For many Brits a holiday in America is not complete without a trip to a casino.
Many will be expecting a similar experience to what they become accustomed to in the UK, however, there are a lot of differences between the UK casinos in comparison to those in America. Make sure you’re familliar with the online casino rules for your gambling safety.
In this blog, we will look at some of the differences in more detail and get you prepared for a visit to a US casino.
Key differences between American and UK casinos
Taxes
When it comes to gambling in the UK, you can keep whatever you win, with your winnings tax free for players in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.
Winnings while you are in the US are fully taxable, but under the US Tax Treaty as a UK citizen you are not required to pay tax on any winnings, and to claim the tax back you must use a Form 1040NR in order to claim the amount back.
Venue
In terms of size of casino, the UK pales into insignificance to the US.
The venues are much smaller in the UK, with only a small number over 50,000 square feet, however, when you head to America the difference is notable.
There’s over 100,000 square feet at the Greektown Casino resort in Detroit, while the MGM Grand Casino in Vegas occupies a staggering 172,500 square feet for gaming.
Gambling age
In the UK the age in which you can gamble is set at 18 across the whole country, whereas in the US it varies from state to state.
The most common age is 21, which falls in line with the age in which you can drink, but some states are 18.
Dress
Dress codes are now a lot less strict in the UK than in the past, but there’s still restrictions in place such as no hats, sunglasses, or tracksuits.
However, the completely casual look is acceptable in the US across the majority of casinos.
Opening hours
Casinos in America do not have clocks, as they wish to avoid making it obvious to guests how long they have spent in the casino, while in the UK most casinos have an opening and closing time.
All casinos in the States are also 24 hours, while there are only a small number of them currently operating in the UK.
Native American Casinos
More and more casinos are appearing on Native America land, and again they are different to many other casinos in the UK and the rest of America.
The casinos are even bigger in terms of size compared to the large Las Vegas casinos, while unlike in the US and UK, the games are not regulated.
Tax wise, the casinos themselves do not pay tax, yet anyone who was to win or work in one, would have to pay tax.
Also, the profits made by the tribes who own the casinos are used to fund improvements to their local area, such as improved roads or schools.
Different forms of games
It’s not just the casinos which are different, there are also difference to the way they play some of the most popular casino games.
In Roulette there are number of differences to how the game is played in Europe and America – including odds, number of slots, and wagers you can find a whole blog which describes the differences here.
Poker is seen as a better proposition in the US, with the rake in American casinos usually 10% up to $4 or $5 dollars, in comparison to the UK and the rest of Europe, where the rake can be as much as 10% up to £/€20.
Craps is very popular in the US, but it is less so in the UK and across Europe, and one of the few places where you can play the game is at our Grosvenor Victoria casino.
Online Casinos
When it comes to online casinos there is a huge difference between UK and USA.
There is currently a lot more choice for the players in the UK, with all the major games available, and a bigger range of slots, roulette, blackjack and video poker to name a few
A number top name software providers also do not currently provide their games in American casinos, while the promotions and offers available to UK players again far outweigh those in the US.
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