Some parents want a holiday the whole family can share, with an evening or two for the grown-ups. A handful of resorts and most big cruise lines manage both: supervised clubs and activities for children, and a casino for the adults. Here is what to look for, and how to check that a programme still runs before you book.
Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
This huge resort near Nassau combines a large casino with a water park, marine habitats and beaches. Its children's programme, Atlantis Kids Adventures, is designed for ages 3 to 12, with reserved sessions that need booking and payment in advance. Teenagers have had a separate club of their own. The casino is for adults only, so parents can book the children into a session and spend a couple of hours at the tables or over dinner.
Cruise ships
Cruises are perhaps the easiest version of this holiday. Major lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC run supervised kids' clubs on most ships, generally split into age groups starting from around three, and nearly all large ships have a casino. Casinos usually open only when the ship is at sea, in international waters. Age rules vary: Royal Caribbean, for example, has said guests 18 and over can play on most sailings, but 21 on Alaska sailings. Children may walk through but cannot linger or play.
Las Vegas with children
Las Vegas is not designed for children, and Nevada law keeps under-21s away from gaming. Still, a few options help. Circus Circus has an indoor theme park, the Adventuredome, next to its casino. Kids Quest, an hourly child-care chain, has operated centres inside several locals' casinos such as Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch, as well as at casino resorts in other states. Hours, age limits and locations change, so call ahead. Our Las Vegas parents' night out guide explains how to plan a grown-ups-only version.
Tribal and regional casino resorts
Some large regional resorts, particularly tribal casinos in states such as Connecticut, California and Washington, have offered hourly child care, arcades or family entertainment alongside their gaming floors. These change often, so treat any list as a starting point and confirm directly.
Questions to ask before booking
- Ages
- What ages does the club accept, and is a child of mine toilet-trained enough for it?
- Booking
- Do sessions need to be reserved and paid in advance?
- Hours
- Is the club open in the evenings, when the casino is busiest?
- Staff
- How are staff trained and checked, and what is the child-to-staff ratio?
- Pick-up
- What ID is needed to collect a child, and how are parents contacted?
Making the evening work
Book the first session early in the trip so children get to know the staff, keep sessions to a couple of hours, and plan your own evening with a set budget. Our guide to budgeting fun money for a casino weekend works for a cruise or resort too, and our poker night at home is the stay-at-home alternative.