Leeds is a city perhaps best known for its association with sport, thanks to Leeds United, Leeds Rhinos rugby league side and Headingley Cricket Ground all being based within the city district. Sports fans also tend to love a bet, though, so it’s no surprise that there are a few casinos available in Leeds for their amusements.
Whilst there are plenty of adult gaming centres in the city, there are only three actual casinos at the time of writing. These are what we’re most interested in, given that the other venues offer a ‘casino experience’ without actually being a casino. They also tend to be heavier on the slots and electronic games than on table offerings.
The Casinos
Here’s a quick look at the three proper casinos on offer in Leeds, giving you a bit of information about each of them.
Grosvenor Casino – Westgate
Located not far from the train station and just off the A58(M), the Grosvenor Casino in Westgate recently underwent a £3 million facelift. As a result the gaming floor has been decorated and modernised, ensuring that there are plenty of table games on offer for visitors. The staple options of roulette and blackjack are joined by the likes of punto banco and three-card poker.
That isn’t the only sort of poker on offer at the Grosvenor, however. There are five cash tables, with a dedicated poker room available for players. The poker room often hosts competitions and tournaments and it’s a separate section of the casino from the main gaming area, in which there are ten tables. Check out the schedule if you fancy a game there.
Away from the gambling there’s a good restaurant, which follows the same lines as all of the other restaurants in Grosvenor casinos around the country. That gives you somewhere to go if you want to take a break from your betting activity, though there are also a couple of bars if you’d rather have a drink than a bite to eat. They also serve snacks if you’re a little peckish.
Napoleons Casino – Westgate
There’s something of a ‘casino district’ in Leeds, given that the Napoleons Casino sits virtually directly opposite the Grosvenor. Napoleons is a casino business that has been around for decades, so it’s no surprise that they’ve got the experience at their venues down to a T. If you’ve been to one of their other venues then you’ll know what to expect.
The Leeds estate isn’t the largest in the country, but the gaming floor promises pretty much everything you’d expect. It is worth noting that there isn’t much more on offer than you’d be expecting, however. There’s no poker other than the three-card variety, for example. If you want to entertain yourself with roulette and the like, though, you’ll be fine.
The restaurant is situated in a position that allows it to overlook the casino floor, so if you’re more about soaking up the atmosphere then getting involved in betting then this is where to head. The menus are kept up-to-date and the food is good. There’s a bar within easy reach of the gaming floor, should you fear stepping away from your game for too long.
Victoria Gate Casino – Eastgate
Sold as something of a ‘super casino’, Victoria Gate Casino is the newest in the city. It’s been given its moniker because it is the country’s third largest at the time of writing, which tells you something about what to expect. With twenty-four live tables and eighty electronic machines, you can see why it’s earned a reputation as a casino worth visiting.
Those eighty electronic machines are for the likes of electronic roulette, which promise users access to a sizeable progressive jackpot. They do not include the one hundred and forty slot machines dotted around the venue. If you’re a poker fan then Victoria Gate is a worthwhile destination, with the poker room offering regular tournaments ands cash games.
That you normally need to book if you’re hoping to eat at the V Restaurant on-site is an indication of how popular it is. The menu is regularly being updated, so it’ll be a surprise if there isn’t something on it that you fancy. If you’d rather just have a drink then there’s the ever-popular Live Bar, which shows live sport, and the Curve Bar that overlooks the casino floor.