The 8 Quirkiest Casinos in the World

Casino gambling in America is one of the more popular forms of entertainment. We know about the glitz and over the top casinos in Vegas. There are WinStar and Foxwoods, impressive in size and different scenery than Vegas.

What about casinos that are just a little… quirky?

I’m going to give you my list of the 8 quirkiest casinos in the world. Some you may have heard of, and some might be new for you.

Not Vegas

There seems to be an uptick, or a renewed interest, for gamblers looking for something different from mega-casinos America is famous for.

When I was researching this post, I found a lot of information on casinos I had never heard of before. It has inspired me to try to start visiting some of these off the beaten path casinos.

1 – The X Train – United States of America

I have always thought that long-distance trains were the civilized way to travel if I had all the time in the world. They’re not as crowded. Many cross-country trains have free WIFI, and you can get up and walk around, even get off and stretch at stops.

A company called X Rain Entertainment has come up with a brilliant idea for casino gamblers that have some extra time. Why not take a train from your metropolitan area to a casino? And play a casino on the said train? What the…

The X Train is a train service from Los Angles to Las Vegas that has secured a Vegas gambling license to provide the rider a casino experience while taking a high-speed train between the 2 cities. They are planning on beginning the operation of their train casino in September of 2021.

They do currently offer non-casino trains from major cities across the country to casino destinations. Keep an eye out for this new casino experience in late 2021.

2 – Prairie Knights Casino and Resort – Fort Yates, North Dakota

Are you looking for a casino to play that is off the beaten path?

Maybe in the middle of nowhere?

Prairie Knights Casino and Resort is located about an hour or so south of the Bismark, ND airport on the North Dakota/South Dakota border.

This beautiful casino and resort area is located on the Missouri River in Fort Yates, ND. The remote surroundings are worth the trip alone.

The casino floor is 45,000 square feet. Prairie Knights offer over 700 slot machines and 10 gaming tables.

The Standing Rock Native Tribe owns the casino and resort. The casino feeds a portion of its profits back into the local Native community.

3 – The Basement Casino North Cadbury Court – Somerset, England

North Cadbury Court’s basement casino is in Somerset, in the English countryside. The tiny basement casino is the cellar room of the 16-century old country mansion.

(You read that correctly, North Cadbury Court is 1600 years old)

The tiny basement casino features full-size gaming tables offering all the classic table games. The downside is you can only fit 30 people.

But isn’t that part of its uniqueness?

The entire property is available for rent for events and weddings. How cool would it be to offer your (of age guests) the option to gamble during your reception?

4 – Casino in a Research Station in Antarctica

This one might be the quirkiest of all the casinos on this list. There is a casino in an Argentinian research station in the remote and frigid South Pole.

I couldn’t find a website for it, but I have a hunch of why there is no advertising for the most remote location for a casino in the world. Antarctica is the largest continent but is not a country. 7 countries are the “keepers’ of the delicate biodiversity of the area.

There are strict protocols for tourism in the Antarctic. There is no economy to speak of. I’m guessing this mysterious casino is to keep the researchers on the continent entertained.

5 – The Rivers Casino, Des Plains, Illinois

This casino isn’t exactly a quirky location or has some off-beat charm like a basement casino in a large English country house. Its quirk comes from the business savvy of the founder.

Illinois state law requires casinos in the state to be riverboat casinos. This means the casino must be floating a body of water. Des Plains is not a body of water but a city about a mile from one of the country’s busiest airports. Chicago O’Hare.

This is where I died when I was reading up on this casino. The casino founder fought with the state gambling regulators because he claimed he built the casino on a water body. It was just a puddle, but still a body of water.

I got to give it to the guy, that’s rich. He is rich now because he won the fight and now has partnered with Churchill Downs as a partial owner in the casino built on a puddle.

6 – Desert Cave Hotel and Casino – Coober Peddy, Australia

Did you know there is a hotel and (tiny) casino about 500 miles northwest of Adelaide, Australia?

There is, and it’s the coolest casino on this list.

Coober Pedy is a tiny opal mining town in the Australian outback. The area’s citizens live underground. This is a centuries-old tradition that gives the residents the ability to live in the cooler temperatures regulated by the earth.

In the early 1980s, Umberto Coro realized that he could share this unique experience with guests worldwide. He just needed to build a boutique hotel and casino underground.

This was a lofty goal. Umberto’s son finished construction on his father’s dream property 26 years later. The hotel offers guests 50 luxury rooms and a VIP casino experience.

The casino is tiny, as you’d expect, but it’s a high roller’s dream come true. A VIP valet is assigned to your party to cater to your groups every need while enjoying the underground casino.

If you don’t have any luck striking it rich at the poker table at Desert Cave, you can go opal mining and hope for better luck.

7 – Grosvenor Casino Cab – Birmingham England

The cab casino owned by Grosvenor Casino in Birmingham, England, is officially the smallest casino on this list. You can hail the classic hackney cab (the iconic black taxis) and play a hand (or 2) of your favorite table game.

The idea is from the marketing genius at the casino, Jo Blundell. The casino offers riders free fare within the city as long the ride is to their flagship location, the Grosvenor Casino. If a passenger is hailing the cab for an alternate location, they can donate to Carers Trust- the casino’s selected charity.

A casino cab is an excellent way to take a break from the hubbub of your day. Hail the casino’s cab, have a drink, and play a hand of blackjack. There is a live dealer in the cab, so you get the real casino experience.

Since its launch in 2016, it has been a hit with locals as well as tourists. They even offer an excellent online casino. I’m adding this one to my bucket list for my next trip across the pond.

8 – The Whole Shebang – Blackhawk, Colorado

I lived in Boulder, Colorado, after college until my early 30s. I love the scenic mountains, the cool summers, and, best of all, no humidity.

I was fascinated with exploring the Rocky Mountains and camping as much as possible when we first moved there. It’s so untouched by humankind and something that commands respect.

One Sunday, we were driving back to Boulder after a secluded camping trip. We decided to take a long way home.

We were on 119, which turns into the main road through Boulder. My husband and I were admiring the scenery when BOOM. There’s a mini Vegas in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.

I was speechless. It’s cheesy, it’s unexpected, and it’s fabulous. Blackhawk, CO, is the casino town that no one is anticipating. Unless you’re a local.

When I told my co-workers about it, I thought I was sharing some hidden secret. They looked at me like I had just fallen off the turnip truck.

Most said, “Yeah, everyone knows about Blackhawk.”

I guess if you know, you know.

Blackhawk sits on the Native Lands of the Ute Tribe. There are 3 casinos and multiple hotels offering everything you’d want from a destination casino.

It has been years since I’ve visited this quirky, bright, loud, over the top casino town in the middle of the untouched wilderness of Colorado’s mountains. I think it keeps the state from taking itself too seriously.

Conclusion

I hope you have some new travel destinations for your next casino trip. I certainly do. The world has so much more than the tourist-heavy Vegas and Atlantic City experience most of us are used to.

There is so much more out there. You can gamble in a cave, in the basement of 1,600-year-old mansion, in the middle of the famed Rocky Mountains, or you can do gamble in a cab on your way to dinner.