As Australians, we like to test our luck, and we particularly like to test our luck at 3am with alcohol making most of our decisions. I’m referring to casinos of course…where the night ends miserably or with fat pockets. Often miserably. Casinos predominately have two objectives. a) produce a luxury environment where guests are made to feel important, wealthy and content. And b) keep you on the gambling floor. Some casinos in Australia are certainly better than others, goes without saying that bigger cities cater to a bigger population and therefore are likely to host higher quality casinos. In this list, we will only be considering major casinos.
#8 Casino Canberra
Location – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Central CBD
Eat & Drink – ★ ★
Natural Nine, Onyx Sports Bar, Binara One
Gaming Floor – ★
Bottom line, not a great casino. No poker machines as of yet, only a small number of tables and electronic games. Dining options are limited, steer your interest in Canberra nightlife elsewhere.
Accommodation
There is no accommodation within the Casino Canberra, Crowne Plaza is adjacent.
#7 Wrest Point Hobart
Location – ★ ★ ★
Sandy Bay
Eat & Drink – ★ ★
Longhorn Smokehouse, The Point Revolving Restaurant, The Green Room Bar, Kwan Ho, Boardwalk Bistro, Boardwalk Cafe
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★
After an ongoing $65 million renovation, the gaming floor at Wrest in one of Hobart’s most affluent suburbs, Sandy Bay, has improved drastically. Due for completion in 2023, you can already get a sense of big-city casino aura on the gaming floor, something like Sydney or Melbourne. Prior to the upgrade, Wrest Point would comfortably sit last on this list. While small, I’d argue it’s a good size comparative to the population of Hobart. What the casino lacks in size is made up in luxury, convenience and damn good ribs at Longhorn Smokehouse.
Accommodation – ★ ★ ★
Wrest Point offers three types of accommodations that rank in luxury. Wrest Point Motor Inn at 3.5 stars, Wrest Point Water Edge at 4 stars and Wrest Point Tower at 4.5 stars. Rooms are basic but comfortable.
Most Expensive Room
Deluxe Harbour Suite – starting at $499.
#6 Treasury Hotel & Casino Brisbane
Location – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Central CBD
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★
Black Hide by Gambaro, Fat Noodle, Mei Wei, Kitchen at Treasury, Will & Flow, The Lab, Ryan’s on the Park
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★
The Treasury gaming floor blends its history with modern specs. Within the historic Italian renaissance-inspired building that once served as the Queensland Government building is now occupied by Star Entertainment, operating as Treasury Hotel and Casino. The gaming floor is ageing and could do with a renovation, but that adds to its historic charm. It gets extremely busy on weekends and is rather cramped, and it’s an issue that is difficult to fix as the building is heritage-listed where limited works can be undertaken.
Accommodation – ★ ★
Rooms are styled like the 1940’s. This is not your casino if you’re expecting marble, terrazzo and stainless steel. Lot’s of wood and old drape curtains. If old money is your vibe, go for gold.
Most Expensive Room
Hotel Suite – starting at $600
#5 SkyCity Adelaide
Location – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Central CBD
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★
The District at Sky City, Sol Rooftop, ITL Italian Kitchen, Sean’s Kitchen, Madame Hanoi, The Guardsman, Lucky Noodle, Westward, Central Cafe, Chandelier Bar
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★ ★
Expansive, luxurious, spacious and a good poker machines to table game ratio. Overall, this is a casino floor where you can have fun, win money and enjoy.
Accommodation – ★ ★ ★ ★
In 2020, construction group HANSENYUNCKEN partnered with SkyCity Adelaide to build a $330 million, 120-room uber-luxe hotel named ‘Eos’ on top/behind the heritage-listed old railway station that still serves as the casino. The hotel is well executed, a perfectly executed blend of chic and sophistication, all with sweeping views of the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval.
Most Expensive Room
Radiance Two Bedroom River Suite – starting at $1299
#4 The Star Sydney
Location – ★ ★
Pyrmont
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★ ★
Sokyo, BLACK Bar & Grill, The Century, Flying Fish, Cucino Porto, Harvest Buffet, Rumble, Rumble Ramen, Fat Noodle, Food Quarter, 24/7 Sports Bar, Flying Fish Bar, BLACK Bar, Sokyo Bar (food court not included)
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★ ★
High ceilings, obnoxiously big chandeliers, undeniable luxury. This is a good gaming floor. This one-room casino is relatively easy to get your bearings despite all the casino’s best effort to lure you with a confusing floor plan to keep you gambling. Good amount of gaming tables and ample poker machines, this won’t matter come Saturday night at 11pm when every table is packed to the brim. While there are a variety of gaming tables, it’s still not enough to cater to Australia’s most populous and cashed up city. Overall, decent.
Accommodation – ★ ★ ★ ★
Have your choice between The Darling, The Star Grand Residences or The Star Grand Hotel. If budget is no concern, The Darling is Sydney’s first and only 5-star hotel rated by Forbes. All rooms are decadent and rich in luxury features, but be prepared to pay both a Sydney premium and a casino premium.
Most Expensive Room
Penthouse Suite Deluxe – unknown starting price.
Published Most Expensive Room
Stellar Suite – starting at $1370
#3 The Star Gold Coast
Location – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Broadbeach
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★ ★
Kiyomi, Nineteen at The Star, Uncle Su, Cucina Vivo, Garden Kitchen and Bar, Mei Wei Dumplings, Food Quarter, M&G Cafe and Bar, Harvest Buffet, Isoletto Pool Club, Atrium Bar, Veladora, Nineteen at The Star, Cherry, Sports Bar, Kiyomi Bar, Outdoor Bar
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★
Gold Coast is the closest thing Australia has to Miami and Las Vegas. Party central. Perched behind the town centre of Broadbeach is The Star, where overall, the casino is pretty good. The gaming floor however is a bit of a let down. In comparison to its accommodation and restaurants, it doesn’t quite stack up. The sports bar is small, and there is a lack of table games. The floor plan is moderately cramped given it can be one of the busiest casinos in the country being a hotspot for hens, bucks, birthdays and good times.
Accommodation – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
You can choose between four main hotels within The Star GC complex. These include The Star Grand, The Darling, The Star Residences and Dorsett Gold Coast. The Darling is The Star Entertainment’s most luxurious, expensive and signature hotel. Dorsett is the most recent, modern and chic hotel development in The Star GC complex. All hotels are rich in lavishness.
Most Expensive Room
Penthouse Deluxe Media Suite at The Darling – starting from $4199 (book 60 days in advance for 30% off)
Penthouse Deluxe Billiard Suite at The Darling – starting from $4199 (book 60 days in advance for 30% off)
Penthouse Exercise Suite at The Darling – starting from $4199 (book 60 days in advance for 30% off)
#2 Crown Perth
Location – ★ ★ ★
Burswood
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Atrium Buffet, Bistro Guillaume, Epicurean, Junction Grill, Market & Co, The Merrywell, Modo Mio, Nobu, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Silks, 88 Noodle Bar, Crown Sports Bar, Fusion Bar, Groove Bar and Lounge, Hi-Line Rooftop Bar, La Vie Champagne Lounge, Lobby Lounge, TWR, Mesh Bar, Minq Bar, Poolside Bar & Grill
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Opulent, grand, stimulating. Arguably Australia’s best gaming floor. A surplus of table games surrounded by lux bars.
Accommodation – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Perched on the river’s edge in Burswood overlooking the Perth skyline are three hotels at your disposal in the Crown precinct. Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade. The crown jewel (pun intended) is the newly built Crown Towers which epitomises luxury. Hard to fault these rooms, your ideal stay in Perth however the location is detached from the CBD.
Most Expensive Room
One Bedroom Crystal Villa – starting at $2859
#1 Crown Melbourne
Location – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Southbank
Eat & Drink – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bistro Guillaume, Conservatory, Ging Thai, Koko, Nobu, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Rosetta, Ristorante, Silks, Spice Temple, The Atlantic, Baci, Cervo, Emporio Pizza & Pasta, Gochi, Gradi, Kitchen Workshop Buffet, Lucky Chan, Man Tong Kitchen, Margo’s Cafe, Merrywell Bar and Dining, Merrywell Burger Bar, Mesh, Mr. Hive Bar and Kitchen, Sho Noodle Bar, The Waiting Room, 28 Sky Bar Lounge, Atrium Bar, The Den, Double Up Bar, Groove Live Bar, Terrace, Jackpot Bar, Las Vegas Bar, Lumia Bar, Lumia Rouge, Ocean 12, The Pub, Room 300 at Kingpin, Spice Temple Bar, Sports Bar, Tonic, Velvet Bar (food court not included)
Gaming Floor – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A vast endless single-level floor of flashing lights and annoying yet alluring rings and dings is all that encapsulates the Crown Melbourne gaming floor. It’s a great casino. Lots of table games and poker machines, and from one end to the other is quite some distance, complimenting the sheer size of this casino. The cherry on top in my opinion is the detached ‘Poker Den’. A separate access luxury basement of a sea of poker tables both dealing both cash games and tournaments that really feels like you’re in your own world away from the general public casino floor. Here, the late great Shane Warne would often be spotted here tossing some chips around and testing his luck.
Accommodation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Corresponding with Perth, Melbourne hosts the same three Crown hotels. Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade. Rooms here boast views of the Yarra and the towering Melbourne skyline. Additionally, on offer are world-class facilities paired with first-class luxury.
Most Expensive Room
Tower Suite – starting at $1479
Crown Melbourne steals our vote for the best casino in the country heavily weighted by its huge variety of dining and isolated poker den. Perth, essentially on par with Melbourne, just misses out. Let us know what you’d change on our list!