Genting Casino London Chinatown: A Compact Stop in the Middle of Theatreland
I went into this one expecting a small, slightly anonymous gaming room squeezed between West End theatres, and that’s roughly what I got — though with a bit more personality than I anticipated. For anyone reading Genting Casino London Chinatown reviews before deciding whether it’s worth the detour, my honest takeaway is that this is a practical, late-opening local casino rather than a big destination night out. Current hours, games and promotions are always best checked on the Official website before heading out, since these things shift from month to month.
Arrival & exterior
The casino sits on Shaftesbury Avenue, right in the thick of Chinatown, with the Palace Theatre and Prince Edward Theatre close enough that you’ll pass queuing theatre crowds on the way in. There’s no grand standalone casino façade here — it’s a single sliding door set into a row of buildings, and honestly I would have walked past it if I hadn’t been looking for the signage. The entrance is well marked, which helps, but I noticed there are four shallow steps up from street level with no handrail, so it’s worth knowing that in advance if mobility is a concern; a ramp is available if you need it. Nothing about the outside tries to look like a casino in the postcard sense — it reads more like one more door among the bars and restaurants of the street.
Getting there & parking
There’s no dedicated car park at the casino itself, so I wouldn’t plan to drive into this part of London expecting somewhere to leave the car right outside. Given the location in the middle of Theatreland, arriving on foot or by Underground felt like the obvious choice rather than an inconvenience — this is one of those venues where central London’s usual parking limitations apply, and I’d factor that into the evening rather than treat it as a casino-specific issue.
First impression inside
Reception is up on the first floor, reachable by a short run of stairs or a lift, which already tells you this isn’t a sprawling multi-floor casino — it’s a single compact gaming level once you’re up there. The lighting felt warmer and dimmer than I expected, closer to a lounge bar than a brightly lit slots hall, and the overall atmosphere leaned toward calm rather than loud. It didn’t feel overwhelming or maze-like; tables and machines are close enough together that the room reads as one connected space rather than separate zones you have to hunt for. For a Friday-night Chinatown venue, I’d call it more buzzing-but-contained than chaotic.
The gaming floor
What stood out to me was how tightly the offer is packaged: a small run of live tables, a slots and electronic section, and a late bar, all on the same floor. It’s not trying to be a destination casino with multiple themed rooms — it felt more like a focused, efficient gaming floor built around classic games rather than a wide spread of novelty formats. If you know roughly what you want to play before you arrive, you’ll find it quickly; if you’re hoping to wander between several distinct areas, there isn’t much wandering to do.
Table games
Roulette, blackjack and baccarat are the backbone here, plus Squeeze Baccarat, which is the same baccarat format but with a slower, more theatrical reveal of the cards before they’re turned. I stuck mostly to blackjack and roulette myself, partly because the room is small enough that you can see every table from where you’re standing, which makes it easy to pick a seat without much circling. The Genting Casino London Chinatown minimum bet isn’t something I’d guess in advance — it’s shown at the table once you sit down, and it can shift depending on the table and time of night, so I’d treat the stake as something to check on arrival rather than plan around beforehand.
| 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 |
| Squeeze Baccarat | Shown at the table | Baccarat format available at the venue |
Poker and poker-style games
There isn’t a poker room here, and no scheduled cash games or tournaments — live or otherwise. If poker is the actual reason for your evening, this isn’t the venue for it; over in Leicester Square, the Hippodrome runs a dedicated poker floor across its own deck, and the contrast made it pretty clear that Chinatown is built around table games, slots and electronic gaming rather than a poker offer. I didn’t miss it personally, since I’d come more for the tables, but it’s worth knowing before you go in expecting a felt-and-chips poker night.
Slots & electronic gaming
The machine section sits just off the tables, and it didn’t feel like a separate room so much as a natural continuation of the floor — slots, Live E-tables, Dragonfire Roulette and a small jackpot corner including Blazing 7s. It’s bright without being garish, and easy enough to find your way around without needing to ask anyone. I’d call it compact rather than limited; there’s enough variety to spend an hour without repeating yourself, but it’s not the kind of sprawling slots hall you get in bigger venues.
| Offer | Details | Opening times |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | Gaming machines and slot titles on the casino floor | Daily: 12:00–05:00 |
| Live E-tables | Electronic terminals running table-game formats | Daily: 12:00–05:00 |
| Dragonfire Roulette | Electronic roulette-style gaming option | Daily: 12:00–05:00 |
| BOOM Slots | Slots-linked format, occasionally tied to points promotions | Daily: 12:00–05:00 |
| Jackpots / Blazing 7s | Jackpot machine games | Current jackpot details are updated 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 London Chinatown online offer, which runs as its own separate product.
Food and drink
There’s no separate restaurant here — what you get is a Late Bar, open from 14:00 to 03:00, and it functions more as a social pause between games than a dining stop. I went for a gin and tonic from the bar’s drinks list, mainly because the gin selection looked like the stronger part of the menu compared with the food side, and it worked well as a way to sit out a round without leaving the floor. If you’re after a proper sit-down meal, I’d treat this as a venue to eat before or after rather than during — the bar is built for drinks and a breather, not a restaurant-length break.
| Offer | Opening hours | Booking / details |
|---|---|---|
| Late Bar | Daily: 14:00–03:00 | Wines, spirits, beers, cocktails and gin; walk-in, no separate restaurant booking needed |
Activities & visitor benefits
The events side leans toward prize draws and the occasional slots tournament rather than a fixed weekly calendar — things like seasonal prize draws or points-based campaigns tend to run for a few weeks at a time rather than sitting there permanently. I’d check the website for whatever’s actually running on the night you’re planning to go, since this is the kind of offer that changes faster than a printed schedule could keep up with.
Membership runs through My Genting, which covers points, badges, challenges and selected member offers rather than a single loyalty card you swipe at the door. I’d treat any Genting Casino London Chinatown bonus as a current member or app-linked offer rather than a fixed reason to visit, since what’s active tends to rotate. For online play, Genting Casino online refers to the operator’s separate digital casino product rather than this physical venue — different registration, different games, and worth treating as its own thing entirely if that’s what you’re after.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Events & promotions | Periodic prize draws and slots tournaments; specifics rotate |
| Rewards / loyalty | My Genting membership, points and badges |
| App features | Track points and balance, view offers, top up |
| Online offer | Separate Genting Casino online product, independent of the physical venue |
Entry, dress code & practical rules
You’ll need to be 18 or over, and I’d bring a passport or driving licence regardless of whether anyone asks for it — registration and age checks run through Genting’s standard process, with pre-registration available online or registration handled at reception if you turn up without it. There’s no entrance fee for a general visit; it’s the games themselves you pay to play, not the door. Dress-wise, smart casual covers it comfortably — smart jeans and smart trainers are fine, but football shirts, vest tops, caps and other hats aren’t part of the accepted look, mostly for visibility on the venue’s CCTV rather than anything stuffier than that.
Final verdict & tips
Taken as a whole, this felt like a genuinely local, late-night casino rather than something built for tourists ticking off a London bucket list — compact, efficient, and easy to understand within a few minutes of walking in. What worked for me was the simplicity: one floor, classic table games, a manageable slots section, and a bar that doesn’t try to be more than it is. What felt limited was the complete absence of poker and the lack of any on-site parking, both of which matter if either is part of your plan for the evening. I’d say it suits people who want a straightforward, drop-in casino night near the West End theatres rather than anyone chasing a poker room or a multi-floor entertainment complex.
A few practical nudges before you go:
- Bring physical photo ID even if you’re confident you look over 18 — it’s part of the registration process either way.
- Don’t expect to find stakes published anywhere in advance; check the active minimum at the table itself.
- Skip the idea of driving in — there’s no car park attached, so plan around the Underground instead.
- If poker is the point of your evening, this isn’t the venue; head elsewhere in London for that.
- Check the website on the day if you’re hoping to catch a prize draw or slots tournament, since these don’t run on a fixed weekly pattern.
What convinced me was the practicality of the place — easy to find your way around, no wasted space, and a bar that does its job without overreaching. What felt less convenient was mainly logistical: the steps at the entrance, the lack of parking, and the fact that there’s nothing here for poker players specifically.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Central Chinatown location, close to several West End theatres | No Genting Casino London poker offer of any kind |
| Long daily hours (12:00–05:00), live gaming from 13:00 | No on-site parking |
| Squeeze Baccarat alongside the standard table-game lineup | Four steps at the entrance with no handrail |
| My Genting rewards with points, badges and member offers | Bar only — no separate restaurant on site |
| Genting Casino London Chinatown app for tracking points and offers | |
| Genting Casino London Chinatown online as a separate digital gaming option |
