Cash Poker, Late Cocktails and a Chinese Menu on Richfield Avenue: My Night at Genting Casino Reading
Genting Casino Reading sits on Richfield Avenue, just outside the main pull of Reading’s town centre, and it took me a moment on arrival to recalibrate what kind of evening I was walking into. Anyone scanning Genting Casino Reading reviews before a first visit mostly comes across notes about staff, food and exactly where to park rather than anything about a glamorous destination night out — and that tells you something useful about what this place actually is: a solid, working local casino rather than a flagship venue. Current hours, games and promotions are always worth checking on the Official website before heading out, since things like live entertainment nights and football promotions shift through the year.
Arrival & exterior
The building doesn’t try to announce itself. There’s no flashy casino frontage here — Richfield Avenue is a fairly low-key stretch, sitting close to the Rivermead Leisure complex rather than among Reading’s main shopping streets, so the casino reads more like a local landmark than a destination building. The entrance is a large manual revolving door with a separate semi-automatic pass door to the side, and once you’re through it, there’s no ambiguity about where to go — the reception lobby is right there, desk facing you head-on. It’s a practical kind of arrival rather than a theatrical one. Reading also has a Grosvenor casino closer to the Oracle Shopping Centre, more in the thick of the city centre, so if you’re picturing something in the middle of town, this one sits a bit further out and feels more like a standalone stop than part of a night-out strip.
Getting there & parking
Parking is available directly at the venue and, usefully, it’s free — something I’d have appreciated knowing in advance rather than guessing at. The car park is level throughout, with two marked accessible bays for blue badge holders, and access into the casino from there is step-free. There’s also a bus stop right outside, served by local city routes, though it’s worth knowing that stop itself isn’t step-free, so it won’t suit every visitor equally. Given the location away from the main shopping streets, I’d lean toward driving, getting a bus, or taking a taxi rather than planning on a casual walk in from the town centre.
First impression inside
Once past reception, the layout sorts itself out quickly: the gaming floor opens up to the right on one level, while the bar and lounge area sits to the left, reached by a short ramp. It didn’t feel overwhelming or maze-like — more a single, sensible loop you can work out within a couple of minutes. The lighting on the gaming floor felt bright enough to actually see what you’re doing at the tables without being harsh, and the noise level stayed on the manageable side of busy rather than tipping into chaotic. It has the feel of a venue built for repeat local visits rather than one-off spectacle nights — comfortable seating throughout, decent sightlines to the bar from parts of the floor, nothing that felt like it was trying too hard.
The gaming floor
The offer here is broader than I expected for a venue this size: live tables, cash poker running alongside poker-style games against the dealer, a fair spread of slots and electronic terminals, and a couple of jackpot-linked games thrown in. Nothing about it felt crammed, which made it easy to wander between sections without losing track of where I’d started.
Table games
Roulette and blackjack are exactly what you’d expect on any UK casino floor, and live gaming across the tables runs from 14:00 daily. Mahjong is the one that stands out — here it’s run as a casino table game against the house rather than the social, four-player tile game most people picture, so don’t expect a full rack of tiles or a long social session. I stuck mostly to roulette and blackjack myself; mahjong felt like something worth learning properly before sitting down to play it for real. The Genting Casino Reading minimum bet isn’t something I’d guess at ahead of time — it’s shown at the table itself and can shift by game and time, so it’s worth a glance before you commit to a seat.
| Game | Minimum bet | Opening times / details |
|---|---|---|
| Roulette | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 14:00 |
| Blackjack | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 14:00 |
| Mahjong | Shown at the table | Live gaming from 14:00 |
Poker and poker-style games
Cash poker is the main draw if you’re after a real game against other players, and it runs as part of the daily gaming activity rather than on a fixed weekly slot. Alongside it, 3-Card Poker and TCP Stud are both poker-based games played against the dealer rather than against other players — closer in spirit to blackjack than to a real poker room, just using poker hand rankings. I spent more time at the cash tables myself, but they’re a reasonable option if you want a poker-style hand without committing to a full session.
| Offer | Opening times / details |
|---|---|
| Cash Poker | Daily poker activity, subject to the current schedule |
| 3-Card Poker | Live gaming from 14:00 |
| TCP Stud | Live gaming from 14:00 |
- Poker tournaments available: No fixed tournament schedule is in place — cash-poker activity runs according to the current day-to-day schedule rather than set tournament dates.
- Reservation and registration: Cash-poker seating follows that same active schedule, and the dealer-led games are simply played at the table whenever the floor is open.
- Online booking available: No. Genting Casino Reading online booking for poker games isn’t available, so checking the current schedule on arrival (or by phone) is the only real way to know what’s running.
Slots & electronic gaming
The machine area felt easy enough to navigate — slots and live e-tables grouped together, with Dragonfire Roulette and BOOM Slots adding some variety beyond standard reels, plus a jackpot corner anchored by Blazing 7s. It’s not a vast hall of machines, more a compact, well-lit stretch that doesn’t take long to get your bearings in. The gaming offer can vary by venue, time and availability.
| Offer | Details | Opening times |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | Gaming machines and slot titles on the floor | Daily: 11:00–04:00 |
| Live e-tables | Electronic versions of table-game formats | Daily: 11:00–04:00 |
| Dragonfire Roulette | Roulette-style electronic gaming option | Daily: 11:00–04:00 |
| BOOM Slots | Slots-linked format, sometimes tied to points promotions | Daily: 11:00–04:00 |
| Jackpots (Blazing 7s) | Jackpot games | Current details updated on the official website |
Food and drink
The restaurant here runs as an in-house Chinese kitchen rather than a generic casino canteen, and it’s popular enough locally that turning up without a booking can mean a wait for a table. I went for a plate of sweet and sour chicken between rounds at the tables — simple, filling, and exactly the kind of thing you want when you’re stepping away from the floor for twenty minutes rather than settling in for a full dinner. The bar runs separately and feels like the more obvious evening hub: the cocktail list includes a Berry Mojito and a Peach on the Beach alongside a decent gin and wine selection, and it stays open until 02:00, which makes it a natural place to slow the pace down later in the night rather than calling it early.
| Offer | Opening hours | Booking / details |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Chinese menu) | Evening service | Booking recommended, especially on busier nights |
| Late bar | Until 02:00 | Cocktails, gins, wines and other drinks |
Activities & visitor benefits
There’s a steady rhythm of events here rather than a single headline night — live sports screenings (the casino has been showing major football fixtures, including World Cup matches, on its screens), occasional live entertainment, and seasonal football-themed food and drink offers all show up through the year. Slots tournaments also run periodically at Genting venues, Reading included, though dates and prizes shift. I’d check the website for whatever’s actually running on the night you’re planning to go, since none of this felt fixed enough to plan around blindly.
Membership runs through My Genting, which covers reward points, app-based offers and in-club perks rather than anything mandatory — you can visit and play as a guest without ever signing up. Any Genting Casino Reading bonus is best treated as a current, time-limited offer tied to ongoing promotions or member activity rather than a permanent reason to visit. A Genting Casino Reading online account for reservations isn’t really the point of My Genting either — it’s built around in-venue points, badges and offer tracking through the app rather than online play.
For online play, the operator runs a separate digital casino offer distinct from the physical Reading venue — its own games, registration and conditions, best checked directly on the official site if that side interests you.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Events & promotions | Live sports screenings, football food and drink offers, seasonal activity |
| Live entertainment | Scheduled live entertainment nights at the venue |
| Rewards / loyalty | My Genting points, badges, challenges and member offers |
| App features | Offer tracking, balance viewing, badges and messages via the My Genting app |
| Online offer | Separate digital casino product, independent of the physical venue |
Entry, dress code & practical rules
This is an open-door casino, so there’s no membership requirement to get in and no entrance fee for a standard visit — you can simply walk up and go in. You’ll need to be 18 or over, and if you look anywhere near the younger end of that, bring photo ID; a passport or driving licence both work for the age check or for registering if you decide to join as a member. The dress code is smart casual, with smart jeans and trainers both fine — I wouldn’t overthink the outfit for a casual visit here. Parking ties in neatly with all of this too: since it’s free and right at the venue, there’s no added friction between arriving and getting onto the floor.
Final verdict & tips
Taken as a whole, this felt like a genuinely practical local casino rather than a big night-out destination — strong on the basics (free parking, open-door access, a decent table and poker mix) without trying to be something flashier than it is. The Chinese restaurant was a pleasant surprise, the late bar gave the evening a natural second act, and the gaming floor itself was easy to read within minutes of walking in. What felt less convenient was the lack of a fixed poker tournament schedule and the fact that it sits far enough from the town centre that you’ll want transport sorted rather than planning to wander in on foot. This suits a relaxed, locally-minded night out more than a big-occasion destination trip.
A few practical points before you go:
- Bring valid physical ID, especially if you’re under 25 or planning to register as a member.
- Check the cash-poker schedule on arrival or by phone rather than assuming a fixed timetable.
- Book ahead for the restaurant if you actually want to eat — it fills up.
- Sort transport in advance, since the location favours driving, bus or taxi over walking from the centre.
- Set a rough budget before heading to the machines, since minimum bets at the tables aren’t fixed in advance.
Before the table: what worked well here was the straightforward layout and the free, accessible parking right at the door; what felt less convenient was the lack of any fixed poker tournament structure and the distance from Reading’s main streets.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Free, level-access car park right at the venue with accessible bays | Set back from Reading’s main shopping streets, so walking in from town isn’t easy |
| Open-door entry, no membership or booking needed for a general visit | The in-house Chinese restaurant gets busy, so turning up without booking can mean a wait |
| Cash poker running alongside roulette, blackjack and mahjong on one floor | The bus stop right outside isn’t step-free, which matters for some visitors |
| Late bar open until 02:00 for a longer evening | |
| Genting Casino Reading online as a separate digital gaming option | |
| Genting Casino Reading app for tracking points, badges and offers |
