The Casino Central is one of the most impressive buildings in Mar del Plata — a massive, ornate structure in the English Tudor style that sits directly on the seafront promenade. Designed by Alejandro Bustillo, who also designed the Llao Llao hotel in Bariloche and the Banco Nación in Buenos Aires, it opened in 1939 and remains fully operational today.
The building is worth visiting even if you have no interest in gambling: the grand hall, with its high ceilings, chandeliers, and formal architecture, gives a vivid sense of Mar del Plata's heyday as Argentina's premier seaside resort. The casino has around 750 gaming tables and 1,500 slot machines on multiple levels. Open every day, with no dress code in the slot machine areas; the table rooms are smarter. Admission is free.