Skylark Revue

An independent guide · Facts last checked November 2026

America's Casino Hotels, reviewed.

Ten real resorts in eight states, from the Las Vegas Strip to the Connecticut woods, each with its hotel and its casino on one property. We read the operators' own pages for the rooms, the gaming floor, dinner and the stage, and left out whatever we could not check.

Start in the WestRead the spec sheet
The guitar-shaped glass tower of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood rising above palm trees
The Guitar Hotel, Hollywood, Florida, in 2021. Photo: Rob Olivera, CC BY 2.0
Resorts reviewed
10
States
8
Hotel rooms (approx.)
18,460

Casino floors are adults-only: 21 and over at most resorts in this guide, 18 and over at WinStar in Oklahoma and Mystic Lake in Minnesota.

The resorts, by region

The running order

Four chapters, one for each part of the country with a resort on the bill. The numbering runs on from one chapter to the next and follows our overall order. Facts last checked November 2026.

  1. The West3 resorts
  2. The Northeast3 resorts
  3. The South2 resorts
  4. The Plains & Midwest2 resorts

Act one of four

The West

Two Nevada resorts, one on the Las Vegas Strip and one in Reno, and a tribal resort in the hills of Southern California.

3 resorts · Nos. 01 to 03

The curved bronze towers of Wynn and Encore seen across the green of the resort's golf course
Taken in 2010. Photo: HoppingRabbit34, CC BY-SA 3.0
01

Las Vegas, Nevada · 21+Best for golf without leaving the Strip

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas

Two curved towers on Las Vegas Boulevard that work as one resort. A day here can start on the resort's own Tom Fazio golf course, move to one of its two spas, and end with dinner at Mizumi or SW Steakhouse before a show in the Encore Theater. Harry Reid International Airport is about five miles away.

Hotel
4,748 rooms, suites and villas across the Wynn and Encore towers; Encore is all suites.
Gaming
About 194,000 square feet of casino space, with more than 1,800 slot machines, table games, high-limit salons, poolside gaming and a poker room.
Stage
Encore Theater, with 1,480 seats.
Dining
Mizumi · SW Steakhouse · Wing Lei · Sinatra

Wynn opened in 2005 and Encore in 2008. Under-21s may walk through the casino but may not stop in the gaming areas. Nevada has no statewide self-exclusion list; Wynn says you may ask at any time to have casino privileges such as credit and check cashing withdrawn.

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
The hotel tower of Pechanga Resort Casino above its parking lot in Temecula
Taken in 2013. Photo: Nandaro, CC BY-SA 3.0
02

Temecula, California · 21+Best for a pool day and a round of golf

Pechanga Resort Casino

The Pechanga Tribe's resort sits just off Interstate 15, about an hour's drive from most of Southern California. The casino is vast, but the weekend is as much about The Cove, a 4.5-acre pool complex, the Journey at Pechanga golf course and a steak at The Great Oak.

Hotel
1,100 rooms and suites, with a 25,000-square-foot spa and four pools at The Cove.
Gaming
200,000 square feet of gaming space with 152 table games, a 14,000-square-foot High Limit salon and around 5,500 slot machines (the resort's own pages give figures from 5,000 to 5,500).
Stage
Pechanga Summit, with more than 3,000 seats, and the 1,200-seat Pechanga Theater.
Dining
The Great Oak Steakhouse · Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar · Journey's End · Kelsey's

Open since 2002 and regulated by the tribe's own Pechanga Gaming Commission. California's self-exclusion list covers cardrooms, not tribal casinos, and we found no self-exclusion program on Pechanga's site, so ask at the resort. San Diego and Ontario airports are each less than an hour away.

45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592
The white hotel tower and domed Tuscan-style entrance of the Peppermill in Reno
Taken in 2012. Photo: FASTILY, CC BY-SA 3.0
03

Reno, Nevada · 21+Best for a spa weekend near Lake Tahoe

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino

A Reno original that began as a coffee shop in 1971 and grew into a 1,621-room resort about two miles from the airport. The Tuscany Tower is all suites, the three-story spa has an indoor pool, and the outdoor pools are heated by the resort's own geothermal wells. Lake Tahoe is roughly a 45-minute drive.

Hotel
1,621 rooms, including the 600-room all-suite Tuscany Tower, and a 33,000-square-foot spa.
Gaming
An 82,000-square-foot casino with over 1,700 slot machines, 48 table games, a 19-table poker room and high-limit areas for tables and slots.
Stage
No showroom. Terrace Lounge has live music every night.
Dining
Bimini Steakhouse · Romanza · Oceano · Biscotti's Cafe

Run by Peppermill Casinos, Inc., formed in 1979. Guests can limit their own access to credit and check cashing with a form at the main cashier cage. The Peppermill's site prints no casino-floor age of its own; we list Nevada as 21 and over on the rule as Wynn states it.

2707 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502

Act two of four

The Northeast

Atlantic City's biggest hotel and, up the coast, the two tribal resorts of southeastern Connecticut, each with its own rules on self-exclusion.

3 resorts · Nos. 04 to 06

The two gold-glass hotel towers of Borgata seen from the road across the marina district
Taken in 2011. Photo: Truff Stuff, CC BY-SA 2.0
04

Atlantic City, New Jersey · 21+Best for a long dinner list

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

The hotel that opened in 2003 as Atlantic City's first new property in 13 years, 60 miles from Philadelphia and 120 from New York. MGM runs it with a serious restaurant row (Old Homestead, Angeline by Michael Symon, B-Prime), a Roman-style outdoor pool and a European spa on the second floor.

Hotel
2,000 rooms and suites by MGM's count. The MGM Tower, steps away, has its own pools but no gaming.
Gaming
161,000 square feet of gaming space, 176 gaming tables and a poker room of more than 75 tables, by MGM's 2024 fact sheet, and more than 2,500 slot machines. Miralto is the high-limit slot area.
Stage
The Event Center, 30,000 square feet under 30-foot ceilings, and the smaller Music Box theater. MGM publishes no seat counts.
Dining
Old Homestead Steak House · Angeline by Michael Symon · B-Prime Steakhouse · American Bar & Grille

Licensed by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and owned by MGM Resorts International. Atlantic City International Airport is 20 minutes away. The pools are for registered hotel guests only.

1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
The angular blue-glass Sky Tower of Mohegan Sun above the casino roofs
Taken in 2018. Photo: JJBers, CC BY 4.0
05

Uncasville, Connecticut · 21+Best for arena shows

Mohegan Sun

The Mohegan Tribe's resort beside the Thames River puts two casinos, two hotel towers and a 10,000-seat arena on one 185-acre site. Indoors there is a 55-foot waterfall and River Blue, a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly. Hartford, Providence and New Haven are each within 45 minutes; Boston is just over 90.

Hotel
About 1,600 rooms in the 34-story Sky Tower and the Earth Tower (the resort's own pages say both 1,563 and 1,600), with two spas and two indoor pools.
Gaming
Casino of the Earth and Casino of the Sky: more than 300,000 square feet with 3,500 slot machines, 250 table games and a 33-table Poker Room.
Stage
Mohegan Sun Arena, with 10,000 seats, and the 350-seat Wolf Den.
Dining
Michael Jordan's Steak House · Todd English's Tuscany · TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge · Jasper White's Summer Shack

Created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe on its reservation. The arena is being renovated through 2027 while shows continue. Connecticut's state self-exclusion list does not cover Mohegan Sun, which has its own: a notarized form sent to its Security department.

1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT 06382
The teal-roofed towers of Foxwoods Resort Casino rising out of bare winter woodland, seen from Lantern Hill
Taken in 2023. Photo: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
06

Mashantucket, Connecticut · 21+Best for golf in the Connecticut woods

Foxwoods Resort Casino

Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and open since 1992, Foxwoods is three hotel towers joined to its casinos by indoor walkways. Dinner might be Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen or The Bedford by Martha Stewart; the golf is at Lake of Isles, 900 acres of woodland around a 90-acre lake.

Hotel
More than 1,900 rooms across the Grand Pequot Tower, the Great Cedar Hotel and The Fox Tower (1,948 on the resort's meetings page), with two spas.
Gaming
Over 3,200 slot machines and 175 table games by the casino pages (other Foxwoods pages give higher counts), plus a High Stakes Bingo Hall with more than 2,200 seats.
Stage
The Premier Theater, with 4,000 seats, and the Great Cedar Showroom.
Dining
Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen · David Burke Prime Steakhouse · The Bedford by Martha Stewart · Golden Dragon

Table games and slots are 21 and over; bingo is 18 and over. Self-exclusion is handled by the tribe's own Gaming Commission, in person at the Rainmaker Casino or by a notarized form. Amtrak's New London station is 20 minutes away.

350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT 06338

Act three of four

The South

Two warm-weather resorts: the Seminole Tribe's guitar-shaped tower between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and MGM's hotel on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

2 resorts · Nos. 07 to 08

The Hard Rock sign on the older hotel building at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, with the Guitar Hotel behind it
Taken in 2023. Photo: Kiran891, CC BY-SA 4.0
07

Hollywood, Florida · 21+Best for the hotel shaped like a guitar

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

The Seminole Tribe of Florida's flagship is the one with a hotel built to look like two guitars back to back, 450 feet tall. Around it are a lagoon with swim-up suites, a 42,000-square-foot spa and Hard Rock Live, which holds 7,000. Fort Lauderdale's beaches are 15 minutes away and Miami is 30.

Hotel
1,271 rooms in three hotels: 638 in The Guitar Hotel, 168 in the Oasis Tower and 465 in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Gaming
2,500 slots, nearly 200 table games and a 45-table Poker Room, with a High Limit Slots room.
Stage
Hard Rock Live, with a capacity of 7,000.
Dining
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood · Kuro · Abiaka Wood Fire Grill · Hard Rock Cafe

Slots and table games are 21 and over; poker is 18 and over. The Guitar Hotel opened in 2019 on the Hollywood Seminole Reservation. Self-exclusion is Seminole Gaming's own program: enroll at the Security office with government-issued photo ID.

1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314
The cream and glass facade of Beau Rivage in Biloxi from the beach side, with its name across the top
Taken in 2014. Photo: Colinpea8802, CC BY-SA 3.0
08

Biloxi, Mississippi · 21+Best for the Gulf Coast

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino

MGM's 32-story hotel on Beach Boulevard, about an hour's drive from both New Orleans and Mobile. The weekend runs from the pool to Coraline's for Gulf seafood and Cajun-inspired cooking, then a show in the 1,550-seat theater and, 20 minutes north, the Tom Fazio golf course at Fallen Oak.

Hotel
1,740 rooms by the state regulator's September 2026 report (MGM's 2024 fact sheet says 1,733, with 102 suites), and a 20,000-square-foot spa.
Gaming
An 85,000-square-foot casino. The Mississippi Gaming Commission's September 2026 report counts 1,234 slot games, 81 table games and 12 poker tables.
Stage
Beau Rivage Theatre, with 1,550 seats.
Dining
BR Prime · Stalla · Coraline's · Salt & Ivy

Opened in 1999 and reopened on August 29, 2006. Gulfport-Biloxi airport is 15 to 20 minutes away. Mississippi's self-exclusion program is statewide: sign up online with the Mississippi Gaming Commission for a minimum of three years.

875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

Act four of four

The Plains & Midwest

Two tribal resorts where the minimum age is 18: the Chickasaw Nation's WinStar on the Texas border, and Mystic Lake outside the Twin Cities.

2 resorts · Nos. 09 to 10

The tan and red hotel towers of WinStar World Casino and Resort above a full parking lot
Taken in 2021. Photo: Jphill19, CC BY-SA 4.0
09

Thackerville, Oklahoma · 18+Best for sheer scale

WinStar World Casino and Resort

Just north of the Red River on Interstate 35, about 80 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth and 135 from Oklahoma City, the Chickasaw Nation's resort calls itself the world's largest casino. The floor runs for a mile through nine globally themed gaming plazas; beyond it are two 18-hole golf courses, a two-story spa and a 6,500-seat entertainment venue.

Hotel
1,703 hotel rooms in four towers connected to the casino, plus The Inn at WinStar a short shuttle ride away.
Gaming
More than 10,000 electronic games, nearly 82 table games by WinStar's own count, and a 55-table poker room, open 24 hours a day.
Stage
Lucas Oil Live, with 6,500 seats.
Dining
Kirby's Prime Steakhouse · Vino's Italian Steakhouse · Mickey Mantle's Lounge · Gran Via Buffet

The minimum age is 18, and photo ID must be shown on request. Gaming is overseen by the Chickasaw Nation Office of the Gaming Commissioner under the tribe's compact with Oklahoma. The Chickasaw Nation takes part in Oklahoma's statewide self-exclusion program.

777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, OK 73459
The hotel tower of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel with its red rooftop sign, seen from the entrance drive
Taken in 2010. Photo: Jayesh Naithani, CC BY-SA 3.0
10

Prior Lake, Minnesota · 18+Best for a Twin Cities getaway

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel

Owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul and 25 minutes from MSP airport. It never closes, and it bills itself as the Twin Cities' only full-service resort: an atrium pool, a spa, the 2,100-seat Mystic Showroom and, in season, golf at The Meadows.

Hotel
766 rooms, including 180 in the connected Mystic Lake Center.
Gaming
Slots, blackjack, baccarat and other table games, bingo and pulltabs, around the clock. The resort publishes no floor size or game counts.
Stage
Mystic Showroom, with 2,100 seats.
Dining
Mystic Steakhouse · Hop House · Minnehaha Café · Fusion Noodle Bar

The minimum age to game is 18, though the hotel asks that room guests be 21 or older. Gaming is regulated by the community's own Gaming Commission. Mystic Lake has a self-exclusion policy, but its site does not explain how to enroll, so ask at the casino.

2400 Mystic Lake Blvd., Prior Lake, MN 55372

Side by side

The spec sheet

The whole bill in one table, in the same order as the chapters. Each name jumps to its review.

Ten casino hotels compared · last checked November 2026
No.ResortLocationRoomsGamingMain stage
01Wynn and Encore Las VegasLas Vegas, NV4,748194,000 sq ft, 1,800+ slotsEncore Theater, 1,480 seats
02Pechanga Resort CasinoTemecula, CA1,100200,000 sq ft, 5,000+ slots, 152 tablesPechanga Summit, 3,000+ seats
03Peppermill Resort Spa CasinoReno, NV1,62182,000 sq ft, 1,700+ slots, 48 tablesNo showroom; nightly live music
04Borgata Hotel Casino & SpaAtlantic City, NJ2,000161,000 sq ft, 2,500+ slots, 176 tablesEvent Center (no seat count published)
05Mohegan SunUncasville, CT~1,563300,000+ sq ft, 3,500 slots, 250 tablesMohegan Sun Arena, 10,000 seats
06Foxwoods Resort CasinoMashantucket, CT~1,9483,200+ slots, 175 tablesThe Premier Theater, 4,000 seats
07Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino HollywoodHollywood, FL1,2712,500 slots, nearly 200 tablesHard Rock Live, 7,000 capacity
08Beau Rivage Resort & CasinoBiloxi, MS1,74085,000 sq ft, 1,200+ slots, 81 tablesBeau Rivage Theatre, 1,550 seats
09WinStar World Casino and ResortThackerville, OK1,70310,000+ electronic games, 55-table poker roomLucas Oil Live, 6,500 seats
10Mystic Lake Casino HotelPrior Lake, MN766Slots, table games and bingo, 24 hoursMystic Showroom, 2,100 seats

On a phone, swipe the table sideways.

Before the curtain goes up

Play safe

Every casino in this guide checks government-issued photo ID, and hotel guests are no exception, so carry a driver's license or passport. The minimum age depends on the state and on the property: it is 18 at the resorts we list in Oklahoma and Minnesota, and 21 everywhere else in the guide.

Casino floors are adults-only: 21 and over at most resorts in this guide, 18 and over at WinStar in Oklahoma and Mystic Lake in Minnesota.

Decide what the evening may cost before you arrive, and think of that sum as already spent, like a concert ticket. Leave the bank cards in the room safe. Stop when the sum is gone. The gaming floor is one part of the weekend, alongside the room, the dinner and the show.

When gambling stops feeling like entertainment, free and confidential help is a phone call away, at any hour.

Nationwide

National Problem Gambling Helpline

Run by the National Council on Problem Gambling

1-800-MY-RESET

That is 1-800-697-3738. Call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, every day.

ncpgambling.org

It is not a crisis line. In an emergency call 911 or 988.

State by state

There is no single self-exclusion list for the whole country. Each state, and often each tribal casino, has its own route. These are the helplines and programs for the eight states in this guide.

Nevada · 21+

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas and Peppermill Resort Spa Casino

1-800-GAMBLER

Problem Gambling Helpline. Confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. projectworthnv.org

Self-exclusion. Nevada has no statewide self-exclusion list. State rules require each casino to let you limit your own access to credit, check cashing and marketing mail: ask at the cashier cage or guest services.

California · 21+

Pechanga Resort Casino

1-800-GAMBLER

California Problem Gambling Helpline. Live counselors, 24 hours a day, every day. cdph.ca.gov

Self-exclusion. California's self-exclusion list, kept by the Bureau of Gambling Control, covers licensed cardrooms and not tribal casinos. At a tribal resort such as Pechanga, ask the casino directly.

New Jersey · 21+

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

1-800-GAMBLER

1-800-GAMBLER helpline, Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. Call or text, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 800gambler.org

Self-exclusion. The New Jersey Casino Gambling Self-Exclusion Program is run by the Division of Gaming Enforcement. Sign up in person or by video conference, by appointment, for one year, five years or life. You will need photo ID. njoag.gov

Connecticut · 21+

Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino

Bingo at Foxwoods is 18 and over.

1-888-789-7777

Problem Gambling Helpline, Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling. Confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. ccpg.org

Self-exclusion. The state's self-exclusion list does not cover the two tribal casinos. Each runs its own program: a notarized form sent to Mohegan Sun Security, or an application to the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Commission at Foxwoods.

Florida · 21+

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

Poker at Seminole Hard Rock is 18 and over.

1-833-PLAYWISE

Florida's Dedicated Problem Gambling Helpline, Playwise, for the Florida Gaming Control Commission. Dial 1-833-752-9947. Call or live chat, 24 hours a day, every day. Seminole Hard Rock prints the same line. playwise.org

Self-exclusion. Seminole Gaming runs a voluntary Self-Exclusion Program for its casinos. Enroll at the Security office of a Seminole or Hard Rock casino with government-issued photo ID.

Mississippi · 21+

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino

(888) 777-9696

Problem gambling helpline, Mississippi Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling. Confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. msgambler.org

Self-exclusion. The Mississippi Gaming Commission's Self-Exclusion Program is statewide and covers every state-regulated casino. Sign-up is online, with a photo of your ID, and the minimum term is three years. msgamingcommission.com

Oklahoma · 18+

WinStar World Casino and Resort

1-800-MY-RESET

Problem gambling helpline, Oklahoma Association on Problem Gambling and Gaming. Call, text or chat, confidential, 24 hours a day. oapgg.org

Self-exclusion. Oklahoma's statewide self-exclusion is run by the Oklahoma Association on Problem Gambling and Gaming, and the Chickasaw Nation takes part. Submit the form online with a short notary session, by mail, or in person, for 1, 3, 5 or 10 years. oapgg.org

Minnesota · 18+

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel

1-800-333-4673

Minnesota Problem Gambling Helpline. Confidential, 24 hours a day; or text HOPE to 53342. getgamblinghelp.com

Self-exclusion. We found no statewide casino list for Minnesota. Mystic Lake has its own self-exclusion policy, but its site does not explain how to enroll, so ask at the casino.

How the bill was drawn up

Method

A resort qualifies when it is open, its casino is licensed by the state's gaming regulator or run by a tribal nation under its own gaming commission, and the hotel and the casino share one property or connect indoors.

Far more than ten American resorts meet that rule. We chose ten that spread across the country rather than crowd one city, and kept to resorts whose own published facts we could read.

The facts come from each operator's published information, with state regulators and official helplines for licenses, ages and help. Where an operator's own pages disagree, the entry says so. Last checked November 2026.

No resort or casino paid to be included or to move up. The order is an editorial judgment on six counts, not a score.

  1. The rooms

    How many there are, how many are suites, and whether the hotel would be worth the night with the casino closed.

  2. The floor

    The size and spread of the gaming floor: slots, tables, a poker room, high-limit rooms, as the operator counts them.

  3. The table

    A real choice for dinner, from a proper steakhouse to something late, named on the resort's own site.

  4. The stage

    An arena, a theater or a showroom that gets touring acts, with its capacity where the resort publishes one.

  5. The journey

    How far the front door is from a city and an airport, in the resort's own miles and minutes.

  6. Everything else

    A spa, a pool complex, a golf course, a lake: whatever makes the trip more than a visit to a casino.

Asked at the stage door

Questions

Which casino hotel has the most rooms?

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas is the largest in this guide, with 4,748 rooms. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is second, with 2,000 rooms.

How old do I have to be, and what ID do I need?

Casino floors are adults-only: 21 and over at most resorts in this guide, 18 and over at WinStar in Oklahoma and Mystic Lake in Minnesota. Rules can differ inside one property: at Foxwoods bingo is 18 and over, and at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood poker is 18 and over. Bring government-issued photo ID. WinStar and Mystic Lake both say they may ask for it at any time.

Do I have to stay at the hotel to visit the casino?

No. The casino floors are open to anyone of legal age, with or without a room. Some resort facilities are for hotel guests only: Borgata, for one, keeps its pools for registered guests.

Why are so many of these resorts tribal?

Six of the ten are owned by tribal nations: Pechanga Resort Casino (Pechanga Band of Indians), Mohegan Sun (Mohegan Tribe), Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation), Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood (Seminole Tribe of Florida), WinStar World Casino and Resort (Chickasaw Nation) and Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community). Tribal casinos stand on tribal land and are regulated first by the tribe's own gaming commission, under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and a compact with the state. That is why the minimum age and the self-exclusion rules at a tribal resort can differ from the state's.

Did any resort pay to be included?

No. No resort or casino paid to be included or to move up, and we take no commission from any of them. The order is our own judgment.

Where can I get help if gambling stops being fun?

Call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), run by the National Council on Problem Gambling. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day. Each state in this guide also has its own helpline and its own route to self-exclusion; the Play safe section lists them all.