Is There a Casino In...? A Destination Guide

Limassol (Cyprus) hosts the island's large integrated casino, alongside satellite casinos in Ayia Napa and Paphos — yes, there is a casino in both Paphos and Ayia Napa, both relatively small and hotel-based. Full details in our Cyprus casino guide.

There is no casino inside Athens itself — the closest one operates in the town of Loutraki, about an hour's drive away. Thessaloniki has an active casino (Casino Thessaloniki) on the city's outskirts. Crete currently has no licensed land-based casino. Corfu has a small casino at a local hotel.

The San Remo Casino in Italy, opened in 1905, is one of the oldest in Europe and attracts visitors for its historic hall — full details in our San Remo casino guide. Venice is home to Casinò di Venezia, one of the world's oldest municipal casinos. By contrast, there is no casino in Rome at all — Italy concentrates land casinos in specific cities only (Venice, San Remo, Campione).

Budapest offers several active casinos in the city center, and Prague is known for a high concentration of small casinos aimed mainly at tourists.

Georgia is a rising destination: Batumi hosts several of the region's largest hotel casinos, and Tbilisi also has active casinos in central hotels — full details in our Batumi casino guide. In Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, there is no casino — gambling is banned by law in the country. Northern Cyprus (the occupied north) hosts dozens of hotel casinos, unlike the south. In Turkey itself (excluding northern Cyprus), casinos have been completely banned since 1998.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi currently have no licensed casino — gambling is banned under local law. However, the first Wynn Al Marjan resort is planned in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, expected to open in 2027 with a licensed casino. Until then, there is no casino in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

In Thailand, gambling is still not legal and there is no licensed casino in the country, though there is ongoing public debate about future regulation. Singapore has two massive integrated casinos (Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa). Macau, "the Las Vegas of Asia," is home to dozens of the world's largest casinos by revenue.

Albania offers several casinos in the capital Tirana and coastal cities. Montenegro (mainly Budva) and Bulgaria (Sofia) are additional affordable casino destinations popular with European travelers. Malta has several licensed casinos, and Georgia, as noted, offers Batumi and Tbilisi as the region's leading destinations.

Before traveling to any casino destination, verify a few things in advance: a valid passport (required almost everywhere), the minimum age (18 or 21 depending on the country), entry fees (usually free for foreign tourists, but not always), dress code (smart casual is common in Europe), the local currency and exchange fees, and cash declaration limits at customs. A quick check of all of these saves unpleasant surprises at the door.

There is no licensed casino in Israel at all — not in Eilat and not in any other city, as detailed in our casino in Israel guide. Anyone who wants to play poker from home without flying anywhere can join the Israeli club on ClubGG — a closed community with Hebrew support — and practice for free with free poker. Always play responsibly; anyone who feels their gambling is getting out of control is welcome to read about gambling addiction.