Australia, often referred to as the land down under, is a place known for its unique insects and animals, fabulous culture, and amazing nightlife. This country is also home to some of the world’s most iconic places to visit, like the Syndey Opera House and Kakadu National Park. It might surprise you to know that Australia is also home to some of the world’s oldest casinos, and in this article, we’re going to take a closer look at some of them.
Let’s get right into it!
6 Oldest Casinos in Australia
6. Wrest Point Hotel Casino
Year of opening: 1973
Address: 410 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, Australia
Location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Wrest Point Hotel Casino is one the most well-known casinos in Tasmania, as well as the oldest legal casino in the country. This casino has a long and very interesting history that begins in the 1800s after a group of businessmen decided to start their own coffee business, and opened Federal Coffee Palace Company. The business turned into what became the Federal Group, and grew steadily over the next few decades.
Later on, the land was purchased and repurchased by various owners, and after a while, William Chauffey built an inn on the piece of land where the casino is currently located. As the 1930s rolled around, Arthur James Drysdale purchased the inn and rebuilt it into a hotel that was widely considered to be one of the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing buildings in Australia.
Did you know?
The owners of the Wrest Point Casino were fined on multiple occasions for allowing customers to use poker machines that weren’t programmed to work properly.
5. Crown Perth
Year of opening: 1985
Address: Great Eastern Highway Burswood WA 6100 Australia
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Crown Perth Casino is known for being one of the many Crown resorts and casinos located all over Australia. This particular casino also has several bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and recreational facilities attached to it, making it one of the most interesting places to visit in Perth.
This casino, like many others, operates throughout the year, 7 days a week. Although it does not have reel slot machines, it does have electronic gaming machines. Some of the games that this casino offers include roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, mini baccarat, and Caribbean stud.
Did you know?
A contractor once entered the cricket player Virat Kohli’s private room without being invited in, although he was later fired after uploading the video of this incident to social media.
4. Adelaide Casino
Year of opening: 1985
Address: North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Adelaide Casino was first opened at the end of 1985. At the time, it only had around 89 tables for gaming, but in 1991, the casino was also permitted to operate machines for video gaming. By the time 1997 rolled around, the casino had over 670 machines.
This casino was later sold to the SkyHigh Entertainment Group in 2000. As time passed, Adelaide Casino monopolized table games in South Australia thanks to its casino license.
Did you know?
The Adelaide Casino is one of South Australia’s largest employers! This casino has over 1000 employees.
3. Crown Melbourne Casino
Year of opening: 1994
Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Location: Southbank, Victoria, Australia
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Crown Melbourne Casino is both a casino and a resort, located in South Bank, Victoria. It is one of the largest casinos in the world, and one of the oldest casinos in Australia. It’s interesting to note that the size of this casino takes up nearly two square blocks in the business district that it is located in. It houses 3 hotels within its complex.
Since this casino is part of a larger group of businesses, it’s worth noting that there are several restaurants and bars attached to it.
Did you know?
The entire Crown Melbourne space is over 500,000 square feet.
2. Casino Canberra
Year of opening: 1994
Address: 21 Binara St, Canberra ACT 2601
Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Casino Canberra is located in Australia’s capital, and is one of the oldest casinos in the country. It was started by the group Casino Austria International, which received a lot of pushback from the Residents Rally, an Australian political party. After paying for the land and settling the licensing fee, the casino was built and set up over the next few years.
It’s interesting to note that Casino Canberra is the only casino in the Australian Capital Territory to hold a license that allows it to operate gambling tables. However, unlike various other casinos in Australia, Casino Canberra cannot operate poker tables. Even though the casino tried to convince the government to remove the restrictions, it failed, and cannot operate poker tables to this day.
Did you know?
Casino Canberra was the first casino that opened in Australian Capital Territory to open legally.
1. The Star, Sydney
Year of opening: 1995
Address: 20-80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia
Location: Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
In addition to being one of the oldest casinos in Australia, The Star is also one of the largest casinos in the country. It overlooks the Darling Harbour and is known for its large space and gaming. In addition to having two gaming floors, The Star has three restaurants and a bar, over 300 hotel rooms, and more than 100 serviced apartments.
In terms of table gaming, The Star offers players various traditional games like Craps, Blackjack, Poker, Caribbean Stud, Mini Baccarat, and Roulette, among others. It also has several electronic gaming machines; these include slot machines, video poker machines, and bingo.
Did you know?
The Star is New South Wales’ only licensed legal casino.
Conclusion
In this article, we took a look at the oldest casinos in Australia. It was interesting to learn that some of these casinos are among the largest throughout the world and that they have helped create jobs for thousands of people! If you’re planning on visiting Australia soon, it’s a great idea to pay some of these casinos, if you’re legally able to, that is!
