London has something for everyone when it comes to nightlife, from world-class theatre to stomping club nights and everything in between. When the lights go out across the city, the casinos often stay open to welcome punters for more drinks and adrenaline. Many casinos in London benefit from 24-hour licenses, both for drinks and gaming. If you don’t want to end your night clubbing or want to carry on into the early hours of the morning with, say, a game of poker, casinos are an excellent and often overlooked choice. Here are some of the best casinos for late night gaming.
Casinos that stay open all night
You will be glad to know that many casinos in London stay open all night and into the next day. In theory, you could linger in the casino over the course of days, but it’s quite doubtful that the management will let you sleep in there, so it’s up to you to decide when enough is enough.
The many Grosvenor around London all have 24-hour licenses, including The Victoria, Park Tower, The Barracuda and The Rialto, all of which are popular choices around the city. The Grosvenor has a casual atmosphere but still, gives players the opportunity to enjoy various casino games and poker cash games and tournaments across different stakes.
The Hippodrome is centrally located in Leicester Square, so anyone on a night out in that area can hit up the venue for 24/7 gaming across three floors, with all the usual casino games available like slots, poker and roulette.
Also, open 24 hours a day is Palm Beach on Berkeley Street, set in the stunning Mayfair Hotel, The Ritz Club (though gaming stops at 4 a.m.), the Genting Casino chain, the Empire Casino and the Aspers Casino — London’s first ever super casino, with 70 live gaming tables and 150 slot machines. You can visit any of these casinos after the usual bars around town shut down as long as you are deemed in a fit state to enter and you stick to the rules and casino etiquette.
Serious gaming or lots of laughs?
Which casinos should you go to if you are looking for gaming, and which should you visit if you are looking to continue your night with conversation and lots of laughs? Many casinos in London have one or more bars and are happy to accommodate groups on nights out as long as they behave appropriately. Some even have late night entertainment to encourage the banter!
The Grosvenor prides itself on a casual gaming atmosphere and makes an ideal place to go for both gaming and laughs. Each has a poker tournament schedule, though tournaments often start earlier in the night. Late night poker cash games are held most nights and are easy to get involved with because you can sit down or leave the table whenever you want. Nearly every Grosvenor has one or more bars as well as a 24-hour restaurant and food services for whenever you fancy. Stakes for roulette, blackjack, slots and other casino games start low, so you can have a bit of fun without busting the bank balance.
The Hippodrome has everything you need for a night out within its walls, including its 180-seat theatre, featuring jazz and cabaret, restaurants and a steakhouse as well as a jaw-dropping 6 bars, all of which have a 24-hour license. Set within the popular Leicester Square, it almost goes without saying that this casino is good for the laughs. It’s not lacking in the games department either, with slots, roulette, Texas Hold ‘em, blackjack and more set across three floors of gaming glory. It’s affordable and casual, too.
London’s first super casino, the Aspers, is located quite a bit out of the city centre in Stratford City, but is well connected to public transport if you want to make the journey on a night out. The casino has 70 live gaming tables and 150 slot machines as well as bars, restaurants and live music and entertainment.
Luxury Late night gaming
What about if you are on a more sophisticated night out? Perhaps a night of London’s West End theatre shows followed by a glass or two of wine. London has you covered. Also, there are a handful of casinos in the city that have the glitz and glamor to complete a special night. However, beware of dress codes and rules of behaviour. These are probably not the best places to turn up as a loud group, but they are lovely places for more high-stakes gaming in a sophisticated context.
The Empire Casino sits on the fence between casual and luxury but that’s a good thing. It’s a high-stakes venue with a Vegas-style atmosphere at the heart of Leicester Square and has four classy bars, restaurants and plenty of casino games, including a £25,000 Texas Hold ‘em cash contest. It’s more luxury than the adjacent Hippodrome, but it’s no Ritz.
Palm Beach is set in the stunning Mayfair Hotel and is one of the classiest places in London for gaming, yet still, it’s more accessible compared to others. It has fine-dining-served-street-food style, bars and restaurants and high-class entertainment like belly dancing nights. Expect cash games and regular high-stakes tournaments, roulette and casino games in a high-roller Vegas-style experience.
If you want to go even more luxurious, then you’re looking at venues like the Ritz or Colony Club. These are sophisticated high-roller venues with lots of private tables and buy-ins into the hundreds of thousands. They are not exactly the place to finish any sort of casual night out, but if you fancy it, and are dressed for entry, most of them are open 24 hours, with gaming continuing until about 4 a.m. If not, stick to the casual casino and poker gaming venues like the Grosvenor and Hippodrome.
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