Casino di Venezia

TL;DR

• Founded 1638; the oldest continuously operating casino in the world; located in Ca' Vendramin Calergi on the Grand Canal, Cannaregio
• Gaming hours: 20:15 to 03:15, Friday through Sunday only at Ca' Vendramin Calergi; sister venue Ca' Noghera has longer hours
• Richard Wagner died in the rooms above the casino on 13 February 1883

Annabel's take

I arrived at Ca' Vendramin Calergi by water taxi from the Rialto, which is the correct approach: you come around a bend in the Grand Canal and the palazzo is simply there, its Renaissance facade lit from below and the casino's signage small enough that you might miss it if you didn't know what you were looking for. The gondoliers know it. Everyone in Venice knows it. It's the oldest casino in the world and it has been operating, in one form or another, since 1638.

The Ridotto, as the first Venetian gambling house was called when it opened in 1638, was established by the Great Council of Venice as a controlled gambling space during Carnival. It moved through various incarnations; the Ca' Vendramin Calergi became the home of the main casino in the 1950s, though the lineage of state-licensed gambling in Venice runs unbroken from 1638. That makes this the oldest continuously-operating licensed casino in the world.

Richard Wagner came to Venice in the winter of 1882 and died at Ca' Vendramin Calergi on 13 February 1883, in the rooms above what is now the casino floor. The Wagner Museum in the building commemorates this. It's a detail that sits with you as you place a bet on the Banker.

The main gaming floor runs roulette, blackjack, Caribbean poker, and slot machines. Baccarat in the European sense has historically been part of the room's offering; confirm the current table game selection with the casino directly, as the Ca' Vendramin Calergi venue has consolidated its offering compared to the larger Ca' Noghera site. The atmosphere is quieter and more intimate than any other casino I've visited: fewer than a hundred people in the room on a Friday evening, an age range that skews to the sixty-plus, and a croupier who asked me in Italian whether I wanted a seat before I'd entirely decided.

The dress code is smart casual for both men and women; no shorts, tank tops, sandals, flip-flops, or tracksuits. Men should dress respectably but are not required to wear a jacket.

What you'll find at the baccarat tables

The Ca' Vendramin Calergi venue's current table game selection should be confirmed directly with the casino, as it's a smaller operation than the Ca' Noghera site. Historical practice has included European Baccarat formats consistent with the Italian tradition: Chemin de Fer and Punto Banco have both appeared on the main floor at various points. The edge on Banker in any standard Punto Banco format is 1.06%; on Player 1.24%; on Tie 14.36%.

For a visitor specifically seeking baccarat at Ca' Vendramin Calergi, contact the casino (info@casinovenezia.it) before travelling to confirm which table games are running during your intended visit.

Getting in

Ca' Vendramin Calergi is open 20:15 to 03:15 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; the ticket office closes at 02:00. Entry is by ticket. The address is Cannaregio 2040, 30121 Venice.

The only practical approaches are by water: vaporetto Line 1 stops at Ca' d'Oro, a two-minute walk; water taxi from the train station takes around ten minutes along the Grand Canal. From the cruise terminals, water taxi is the most direct option. From Piazzale Roma (if arriving by road or coach), the casino operates a shuttle boat service; check with the casino for current times.

Dress code: smart casual; no shorts, tank tops, sandals, flip-flops, slippers, or tracksuits. Overcoats, jackets, and umbrellas must be checked at the cloakroom.

The neighbourhood

Ca' Vendramin Calergi is in Cannaregio, the northern section of Venice, on a Grand Canal bend before you reach the station. The Ca' d'Oro (Gothic palazzo, now a gallery) is two minutes east by foot. The Ghetto Ebraico (Jewish Ghetto, established 1516) is ten minutes north into Cannaregio. The Rialto is twenty minutes by foot along the Grand Canal, or six minutes by vaporetto.

Venice after midnight is its own kind of quiet. The tourist crowds are gone; the casino's clientele walks past the Grand Canal looking for a vaporetto that doesn't exist at that hour. The water taxi is the only option home after the last Line 1 boat.

Sources

Sources: Casino di Venezia Ca' Vendramin Calergi official page, Casino di Venezia contacts and hours, Casino di Venezia dress code.