The most unfortunate casinos in Las Vegas and around the world
Casinos are enjoyed by millions of people from all walks of life in every corner of the world. The thrill of playing your favourite games in grandiose settings is hard to beat, and each casino has its own unique style that brings something different to the table. However, the shine can quickly wear off if players feel that a venue is unlucky.
There are many ways in which a casino can let down its guests and create a disappointing atmosphere. These can include anything from harsh odds on gaming machines to employing rude and unhelpful staff. If the casino is located within a hotel, then issues such as room mix-ups and poor housekeeping can also make guests feel unlucky, affecting how they feel when playing the tables.
With all this in mind, the team at Spin Genie UK wanted to find out which casinos are seen as the most unlucky and unfortunate. We’ve put together a list of some of the world’s most popular and famous casinos and scoured their reviews for mentions of bad luck and disappointing experiences to reveal the most unfortunate.
The Fontainebleau is the most unfortunate casino in Las Vegas
1. Fontainebleau Las Vegas Disappointing reviews: 3.92
The Fontainebleau Las Vegas is the most unlucky casino in the city, with 3.92% of reviews discussing bad luck and disappointing experiences. As one of the newest casinos in Las Vegas, only opening its doors in December 2023, the Fontainebleau has gotten off to a rocky start.
As with many casinos in the United States, the Fontainebleau is also a resort hotel. It offers more than 3,600 rooms, spas, fine dining, poolside relaxation, and entertainment from world-class artists like Calvin Harris and Hootie & the Blowfish.
Despite these excellent facilities and the venue’s four-star rating on Tripadvisor, it has accumulated the highest proportion of disappointed reviews. Many reviewers cite low payouts, poor customer service and a lack of complimentary drinks while enjoying the casino.
2. Golden Nugget Disappointing reviews: 3.34%
The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino received the second most disappointing reviews at 3.34%. Located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget has been a core gaming venue in the city since opening its doors in 1946, but its reputation has begun to be clouded by bad luck.
Despite referring to itself as “the most luxurious resort on the Fremont Street Experience”, 325 reviews for the Golden Nugget referenced the term “disappointing,” 51 used the term “unhappy,” and 22 used the term “unfortunate.”
Some of the disappointing reviews referenced a lack of room cleaning in the hotel, incorrect billing on checkout, and very long waits for complimentary drinks when gaming in the casino.
3. Mandalay Bay Disappointing reviews: 2.95%
The Las Vegas casino with the third most disappointing reviews is Mandalay Bay, with 2.95%. This luxury resort and casino opened 25 years ago in 1999 and has a tropical South Seas theme, giving Mandalay Bay its own unique style.
With a four-star rating on Tripadvisor, Mandalay Bay is a popular destination for casino enthusiasts. Between the many slots, table games, poker and the BetMGM Sportsbook, guests have plenty of options.
However, this casino hotel has many disappointed and unlucky reviews, suggesting that casino-goers might not get the fun experience they’re after. Multiple reviews discuss dirty rooms and unclean pools, tainting guests’ experiences. Meanwhile, guests complained that the casino was too expensive, full of smoke, and short on staff.
The Strat is the luckiest casino in Las Vegas
1. The Strat Disappointing reviews: 0.71%
The Strat is the luckiest casino for visitors, with the fewest disappointing reviews at just 0.71%. The Strat Hotel and Casino is instantly recognisable for its iconic observation tower, which is the tallest in the United States.
Situated on Las Vegas Boulevard just north of the Las Vegas Strip, the Strat attracts swathes of guests every year. More than 2,400 rooms are available alongside 7,400 square metres of gaming space, making it a lively and exciting venue for players to visit.
2. The Cosmopolitan Casino Disappointing reviews: 0.77%
The Cosmopolitan Casino is the second least disappointing venue in Las Vegas, with just 0.77% of reviews discussing bad luck and disappointment. Opening in 2010, the venue has earned a near-perfect Tripadvisor rating of 4.5 and boasts more than 3,000 rooms.
The Cosmopolitan Casino boasts a wide variety of slots, including 1,300 reel-spinning machines, and many table games, including roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and three-card poker. There are also elegant high-limit lounges for both slots and table game players, offering state-of-the-art facilities and elegant settings.
3. Ellis Island Disappointing reviews: 1.11%
Ellis Island Casino is the third luckiest venue in Las Vegas, with as few as 1.11% of reviews discussing bad luck and disappointment. A staple part of the Las Vegas experience for over 50 years, the Ellis Island Casino also had an attached brewery until 2022.
Ellis Island Casino has a respectable Tripadvisor review score of four out of five, with many glowing reviews praising the establishment’s recent upgrades, high-quality food, and low-stakes craps tables.
The world’s most unlucky casino on Tripadvisor is Caesars Windsor, Canada
1. Caesars Windsor Casino Disappointing reviews: 10.38%
Windsor, Canada
Caesars Windsor Casino is the unluckiest venue in our study, with 10.38% of reviews discussing bad luck and disappointment. Located in Windsor, Canada, the casino has earned a respectable Tripadvisor review score of four out of five. Still, many unhappy reviews mention tight odds on the slot machines and issues with service.
2. City of Dreams Mediterranean Disappointing reviews: 6.93%
Limassol, Cyprus
The City of Dreams Mediterranean is a hotel and casino in Limassol, Cyprus. The venue has the second most disappointing reviews in our study at 6.93%, though the overall Tripadvisor score is an encouraging 4.5 out of five, suggesting many positive aspects to appreciate. Some common complaints include the very smoky bar areas in the casino, the loud music, and the inattentive staff.
3. Casino Rama Resort Disappointing reviews: 5.55%
Orilla, Canada
Casino Rama Resort is the third unluckiest casino in our study, with 5.55% of reviews discussing bad luck and disappointment. Based in Orilla, the venue is the second Canadian casino to make our bottom three. A considerable number of reviews mention tight slots, with one going so far as to claim they were the “tightest slots in the history of tight slots.”
Five casinos are tied for being the luckiest in the world, with zero disappointing reviews
1. Casino Les Princes
Cannes, France
Five casinos recorded zero disappointing reviews or mentions of bad luck. The first of these is Casino Les Princes, located in Cannes on the beautiful French Riviera. The casino features various electronic games, including electronic blackjack and roulette. There are also tables for poker, punto banco, English roulette and traditional blackjack. However, some reviews reference a lack of English language provision, so it may be worth revisiting your French if you plan a visit.
1. Casino d’Enghien-les-Bains
Paris, France
A second French casino made our list of the luckiest venues, this time the Casino d’Enghien-les-Bains in Paris. The casino offers 1,500 square metres dedicated to slot machines and table games, as well as two restaurants and three bars. Visitors to the casino should be aware of an entry fee at the door of €15 to €16, depending on the day, though the glamour of the casino’s prominent lakeside setting makes it all worthwhile.
1. Casinò di Venezia
Venice, Italy
Casinò di Venezia is the world's oldest casino, founded almost four centuries ago in 1638. The casino occupies what was once a theatre where gambling was allowed in intermissions. Simply visiting this elegant casino is an experience in itself, though there are plenty of games to choose from once you arrive. Modern electric gaming machines are available to guests, as well as a variety of classic table games, including French roulette, blackjack, punto banco and chemin de fer, an old variant of baccarat.
1. Casino Caliente
Tijuana, Mexico
Casino Caliente, located in the bustling Mexican border city of Tijuana, also saw zero reviews mentioning disappointment or bad luck. Just 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, this casino has more than 1,100 slot machines, sports and racing betting, and a wide variety of table games. The casino has a Tripadvisor rating of four out of five and reviews praise its easy-to-use machines and helpful staff.
1. Casino Playa de Las Americas
Costa Adeje, Spain
Casino Playa de Las Americas is the last of our casinos to tie for first place. Located in Costa Adeje on the southwestern coast of Tenerife, this casino is a perfect European holiday with sun, sea and slots. Visitors can play slot machines, American roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold’em poker. The venue has a moderate dress code, so casual clothing such as short-sleeved shirts, shorts and sportswear is prohibited.
Methodology
We wanted to reveal the unluckiest major casinos in Las Vegas and the wider world. To do this, we used a series of blogs and articles to make a list of some of the world’s top casinos.
We then collected the number of Tripadvisor reviews that contained a series of terms suggesting the author had an unlucky time at the casino. These included: unlucky, unfortunate, disaster, disastrous, misfortune, bankrupt, robbery, robbed, disappointing, and unhappy.
We counted the number of times these terms were featured in reviews and compared that figure to the total number of reviews, calculating a percentage. Casinos were then ranked by this percentage, with a higher percentage indicating a more disappointing experience and unlucky casino.
Any casinos with fewer than 50 reviews were removed.
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