Whilst we're big fans of the convenience, game variety and bonuses that can be found at online casinos, there's no denying that the atmosphere you get when playing at a land based casino in person is pretty hard to beat.

In this next section we've provided a guide to all of the brick and mortar casinos found in the UK. For each we've provided useful information on visiting (including dress codes, opening hours and available games) as well as what you can expect to find once you've walked through the doors.

Map of UK Casinos

And as we've done for out other land based gaming sections, we also provide a list of all land based casinos in the UK, along with the group that runs them and their opening times.

The restaurant at Napoleons Casino Leeds is a relatively small one and it ensures a relaxing cosy atmosphere. The a la carte menu is served from Monday to Saturday from 7pm to 11 pm. You can take advantage of table D’Hote between Monday and Friday, from 7pm to 11pm. Napoleons Casino Bradford is based just around the corner from Bradford Forster Square train station. Boasting the slogan: “There’s always something going on at Napoleon's”, this casino likes to put on a bit of a show for its guests. Whilst the live entertainment won’t exactly blow you away, there’s plenty of variety throughout the month, which is more than can be said for a lot of. Tournaments are a regular feature in The Poker Room, taking place daily, with buy-ins from £30 upwards. Most evening tournaments start at 7pm. Late registration is available once play is underway and space permitting, players can buy in during the first two hours of play. Grosvenor Casino: Venue Details Dress Code. Membership Requirements. No membership is required to play or dine at Grosvenor, simply come along with a valid form of ID. Entry is free to anyone over the age of 18. The Grosvenor is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The restaurant opens at 7pm and closes at 11:15am. Napoleons Casino & Restaurant Leeds offers a contemporary dining experience in relaxed and elegant surroundings. Bar Opening Times. Mon to Fri 2pm - 5am, Sat 2pm.

List of Casinos in the UK

Brick & Mortar Casinos in the UK

The casino sector is still the most profitable in the gambling industry. The ability to win life-changing sums of money with just the spin of a wheel or roll of a dice keeps punters coming back for more. But, the scene has always carried a grey cloud over its head, mainly from those outside of the circle, with many saying that they have a detrimental affect on society.

Whilst there is little doubt that the online contingent is booming, land based casinos are having a tough time of it as late or at least aren’t competing the way in which they once did.

But First, Some History: The First Casinos

The first form of casino games were thought to date as far back as 2300 B.C. in China, with ancient Egyptian Dice also being found dating from what is believed to be 1500 B.C. Whilst the term ‘casino’ wasn’t used in those days, it was thought that these games carried similar skill/luck elements to them, tying in with some of the games you see today.

It wasn’t until the 18^th and 19^th century when the craze really started to take off and many ‘pop-up’ casinos were starting to be run within local bars and eateries. It was throughout central and western Europe where the first casinos were starting to be built, establishing within the likes of Germany and Monte Carlo.

Whilst casinos were never banned in the UK, they were a highly contentious area for the government, mainly due to the organised crime that often took place in and around them. Them weren’t officially legalised until 1960 when the first Betting and Gambling Act came in which required all casinos to apply for a license and meet similar standards that you see today. In fact, apart from the Gaming Act of 1968, these laws were revised until the Gambling Act of 2005, which required online casinos to be included into the laws as well.

Vegas, Baby!

Las Vegas was and still is the gambling capital of the world, but things haven’t always been golden over the other side of the pond. The first casinos were established by chance, when workers who were building connecting roads from Las Vegas to the Pacific Coastline played games to pass the time in between shifts.

This soon caught on and as games began to grow, the number of players wanting a piece increased. But, like in the UK, these games brought huge amounts of crime and so the government stepped in and banned all forms of gambling from 1910 to 1931.

Throughout that time the City was still a wash with gambling, although this time all illegal and ‘underground’. Policing this was proving to be almost impossible, so instead they decided that they would legalise gambling, but casinos would have to adhere to certain rules, similar to the Gambling Act’s that we have in the UK.

Since then the city has flourished and is now a world within itself offering everything you could ever need from casino-resort style buildings.

Development of Land Based Casinos

Casinos have changed quite a bit over the last few decades. They started life in your standard bars, with casino tables and card games available to play on. But, these days they have shifted into the resort-style, often including spa’s, bars, TV rooms, restaurants, nightclubs and so much more, making them a mecca for entertainment.

The Gambling Act 2005 was probably the biggest development in recent years for land based casinos, as originally they set out to make a series of super-casinos. These were designed be the size of small villages, never mind large resorts, and include huge hotels and highly spec’d amenities. But, pressure from the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, urged them not to go ahead and instead gave the green light for a larger range of smaller casinos to be situated throughout the UK.

Impact of Online Gambling on Local Casinos

There is little doubt that online casinos have had a negative affect on the land-based casino business. People are able to get a slice of the action on the go from their laptop or their mobile, pretty much anywhere in the world . The need to go to casinos has reduced, so these days it only attracts players that are looking for more of an experience, rather than to specifically gamble over a reasonable period of time.

But, at the same time it’s also allowed punters to try casino games out online before entering a casino. Take poker as example, whilst a dedicated gambling product in its own right, it’s still often played within casinos and the boom of online poker has seen plenty more players try their hand at live poker as well.

The games that are played have also changed quite significantly. Once upon a time very few casinos actually catered for blackjack or roulette players, with most playing the likes of craps and mixed card games. But, these days they are the two most popular casino games (outside of slots), with pretty much every casino you walk into having a plethora of choices for both.

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Whilst the growth of online gaming hasn’t always had a positive affect on the land-based casinos, there is little doubt it has changed the shape of how they operate.

The Future

The future for land-based casinos is highly debated, with many parties disagreeing on even where it stand in its current form.

On the one hand you get pro-casino lobbyists who will argue that casinos, whilst becoming more streamlined, offer more services to their punters than ever before and allowing them a gaming experience that is unrivalled.

On the other hand you would argue that the online sector is making the land–based casinos obsolete. The ability to bet and gamble anywhere at anytime means you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home.

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Unfortunately for the land based operators, the stats would have to back up the later. In 2014 the Gambling Commission released stats from a survey of over 4,000 stating that people are 20 times more likely to play casino games on their own phone than they are from an actual casino. In fact, visiting a casino was last in terms of frequency of betting behind even that of bingo halls, another lottery that is not the national lottery or the Euro Millions, Football pools in person and Poker at a pub or club. Pretty damming stats!

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Whilst the amount that we are spending on gambling is rising, the numbers invested with land-based casinos are unfortunately decreasing.