Venice is one of the most fascinating cities on Earth, attracting up to  20 million tourists  every year. 

Much of its unique charm stems from the meandering waterways and historic buildings that characterize this city, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit this iconic city. One of them is Casinò di Venezia.  

Casinò di Venezia holds pride of place along the Grand Canal, Venice and is the world's oldest casino. Find out why you should put this elegant destination at the top of your casino travel bucket list. 

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The Long History of Casinò di Venezia

The Casinò di Venezia is part of Palazzo Ca' Vendramin Calergi, completed in 1509, and hailed as one of Venice's most breathtaking structures.

This stately building also served as the home of Italian royalty and became the temporary home of  Richard Wagner  in 1882. He remained here until his death in 1883.

The casino itself came about in 1638 as part of a theatre complex in the building and became a fully-fledged casino  during the 1950s . 

Today it's still one of the best places to play blackjack in Italy and is also one of the venues for the  World Poker Tour . 

Visting Casinò di Venezia

From the moment you step off the boat shuttle and enter the French-designed French doors of Casinò di Venezia, you'll discover a world of untold delights. 

There's a private garden overlooking the bustle of the Grand Canal, a museum dedicated to Richard Wagner, the Josef Lienhart collection of literary and artistic treasures, as well as dining options among the many gaming activities on offer here. 

Casinò di Venezia Games

There are over 600 games to choose from including blackjack at Casinò di Venezia. French Roulette, two types of Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer, and Caribbean Stud Poker are some of the most popular games. There's a private room dedicated to poker.  

Casinò di Venezia Dining 

Two onsite eateries, namely the Wagner Restaurant and the Marco Polo restaurant offer superb cuisine in rooms that sparkle with silver cutlery and glossy crystal chandeliers. 

Both offer some of Venice's most sophisticated and glamorous dining experiences. The Marco Polo offers slightly more trendy dining options, while Wagner Restaurant's steeped in tradition and elegance. 

Casinò di Venezia Events

As if the onsite attractions weren't enough, this world-class casino also hosts regular events like high stakes gambling tournaments, musical events, and seasonal celebrations. 

The Casinò di Venezia dress code is casual but respectable, and no beachwear's allowed. Gentlemen may wear leisurewear until 8:30pm in the slot machine rooms. After that, you'll need a jacket if you want to enter.  

Admission to the casino costs €5 but you can also buy a €10 admission card which entitles you to a €10 gaming voucher, parking, and access to the shuttle service to and from Piazzale Roma. 

The casino opens at 11 am daily.  

Things to Do Near Casinò di Venezia in Italy

When you decide to venture beyond playing blackjack in Venice, you'll find no shortage of delights among the canals and plazas of this incredible city.

As one would expect in such a historic area, most of the attractions around the casino have historic or cultural significance. 

The International Gallery of Modern Art

Once a grand palace, the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Modern, is an exceptionally elegant and grandiose building filled with artistic delights.

Some of the works showcased here include frescos and oil paintings as well as the handiwork of Tiepolo, Bambini, Pittoni, Trevisani, and Brusaferro.

The museum refreshes its exhibitions regularly and also offers  guided tours  and workshops.  

The tickets cost €14 with discounts for children and disabled people. 

Piazzo San Marco

This square is easily the most famous place in Venice and considered the hub of the city. The square's filled with high-end boutiques as well as coffee shops and bars where you can settle down to watch the crowds go by. 

From here, you can access the famous Rialto Bridge and it's also home to numerous impressive government buildings as well as Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica.

St Mark's Basilica

St Mark's Basilica is one of the world's best examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture, adorned with gold mosaic, domes, and turrets. It's filled with exquisite artworks, mosaics, and sculptures and houses a museum dedicated to showcasing its  long history .  

Doge's Palace

Once the home of the Doges, who ruled Venice until 1797, this Gothic-styled building's adorned with sweeping staircases, gloomy prison cells, and  amazing art  by Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto.

The Doge's Palace has a rather dramatic history and the columns facing the Piazzetta are all different, with the space between the ninth and tenth columns designated for executions.

The Canals of Venice

Your trip to Venice isn't complete without taking in the city sights from the canals.

You'll find a host of guided boat trips and gondola outings to choose from in the city. 

From romantic gondola rides to group tours that combine both walking and water-borne sightseeing, you're bound to find a way to enjoy tours around the city that suits your time and budget. 

Venice's Bridges

Known as the city of bridges, Venice is home to hundreds of these over-water walkways, some more famous than others.

The Rialto Bridge is one of the most photogenic spots in Venice and is the main pedestrian crossing over the Grand Canal. There are rows of shops along the wide expanse of this arched bridge, and you'll find the excellent Rialto fish and food market nearby. 

The aptly-named Bridge of Sighs connects the Doge's Palace to the adjoining prisons and originally served as a way to give condemned prisoners a last look at the city. 

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How to Play Blackjack at Casinò di Venezia

We'll discuss if  live online blackjack  is allowed or not in Venice in a future article. As for the casino, here's some info on the Blackjack rules, variant on the game and general info.

The blackjack tables open for play from 3:30pm - 3:00 am on a regular day and 3:30pm - 3:30 am on Saturday and holidays.

Here's some of the game variants they offer:

Double-down - after receiving the first two cards from the dealer, the player may double their bet. Other players who are betting behind the same box as the player, don't have to double if the lead player does. Only one card will be dealt if the player doubles.

Splitting - if the player receives two cards that are the same, like a pair of threes, that player can split them in to two hands. If another card comes that creates another pair, the player can split again but this is the last time. If the player splits 10s and gets and Ace, they can use that Ace as 11 or 1. If they decided to play the Ace as 1 they can continue with the hand normally with doubling allowed.

Splitting two Aces - the player can split Aces. The dealer only allows one more card to be dealt to both hands and Blackjack is not possible, instead only a score of 21.

Insurance - if the dealer has an ace the player can bet on the dealer getting Blackjack. Insurance is paid 2 times what ever the player bets.

Evens Blackjack - If the dealers first card is an Ace, ten or picture card, a player can choose to get back their original stake if they have a Blackjack.

The World's Best Casino Travel at Your Fingertips

Casinò di Venezia is only one of the excellent casinos showcased on our site. So, if you want to enjoy a Blackjack game or two in some of the world's most amazing destinations, you'll find all the information you need right here. 

Keep browsing our pages for more about the best place to play blackjack on every continent or to catch up with the latest  blackjack news .