WinStar World Casino & Resort, formerly WinStar Casinos, is situated in the town of Thackerville, Oklahoma, just north of the Texan border off Interstate 35. Unsurprisingly, Winstar is a popular with North Texans and attracts many visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which is 60 minutes’ drive to the south.

WinStar was founded, as a bingo hall, by the Chickasaw Nation in 1991, but in the past three decades has expanded out of all recognition. Accommodation-wise, the original, 12-storey, 395-room Resort Tower opened in 2009 and was joined by the 18-storey, 500-room Pool Tower North and the 15-storey, 500-room Pool Tower North in 2013 and 2014, thereby increasing the total capacity to nearly 1,400.

Likewise, from small beginnings, the gambling floor has expanded down the years, such that it nowadays occupies an area of nearly 400,000 square feet and is divided into nine globally-themed gaming plazas, representing Beijing, New York, Paris and other worldwide cities. Collectively, the gaming plazas boast 100 table games, including classic blackjack, craps and roulette, and over 10,000 electronic games, which is, in fact, the largest compendium of such games to be found anywhere in the world.

Dedicated game rooms and spaces at WinStar World Casino & Resort include 360-seat bingo room, which is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a 55-table, non-smoking poker room, offering Texas Hold’em, Omaha and other poker variations and an off-track betting room, known as ‘Racers OTB’, which shows live horse racing coverage from around the world. If you find that you need to take a break from the gaming action for refreshment, you can take your pick of over 20 restaurants, ranging from fine dining to cafes and half a dozen lounges and bars, including a pool bar, each with a character consummate with its location.

Wynn Las Vegas, which stands at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road, on the site of the former Desert Inn, is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts. The founder of Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn, resigned as chairman and CEO of the company in February, 2018, rather than face what he described as ‘an avalanche of negativity’ after allegations of  misconduct against employees were published in ‘The Wall Street Journal’.

Nevertheless, Wynn Las Vegas, which opened on April 28, 2005, remains a five-star property, where luxury and opulence is the order of the day. Much in the same way that might go to the Melbourne’s Crown Casino for the best online pokies australia for real money, in the USA Wynn in the place to me.  The 45-storey Wynn Tower offers 2,716 rooms and suites, all of which have floor-to-ceiling windows. Sizes start at 640 square feet, as standard, but more lavish options include 1,817-square-foot suites with separate living, dining and sleeping spaces and two-bedroom, 3,224-square foot villas, complete with butler service.

Of course, Wynn Las Vegas is destination casino resort, where gaming is the main attraction, one for high roller casinos sites types. The expansive, 111,000 square-foot casino floor is home to a comprehensive assortment of table games and over 1,800 slot machines – traditional classics, as well as the latest offerings – with stakes up to an eye-watering $1,000 a spin. Sports bettors can enjoy the latest action in a state-of-the-art sports book, decked out with wall-to-wall TV screens and comfortable, plush seating.

Other amenities at Wynn Las Vegas include a wide variety of signature restaurants, casual eateries, lounges and bars, catering for all tastes and budgets, a temperature-controlled main pool, two award-winning spas, luxury shopping, an on-site theatre and an 18-hole golf course. According to Fodor’s Travel, ‘It’s classy, not gaudy, and you won’t find better service anywhere.’