Gambling has been legal in Washington state for over 50 years. Way back in 1973 (yes, we’re still young enough to call that “way back”), gambling prohibition was repealed (although lotteries and bingo were legal form 1971), and the gambling commission came into being. But it wasn’t until a lot more recently that the first tribal casinos opened, in 1992.
Tulalip Casino was the very first one, blooming from a simple bingo hall into a thriving gambling establishment. Five years later, there were 10 casinos in the state, and more and more have opened up over the years.
There’s a total of 34 casinos in Washington State as of 2024, and they’re all owned by local tribes. The industry is a significant contributor to the economy of the state, supporting over 56.000 jobs and having a total estimated impact of $9.25 in 2023.
Nowadays, a visit to a lucky casino in Washington isn’t just about enjoying a few spins on a slot machine, or taking a seat at the blackjack table. There’s a whole experience that goes with it – from fancy resort-style hotels, to fine dining options.
With almost three dozen casinos at their disposal, keen casino fans in Washington are pretty spoiled for choice. So it stands to reason that a few of these are likely to be luxurious experiences, while others might be a little on the dingy side.
We decided to find out for ourselves, so we headed off to Tripadvisor to check out some reviews. Based on mentions of certain keywords like “fancy,” “magnificent,” and “indulge,” we were able to define exactly which are the most luxurious in the state.
These are the casinos we looked at:
- Tulalip Casino
- Quinault Beach Casino
- Swinomish Casino
- Angel Of The Winds Casino
- Nisqually Red Wind Casino
- Snoqualmie Casino
- Northern Quest
- Silver Reef Casino
- Little Creek Casino
- ilani
- The Point Casino
- 7 Cedars
- Legends Casino Hotel
- Emerald Queen Casino
- Emerald Queen Casino
- Lucky Eagle Casino
Without any further ado, let’s get into the good stuff.
According to our Luxury Scale, the most luxurious casino in the entire state of Washington is The Point Casino in Kingston. It got a rating of 19.55% based on 133 reviews – 18 called it “comfortable,” two said it was “fancy,” and another two said it was “delightful.”
The Point has 94 rooms and suites, three dining options, two bars, and a selection of over 700 slots.
“The hotel is very new and the rooms are roomy and beautiful. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. And the beds – wow!”, says one review.
Lagging a little behind, in second place is Northern Quest, which got 10.80%, based on 35 out of 324 reviews mentioning one of our keywords.
Northern Quest is Spokane’s largest casino, and promises world-class rooms and suites, a luxury spa, and 14 different restaurants. Sounds pretty luxurious, right?
According to one review, “This is a beautiful hotel. A luxury oasis. The pool and spa are magnificent by any standards.” Okay, now we really wish we could pay Northern Quest a visit.
Next on the list is Swinomish Casino, with 13.66%. The main keyword we found mentioned over and over again was “comfortable,” and indeed, many of the reviews mention how nice the rooms are.
“We have stayed at this lodge several times. It is a lovely place to stay. Rooms are comfortable, clean, and well appointed. Staff members are friendly, courteous, and always helpful”, said one review.
The resort promises Vegas-style gambling, as well as different types of cuisine to satisfy all tastes, and that sounds pretty luxurious to us.
Unfortunately, there are also some casinos in the state that have not-so-favourable reviews. The worst of the worst was Nisqually Red Wind Casino, with a very poor rating of just 2.23% luxury.
Only seven out of 314 mentioned any of our keywords, and although “fancy” was mentioned twice, the one we saw actually said “Nothing fancy, just another casino to throw your money away.”
In second to last place was Quinault Beach Casino in Ocean Shores, which had 3.41%. Only three people bothered to even mention that it was comfortable, so we can’t be sure it is. It’s safe to say we might give this one a miss.
Methodology
Casinos.com utilized Tripadvisor reviews to do an in-depth analysis of phrases associated with luxury to determine the most luxurious casinos in the state of Washington. We calculated the percentage of luxury-rated mentions in the total Tripadvisor reviews.
Keywords tracked: luxury, luxurious, magnificent, delightful, comfort, comfortable, impressive, pleasure, indulge, extravagant, fancy, exclusive, satisfied
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