Visit an historic UK land-based casino
There are so many things that you can do when visiting cities in the UK. Lots of sights to see of course but how about paying a visit to a land-based casino. You’ll find plenty to go to and some have been open for decades.
The Empire Casino has been around for a lot longer than that. It was established in 1884 and is still going strong. It’s seen plenty of changes of course but if you head to London and love visiting casinos, then this is one that you simply have to visit.
If you love gambling, then there are also plenty of new UK online casinos that you can pay a visit to. They are packed with games and have lots of promotions and bonuses that can be received.
The Empire Casino can be found in Leicester Square, so perhaps you could go to a top West End show beforehand. There’s lots to do at the Empire Casino and it’s not all about trying to get some wins at card games or hope your lucky number is successful on the roulette wheel. A night out at the Empire Casino can also see you enjoying a great meal or visit the Sports Bar.
Not far away is the Hippodrome Casino which is situated in a building that has a long history. It’s not always been a casino but a visit there will see you entering a venue that has had everything from a circus where in the early 1900s you could see everything from elephants to polar bears to appearances by the top names in showbiz. Everyone from Harry Houdini to Judy Garland performed at what was known as The Talk of the Town.
There was even professional wrestling held there at one stage with Kendo Nagasaki taking on Clive Myers in a Disco Ladder match! Now the venue is one of the top casinos in London and well worth a visit.
A trip to Curzon Street in London can see you visit the Crockfords Casino. This began as a private members-only gaming club in 1828 and was opened by William Crockford who was a fishmonger by trade.
It’s now owned by the Genting Group who have been part of the British casino market since 1971 and now have nearly 50 of them scattered around the UK.
The position regarding the legality of casinos wasn’t settled until the 1960 Gaming Act that made casinos legal. That led to a casino being opened in Port Talbot, Wales but sadly that closed after being open for just over 50 years
Crockfords is a venue that is packed with history. September 1999 saw the Australian businessman Kerry Packer have a night he won’t forget. The man who revolutionised cricket loved to gamble and reportedly managed to lose £11 million over a three-night period.
There was also a famous dispute after Phil Ivey won £7.7 million playing poker at the Crockfords Casino. They refused to pay him his winnings after allegations of edge sorting. Ivey admitted he’d done that but he lost his court case against the casino who ruled that under civil law he had been cheating. It is possible to beat the house so good luck if you do visit the Crockford’s Casino.
The Clermont Club opened in 1962, just a couple of years after the Parliamentary Act that made casinos legal. Situated in Mayfair, London and named after the keen gambler the first Earl of Clermont, it’s a club that became very popular, especially if you were extremely wealthy. Even Princess Margaret (the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II) used to go there.
It had more the feel of a gentleman’s club and in future years was even purchased by Playboy Enterprises. 2018 saw the venue close for a while but it’s back open again now and includes a restaurant but you do need to be a member to attend.
It’s not easy for land-based casinos to remain open. The COVID-19 pandemic caused them major problems. They were forced to close their doors and in Scotland, there were major concerns over the time it took for them to open again. Even then there were some restrictions in place.
Of course if you don’t want to visit a land-based casino, you can always go to an online gambling platform. They are open 24/7 and offer their customers a huge number of games to play as well as offering special promotions and bonuses.
With their Live Casino which is as close as you can get to being at your local casino, the online casinos continue to put an increased amount of pressure on the casinos that have been open for years.
It’s still such an exciting experience to visit a land-based casino, even if the taxi fare home can be a bit steep. Going to a casino with your friends is a great night out. Just remember to gamble responsibly and to ensure you know the rules of the game that you decide to try your luck on.
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