If you love gambling, then you probably love Vegas too. However, Vegas isn’t the only place in the world that you can go gambling at. There are many places in the world where you can actually go and gamble, but you will need to not only know where they are but also set up a few steps to take when you really want to get the best experience in your new destination. You will still need to be respectful of the local culture of the country you’re visiting.

In a nutshell, there are a few countries to choose from:

France

Believe it or not, France does allow legal gambling to take place.  A lot of people are more interested in the food and culture of France than actually gambling there, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. There are plenty of casinos, and the attitude towards gambling is pretty relaxed. It’s more or less a relaxing thing to do to pass away the time, not something that you get seriously hardcore about. If you want to get into any horse racing, then you can definitely do this within France’s borders — they have plenty of races to choose from.

You won’t be enjoying the casinos without a touch of luxury, either — France has numerous gambling halls that are attached to hotels, and those hotels aren’t like hotels back home. The French consider luxury to be one of the highest pursuits in life, so you’ll definitely find some great high end hotels, if you’re into that sort of thing. The opposite applies as well — if you want to go budget, you can find a few modern hotels without a casino and just drive or take a cab over to the casino when you want to play.

Macau

When people talk about international gambling, they better mention Macau if they want to be credible. Indeed this country has been nicknamed the Monte Carlo of the Far East, and for good reason: gambling isn’t just allowed, it’s definitely encouraged. Some of the world’s most famous hoteliers and casino makers have built Macau enclaves that would shock and thrill you — they aim to keep it that way.

Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China which means that things do work a little bit differently. Free trade is encouraged, and the whole region is very friendly towards tourists. However, you will still find a lot of touches of Chinese culture, which is why it doesn’t hurt to brush up on a few things and remain as respectful as possible.

Japan

If you’ve always wanted to take a trip out to Japan, it’s important to make sure that you at least save some time for gambling. Now, keep in mind that it’s not a heavy activity in Japan. The government only tolerates some forms of gambling, so it’s not a free for all the way it is in Macau or even France. You can bet on the horse races and you can play lottery. However, there are some illegal forms of gambling, though as a tourist they aren’t really worth exploring.

If you’re thinking about scheduling a flight to any of these countries, it’s equally important that you not only make reservations in advance, but you also need to think about how you will play each of the casino games that you want to play. Far too often, a lot of online players are a bit shocked when they actually sit down to play a regular casino game in a regular casino. Read up on casino play and etiquette in order to avoid embarrassment — that’s really the best way to go.

Overall, you definitely have what it takes to have a great time at the casinos, so why not check them out today?