Readers' Choice Awards Best Casinos Outside Vegas of 2026

Sin City tends to get all the glory, even when some of the country’s most impressive casino destinations are nowhere near the Strip. That’s why our panel of experts wanted to identify 15 casinos outside Vegas during the Readers' Choice Awards.

We asked readers like you to weigh in on your favorites and what you think makes them so special, and after thousands of votes, the results are in!

These are the top 10 casinos outside Las Vegas in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Winner: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

Atlantic City, New Jersey

On 17 acres of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City brings the brand's signature music-forward identity to one of the country's most storied gaming destinations (it's the former site of the Trump Taj Mahal, which Hard Rock International purchased in 2017 and reopened in 2018). The property's entertainment infrastructure is its most distinctive asset: the 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the 1,300-seat Sound Waves venue, and a devotion to live programming every day of the year. More than 2,300 slots and 130 table games fill the casino floor, and 10 on-site restaurants round out the offering, all just steps from the beach.

Readers made this the runaway winner with over 1,500 votes, and the comments leaned heavily on atmosphere, live music, and staff. "By far our favorite venue for entertainment, food and gambling combination," one voter wrote, while another said, "Best hosts, best staff, best restaurants. Always an amazing trip!" The boardwalk location and daily live bands came up again and again as reasons guests keep coming back.

Runner up: WinStar World Casino and Resort

Thackerville, Oklahoma

WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma, holds the title of the world's largest casino by gaming floor, drawing an estimated 6 million visitors a year to a location just 75 miles north of Dallas–Fort Worth. The Chickasaw Nation property began as a bingo hall in 1991 and has expanded into a resort with nine internationally themed gaming plazas modeled after cities including Paris, Rome, Cairo, and London, featuring more than 10,500 electronic games, table games, a poker room, and a bingo hall. Nearly 1,500 hotel rooms, two 18-hole golf courses, and the 250,000-square-foot Lucas Oil Live entertainment venue round out the property.

Scale was the theme of nearly every compliment. "It's the largest casino in the world! So many games," one fan wrote, and several others echoed the sheer variety of games and dining as the draw. Its proximity to Dallas came up often, too. One reader called it an "unexpected venue in the middle of almost nowhere, yet not too far away from a big city like Dallas, TX."

3. Borgata Hotel Casino

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa arrived in Atlantic City in 2003 as an MGM Resorts property and has remained a reference point for East Coast casino luxury ever since. The resort's 161,000-square-foot gaming floor, the largest in the Atlantic City market, includes more than 2,500 slot machines, over 200 table games, and what the property bills as the market's largest dedicated Asian gaming space, unveiled as part of a 2025 renovation. Add 2,000 hotel rooms and suites, 13 restaurants, a 2,400-seat Event Center, and Spa Toccare, and the Borgata functions as a full-scale resort in its own right.

One past visitor praised, "Great friendly hotel and casino, with a great beach," while another compared the property to Las Vegas itself: "It's like being in Vegas!" The MGM rewards program also got a specific shoutout.

4. Ocean Casino Resort

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Ocean Casino Resort cuts a distinctive profile on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The building is a modern glass tower at the northern end of the strip, with floor-to-ceiling windows in every one of its nearly 1,400 rooms, each with a direct view of the ocean or the city skyline. The property opened in its current form in 2018 on a site that was originally home to the Revel Casino Hotel, and a 2025 renovation expanded its Asian gaming offering. Fifteen restaurants, three nightclubs, seven pools, and 160,000 square feet of meeting space give guests plenty to do beyond the 138,000-square-foot casino floor.

Voters zeroed in on the setting and the recent gaming expansion. "Oceanfront, with multiple pools, great selection of restaurants, and slots," read one comment, and another pointed specifically to "the expanded Asian Gaming Pit" as a favorite feature. One reader put it plainly: "Nicest casino in AC."

5. Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa

Reno, Nevada

Reno has long played understudy to Las Vegas, but Atlantis Casino Resort Spa has built a following on its own terms. Nestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada on South Virginia Street, the AAA Four Diamond property houses more than 60,000 square feet of gaming space and a dining lineup anchored by the Atlantis Steakhouse, Reno's only Forbes Four-Star restaurant. Nearly a dozen food outlets range from a sky-terrace sushi bar to a classic deli, and the 30,000-square-foot Spa Atlantis, also Forbes Four-Star rated, gives a stay here reach well beyond the casino floor.

Guests pointed to the property's surroundings and overall feel as reasons for their vote, citing "activities nearby beside casino" and simply saying, "love it here." Others kept it short and specific, praising "the appearance" and the "variety and ambiance" of the casino floor.

6. Potawatomi Casino Hotel Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley, the Potawatomi Casino Hotel was the first off-reservation casino in the United States when it opened in 1991 by the Forest County Potawatomi Community. A nearly $200 million renovation completed in 2025 added updated gaming floors, new dining concepts, and the Midwest's largest sportsbook, a two-story, 200-seat venue with a 2,000-square-foot LED video wall. The scale of the renovation is evident in 3,000 gaming machines, 100 table games, 500 hotel rooms, and a dining lineup that includes the Dream Dance Steakhouse.

The new sportsbook and dining options came up repeatedly in voter responses. Others noted "great amenities and so many different food and beverage options" along with consistently friendly staff. One reader also mentioned the casino's visibility in the community "through sports and festivals."

7. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain

Wheatland, California

Located in Wheatland, about 30 minutes north of Sacramento, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain opened in 2019 as Hard Rock's first Vegas-style casino in California. Owned by the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria, the property sits adjacent to the Toyota Amphitheater and offers more than 1,800 slot machines and table games, along with a high-limit room. A multi-billion-dollar phased expansion is planned to begin in 2026.

Guests brought up the loyalty program and the setting as favorites, with one calling out the "best loyalty program" and another praising the "great atmosphere, convenient, and location." A third plainly named it the "top Hard Rock."

8. Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel

Highland, California

Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel has positioned itself at the top of the Southern California gaming market through a combination of scale and service. Owned by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in Highland, about 60 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, the resort holds the only AAA Five-Diamond designation of any casino hotel in the country. Its gaming floor spans 290,000 square feet with more than 7,200 slot machines, five VIP gaming rooms, and hundreds of table games, backed by a Forbes Four-Star hotel and steakhouse and a Forbes Five-Star spa.

"Experience and vibe" and the title of "Everything!" were common refrains in reader submissions, and one voter singled out the slot selection: "Lucky machines and so many of them."

9. Foxwoods Resort Casino

Mashantucket, Connecticut

Foxwoods Resort Casino occupies a category of its own in New England gaming. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the property has grown from a bingo hall opened in 1986 into one of the largest gaming complexes in the United States, with six casinos, more than 340,000 square feet of gaming space, and thousands of slot machines under one roof. More than 2,200 hotel rooms, 35-plus restaurants, Tanger Outlets shopping, and a 2024 expansion that added the Club Newport high-limit gaming destination round out the scale.

Those who chimed in cited the property's size and variety most often, with one calling it "huge" and another praising the "large offering [of] different mini-casinos inside." Convenience stuck out to players, too, as someone noted it’s "close to home,” while another wrote, "I love Foxwoods," and a third said they "enjoy my time, each time I go."

10. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino

Biloxi, Mississippi Sitting along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino brings scale and style to Biloxi that travelers more often associate with major resort corridors. The MGM Resorts property rises 32 stories, the tallest building in Mississippi, and holds an AAA Four Diamond designation, with 1,740 Gulf-view guest rooms, more than 1,500 slot machines and table games, an 18-hole golf course, and dining that includes the BR Prime Steakhouse.

Submissions pointed to the coastal setting as the #1 pull to visit. "The location and beach vibe of the surrounding area" was mentioned, and one reader offered a direct comparison: "mini Bellagio."

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Our Experts

BethEllen Clausen

Clausen is a freelance writer with a heavy emphasis on art and culture. She is a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the LA Wine Writers, and she writes for Food, Wine and Travel Magazine, the Napa Valley Wine Academy, and Costco Connection. You can read more about Clausen's experiences at her website, Organic Wine Travel.

Marguerite "Peggy" Cleveland

As an Army veteran, military spouse, and adventure-seeker, Cleveland has lived across the United States and has turned a lifetime of moving, exploring, and discovering hidden gems into a successful writing career. The travel journalist and author loves sharing stories about destinations, food, wine, and wellness. Her work has appeared in major publications nationwide, and she is the author of 100 Things to Do in Tacoma Before You Die. When she’s not writing, Cleveland is often planning her next adventure—or enjoying one.

Susan Lanier-Graham

Lanier-Graham is an award-winning food, wine, and travel writer with more than three decades of experience exploring destinations around the world. She has visited luxury resorts, boutique properties, and hidden gems across six continents, bringing a discerning eye to every stay. As publisher of Wander With Wonder, she leads an award-winning digital publication that inspires readers to discover exceptional travel experiences. Her work blends firsthand insight with a passion for storytelling, offering trusted recommendations on where to stay, dine, and explore. Susan’s expertise helps travelers confidently choose destinations that transform trips into unforgettable, experience-rich journeys.

Reviewed Editors & Experts

Reviewed editors and experts have hard-earned insight from a broad range of backgrounds, and our nomination panel includes independent researchers, subject matter experts, and editorial team members. We provide unbiased, experiential editorial coverage on products, brands, and companies across the U.S.