My journey across the United Kingdom, in which I review all the best casinos, next leads me to Manchester. 

Now admittedly I had not been to Manchester before now, and even hearing the name of this city causes me some difficulty. You won’t be surprised to hear that my grievance is football related. Alas if not for its casinos, Manchester wouldn’t have been high on my list of places to visit. 

But this is about Admiral Slots and not Manchester. So, in my review, I shall be detailing the site, its available games and services, and what benefits are bestowed upon their dedicated members. Yes, I said locations, as there are more than one in this city.

I first need to explain where the Admiral Slots casinos are located, as there are a total of six venues in the vicinity of Manchester. You have Admirals at Piccadilly, in Salford Pendelton, Hankinson, and Cheetham Hill. You will also find sites in Harpurhey and Chorlton. With so many in the city, you’re seemingly never far from one of this chain’s casinos. 

The Flagship Venue

For this review, we will be focusing on their flagship site in the city, which is Admiral Slots Piccadilly Casino. The location is as dead central as it gets, with bus, tram, and national rail services all nearby. If like me, you arrive in Manchester by train, you can do what I did and asked the taxi driver to take you to Piccadilly Gardens. But I’ve since learned via Google that the walk only takes about ten minutes or so. Never mind.

There you will find Admiral Slots on the corner of Piccadilly and Lever Street. The property's name is Wellington House, and it doesn’t look the best. Distinguished by its brown and black walls and bright yellow doorway, when I arrived and saw it, I seriously thought it was a McDonald's restaurant.

Admiral Slots Casino Manchester is not your conventional casino. The Piccadilly site is like all 270 Admiral Slots sites, you get slots, and nothing but slots. Now, this doesn’t diminish in choice or selection. The slot types are hugely diverse and range from arcade titles to the best new slots, along with premium play slots that are found within the VIP lounge. 

All Bases Covered

The slots themselves boast a wide variety of formats and in-play features. You have some of the very best game developers in the business providing these cabinet units. Renowned software companies include the likes of Inspired Gaming, Novomatic, Blueprint Gaming, and Barcrest to name a few.

If you’re more familiar with online slot sites than these cabinets, then for some peace of mind, let me tell you that the programming that goes into making the games are exactly the same. How online slots are built is really no different from how casino slot machines are made. The same algorithms are used and the RTP scores are entirely consistent. For example, Mighty Black Knight by Barcrest comes with an RTP of 98% for both the online and high street game.

Legendary Game Titles

Other notable gaming titles found throughout all the Admiral Slots include:

• Buffalo Blitz
• Book of Ra Magic
• Charming Lady’s Boom
• Ways of the Genie
• 88 Fortunes
• Eye of Horus
• Genie Jackpot Wishmaker
• Luck of the Irish Megaways
• Rainbow Riches: Drops of Gold

These are some seriously popular titles in the world of online casinos, and they’re available to you in classic cabinet formats. So, pull up a chair, load up your gaming balance, sip on that free drink, and enjoy the array of entertainment that is to be had across hundreds of slot machines. 

On some occasions, the Admiral chain will host tournaments across several of their venues, which I was told are called Party Days by the reception staff. These come with big prize payouts and competitions. Such days are free to participate in, so keep an eye out. 

The casino is for gaming pleasure only, so no hotel service is provided. If you did wish to stay the night in Manchester, then the neared pillow to rest your head on is a few doors up at the Piccadilly Travelodge. There’s also the imposing Mercure hotel at the opposite side of the plaza, while the Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre is a more premium in the option in the area, what with its four-star rating.

You certainly can’t knock the location. It’s as central as it gets, surrounded by great places to eat, drink, and be merry – especially the neighbouring Northern Quarter, which is the city’s gritty-come-chic hangout spot.

Admiral Slots Casino Piccadilly is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I entered at roughly 1:00pm when it seemed to be very quiet. This was a weekday, so it made sense that people would be at work or lunch. Even taking that into account, the staffing numbers were very low, I counted three people in the roughly three-hour period I was there. Now nobody can say I didn’t persevere – three hours is a long time to spend in a casino that only offers slot machines. There are no dealer tables. This is not a casino with blackjack, roulette, or poker, and the only craps here are… you get where I’m going.

The gaming area has a very strong arcade vibe to it because of the many stacked cabinets. Not that I counted, but there are said to be several hundred of the best real money slots throughout the site which, it has to be said, was very clean at the time. 

Food and drink: One way Admiral’s customer service goes that extra mile by providing players with free drinks and a selection of snacks. Now, this isn’t even a members-only casino, so even if you arrived broke, you might still get a hot tea and a biscuit. Not that I am encouraging you to turn up at one of 270 Admiral Slot venues across the country just for a freebie.

Customer service: I have to say that the staff that did serve me were very friendly and kind, and left me to get on with playing at the machines without hassle. I found they would ask if you wanted refreshments or food roughly every hour. If you require a smoke during your time here, you will need to exit to casino and smoke outside the front of the building.

Wheelchair access is available. However, you will require the assistance of staff to accommodate an appropriate set up at the cabinets. 

When arriving at Admiral Slots Casino in Piccadilly, you can ask to sign up to receive an exclusive welcome bonus offer. This promotional bonus is for new players only and will reward you with 50 free spins inside the venue. You can play these spins online also, which does give you access to alternative gaming options like bingo and live roulette, which can’t be found on the premises. Online casino promotions by Admiral Casino will vary as all online casino bonuses are subject to change. 

Beyond the 50 free slot spins, and the free food and drink being handed out, Admiral Slots doesn’t offer any other bonuses onsite. To be fair, what this casino does provide is more than what you would get from hundreds of casinos around the country. I believe you do get a fair and good service in this department.

Before I set off for this casino, I knew what I was going to get from the site. Admiral Slots is a world away from the experience at bigger, more comprehensive casinos. The atmosphere was quiet, but again, given the time I arrived it was entirely expected and partly planned. I had never been to Manchester before and would rather attend in the day than at night. A good bit of street smart advice for all you adults out there. 

Little to Fault

The staff, though few, were very hospitable and they would check on me for drinks or food from time to time. The casino floor was clean, the cabinets were in great condition and there was really nothing to fault. I was there for nearly three hours and during this time I played a good variety of slot machines, some of which I had already experienced online. I was fascinated to see if there was any difference in the gameplay – turns out there wasn’t. The engagement is different because these are cabinets, and it did take me back to my younger years when the bandit would be the area of a pub or bar where you would find me. 

The business model here is basic and that adds to this arcade vibe. The casino has only been open since 2019 and this is possibly why everything is still in good condition. Especially when you think that lockdowns during COVID would have shuttered the venue for periods. From my experience it takes a few years for new UK casinos to show their wear, so I couldn't confidently say how well it's being maintained at this point. Either way, it’s certainly a pleasant environment. 

Between entering and leaving Admiral Slots Piccadilly, I saw no real change in how busy the place got. I had a total of four free drinks and enjoyed a chocolate bar and a packet of crisps as well. Enjoyable all round.

⭐ Standout Moment 

I did manage a decently sized win on Eye of Horus. It certainly helped keep my bankroll afloat.

Would I return to Admiral Slots in Manchester Piccadilly? As the saying goes, ‘not for all the tea in Tescos’. Now, would I go back to an Admiral Slots that was closer to home? The answer is yes, probably. But there’s a niggling issue which immediately hit me when I saw the available cabinet games. I thought to myself, why don’t I just do this at home? Even if not at the casinos I am already registered to online, then at least I could have signed up to Admiral Casino online to play the same games and more via that platform. 

Now, I am no doom-monger and I feel the high streets have suffered a raw deal with so many closures. But the reality begs the question, is there a place for Admiral Slots long term? There being six Admiral-owned Manchester casinos alone is a bit weird, given that Piccadilly wasn’t exactly thriving in business when I attended. All this said, I really cannot fault my experience and I hope for the nice staff that Admiral Slots Piccadilly goes the distance.

If you find yourself in Manchester, whether you’re there out of choice or taken virtually against your will like me, then you’ll find a welcome environment and polite staff inside of Admiral Slots Casino Piccadilly. If you’ve only ever played slot games online until now, it’s highly worth giving cabinet slots a go as the experience is that bit more thrilling and interactive. The calmness and ‘zen’ within Admiral Slots, which is genuinely enjoyable, means that I do recommend it and I do give it a big thumbs up overall.

Slag bang in the middle of Manctopia, it’s easy to reach Admiral Slots from near and afar. I arrived by train at Manchester Piccadilly, the nearest national railway station, which is a quick zip in a taxi or a 10-minute walk to the venue. Coaches from across the country arrive at nearby Chorlton Street Coach Station, while local buses from across the Greater Manchester drop off at stands spread around Piccadilly Gardens, which is right outside. 

If driving into town, you’ll be happy to know the closest car park is in Chatham Street, a 3-minute walk away. Don’t forget Manchester also has a tram system for getting around the city, and if using it, you’ll want to hop off at the Piccadilly Gardens stop. 

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