Considered by many as one of the top destinations for a night out in the UK, it’s no surprise that Brighton has a decent casino offering even despite its relatively small size, as cities go.

I have travelled the lengths of the country trying out the different casino offerings but I don’t think anything quite beats a seaside location and Brighton’s vibrant atmosphere and rich culture makes it the perfect place to combine a weekend away with one or two wagers.

The casino competition in Brighton is split between three venues: the Rendezvous Casino, the Grosvenor Casino Brighton and, of course, the Genting Casino Brighton. As I visited over the weekend, I planned to see what each of the three had to offer and compare the strengths and weaknesses of each, and that’s exactly what I did.

But for now, lets turn our attention to the Genting Casino Brighton and see exactly what the place has to offer.

Formerly known, and still sometimes referred to as by some of the locals, as the Mint Casino Brighton, the Genting Casino Brighton is situated on the vibrant Preston Street, which is home to an array of different eateries and bars and is just steps away from Brighton’s famous seafront. 

The casino underwent a significant £500,000 refurbishment back in 2014 which improved the entranceway to the building, added in a stylish new bar, and just generally updated the décor throughout. The décor in question, I would say, leans more towards a boutique feel which suits the small venue to a T.

I wouldn’t say the boutique feel extends to the exterior, which feels a little underwhelming to be honest. But thankfully, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Location

This Genting casino is situated just off Brighton’s much-loved Regency Square, right in the centre of town and only a short stroll away from the sea. So, as locations go, this place is on to a winner.

By Car: Should you wish to drive to the casino, entering BH1 2HN into your sat nav will take you straight there.

While there is no dedicated free parking on offer, there is some availability to park on the streets surrounding the casino. Though, I wouldn’t bank on being able to find one, especially not on the weekend.

What I do suggest doing is making use of the Regency Square car park which is located just across the street, fully secure and decently priced.

By Train: Brighton Central Station is located just a 15-minute walk away from the casino and with direct links to London and Gatwick airport along with links to the rest of the country, arriving by train is a great option. 

By Bus: For more localised travel, the closest bus stops to the casino are Churchill Square, which supports services 1, 1A and 2, and Brighton Centre, which supports the 77 service. There are other bus stops within walking distance to the casino but they do only support travel in and around Brighton.

The gaming area in this casino is undoubtedly tight on space however, it flows well which helps to avoid it feeling too cramped.

The casino floor is home to the games you’d expect to find, including American roulette, blackjack, and three card poker.

I visited on a Friday afternoon and the casino was fairly quiet, so I managed to get in on the action on a couple of the live tables. I spent a happy hour or two trying my luck on roulette, without much success I might add, and blackjack, which was much kinder to me. 

Both dealers I had the pleasure of interacting with were super professional and friendly and I felt this went hand in hand with the size of the place, almost creating a personal feel. In saying that, the ‘service with a smile’ extended beyond the dealers to the rest of the staff.  

Alongside the table games, you’ll find a range of electronic roulette machines as well as a good range of slots which house all the classic titles such as Cleopatra, Starburst, and Book of Dead.

I did have a little flutter on the slots but they weren’t being kind to me on this occasion, so I decided to call it a day.

Unfortunately for the poker fans amongst us, there is no poker room at this casino and consequently no cash games or tournaments. I feel like the addition of poker tournaments and the like here would really take this casino to the next level and I hope it’s something that’s considered as an addition in the future. 

So, if you’re in Brighton and it’s poker that you’re after, I’d recommend checking out either the Grosvenor Casino Brighton or the Rendezvous Casino Brighton, both of which have great poker rooms.

As you’ve probably already guessed, there is no on-site accommodation at this casino. There simply just isn’t enough space. However, thanks to its central location, there are plenty of accommodation options nearby within walking distance.

If trendy, boutique hotels are your thing, I’d recommend Hotel Pelirocco which is situated in Regency Square and is just a two-minute walk away from the casino. Here, you can choose from 19 different themed rooms and enjoy a locally sourced breakfast while being just metres away from the seafront. 

If you’re on a bit more of a budget, the ibis Brighton City Centre hotel offers its range of no-frills rooms and is conveniently located right outside the central train station, just a 15-minute walk from the casino. 

Open daily from 2pm, a slightly later opening hour than what I’m used to, until 4am, I was informed that this place usually gets pretty lively from Thursday evenings onwards. 

I was therefore a little surprised to find it so quiet during my visit on a sunny Friday afternoon, but I was actually quite glad as it gave me the chance to explore the place properly and try out the games I wanted.

Like I previously mentioned, the staff truly are a credit to this casino. From the receptionist I spoke to to the waiting on staff and the dealers, I felt welcome and as though nothing was too much trouble for them which only added to the intimate and personal feel of the place.

Speaking of an intimate feel, this is probably one of the smallest casinos I have ever visited. Now, as you can imagine, I visit a lot of casinos so for me personally this wasn’t an issue – variety is the spice of life for me in this regard. However, I understand it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

I imagine that it has the potential to feel cramped on busy days as there isn’t a lot of space around the tables and machines to move around, and the super low ceilings don’t help. However, this being an issue would largely come down to personal preference.

Considering it has been a while since the casino last underwent any kind of revamp, I thought it was holding up really well. The tables and machines were all in good condition and so was the furniture, plus, the staff did a great job of keeping things clean during my visit so there’s no complaints from me in this department. 

Food and drink

Unfortunately, due to the limited space there is no on-site restaurant here. I know, it’s a little disappointing. Brick-and-mortar gambling halls should be taking every chance to separate themselves from the best online casinos, and so this is always such a missed opportunity.

Though there is no restaurant, there is still a player’s menu which offers up a selection of smaller bites such as burgers, sandwiches, nachos and hot dogs which you can enjoy either at the bar or at the tables. So, at least there’s something on offer and you don’t have to leave the casino if you don’t want to.

Considering the casino is located on what is commonly referred to as ‘Restaurant Street’, I opted to eat out. I mean, when I saw a traditional fish and chip shop directly over the road, can you blame me? Alongside the fish and chip offering, though, you’ll find Chinese food, Turkish food, Sushi, Greek food, Italian food, and much more. There’s certainly something for everyone on this street so going hungry isn’t something you need to worry about.

There is, of course, a bar within the casino which serves all the drinks you’d expect to see, including a range of premium cocktails, spirits, beers, wines and shots. 

Live sport is shown here so you can keep tabs on the biggest sporting events while you game.

Dress Code: There’s no dress code in place here so there’s no need to get dolled up to the nines, unless of course you want to. 

Just try and keep it smart/casual and avoid things like ripped jeans and loungewear and there will be no problem.

Smoking: Neither smoking nor vaping is permitted within the casino but there is a dedicated area for those partial to a cigarette break. 

The casino is fully accessible for wheelchair users, which includes bar and toilet facilities. In places though it can be tight to manoeuvre a wheelchair between the tables and machines. 

From my experience, you’re more likely to find bonuses and promotions at land-based casinos which are part of a big chain.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any specific promotions on at the time of my visit however, the receptionist told me that slot tournaments and electronic roulette tournaments are a regular offering. 

There are sometimes food offers available too, but these are usually cantered around events. For example, enjoy a burger and a pint on days when Brighton and Hove Albion have a football match.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the Genting Casino Brighton. I wouldn’t say it blew me away or that it’s one of the best casinos I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit but it absolutely gets the job done.

Despite it being fairly quiet during my visit, I appreciated the atmosphere. It felt relaxed and this contributed to me staying for longer than I had originally anticipated.

I was initially a little disappointed to find out there was no dedicated space to eat at the casino but the fact it’s situated on what locals refer to as ‘Restaurant Street’, I didn’t think it was big deal. Plus, the player’s menu means there is access to food inside the casino should you want it. I chose to eat out but did sample and enjoy a few of the cocktails on offer.

All in all, I spent around three hours here. I tried the roulette and blackjack live tables and was really impressed with the professionalism shown by the dealers. I did manage to have a couple of chats with who I presumed to be locals at the tables to which the dealers also joined in in places, which only added to the personal feel.

The only person I wouldn’t recommend visiting the Genting Casino Brighton to is somebody who prefers a bigger venue and in that case I’d recommend checking out the other casino offerings in Brighton. 

However, like I mentioned earlier, I personally like to switch things up and, on that particular day, I really enjoyed the less touristy and more intimate feel to the place. If that sounds good to you, I can say with confidence that a trip to the Genting Casino Brighton would not be in vain.

Whether I would return to this particular casino would depend on what kind of experience I was looking for on the day. If I felt like having more of a casual day at the tables, this would be my top pick out of the casinos in Brighton.