed by a number of organizations.
Over the last 100 years, there have been several modifications around legal gambling in Italy.
The popular types of legal gambling available are bingo, lotteries, gaming machines, sports betting, card games, and online poker tournaments among others.
So, there is no shortage of legal gambling options in this country.
With that being said, there are over 35 land-based casinos in Italy that you can enjoy. Of course, you are going to want to know about some of these and make sure they are both reputable and within safe areas of the country.
We’ve done our part to research the best options for you as a gambler. Here are four casinos you must visit while gambling in Italy.
1 – Casinò di Venezia
Let’s start with the casino that has the richest history, the Casinò di Venezia.
This is known as the oldest casino in the entire world. It was first opened in 1638 and is a hot tourist spot even for those who don’t gamble.
If you are a fan of any structure that was designed during the Renaissance, then you will love the architecture of the buildings and the style of the rooms inside of the casino.
When the Casinò di Venezia first started, it was a part of the Theatre Saint Moses.
During intermissions, theatergoers could enjoy some gambling in a certain wing of the theatre. This was the only place in Italy where controlled gambling was legal at the time.
Richard Wagner actually lived at this location for a while. Some of his great compositions were written within the beautiful walls of the Casinò di Venezia.
Historically, Casinò di Venezia provided a place for patrons of social and artistic events to gamble. Now, the historic setting is a full-blown gambling establishment.
There are actually two parts of the Casinò di Venezia: Ca’ Vendramin Calergi and Ca’ Noghera. The former is located in the historic district, while the latter is located close to Marco Polo airport.
Both American and French games are available to play for patrons. You will be glad to find games such as roulette and blackjack among the 600+ slot machines on the floor.
If you are looking for tournament style play, then the Casinò di Venezia is definitely for you. It was once home to the World Poker Tour Venice Carnival Tournament.
Depending on the day of the week, there are also smaller tournaments going on weekly.
Of course, enjoying some great Italian food will be on the menu when you visit. Along with a pizzeria is a Richard Wagner-style restaurant that you can enjoy.
The scenery in and of itself is worth the trip.
2 – Casino Admiral Mendrisio
Casino Admiral Mendrisio can be accessed through both Italy and Switzerland. This is by far one of the best casinos you will ever visit. This casino is unique because it pairs both the cultures of Italy and Switzerland.
Located within a building that is a feat of classic Roman architecture, the Casino Admiral Mendrisio has a majestic ambiance about it. White pillars lead you to the entrance of the structure, and majestic statues appear all over the building.
If you are renting a car, the Casino Admiral Mendrisio has 1,200 free parking spots.
The casino is open daily, however, there are different hours of operation for table games and slot machine play.
From Sunday through Thursday 11 AM to 5 AM and Friday through Saturday 11 AM to 7 AM, you can enjoy the variety of slot machines.
Sunday through Thursday 1 PM to 5 AM and Friday through Saturday 1 PM to 7 AM, the table games are available for your enjoyment.
More than 24 table games are available at the Casino Admiral Mendrisio. Roulette, blackjack, and baccarat are among the favorites.
There are four semi-automatic roulette games also available. Bets are made electronically while a cylinder spins the ball. Aside from these, 14 regular American Roulette tables are featured at the Casino Admiral Mendrisio.
Blackjack tables are available with minimums at $5, $10, $20, and $50. There is a total maximum of $1000 per box.
A Punto Banco table is available for baccarat lovers.
Both slots and video poker are extremely popular at the Casino Admiral Mendrisio. There are over 340 gaming machines on the floor.
The majority of these gaming machines are slots that use a ticket system. Around 30 slot machines use a cashless card system as opposed to the ticket system. Four live jackpots take place every single day and can reach up to $25,000. Bets range from $0.01 to $25.
The Casino Admiral Mendrisio has no hotel of its own, but you can easily find a hotel that’s close by. The Hotel Coronado is only one kilometer away from the casino.
3 – Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia
Located in the Como province of Italy, the Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia has a truly heavenly destination.
This province is surrounded completely by Switzerland. A great aspect of this casino is that there is much more to do in Como than just gamble.
You must be at least 18 years old to enter the casino, and a smart-casual dress code is enforced.
The casino opens at noon Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, it opens at 11 AM. During the week, the casino closes at 4 AM, and on weekends, the casino is open later closing at 5 AM.
56 tables make up the vast selection of games at the Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia. This makes this particular casino unique, as it has a larger variety of table games to choose from than most other casinos in Italy.
Not only can you enjoy both black jack and baccarat, but you can also choose from the following games: Russian Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, craps, Texas Hold ‘em, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘em, Trente et Quarante, and Chemin de Fer.
The Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia attracts many poker lovers. It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or pro player, the Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia welcomes you.
Daily at 3 PM., you can enjoy cash games of Texas Hold‘em until it’s closing time at the casino. Tournaments are also held on the weekend and are sponsored by PokerStars.
The Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia has over 750 gaming machines. 140 of these machines are slots that are in their own room designated as a smoking section.
Whether you want to enjoy electronic roulette, progressive jackpots, horse racing terminals, or video poker, there is definitely no shortage of variety when it comes to these electronic games.
Many hotels are located very close to the Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia.
4 – Casinò Sanremo
The Casinò Sanremo is located in Sanremo, Italy, and it can best be described as a high-class establishment.
Whether you are there to play various table games or enjoy some video poker, you will want to visit the nearby beaches when you take a trip there.
11 gaming rooms are available in this luxurious casino. Six rooms are dedicated to slot machine play.
The building that the Casino Sanremo resides in was built in 1905, so if you love history and architecture, this will be a nice surprise during your gambling excursion.
This is definitely a luxurious spot since it is located within such a tourist-populated area. You can get a hotel nearby, but you are going to have to shell out some money if you want to stay close.
Conclusion
If you are an enthusiast for both traveling and gambling, then a trip to Italy is something you must consider. The history, architecture, culture, and food among many other things are reason enough to visit Italy.
The great thing about visiting Italy with the intention of gambling is that there is so much else to do that you can bring the whole family along.
If you are planning a trip to Italy or if this article inspired you to take the trip, we definitely want to hear all about it. Let us know in the comments below.
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …