If you want to enjoy all the amenities of Las Vegas — including $1 million slot machines, high-stakes table games, award-winning celebrity-chef-helmed restaurants and luxurious spas — without ever crossing the Mississippi River, you’re in luck. There are plenty of places to spend time (and money) at these East Coast casinos.
Encore Boston Harbor
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Encore Boston Harbor offers all the glamour and glitz you could wish for in a luxurious casino property, easily channeling the best of buzzy Nevada. Patrons may be reminded of sister property, the Four-Star Wynn Las Vegas, with its signature curved bronze building, world-class art collection and more flowers than you could imagine. Many of the hotel’s dozen-plus dining and lounge venues have a local connection, including Fratelli, a joint enterprise from Boston restaurateurs Frank DePasquale and Nick Varano. Look for the hidden speakeasy at Seamark Seafood & Cocktails, where renowned chef Michael Schlow is in charge of the kitchen.
The 210,000-square-foot casino is teeming with slots and table games, something for every type of gamer. Break from the action at the gorgeously appointed Five-Star Spa at Encore Boston Harbor, which sports 19,000 square feet of treatment rooms and an array of exclusive treatments. The Good Luck Ritual may not help you win at the tables, but the invigorating peppermint foot treatment will put a spring in your step.
Custom luxury yachts ferry guests from the Boston waterfront to the ultra-luxe hotel. Free shuttles also leave from downtown.
Sky Tower at Mohegan Sun
You might not expect to find Vegas-style gaming in suburban Connecticut, but Mystic’s casino resort, the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Sky Tower at Mohegan Sun, has played with the big shots since the mid-1990s. This massive grown-up playground has stayed relevant with more than 300,000 square feet of gaming space spread over two casinos, 44 amazing dining options, multiple entertainment venues, the gorgeous 19,000-square-foot Mandara Spa, a stunning pool and plenty of high-end shops to spend your winnings.
Though, you don’t have to be a high roller to have a good time here. Opt for a round of golf, see a show at Comix Roadhouse, dance the night away at Avalon Nightclub, catch a Connecticut Sun WNBA game or concert at the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena, where acts like Eric Clapton, Keith Urban, Ariana Grande and Justin Timberlake have taken the stage.
When you need to rest your head, do it in style in one of the resort’s Royal Suites. At 3,500 square feet, these palatial spaces offer two primary bedrooms (each with its own Jacuzzi) and perks such as limo transfers from either Bradley or Providence airport and 24-hour butler service.
Turning Stone Resort Casino
Serenely situated in Upstate New York, this expansive 3,400-acre hideaway has all the fresh air and green space you never knew you needed from a casino resort.
For a luxurious home base filled with gambling fun, check into Four-Star The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort Casino. One of three resort hotels directly connected to the casino on the sprawling property, the all-suite retreat boasts plenty of elbow room. While even the smallest accommodation is a generous 550 square feet, the VIP Suites up the ante with wrap-around balconies, gas fireplaces and wet bars.
When you’re ready to try your luck with the cards, head through the connecting glassed-in walkway to find the 125,000-square-foot casino, with 2,000 slot machines, 66 game tables and one of the largest poker rooms in the state, as well as myriad shops, lounges and clubs. If you want to keep playing, NY Rec & Social Club has sports betting, plus billiards, shuffleboard and arcade games, along with gourmet snacks and craft cocktails. The Four-Star Skana Spa and three championship golf courses also provide plenty of entertainment between blackjack hands.
Come dinnertime, you’ll be spoiled for choice between the romantic Four-Star Wildflowers, with its seasonally changing menu, or Four-Star TS Steakhouse’s prime cuts and 360-degree views.
MGM National Harbor
Overlooking the Potomac River, this urban casino resort provides Washington, D.C., movers, shakers and visitors a respite from the typical Capitol Hill goings-on. With a 125,000-square-foot casino boasting blackjack and baccarat, 3,000-plus slot machines, delicious dining, a lovely spa and a 308-room hotel, it’s easy to forget where you are.
Live the high life by booking the expansive 958-square-foot Corner Suite, which includes a sitting area with floor-to-ceiling windows (great for enjoying the sunset) and a host of high-tech amenities, including single-touch electric blackout shades, which you might need after a late night of roulette.
Indulgence is the name of the game here, with restaurants from big-name chefs like Top Chef stars and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio; a 3,000-seat theater that hosts major acts like Bruno Mars, Gladys Knight and Mariah Carey; and a 27,000-square-foot spa with 11 treatment rooms for when you need a rejuvenation session. If you win big, you can treat yourself at one of the resort’s luxury shops.
Live! Casino & Hotel
Next to Arundel Mills shopping center, this Hanover, Maryland (just nine miles from Baltimore), casino is a slot player’s dream, with more than 4,000 state-of-the-art machines and a High Limit Slots Lounge with a $1 million jackpot. In addition, gamblers can enjoy more than 200 live-action table games.
Adjacent to the casino is the 310-room Live! Hotel & Spa, where you’ll find the swanky Southview Penthouse, outfitted with a huge living room, a dining table for eight, a wet bar, two king bedrooms and an in-suite movie theater.
When you’re not taking chances with Lady Luck, relax with a massage at Live! Spa, dig into a steak at The Prime Rib restaurant, watch a show — look for performers like Al Green, Creed and Jerry Seinfeld on the marquee at the 4,000-seat Hall venue — or peruse a diverse art collection that includes pieces from names like Andy Warhol, Jennifer Steinkamp and Robert Indiana.
