Gambling

A bit kitschy perhaps, but the Sci-Fi Casino is a hit with low and medium wealth tourists, as indicated by all those taxi cabs.

Nothing draws tourists into your city faster than a casino. Tourists love the thrill of wagering their Simoleons on games they have little chance of winning. But casinos offer more than just slot machines and blackjack tables—they also provide lodging and entertainment.

Hotel rooms attached to casinos keep tourists in your city overnight, increasing the chance they’ll spend money at the casino or a nearby shop the next day. Entertainment venues draw more tourists into the casino as well as increase your city’s overall attraction rating, leading to even larger crowds of tourists rushing into your city.

But casinos have some serious drawbacks too, namely crime and congestion. It’s important to establish a comprehensive mass transit system to keep traffic flowing and a robust police presence to prevent throngs of criminals from running amok.

These critical pieces of infrastructure aren’t cheap, and should not be considered as an afterthought. Instead, if you’re serious about getting into the gambling business, you need to start small, attracting tourists only when your city is ready to accommodate large numbers of visitors and confront an influx of devious criminals.

Gambling House

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 260 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Working water and power
• 21 commercial buildings
• Description: Tourists will wheel their oxygen tanks to this simple casino to blow their hard-earned Simoleons. Maximize profits with Gambling House improvements. Criminals turn up at casinos like bad pennies.

Capacity and Income

Wealth	Tourist Capacity	Hourly Income
Low	100	10 per gambler
Medium	50	14 per gambler
High	—	—

The Gambling House is your average entry-level casino catering to low and medium wealth tourists. But before building it, work out any kinks in your road network because the Gambling Hall will draw tons of tourists. To reduce congestion, consider plopping this casino next to a Bus Terminal, allowing tourists to enter your city by municipal bus and walk to the Gambling House and its modules.

Also, don’t turn a blind eye to the criminal element generated here. If you don’t have a Police Station or Police Precinct nearby, set one close to the Gambling House to suppress crime in the area. Be sure to zone plenty of commercial nearby to ensure tourists have plenty of places to spend their money, even if they can’t get in the casino—low wealth motels will spring up from commercial zones around the Gambling House, giving tourists a place to spend the night.

It may be necessary to build a few Gambling Halls to accommodate all the tourists. Pay close attention to the modules you attach, because each caters to a specific tourist. Consider building two separate Gambling Houses, one that caters to low wealth and another for medium wealth tourists.

In your low wealth Gambling House, plop Cheap Rooms, Nickel Slots, and a Comedy Club. For your medium wealth Gambling House choose Nice Rooms, Blackjack Tables, and a Lounge. The modules attracting medium wealth tourists have a smaller capacity, but generate more money per tourist than the low wealth modules.

Modules

Casino Marquees

• Cost: 1,000
• Operational Cost: 50 per hour
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 180
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 180
• New High Wealth Tourists: 180
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Like moths to a flame, tourists will flit on in to your casino. Increases casino tourist attraction with one of these marquees.

Cheap Rooms

• Cost: 3,500
• Operational Cost: 115 per hour
• Low Wealth Rooms: 60
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: No-frills lodging for less than discerning tourists. Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Nice Rooms

• Cost: 4,000
• Operational Cost: 135 per hour
• Medium Wealth Rooms: 30
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: These rooms aren’t great, but at least they’re “nice”. Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Nickel Slots

• Cost: 4,500
• Operational Cost: 40 per hour
• Low Wealth Gambler Capacity: 45
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: It’s just a nickel at a time. How fast could that add up?

Blackjack Tables

• Cost: 5,500
• Operational Cost: 75 per hour
• Medium Wealth Gambler Capacity: 30
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: Your casino won’t bust if you get enough tourists into the casino. Try for at least 21…

Comedy Club

• Cost: 4,000
• Operational Cost: 75 per hour
• Low Wealth Gambler Capacity: 45
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 720
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: The Laughs Per Minute (LPM) are low, but any distraction from how much money Sims are losing at the slots is welcome.

Lounge

• Cost: 5,000
• Operational Cost: 225 per hour
• Medium Wealth Gambler Capacity: 45
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 540
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: Now Featuring! Fernando and Don! Magic Motion! Tony T.! Weak drinks and lounge acts serve as a tourism draw.

Gambling HQ

• Cost: 37,500
• Operational Cost: 450 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Working water and power
• 50,000 casino revenue in a day
• Description: The lights! The glitz! The glamor! Rake in the Simoleons from your casinos—just look out for criminal activity. Use the success of your casinos to gain improvements to your casinos’ entertainment, lodging, or gaming. Upgrades available based on casino daily profits.

Gambling HQ Upgrades

Level	Name	Criteria	Unlock
1	Gambling HQ	Earn 50,000 in a day from gambling.	One division of your choice.
2	Gambling, Co.	Earn 100,000 casino daily profit.	One division of your choice.
3	Gambling, Inc.	Earn 400,000 casino daily profit.	One division of your choice.
4	Gambling Global	Earn 1,000,000 casino daily profit.	One division of your choice.

After running a successful Gambling House or two, you’ll be rewarded with access to the Gambling HQ. This HQ is required before you can build any of the other casinos in the Gambling menu. Just be sure to leave enough space around the HQ to accommodate its three divisions. As your casinos generate more profit, the HQ can be upgraded, causing the building to expand skyward.

With each upgrade awarded, you can place a division of your choice nearby. Which division you choose largely depends on your current needs and goals. The Entertainment Division is required to set a variety of non-gambling venues used to attract more tourists into the city and casinos—so if business is slumping, put on a show to bring the crowds back in.

The Gaming Division gives your casinos access to more gambling modules (poker, craps, and roulette), ideal for boosting business from medium and high wealth tourists. If you don’t have enough hotels in your city, tourists will go home, taking their Simoleons with them.

The Lodging Division helps address this problem by allowing the construction of hotel rooms at each casino, catering to medium and high wealth tourists. If you’re serious about gambling, you’ll eventually want all of these divisions. But for starters, the Lodging Division makes the most sense, with the aim of keeping tourists in your city as long as possible.

Lodging offered at casinos also helps surrounding shops—the longer a tourist stays in your city, the more likely they’ll visit surrounding commercial buildings, boosting the buildings’ profits and the city’s tax revenue.

Modules

Gambling HQ Sign

• Cost: 200
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Assure the city that this is a totally legitimate business establishment.

Entertainment Division

• Cost: 300,000
• Operational Cost: 400 per hour
• Local Access Granted: Celebrity Stage, Disco Club, Concert Hall, and Exclusive Club
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Tourists are more attracted to casinos that provide entertainment.

Gaming Division

• Cost: 300,000
• Operational Cost: 400 per hour
• Local Access Granted: Poker Parlor, Craps Tables Parlor, Baccarat, and Roulette House
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Enables new gaming modules that favor the house even more, providing more income per gambler.

Lodging Division

• Cost: 300,000
• Operational Cost: 400 per hour
• Local Access Granted: Tower Rooms, Classy Rooms, and Penthouse Suite
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: With lodging in the casino, your gamblers can stay until they spend all their hard-earned money.

Sleek Casino

• Cost: 140,000
• Operational Cost: 1,500 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Gambling HQ
• Description: Glass and steel highlight the sweeping lines of this modern casino. Attracts medium wealth tourists.

Capacity and Income

Wealth	Tourist Capacity	Hourly Income
Low	100	10 per gambler
Medium	200	20 per gambler
High	100	40 per gambler

The Sleek Casino offers plenty of lodging and gambling options for tourists of each economic strata. But you’ll need to keep this casino packed with tourists to overcome its staggering hourly operational cost—so don’t plop it until you have a thriving tourist industry underway.

In its stock state, the casino can accommodate a total of 400 tourists, offering enough to do for visitors of every class. However, you’ll need to add a Lodging Division at the Gambling HQ to provide rooms for these tourists to stick around.

With a Lodging Division in place you can build the ground and tower-based Sleek Rooms, as well as a Penthouse for high wealth visitors. Gambling options can be expanded too with the Gambling Division, increasing low and medium wealth capacity with the Poker Parlor and Craps Parlor modules.

As with any casino or landmark, make sure your mass transit system is up to the challenge. For best results, build the Sleek Casino within walking distance of a Passenger Train Station or Ferry Terminal. Provide bus and streetcar stops as well to provide tourists multiple transportation options.

Oh, and don’t forget the criminals. A Police Precinct will help suppress and, when necessary, arrest the endless flow of criminals produced by this casino.

Modules

Flashy Casino Sign

• Cost: 4,000
• Operational Cost: 100 per hour
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 300
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
• New High Wealth Tourists: 300
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: With this flashy sign on top of your casino, Sims from all over will seek your Sleek Casino!

Casino Marquee

• Cost: 5,000
• Operational Cost: 1,000 per hour
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 300
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
• New High Wealth Tourists: 300
  
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Don’t be a square! Get this sleek, modern marquee sign and show the world you have style!

Sleek Rooms (Ground Floor)

• Cost: 7,000
• Operational Cost: 560 per hour
• Low Wealth Rooms: 120
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Entice your gambling tourists to stay in your Sleek Casino. These rooms are close to the ground for quick access to the casino. Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Sleek Rooms (Tower)

• Cost: 9,000
• Operational Cost: 560 per hour
• Medium Wealth Rooms: 60
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Trap, er, host your gamblers in this shiny tower. Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Penthouse

• Cost: 9,000
• Operational Cost: 850 per hour
• High Wealth Rooms: 40
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: This exclusive penthouse suite is a block of rooms that can only be built on top of other rooms.

Poker Parlor

• Cost: 10,000
• Operational Cost: 675 per hour
• Low Wealth Gambler Capacity: 180
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Gaming Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: If you can get a full house to play in your poker games, you’ll be flush with cash!

Craps Parlor

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 900 per hour
• Medium Wealth Gambler Capacity: 120
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Gaming Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Roll the hard six! Craps is a cheap game to maintain and makes your casino even more money.

Sci-Fi Casino

• Cost: 120,000
• Operational Cost: 1,125 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Gambling HQ
• Description: Take me to your dealer! Land your shuttlecraft at the rear docking bay of this medium wealth sci-fi-themed casino. Watch out for unsavory characters around the casino.

Capacity and Income

Wealth	Tourist Capacity	Hourly Income
Low	200	10 per gambler
Medium	200	20 per gambler
High	—	—

It may not be the lavish high-roller casino you’re hoping for, but the Sci-Fi Casino is a step in the right direction. Consider adding it to your tourism district soon after building the Gambling HQ. Like the Gambling House, this casino only serves low and medium wealth tourists.

Since those tourist are most likely already wandering around your city, this casino is the perfect fit. It’s also much cheaper to run than the Sleek and Elegant Casinos. With the Lodging Division in place at the Gambling HQ, you can add a number of sci-fi-themed hotel rooms—medium wealth tourists get the Penthouse here!

The Sci-Fi Casino also offers a few attractions for non-gamblers, helping draw more tourists. Build the Entertainment Division at the Gambling HQ to gain access to the Disco Club and Celebrity Stage. These modules will help pack the casino floor and hotel rooms with more tourists, boosting the casino’s profits in the process.

As with any tourist attraction, don’t build the Sci-Fi Casino until you have the proper infrastructure in place, including mass transit and a robust police force. For best results, plop it between a Passenger Train Station and Police Precinct. This will help the casino draw plenty of foot traffic from the train station while the police presence suppresses crime.

Modules

Holo Sign

• Cost: 3,000
• Operational Cost: 100 per hour
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 300
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
  
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Draw earthlings to your Sci-Fi Casino with this holographic sign!

Casino Marquee

• Cost: 3,000
• Operational Cost: 100 per hour
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 300
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Attract gambling humans to your Sci-Fi Casino with this imposing sign.

Rocket Rooms (Ground Floor)

• Cost: 7,000
• Operational Cost: 340 per hour
• Low Wealth Rooms: 120
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: This casino hotel launchpad features an umbilical tube to allow easy reentry to your Sci-Fi Casino.

Rocket Rooms (Tower)

• Cost: 7,000
• Operational Cost: 340 per hour
• Low Wealth Rooms: 120
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Extend your hotel tower rocket and achieve maximum lodger capacity!

Penthouse

• Cost: 10,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Medium Wealth Rooms: 60
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: This penthouse allows rich Sims to live like they are the captain of their very own rocket ship.

Disco Club

• Cost: 45,000
• Operational Cost: 375 per hour
• Low Wealth Gambler Capacity: 180
• New Low Wealth Tourists: 2,160
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Entertainment Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Thought disco was dead? Well not any more! Disco has hustled from its grave with a high-grade disco fever and is jive-talkin’ in your casino!

Celebrity Stage

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 1,125 per hour
• Medium Wealth Gambler Capacity: 120
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 1,440
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Prerequisites:
• Entertainment Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: The Celebrity Stage attracts only the finest B- and C-grade celebrities. Remember that one guy, from that show? Check out his new one-man show! And that one gal, with the song? She’s got a new one!

Elegant Casino

• Cost: 300,000
• Operational Cost: 3,000 per hour
• Prerequisites:
• Gambling HQ
• Description: This stylish casino is evocative of a quaint Italian villa that caters solely to the nouveau riche. This expensive casino is only for the most discerning of cities. You’ll need to entice high wealth tourists to meet the demanding maintenance costs.

Capacity and Income

Wealth	Tourist Capacity	Hourly Income
Low	—	—
Medium	100	28 per gambler
High	300	56 per gambler

Tourists aren’t the only ones taking a financial risk at the Elegant Casino—if your city isn’t ready, you may be gambling away your city’s treasury with this high-price resort. While the initial costs are high, the hourly operating costs for this casino are outrageous, potentially making this facility cost-prohibitive.

The success of this casino hinges entirely on your city’s ability to attract a steady flow of high wealth tourists. For best results, build this casino within walking distance of a Ferry Terminal equipped with a Cruise Ship Dock. Cruise ships bring in the largest amount of high wealth tourists.

A Municipal Airport can also bring in the tourists necessary keep the casino busy, but supplying transportation between the airport and casino can be problematic because high wealth tourists don’t travel by bus or streetcar—instead they’ll take a limo. Plus, you don’t want to plop a high-end casino within walking distance of a noisy airport.

For these reasons, the cruise ship option is the most ideal, assuming your city has a waterfront. Ensure a robust police presence as well by building a Police Precinct nearby. If crime gets out of control, the casino will suffer, potentially leading to its downfall, taking the city’s economy with it.

There are numerous modules that can be added, but make sure the casino is filled to capacity (and profitable) before applying any of them. A Lodging Division at the Gambling HQ will give the casino access to a number of hotel rooms catering to the medium and high wealth visitors.

Increase the number of high wealth gamblers on the casino floor with the addition of the Roulette House module—you’ll need the Gaming Division first. Or draw in celebrities and high rollers alike with the Exclusive Club module, requiring the Entertainment Division.

While the Elegant Casino is operational, constantly monitor its capacity and profitability by clicking on it. If there’s not enough tourists, the casino will lose large sums of money every hour, costing your city thousands. If the casino isn’t pulling a profit within a couple of days, shut it down and address transportation issues preventing medium and high wealth tourists from reaching the casino.

Perhaps your city’s attraction rating isn’t high enough to draw the required number of high wealth tourists? If that’s the case, consider placing landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House to serve as an additional draw. Also, don’t forget to surround the casino with plenty of high wealth shops—use Plaza and Formal Parks to boost commercial land values.

Modules

Decorative Sign

• Cost: 6,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
• New High Wealth Tourists: 300
  
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: This elegantly understated sign in a fan motif is for the sophisticated casino mogul.

Casino Marquee

• Cost: 6,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• New Medium Wealth Tourists: 300
• New High Wealth Tourists: 300
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: It’s an exclusive casino, but drivers for the wealthy will still need to know where the place is. With this sign, they can see it from miles away!

Classy Rooms (Ground)

• Cost: 10,000
• Operational Cost: 565 per hour
• Medium Wealth Rooms: 60
• Maximum Modules: 8
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: The literal base of your Elegant Casino’s classy hotel tower! Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Classy Rooms (Tower)

• Cost: 10,000
• Operational Cost: 565 per hour
• Medium Wealth Rooms: 60
• Maximum Modules: 8
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Use this tower of Classy Rooms to create a hotel-casino. Tourists will stay in lodging to spend any remaining Simoleons in the casino the next day.

Penthouse Suite

• Cost: 20,000
• Operational Cost: 845 per hour
• High Wealth Rooms: 40
• Maximum Modules: 8
• Prerequisites:
• Lodging Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: The most exclusive lodging in the most exclusive casino. No, you can’t see a list of who stayed here before.

Exclusive Club

• Cost: 40,000
• Operational Cost: 1,500 per hour
• High Wealth Gambler Capacity: 60
• New High Wealth Tourists: 960
• Maximum Modules: 8
• Prerequisites:
• Entertainment Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Casino patrons will be drawn to your casino to chill with celebrities and superstar athletes. Just please, no autographs!

Roulette House

• Cost: 50,000
• Operational Cost: 1,875 per hour
• High Wealth Gambler Capacity: 80
• Maximum Modules: 8
• Prerequisites:
• Gaming Division at Gambling HQ
• Description: Remember what Lesley Snypes said, “Always bet on black. No, wait, red!” High wealth tourists love to watch that wheel go ‘round and ‘round with the hope they won’t lose their money.