The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is made up of two large islands and several much smaller ones. Ceded to British rule in 1802, it became an independent republic in 1976. Trinidad is the larger of the two main islands, housing most of the country’s one point three million inhabitants. The overall size of Trinidad and Tobago is about two thousand square miles.
Interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago is different from most other Caribbean islands in the sense that tourism isn’t the country’s largest earner. Instead, the vast oil and natural gas reserves help to make it one of the richest economies in the world based on purchasing power parity. It is a country that often boasts a carnival atmosphere thanks to its African and Indian cultures.
The Casinos
The gambling sector in Trinidad and Tobago was remarkably unregulated, with 1995 being the last time that a government made an attempt to pass any sort of specific gambling legislation. That was until 2016 when the Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Bill was put through parliament in an attempt to offer some control over the market.
Even so, that was mainly aimed at online gambling sites, with brick and mortar casinos still being largely unregulated. As well as the number casinos based around the islands, there are also numerous private members clubs that allow for guests to have a wager on machines and tables. Here’s a look at the publicly accessible casinos.
Royal Princess Members Club
MovieTowne Boulevard, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Whilst the title might make this venue sound like it boasts a degree of exclusivity, it is actually located close to the food court in the Port of Spain. Based over a gaming floor of seven and a half thousand square feet, it opens at noon and remains open until four in the morning. There are just under two hundred electronic gaming machines and twelve live tables.
Unsurprisingly, the live tables play host to the likes of blackjack, roulette, three and four-card poker and Casino Hold’em poker. You can play electronic versions of most things, as well as a host of different slots. There’s a restaurant on site as well as a decent selection of eateries nearby. You can also get alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks if that takes your fancy.
Trinidad Princess Club
One of Trinidad’s largest casinos, the Trinidad Princess Club is entirely different from the Royal Princess Members Club, much like the Judean People’s Front shouldn’t be confused with the People’s Front of Judea. There are just under one hundred and eighty electronic gaming machines that offer the likes of video poker along time slot games.
As with the majority of casinos in Trinidad and Tobago, you can play table games here. There are nine of them at the time of writing, with such offerings as three-card poker, blackjack and roulette. Rhum 32 is also a popular game on the islands. High limits are available on the games and if you need a minute to think then you can head to the bar for a drink.
Island Club Casino
Having been open since 1997, the Island Club Casino has had years to gain its reputation and a place to go for people who want to enjoy some down time having a flutter. There are one hundred and fifty electronic gaming machines and nineteen tables, so there’ll be plenty of choice for you if you decide to head here for your casino needs.
As you’d expect, there are a myriad of slot machines in play for those that like your games to be of the more electronic variety. For that that prefer speaking to actual people, however, you’ll have blackjack, three-card poker and Spanish 21 to choose from, alongside roulette and Caribbean stud poker. Get your timing right and you might even be here for a tournament.
Silver Dollar Casino, Trinidad
Part of the Silver Dollar chain of casinos, this is the Trinidad branch and can be found in the centre of Arima. Describing itself as an ‘exquisite members club’, it boasts one hundred electronic gaming machines and four tables. The gaming machines allow for the likes of electronic roulette and video poker, as well as plenty of slot machines.
Head to one the tables and you’ll be able to play real versions of roulette and Caribbean Stud Poker, in addition to blackjack. There is a small seating area that serves food at certain times in the day, but you certainly shouldn’t head here if you’re starving. You can drinks at most times, though, and if you time it right you might get a free cocktail.
Silver Dollar Casino, Tobago
The other member of the Silver Dollar casino chain is located on Tobago and can be found in Scarborough. It mirrors its sister site in having one hundred electronic gaming machines and four tables, offering much of the same games for you to play. In addition to electronic versions of all of the most popular ones, blackjack and roulette will be found on the tables.
MaPau Members Club
MaPau is one of the smaller chains that has a number of casino offerings on islands throughout the Caribbean, though in truth you’d be better off calling them entertainment venues. They are never the largest of venues, with this one boasting fifty electronic gaming machines and three tables. Don’t let that stop you from visiting, though.
You can play a large number of electronic versions of your favourite games on the electronic machines, including slots. On the tables you’ll find blackjack, baccarat and, rarely for the Caribbean, English roulette. There are bars and restaurants nearby, so you’re not likely to end up starving or dying of thirst if you’re willing to leave the casino floor.
Jade Monkey Casino
Located in Crown Point, Tobago, the Jade Monkey Casino is open from five in the afternoon until one in the morning Sunday to Thursday and then six in the evening until three in the morning over the weekend. Whilst not the largest casino on the islands, it has a good atmosphere and promises regular live music to contribute to the party atmosphere.
Slots are all the rage on the casino’s eighty electronic gaming machines, whilst the five table games offer the likes of roulette and blackjack. You can play electronic version of them if you’d prefer. When it comes to poker there’s video poker on the machines or three-card and Caribbean Stud Poker on offer in person.
Princess Casino, Chaguanas
Open from noon until four in the morning every day, the Princess Casino in Chaguanas is another that fits into the category of ‘not the largest’. Even so, the casino floor is set on seven and a half thousand square foot, so it can fit in forty electronic gaming machines and twelve tables. The table to electronic machine ratio shows you where the priorities lie.
There are three poker tables, meaning that you can get involved with most of your favourite poker games in a non-electronic version as well as the computerised offering if you wish to. There are plenty of casinos in the Princess brand all around the Caribbean, so they’ve got what they offer down to a fine art. Ticking them all of your list might be an admirable aim.
Five Star, Chaguanas
There are two Five Star Casinos in Trinidad and Tobago, which is to say members of the Five Star chain as opposed to that being any sort of rating. This one is in the Chaguanas area of Trinidad and opens at noon every day, remaining open until four in the morning. With more than two hundred and fifty electronic machines and twenty-two tables, there’s plenty of choice.
The table games offer the likes of blackjack, roulette and rummy, as well as quick-fire versions of poker such as three-card and four-card varieties. There are also eight poker tables for tournaments, so this is very much somewhere to head if you want to get involved in some tournament or cash games whilst you’re in Trinidad and Tobago.
Five Star, Trincity
Much like its sister site in Chaguanas, the Five Star in Trincity, Trinidad is open from noon until four in the morning. It is located inside the Trincity Mall, so there are plenty of eateries and bars nearby to help you assuage your hunger or thirst in between bets. As for the casino itself, it boasts more than two hundred electronic gaming machines as well as fourteen tables.
Six of those tables are exclusively reserved for poker play, so tournaments and cash games are commonly played. You’ll also be able to enjoy the same three and four-card poker games as in the other Five Star casino, in addition to blackjack, roulette and rummy. There are electronic version of roulette, blackjack and video poker on the gaming machines, plus slots.
Club Royal Caribbean
Head to the Port Of Spain and you’ll be able to head to a number of exciting casinos, not the least of which is the Club Royal Caribbean. There are more than one hundred and fifty electronic gaming machines on offer here, with the likes of video poker, electronic roulette and all of your favourite slot games available to play.
There are also a good number of table games on offer to visitors. Roulette and three-card poker are the most popular games, but blackjack is also available. Live music and entertainment is common, regularly looking to entertain the guests. If your favoured table game isn’t on offer then check out the machines, given that the presence of an electronic version is likely.
Casino Royal 88
Formerly the casino at the Royalton, the venue is now known as Casino Royal 88 and is attached to the Crown Point Beach Hotel. Based on the paradise island of Tobago, you’ll have to drag yourself away from the golden beaches and luscious rainforest to make the most of the casino here. If you do, you’ll find that it’s very much worth it.
It is a beachside casino anyway, so it’s not as if you’ll be too far away from the amazing sea and sand. There’s a dedicated sports bar that will allow you to place sports bets, but in terms of the actual casino there’s both slot machines and table games. Rhum 32 is a popular local game, whilst roulette and blackjack are fun to play anywhere in the world.
Bonanza Casino & Lounge
‘Lowkey’ is the word of the day for Bonanza Casino & Lounge; at least in terms of how large the venue is. There’s always music playing, girls dancing and various methods to encourage punters to come in being displayed. When you enter the building you’ll find a fun lounge that is more about the drinks and atmosphere than it is about the betting.
That’s not to say that betting isn’t an option, of course. There is a decent selection of slot machines as well as roulette on offer. You can also get involved in some sports betting, if that’s your sort of thing. It’s fair to say that this is a popular casino for locals, so it’s a great place to head to if you want to get a decent sample of Trinidadian life.