The Crystal Palace Casino RECOMMENDED
Wyndham Hotel
Cable Beach
West Bay St
Nassau, Bahamas

The Crystal Palace is not quite as glitzy as Las Vegas or as elegant as Foxwoods but it is nice. It needs a little "polishing" to bring it up date.

We arrived at about 7:30 PM on a Sunday night and headed for the blackjack tables. There were quite a few open spots and some completely empty tables. We chose one with a $10 minimum and a couple of other players. We were playing single deck black jack. The rules to avoid card counters were tighter than I had seen at other casinos and included not joining the table in the middle of a deck and not showing your cards to other players. I was told they also had multideck black jack in another section of the casino.

At about 9:00pm, the casino started to fill up and it appeared to be harder to find a spot at a table. We left at about 11:00 pm, after an enjoyable evening. It’s always fun when you win. The short walk back to Westwind II was pleasant, we were the only ones out.

The dealers at the Crystal Palace were helpful and the cocktail waitresses friendly. The waitresses seemed to come around just often enough so you weren’t waiting but not so often as to be bothersome.

If you have ever watched any show that has a casino or visited virtually any Vegas/A.C./Biloxi casino, then you've seen this casino too. They just don't seem that different to me. There are subtle differences like a greater availability of a cocktail waitress, better odds on a craps table, single vs. double "greens" on roulette, and a few other small things, but for the most part, if you've seen one casino, you've seen them all. However, gambling in the Caribbean is a little different and I will try to explain some of the little pros and cons of the Crystal Palace.

The Crystal Palace Casino is in the unique position of competing with newer Atlantis Resort complex a few miles away. Therefore, they tend to be a little "looser" on the slots and with the "comps" (pay-back gifts based on your time spent gambling). They also use 10x odds on all the craps tables (this is the amount of money you can lay "behind the line" after a point has been set). The Crystal Palace also has more low limit tables available for play; most start at $5, rather than the $25 at the Atlantis. This is great for the beginner who does not want to risk too much money while learning to play the various games. Another small difference is that the Crystal Palace ALWAYS has at least one single deck blackjack table open for those who like to try to count cards. If you are looking to wager on sporting events or horses then the Crystal Palace has the only sports-book on the island and will become your favorite hangout. You can make one wager on any game and then sit in the luxury seats to watch the wall of TVs. . . it really is a cool thing if you haven't done it before.

Overall, the Crystal Palace is one of the better casinos I've visited and would rate another visit if I make to Nassau again.

My biggest complaint is that many of the machines, especially the video poker, are old and do not accept bills. I guess I am spoiled by my trips to Las Vegas and Mississippi but it is very time consuming having to load the machine each time for the maximum bet.

One thing we really liked was the lack of crowds we have found each time we have gone - also there is a lot of room between the machines so you don't get the crowded feeling like you do in some casinos.

Be sure and bring enough money with you - several times we have found the ATM machines to be out of order. The other thing I like is that the casino also has a sports book.