Searching for casinos in Nashville, TN? Discover the best and closest gaming options, with reviews of slots, table games, and poker rooms just a short drive away.

A Nashville Player's Guide to the Area's Best Casino Destinations

For residents of Tennessee's capital seeking a full-scale gaming floor, the principal destination is Caesars Southern Indiana. Situated just across the state line in Elizabeth, Indiana, a drive of approximately four and a half hours is required to reach this comprehensive entertainment complex. This venue represents the closest option for a traditional, resort-style betting experience, complete with lodging, dining, and live entertainment schedules.

The establishment boasts a gaming area of over 90,000 square feet. Inside, patrons find more than 1,100 slot machines and approximately 70 live table games, encompassing staples like blackjack, roulette, and craps. A dedicated poker room with 16 tables offers both cash games and regularly scheduled tournaments. Sports wagering is also available at the on-site sportsbook, providing lines on professional and collegiate events.

For those intent on staying within the 615 area code, state regulations strictly limit the available choices. There are no traditional gambling houses operating legally within the city limits. However, sanctioned charity poker tournaments and bingo halls provide a legal avenue for games of chance. These events, often hosted by fraternal organizations or non-profits, offer a localized and community-focused alternative to a major resort excursion.

Closest Real-Money Casinos to Downtown Nashville and Drive Times

Your nearest option for real-money electronic gaming is Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel in Kentucky.  https://wazambagr.com  from the city center is approximately one hour, covering around 60 miles north on I-24. This venue features over 1,300 historical horse racing (HHR) machines, which operate similarly to slot machines, along with live and simulcast horse racing.

For a selection that includes traditional table games, your destination is Harrah's Metropolis in Illinois. Reaching this gambling house requires a drive of about two hours, spanning roughly 130 miles. Once there, you find a wide array of slot machines, video poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette.

A drive of approximately three hours and 15 minutes, or 220 miles south, takes you to the cluster of large entertainment complexes in Robinsonville and Tunica, Mississippi. These full-service resorts provide a complete gaming experience with thousands of slot machines, dedicated poker rooms, and numerous table games, making the area a popular weekend getaway.

Comparing Game Selections: Slots, Table Games, and Poker Rooms Near Nashville

For a complete selection of live dealer table games and a dedicated poker room, Harrah's Metropolis in Illinois and the gaming resorts in Tunica, Mississippi, are the primary destinations. For those prioritizing proximity and slot-style action, the Historical Horse Racing (HHR) venues in southern Kentucky offer a substantial alternative.

Slot & Slot-Style Machine Availability

Venues directly north of Music City specialize in Historical Horse Racing (HHR) terminals, which function and appear nearly identical to traditional slot machines.

• Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel: Located just across the Tennessee-Kentucky border, this establishment provides over 1,300 HHR terminals with a wide range of themes and denominations.
• The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs: Situated in Franklin, KY, this hall features more than 1,000 HHR machines, including high-limit areas and popular progressive jackpot terminals.
• Tunica Resorts (e.g., Horseshoe, Gold Strike): A longer drive south reveals Mississippi entertainment complexes with thousands of conventional slot and video poker machines, offering greater variety than the HHR-only Kentucky locations.

Live Dealer Table Games Comparison

The availability of live, dealer-operated table games is a key differentiator between nearby state options. Kentucky gaming halls do not have them. Your options require a drive to either Illinois or Mississippi.

1. Harrah's Metropolis, IL: This Illinois property features a focused selection of table games. Offerings typically include:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Three Card Poker

1. Tunica, MS: The resorts here contain expansive table game pits with more variety and higher table counts. You will find all the standard games plus additional variants like:

• Mississippi Stud
• Pai Gow Poker
• Baccarat and Mini-Baccarat
• High Card Flush

Dedicated Poker Rooms

Player-versus-player poker is exclusive to the traditional gaming establishments in neighboring states to the south and west. Kentucky HHR venues do not spread poker.

• Horseshoe Tunica: This venue operates a well-known poker room, frequently running multiple tables of No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha cash games. It is also a site for World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit events and has a schedule of daily tournaments.
• Harrah's Metropolis: A smaller poker room is available here, offering a more intimate setting that primarily focuses on No-Limit Hold'em cash games on weekends or during peak periods.

Legal Gambling Alternatives Within Nashville: Poker Clubs and Charity Gaming Events

Private social poker clubs operate within the Music City area, providing a regular schedule of tournaments and cash games. These venues operate on a membership or seat-fee model, avoiding direct rake from the pot to comply with state laws. You can find No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha games, with blinds typically starting at $1/$2. Patrons pay a daily, monthly, or annual fee for access to the tables and amenities. Establishments such as Poker CITI exemplify this model, hosting daily games in a dedicated card-playing environment.

Charitable gaming events, authorized under Tennessee Code Annotated § 3-17-101, represent another sanctioned option. These are periodic fundraising functions hosted by registered 501(c)(3) organizations. At these events, participants purchase chips to play games like blackjack, roulette, or craps, with all proceeds benefiting the sponsoring non-profit. These are not permanent wagering houses but single-night or weekend galas that combine social fundraising with games of chance.

To locate these poker clubs and charity functions, monitor social media groups dedicated to the local card-playing community. Searching for active, private groups often yields schedules and member discussions. For charity events, check the fundraising calendars of local non-profits, hospitals, and community foundations. The buy-in structures and prize payouts for these events vary significantly, ranging from small community tournaments to larger, formal fundraising galas.