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Best online casino for most U.S. players: Bovada

If you're in CT, DE, NJ, PA, or WV, online casinos are legal in your state, and you should play at a casino licensed there.

If you're in any other U.S. state, your best bet is Bovada, not because they're good, but because everything else is even worse.  I'm reminded of the Simpsons episode where the RV salesman is telling Homer, "Simpson, you're never gonna own a finer RV.  And I don't mean that in a good way, I mean this is IT for you!"

THE GOOD ABOUT BOVADA

  1. Play the practice games without having to register an account.  Other casinos force you to register so they can market to you.  Bovada is the only U.S.-wide casino I know of that lets you play right away with no registration.  (They throw up a registration box, but you can cancel it and continue to the game.)  For example, here's the free-play blackjack.  And the games play right in your browser, so you don't have to download any special software.
  2. Better reputation.  Online gambling is mostly unregulated so if a casino refuses to pay your winnings you have little recourse.  But Bovada has a better reputation on payouts than its unlicensed competitors. (Not perfect, but better.)

THE BAD ABOUT BOVADA

  1. Not licensed.  Because online gambling in most states isn't explicitly legal, no legitimate authority will license a U.S.-wide casino.  That means if you have a dispute, you have no recourse.  This is the biggest problem with Bovada, but if gambling isn't licensed in your state, you're not gonna find better.
  2. Various other issues. Detailed here.

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Gambling problem?

  1. Call the 800-522-4700 hotline or get online help
  2. See these horror stories.
  3. Know that aripiprazole and Parkinson's drugs encourage gambling.

Shopping in Las Vegas

Last update: November 1, 2024

Indoor Malls

There are a number of large, indoor shopping malls on the Strip.

LARGEST
  1. Forum Shops (Caesars Palace).  270 shops, 636,000 square feet.
  2. Grand Canal Shoppes (Palazzo).  208 shops, 736,228 square feet.
  3. Fashion Show Mall.  More than just fashion, boasting more than 200 stores in its 1.9 million square feet.
  4. Miracle Mile (Planet Hollywood).  200 shops, 475,000 square feet.
SMALLER, UPSCALE
  1. The Shops at Crystals (S. of Cosmpolitan). 56 shops, 262,354 square feet
  2. The Shoppes (Mandalay Bay).  29 shops
  3. Bellagio Shops.  27 shops.
  4. Wynn Esplanade.  19 shops.
  5. Le Boulevard (Paris).  15 shops.
  6. Resorts World, 14 shops, 70,000 square feet
ALL OTHERS
  1. Grand Bazaar Shops (Bally's).  46 shops.
  2. BLVD.  Opening early 2025.  Across from Aria, 3755 S. Las Vegas Blvd, at the site of the old Hawaiian Marketplace.  400,000 sf, 8 tenants announced as of 11/1/24.
  3. Linq Promenade.  40 shops in 200,000 square feet
  4. Strat Tower Shops.  41 shops


Outdoor Malls

Premium Outlets North.  A whopping 175 stores including Coach, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more.  875 S. Grand Central Parkway.

Downtown Container Park.  Super-quirky, built from shipping containers.  15 shops off the beaten path, including an outlet of the Kappa Toys, Gamblers General Store, Black Spade Tattoo, Vintage NV, and a few clothing stores.  Don't miss the big treehouse with the 33' tall slide, and the huge praying Mantis sculpture that spews real fire at night.

Town Center.  127 shops.  1.5 miles south of the Strip  6605 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Premium Outlets South.  145 stores.  2.5 miles south of the Strip.  7400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.


Specialty Shops

Souvenirs.  While souvenir shops abound, the Bonanza Gift Shop touts itself as the world's largest gift shop, and they may be right. 2460 S. Las Vegas Blvd. @ Sahara

Showcase Mall.  Only a handful of shops, but they include quirky ones like M&M's World (if you don't mind that the chocolate is likely produced with child slave labor), the Coca-Cola Store including a museum, and a three-story Adidas Performance Center.  Look for the giant Coke bottle.  3785 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Gambler's General Store.  Cards, dice, chips, tables, books, supplies, souvenirs, you name it.  800 S. Main St. (Downtown).

Chinatown Plaza.  4255 Spring Mountain Rd., west of the Strip.

Magic.  Houdini's Magic Shops are scattered throughout, including Circus Circus, New York New York, Planet Hollywood, and the Venetian. (more)

 

Practice gambling with play money

Before you throw down your hard-earned cash in a casino, PRACTICE FIRST!  Learn the games with play money where it doesn't cost you anything if you lose.  Seriously.

You can play Bovada's games (below) right away without registering for an account.  Most every other online casino makes you give up your email address just to play the fake-money games — ugh.  That's the main reason Bovada is the only online casino that gets advertising space on my site.  (When you see the registration box, you can cancel it and proceed to the game without registering.)

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