Ah, London. Among the hustle and bustle of the capital, the streets are paved with opportunity, entertainment, and excitement, though of course it’s not without its edges. On my journey through this metropolis, I took the chance to continue my exploration of the best casinos it has to offer. Having lived in London, I’ve certainly benefited from the hands-on experience, but this recent trip is taking me back to my old stomping ground. Have things changed, have the high street casinos modified, or is the land-based casino doomed like the rest of the high street merchants? 

If you plan on visiting London - or perhaps if you already live in the city – then allow me to introduce to you one of the more new casino venues on my London casino itinerary, the Aspers Casino in Westfield Stratford City. Where it is, how to get there, and what’s on offer are just some of the questions I’ll cover in my Aspers Casino review. 

A relatively fresh arrival on the scene, the Aspers Casino opened its doors in December 2011. The location is on the top floor (level 3) of the Westfield Stratford City shopping complex. Not your conventional location for a lavish gaming venue, but it works very well for the business. Positioned between the Currency Exchange and Rush outlets, Aspers stands out with its bold blue front that advises generous opening hours of all day every day.

If you’ve not called in to this area of London before, then brace yourself for more than just the dazzling sights of the casino. Westfield Stratford itself has 1.9 million sq. ft of space for shopping and dining. That makes it the 4^th largest retail space in the UK by floor area. So, for a casino like Aspers, it is certainly a prime location. Aspers Stratford Casino commands an impressive 65,000 sq. ft of space for London’s locals and visitors.

At Aspers Casino, you’ll gladly find all the most popular casino games there are. Here you can play poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and slot machines, and even take part in sports betting if you’re into that. Regular events also take place here, including tournaments, among which poker is particularly popular. The sports betting feature here is breaking new ground in the world of casino, with Asper being the first UK casino to provide an onsite betting shop. Sports you can wager on include classics like horseracing and greyhounds, as well as other major features like tennis and football. 

Big jackpots

There are over 150 slot machines, and plenty of that number come with major jackpots to be won. Some of the very best slots to look out for when you arrive include Rise of the Dragon™, Cash Connection™, and Gong XI™. Other games with huge prize pots can be found within the poker area, especially the three-card poker and Texas hold ’em titles.

Jackpot values will always increase the longer they go unwon, so keep an eye on where the money’s at and hop on a table or slot if the prize pot looks tempting enough to try for.

Suitable for all bankrolls

Now, when it comes to gambling, we all have our spending limits. Some tables have low-stake options for players with budgets, but most top casinos also have higher stake limits for the high-roller players out there. I’m not one that can afford a minimum bet of £250 on any game, so my experience of such tables is non-existent, but I can confirm Aspers does cater for a range of price points.

There is no on-site accommodation at London Aspers Casino. However, overnight visitors can choose from many local hotels, with the Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, and the Hyatt Regency being the nearest names you’ll know and trust.

The casino's size demands a huge number of staff, with roughly 700 staff in employment here. I’m told that since I was last at the casino, there has been an increase of 400 additional trained staff to help meet the demand of new and existing clients. Mightily impressive.

In fact, there’s still a demand for new croupiers to host tables and electronic games. From what I witnessed on my return here, and though it took place outside of peak business time, the venue was busy. As I often do, I spent a few moments at the blackjack tables before later moving onto the three-card poker tables. Throughout this time, the staff were impeccable, knowledgeable, and happy to engage in conversation when it came to one-on-one game time. 

For the players who like to engage in a cigarette break, the Aspers Casino does provide terrace spaces which are the only designated smoking areas. 

Food and drink: Casino Aspers comes with two main bars, one on the terrace appropriately called the Terrace Bar, and also the Tanzibar, a sophisticated spot that not only provides drinks but also a food menu. The beverages range from cocktails to sodas. And if any major sporting event is on, you can watch the action unfold and engage with some onsite sports betting, if that’s your thing.

Customer service: One letdown of this casino is its customer service. For me, I can usually overlook this as I am more concerned about my luck than whether the staff smile at me or not. But away from the playing tables the response was less impressive. Slow service and a few questionable manners have been noted by previous players, and this was my experience also.

Cash withdrawals: Another bum note comes with the charges that are imposed on the cash machines. £1.50 to use an ATM is simply outrageous these days. This also compares poorly with other casinos in London where machines were free to use.

The venue does provide adequate wheelchair access. If you approach the casino via Stowell Street, the entrance there provides lifts to take you to the casino. Inside, there is ample room for wheelchairs and there are many disabled access points across all floors. 

High street casinos and online platforms are worlds apart when it comes to customer promotions and bonuses. When land-based, you'll usually get diddly squat. But not at Aspers. And before you ask, no, Aspers does not operate an online casino platform. This company is solely found on the high street and other locations include Milton Keynes, Northampton, and Newcastle. 

Everyday promotions

Here at Aspers Stratford Casino, you are offered £4 matchday pints and meal deals at the bar. If you wish to feast on some delicious offers, then you can take advantage of daily deals that include 2 for 1 on Mondays, Tacos Tuesdays, and Saver Saturdays. 

With their sports betting service, you are provided boosted odds on all West Ham games. This is because Aspers is an associated sponsor of the team, and their home ground London Stadium is just a few minutes’ walk southwest from Westfield Stratford City. When it comes to promotions and casino games, you might be in luck, as there is a prize opportunity for the poker league players. Join the Redtooth Poker League and you can play for points or money. If you win the finals, you can also bag yourself a trip to Las Vegas. Not bad.

All said and done this is really impressive, as most casinos offer very little to nothing for their members. The poker prizes and enhanced betting odds are at least a step in the right direction, and make Aspers stand out from the pack. It's rare that giveaways at land based venues manage to rival online casinos, but Aspers does. And don't forget, even casino sites with fast withdrawal rarely pay out instantly like bricks-and-mortar locations do.

My first experience of Aspers Casino Stratford was back in 2014. I’d gone to visit Westfield for the first time, purely as a shopping experience.  I had no idea there was a casino here until I walked out of The North Face store, and bang! There it was. And how could a casino aficionado like me not go for a look? Alas, my visit was brief and restricted by my soon-depleted funds.

Small changes 

At the time I played some blackjack and roulette. What I did notice upon my return was that the table were the same almost 10 years later. Some of the slot machines were also identical to then. That said, there have at least been some updates and new games introduced in my absence. £1 Live Roulette, Spread-Bet Roulette, 3-Dice Baccarat, all new slots cabinets, and of course their sports betting service, to name a few. The condition of the older games showed clear signs of wear, while the venue itself wasn’t looking its original best. The reddish carpet had seen better days, but this is highly expected given that this venue is consistently busy. 

To the untrained eye, the dazzle of the chandeliers and blue lighting will be enough to distract anyone who is focused on playing. So, does it really matter that the casino isn’t in its prime anymore?

Busy, but not packed

It also has to be said that the casino was busier on my 2014 visit than it was on my return. Now, many different factors can contribute to this - the rise of online gambling and cost of living pressures, to name a couple. So this shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a reflection on the casino. And in fairness, the casino was still in a healthy position when it came to the number of players inside. Many of the tables were being played at, but unlike when the casino was new and you had to wade through people to get to certain areas, there was ample breathing space. There was no dodging other goings-on or racing fellow players to a certain game. And some people may prefer that. 

The bar area at the time was busy because they were showing live horseracing. This visit was on a Saturday and the time was roughly midday, so no surprises there.

A mixed crowd

The clientele was a mix of locals and tourists, the latter of whom stand out because of the obscene amounts of shopping they’re usually carry around. That's not to knock them however. The vibe in the casino is good and the atmosphere friendly.

⭐ Standout Moment

Poker here is certainly a cut above, what with the perks and prizes. I didn't take home any, but it certainly added to the playing experience.

The area of Westfield Stratford is a way out if you are in central London. While easy to get to thanks to plentiful transport options, it’s not a place you can walk to if you are visiting popular areas like Camden or Soho. For many people, this corner of London will be 20+ minutes away even via the Underground. However, this place is a pilgrimage for shoppers, and if you’ve not yet been, it’s well worth the trip when you consider the casino as a part of the bigger package.

Would I personally rush back to Aspers London? No. Would I recommend you go if you’re in town? Yes. A lot can be read online about the good and the bad of Aspers in Stratford. But I can only go by my experience. Aspers is a little oddity, it comes with all the games you would want and expect but, it just feels like a lot of things are still missing. The casino has certainly made some necessary adjustments in the ten-year gap from my first visit to my most recent. This evolution is especially given the growth of casinos online, and the evidence suggests that Aspers is managing to keep up.

Aspers Stratford City will continue to flourish, I have no doubts about that. But the disappointing service away from the tables and unaddressed signs of wear are potential pitfalls. 

Getting to Westfield Stratford is easy either by car, bus, train, or most ideally via the tube. The latter of these is the most common and generally fastest, and you’ll want to head for Stratford Station which sits on both the Central, Elizabeth, and Jubilee Lines. The Overground service also runs into Stratford Station from across the capital, while the DLR also calls through and is ideal if you’re coming from eastern parts of the city. 

You also have Stratford Bus Station right beside the shopping centre, with a huge number of services stopping here from across London. 

To those braving the ULEZ and wishing to get into the city via car, you’ll need to head to Car Park B of Westfield Stratford City. From within there you’ll find direct lift access to the casino. If getting some help from a sat nav, it’s best to use the postcode E20 1EJ.

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