Virgin Hotels Just Added One of the Best $5 Blackjack Games in Vegas

  • Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has introduced highly competitive gaming rules, including $5 blackjack with traditional 3–2 payouts, hand-dealt shoes, and flexible splitting options.
  • The resort’s gaming floor has undergone significant upgrades to improve player value, adding 10x craps odds and high-return video poker machines near the sportsbook.
  • Following the conclusion of its third-party management agreement with the Mohegan Tribe at the end of 2024, the property has rejiggered its gaming strategy to better appeal to locals and other value-seekers

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has quietly rolled out one of the strongest blackjack bets in Vegas, offering a ruleset that stands out even among off‑Strip casinos catering to value-hunters.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas took full control of its own casino at the end of 2024, following the conclusion of its management agreement with the Mohegan Tribe. A set of liberal new rules and high-paying games are some of the very first big moves under the new in-house team. (Image: Shutterstock)

According to the blackjack experts at VegasAdvantage.com, Virgin now deals $5 blackjack 24 hours a day, and the game is structured far more liberally than typical low-limit offerings because:

  • The cards are dealt from a real shoe (not a continuous shuffling machine)
  • Blackjacks pay the full 3-to-2 (you win $7.50 on a $5 bet — not the stingy 6-to-5 you see at all cheap Strip tables)
  • You can split any pair (including aces) up to four times.

Virgin also have $10, $15, and $50 that pay 3-to-2, plus a special version of Free Bet Blackjack that’s very hard to find.

While several off-Strip casinos offer $5 blackjack — including Palms, Gold Coast, The Orleans, and South Point — Virgin’s mix of hand dealt shoes, liberal re splits, and specialty games retaining 3–to-2 payouts places it among the most aggressive rule packages in its tier.

Other Upgrades

According to Vegas Advantage, Virgin also boosted the odds on craps from the standard 3-4-5 structure to 10x — matching the best odds available on a daily basis in Las Vegas right now. They did the same for Crapless Craps. Most tables are $10 or $15 minimums.

Video poker players win, too, thanks to a new bank of four machine next to the sportsbook with some of the strongest pay tables in town:

  • 10/6 Double Double Bonus (pays back 100.06% with perfect play)
  • Plus, several other games that return 99% or better.

These machines are in quarters, 50-cent, and dollar denominations, but they earn fewer loyalty points and don’t get the normal multipliers.

* Card Counter Caveat

Don’t expect Virgin not to realize how beatable its new blackjack is for a skilled advantage player. Those who bet in ways that consistently beat the house edge should expect a shorter leash, as the small floor size makes it easier for pit bosses and surveillance to identify and monitor card-counters.

Corey Levitan joined Casino.org in 2022 after a long career covering Las Vegas. He currently covers entertainment, dining and gaming news in Las Vegas.

Corey spent six years covering the Vegas Strip for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he also wrote the most popular humor column in the city’s history. (For “Fear and Loafing,” he tried out 176 Vegas jobs, including poker player, blackjack dealer and Follie Bergere dancer.)

Corey has won more than 100 local, state and national awards for his journalism, which has also appeared in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine and the New York Post.

Corey is a New York native whose hobbies include playing guitar, trying to be a better husband, and arguing with strangers on Facebook.

Contact Corey at corey@casino.org.

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  • JB
    Jeff Brown May 30, 2026
    Is it just one table or several of them? Having one is just pointless!
    Reply
  • B
    BillingsOH May 30, 2026
    Problem is that this casino is located in an undesirable area off the strip. Walking to it is not pleasant as well as the… Problem is that this casino is located in an undesirable area off the strip. Walking to it is not pleasant as well as the surrounding streets.
    Reply
  • D
    David May 30, 2026
    Best blackjack game in Vegas? If that’s true, Vegas has really taken a giant corporate dump on its clientele. I remember when The… Best blackjack game in Vegas? If that’s true, Vegas has really taken a giant corporate dump on its clientele. I remember when The Mirage had a whole pit dedicated to very liberal single and double deck games. If people believe that these are the best games in Vegas they probably have not looked that hard as I can’t imagine that is the best game in town.
    Reply
  • JD
    Jimmi Day May 29, 2026
    I am a card counter with a $75 bankroll. Want to run it up to $82 with my supreme skills thanks in advance for letting… I am a card counter with a $75 bankroll. Want to run it up to $82 with my supreme skills thanks in advance for letting Jimmi run over you. See you Sunday @3pm.
    Reply

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