A Night at Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown: Baccarat, Mahjong and a Late Bar in Hurst Street
Genting Casino Birmingham sits on Hurst Street, right next to the Arcadian, and it’s one of those venues that’s easy to walk past without quite registering what it is until you’re standing in front of it. I went in expecting a fairly standard city-centre casino and came out thinking it’s more specific than that — heavily baccarat-led, with a Mahjong table that tells you exactly which part of Birmingham you’re in. Anyone reading Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown reviews before deciding whether to go will probably want the practical version rather than the marketing one, so that’s what I’ve tried to put together here. Current hours, games and promotions are always worth checking on the Official website before heading out, since casino floors change faster than write-ups do.
Arrival & exterior
This isn’t a casino with its own standalone building or a dramatic façade — it’s set into the Hurst Street frontage, in the part of the city that’s signposted as Chinatown, with the Arcadian’s bars and restaurants right alongside it. The practical question on arrival isn’t “what does the building look like,” it’s “which door is the casino’s.” The entrance is reasonably clear once you’re looking for it, marked rather than hidden, but it doesn’t dominate the street the way a purpose-built casino might. There are a few steps up into the entrance lobby, which is worth knowing if mobility is a factor for you or anyone you’re with. Once you’re through the door, the change of pace is immediate — street noise drops away and you’re straight into the lobby rather than a long approach corridor.
Getting there & parking
There’s no dedicated casino car park here, which is fairly normal for a city-centre venue squeezed into a street like this. The China Town car park sits at the rear of the casino, and if you use it, reception will validate your ticket free of charge — I’d recommend asking at the desk when you arrive rather than assuming it happens automatically. Hurst Street is also well served by buses, and Birmingham New Street station is a short walk away, so for anyone staying central or arriving by train, public transport is realistically the simpler option over driving into the middle of the city.
First impression inside
The floor felt busier and more compact than I expected, in a way that worked in its favour — it’s easy to get your bearings quickly rather than wandering through a maze of rooms. The lighting leans warm rather than harsh, and the noise level sits somewhere between a bar and a casino floor, with the late bar visible from most of the gaming area rather than tucked away separately. Baccarat clearly gets the most floor space and attention here, which isn’t something I’d expected walking in, and the Mahjong table is a small but genuine point of difference from most other casinos in the city. It didn’t feel overwhelming, but it also wasn’t quiet — this is a venue built for a night out rather than a contemplative solo session.
The gaming floor
What stood out to me was how much the gaming offer is shaped around baccarat rather than treating it as just one more table among many. Roulette and blackjack are both present and straightforward, but if baccarat isn’t your game, you’ll notice the floor was clearly designed with baccarat players in mind first. 3-Card Poker fills the poker-adjacent slot, and the electronic and slot areas sit alongside the live tables rather than in a separate room, which keeps the whole floor feeling connected rather than split into zones.
Table games
Roulette and blackjack are the two classic live tables here, played from 13:00 daily, and both are fairly standard in how they’re run — nothing unusual, which is honestly fine for a casual visit. Baccarat is where this venue puts its weight: there are several live tables, including dedicated Baccarat Fortune 8 tables tied to a progressive jackpot that builds with consecutive winning banks. I wouldn’t go in chasing that jackpot specifically, but it does make the baccarat tables feel like the actual centre of the floor rather than an afterthought. The Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown minimum bet isn’t something I’d guess at in advance, since it can shift by table, game and time of day — I’d check it at the table itself before sitting down.
| Game | Minimum bet | Opening times / details |
|---|---|---|
| Roulette | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 13:00 |
| Blackjack | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 13:00 |
| Baccarat | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 13:00; Baccarat Fortune 8 tables included |
Poker and poker-style games
There’s no live poker room or cash-game schedule at this venue — 3-Card Poker is the poker-style option, and it’s played against the dealer on the casino floor rather than against other players at a separate table. I didn’t spend long there myself, since the baccarat tables were the more obvious draw, but it’s a reasonable option if you want something poker-flavoured without committing to a full session. Because it’s a dealer game rather than a booked seat, Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown online reservation isn’t needed for this format — you just sit down when a spot is free.
| Offer | Opening times / details |
|---|---|
| 3-Card Poker | Live gaming from 13:00 |
Slots & electronic gaming
The slots and electronic terminals sit close to the live tables rather than in a separate room, which made the whole floor feel more joined-up than I expected from a venue this size. Electronic Roulette and the Dragonfire Roulette terminals are an easy lower-pressure option if you’d rather not sit at a live table straight away, and BOOM Slots adds a more arcade-style layer to the machine offer. The jackpot side includes Blazing 7s and the Baccarat Fortune 8 progressive tied to the live tables.
| Offer | Details | Opening times |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | Gaming machines, BOOM Slots | Daily: 11:00–06:00 |
| Live e-tables | Electronic terminals, Electronic Roulette | Daily: 11:00–06:00 |
| Dragonfire Roulette | Roulette-style electronic play | Daily: 11:00–06:00 |
| Jackpots | Blazing 7s, Baccarat Fortune 8 | Current jackpot details on the official website |
The gaming offer can vary by venue, time and availability. The games on the floor here are different from the Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown online offer, which runs as its own separate product.
Food and drink
This isn’t a destination restaurant stop — it reads more as a bar built into a night at the tables, with a dining offer running alongside it rather than competing for attention. I went for a slice from the pizza-sharing side of the menu, mainly because it suited the pace of moving between games without committing to a full sit-down meal; it was casual, easy to eat standing near the bar, and did the job without trying to be more than that. On the drinks side, I had a Strawberry Daiquiri from the cocktail list, which felt like the obvious choice given how much of the menu leans into that kind of crowd-pleasing cocktail territory rather than anything more obscure. The late bar runs through into the early hours, so it’s genuinely built for a long night rather than a quick pre-game drink.
| Offer | Opening hours | Booking / details |
|---|---|---|
| Late bar | Open until 05:30 | Cocktails, gins, wines, champagnes, beers |
| Dining | Venue hours | Sharing food, burgers, pizza-style options |
| Chinese restaurant | Venue hours | Restaurant area within the venue |
Activities & visitor benefits
The events calendar leans on baccarat and live sport rather than a fixed weekly schedule — there’s a free-to-enter baccarat tournament running through the venue at points in the year, and football screenings tend to pull a crowd given the bar’s setup and the location near other Southside venues. None of this felt locked into a fixed weekly rhythm, so I’d check the website for whatever’s actually running on the night you’re planning to go.
Membership runs through My Genting, which covers points, badges and challenges, and a handful of standing perks like a discount on drinks. A Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown bonus, in this context, is best treated as a current member offer rather than something fixed or guaranteed — what’s live changes, and it’s tied to the loyalty programme rather than a one-off reason to visit. For online play, Genting Casino online refers to the operator’s separate digital casino offer rather than this physical venue. I’d treat it as a different product entirely, with its own registration, games and conditions worth checking directly on the official site.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Events & promotions | Baccarat tournament, live sport screenings, seasonal offers |
| Live entertainment | Football and major sporting fixtures shown at the bar |
| Rewards / loyalty | My Genting points, badges and challenges |
| App features | Points tracking, offers, drinks discount, badge progress |
| Online offer | Separate digital casino, distinct registration and games |
Entry, dress code & practical rules
It’s an open-door casino, so there’s no membership requirement to get in and no need to book ahead for a general visit. If you look under 25, bring photo ID — a passport or driving licence both work, and I wouldn’t rely on a photo of one on your phone. The minimum age is 18, no exceptions. Dress code is smart casual: smart jeans and trainers are fine, but football shirts, vest or muscle tops, and caps or other hats aren’t part of the accepted look, the last of those mainly down to needing clear faces for the venue’s CCTV. If you’re parking at the China Town car park behind the casino, get your ticket validated at reception before you leave — it’s a small thing but easy to forget.
Final verdict & tips
What worked for me was the focus — this isn’t trying to be everything at once, and the baccarat-heavy floor combined with the late bar gives it a clear identity rather than a generic spread of games. What felt more limited was the poker side: if you’re after live cash games or tournaments, there’s nothing here beyond 3-Card Poker, so this isn’t the venue to plan a poker night around. It suits a casual evening with friends more than a focused, quiet session — the size and pace work against the latter.
A short transition before the breakdown: the location, the baccarat focus and the late bar were the easy wins; the lack of a dedicated poker offer and the absence of on-site parking were the two things that would change how I planned a visit.
A few practical tips:
- Bring valid physical photo ID, especially if you’re under 25 or close to it.
- If baccarat isn’t your main interest, check stakes and table availability before committing to a session.
- Don’t expect live poker cash games or tournaments here — it’s 3-Card Poker only on that front.
- If you’re driving, factor in the China Town car park and get your ticket validated at reception.
- Set a rough budget before you start, particularly given how easy it is to drift between the tables and the machines.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Central Chinatown location next to the Arcadian, close to New Street station | No live poker cash games or tournaments, only 3-Card Poker against the dealer |
| Strong baccarat offer, including dedicated Fortune 8 tables | No dedicated on-site car park; relies on the nearby China Town car park |
| Mahjong table, a genuine point of difference from most UK casinos | A few steps up to the entrance lobby, worth noting for mobility needs |
| Late bar running into the early hours with a broad drinks list | Floor and bar noise can make it feel more like a night-out venue than a quiet gaming session |
| Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown app for points, badges and drinks offers | |
| Genting Casino Birmingham Chinatown online as a separate digital gaming option |
