I’ve just wrapped up my latest visit to the North East, and how could I not call in at the top casinos in Newcastle? If recommendations from friends are anything to go by, the city’s Genting Casino is spectacular, and I might just have saved the best for last here. I’ll cover all the bases in this Genting Casino Newcastle review, including where it’s located and how to get there. I’ll also run you through which games can be played, what services are available, and any promotions and bonuses that get dished out to players and members. 

The Genting Casino in Newcastle is situated right on the southern side of Central Station, on Forth Street. This is a quieter area of the city centre overall. Most surrounding buildings are offices or hotels, and from the back of the casino you get an impressive view of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. As a location, it’s perfectly situated for those visiting the city by train or travelling by the metro lines. In fact, it couldn’t really be much better.

The casino building itself is a detached, modern, and large venue, purpose-built to entertain in the realms of gambling and events. It has all the hallmarks of a contemporary casino, and if it were not for the odd sign of wear, you could easily believe this were a brand new casino based on its design alone. There is parking around the property for those driving to the venue. The casino’s private car park is open from 2:00pm to 4:00am each day.

The games made available by Genting Casino are often impressive, however, I did notice something odd with the four roulette tables they had. I pointed out to the dealer of one of the roulette tables why they advertised the game as American roulette, when it was clearly a French roulette table because there are no double zero spots on the table or wheel. Their tables even come with the French side bets. He knew what I was getting at – turns out the whole American thing was purely to make it sound more appealing to most visitors. Because of his honesty, I take my hat off to the chap.

Table Games

The roulette games are found central to the main games lobby. Opposite these, you have one table for three card poker, two blackjack tables, and one baccarat (punto banco) table.

Poker

To the far side or back end of the casino is where you find the poker tables. There are ten of these poker tables in total, and this is where the tournaments are held every night of the week. Next to this poker area are several tables where you can play mahjong. Not a game you see at every casino, but hardly a surprise here given the Asian-inspired theme. 

Slots and Electronics

Back to the front of the casino you have about 20 slot machines available. Most of these machines are supplied by Admiral and Novomatic, two hugely popular gaming software companies that are used throughout all Genting Casino sites in the UK, and provide games to many online slot sites. Gaming titles include Book of Ra, Dolphin’s Pearl, Lord of the Ocean, Lucky Lady’s Charm, and Beetle Mania. There are also Fort Knox slots that can carry huge jackpots of up to £20,000.

Beside the slots are around 16 gaming terminals that are connected to a roulette wheel. These games are also known as e-tables. They also conned to the casino’s own Dragonfire Roulette, Double Spin Roulette, and Electronic Baccarat games.

At this point, it’s worth saying that Genting Casino is also an online gambling service. With this, you get online casino games, brand new online slots, and live casino tables, as well as exclusive titles made only for this casino. These include American 21 Blackjack, American Roulette Pro VIP, and the slot game Ninja Master. 

I was staying at the Leonardo Hotel a short walk west of the casino, which was a 10-minute walk at my pace, but you may well be faster. It’s a perfect palatable four star offering, and one of several in the immediate vicinity of the casino, along with the Crowne Plaza, Copthorne, and INNSiDE by Melia hotels. 

Meanwhile, Travelodge Newcastle Quayside is a top option for tighter budgets. All of these are within spitting distance of the casino and front onto the River Tyne, so it’s a cracking location. 

I arrived at Newcastle’s Genting Casino at 5:00pm on a Sunday. It was busier than what I’d expect for this time of the week. I’m told online that the opening times run from 11:00am to 4:00am Wednesday to Saturday, while Sunday to Tuesday it opens at the same time but closes an hour later, at 5:00am. With this, live tables don’t get going until 4:00pm. My research paid off as I therefore timed my visit around the fact.

Entering the Casino

Once you step inside, you’re soon met by the reception staff who will check your ID and sort your membership if you’ve not done so online already. Those queuing behind you will probably be thankful if you did, as it can take a little time. Not all Genting casinos across the UK require membership – but this one does. Once you’re all good to go in, the team will ask if they can be of any further assistance. 

In the reception area, the casino supplies How to Play leaflets. It’s a great touch and I can imagine how beneficial it’d be for first-time players.

What's Inside

Beyond the reception and led by some god-awful carpet runner, you enter into the main games lobby and bar. The bar is to your right with some booths for eating from the unfussy but generally crowd-pleasing menu – think pizzas and small plates. Immediately to your left, you have some of the slot cabinets.

Once I took to the games, the staff here were great, and I have to say that this has been the case with all the casinos I visited in Newcastle. Perhaps there’s something to the claim that the North East is the friendliest corner of the country.

Dress code: the request is for smart casual, but the day I see someone wear anything properly smart in any casino, I think my beard and eyebrows might fall off in shock. Typical evening out attire will see you fit in just fine here. 

Smoking: There are also balconies on the building where you can stop for a cigarette or use a vape.

Cash machines: There are ATMs around the building should you need to top-up the funds in your pocket. You will find a machine next to the slots, by the cash desk that’s behind the electronic terminals. Another ATM is found on the opposite side of the bar towards the poker tables.

The casino is fully wheelchair accessible and includes suitable toilets and lifts. There are also blue badge parking spots right by the entrance of the venue.

The Genting Newcastle Casino, as with all other Genting venues, comes with membership rewards. Players are encouraged to download the Genting App to get the latest offers and updates on promotions. The app also serves as a points recorder. If you earn enough points, you will reap the rewards. When you download the Genting app for the first time, the casino operator will award you £10 in points. 

Food and Drink

Other benefits include free tea, soft drinks, and coffee when playing. You get a general 10% discount on beverages, as well as access to poker and slot tournaments. You can also receive more offers direct to your inbox when you approve email communications. Alongside the app there’s the My Genting card. Using the card as you play and spend will help you to bag even more points. 

App and My Genting Card

Genting Casino is one of the few high-street gambling services that provide such a rounded digital service, with an app alongside either a physical or digital card. You can even get a £10 bonus in points by referring a friend to the casino. The Genting Casino app can be downloaded on Apple and Android phones. You’ll fast find the link for these apps via the official Genting Casino website. 

Currently, all Genting Casinos are participating in a Win a Holiday competition. The casino is giving away £120,000 in cash for a lucky member to win either 3 holidays abroad or eight short stays in London. Not too shabby.

For a Sunday, the casino was fairly busy on my visit. Though what seemed to have passed me by entirely, somehow, was that the following day was a bank holiday Monday. And suddenly it all made a lot more sense.

Now I don’t mind a busy casino or a quiet one – either has its upsides. With a busy casino, it’s nice to see a business doing well and it’s always nice to get swept up in the buzz and atmosphere. When casinos are quiet, it means I can get to the games I want to without waiting for a space to come free. There’s none of that tense keeping an eye on other players to see what games they’re edging towards. 

The casino was noticeably clean. There were clearly enough staff on hand to keep the place in good condition. When it came to the games, these were in fine nick. Again, a bit odd that they use French tables and advertise them as American, but that’s up to them. I didn’t try the food and drink on this stop, but I’ve eaten at a Genting Casino before and what you get is good, be it very simple classic menus on offer. We’re talking burgers, wings, pizzas, and steaks. A courtesy glance across a few tables in the dining area and it all looked pretty fine to me.

⭐ Standout Moment

On this occasion, it’s got to be the staff. Helpful where they need to be, and the dealer at the roulette tables took my ribbing for the French/American mix-up in good jest. 

Have I missed anything? Well, I have to state that of all the casinos in Newcastle, the Genting was my preferred. This is mostly down to the variety of games offered. They simply had more choice here, which helps this venue hold up against the best casino sites that bit better. 

Oh, and before I forget, there is a karaoke area with private booth rooms. Now if you didn’t already know or hadn’t picked up on the theme, the Genting company is Malaysian owned. So this is why you have such entertainment as karaoke and games like Mahjong.

The location of Genting Casino was good. It offers plenty of parking and you’re within a few minutes’ walk of the Central Station, with a ton of hotels beside. You can’t ask for much more than that.

‘Doing the Simple Things Right’

What’s clear about this casino is that it does the simple things right, and I’ve said this in other reviews about how Genting goes about its business. This industry’s cherished on their home turf, and they have the financial clout to do it justice here. I genuinely like this casino, and even though it’s a relatively new building, when the lights are dimmed inside it looks impressive. It manages to give off that right sort of atmosphere – something many modern casinos strive for and fail at. 

If I were to recommend a casino to play in, to those visiting Newcastle for the first time, it would be Genting Casino. If you do have an interest in going to Genting, then download the casino’s app to begin collecting points. Even if you don’t plan to go often, at least you won’t miss out on the points you will collect on your first visit. You’ve nothing to lose by doing this, and bagging a promo even occasionally could make this the casino with the best payout for you. 

The Genting Newcastle Casino is situated between Newcastle Central station and the River Tyne. The address is technically on Forth Street but the casino also backs onto Handover Street, where you can access it from. 

The walk from the station to the casino is no more than five minutes. You simply need to head out the main entrance, take a right, and then head under the arches via Orchard Street. If coming by car, take note that around Hanover Square and onto Hanover Street there are several dead ends. The postcode you’ll want is NE1 3NZ.

It has to be said that there’s little in the way of bus stops around the casino. Your best bet would be to catch a bus to the train station and walk from there.

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