Saturday, September 6, 2008

Punta Cana – Different City, Different Casinos

The city of Punta Cana is one drowned in All-inclusive resorts; a packaged vacation that has become a trend of recent years. All meals, drinks, entertainment, and activities are included in one reasonable price. So venturing from resort-property is somewhat uncommon and tragically limited, right? Wrong. There is a common misunderstanding that an invisible fence, somewhere, is keeping you from venturing off to other properties, and that is just not the case.

Recently, the gambling industry of Punta Cana has seen new casinos post up at some of the larger All-inclusives, mirroring their Vegas brethren in everything from the décor, to the games, and even the odds. No wonder, then, that as you walk through the doors of the city's casinos, that you are overcome by the same accosting characteristics; the flashing lights, the sporadic sirens, table games, and the slot machines. There exist, however, a few subtle differences between the two that run the risk of turning an otherwise enjoyable vacation into one that has you stretching every last dollar.

The Basics
  • The casinos of Punta Cana offer the same odds as Las Vegas.

  • Bets are accepted in both pesos and US dollars. However, casinos have lower minimum bets for those who play in pesos.

  • Compared to Vegas Casinos, Punta Cana's are much smaller.

  • Most will cash travelers' checks and allow you to charge chips to your credit card. ATMs are also abundant on the casino floors.

Game Differences
  • Keno and SuperKeno are played much differently in the Dominican Republic. Unlike Vegas Keno where you select 20 of 80 numbers in the hope of having yours called, this version is played with a marked felt table and player-chosen balls sold for $5 each.

    Not only are the odds terrible, but the game is on rented floor space and therefore not affiliated with the casino.

  • In place of Texas Hold'em Poker and Seven Card Stud are Caribbean Stud and video poker.

  • British single zero roulette is replaced by a double zero version.

Casinos You Should Visit
As with any casino experience, it is suggested to find and play the games that you are most familiar with and the ones that have favorable odds.

The casinos of Punta Cana are house in some of its larger All-inclusives, available to non-residents and ideal for anyone just wanting to sample the city outside of what their resort allows them.
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