Nestled conveniently within a mall in Santa Marta, Colombia, Casino Ocean Side is frequently cited by locals and hotel staff as the city's best casino. It offers a well-rounded gaming experience, making it a popular choice for both tourists and residents seeking entertainment.
Casino Ocean Side features an extensive collection of 143 slot machines, appealing to a wide range of players. Reviewers have noted that the selection is good and somewhat modern, with games that are similar to those found in contemporary casinos in the United States. Beyond slots, the casino also provides options for classic table game enthusiasts with both electronic roulette and live roulette. While some visitors did not explicitly confirm the presence of traditional card tables, the focus on slots and roulette provides ample opportunities for play.
One of the most consistently praised aspects of Casino Ocean Side is its exemplary customer service. Visitors frequently highlight the friendly and attentive staff, particularly "the girls who serve at the casino," for their excellent assistance and amiable demeanor. This high level of service significantly enhances the overall guest experience.
In terms of amenities, the casino offers a convenient small bar where patrons can enjoy complimentary beer or water while they play. Additionally, there are instances where staff circulate with complimentary snacks, adding a pleasant touch to the gaming atmosphere.
A unique operational aspect of Casino Ocean Side, which appears to be common in Santa Marta, is its "handpay" system for slot machine payouts. Unlike the ticket-in/ticket-out systems prevalent in many modern casinos, here, players press a "collect" button, and a staff member manually brings the payout to the machine. This system has elicited varied feedback:
It's also crucial for visitors to be aware of the minimum cash-out threshold: any winnings under 2000 Colombian Pesos are reportedly not paid out and go to the house. This is an important detail to keep in mind when managing your play.
The casino's location inside a mall offers added convenience, allowing visitors to combine their gaming experience with shopping, dining, or other activities available within the complex. Casino Ocean Side typically closes at 1:00 AM, providing ample evening hours for enjoyment.
Casino Ocean Side delivers a solid and enjoyable gaming experience in Santa Marta. Its strengths lie in its diverse and modern slot selection, the availability of roulette, and the outstanding customer service. While the handpay system and the 2000 COP minimum payout are unique operational points to be aware of, the general consensus is that it is a very good place for entertainment, relaxation, and a fun time during your vacation.
According to my hotel, and also one of our taxi drivers, this is the best casino in Santa Marta. It has 143 slot machines, electronic roulette, and live roulette. I didn't pay attention enough to see if it has card tables. Oh, and it's inside of a mall. Closes at 1am. You can't buy drinks, but you can go to a very small bar and get free beer or water. They came around once with some kind of free snack. It is not ticket in, ticket out. Every machine is handpay. 5000 pesos you want to cash out? Press the collect button and someone comes around and pays you. Anything under 2000, you aren't getting paid, it just goes to the house. The machine selection was good and somewhat modern, some of the same newer games I've seen in the United States. I've been to one other smaller casino in Santa Marta - it was also handpay, so it must be a thing around here.
Very good service from the girls who serve at the casino, I liked it, for the next visit to Santa Marta I will be visiting there again!!
Good place to have fun, good machines and have a fun time on vacationGood service and friendly people.
It's not bad but in all casinos they already have machines where you don't have to call the manager every time you want to take your money out of the machine to go to another one, that's very annoying and old-fashioned.
