Casino Exotica

All gambling casinos have a touch of exotica regardless of where they are located.

I have played in some of the world's most exotic casinos, including Paradise Island in the Bahamas and the Atlantis Casino and Rouge Et Noir in St. Maarten. I also enjoyed a week of tropical luxury in Aruba at the Holiday Royale Casino, where I played some of the most interesting poker of my life.

But there are some other casinos in exotic locales that I have never had the opportunity to visit. These casinos are located in far-off countries where the price of a travel ticket is expensive and so is the lodging. But if you are a gambler with deep pockets, they are not above your means.

I must take a moment to mention Paradise Island. This was an incredible casino with individual cottages for guests. To get to your place of residence for the evening, you had to wander on a path between tall coconut palm trees.

Tropical birds nested in the trees and satin monkeys frolicked in the jungle foliage. A blue lagoon that flowed into the ocean was directly behind the casino. It was perfect for swimming, even though the tides were powerful and could carry a person out to sea if you were not careful.

Aruba was a mixture of jungle and desert, with gold mines, divi divi trees, coconut palm trees, and rocks that could have been mistaken for the Arizona desert where I have spent some happy years.

Exotic casinos I have not visited yet include Macau in China.

The city operates 33 casinos, the biggest being the Venetian Macau. There are also the Grand Lisboa, MGM Grand Macau, Wynn Macau and the City of Dreams. If I win a big enough poker tournament, I will definitely buy me a round-trip air ticket Macau, hoping to meet a lovely Dragon Lady or one of her cousins.

Morocco in Africa has scorching deserts and breath-taking landscapes. William Holden, one of my favorite actors, bought property in Africa and organized a safari club for his Hollywood friends. I don't know if Holden was a gambler -- he was outstanding in 'Picnic' and 'Sunset Boulevard,' with his co-stars Kim Novak and Gloria Swanson -- but he would have been an intriguing host to share a drink with.

The Bahamas I have already mentioned. These lovely tropical islands offer the Isle of Capris, Atlantis and Marriott Crystal Palace, along with unlimited beaches, conch salad, pearl diving, reggae music, and some of the Caribbean's most beautiful women.

Then there is Monte Carlo, a legendary gambling palace where Prince Philip and Princess Diane played. Besides Casino De Monte Carlo, it has several casinos and gambling that never stops.

Singapore has two casino resorts for visitors -- Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World. Both are elegantly furnished and ready to take your money with a velvet blackjack. They are ready for you. The question is, are you ready for them?