A Taste of Luxury: London’s Top Casinos – London Post

London belongs at the top table of international cities, along with the likes of Paris, Sydney and New York, and one of the reasons for that status is the combination of luxury, heritage and culture that the UK’s capital city offers for tourists. In fact, 20 million visitors came to London in 2023, drawn by sights such as Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, and the fabulous shopping at some of the world’s most famous stores like Harrods and Fortnum and Mason.

London’s night life is also a big attraction for tourists, with hundreds of bars, restaurants and theatres to check out. Casinos, too, have their place in the London entertainment scene.

Any mention of casinos immediately makes some people think of the online versions of the game. After all, why get dressed up to go to a real world venue, when you can find an array of casino options online, thanks to sites such as sistercasinofinder.com?

While there is a lot to be said for the convenience of internet casino gaming, nothing can quite match the indulgence and thrill of visiting a real life casino. And while London may not have the same reputation as a gambling hub that is attributed to Las Vegas and Macau, it does offer a unique combination of history and luxury with which the other two cities cannot compete. Here are some of the main casino attractions in the nation’s capital.

Crockfords

We start, as is fitting, with London’s oldest gambling establishment. Created in 1828, by William Crockford, the casino was originally based in St James’ but now can be found in Curzon Street. This has been a distinguished venue from the start, in fact, there is some evidence that the Duke of Wellington was an early regular at the venue.

That tradition of exclusivity continues to this day, as Crockford’s features an array of private gaming areas, with menus notable for their expensive champagnes, caviar and lobster. The public areas are also a pleasure to game in, thanks to the beautiful surroundings, and many a famous face can be found enjoying the casino action under the grand chandeliers.  

Aspinall’s

Named after one of London’s most famous characters, Aspinall’s is of course, the brainchild of John Aspinall, who opened it in the 1950s, using some of the proceeds to fund his zoo. There were few more fashionable gambling venues in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s, and its members including the likes of the Sultan of Brunei and Sir James Goldsmith. A luxurious and exclusive venue, from the outside it looks like just another Mayfair house, which adds to its mystique.

Les Ambassadeurs

No, we haven’t slipped a Parisian gambling den into our list of exclusive London casinos. This Mayfair venue might look familiar to you, as it was the backdrop to some of the scenes in one of the early James Bond movies: Dr No. Yet, this casino’s reputation goes back much further. It was once associated with the enormously wealthy Rothschild family, back in the 19th century, and it retains a degree of exclusivity in the 2020s, attracting celebrities from the arts, business and sport.

Maxim’s

From Mayfair, let’s travel across Hyde Park to Kensington and another famous Victorian venue, Maxim’s, on Palace Gate. This gambling highlight of London is an imposing home built in 1862 and originally owned by John Foster, famous Victorian biographer and literary critic.

The modern casino areas at Maxim’s are spread across two floors of the grand old building, and the main gaming location is based in what was at one time the house’s drawing room. This room retains many of its original featuers, including a marble fireplace and a decorative high roof. The venue also offers players the chance to play a few hands of blackjack in the library, underneath the glass roof, which is one of the most atmospheric casino settings in the world.

The Hippodrome

One of the most famous landmarks in Leicester Sqare, the Hippodrome has been an entertainment fixture in London for more than 100 years. In that time, it has fulfilled the role of a nightclub, a music hall and a theatre and nowadays it is a casino that features some high profile performers.

If you want to stick to the gaming, however, you won’t find many more comprehensive gaming venues in the world, as the three floors of this building offer hundreds of different games and experiences. The best atmosphere, though, is arguably to be found around the roulette tables of the grand casino.

The Empire

If there’s one casino venue in London that reproduces some of the glamour of Las Vegas, it is the Empire. This former nightclub is an enormous casino site that has a gaming area of over 55,000 square feet, including 50 tables and over 100 slots. Tourists flock to this gaming hub, which features a variety of bars and restaurants, along with a VIP Lounge that matches the luxury of the most exclusive international casino venues.

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