As the capital of the country and a point very much on the global map, it’s not exactly a surprise that London has casinos in almost every quarter. Whilst some are members only clubs that boast an exclusive feel, others are open to the public as long as you turn up to join with your identification intact.
At the time of writing there are twenty-four casinos in the nation’s largest city, meaning that you could visit one an hour for a full day if you were so inclined. Each one offers something different from the other, giving you plenty of choice to ensure that you have the best time out possible.
London Casinos
Aspers Casino – Stratford
Where else to start but with London’s supercasino? It is located within the Westfield shopping centre at Stratford and promises attendees the choice of up to seventy live table games and one hundred and fifty slot machines. There’s also the biggest poker room in London, offering cash games and tournaments on a daily basis.
As a supercasino it’s obviously fair to speculate that Aspers has a few options for customers in terms of where to eat and drink. There’s a restaurant that promises Chinese and Indian food, as well as a Sky Bar with a view of the nearby Olympic Park. There’s also a bar on the gaming floor if you don’t want to step too far away from the tables.
Whilst the poker room is an obvious appeal, it’s the overall size and heft of the Aspers Casino that makes it such an impressive place to visit. It’s about as close to a Vegas-style experience that you can have in London, so it’s absolutely worth visiting if you haven’t been here before.
The Casino at the Empire – Leicester Square
Perhaps the most famous casino in London if for no other reason than its location smack bang in the middle of Leicester Square, it covers two floors and promises Las Vegas style play. There are a heap of electronic gaming machines, which incorporate electronic poker and automatic roulette as well as plenty of slots.
It’s the table games that catch the eye most obviously when you walk in, though, with the likes of punto banco, pai gow and three-card poker on offer alongside more traditional offerings. There’s even both American and European roulette in case you prefer one form of the classic game more than the other.
<p.There’s pretty much always a cash game of poker taking place, with No Limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha the most popular. On top of that there are scheduled tournaments played regularly. If you want to step away from the gaming then there’s a restaurant as well as several bars for you to choose from for you to distract yourself with.
The Hippodrome Casino – Leicester Square
If you want a casino that is centrally located but doesn’t have quite to draw that the Casino at the Empire offers then you might want to consider the Hippodrome Casino. It’s also in Leicester Square and opened its doors for the first time in 2012. That means that it’s quire modern in style, as well as being one of the country’s biggest in terms of square footage.
Spread over four floors, it’s quite a spectacular venue to look at when you first enter. There are more than a hundred electronic machines promising much-loved slot games and other things, plus around forty tables for those of you that prefer a more typical casino experience. Add to that a poker room and several places to eat and drink and its popularity is understandable.
Horizons Casino – Leicester Square
If you want a casino then Leicester Square is the place to head, given that it has no fewer than three to offer you. Horizons is the newest of the lot, having opened as recently as 2018. It took over from the Napoleons Casino that used to be based here, so the building has a storied history even if the casino owners haven’t been there for years.
There are a limited number of slot machines here, with table games being the main focus of the operation. There are plenty of them on offer, though, including baccarat and blackjack. The only poker is of the three-card and electronic variety. If you want something to eat or drink then there are menus and cocktails galore.
Genting Casino – Chinatown
The biggest appeal of the casino operated by Genting and located in Chinatown is that it promises low minimum bets on most games. It’s not the biggest venue, but that just means that the atmosphere is a lot more chilled out and it’s still large enough to offer all of the table games that your typical casino attendee will want to play.
From roulette to blackjack via baccarat and electronic gaming machines, the Genting has plenty to keep you entertained. Given its location in the heart of Chinatown, it’s no surprise to learn that the Genting has Asian cuisine when it comes to its food options. There’s also a bar that has a decent drinks menu you can get served to you on the floor.
Genting Casino – South Kensington
Now known as Forty Five Kensington, if you’re in west London and want some time in a casino then the Genting in South Kensington is probably your best bet. It’s not the largest of casinos but it’s a friendly one and there are loads of electronic gaming options if that’s the sort of thing that you enjoy. There Arte about four different versions of electronic roulette alone.
Bluff Europe Cardroom is where you’ll want to head to take part in one of the many poker tournaments and cash games that are played here. If you want to eat between stints on the gaming floor then the restaurant will have something to satisfy most tastes. The bar, meanwhile, has plenty of drinks and some screens for big sporting events.
The Ritz Club – Piccadilly
If you’re heading to London for a casino experience then they don’t get much better than The Ritz Club. You can imagine yourself to be a real-life James Bond as you move from room to elegant room, playing the table games available or booking yourself into a Salle Privés if you want to take that feeling of exclusivity one step further.
There are no electronic games offered here and some of the stakes at the tables get quite high quite quickly. Fine dining is one of the promises that you’ll be most intrigued by, given that the restaurant has won awards over the years. There’s also a beautiful wine list on offer to compliment your meal.
Grosvenor Casino – Piccadilly
Part of the Grosvenor chain of casinos, this venue’s location at Piccadilly makes it a prime one for tourists. The attendees are therefore often younger than some of the other casinos on the list, as well as being more mixed in terms of where people are from. Roulette, blackjack, three-card poker and more make up the table games.
With a bar, sports lounge and restaurant on offer, there’s plenty at the Grosvenor in Piccadilly to keep you sated. If you’re a poker player then keep you eye out for the timings of the daily cash games.
Grosvenor Casino – Tottenham Court Road
Arguably the best-known casino after the one in Piccadilly because of its location in the West End, you can often find actors heading here after their shows have come down. That means that there’s a relaxed, friendly and fun vibe on offer, which is why it often appeals to tourists and those hoping to enjoy a night rubbing shoulders with the stars.
There’s a craps table on the gaming floor, which is unusual for a London casino, sitting alongside the usual table games that casino-goers tend to love. There’s no poker room, but daily cash games are common. Add into that the electronic games, slots and restaurant and you can see why it’s often quite busy.
Grosvenor Casino – Edgware Road
‘The Vic’, as it’s commonly known, is one of London’s oldest casinos. That means that it’s also one of the most popular, with normal players often joined on the gaming floor by those that know their casino history and just want to experience it for themselves. The standard casinos games like blackjack and roulette are common.
The Poker Room
It’s the poker that the casino is best known for, though, with the room here able to accommodate around three hundred and fifty players. It’s often used as a venue for the World Poker Tour, so that tells you something about why poker lovers enjoy it so. There’s a restaurant and bar for when you need a break from play.
In terms of poker, this is the place to head in London. There’s pretty much always a game going on here on one of the thirty poker tables, with stakes often starting quite low. It’s the home of poker in London, so if you like the game then you’d be mad not to try to experience it here at least once.
Grosvenor Casino – Russell Square
In terms of ticking all of the boxes of a London casino experience, the Grosvenor in Russell Square is perfect. There are as many as ten tables offering games like three-card poker and roulette, whilst electronic machines outnumber them five-to-one. The only thing it’s missing, in fact, is the ability to play poker in anything other then three-card form.
Still, if you can get past that then it’s well worth visiting, thanks in no small part to the restaurant that offers things from the grill and more exotic findings. The bar area offers screens for sporting events as well as all of the usual drinks you could hope to sup on.
Grosvenor Casino – Baker Street
You can almost imagine Sherlock Holmes standing at one of the tables at the Grosvenor Barracuda Casino in Baker Street. Admittedly it’s harder to picture him getting involved with one of the many electronic machines on offer, but he would likely have loved the cut and thrust of punto banco and the mathematical intrigue of blackjack.
That atmosphere is an elegant one and if you’re hoping to enjoy some private gaming then the White Room will tickle your fancy. The casino’s restaurant, the Barracuda Club, is a little different from most Grosvenor restaurants in so much as it offers a more continental menu. The bar also has snacks such as pizza and sandwiches available.
Grosvenor Casino – Gloucester Road
The Gloucester Road branch of Grosvenor Casinos was refurbished reasonably recently, so it looks nice and modern compared to some of the others in London. It’s also a decent size, promising more than seventy tables and electronic machines. The slots also offer some decent jackpots on a regular basis.
There are food and drink options available at the Grosvenor on Gloucester Road, but don’t have high hopes for anything overly exotic.
Grosvenor Casino – Queensway
Also known as the Golden Horseshoe, the thing that sets this member of the Grosvenor Chain apart from most of the others is the fact that it regularly offers cash poker games. There are all of the usual table games as well as electronic offerings and slot machines, but it’s the poker that it’s best known for.
If you’re a relative newcomer to the world of casinos then this might well be a venue that you’ll want to head to, given that ‘how to play’ sessions are run regularly. The restaurant also sits above the gaming floor so you can sit and watch others play to get a bit of an idea of how it all works.
Maxims Casino Club – Kensington
If you’ve never heard of Maxims Casino Club then don’t worry, you won’t be on your own. It is one of the city’s most elite casinos and was opened in 1862 as the Palace Gate House. Traditionally visited by the world’s most affluent gamblers, Maxims offers them around twenty table games at all levels of play.
There are private rooms where you can play poker and other card games, plus the restaurant specialises in food from Arabia and China if you want to fill your stomach before you sit down to play. Maxims Whisky Lounge Bar has an intimate feel and, as the name suggests, has a superb collection of whiskeys and bourbons.
The Clermont Club – Mayfair
If you have any knowledge of London then this casino’s Mayfair address will tell you what to expect in terms of the clientele. Located inside an 18th century townhouse, The Clermont Club promises bespoke gaming to its members. The main gaming takes place in the Grand Salon, but don’t expect to find any electronic machines or jackpots here.
Contemporary cuisine is to be expected in the dining room, with the Club Room and bar where you’ll head to for a quiet drink. High quality gaming and intimacy are the Club’s specialities.
Palm Beach Casino – Mayfair
Unlike some of the other casinos in London that promise a bespoke feel, Palm Beach Casino has electronic slot machines in amongst its table games. That probably because of the American feel that it’s opted for, hence its name. There is a high stakes area, though, so it caters to all parties in terms of the games on offer.
There is a room dedicated to poker, which is a game that the Palm Beach Casino is known to be fond of. You can head here if you’re bored of the blackjack, roulette and other things offered on the main tables. There’s a good restaurant with an International menu as well as a bar that is decorated with signature style.
Crockfords – Mayfair
In terms of exclusivity, you don’t get much better than Crockfords. Based in the same location as a former gentleman’s club that it is styled after, Crockfords offers roulette, blackjack, baccarat and three-card poker. The Penthouse Suite and The London Room are private areas that promise entrants high stakes games.
People who head to an exclusive casino are keen to enjoy exclusive dining, so the restaurant promises everything from Middle Eastern food to European specialities. The bar is located close to the restaurant, should you want to whet your whistle.
Crown Aspinalls – Mayfair
Opened in the 1960s and loved by international and elite level gamblers, Crown Aspinalls has sixteen tables on offer, of which seven are in private salons. That gives you some idea what to expect here, with slot and electronic machines not being high on the list.
There is no poker room at Crown Aspinalls, but there are regular tournaments and a private room can be used to host poker tournaments if that’s your thing. The dining room offers an eating experience almost as exclusive as the gambling.
Colony Club – Mayfair
The Colony Club is a tad more modern than most of the other Mayfair-based casinos, which is why there are plenty of slot machines and TVs that will show any major sporting events. The usual table games are also on offer whenever the club is open.
If there’s a particular type of food that you want then there’s a chance that the Colony Club offers it, with the Teppanyaki Bar being a favourite of many visitors. The Colony Bar also offers guests a host of drinks and signature cocktails as well as a snack menu.
Playboy Club London – Mayfair
Hugh Heffner may be gone but his spirit lives on. The croupiers are, as you might expect, Playboy Bunnies and they oversee table games like roulette, baccarat and blackjack on the casino’s first floor. Slightly off from the main gaming floor are private rooms for high stakes games.
There are some electronic machines that offer slot games and electronic roulette, but if they don’t tickle your fancy when you’re bored of the table games then why not head into the restaurant? It’s set apart from the gaming area, as are the Tale Bar and the Players’ Lounge. There’s even a Cigar Terrace if you’re a smoker.
Les Ambassadeurs Club – Mayfair
It’s hardly a shock that London’s exclusive area of Mayfair is home to most of the city’s most fabulous casinos, with Les Ambassadeurs Club being high on the list. There are sixteen tables offering all of the most common table games on the main floor, with an outdoor area for smokers that is available all-year round thanks to heaters.
There’s no poker room, but there are private rooms that can be used for poker if that takes your fancy. There’s a terrace where you can eat, drink or smoke a cigar with a view of Hyde Park, plus a bar if you just want to have a quiet cocktail.
The Park Tower – Knightsbridge
If you want the feeling of an exclusive casino but don’t fancy choosing between all of those on offer in Mayfair then this Knightsbridge based venue might be for you. Part of the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, hence its name, it’s not the largest casino in the city but there’s plenty about it that will impress most visitors.
All of the usual table games are offered, as well as less traditional ones such as super stud poker. There’s also a private room where stakes can reach up to £10,000. The hotel has a lovely restaurant that is likely to please people from all over the world in terms of its options.
The Sportsman Casino – Westminster
It’s not just the politicians that can gamble with things in Westminster. Seventeen or so tables are offered on the gaming floor of The Sportsman Casino, with games such as pai gow, punto banco and baccarat commonly available. That’s in amongst the more traditional offerings of roulette, blackjack and three-card poker.
There are a host of electronic machines around the casino floor that promise slot games, progressive jackpots and more. The minimum bets on the tables are low enough to mean that it’s not just a venue for high-rollers, plus the restaurant and bar are both pleasing for those who enjoy trying something a little different.