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The best-known casino London has is the Hippodrome on Leicester Square, with the Empire Casino a few doors away, the Grosvenor Victoria on Edgware Road, Aspers at Westfield Stratford and, for members only, Les Ambassadeurs in Mayfair. Most London casinos no longer need advance membership: anyone 18 or over with photo ID can walk in. Private members’ clubs are different, and you’ll need a member to sign you in.
This guide covers both, along with the traditional gentlemen’s clubs of St James’s, how guest entry generally works, what to wear and how to behave once you’re inside.
Casino London: the main venues
The Hippodrome Casino, in a former Victorian theatre beside Leicester Square, is the liveliest. It spreads across three floors of gaming, with its own cabaret theatre, a restaurant and several bars, so it works as a whole evening rather than just a casino. Empire Casino, at 5 to 6 Leicester Square, fills a former ballroom across two floors and has been open since 2007.
Grosvenor Casino The Victoria, known to regulars as the Vic, has been on Edgware Road since 1965 and recently reopened after a major refurbishment. It is best known for its large poker room, which hosts cash games and tournaments. Out east, Aspers at Westfield Stratford City is one of the largest casinos in the country, handy if you’re near the Olympic Park.
Mayfair’s private casino scene has thinned over the years; Crockfords, the oldest of them, closed in 2023. Les Ambassadeurs Club, at 5 Hamilton Place just off Park Lane, has been there since 1950 and remains members-only, aimed squarely at serious players.
How entry works at a London casino
Under the Gambling Act, the old rule that you had to join a casino and wait 24 hours before playing has gone. At most London casinos you simply arrive, show government-issued photo ID (a passport or photocard driving licence is safest) and are registered on your first visit. You must be 18 or over, and you will be asked to prove it.
Members-only casinos such as Les Ambassadeurs are the exception. Membership is by application, and non-members generally need to be invited as a member’s guest. Ask the club directly about its current process; it changes.
As for dress, smart casual is a safe default for the Leicester Square casinos, and you’ll feel more at ease in a jacket in Mayfair. Each venue sets its own dress policy, so check before you go rather than risk being turned away at the door.
Private members clubs London: how they work
London’s private members’ clubs are less about gambling and more about dining, drinking and late nights among people the committee approves of. The best known include:
- Annabel’s, at 46 Berkeley Square in Mayfair, founded in 1963 and spread over several floors with dining rooms, bars and a garden.
- 5 Hertford Street, in Shepherd Market, founded in 2012, with its own basement nightclub for members.
- Mark’s Club on Charles Street, founded in 1972 as an alternative to the traditional St James’s clubs.
- The Arts Club on Dover Street, dating from 1863, which also has a handful of bedrooms whose guests may use the club during their stay.
- Home House, in a Georgian town house at 20 Portman Square in Marylebone, with bars, restaurants and bedrooms.
- The Groucho Club, at 45 Dean Street in Soho since 1985, long a favourite of writers, artists and the media.
Joining usually means being proposed and seconded by existing members, then approved by a committee, and there may be a waiting list. Fees vary widely and change, so ask each club. Non-members generally cannot book a table or walk in. The usual route is as a member’s guest: the member books, signs you in and is responsible for you while you’re there. Some clubs limit how many guests a member can bring.
Planning a casino evening
Eat first. The Hippodrome has its own restaurant, which makes it easy, but a dinner nearby in Soho or Covent Garden followed by a walk to Leicester Square works just as well. Weeknights are calmer than Saturdays, and the tables are easier to get a seat at. Change money into chips at the cash desk rather than carrying a wallet full of notes around the floor, and if you’re new to a game, sit at a low-stakes table and ask the dealer to talk you through it. Good dealers are patient with beginners, especially early in the evening.
Gentlemen’s clubs London: the St James’s tradition
In the traditional sense, London’s gentlemen’s clubs are the old institutions of St James’s: White’s, Boodle’s and Brooks’s on St James’s Street, and the Reform Club on Pall Mall, which now admits women as members. They date back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and still run on nomination, long waiting lists and house rules that change slowly, if at all.
You can’t visit one without a member, and you shouldn’t ask to. If you’re invited, expect a jacket and very often a tie, ask your host about phones and papers in the public rooms, and follow his lead. (The phrase is also used for lap-dancing venues, which this guide doesn’t cover.)
Etiquette at the tables and in the club
- Keep your phone away. Many clubs restrict calls and photographs, and casinos discourage filming on the gaming floor.
- Be discreet about other guests. What you see in a members’ club stays there; that is rather the point.
- At the tables, follow the dealer’s lead, don’t touch another player’s chips and keep your hands clear once bets are closed.
- As a guest, never order on the member’s account without being asked, and thank your host properly.
- Arrive sober enough to enjoy it. Door staff at good venues refuse entry quietly and firmly.
Gambling responsibly
A casino evening should be entertainment with a budget, not a plan to make money. Decide in advance what you’re happy to lose, bring that amount and leave your cards at the hotel. Set a time to leave, take breaks, and never chase losses. If gambling stops feeling like fun, BeGambleAware offers free, confidential advice and support, and every licensed UK casino can help you set limits or exclude yourself.
An escort for the evening
Casinos and members’ clubs make a good setting for a longer evening with a companion: dinner first, a drink in the bar, perhaps a few hands at the tables. If you’re a member’s guest yourself, check whether you can bring someone, as the house rules apply to everyone you sign in. Our guide to dinner dates and overnights explains how longer bookings work, and escort etiquette covers the courtesies. You can browse our London escorts and contact the concierge when you’re ready.
For the rest of the night, see our guides to Michelin-star restaurants, speakeasy bars and things to do in London at night. Planning for a group? Our stag do ideas include a casino night done properly.
A note from the concierge: venues change their menus, rooms, hours and house rules more often than guides can keep up with, so please check directly with the venue before you go.
Good to know
Questions
Not at most of them. Since the Gambling Act removed the old 24-hour membership rule, casinos such as the Hippodrome, Empire and the Vic let anyone 18 or over in with valid photo ID. A few, including Les Ambassadeurs in Mayfair, remain members-only.
Bring government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or a photocard driving licence. You'll usually be registered on your first visit, so keep the same ID for later visits.
Ask a member to invite you. They book, sign you in and are responsible for you during the visit. Non-members generally can't book or walk in, though a few clubs open for ticketed events or to guests staying in their bedrooms.
Smart casual is a safe choice for the Leicester Square casinos, and a jacket is wise in Mayfair. Dress policies vary by venue and change, so check before you go.
In London, gentlemen's clubs usually means the historic clubs of St James's, such as White's, Boodle's and Brooks's, run on nomination and long tradition. Modern private members' clubs like Annabel's or the Groucho are more social and centred on dining, drinking and late nights.