I have travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and seen many wondrous sites during my romps across cities and fields. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in multiple locations from Hampshire in the south of England, London, Surrey, and on to the north of England, where I am currently habiting. 

Most recently, my tour of the UK was to review casinos and see what services, games, and overall experiences were provided to their customers. I have gone from London, to Manchester, to Newcastle, and on to Scotland, where I visited Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

Along the way I not only got to play in the best casinos in the UK, but I met wonderful locals, took in the landscapes of this old empire, and saw the changes as it continues to try to tackle political inequalities and a dying economy. London is a tourist hive, it’s the fingerprint of Britain, which some say has lost all its identity. Change is never a straightforward process, but it’s more often the people that are changing rather than the landscapes around them. 

My time hopping from city to city via car and train, taxi, and subway, allowed me to take in all the surroundings with an awareness that the times and people are changing within it. Whilst London garners all the attention, places like Manchester and Newcastle seem to have a more grounded approach. People in the north of England have always been built and programmed differently from the south. Most of this comes through social norms. The people of the north live for the moment, In the south, there is more of a life plan. 

Scotland itself is another country, and whilst it’s part of the UK, there is very much a disjointness in its society and politics. If any one of the four united kingdoms were to break first, it would be this crown that rests on top of England. I don’t think any other country is like the United Kingdom, for all these different reasons. Which is why it is so fascinating to live here and for it to be visited. 

My pilgrimage to visit the best land-based casinos in the UK has allowed me to play inside century-old buildings and modern shopping complexes. I have seen the highest wonders of architecture, to the more conveniently built venues that lack any style. With this said, this was part of the reasoning for my journey across the country and into Scotland. I wanted to see and understand the differences, and to learn if the qualities within were any different. 

Gambling has shifted so much as a business and entertainment feature in the past 15 years. The world of casinos is truly online and digitalized. What hope is there in the real world when the high streets are in decline and look nothing like what what we see in our childhood memories?

Is there hope for land-based casinos in the UK? Well, I believe there is, and I found six great casino sites that are scattered across the country and hopefully one or two are not too far from you to visit.

So, here are my top picks of the best UK casinos on the high street near you.

When it comes to building grandeur for a casino, the Hippodrome London Casino takes top marks. This 1900-listed building stands in Leicester Square on the corner of Little Newport Street and Charring Cross. 

The Hippodrome Casino covers seven floors, which also house the award-winning restaurant, the Heliot Steak House, and the Chinese cuisine restaurant Chop Chop which comes from the Four Seasons business branch. There is also the Max Halley Restaurant and the Rooftop dining area. Among the 7 floors, the Hippodrome Casino also hosts events. Now, these certainly are for a mature audience as past performances have been Magic Mike nights and live burlesque shows. 

When it comes to the business of gameplay, the casino hosts all the gambling classics you would want to find. Players can indulge in baccarat, blackjack, poker, roulette, and slot machines. 

There is an exclusive area called the PokerStars™ Live Lounge and a gaming area on the bottom floor called the Lola’s Underground Casino. A bit more modern in its design, but the ground floor is the main area called the Grand Casino. Whilst playing here, you can benefit from Hippodrome Rewards. These rewards provide food and drink discounts, which is good if you make visiting the Hippodrome Casino an all-day experience.

For more information, read our full Hippodrome review.

Down the road from the Hippodrome Casino, you will come across one of Leicester Square’s most famous buildings, The Empire Cinema. It’s within this building you also have the Empire Casino. 

The once former ballroom of the late 1920s was first built in 1884, but it didn’t get its change from ballroom to casino until 2007. The casino covers 55,000 square feet of space, which you would not think from looking at the outside of the building. With so much space, unsurprisingly, there is room for a few bars and an Asian restaurant. 

The Empire Casino supplies all the classic gaming tables: American roulette, baccarat, blackjack, three card poker, and a selection of slot games and electronic tables. There is also the VIP Dragon Lounge with its own VIP service and range of deluxe tables. 

The casino belongs to the Metropolitan Gaming group, which, in turn, is owned by Silver Point Capital. The Empire Met Card springs from this, which is a loyalty membership card. Download the Met Card App to benefit from promotions and discounts.

One of the standout services is the Poker tournaments. You can become part of the Team Empire, which plays towards securing a place in the World Series of Poker.

For more information, read our full Empire Casino review.

The casino is actually called MANCH235TER, and before you think the 235 is linked to the address, you would be very much mistaken. 

The Manchester235 Casino resides on 2 Watson Street, which is near the Great North Square area of Manchester. Getting to this location is best by foot. Watson Street is a very much hidden type of road. You can arrive at the area by train with the nearest stop being the Deansgate Station. 

So why the 235 in the name? Not a clue. The Manchester235 Casino describes itself as a Vegas-style casino, despite being situated within a former warehouse. The property spans over a few floors. One of the big draws to this site is that James Martin (celebrity chef) has his restaurant here (closed Monday and Tuesday).

The gaming lineup includes tables of roulette, blackjack, three-card poker, and baccarat. There are slot machines and digital roulette cabinets as well. 

It must be said that Manchester235 Casino is home to one of the best poker rooms I have yet to see. The casino also hosts VIP areas and the Icon Lounge is an invite-only kind of experience. In this, they provide private roulette and blackjack games. 

The casino does present experience packages for those who might be interested in a two-hour private class, learning the tricks and rules of playing poker. Manchester235 Casino also comes with a Met Card service, which can be downloaded from the MetCard App. Through this, you can book tables, and events, and enjoy discounts on services. 

For more information, read our full Manchester235 Casino review.

Set on the bank of the River Clyde, the Riverboat Grosvenor Casino is pretty special when illuminated at nighttime. The casino is fairly central to the city of Glasgow, and next to the King George V Bridge in an area known as Broomielaw.  

The casino’s building, despite being relatively modern on the outside, still manages to capture the glam and class of the 1900s. The views out onto the Clyde are special, and inside you have chandeliers and dark wooden features and paneling. For me, this casino ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to aesthetics. 

Along the second floor, you have the restaurant area which is open after 6pm. Beyond the balcony and below to the ground floor is where you have the bar and games area. 

Now, this is a small casino, and perhaps the smallest of all the casinos I visited across the UK. You can fit about 300 players inside and there aren’t enough tables and slots to keep everyone playing. Here are four roulette tables, three blackjack tables, four poker tables, and then a selection of slot machines. 

What makes this casino one of the best casinos in the UK, is the energy you get from the place. Before I gambled, my mental vision of casinos was what I saw in the movies. Coming to the Grosvenor Glasgow Riverboat, you get that glam and elegance. 

Home to Newcy Brown Ale and the Mags (that's the nickname of the football club Newcastle United, for those who don't know), Newcastle is, I believe, a very much over-looked city. I arrived at the Aspers Newcastle Casino with much excitement to not only play inside one of the best UK casinos but also to explore the famous city in my downtime. 

Aspers Casino is situated in the Chinatown area of Newcastle. I arrived at the location of Newgate Street by taxi, via the Newcastle train station. It’s a very short drive, and locals can drive there with the benefit of free all-day parking. The casino is fairly central to all other wonders of the city, with the Tyne Theatre, Theatre Royal, St James Park, and Eldon Square Shopping Centre within walking distance. 

The casino has recently finished a refurbishment job which updated the new Poker Club and installed a new bar called Freya’s Bar. In this bar, you are surrounded by 4K screens on which live sports are shown. 

When it comes to the gaming aspects of the Aspers Casino players get a real treat of diverse gameplay. You have the classics like slots, baccarat, blackjack, and roulette, but there are some new features like Casino War and Prime three-card poker in its electronic format. Plus, there is access to a very special gaming feature called the Super Wheel. The casino also hosts a poker league with a £15,000 prize pot.

For more information, read our full Aspers Casino Newcastle review.

When in Edinburgh, head north of the castle to York Place. Here you will find the Genting Casino that makes my list of best casinos in the UK. Getting here can be done by subway, by getting a train to the Waverley train station, and from there it’s a five-minute walk to York Place. There would normally be tram services available to take you to the location, but you might want to check because of existing works and line maintenance. 

The Genting York Place Casino is an 18^th-century building that is illuminated by white light when the sun sets. The casino has a beautiful mix of styles inside with hints of Indian and art-deco influences. There are two floors to this casino and within you have a restaurant on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the gaming area. 

The casino is small and the games that are provided are limited to three card poker, American roulette, blackjack, and slots, which hug the four walls. 

Genting Casino York Place was the only one I have encountered to not provide a poker tournament. Instead, they do slot tournaments, which are free to enter. Once spaces are filled, the tournament begins with a £100 prize to be won at the end of it. As with all Genting Casinos, at York Place Casino you can use the My Genting App and take advantage of the membership perks you get.

For more information, read our full Genting Casino York Place review.

As players, our tastes and requirements can vary when it comes to gambling and choosing things we like the look of. Casinos that I deem to be the best may not be the ones that strike a chord with you. 

You must take the time and assess what you like with land-based casino games and what you expect from a casino service. While there are no universal rules for individual taste, I believe there are fundamental standards that we can all agree on.

Location

It would be far wiser to choose a casino that is closer to home and removes greater costs for travel, which could easily be put into your passion for whatever particular casino game you want to play. You can also tie visits in that are close to your work, so if you have to commute, you do it all in one day.

Design

The design of a casino is more about the architectural facets, though you may, like me, prefer to play in old buildings rather than new complexes. Design encompasses a lot, the flow of a gaming floor, the spread from where tables are to the bars. You want a casino that allows players to play and patrons who aren’t playing, to not be forced together in tight spaces. Casinos need the right layout, with safety being number one, and for the games to be presented in the right manner. 

Games

When it comes to games, it should be about giving players what they want, what they expect, and what they didn’t know was possible. Expectations are important, and classic games like poker, blackjack, and roulette are the most important. Slots are always a given, but if a casino goes beyond all of these to provide more, then it’s doing things right.

Customer Service

The rule is simple for this one. If a player doesn’t win and has had a bad night at the tables, it’s the experience of great customer service, which is going to make them want to come back. Casino staff should be overly happy, charming, and a servant to your needs. If staff can make you feel special, then players do return.

Events

I’m not an events type of person, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with a casino offering a little extra side entertainment. If you enjoy social gatherings, then note many land-based casinos in the UK put on special shows, live performances, and seasonal celebrations. These can be enjoyed after or before playing your favourite casino games.

Amenities

A casino needs to be all-encompassing for player’s needs. Whether is parking for wheelchair users, providing lifts over 2 or more floors, having smoking areas, and providing food and drink. Casinos need to be displaying these attributes as they make business sense. Otherwise, they aren't the best casinos in the UK.