Las Vegas is one of the most recognizable cities in the world. Most of us can picture Las Vegas Boulevard or The Strip without too much effort, which is largely down to the fact that so many Vegas casinos have appeared on screen. Although there are dozens of major casinos in Vegas, it’s a handful of venues that keep reappearing on our screens as shooting locations.
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
Known as the Aladdin until 2007, Planet Hollywood occupies some premium real estate on the Las Vegas Strip. Despite being one of the newest casinos in Las Vegas, it’s already amassed a respectable amount of screentime. Planet Hollywood features in several seasons in comedies Knocked Up and Get Him to the Greek. It can also be seen in science fiction action film, Race to Witch Mountain. In recent years, it’s also become a popular premiere destination for motion pictures. Resident Evil: Extinction, which features scenes set in a post-apocalyptic Vegas, had its premiere here. Later, The Expendables and Transporter 3 would also host their international premieres at the casino.
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The Bellagio
Opened in 1998, the Bellagio has become synonymous with Las Vegas thanks to its inspiring architecture and iconic water fountains. The Bellagio features heavily in 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, with everything from the casino floor to the private poker rooms being used as shooting locations. The crew would return to shoot further scenes at the casino in Ocean’s Thirteen. While few other productions have capitalized on the interiors as much as the Ocean’s franchise, the Foundations of Bellagio are a common sight in film and television. Hits including Jason Bourne, Bolt, and Lucky You have all used the dancing fountains as a backdrop.
The Mirage
Unlike other casino resorts in Vegas, management at the Mirage don’t have a problem with welcoming film crews through the doors. This majestic destination can be seen in City Slickers II, Ocean’s Eleven, and Vegas Vacation. It’s also inspired parodies in other media, with Rockstar Games featuring a thinly-veiled take on the casino in GTA: San Andreas.
MGM Grand Las Vegas
As well as being one of the most popular casino destinations around, the MGM Grand Las Vegas is the largest hotel on the planet. During its life, the MGM Grand has played host to theme parks, murder mystery experiences, and a wildlife exhibit with actual lions. However, it’s the gaming floor which brings in so many visitors every year. As with other venues on this list, the MGM Grand was one of several casinos targeted in Ocean’s Eleven. Before that, it appeared in Martin Scorsese’s award-winning Casino.
Caesar’s Palace
Along with being one of the oldest casinos in Las Vegas, Caesar’s Palace is without a doubt one of the most heavily featured casinos on the silver screen. It served as the backdrop for classic movies like 1988’s Rainman, along with the MCU’s inaugural entry, Iron Man. More recently, it has been used as a shooting location for all manner of hijinks in the Hangover movie series. It’s also appeared in television shows like Friends and The Sopranos.
Looking to Get in on the Action?
Just because you’re on the side of the world from Las Vegas, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite casino games. With more casino platforms than ever before, it’s easy to stay a wager on a round of virtual poker or try your luck with online roulette. If you happen to land a jackpot win an online slot, you’ll have a hefty bankroll to explore these world-famous casinos in person.
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