CASINO OVERNIGHT PARKING
There are numerous casinos dotted around the USA that welcome campers to spend the night (or two) in their parking lots. However, there are some that are against allowing anyone to stay overnight, or there are those that find it necessary to charge campers to stay on their properties.
The best way to find a possible option to stay overnight is by visiting certain websites that have updated information on which casinos are good and which are no-go's.
casinocamper.com is the best known go-to reference site because they try to keep their information up to date based mostly on user reviews. Another useful online reference is ALLSTAYS. Apart from regular campgrounds, Allstays have a listing for Overnight Stops, which could be a casino location.
Be warned!! While it is great to get this information at your fingertips, it is not always up to date and casinos DO change their policies to meet their changing circumstances.
It is always best to telephone the suggested casino and ask if overnight camping is allowed. Also, once you are at the casino, it is polite (and recommended) to visit the security or the Rewards desk to ask for permission to stay.
Also, when you arrive at the casino, look for signs directing RVs to an allocated area for them to park. If there are no signs, don`t assume that it is ok to park where other campers are located. They may not have asked permission to overnight or they are not staying for the night. The last thing you want is to get the 2AM knock on the door advising you that you are not permitted to camp in their parking lot. Always cover your bases by checking directly with the casino staff before you make yourself comfortable for the night.
The best way to find a possible option to stay overnight is by visiting certain websites that have updated information on which casinos are good and which are no-go's.
casinocamper.com is the best known go-to reference site because they try to keep their information up to date based mostly on user reviews. Another useful online reference is ALLSTAYS. Apart from regular campgrounds, Allstays have a listing for Overnight Stops, which could be a casino location.
Be warned!! While it is great to get this information at your fingertips, it is not always up to date and casinos DO change their policies to meet their changing circumstances.
It is always best to telephone the suggested casino and ask if overnight camping is allowed. Also, once you are at the casino, it is polite (and recommended) to visit the security or the Rewards desk to ask for permission to stay.
Also, when you arrive at the casino, look for signs directing RVs to an allocated area for them to park. If there are no signs, don`t assume that it is ok to park where other campers are located. They may not have asked permission to overnight or they are not staying for the night. The last thing you want is to get the 2AM knock on the door advising you that you are not permitted to camp in their parking lot. Always cover your bases by checking directly with the casino staff before you make yourself comfortable for the night.
Is there a benefit to staying in a casino parking lot?
There are some campers who would never consider a casino as an appropriate overnight stay because they do not approve of the concept of gambling.
The truth is, although the casino would prefer that you do, there is no obligation to gamble if you stay overnight. There are other reasons for staying at a casino:
Security - usually the parking lots are well lit and sometimes there will be security cameras discreetly located around the area. The busier casinos will have regular patrols by their security staff.
Meals - Most of the bigger casinos will have a buffet restaurant where you can choose from a variety of foods, either healthy, or not. The benefit of these buffets are that the price is usually quite low and, if you register with the Rewards Club you may be given a free meal for first time visitors who sign-up with them. Also, if you do choose to gamble, as your points build up, you could get enough `comps` to pay for free or discounted meals in their restaurants. We have stayed for three nights at one casino where, even though we did not gamble very much, we were given so many free meal vouchers, we could not use them all.
ENTERTAINMENT - Most average size casinos will have some form of entertainment lined up in the evenings, it could be a free lounge act or it could be a paid for live show. If you're looking for scenery that is different from the inside of your RV at night, it can be quite entertaining to take a walk into the casino and possibly come across a free comedy act in the lounge, or, at worst, it could be a sleazy Elvis impersonator that will bring a wry smile to your face.
GAMBLING - What? You want me to gamble? Well, if you register with the Rewards Club, you might be invited to sign up for a slot machine competition where you will sit at a bank of machines with other players and furiously press buttons for five minutes. Whoever finishes first, gets a prize and a chance at the top prize later in the day. An interesting way to pass the day for free.
We both love to play poker machines. If the casino has a good range of machines, we can be there for hours, spending very little money, getting points on our rewards card and being served free drinks (apart from the tips of course).
ETIQUETTE - remember that you are parked in a parking lot for free. This is not a paid for campground that you can use for outdoor camping pleasure. Unless appropriate, do not put your awning out, do not run your generator, do not bring out your camping chairs and spend the evening enjoying the great outdoors, especially with a beer can in your hand. Do not park too close to another RV, unless there is absolutely no other option. Park in the designated camping area, if there is one. Ask for permission to stay overnight.
The truth is, although the casino would prefer that you do, there is no obligation to gamble if you stay overnight. There are other reasons for staying at a casino:
Security - usually the parking lots are well lit and sometimes there will be security cameras discreetly located around the area. The busier casinos will have regular patrols by their security staff.
Meals - Most of the bigger casinos will have a buffet restaurant where you can choose from a variety of foods, either healthy, or not. The benefit of these buffets are that the price is usually quite low and, if you register with the Rewards Club you may be given a free meal for first time visitors who sign-up with them. Also, if you do choose to gamble, as your points build up, you could get enough `comps` to pay for free or discounted meals in their restaurants. We have stayed for three nights at one casino where, even though we did not gamble very much, we were given so many free meal vouchers, we could not use them all.
ENTERTAINMENT - Most average size casinos will have some form of entertainment lined up in the evenings, it could be a free lounge act or it could be a paid for live show. If you're looking for scenery that is different from the inside of your RV at night, it can be quite entertaining to take a walk into the casino and possibly come across a free comedy act in the lounge, or, at worst, it could be a sleazy Elvis impersonator that will bring a wry smile to your face.
GAMBLING - What? You want me to gamble? Well, if you register with the Rewards Club, you might be invited to sign up for a slot machine competition where you will sit at a bank of machines with other players and furiously press buttons for five minutes. Whoever finishes first, gets a prize and a chance at the top prize later in the day. An interesting way to pass the day for free.
We both love to play poker machines. If the casino has a good range of machines, we can be there for hours, spending very little money, getting points on our rewards card and being served free drinks (apart from the tips of course).
ETIQUETTE - remember that you are parked in a parking lot for free. This is not a paid for campground that you can use for outdoor camping pleasure. Unless appropriate, do not put your awning out, do not run your generator, do not bring out your camping chairs and spend the evening enjoying the great outdoors, especially with a beer can in your hand. Do not park too close to another RV, unless there is absolutely no other option. Park in the designated camping area, if there is one. Ask for permission to stay overnight.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE CASINOS TO STAY OVERNIGHT
We could easily have mentioned another ten casinos that we will always go back to, but,for now, here are some of our favorites:
MICCOSUKEE, HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA
There are not many places for campers to comfortably park overnight in Florida, so we have our reliable standbys that we go directly to without any discussion.
The reason we like to go to Miccosukee Casino is not necessarily for the gambling, but we love it when we can get our parking space next to the swamp that runs on one side of the parking lot. There are some interesting birds that spend their time here and it is so nice to bring our camping chairs outside and watch the passing show. It is very quiet and private in this spot. However, if those limited parking spots are taken up, you can easily park in the middle of the parking lot, alongside numerous other RVs that also like to make this casino a standard stop-off before heading south to the Keys or going back north once the winter season winds down.
During the day, the casino is relatively quiet, but on certain nights, the parking lot gets really filled up with the locals who have come for their Bingo entertainment. This is when the casino parking lot fills to almost overflowing. If you enjoy a game of Bingo, this casino will meet your every need. They seem to play most afternoons, but it does get crowded at night.
There is a fairly good buffet and the rewards could include a free buffet. They have a few cheap breakfast options, especially near the bingo hall, where visitors can get something akin to a typical Cuban type of meal. The Cuban coffee is really good - gets your heart pounding first thing in the morning.
BORDERTOWN CASINO, NEAR JOPLIN MISSOURI
This is a convenient stopover for travelers on the I44 who are looking for a free electric and water hookup for one or two nights. (free if you use your rewards card, otherwise $10.00 for three nights). The parking area is quite a distance from the casino, but there is a shuttle bus that will pick you up. You have to get your rewards from the casino on arrival and then you have to register at the convenience store attached to the gas station across from the camping area. Once this procedure is completed and you have your spot, you are free to stay in your camper or head up to the casino to enjoy what is on offer.
QUAPAW CASINO - This is another casino in Oklahoma that offers three nights of free hook-ups. We stayed here in 2010 when the casino might have been a bit smaller, but we enjoyed being close to the back entrance, making it easy to come and go into the casino at any time, plus at the time, we were allowed to barbecue outside.
CASINO NEW BRUNSWICK, MONCTON - This is a convenient stop for us when leaving Nova Scotia or returning from our winter vacation. They have a secluded RV parking area at the back of the casino. It is well sign-posted, with arrows pointing in the direction to the back. There are three motels and the hotel attached to the casino, so there is a fair choice of wifi that anyone with a decent repeater can pick up a signal. Like all casinos in Canada, it is smoke free and always smells fresh and clean. The buffet is quite good and costs anything from $6.99 to $9.99, which is a great price for US travelers paying with US funds.
RED EARTH CASINO, SALTON CITY, CALIFORNIA - located close to the town of Salton City in California, this casino is quite small by most standards, but we enjoyed the convenience of being here, mostly because of the limited traffic coming through the parking lot, plus, because we parked quite close to the Casino, we picked up an excellent wifi service with the help of our WiFi antenna . This casino is also a truck stop with cheap gas and a laundromat which we happily made use of. There is a SaniDump station which can be used for a fee. However, just up the road at the AMPM gas station is a free dump, which we found very useful.
The Red Earth Casino gave us a lot of free gambling money as well as some handy food comps, which gave us free breakfasts and dinners every day that we stayed here.
SO MANY CHOICES.....
There are some areas in America that have large areas that are dominated by a variety of casinos. Apart from the obvious, Las Vegas, here's a list of some areas we have visited
Palm Springs - there are approximately five casinos a short ride away from each other. We have been to a few of them, but the most popular ones for RVers appears to be Spotlight29, Fantasy Springs and Aqua Caliente. Although Spotlight29 was overrun with RVers in the specially allocated parking lot, we had a feeling of 'safety in numbers'. Also, the Mexican Buffet on Wednesdays was quite good and affordable.
TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI - this area sprawls along the Mississippi River, just off Highway 61. There is a group of casinos that visitors can walk from one to the other in the central area. These casinos comprise of Sams Town, which has it's own RV park with full hookups for $20.00, as well as the Hollywood Casino, which has a slightly more expensive RV park and then there is the Resorts Casino, which allows parking in the back parking lot, alongside the free dump facility that they offer to RVers.
There are a number of other casinos a short ride away. Watch out for special buffet deals at all of the casinos, especially during the week and if you are over 55, you are guaranteed a cheap meal from Monday to Thursday just by travelling around.
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI has a group of casinos that allow RVers to overnight in their parking lot. Read the valuable RV Casino Camping guide, available from Amazon, which has updated information for many casinos in the USA.
MICCOSUKEE, HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA
There are not many places for campers to comfortably park overnight in Florida, so we have our reliable standbys that we go directly to without any discussion.
The reason we like to go to Miccosukee Casino is not necessarily for the gambling, but we love it when we can get our parking space next to the swamp that runs on one side of the parking lot. There are some interesting birds that spend their time here and it is so nice to bring our camping chairs outside and watch the passing show. It is very quiet and private in this spot. However, if those limited parking spots are taken up, you can easily park in the middle of the parking lot, alongside numerous other RVs that also like to make this casino a standard stop-off before heading south to the Keys or going back north once the winter season winds down.
During the day, the casino is relatively quiet, but on certain nights, the parking lot gets really filled up with the locals who have come for their Bingo entertainment. This is when the casino parking lot fills to almost overflowing. If you enjoy a game of Bingo, this casino will meet your every need. They seem to play most afternoons, but it does get crowded at night.
There is a fairly good buffet and the rewards could include a free buffet. They have a few cheap breakfast options, especially near the bingo hall, where visitors can get something akin to a typical Cuban type of meal. The Cuban coffee is really good - gets your heart pounding first thing in the morning.
BORDERTOWN CASINO, NEAR JOPLIN MISSOURI
This is a convenient stopover for travelers on the I44 who are looking for a free electric and water hookup for one or two nights. (free if you use your rewards card, otherwise $10.00 for three nights). The parking area is quite a distance from the casino, but there is a shuttle bus that will pick you up. You have to get your rewards from the casino on arrival and then you have to register at the convenience store attached to the gas station across from the camping area. Once this procedure is completed and you have your spot, you are free to stay in your camper or head up to the casino to enjoy what is on offer.
QUAPAW CASINO - This is another casino in Oklahoma that offers three nights of free hook-ups. We stayed here in 2010 when the casino might have been a bit smaller, but we enjoyed being close to the back entrance, making it easy to come and go into the casino at any time, plus at the time, we were allowed to barbecue outside.
CASINO NEW BRUNSWICK, MONCTON - This is a convenient stop for us when leaving Nova Scotia or returning from our winter vacation. They have a secluded RV parking area at the back of the casino. It is well sign-posted, with arrows pointing in the direction to the back. There are three motels and the hotel attached to the casino, so there is a fair choice of wifi that anyone with a decent repeater can pick up a signal. Like all casinos in Canada, it is smoke free and always smells fresh and clean. The buffet is quite good and costs anything from $6.99 to $9.99, which is a great price for US travelers paying with US funds.
RED EARTH CASINO, SALTON CITY, CALIFORNIA - located close to the town of Salton City in California, this casino is quite small by most standards, but we enjoyed the convenience of being here, mostly because of the limited traffic coming through the parking lot, plus, because we parked quite close to the Casino, we picked up an excellent wifi service with the help of our WiFi antenna . This casino is also a truck stop with cheap gas and a laundromat which we happily made use of. There is a SaniDump station which can be used for a fee. However, just up the road at the AMPM gas station is a free dump, which we found very useful.
The Red Earth Casino gave us a lot of free gambling money as well as some handy food comps, which gave us free breakfasts and dinners every day that we stayed here.
SO MANY CHOICES.....
There are some areas in America that have large areas that are dominated by a variety of casinos. Apart from the obvious, Las Vegas, here's a list of some areas we have visited
Palm Springs - there are approximately five casinos a short ride away from each other. We have been to a few of them, but the most popular ones for RVers appears to be Spotlight29, Fantasy Springs and Aqua Caliente. Although Spotlight29 was overrun with RVers in the specially allocated parking lot, we had a feeling of 'safety in numbers'. Also, the Mexican Buffet on Wednesdays was quite good and affordable.
TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI - this area sprawls along the Mississippi River, just off Highway 61. There is a group of casinos that visitors can walk from one to the other in the central area. These casinos comprise of Sams Town, which has it's own RV park with full hookups for $20.00, as well as the Hollywood Casino, which has a slightly more expensive RV park and then there is the Resorts Casino, which allows parking in the back parking lot, alongside the free dump facility that they offer to RVers.
There are a number of other casinos a short ride away. Watch out for special buffet deals at all of the casinos, especially during the week and if you are over 55, you are guaranteed a cheap meal from Monday to Thursday just by travelling around.
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI has a group of casinos that allow RVers to overnight in their parking lot. Read the valuable RV Casino Camping guide, available from Amazon, which has updated information for many casinos in the USA.
|
The ALLSTAYS camping quide has a lot of relevant information for Overnight Parking, which includes overnight stays in Casino Parking lots.
|
|
