Casino Best Bets

Upstate New York's Turning Stone Resort Casino
CASINO BEST BETS
Gaming resorts offer glittering nightlife
and the chance to strike it rich
By Randy Mink
umptuous buffets, rousing entertainment, the magnetic
nos can choose from a number of diversions—from spending
allure of the casino floor – all ingredients for an electri-
a lazy afternoon at the pool to enjoying first-rate shows. Some
fying escape from the everyday. Include a casino visit
resorts offer tennis, golf, retail shops and spa treatments. High-
in the tour itinerary and you’re bound to have happy campers.
lighted here are some of the most group-friendly gaming prop-
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Besides tempting Lady Luck, guests at America’s top casi-
erties in America.
Mescalero, New Mexico
Inn of the Mountain Gods
Resort & Casino
ituated in the Sacramento Mountains, just outside of Ruidoso, the resort
is an enterprise of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Guests enjoy Vegasstyle gaming (830 slot and video poker machines, 37 table games), big-name
entertainment, championship golf, an indoor pool, top-notch accommodations
and a wide variety of restaurants. Recreational opportunities range from hiking and biking to fishing and hunting. Original works of art throughout the
273-room property provide a tranquil setting evocative of the American Southwest. (innofthemountaingods.com)
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Las Vegas, Nevada
Circus Circus
ocated on the Las Vegas Strip, Circus Circus has over 101,000 square
feet of gaming in four full-size casinos. The resort’s 3,767 guestrooms
and 135 suites are housed in three towers and five, three-story buildings. Circus acts perform twice each hour on the Midway stage; surrounding the stage
is a midway with carnival games. The five-acre Adventuredome, the largest
indoor theme park in America, has a roller coaster, swinging pirate ship and
20-plus other rides and attractions. (circuscircus.com)
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Dice Photos Courtesy of Clipart.com
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Potawatomi Bingo Casino
ocated in downtown Milwaukee, Potawatomi Bingo Casino offers nearly
3,000 slot machines in denominations from 1 cent to $100, a 1,440-seat
Bingo Hall and nearly 100 table games, plus the Off-Track Betting Room and
20-table Poker Room. Guests also enjoy six restaurants and headliner entertainment in the intimate 500-seat Northern Lights Theater, which has booth
and table seating on the first level and traditional theater seating above. Coming in late summer 2014 is an 18-story hotel. (paysbig.com)
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Flandreau, South Dakota
Royal River Casino & Hotel
oyal River’s casino floor features more than 350 slot machines, along
with blackjack, roulette and a dedicated poker room. Guests at the 120room hotel enjoy spacious accommodations with whirlpool bath tubs, plus a
swimming pool and hot tub. River’s Bend Restaurant is known for its sumptuous buffet. The Royal Room features nationally known musical artists and
comedians. Group tours are welcome, with packages available for both day
trips and overnight stays. (royalrivercasino.com)
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Atlantic City, New Jersey
Resorts Casino Hotel
elebrating its 35th anniversary as the first casino to open in Atlantic City,
Resorts just observed a new milestone—the opening of a $35-million
Margaritaville casino and entertainment complex that includes the only yearround beach bar on the Atlantic City sand. Spanning 11 acres at the northern
end of the Boardwalk, the resort features 942 guest rooms in two hotel towers, a casino with more than 2,500 slots and 80 table games, two theaters,
six restaurants, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, health club and spa, and
retail shops. (resortsac.com)
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Verona, New York
Turning Stone Resort Casino
ocated in Upstate New York, 30 miles east of Syracuse, the Oneida Indian
Nation’s destination resort boasts headliner entertainment, world-class golf
on five courses, a day spa and 709 guest rooms in four hotels. More than
120,000 square feet of gaming space features 92 table games, 2,200 gaming
machines, a poker room and bingo hall. The resort offers 19 restaurants and
convenience food locations, plus 10 retail shops. The Sportsplex, adjacent to
the Golf Dome, has tennis and racquetball courts. (turningstone.com)
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Tulalip, Washington
Tulalip Resort Casino
ashington State’s only AAA Four Diamond-rated casino resort offers more
than 2,000 slot and video poker machines, plus 50-some table games and
a poker room. It boasts a variety of dining choices, world-class spa and multitude
of live entertainment. Located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, 30 minutes from
downtown Seattle, the luxury resort has 370 guest rooms and suites that feature
premium pillow top beds and large walk-in showers with three body sprays. Shuttles serve the nearby Seattle Premium Outlets. (tulalipresort.com)
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Must be 21 years of age or older to enter casino.
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East St. Louis, Illinois
Casino Queen
asino Queen, located on the Mississippi River across
from downtown St. Louis, Mo., has more than 1,100
slot machines, plus tables for blackjack, baccarat, craps,
Caribbean stud, roulette and three card poker. Guests
enjoy three restaurants—Market Street Buffet, Prime
Steakhouse and Sevens, a sports lounge/nightclub.
Casino Queen Hotel, offering impressive views of the St.
Louis skyline, is located just steps from the casino floor
and has an indoor pool. (casinoqueen.com)
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Biloxi, Mississippi
Cherokee, North Carolina
Palace Casino Resort
parkling from a recent expansion and renovation, Palace Casino is the only smoke-free
casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It spacious
gaming floor offers 1,000-plus slot machines and 26
table games. The resort offers luxurious accommodations and wide choice of restaurants—Mignon’s
Steaks & Seafood, Stacked Grill (gourmet hamburgers, Palace Buffet, Palace Cafe & Bakery and
Contact Lounge and Sports Bar. Other amenities
include a spa and privileges at The Preserve Golf
Club. (palacecasinoresort.com)
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Harrah’s Cherokee
Casino Resort
estled at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just a mile from the
North Carolina entrance to the Blue Ridge
Parkway, Harrah’s Cherokee recently completed a $650-million expansion. The Southeast’s premier casino offers 3,800 slots and
100-plus table games. Guests enjoy pampering at Mandara Spa and have preferred access to Sequoyah National Golf Club. The
21-story hotel has 1,108 rooms. Among the
10 restaurants are Chef’s Stage Buffet, Ruth’s
Chris Steak House and Brio Tuscan Grille.
(harrahscherokee.com)
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Quapaw, Oklahoma
Downstream
Resort Casino
he Quapaw Tribe’s resort in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma, where the state
meets Kansas and Missouri, features two hotel
towers with 374 rooms, fitness centers, and indoor and outdoor pools. Gaming facilities include 2,000 slots, 150 video poker games, a
poker room and table games. Guests enjoy
Las Vegas-style entertainment, including nationally known acts, and restaurant options like
Red Oak Steakhouse and Spring River Buffet.
An 18-hole golf course is set in the foothills of
the Ozarks. (downstreamcasino.com)
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