I have been trying to do the casino circuit in South Florida. I was down to 2 on my list: Casino Miami and the Isles in Pompano. I finally made it to Casino Miami. I was scared at first because the building look...old. REALLY old. Luckily looks can be deceiving. Firstly, there was plenty of parking. The neighborhood looks a little sketchy, but there is a police car patrolling the parking lot. Immediately I felt safe and proceeded inside. The casino was much nicer and bigger than I expected! I had previously been to Hialeah Racetrack casino and was extremely disappointed at the small amount of slots and the very small casino gaming floor. This was nicely laid out, with a separate poker room and a separate room for only video black jack and roulette. I was very happy to see a bunch of casino games I recognized. Some of the slots were not as nice as those in the Hard Rock, but this is not the Hard Rock. The people watching is very interesting. A wide swath of Miamians flock here to recreational gamble, although I noticed quite a few people who looked like they were wasting away their paychecks. I did not find too many friendly people and the staff was very stand-offish. The hidden jewel in the rough was definitely the bar. Trust me, it does not look like much. Before walking up I was scared they only served wine and beer. We ordered two well drinks and were surprised it was only $10! WOW, and let me tell you it was a good pour. Not a bad drink or price for a Friday night. Overall, my experience was positive. It certainly was better than I thought it was going to be. read more

I hadn't been to see Jai Alai for years, since my best friend from college lives near Miami. I asked him to take us back for old times sake. Yes, the place is run down but in its heyday, it could seat upwards of 15,000 (thanks Wikipedia!). Entry and program are a buck. The game is very entertaining to watch, and if so inclined, bet on -- as little as $2. If you want to experience Miami in its true glory away from tourist traps like South Beach and Bayside Marketplace, go visit Miami Jai Alai! read more

Is it a Casino? Yes. Is it at all fun? No not really. We were so excited thinking "hey this is Miami the casinos are about to be crazy" nope. Just a bunch of slots, there's two electronic roulette machines and a couple of electronic black jack machines. Coming from an area where the casinos are hype and basically an event, these casinos are pretty much an old person retirement home. Don't mean to be rude but the place smelled of poorly invested Social security checks. read more

I've been to a lot of places. I'm not the most well traveled person in the land, but I am making it a mission to see most or all of the US in my lifetime. Along the way, I'm a much bigger fan of seeing the true walks of life in whatever part of the country I am in. I'm in for the adventure - for seeing something new that I wouldn't get to see at home. My friend and I struck gold at Casino Miami Jai Alai. *Please note - I am writing this review on Jai Alai as we didn't even set foot in the casino. With only 36 hours to spend in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, after catching a Marlins game which is what we came in town to do, we started to look for anything local that we couldn't do at home. My friend remembered that Jai Alai was in this area, so he looked it up while I drove. He ran into Miami Jai Alai. We right away decided it was a must on the trip, so we headed on over after the game. We knew it would be ending soon, but we wanted to catch just a little bit of it to see what it was all about. We walking in and noticed the court on the left right away. As we walked in, we went into a giant auditorium with tons of seats. The court (Fronton) is on center stage as you can't miss it. Above it and to the right is what looks to be an old display board from a horse track. We've never seen the game before in person, so we have no idea of the rules, how it is played, and even more confusion how to bet on it. While we took seats up front in the sparse audience, we starting watching right away. It's very captivating. Within about 10 minutes, we figured out most of the rules and how the playing (round robin) and scoring worked. We saw players jumping off the walls, spinning, and slinging the ball (Pelota) insanely fast in some very intense action. The longer the volleys went, the more intense the play became. We only got to see 3 matches. It was without a doubt the highlight of our 36 hour trip. I could watch this even without the gambling being involved. As a fan of spots, I (we) are amazed at how this is a dying spot. It's very easy to understand and watch - and with tons and tons of action. I would kill for this to be in the Northeast somewhere. I would watch it, I'd play it, I'd sure as hell support it and patron it. After leaving, we learned much about the history of the sport and about the venue itself. Once considered the premiere venue in the country, it's now a buried gem that most people will probably never get to see. If you are ever in Miami and are looking for something you have never done before, something off the beaten path, and something new and outside of your comfort zone - then this is the place for you. read more

Been here to play a couple of times and overall the experience wasn't too bad. Like anywhere else in the South Florida area, there are a TON of fish to take advantage off... There are also some sharks to watch out for... Good place to earn a couple bucks if you're patient and wait out a big hand. Tables are nice - less than a year old and don't have any cigarette burns because it's prohibited in the poker room! : ) Also they use automatic shufflers, which ensure there is minimal downtime between hands. Rules are fair - allow cell phones, calls/texts while you're are the table EXCEPT when you're in a hand Payouts are decent - high hand is continuous (even if they get as low as $50/half-hour), and the bad beat is ok (not as good as Hard Rock was 5 years ago) Food - You can eat at the table (they bring you a side cart for your drinks and food, which by the way is AMAZING if you order from the Latin Cafe) and the waitresses are usually very nice and dressed to impress ; ) Only thing I HATE about playing poker here is the STRADDLE rule... people will STRADDLE from anywhere for 10x-25x Big Blind ($1-$2 NL Texas Hold 'Em), so watch out how you play. read more

My review is only concerning seeing a concert at this venue. I did not visit the casino, nor did I visit any other parts of the casino aside from the concert hall. I went to see America tonight at Casino Miami. I had never been to the venue before. But have seen many shows at other casinos and wasn't sure how great the experience would be. So I will start with the parking. Well, simply put, there was no issue with parking. We were able to get a nice spot about 200 ft from the entrance. And it was easy to get out. With the GPS, it put me onto I-95 in a matter of minutes and I was on my way home to Broward. Local traffic on a saturday night was mild. The building looks old and tired. Probably hasn't had a substantial remodeling since the 70s. But since I was there for a show, I was happy so long as the ceiling didn't collapse. But it was clean and well kept. Lots of security. And everyone who I interacted with, whether it was a security guard, usher or concessions was very friendly. And very professional in their appearance. Not that is a big issue, but security looked like security, not just a bunch of blokes in T-shirts. I decided, because i'm cheap, to get the general admission seats. And that was the absolute best choice I could have made. If you show up early enough, you can grab some excellent seats for 1/3 of what the premium costs. But these seats are not far from the stage whatsoever. We sat in the front row of the GA seats, and we were 40 ft away from the seats that cost over $50. Even the back row would still give you a great show. For my ears, I thought the acoustics were a bit off. But the room wasn't built for music, it was built for Jai Alai. Not a major issue. But had this show been at some place like the Broward Center for the performing arts, it would have sounded better. The drink prices were much better than I expected. I got a shot of Cap'n, a beer and a vodka & cranberry for my girlfriend, and it came out to $16. I remember going to the Hard Rock and spending well over $25 for the same line up. The lines were not long at all, and there were multiple locations in which to get a drink. And they seem to move people through the lines quicker than I have seen elsewhere. So, all in all, this turned out to be a great place for a concert. America was on my bucket list, and I was going to see them no matter where they played. But this turned out so positive that I will see more shows there just because of the quality of the experience and the value. read more

[ Visited in June, 2013 ] Watching Jai-alai is fun, even for those of us who are novices to the rules of the game. Jai-alai is only played on Sunday afternoons currently, so make sure you try and check out a few games. There's an attached casino and bar, so there's something for the whole family. read more

Casino Miami and Miami Jai Alai are side-by-side attractions in this once thriving parimutuel attraction. The slots only casino keeps Jai Alai alive, (which in turn allows the casino to operate). I knew little about Jai Alai until watching a 15min ESPN short called "What the Hell Happened to Jai Alai?" I then in turn made my family watch it and we decided to venture out to see a match. The sport operates the same way it did back in the mid 20th century when it was a thriving gambling attraction. While far less people attend matches, true to form, you can place bets on each of 12 daily games. The Jai Alai fronton is in various stages of disrepair, but the adjoining casino is kept in great shape. Drinks are also cheap at the casino bar, which can be then be walked over to the fronton. Jai Alai matches last about 10-15min each, and we watched about 3 until we felt confident that we understood the rules and gameplay. I enjoyed the opportunity to see this once thriving sport, especially after watching the ESPN special (which should be required viewing if you know nothing about the sport and why no one attends these days). Although I did not place any bets this time, I definitely believe betting adds that extra motivation to watch since players switch teams and order in each match. read more

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The place needs massive renovation. Maybe relocation. It is old, very old. The gaming industry has been going so strong for so long but left Miami Jai-Alai way back in the 60's. The game is interesting. Otherwise I'd give it only one star. You can get in for a dollar and that's also a plus. Also, looking at the crowd I think that you could set up a booth and sell a lot of mortuary services (there you go, free business ideas advice only here on yelp). read more

Too many people hogging some of the good slot machines, leaving a few cents credit, putting the chair against it, basically blocking anyone else from using it. This goes on all evening, every night. Casino staff don't care. read more

Very bad service. Gave me $50 to play with and then as soon as I tried the card it denied me. Then I went to talk to the front desk and they told me I was in the wrong. It was my first time ever at any casino and didn't play even one slot machine. 0/10 DO NOT COME HERE! Sucks ass! read more

Had an early morning flight back to Chicago on a weekend trip and figured I'd hit the casino. Walked in and was told I wasn't allowed in with a backpack. No where to check the backpack in and come grab it later... considering the proximity to the airport you would think this would be something they'd consider. Oh well probably saved myself a few hundred lol read more

Worst casino and customer service ever - speaking from an experienced gambler: advisement - why would I spend my money as a traveler here when I can't have a purse or luggage in the casino- then have a check for luggage?? Crazy!! Don't do it people - security was nice about it but absolutely ridicules policies and procedures read more

I've been to this casino a few times and was, quite frankly, unimpressed each time. Some of my friends are coming down to Miami this weekend and mentioned that they would like to go to Casino Miami. Today I attempted to reach the Player's Club no less than 8 times by phone and each time I was transferred to a voicemail that was full. Upon calling back, the operator, apparently recognizing my phone number, would just automatically transfer me to the full voicemail without so much as a "Hello", or maybe a "Casino Miami, good evening". No greeting of any kind. How rude and unprofessional. I called back again, this time blocking my number, and sure enough the same woman answered. I asked for her supervisor who came to the phone after a few minutes. I described what had been going on with the telephone and explained that a number of us would like to stop by on Sunday evening and I had a few questions for the Player's Club. He said that they are very busy right now and asked for my number and he would have someone call me back shortly. That was hours ago and no one has bothered to call. Prior to writing this review I tried once more to reach the Player's Club and, as before, the same woman answered and transferred me to the full voicemail. Needless to say, my friends and I will NOT be visiting Casino Miami this weekend. We have decided to go to the iconic Hialeah Park Racing and Casino. Not only is Hialeah one of the most beautiful racetracks and casinos around...THEY ANSWER THEIR TELEPHONES. Do yourself a favor - Go anywhere EXCEPT Casino Miami. read more

Only one star because I can't give it zero. Been here a handful of times and had a players card so I would receive flyers in the mail for supposed promotions. My girlfriend and I went last night and before starting to play went to the service desk to ask how the $36 free play worked. The attendant informed he didn't think it was valid but would check. He checked with who I assume is a manager. When the attendant returns and says it is not valid I asked to speak to the manager. I asked for an explanation because the flyer clearly states we were entitled to $36 in free play. He takes the flyer and says he'll look into it. We waited at least 10 minutes for him to come back with a paper he printed saying it was not valid. I informed him if that's the case they should clarify their flyer or honor it. I then ask for my flyer back and the manager refuses. I knocked on the office door and when he continued to refuse we walked to the front security guard to call the police. Next thing I know I have multiple police officers and security guards around me. Then the manager comes out and lies to the police saying I was throwing chairs and disturbing guests. Without checking cameras to verify the managers lies I was grabbed by each arm, walked to the back of the casino and trespassed from the property. Bottom line is Casino Miami is a joke. They send out advertisements to get business knowing most customers don't bother to ask. When you ask this is the customer service you get. On the bright side because of this I discovered Magic City Casino. Cleaner, better games, better staff, and I left with a pocket full of cash. read more

If you are young and youthful, this is not the casino to go to. Everyone here is old, however, the place is clean and very organized. This place is not my cup of tea but it may be for someone else. It was okay. read more

It's decent if you want to do a small amount of gambling. They give you 50 bucks worth of free slot play when you sign up. Everyone we know who've been there mentioned that they lost on their free slot play so I'm sure the casino has a trick to that. The drinks were fairly cheap and the electronic blackjack table seemed sketchy considering the dealer had a face card on every hand. Still a pretty chill spot for a Monday and close to our hotel. I'd go back. Maybe it's a lot busier on the weekend. read more

I won $32 off of the free $35 they gave me so that's nice ... but it's real empty n the food was real bad!! Don't eat here!! Everytime u sun even if it's a dime cash out!!! Fines make dollars read more

Casino Miami is ok if you like to play penny or dollar machines. There was only 6 quarter machines in the whole place. The layout was nice and the employees were nice. $35 free play was a great bonus. I just wished they had more variety of multi-denomination machines. read more

No table games and slim pickings on machines. Staff was very nice and helpful though. And with it being our first time to casino Miami we got $35 each to play with. It's decent but I'm used to MGM in DC. read more

Not really my style of place. The location as of now is downright scary. When you go at night, the surrounding area feels so abandoned and dark that you fear you are lost. The parking feels unguarded and not very safe. The inside of the casino was ok. Lots of penny slots and a lot of poker tables. I am not a big gambler so it is unlikely I'll be visiting again. read more

I come here when I go visit my parents in Miami. Most of the crowd is older and pretty mellow. I did see a man knockout 2 other men the other night, right in front of where I was playing the slot machine, which was scary. He was arguing with these 2 guys and just sucker punched both of them (they both dropped to the floor, probably hitting their heads on the ground) and ran out the casino. I saw only one casino worker running after him, but nothing other than that. I quickly noticed that unlike say the Miccosukee casino (also in Miami) this place has hardly any security. This is REALLY scary and I'm trying to talk my parents into not coming here anymore. I mean, older folks are coming here with cash and you have no security? WTF? Other than that, I guess it's okay. They do have some good live music sometimes, which is fun. read more

My mother and i didn't not feel like driving to hard rock so we saw this near our hotel . I said "i hope they give 5 dollars of free play to new guest " boy was I in for a treat when the clerk said we each get 50.. we played on that 50 for a long time ! Great drinks music and nice atmosphere ! I will definitely be back read more

This casino started great and as you continue to go and play it gets worst jackpots are rarely given out and when they go it's always late in the evening when no one is rarely there and when you come the next day after playing thousands they tell you someone took the jackpot and the jackpot was taken at the minimum wage this casino is the biggest fraud please don't go there unless you want to leave broke take your chances somewhere else your better off buying scratch tickets. Stay away from this casino read more

Well, any casino that i go to and I win, I like it! It is a basic casino, do not expect the Hard Rock, it is not that, and it does not pretend to be. I did not sample any of the food, I went to play slots. The parking could be better. This is a very old establishment, they have remodeled, and it appears they are doing even more remodeling. As I have said in reviewing other casinos, big elaborate casinos, someone is paying for that atmosphere, and it is us!! When i to a basic place and win, I enjoy it. I will return, and I must drive about an hour to get there. Good luck! read more

This only concerns the very short concert we saw last night....Pointer Sisters (who are still belting it out, they were great...!) The 9pm show started at about 9:14, and they were finished by 10:10....we asked one of the people working at the concert if ALL the shows were so brief, and he insisted that the show lasted 68 minutes....whatever....we have timepieces and can accurately read them. I'm sure he was including the introductory announcements, but those hadn't started until 9:12 anyway.... Also, we were told we'd get BOGO drinks after the show by presenting our ticket stubs. This means, apparently, one drink deal only, and having to surrender the stub. I save my stubs (a fire-hazard sized pile, I'm sure!) and didn't like having to lose my stub. (I still have JaiAlai Fronton concert stubs from the 70's! hehehehhehehe) To keep up with drinking trends, CasinoJaiAlai should offer a better draft beer selection, and inform all the bartenders of choices throughout the complex so they can guide customers to the areas that serve all the varieties available (ugh...Bud, Bud Light, Heinies, and Landshark...) Given $35 free play by joining their players' club, and since we're not gamblers, that was fine. The non-smoking atmosphere is also a good thing. read more

So old school. We loved it! Read about the game and betting before you go so you can jump right in. Don't let the exterior deter you. It's a fun place to go time travel. And the game is really exciting and fast paced. We sat there trying to imagine a time when a record +15,000 people filled the stadium back in 1975. There were barely three dozen of us there the day went. They only play in the afternoons. So odd. You'd think it'd be a night time thing. Go quickly before this gem is gone altogether. read more

Tragic. It's old and smelly. Service is nearly non existent. Waited for over 10 minutes per drink at an almost empty bar. The bartender was just no where to be found. The penny machine was registering dollar spins even when specifically entering penny amounts. Still waiting for an attendant to fix a machine that didn't allow a voucher to print. 25 minutes and counting. The staff is not helpful and the clientele is sketchy. read more

Not a gambler bit is fun to go watch game and enjoy an evenning.

Pretty low budget. Took 250. In less than 60 minutes. Couldn't find any decent newer machines. Waste of time and money.

Stopped in before heading to the airport. Tried to play 2 card poker. Multiple people playing two hands. Dealer called pit boss. Anyone who plays table games knows... You cannot play two hands if there is someone wanting to play. Obviously regulars at the table. So rude, would not move to let us play. Poor poor players and staff. read more

Awesome drinks! Had fun! Never gambled before but wanted to try so stopped here and honestly had more fun than I thought I would!

This is the most prestigious casino and not to many curious employees and don't care about their customers and greedy for money very rarely can you win I go because it is close to me but I am planning to change location and when trying to voice your opinion you are escorted out no freedom of speech only time friendly is when you hit jackpot read more

The place is kinda strange driving up to being in the area that it is but it's a fun place to spend some time. Not a lot of high Big money slots I saw but overall a good time. read more

I know that Jai Alai has been bundled together with the casino industry in South Florida and that just very recently (as in the last few days) the iconic venue has been pulled from the depths of bankruptcy in a spirited bidding war among other casinos such as The Mohegan Sun, with ABC Funding winning the bidding war in the end. A federal judge still has to approve the bid. But really, as far as this review is concerned that's neither here nor there. I love Jai Alai and I don't even totally understand it. Jai Alai in Miami pre-dates hockey, it pre-dates LeBron bringing his talents, it pre-dates Marlins and Marino. It even pre-dates Shula and The Perfect Season! Jai Alai is Miami. It's as Miami as Cuban coffee and big, fat stogies! Jai Alai in Miami doesn't need to improve, be snazzed up, overhauled, renovated, remodeled, altered or changed in any way. It just needs to survive. It's important for the city, its' identity and its' history. Walking into the Jai Alai sports arena, I, as a spectator felt like Crockett AND Tubbs. I felt like Scarface himself, Tony Montana. The venue, inside and out hasn't changed. At all. It's old. It's dated. It's fantastic! And assuming it makes it out of bankruptcy, I hope that all of Miami and south Florida will see it anew and support it like they never have before! read more

I had a awesome time..very clean and no smoking inside... Thank God.. the roulette machines are the best.. I put twenty dollars in the machine and won one fifty... Can't wait to go back!! read more

I came to jai alai to play a poker tournament. Little did I know I would learn the fantastic sport of jai Alai. Marsha was walking around the poker room offering bets for a game that I was unaware of. I inquired about her proposition, being very knowledgeable, taught me the logistics of the game. Thank you for having such a great host. I will definitely be back. read more

Alot of games I see sitting there with nobody on them waste of space.. but a few new games they bring never last long. ..free play they give sucks and if you happen to win a hotseat you hardly make anything from it... need to do better or close down completely read more

The casino is a nice place, they have live bands, I am it is okay, very convenient location close by the airport, I like to play roulette, But I stopped going there because they have some bums in there that I think they live in there because every single time you go you see them in there, they stand behind you staring at you playing and they stink like hell, do you can see them hiding food behind the machines I even told one of the security guards at the entrance that they should do something about that, and he told me that there is nothing that they can do about it read more

Went to check out the casino, to check out some slots and maybe poker for my boyfriend. The bathrooms reminded me of high school. Poker was in the middle of the slots which was very strange, but he had an ok time. They had some fun slots, and I even won a few bucks. BUT my girlfriend won over $100 bucks. You'd think that would be something for a better review, but she dropped her voucher some 20 steps from the machine. We couldn't find it anywhere, so we went to a manager to see if the cameras could see who picked it up. They couldn't find anything and they did see the voucher cashed. That makes no sense to me!! Sounds like a scam! I wanted to insist they do something but my friend is very quiet and reserved so she didn't want to make a scene. SCAM! Don't trust them!!! read more