Center Strip, between Bellagio and CityCenter
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
A vertical, nocturnal casino resort where the gaming floor feels like a nightclub lobby.
- Opened
- 2010
- Operator
- MGM Resorts International
- Accommodation
- About 3,000 rooms, many with private terraces
- Rewards
- MGM Rewards
Opened in December 2010 and operated by MGM Resorts since 2022, The Cosmopolitan is the Strip’s most design-led casino resort: two slim towers, terraces over the Bellagio fountains, and a compact, stylish casino wrapped around a three-story chandelier bar.
- Terrace rooms with direct views over the Bellagio fountains
- Compact, high-energy casino floor wrapped around the Chandelier bar
- BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge on site
- Earns and redeems within MGM Rewards since July 2024
Part one
The hotel 8.8
Rooms & terraces
The Cosmopolitan’s greatest hotel asset is its terraces. A large share of its roughly 3,000 rooms open onto private balconies, which remain rare on the Strip, and the fountain-view terrace rooms that look straight down on Bellagio’s lake are among the most requested in the city. Rooms were designed with residential proportions in mind, with generous living areas, deep soaking tubs in many categories and kitchen-style wet bars in the larger units.
Interiors have been refreshed since opening, trading some of the original eclectic styling for calmer, more contemporary finishes. Soundproofing is good for a resort built around nightlife, although rooms on lower floors above the pool deck can pick up bass on weekend days.
Dining
Dining is the resort’s other headline. The buffet here is one of the Strip’s most inventive, served in small plates rather than steam trays, and the famously unsigned pizza counter tucked down a corridor has become a late-night ritual. Between those poles sit Spanish, Italian, steakhouse and Asian dining rooms, plus a food hall of casual counters.
The collection rewards exploration more than any other resort on this list, and many venues stay open late enough to suit a casino schedule. Book the signature rooms well ahead for Friday and Saturday.
Spa & pool
The resort has several pool environments rather than one sprawling complex. The Boulevard Pool sits above Las Vegas Boulevard with direct Strip views and hosts events after dark; a quieter pool deck suits guests who want to read rather than dance, and the dayclub caters to the party crowd in season.
The spa offers a solid circuit with a hammam-inspired treatment focus and well-designed relaxation lounges. It is pleasant rather than transformative, which is reflected in a spa and pool sub-score that trails Encore and ARIA.
Service
Staff lean young, friendly and informal, matching the resort’s personality. Check-in can be slow on peak afternoons, but digital check-in helps, and concierge teams are strong on restaurant and nightlife recommendations. On the casino floor, dealers are relaxed and welcoming, which makes the tables here less intimidating than some center-Strip competitors.
Location
The Cosmopolitan sits wedged between Bellagio and CityCenter, with walkways linking it to its neighbors. That puts ARIA’s poker room, the Bellagio conservatory and the ARIA tram network all within a few minutes, and Caesars Palace is a short walk across the Flamingo intersection. Few hotels offer a better base for moving between casinos on foot.
Part two · The casino
The casino at The Cosmopolitan 8.3
A beautiful, energetic floor with good table variety and a BetMGM sportsbook, but no dedicated poker room at the time of writing. Best for players who value atmosphere as much as game range.
The casino floor
The Cosmopolitan’s casino, which the operator describes as about 100,000 square feet, is a masterclass in atmosphere. Mirrored columns, dark palettes and deliberate lighting turn the floor into a stage, and the multi-level Chandelier bar at its heart gives players a reference point that most Strip casinos lack. It is one of the few casino floors in Las Vegas that people visit simply to look at.
The energy is high, especially after dark, and music plays throughout. Players who prefer a hushed, traditional gaming room should aim for weekday mornings or the high-limit areas.
Games & table limits
The table mix covers the essentials well: blackjack in several variants, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat and baccarat, pai gow poker and popular carnival games, along with a slot and video poker floor tilted toward modern video titles. Minimums are firmly center-Strip and rise steeply at night; the lowest-limit seats are usually taken early on weekends.
Because the casino is more compact than Caesars or The Venetian, the total number of tables is lower, and specialist games appear less consistently. That is the main reason the games sub-score sits in the mid-eights.
Poker & sportsbook
At the time of writing The Cosmopolitan does not operate a dedicated live poker room, which holds its poker and sportsbook sub-score down. Poker players typically walk to neighboring properties, and ARIA’s card room is only a few minutes away.
The BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge fills the other half of the category well, with screens, lounge seating and kiosks, and it offers a more sociable, bar-like experience than the traditional theater-style sportsbooks elsewhere on the Strip.
High-limit & salons
The resort is licensed by Nevada regulators to operate gaming salons. Its High Limit Table Games Lounge sits just off the main floor on Level 1 and, according to the resort at the time of writing, offers baccarat, mini-baccarat, single-zero roulette and blackjack with minimum bets starting at $100. It is stylish and discreet, with sculpture, chandeliers and its own sound system, though smaller than the equivalent rooms at Caesars and Encore.
Rules & player protection
Posted rules are clear and dealers readily explain them. As at every resort we cover, check the blackjack payout on each table and the odds multiple at craps before you play. Since joining MGM Rewards in July 2024, play is tracked within MGM’s wider loyalty system, including its tools for setting play limits and responsible-gaming resources.
Smoking is permitted in designated casino areas and while seated at games, according to the resort’s own guidance at the time of writing, but not in public walkways. Confirm current rules with the property.
Key casino facts
- Regulator
- Nevada Gaming Control Board / Nevada Gaming Commission
- Operator
- MGM Resorts International (since 2022)
- Minimum age
- 21 to gamble or linger in gaming areas
- Notable rooms
- Chandelier-centered main floor, high-limit salon, BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge
- Rewards program
- MGM Rewards (replaced Identity in July 2024)
- Smoking
- Permitted in designated casino areas; not in public walkways
Worth knowing
Before you book The Cosmopolitan
- No dedicated poker room at the time of writing; the nearest rooms are at neighboring MGM properties.
- Weekend nights are loud and crowded, particularly near the nightclub entrances.
- The layout across multiple levels confuses first-time visitors.
- Resort fees and paid parking apply; confirm current charges with the property.
The verdict
The Cosmopolitan is the casino hotel for travelers who want their blackjack with a soundtrack. The floor looks spectacular and the rooms are among the best-designed on the Strip; serious poker players will need to walk next door.
Hotel and casino scores are calculated separately and never combined. A casino score is not a recommendation to gamble.
Play for entertainment, never for income
Every casino game has a built-in house edge, and no system changes it. Set a budget and a time limit before you play, and never chase losses. Free, confidential help is available 24/7: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER or visit ncpgambling.org.