Gambling in Puerto Rico
Casino gambling in the Caribbean Islands

Throughout the region, at least a dozen islands offer casino gaming. Island casinos range from the grand and luxurious, such as Atlantis Resort's 60,000-square-foot Vegas-style gambling palace on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, to the curiously named American Casino at Jack Tar Village in the Dominican Republic, which has about 40 slot machines and a dozen table games.

Gambling has carved out a niche in such tourist spots as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Jamaica, and St. Maarten. But there are also casinos on islands less identified with gambling, such as St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. Kitts.

Undoubtedly, the most extravagant casino in the tropics is at Atlantis, with 80 table games, 875 slots, and a race and sports book. The casino caters not only to guests of the sprawling resort - elaborately themed after the mythical lost continent, complete with a vast water park, aquariums and dolphin habitat - but also to cruise-ship passengers, who arrive daily, and boaters, who tie up their yachts at one of the 170 slips.

The Atlantis motif is carried throughout the casino, which is decorated with Dale Chihuly glass sculptures. From some spots in the casino, gamblers can catch a glimpse of the resort's picturesque grounds.

"Gaming has evolved here as the property has evolved and expanded," says George Markantonis, president and managing director for Atlantis. For example, exclusive boutique gaming areas have been added outdoors and inside, as part of the upscale Cove - one of the hotels at the luxury complex.

In addition to the Atlantis, the Bahamas has the Crystal Palace Casino at Cable Beach, on the north side of New Providence island, where there are Wyndham and Sheraton resorts, and the Westin and Sheraton Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort on Grand Bahama island.

Travelers looking to try their luck should be aware of local regulations on each island, such as the gambling age and currencies that can be used. For instance, while the gambling age in Las Vegas and Atlantic City is 21, casinos on many islands, such as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten, allow 18-year-olds to play. And while casinos in the Bahamas and on St. Maarten use only U.S. dollars, in the Dominican Republic, dollars and pesos are accepted.

In Puerto Rico, there are nearly 20 casinos, each in a hotel or resort. Most are in the San Juan area, though some casinos are in Fajardo to the east, Mayaguez to the west, and Ponce in the south. The El San Juan's 12,000-square-foot casino - with carved-wood ceilings and crystal chandeliers reflecting its Old-World charm - recently got new furnishings and coinless slots as part of the resort's $50 million renovation.

The challenge for gamblers is finding time to splash in those turquoise waters while avoiding being soaked at the green-felt tables. Come and visit Puerto Rico and use Map Puerto Rico to find fun or rest from the day to day activities.