Bahamas casinos are legal and built for visitors: the big resort casinos are Baha Mar in Nassau, Atlantis on Paradise Island and Resorts World Bimini. Bahamian citizens, permanent residents and work permit holders are not allowed to gamble in them, so the casino floors serve visitors, while locals bet on numbers games in licensed shops known as web shops.
Bahamas gambling at a glance
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Casinos | Legal, licensed and aimed at visitors |
| Residents in casinos | Not permitted (citizens, permanent residents and work permit holders) |
| Regulator | Gaming Board for The Bahamas |
| Largest casino | Baha Mar, about 100,000 square feet |
| Other major casinos | Atlantis Paradise Island; Resorts World Bimini |
| Local betting | Web shops, licensed since 2014 |
| Last checked | November 2026 |
Casinos in the Bahamas
Baha Mar Casino, Nassau
Baha Mar on Cable Beach, New Providence, has the biggest casino in the country at roughly 100,000 square feet. The resort is owned by Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and has about 2,200 rooms across three hotels: Grand Hyatt, which opened in April 2017, SLS Baha Mar, which followed that November, and Rosewood, which opened in June 2018.
Atlantis Paradise Island
The Atlantis casino covers about 60,000 square feet with around 85 table games and more than 700 slot machines. Gambling on Paradise Island goes back to the Paradise Island Hotel and Casino, which opened in 1968 under Resorts International. Sol Kerzner bought the property in 1994 and reopened it as Atlantis in December 1998. Brookfield Asset Management is the current owner.
Resorts World Bimini
Bimini, the island chain closest to Florida, has the Resorts World Bimini casino, run by Malaysia’s Genting Group. The casino opened in June 2013. Its hotel stopped carrying the Hilton brand on April 1, 2025.
Smaller hotel casinos open and close more often than the big three, so check with your hotel before planning a trip around gambling.
A short history of casinos in the Bahamas
Bahamian gambling has always run on two tracks. On one side are the resort casinos, licensed as tourist attractions and closed to citizens. On the other is the local numbers trade, which grew up outside the law for decades.
The resort side grew around the Paradise Island casino, which opened in 1968. The modern era began with Atlantis in 1998 and reached its current scale with Baha Mar in 2017, which added the country’s largest gaming floor to Cable Beach. Bimini joined the map in 2013 when Genting opened its casino there.
The local side came to a head on January 28, 2013, when Bahamians voted in a referendum on regulating and taxing web shop gaming and on creating a national lottery. Both proposals were rejected, by about 61% and 60% of voters. The government went on to legalize and license the web shops in 2014 anyway. Licensed web shops must be wholly Bahamian-owned.
The ban on residents gambling in casinos is still in place. The government has said it is drafting a bill to let Bahamians into casinos, but no timetable has been set.
Gambling rules for visitors
- Casinos are for visitors. Bahamian citizens, permanent residents and work permit holders are barred, so carry ID that shows your nationality.
- The Gaming Board for The Bahamas licenses and supervises casinos and other gaming.
- Expect the usual resort casino mix of slots, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat.
Other Caribbean casino destinations
If you are comparing islands, see our guides to the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Bahamas casinos FAQ
Can Bahamians gamble in casinos?
No. Bahamian citizens, permanent residents and work permit holders are barred from casino gambling. A bill to change this is being drafted but has not been passed.
What is the biggest casino in the Bahamas?
Baha Mar in Nassau, with about 100,000 square feet of gaming space. Atlantis on Paradise Island is next at about 60,000 square feet.
Is there a casino outside Nassau and Paradise Island?
Yes. Resorts World Bimini has a casino on Bimini, the part of the Bahamas closest to Florida.
What are web shops?
Web shops are local betting shops where Bahamians play numbers games, often tied to US lottery draws. They grew up outside the law and have been licensed by the government since 2014.
Gamble only with money you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.