Gaming in the United Kingdom

The most important law to remember is that all U.K. casinos require that all customers are members of the casino (or guests of a member). Until recently (September 2005) you had to be a member for 24 hours before you could enter and play. You couldn't walk in off the street and gamble in a U.K. casino as you can do in virtually any other country in the world! This has now been changed so that you do not have to be a member in advance of entering a casino (although there is nothing to stop casinos enforcing such a rule themselves, although it is unlikely that any would do so). You will still have to bring proof of ID on your first visit - a passport or driving license are always best. And in case you try and ask a member to present you as a guest, all guests must be personally known to the member signing them in!

Where are the casinos? The law in the UK still adheres to 'casino permitted areas' which is where casinos are allowed to operate. In short, this includes certain areas of London, and areas where (in 1970!) the borough population was greater than 125,000 people. The list has not been changed in 30 years! Click here for full details of the casino permitted areas which currently exist in the UK.

'High Roller' casinos - there are still a few casinos in London, mainly centred around the Mayfair area, which cater for the high rollers. Not only are the stakes higher, but many have membership fees (£1000 and upwards). Dress codes are generally stricter (jacket and tie for men) and in some cases you can only apply for membership by invitation or at the recommendation of an existing member. This is becomming less common, but certainly you should be aware of the dress codes which exist in most casinos - many will still not allow jeans or trainers or a shirt without a collar. The notable exception are the 2 Hard Rock casinos which make a point of stating that they have no dress code!

However, once inside, the most significant difference to a Las Vegas casino is the size. Most U.K. casinos would fit in the hotel lobby area of the larger Vegas casinos. In London the Victoria is one of the largest casinos, and outside of London the Westcliff Casino in Westcliff considers itself the largest, with approx 8 card tables, 12 roulette tables, about 30 electronic roulette terminals and a dozen slots! If you are a slots player, then U.K. casinos are not the place for you - fruit machines (as slots are known in the U.K.) are simply not as popular in casinos, and generally do not have jackpots over £2,000. In fact fruit machines are more popular in pubs and seaside amusement arcades paying small value payouts (up to around £30).

Many of the games are the same - roulette is very popular in the U.K., along with blackjack. Most casinos have Casino Stud Poker (Caribbean Stud Poker), many now with progressive jackpots which appeared for the first time in 2002, and most have 3 card poker which is very popular whereever it is found. Some casinos have craps tables, but they may not always be open. A few casinos also have SicBo tables but again these may not always be open. Some casinos also have Punto Banco (a version of Bacarrat). Let It Ride and Pai Gow Poker have not appeared yet.

Another change in the law in 2002 means that you can now drink alcohol on the gaming floor, which until a year ago was illegal! However you will not find alcohol served for free (unless you are a big player!) but you can find free non-alcohlic drinks and often snacks and sandwiches in many casions. Many casinos will also ask that if you want alcohol then you go to the bar yourself as the waitresses will only bring soft drinks.

Slot clubs - generally these do not exist in the U.K., mainly because there simply are not many slot machines or players. Also, most casinos are not linked to hotels as they are in the USA, and so the opportunity for awarding comps is more limited. Also, as there are not destinations in the U.K. which are dedicated to gaming (as with Nevada and Atlantic City) there is less competition between casinos and so no need for incentives such as slot clubs - after all, most US casinos only offer comps and slot clubs because all the other casinos do! Slot club card collectors will have to satisfy themselves with the membership cards which most casinos issue as a matter of neccessity.

Tipping - it is illegal to tip gaming staff in the U.K., which is unfortunate for the dealers and one of the reasons why being a dealer (along with the depressingly low wages) is not as popular a career as in the USA, and also one of the reasons why some U.K. casinos always seem to have staff shortages. You can, however, tip the waitresses and other non-gaming staff.

At the end of the day, the casino games are generally the same as they are around the world, and you should choose a casino that you are comfortable playing in. email me if you would like any further information or advice.

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