Las Vegas Poolside Blackjack and Outdoor Gaming Guide

^{Caesars Palace is the only casino where you can play swim-up blackjack. (Photo: Caesars Palace / X)} 

Las Vegas pool season is underway and about to kick into overdrive. Some casinos have been slowly opening poolside gambling over the past few weeks, and now they are ready for players.

Poolside and swim-up gambling isn’t available at every Las Vegas casino, which might surprise some visitors. There are also outdoor gaming options for those who want to gamble in the sun without getting in the water.

While many players enjoy gambling outdoors, others avoid it. The blackjack rules and odds aren’t the most player-friendly in town, but knowing this ahead of time helps players decide how they want to spend their money. For some, that’s the 6:5 payouts and higher minimums are simply the trade-off for fresh air, a poolside vibe, and dealers in bikinis.

The rules may not be great, but drink service often is. With only a few tables, usually located near a bar, cocktails can arrive faster than on the main casino floor.

Las Vegas Poolside Gambling

Spring and summer in Las Vegas are ideal for outdoor fun, whether that means a round of golf, a scenic hike, or drinks and dining on a patio. Poolside gambling fits right in, though it’s only available at a handful of pools on the Strip and a few more elsewhere around the city.

Most poolside games run Friday through Sunday during the day. Some casinos, including Caesars Palace, Circa, and Fontainebleau, offer additional days throughout the week. Wynn is the only casino with poolside gambling after dark inside the XS Nightclub on certain nights.

Vegas Strip Poolside Gambling

Four Las Vegas Strip casinos offer poolside blackjack with tables shaded to make the heat more tolerable during the hottest months. Only one casino offers gambling inside the pool.

 Caesars Palace’s Garden of the Gods complex has seven pools, including Fortuna, which features swim-up blackjack where players can stay partially submerged while playing. As of right now, this is the only swim-up blackjack experience in Las Vegas.

• Caesars Palace: Swim-up blackjack
• Fontainebleau: Poolside blackjack and craps
• Planet Hollywood: Poolside blackjack
• The STRAT: Poolside blackjack
• Wynn: Poolside blackjack and craps

Minimum bets at these casinos are typically $25, and pay 6:5 on blackjack. Experienced players may skip 6:5 blackjack and opt to play indoors, where 3:2 games and lower minimums are more common.

Wynn is a bit of an exception to high minimum bets. While it usually has some of the highest minimums on the main floor, entry-level bets by the pool can sometimes be lower.

Wynn's outdoor gaming options extend beyond the pool deck. Both XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club offer poolside blackjack. Encore Beach Club always has table games available during the day or on occasional nights when the dayclub is open, but XS offers poolside gaming only at night when the exterior is open. There has been ongoing renovation activity in that area recently, so it's worth checking directly with the property about availability in advance.

Off-Strip Poolside Gambling

There are two downtown Las Vegas casinos with poolside gambling and two more located about 20 minutes from the main tourist areas. 

• Circa: Poolside blackjack 
• Durango: Poolside blackjack
• Golden Nugget: Poolside blackjack and craps
• Red Rock: Poolside blackjack

Golden Nugget is the only off-Strip casino offering poolside craps. Minimum bets can be as low once you go off the Strip, as low as $15 depending on the day and time. While some of these casinos offer 3:2 blackjack indoors, poolside games universally use 6:5 payouts.

Poolside Gaming Allows Access to Most Pools

Gambling can serve as a useful workaround for pool entry fees, since gaming areas must generally be open to the public.

According to Nevada Revised Statutes NRS 463.0129, casinos must allow all players access to games. The regulation states that casinos are required to:

 “Ensure that gaming is conducted honestly, competitively, and free of criminal and corruptive elements; all gaming establishments in this state must remain open to the general public, and the access of the general public to gaming activities must not be restricted in any manner except as provided by the Legislature.”

In plain terms: if a casino has active gaming tables (even at the pool), the public must generally be allowed access to them.

However, there is an exception. Under Section 5.210, a casino can restrict pool access with prior written approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board:

“A licensee may not, directly or indirectly, restrict access to any portion of an establishment wherein gaming is conducted, through the assessment or imposition of a fee, except upon receiving prior written administrative approval from the Chair consistent with policies of the Commission, or as approved pursuant to NRS 463.408.”

Two years ago, two casinos fit this category. But gaming regulators don’t reveal which casinos have requested a waiver, so the full list is difficult to confirm.

More Outdoor Gambling Around Las Vegas

Gamblers looking to play outdoors without the pool have a few options across the city.

The George at Durango in the southwest valley offers bartop gaming just outside the sportsbook and restaurant. The space is covered by a trellis with overhead fans to help with the heat.

In the Fremont Street area of downtown Las Vegas, the Carousel Bar outside Plaza also has bartop gaming. The bar is shaded and uses misters to keep players cool.

On the Strip, Carnaval Court between Harrah’s and The LINQ offers blackjack in an open-air setting. The covered bar is always lively and often features live music.