Go To A Casino

We’ve all seen James Bond in Casino Royale, haven’t we? Well, forget that, because there’s a fair chance that if you ever go to a casino then you won’t be in a designer tuxedo, placing million pound bets while drinking Martinis – shaken not stirred – and you almost certainly won't have the delectable Eva Green on your arm.

Then again, you’ll probably have much more fun than Mr Bond, who got drugged by some evil super-villain and had to slef-administer CPR in his Aston Martin. So it’s not all bad!

Back to the real world though and if you’ve never been to a casino then don’t be put off by the depictions you’ve seen in films and on the TV because they are almost always misleading. They normally show the glamour of Monte Carlo or the glitz of Las Vegas and are associated with desperation or fortune – the failed businessman trying to win back his mortgage, or the megastar sportsman throwing away millions for fun.

The truth is that for the most part, casinos are not about do or die, ‘Monte Carlo or bust’, life-changing stakes on a roulette wheel. They are much more about people going to bet a few Euros and have some fun. You don’t need to be a tycoon with a suitcase full of banknotes to take part and, for many people, particularly first-timers, it comes as a pleasant surprise when they discover how simple it is and how little money you need to enjoy a night at a casino. 


So, if you fancy an elegant evening out and some good, instant entertainment then this could well be the thing for you. You might not be James Bond but hell, it’s bloody good fun pretending to be him for a few hours! And if you win a few hands of poker or black jack, or a couple of your numbers drop in on the roulette wheel then it all suddenly gets very exciting.

There are a few casinos on Malta to choose from and all of them have their own dining facilities, bars, entertainment schedules and, of course, all the standard table games like the three mentioned above and perhaps a few more variations on poker, or dice games. 


As well as the live gaming, casinos also offer state-of-the-art slot machines in a smoke free environment. And you need not worry over your budget restrictions. Small-time and big-time gambling are both catered for in Maltese casinos where you will find that dressing up, going out and joining in the fun in a pleasant atmosphere of leisure and enjoyment is a lot better than just chasing lady luck alone on the Internet, which seems to be the way of things these days.

A top tip from past experience of casinos is to set yourself an amount you can afford to lose before you go and expect to lose it - because more often than not you will. That’s how these places survive. If you do lose your budgeted amount, stop! Do not get tempted to reach for a bank card at this stage because that’s when it starts to get messy and where the inspiration for those films where sad people put their home on red and it comes up black – comes from. 

Standard age restrictions apply and are fiercely enforced, it’s 25 for Maltese citizens and 18 for other nationalities, so don’t bother trying to get in if you are under age and expect to be asked to produce ID. The dress code is smart casual so no swimwear, shorts or tracksuits. Entry to casinos is free.