Visitor practicalities · 5 min read

Casino dress codes, region by region

A jacket is expected in Baden-Baden and irrelevant in Las Vegas. What the rules actually are in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.

Dress codes are one of the few casino rules that vary more by region than by property. A jacket is expected in the classic rooms at Baden-Baden and irrelevant on the Las Vegas Strip, and the difference is historical: European casinos descend from spa-town assembly rooms, while American casinos descend from saloons and, later, from resort hotels.

Europe: two regimes in one building

Most continental European casinos operate a split. The machine hall — automatenspiel in Germany, the salle des machines in France — opens earlier, admits casual dress and is often free to enter. The classic gaming rooms open later, charge admission in several countries and apply a code that at minimum excludes shorts, sportswear, beachwear and flip-flops.

Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg: jacket, and in Baden-Baden a tie, in the classic rooms. Jackets can usually be hired at the door.
Monte-Carlo: no shorts or sportswear anywhere in the historic casino; a jacket is expected in the Salons Privés in the evening.
France (Barrière, Partouche venues): smart casual enforced in the gaming rooms, stricter in Deauville and during the Cannes festival season.
Venice (Ca' Vendramin Calergi): jacket required for men in the gaming rooms; the mainland venue at Ca' Noghera is informal.
Netherlands and Austria: smart casual, with sportswear and beachwear refused; Austrian classic rooms expect a jacket.

United Kingdom

Public casinos apply a smart casual standard that in practice means no sportswear, no work boots and no obviously dirty clothing; trainers are generally accepted. The Mayfair members clubs are the exception and sit at the other end of the scale, with jackets expected and some requiring them. Identification is checked at every door regardless of dress.

North America

There is effectively no dress code on an American gaming floor. Shorts, T-shirts and trainers are normal at every price point, including the Strip's most expensive properties, and the codes that do exist apply to restaurants and nightclubs rather than to the casino. High-limit rooms are a partial exception: there is rarely a written rule, but the room is quiet, staffed and visible, and visitors tend to dress to it. Canadian casinos follow the same pattern with a slightly firmer line on beachwear.

Asia

Macau: smart casual on the main floors, which in practice is loosely enforced; VIP salons apply their own standards and may refuse shorts.
Singapore: both integrated resorts publish a code excluding shorts, singlets, sandals and slippers on the gaming floor, and it is enforced at the entrance.
Malaysia (Genting): the most specific of the major Asian codes — collared shirts and closed shoes are required in the main casino.
Philippines: smart casual, with slippers and sleeveless shirts refused at the larger Entertainment City properties.
South Korea: smart casual; the practical requirement at foreigner-only venues is the passport rather than the clothing.

Australia and New Zealand

Australian casinos enforce a code that is modest on paper and consistent in practice: no beachwear, no singlets, no bare feet, no high-visibility work clothing, and in several venues no sunglasses or face coverings on the gaming floor. The last two rules are surveillance requirements rather than matters of style. New Zealand venues apply a similar standard.

The rules that are not about appearance

Several apparent dress rules exist for identification reasons and are enforced strictly even where the general code is relaxed. Hats pulled low, hoods up, sunglasses indoors and masks all obstruct camera coverage, and a regulator may require that staff ask for them to be removed. Large bags are often refused on the floor, and in some jurisdictions cameras and phones must be put away at the tables — Macau prohibits photography on the gaming floor outright.

Questions

Will I be refused entry for wearing trainers?

Almost never in Britain, North America, Australia or Macau. In the classic rooms of German, Austrian, Monégasque and Venetian casinos, clean smart shoes are the safer choice, and in Baden-Baden a jacket matters more than the shoes.

Can I hire a jacket at the door?

At several European venues that require one, yes — Baden-Baden is the best-known example. It is not universal, so do not rely on it.

Do dress codes differ between day and evening?

Frequently. The same room may be smart casual in the afternoon and require a jacket after 8pm, which is the pattern at Monte-Carlo and at the larger French resort casinos.

Why am I asked to remove a hat or sunglasses?

Because they interfere with camera coverage, which is a licence condition rather than a matter of etiquette. Expect the request to be firm even in otherwise relaxed venues.

Last reviewed 1 January 1970. This page explains how something works; it is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble.