Casinos - Overview
The first thing to point out with casinos in London is that there is a wide range of casinos to choose from dotted all over the capital, mostly in the central areas but not limited to just that section. Wherever you stay you wont be too far from a casino. There was a time when to spend a night at an establishment meant having to join as a member 24 hours or more ahead. Laws have changed and these days you can turn up on the night (or day) and as long as you have some form of identification you will be allowed to play. There will still be some clubs however that have stricter criteria and turning up on the night will not be enough, this tends to be the most exclusive casinos. The other benefit casinos offer is early hours drinking. All the casinos have a licensed bar and usually a restaurant meaning when most bars and restaurants are shutting they offer a great alternative venue ecen if you are not looking to gamble.
The most popular casino in the UK is located in the very
heart of London on Leicester Square, and that is "The Casino at the Empire"
on Leicester Square (shown left). The good news is that if you take your ID with you then
you can walk right in and start playing. For hotels close by take a look at
our Leicester Square
Hotels page for hotels within walking distance (1/3rd of a mile). Close
by (within walking distance) are the G casino and Napoleons casino.
However there are more than 20 casinos in the capital so if you are within central London you wont be far from one. There are also establishments outside of central London including Aspers Casino Stratford at Westfield Stratford City in east London.
Hotels in London with their own casino
There are a handful of hotels that actually have a casino within or attached to their building. Note however that no hotel actually has its own casino, they are all run as entirely separate entities. Until September 2011 The Royal Garden Hotel was directly attached to the Connoisseur casino, however that casino is now shut.One of the most famous hotels in the world has a casino within its premises, The Ritz hotel is home to the Ritz casino which you will find tucked away in the hotels basement. Ad you would expect from one of the most luxurious hotels in London the casino is very upmarket which isn't the case with many others.
The Thistle Marble Arch backs onto the Sportsman casino which is also within walking distance from the Best Western Mostyn and Guoman Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. The Radisson May Fair Hotel is the most central of these with its Mayfair location just off from Green Park and it incorporates The Palm Beach Casino within its building. The Sheraton Park Tower Hotel takes in the Park Tower casino and is opposite the south side of Hyde Park. The Millennium Gloucester Hotel incorporates the Grosvenor casino (beneath the hotel) and with its south Kensington location is the least central of the named hotels but is still a central London hotel. The W Hotel Leicester Square is within walking distance of the three Leicester Square casinos, the Empire, The G Casino (The Grosvenor G Casino Piccadilly) and Napoleons.
Perhaps the image that's springs to mind when one thinks of London and casinos is the Playboy bunny girls. The Playboy club first opened on 1st July 1966 and was located at 45 Park Lane till its demise by 1982. However Hugh Hefner who was responsible for the original club brought his creation back in 2011 with its new home at 14 Old Park Lane. Beware that this a members only club and you will need to be a member or accompanied by a member for entrance.