While the plans to install a six-casino Vegas-esque location on the outskirts of Madrid fell through, a number of other casinos sprung up with the lifted regulations on the area's ban on gambling. With new licenses available, two new casinos have already popped up, which means even more things to do in the Spanish city.

MADRID — Even though Sheldon G. Adelson, the American billionaire casino magnate, abandoned his plans for a $30 billion casino and leisure resort on the outskirts of Madrid last month, he has nevertheless helped get the roulette wheels spinning here for the first time in almost a century.

In mid-December, Mr. Adelson dropped plans to build a resort with six casinos, known as EuroVegas, after the Spanish government refused to accept his demands for financial concessions. Just days later, however, two small casinos opened in central Madrid, operated by Spanish companies that applied for new licenses in the wake of the EuroVegas plan. Read More