Thread: Domican Republic Casino: Do Not Go To Jaragua Casino

DO NOT change money in this casino. They will shortchange you about 10% on whatever the going rate is. They can do this because they deal with a lot of tourists who either are unaware of the actual rate or simply do not care as they are on vacation and want the convienence of changing money there.

Another thing to beware is that this casino is crawling with theives. Many of the girls hanging around the tables are prostitutes and are looking to either pickpocket you or steal your chips. They are bold and will steal your chips directly off the table if you are not looking. The security cameras turn a blind eye to this activity as do the dealers. I am not completely sure why although I suspect that security and staff are in cahoots with the theives and recieve kickbacks from money stolen off patrons. I can't come up with any other logical explaination.

Lastly and least important is the general lack of professionalism and general incompetence of those working at the casino. I am mainly speaking of the table dealers and wait staff. The table dealers do a poor job and frequently make mistakes and the waitresses are unfriendly and service is poor.

I live 2 blocks from the Jaragua and I occasionally wander in there as it is so close to home and convienent for me but I always leave annoyed. For a much better, cleaner, more professional casino in the area I recommend the casino at the Hilton on the Malecon just past Maximo Gomez.

I used to play a great deal of baccarat at the Jaragua (a few years ago) but got extremely turned off. They let anybody in...non-players sit at the tables...people are loud, obnoxious and disrespectful. The staff is poorly trained.

Avoid at all costs...go to the Hilton in the new Malecon Center. It is cleaner, nicer and the staff is excellent. Or just play baccarat online (try Casino Classic or Zodiac Casino)

hmmm. thnaks for the casino travel tip. since me and my girlfriend like to go to the casino for fun, we try to stop in if there is one in the town we are staying in.

the Gran Almirante is one I go to the most and I see that the waitstaff seldom if ever has a smile. they are not rude, they are professional and polite. But they just dont smile! Same goes for a lot of the dealers. we have to prod them to smile once in a while!...they know how to do it..maybe they never get people that want to talk nice to them, and only complain when they open theri mouth. It is just amazing how if you payed attention to all the people that work there how LITTLE any of them smile.

I will say that the dealers (at least on the roulette tables) are really on the ball. They move people off the table just sitting there watching if someone looks like they want to play. At the jack Tar casino in playa dorado they are very strict there it seemed on the few time sI went there....they would let a guy wear a hat in there, and they told a guy to button up his shirt as well.

there are a few really nice looking girls who wait at the Al mirante in santiago.

and while i see a few women who may be ladies of the night.. they all seem to be there to GAMBLE, not work the patrons...

I have only been inside 3 casinos in Santo Domingo. The only one I recommend is the one in the Hilton. I used to go to Hotel Naco casino to play baccarat but the players were all Dominican and had absolutely no concept of table etiquette. They would all smack the table, yell, throw cards disrespectfully towards the dealer.....things that would surely get you thrown out of a casino in USA and strong words of reprimand from other players at the table leading up to your eviction. These are obviously Dominicans with money too as they were all well dressed and there was a decent amount of money on the table. I refuse to play with people who act like that at a baccarat table and I was embarrased to be sitting there with them. The only baccarat table I have found in this country where I will sit at is Breezes in cabetere. It also dosen't hurt that that table at Breexes has been very good to my wallet

If you guys want to gamble...why don't you just GO TO LAS VEGAS??? Or play ONLINE baccarat????? (Personally, I play at Playboy Casino but it isn't open to United States players)

I think only fools would go into a casino in DR of all places!!! Of course the dealers will piss you off...they DON'T know how to count...or don't you know that the majority of Dominicans have very little education? DO you THINK the people that work in those casinos are any better??? Come on...you should know better!!!

As for the wait staff...anywhere...(oh, maybe except in some AI's) they are not trained at all on customer service...they could care less if you leave them a tip or not...they don't know that the tip goes according to the way they treat you!!!

Guys...come on...there are MUCH BETTER things to do in DR than going to a place where you KNOW they WILL STEAL your money!!!

They have your permission, basically...you are just handing it over to them...right there on the tables...

I doubt anyone goes to the Dominican Republic to gamble it just a side attraction thats RIGHT there for the taking. And i bet for the most part its just certain casinos where there are issues. In the Gran Almirante, I have never heard a commotion over at the black jack tables, and they are always full! I have walked around while my gf plays roulette and have watched the baccarat, blackjack and poker tables at times. I never have seen a problem so far. I think the dealers are pretty sharp there. Only once have I seen where the dealer might have messed up. that was in Puerto Plata and the girl said she had some chips on a spot in roulette. i told her just demand to see the video. the guy thought she was lying. They brought the floor boss over and in about 20 mminutes they came back and admited she had won. they cleared the table, put her chips on the number put the ball in the number on the wheel spun the wheel, and paid her!!!!!!!! I had heard some casinos where bad down in the Dominican Republic, with corruption you knw it has to happen. But the big houses know they dont have to do that to make maoney. they just need to make people keep coming back. and you do that by not pissing the customers off

I remember being there in the late '90's. The Merengue Bar right off the casino floor had great bands and was a good time. I found the wait staff and dealers very nice but some pit bosses were not. Isn't that true in other countries as well?

Most of the local women were very nice and beautiful. I did not see or talk to any of them that were prostitutes. Being friendly doesn't make a woman a prostitute especially if you don't speak their language and you misinterpret something. That's like saying don't go to Vegas because prostitutes are there.