When I decided to return to Scotland and see just how well Edinburgh does its casinos, I didn’t expect to find that it would be offering two Genting Casinos. I’ve found myself in this situation before, and it simply means I’ve no choice but to visit both. Poor me.

If you didn’t already know, I’m touring the entirety of the UK and calling in at all the top casinos on our high streets – as many as is reasonably possible, anyway. How is the market coping? Is the experience better than playing online, and how am I going to afford the train fares? I answer all the questions, bring you all the inside information, and spill the beans on exactly what the player experience is like. 

In this review, I tear myself in two to visit the Genting Casino York Place and the Genting Casino Fountain Park. I’ll run through what each venue have to offer when it comes to games, promotions, catering, and services – and of course let you know how to get there. 

The Genting Casino York Place is situated a little north of Edinburgh Castle. It sits between the National Portrait Gallery and Calton Hill, in what’s known as the New Town. York Place is also roughly a five-minute walk from the Edinburgh Waverley train station.  Handy.

Genting Casino Fountain Park is southwest of Edinburgh Castle, more at the fringes of the central area of the city. Fountain Park itself is an entertainment complex that provides cinemas, restaurants, bowling, and a Nuffield gym. The casino is another of these venues and sits between the doors of Nando’s and Gravity. The nearest station would be Haymarket, but even then, you’re looking at a bit of a walk. You can however drive to this venue, and there are plenty of free parking spaces.

Both of the casinos make for great locations in their own distinct ways, and that’s probably why Scotland’s capital is well served having both of them. At York Place, you’re surrounded by the quaint architecture of the New Town and have plenty of historical landmarks and tourist spots nearby. It’s very much within the main centre. The with Fountain Park, you have the convenience of tons of other leisure, food, and drink options within the same complex. And being less central, it’ll be easier to access for some. 

Genting Fountain Park

With Genting Fountain Park Casino being the far bigger venue, it can naturally host more casino games. Here players can access three-card poker, roulette, blackjack, electronic e-tables, baccarat, and an impressive array of slots. There’s also mahjong, something you don’t get at most British casinos but a common feature at any Genting venue.

The slot machines here are made by Novomatic, who also make some of the best online slots in the UK. Roulette players can enjoy American roulette tables and a special Dragonfire Roulette game. This is something I’ve only seen available through Genting Casinos. This variant is a live e-table feature that also comes with a 29/1 payout and 200x bonus multiplier. 

Another unusual casino game here is Blazing Blackjack, which is a new side bet game that starts at £1. Alternatively, you can stick to playing regular blackjack at the tables. And all that is before I come to poker and its many variants. Those present include three card poker, TCP stud, and cash poker among others. To top things off nicely, the casino also features gaming tournaments, most notably baccarat and poker. 

The gaming cabinets and tables inside Fountain Park were in good condition overall, but there were signs of some wear and tear, especially on some seats.

Genting York Place

At Genting York Place Casino your gaming options are limited to three-card poker, slots, American roulette, and blackjack. The venue also hosts some electronic e-tables, as well as that Genting staple Mahjong. The slot cabinets are much the same, as you would expect, but plenty in number. Gaming titles include Lucky Lady’s Charm™, Golden Goddess™, and Lord of the Ocean™, all made by Novomatic. Both the Dragonfire Roulette and Blazing Blackjack games are available at this venue, which is a nice touch. 

While the venue doesn’t host any poker tournaments, it does offer a slot tournament, which is entirely free to enter. The winnings only come in at £100, and entry is on a first come, first serve basis. 

With such limited space, there are understandably no fancy VIP rooms at York Place. The upkeep of the gaming equipment here was quite impeccable, better than at Fountain Park even, but I believe the venue may have just undergone a refurbishment. 

It should also be noted that the Genting Casino is available as an online service. With this, you can access hundreds of the best new slots by many different developers, live dealer tables, and access to exclusive games made only for this online platform. 

The distance between the two casino sites is exactly two miles. This is great if you book a room at the Double Tree Hotel, which is roughly equidistant from the two casinos. Obnviously other hotels are available too to suit all budgets, although none really offer the same kind of perfect middle ground between the two casinos.

Genting Fountain Park

To try and give a fair review of the casinos and their atmosphere, I attended them both in the evening. That’s the time of day pretty much every casino in the world is hitting its stride. First up was the Genting Casino Fountain Park, purely so I could call by the neighbouring Nando’s for my dinner. My arrival time was 7:00pm, and in the end I spent a couple of hours here. 

The casino itself opens midday and closes at 4:00am daily, oddly extended to 5:00am on a Monday and Tuesday. The live tables always kick off from 4:00pm. The dress code is smart casual, so no scruffy jeans. Otherwise, you’re good to go. 

Staff here are friendly and there are plenty about to accommodate the needs of many players. This casino was busy, which surprised me considering its location and the other amenities in the area. All the tables were busy and just by standing back and listening, the croupiers were doing an excellent job.

Food and drink: Should you arrive with an appetite, then the casino can offer you services from their bar and restaurant. The bar offers a range of beers, ales, soft drinks, and cocktails. The dining area provides a grill menu that covers pizza, wings, steaks, curry, and loads more. It’s not hugely sophisticated, but there’s something to keep just about anyone happy.

Cash machines and cashing out: There are several ATMs in this casino, all free to use, along with a cash desk area for turning in chips. 

Smoking: If you would like to smoke, the only locations available were outside by the entrance. There’s no private terrace or balcony as you might find at other casinos.

Genting York Place

At York Place Genting Casino, the venue opens at 2:00pm and closes at 4:00am Sunday to Thursday, extended to 5:00am on the weekend nights of Friday and Saturday. This is the smaller of the two casinos, but the better of the two when it comes to the architecture and the décor. This is an 18th-century building that has low ceilings, pillar supports, Indian-style arches, and a stunning second-floor central balcony that overlooks the game floor. All stuff even the best new casinos couldn't recreate if they tried.

The staff here are a delight. The casino is smaller, so not many staff are needed to manage the 100-odd players you could fit into this place. I arrived at 9:30pm and left around 11:00pm. The casino was busy, so I was drinking more than I was playing, but the vibes were that good that I didn’t mind. 

Food and drink: Refreshments are available at this casino. The main seating area is on the top of the three floors, and I found it wad a really nice place to unwind and catch my breath between games. The menu at this casino is the same as at Fountain Park, and pretty much all Genting venues for that matter. There’s little difference when it comes to drinks either, both soft and alcohol-containing.

Cash machines: The casino does have an ATM inside, and a small cashier’s desk on the ground floor. It was well-staffed the whole time I was there. 

Fountain Park The is fully wheelchair accessible, including disabled parking bays and toilets. 

York Place is different. With the age of the building, accessibility is an issue at Genting York Place. There are a series of steps outside the front of the casino, no lifts, and no disabled toilets. Unfortunately, this venue won’t be suitable for wheelchair users. 

When it comes to membership perks, the Genting Reward scheme provides some top benefits to those willing to commit to this casino brand. First, download the My Genting App. You can get this on any Android or iOS device. You can then earn Genting Points through challenges, grab free soft drinks, tea, or coffee when you play – plus an exclusive offer should drop when you register your e-mail. 

The Genting Points work by giving you £1 for every 100 points you gather. This point money can then be used on any part of the casino, including the food, drinks, and games. 

Online Offers

Now, for their online service, new players will get an even better crop of offers. The online casino world is synonymous with giving out promotional offers and bonuses. Right now, they not only provide a new player welcome bonus but also have a refer a friend bonus offer. As great as these offers are, there are a few places that Genting online falls down. For one, they certainly won't be appearing on the list of fast withdrawal casino sites, what with the average two to three day wait for winnings to hit your account.

Prize Draws

At both Genting Casinos, you can enjoy their events and prize draws. One of these includes a £120k cash giveaway with three international holidays or eight mini breaks in London. You can keep up to date with what events are on when by the casino's customer notice boards or online at the Genting Casino website.

I purposefully attended these casinos late in the evening, all so I could soak up the atmosphere at what should be the venues’ peak time. And it was great to see that both of these casinos were, at what I would assume, full capacity. There were times I found myself at the bar longer than I was at the tables. I would scan to see which slots became available and swoop in. 

Both the casinos were also very well maintained. While it is hard to judge the floors with so many feet and legs in view, I can state that from what I did see, the casinos were clean and well kept.

I never got to try the food at any of the restaurants because Fountain Park had a Nando’s next door and frankly, nothing can come between such an opportunity. The menus offered by Genting are adequate and reasonably priced. Don’t expect something super gourmet, but I know from previous Genting Casino outings that the grub is good, and consistently so.

It’s very strange how the same brand can attract such a difference in atmosphere. While both were full, the York Place site seemed quieter in vocal decibels, more considered. Fountain Park was louder, and this may have been due to having a ‘younger’ crowd. I do think the area in which the casinos sit influenced this, especially at the latter what with it being surrounded by other entertainment venues. 

⭐ Standout Moment

Seeing York Place in full Friday night flow was a memorable casino experience. I didn’t mind waiting for the tables, I didn’t mind that the tight building layout and plentiful crowds made things feel almost claustrophobic at times. This was a casino in its stride.

So, what are my overall thoughts? Well firstly, Scotland, be it in Edinburgh or Glasgow, offers some beautiful casinos. And both of these venues keep up the high standard. But be under no illusion, they offer two very distinct playing environments, and I knew quickly which one I preferred.

The Genting York Place is a beautiful building and the recent work done to it takes it out of the bland trap and into a world of glamour. Meanwhile, Fountain Park is a casino that you will find up and down the entirety of the UK. 

Beyond their architectural stylings and décor, both casinos did a remarkable job. There was the right number of staff in attendance to manage what were, at the time, busy venues. The casinos were clean and I found little to no damage on the games or the tables. 

Would I return to any of these casinos in the future? Don’t get me wrong when I say that I hope to not spend so much money to travel up here again – lovely though Edinburgh is. However, I recommend them both, and I’d be back in a heartbeat next time I’m in town. If you want an experience, head to York Place. Very few casinos look like the inside of this joint. If you want entertainment or it’s all about the gameplay, then Fountain Park is going to offer you much more.

Both casinos are centrally located within Edinburgh, and that makes them nice and easy to get to. 

York Place Casino

Genting York Place Casino is, unsurprisingly, found on York Place. It’s a street in the New Town area of Edinburgh’s city centre. If you’re travelling in by car, use the St James Centre Car Park. The postcode you’ll need is EH1 3SR, and unfortunately you will need to pay for parking here. Those coming into Edinburgh from its outskirts could also catch the tram, with the York Place stop being just 200 metres from the casino entrance. 

If you’re coming to Edinburgh from further afield, York Place is only a few minutes’ walk from Edinburgh Waverley railway station. There’s also a Megabus coach station directly behind the casino.

Fountain Park Casino

Fountain Park proves a touch harder to get to, but don’t be put off – it’s still very well served. For one, there’s free onsite parking. You’ll want to use the postcode EH11 1AF to get here in the car. Meanwhile, local bus services number 1, 34, and 35 all pull up right out front of the complex. 

Those coming from further away can hop off at Haymarket train station. The walk from here to the casino is about 12 minutes.

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