Today, more than 500 casinos are operated across the country, generating an annual revenue of more than $240 billion. For East Coast tourists, these 16 casinos are located an easy drive from New York City and offer slot machines, table games, racebooks, and a variety of resort amenities and attractions.
Mount Airy Casino Resort
Mount Airy Casino Resort is located in Mt Pocono within Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains on the site of the former Mount Airy Lodge, which was originally constructed in 1898.
The resort, which reopened in 2007 following its rebranding, is one of only two AAA Four Diamond Casino Resorts in the state, along with Bethlehem’s Sands Casino Resort, and offers 188 luxury guest rooms and suites.
62,000 square feet of gaming space is offered, featuring 1,800 slot machines, including machines themed after popular films, television series, and music videos.
A variety of card game tables have also been offered since the state’s legalization of table games in 2010. Dining options include Guy Fieri’s Mount Pocono Kitchen and Bistecca by Il Mulino.
Other resort amenities include a night club, a spa and salon, and a championship 18-hole golf course.
312 Woodland Rd, Mt Pocono, PA 18344, Phone: 877-682-4791
Tropicana Atlantic City
Tropicana Atlantic City is one of New Jersey’s largest resort hotels, offering 2,400 luxury guest rooms and suites.
The hotel was originally opened in 1919 as the Ambassador Hotel and was the site of the infamous 1929 Atlantic City Conference, which brought legendary organized crime bosses such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano to the hotel for a territorial rights truce.
Since its rebranding as Tropicana, the casino has showcased more than 125,000 square feet of gaming space and offered more than 2,400 slot machines and 132 table games.
26 restaurants are offered at the complex, including the Chelsea Five Gastropub, Il Verdi, and The Palm.
Other attractions include the AtlantiCare LifeCenter fitness center, a 2,000-seat showroom venue, and a 200,000-square-foot entertainment and shopping complex known as The Quarter.
2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-340-4000
Bally’s Atlantic City
Bally’s Atlantic City was originally opened in 1979 as Bally’s Park Place and is best known as the namesake of the “Park Place” and “Boardwalk” game space locations in the Monopoly board game. Since 2005, the hotel and casino has been operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation.
With more than 2,000 rooms, the hotel is one of the largest on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
Its two casinos offer more than 5,000 slot machines and 220,000 square feet of floor space, including a Wild Wild West casino themed after the American Old West and a Boardwalk Saloon offering floor-to-ceiling window views of the adjacent beach.
Other amenities include an indoor swimming pool area with two saunas and six hot tubs, a shopping complex, and two restaurants operated by Food Network star Guy Fieri.
1900 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-340-2000
Borgata
Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, which opened in 2003, is the top-grossing casino in the Atlantic City region and the largest hotel in the state of New Jersey, offering 2,002 guest rooms and suites.
It is owned by MGM Resorts and offers 161,000 square feet of casino floor, featuring 4,000 slot machines, 50 poker tables, and 180 assorted table games. High-stakes tournaments held as part of the World Poker Tour are frequently hosted at the casino, which also offers Atlantic City’s only racebook.
Other hotel attractions include the 18,000-square foot Premier Nightclub, the Borgata Beer Garden, Borgata Festival Park, and restaurants operated by celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, and Geoffrey Zakarian.
1 Borgata Way, Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-317-1000
Caesars Atlantic City
Caesars Atlantic City was originally opened in 1979 as the Caesars Boardwalk Regency and is one of the largest casinos in Atlantic City today, offering more than 145,000 square feet of gaming space and over 3,000 slot machines.
The resort, which is modeled after the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas, features an ancient Greek and Roman theme and offers 1,158 guest rooms and suites. Casino activities are divided into four areas, including the Asian-themed Palace East, a Poker Room, a table games area, and a second-floor slots casino.
Other hotel amenities include the Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill, the Playground Pier shopping mall, and the 1,100-seat Circus Maximus Showroom, which hosts international recording artists and professional boxing matches.
2100 Pacific Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-348-4411
Quick weekend itinerary
Where to Eat: | Il Verdi, Carmine's Italian Restaurant, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar |
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Empire City
Empire City is park of the Yonkers Raceway complex, which was opened in 1899 as the Empire City Racetrack, and is operated by MGM Resorts International.
The half-mile racing dirt track was redesigned in 1997 to incorporate more than 7,500 slot machines and allows visitors as young as 18 years old due to its governance by state lottery laws.
Automated blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette games are offered at the casino, along with video poker, progressives, and keno.
The casino hosts a monthly comedy night event and a weekly singing competition show and is home to an annual nine-week summer concert series attracting stars such as Kenny Rogers and Gavin DeGraw.
810 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers, NY 10704, Phone: 914-968-4200
Foxwoods Casino Resort
Foxwoods Casino Resort was opened in 1986 by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on the tribe’s Ledyard, Connecticut reservation following federal recognition of the tribe in 1983 by the United States Congress.
The casino offers the world’s third-largest poker room behind the Commerce and Bicycle Casinos, along with 5,500 slot machines and 250 gaming tables.
Two hotel towers offer 2,226 guest rooms and suites, along with a two-story children and teen gaming arcade.
Other major attractions within the nine million square foot resort include a Tanger Outlet Mall and several restaurants, including a Hard Rock Cafe. Visitors should be advised that the casino is not smoke-free due to tribal land regulations.
350 Trolley Line Blvd, Mashantucket, CT 06338, Phone: 860-312-3000
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Hotel, Casino & Marina
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Hotel, Casino & Marina is located in Atlantic City and was originally opened in 1985 as the Trump’s Castle resort.
It was rebranded as Trump Marina in 1997 and later as Golden Nugget following its purchase by Landry’s, Inc. in 2011. The 14.6-acre resort contains a casino offering more than 74,000 square feet of gaming floor designed around a Gold Rush theme.
Restaurant offerings include the Chart House, The Deck Bayfront Bar and Restaurant, and Michael Patrick's Brasserie. Radio transmissions for WWFP 90.5FM are broadcast from the hotel’s transmission tower.
Other hotel attractions include a 2,000-seat ballroom, a 462-seat theater, and the Frank Farley Marina, which is operated by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
600 Huron Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-441-2000
Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City
The Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City was opened in 1990 as the Trump Taj Mahal and was constructed at a cost of almost $1 billion, featuring the nation’s first in-casino strip club and restaurants such as Il Mulino New York, Robert’s Steakhouse, and Dynasty.
In 2016, the hotel was closed due to a casino worker’s strike, and in 2018, it was purchased by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and reopened as part of the Hard Rock franchise.
167,000 square feet of gaming space is offered, along with 2,010 guest rooms and suites, a 400-seat theater, and the Steel Pier boardwalk, which features a 227-foot-high observation wheel.
1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-449-1000
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City is one of three resorts and casinos located in Atlantic City’s marina district, along with the Golden Nugget and the Borgata.
The resort was opened in 1980 and is operated today by Caesars Entertainment, offering 2,588 luxury guest rooms and suites. 177,000 square feet of gaming floor is offered, including 5,567 slot machines, 139 table games, and a Poker Room that hosts events for the World Series of Poker.
Fine and casual dining options are offered, along with the glass dome enclosed Pool at Harrah’s, which hosts tri-weekly Pool After Dark DJ events, and the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. A 1,200-seat theater, the Concert Venue, is also offered, showcasing international recording artists and professional boxing matches.
777 Harrah's Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-441-5000
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is a racetrack and casino located near Wilkes-Barre that is a redevelopment of the prior Pocono Downs racetrack, which was acquired by the Mohegan Sun casino franchise in 2005 at a cost of $280 million.
As the first slots casino in Pennsylvania, the casino offers 82,000 square feet of gaming space and is overseen by the authority of the Mohegan Tribe.
More than 2,300 slot machines are offered, along with tables for poker, roulette, and blackjack.
A ?-mile harness track, the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, is also offered, along with 238 guest rooms and suites and 14 restaurants, including a full-service food court.
1280 Pennsylvania 315, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702, Phone: 570-831-2100
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun is owned by the Mohegan Tribe and located in Uncasville within Connecticut’s foothills tourist district on 240 acres of reservation land.
It was opened in 1996 with the assistance of Trading Cove Associates and features a 364,000-square-foot casino offering 6,500 slot machines, 377 gaming tables, remote jai-alai wagering, and a racebook for live horse and greyhound racing throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Major casino attractions include the Casino of the Sky planetarium dome ceiling and the 55-foot Taughannick Falls indoor waterfall.
Other resort amenities include the Mohegan Sun Arena, the 300-seat Wolf Den and 350-seat Cabaret Theater, the WMOS radio studios, and the American Northeast’s largest convention center ballroom.
1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, CT 06382, Phone: 888-226-7711
Parx Casino and Racing
Parx Casino and Racing is Pennsylvania’s largest casino complex and is operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.
The racetrack was originally opened in 1974 as the Keystone Racetrack and was intended to replace the former Liberty Bell Park Racetrack. In 1996, following a rebranding as the Philadelphia Park Racetrack, the racetrack added a full casino facility featuring 3,500 slot machines, 140 table games, and a poker room featuring 60 poker tables.
Live simulcast racing is also showcased at the casino, including the Pennsylvania Derby and the Fitz Eugene Dixon Cotillion, the state’s two premiere annual thoroughbred races.
Other attractions at the complex include the Liberty Bell Gastropub, Parxgrill, and the Club 360 and Jax nightclubs.
2999 Street Rd, Bensalem, PA 19020, Phone: 888-LUV-PARX
Resorts Casino Hotel
Resorts Casino Hotel was Atlantic City’s first casino and hotel and was the first legal casino in the United States operated outside of Las Vegas when it opened in 1978. Its site originally housed the historic Chalfonte and Haddon Houses, which have been relocated and preserved as historic structures. Since 2012, it has been operated by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and is part of a marketing partnership with Oceanfront’s Monmouth Park Racetrack. 1,00,000 square feet of gaming space is offered within the Roaring Twenties-themed casino, which was designed after the success of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire television series. The casino also features Atlantic City’s first LGBT nightclub and is the first casino in the city to actively promote an LGBT-inclusive atmosphere.
1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, Phone: 609-344-6000
Resorts World Casino New York City
Resorts World Casino New York City is located in Jamaica, Queens and is the only casino within New York’s five boroughs.
The casino was opened in 2011 as part of the Aqueduct Racetrack complex, which originally opened in 1894 and offers a 1 ?-mile thoroughbred race track. It has been featured in a number of feature films and television series, including The Sopranos and The Odd Couple.
330,000 square feet of gaming space is offered, featuring a wide variety of slot machines and animated blackjack, craps, roulette, and Baccarat tables.
The casino is accessible from the New York City subway via the Aqueduct Racetrack station and a free shuttle bus operated by the New York Racing Association.
110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11420, Phone: 888-888-8801
