If you have ever been to a casino resort, you'll know how luxurious they can be. After, super yachts, palaces, and private islands casinos are some of the most expensive real-estate. Especially, in North America where these casinos sit on prime real-estate. Over the past 100 years,' billions of dollars have been invested into building casinos. This is to keep up the appearance of luxury, which will attract the desired clientele.
Today, casinos are a great source of architectural wealth. Each one is carefully designed from basement to penthouse. No expense is too great, and no corners are cut. After all, casinos are made to be adult playgrounds. Therefore, each one must capture the imagination. One of the ways many casinos achieve this is through height. Just like skyscrapers, many casinos extend into the sky providing some of the most breath-taking views. This also helps attract top quality restaurants and chefs to set up in these casinos.
In this article, we will rank the most expensive casinos built in North America. Travelling from Western Canada all the way to the Mojave Desert. We will start from the least expensive to the most expensive.
The Mirage - Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: $620 million
Lot size: 100,000-square-foot casino and 170,000 square feet of convention space
Built by famous developer Steve Wynn, The Mirage sits on the Las Vegas Strip. Constructed in 1989, the casino is most known for its Polynesian theme. It is also noted for starting the popular Y-shape design. This design has since been replicated by The Mandalay Bay and Treasure Island Casino. The building itself is one large 29 storey tower. Upper floors are exclusively for high roller tables and penthouses. Starting in 1990, The Mirage hosted Sigmund & Roy's tiger show until 2003. Since then the Las Vegas casino has played host to dozens of other celebrity acts. Most recently America's Got Talent Winner ventriloquist Terry Fator.
Parq Avenue - Vancouver, British Columbia
Cost: $640 million
Lot size: 30,000 square-foot rooftop park and more than 60,000 square feet of interior space
Parq Avenue is a recent addition to the casino world having only opened in 2017. Construction was started in 2015. Meaning the newest Canadian land casino took around two years to complete. Located in Vancouver it is situated right next to BC Place Stadium. Styled as Vancouver's premier casino resort Parq Avenue houses two luxury hotels and eight top restaurants. During its construction, Parq Avenue was celebrated as the largest private development in Vancouver. It is hoped the new casino development will cater to the city's booming tourist industry. Most of which is tied to the movie and film industry.
Casino Niagara - City of Niagara, Ontario
Cost: $1 billion
Lot size: 250,000 square feet with 200,000 square feet of gaming space.
Known as Fallsview Casino, Casino Niagara is perhaps the most well-known Canadian casino. This is due to the fact it overlooks the iconic horseshoe falls. First conceived in the late 1990's, construction on Casino Niagara only began in 2001. Four years later, it was opened to the public. Since then it has become a beloved feature in the Niagara skyline.
As for the gaming space, Casino Niagara is highly rated. Online Canadian casino review site Casinos.co described Fallsview as "A giant among Canadian land casinos." Listing the casinos "1,300 slot machines and 30 gaming tables and Poker Room."
MGM Grand- Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: $1.1 billion
Lot size: 4 30- story towers with a 170,000-square-foot casino and 380,000 square feet of convention space.
Part of the MGM family, the MGM Grand is a popular destination on the Las Vegas Strip. Constructed in 1993 in an art-deco style, the MGM Grand houses nine restaurants, several attractions, and over 6,000 rooms. At the time of construction, it was said to be the largest hotel in the world. Today, the MGM Grand is home to several huge attractions including David Copperfield's show.
Cosmopolitan - Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: $3.9 billion
Lot size: 100,000-square-foot gaming space with 150,000 square feet of extra convention space
Like the cocktail of the same name, the Cosmopolitan casino is referred to as 'The Cosmo'. Opened in 2010, on the Strip 'The Cosmo' is a luxury resort casino and hotel. Design wise, the casino consists of two 184 meter towers. These towers are named the Boulevard Tower and the Chelsea tower. Aiming to offer a luxurious experience to its clientele, The Cosmo does not disappoint. Guests can enjoy pools, restaurants, and a 40,000 square foot spa-fitness facility. Therefore, it is no surprise that in 2015 the resort was featured in the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List.
City Centre Las Vegas- Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: $ 9 billion
Lot Size: 16,797,000-square-foot
Topping our list as the most expensive casino real estate is City Centre. Located on the Las Vegas Strip, City Centre is one of the largest developments in North America. MGM Resorts and Dubai world worked as joint partners in this multi-billion-dollar concept. It was first opened to the public on December 16, 2009. So far it is also the largest privately funded development. City Centre is comprised of several large skyscrapers which house retail malls, hotel resorts and casinos. However, Aria Casino is its flagship casino. Besides the Aria casino, City Centre is also known for The Crystals. The Crystals, is of course, an upscale luxury retail district. Retailers located at The Crystals include fashion designers Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Emilio Pucci.
