The World's Oldest Casino Is An Italian Gem Combining Luxury, Classic Games, And Historic Charm

When "Venetian" and "casino" appear in the same sentence, you likely think of the all-suite Las Vegas hotel with world-class restaurants and a luxury spa. But forget theme park dupes of canals and replicas of Venetian art, and swoon over the real Renaissance luxury of Casino di Venezia, housed in Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi, one of the most magnificent gems of Italian architectural splendor on the Grand Canal. Outside, soaring Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns frame rows of lancet windows with rounded arches, a signature flourish of Venetian facades. Inside, opulent interiors rich with historic charm display centuries-old works and frescoes by Italian masters such as Mattia Bortoloni, Palma il Giovane, and Gian Battista Crosato. In gaming salons resplendent with Murano glass chandeliers, damask, and art, tuxedoed dealers deal hundreds of ways to play classic games like roulette, Texas Hold 'em, blackjack, and baccarat, and 600 state-of-the-art slot machines await. The casino is also a popular venue for professional tournaments like the World Poker Tour.

More than just a casino, stepping through the French wooden portice of this Venetian Gothic masterpiece offers an intriguing immersion into the history of Venetian nobility and social life. In 1481, aristocrat Andrea Loredan commissioned the design of his family palace from Mauro Codussi, an acclaimed local architect known for the Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square and important churches like San Giovanni Crisostomo. This was a time when Venice was all the rage across Europe for its exuberant parties from cafés to Carnival celebrations, and the gentility hosted private rendezvous with poetry, music, and libertine pleasures in casinos ("small houses") like the Vendramin-Calergi. Gambling was illegal yet most rampant at these events, and in 1638, was finally legalized only at the Theatre Saint Moses, the first incarnation of Casino di Venezia, making it the world's oldest gambling house.

Playing at Casino di Venezia is not for rookies, with its smart casual dress code (pants are required for men) and €50 (about $58) entrance, although it comes with €20 (roughly $23) in chips, a beverage, parking, and coat check. By contrats, Casino Estoril, one of Europe's largest casinos in a glamorous beach town outside Lisbon, offers free entry. With this higher-than-average upfront ante, you should come ready and able to play your choice of classic games, and expect table bets starting at $12, from roulette to blackjack, and $23 for baccarat. 

Players have mixed reactions on Tripadvisor, ranging from one user appreciating that the entry fee "makes perfect sense if you don't want it packed with drunken louts," and called the setting "as close to Casino Royals I have ever seen," to another complaining that "50 euro entry is an absolute joke given the service (non existent)." One visitor said that they were "was pleasantly surprised by the layout of the casino. A few roulette tables, lots of space at each table for lots of players," and noted they enjoyed the friendly dealers, so much so that they even visited on three consecutive nights. However, one casino aficionado declared they had never "witnessed such desperate, embarrassing, rude, and begging behavior" from the roulette staff who were "aggressive" in asking for tips. A safe approach would be secure complimentary entry using brochures handed out at hotels or on the streets, by asking your hotel for written accreditation for entry on or before 6 p.m., or by trying your luck at the door. If successful, it could spark off a streak of fortune at the tables!

The palazzo is one of the prestigious Venice Film Festival's host venues, and has welcomed celebrities such as Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci. But its most famous resident is composer Richard Wagner, who made the mezzanine apartments his beloved retreat from 1858 until his death in these very rooms in 1883. The entire level is now the Wagner Museum, home to the largest private collection of rare scores, signed letters, paintings, records, lithographs, and other Wagnerian memorabilia outside of Bayreuth, a German town with a thriving music scene centered on the maestro's operas. Check the official website for opening hours and to book guided tours.

Through double doorways of rare wood and ivory anchor on the ground floor, Wagner Restaurant decorated in Baroque fashion, is a sumptuous way to experience the casino away from the second-floor tables and slots. In spacious salons, savor Italian culinary classics and Venetian seafood standouts, featuring fish from the surrounding Venice Lagoon so you can eat like a local amid intricate sculptures looming over gilded fireplaces and walls lined with golden leather. Step out into the gorgeously landscaped garden overlooking the Grand Canal, an extraordinary waterside treat and perspective.

Casino di Venezia is open only Fridays to Sundays from 8:15 p.m. to 3:15 a.m.. While it's easily reachable on foot from central Venice, there's nothing like pulling up to the palazzo on the Grand Canal. Check out its free shuttle boat schedule, or you can also hop on waterbuses which run every 10 minutes.