If you want to open a casino without spending so much money, you’ll need to do some research and purchase land at a good price. One of the biggest expenses you’ll need to consider is the land where you’ll build your casino. Cost Factors for Opening a Land-based Casino Casino Despite popular belief, riverboat casinos and online casinos are not much cheaper than land-based. Medium size casinos would run between $10 million to $20 million. Generally speaking, small physical casinos can cost between $2 million and 5 million. Physical, commercial casinos are only legal in a few areas of the U.S., so make sure you do your homework ahead of time. If you want to own one of these venues, it’s important to understand both the startup and operating costs.īefore you begin budgeting your casino, you need to ensure that it’s legal in the location you’re planning to open your establishment. Starting up a casino is a huge investment, though the establishments are wildly popular throughout the U.S.