| Costa Rica, a small country in Central America, has | | | | Santa Cruz, Cariari, and El Roble. Hotel Coco Verde |
| gained a great deal of popularity, not also as a tourist | | | | Casino in Playas del Coco has 20 slots and four table |
| destination, but also as a retirement paradise. The only | | | | games. The largest Costa Rica casino is the Irazu |
| type of gambling that is legal in Costa Rica is in | | | | Best Western Casino Concorde in La Uruca, with 166 |
| casinos, of which there are over 30 in the country, the | | | | slots and video gaming machines and eight table |
| majority in San Jose, the capital. Costa Rica, or "rich | | | | games. There is a large casino in Goicoechea, a |
| coast" in Spanish, is considered the most politically | | | | suburb of San Jose, the Radisson Hotel and Casino |
| stable country in Latin America, with perhaps the | | | | Europa, which has 219 slots and 13 table games. A |
| healthiest climate in the world, and one that welcomes | | | | number of gaming expositions and international |
| over 1.5 million tourists a year. The abundant flora and | | | | conferences are held here, including the annual poker |
| fauna, the diverse scenery, and the lively excitement | | | | industry conference. This event will take place in Costa |
| of the Costa Rica casinos have brought in billions of | | | | Rica in December of 2006 at the Marriott Hotel in San |
| dollars to the economy. Costa Rica casinos feature all | | | | Jose. In conjunction with the conference, there will be a |
| the popular international games including mini baccarat | | | | poker tournament at the Fiesta Casino for industry |
| (rummy 9), Let It Ride (tute accion), roulette, blackjack, | | | | executive and professional poker players, who will |
| Caribbean Stud Poker, craps, pai gow, slots, and video | | | | demonstrate their strategies and skills. Costa Rica has |
| gaming machines. Club Colonial Casino with 45 slots | | | | become a major gambling destination in Latin America |
| and 12 table games, the Garden Court Fiesta Casino | | | | and further development of Costa Rica casinos by |
| Alajuela with 200 slots and 84 table games, and the | | | | domestic and international investors is ongoing. The |
| Gran Hotel Costa Rica Casino, with 57 slots and five | | | | large corporation of Thunderbird Tres Rios is planning |
| table games, are all located in downtown San Jose. In | | | | construction of a hotel resort, casino, spa, and |
| addition, there are other Costa Rica casinos in small | | | | residential complex that will attract more of the middle |
| towns and suburbs of San Jose including Cabo Velas | | | | and upper class sections of eastern San Jose. |