Casino de Maurice Review

Here's a question for those who love gaming ... would you go to any lengths to track down a great casino? If so, you will find the high quality Casino de Maurice on an unpretentious small town street in the center of the island of Mauritius, Africa, off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its location is in the tourist town of Curepipe, some 25 km from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) and about halfway between the airport and the nation's capital at Port Louis. Built in 1970 and rebuilt in 2004, the Casino is a wholly owned subsidiary of State Investment Corporation (SIC), which manages 4 casinos, under the collective heading Casinos of Mauritius. Government involvement in the casino industry provides a major tourist attraction which employs about one thousand people, a significant figure in this tiny country.

The Casino, the oldest one in Mauritius and the flagship of its group, rated very good, is lodged in an attractive stucco building surrounded by landscaped grounds. You will feel immediately welcomed by the open door, no registration required, free admission policy. Standard of dress is smart casual, and all players over 18 are accepted; the staff does not ask for ID. The spacious and pleasant casino, which deals primarily in Mauritian rupees and offers a wide range of wagering amounts, is divided into two halls. The room on the left hand side offers an array of slot machines and touch bet roulette, while to the right is the room for live table games, where there are 17 tables featuring American roulette, blackjack and oasis poker. The reception area is between the two. The slots hall is open from mid morning (except Sundays and holidays, when it opens at 2 PM) until 2 AM. The table gaming hall gets a late start at 8 PM and then keeps on rolling until 4 AM.

The casino includes two appropriately named bars, the Gaming Bar and the Machine à Sous (Slot Machine), one in each gaming hall, with complimentary drinks for players. Parking is available. Methods of payment include cash or credit card - Visa or MasterCard. Although there are no dining facilities in the casino itself, there is a restaurant just one km away.

Although Mauritius is still relatively unknown to Westerners as a vacation destination, its fame is starting to spread. When you come to play at Casino de Maurice, stay at one of the fine luxury hotels, resorts, budget hotels or villas on the island and plan on devoting some time to exploring the attractions of Curepipe, especially the dormant volcano Trou aux Cerfs, and other Mauritian towns. As far as dining goes, you are in for a very special culinary experience. Cuisine in Mauritius reflects the influence of an exotic assortment of cultures - Creole, French, Dutch, English, Indian, African and Chinese - deliciously.