London has long held a reputation as one of the world’s great cities for a night out. From the theatre bars of Covent Garden to the candlelit cocktail rooms tucked behind Mayfair townhouses, the capital does entertainment with a particular kind of confidence. Now, new research has confirmed what many residents already suspected: when it comes to casinos, London tops the European table.
A study by Casinos.com, leading experts on online slot sites in the UK, ranked the highest-rated casino in each of Europe’s ten most visited cities, using Google Reviews as the measure. London came first, with the Grosvenor Casino in St Giles earning a score of 4.8 out of 5. Set in the heart of the West End, a short walk from the theatres of Shaftesbury Avenue, it offers American roulette, blackjack, three-card poker, Punto Banco and Shoot Dice on a polished gaming floor that draws visitors and locals in equal measure.
The European leaderboard
Second place went to Paris, where the Club Circus Paris scored 4.5. The venue sits within walking distance of the Parc des Princes and the ParisLongchamp racecourse, blending 31 poker and dealer tables with a restaurant and bar in a setting that feels distinctly Parisian. Vienna’s Casino Baden rounded out the top three with 4.4, its grand interiors making it one of the largest and most architecturally impressive casino spaces in central Europe.
Madrid’s Casino Gran Via I Poker Room came fourth with a score of 4.2. The classical surroundings of the Gran Via give it a grandeur that sits in pleasing contrast to fifth-placed Amsterdam’s Holland Casino, which took the same data point but reads as modern and stripped back where Madrid leans ornate. Barcelona and Rome tied in sixth, both scoring a flat 4.0, before Athens, Milan and Venice brought up the rear at 3.9, 3.9 and 3.8 respectively.
The study used data from Statista on the ten most visited European cities between 2019 and 2023, excluding Istanbul due to the country’s legal prohibitions on casino gambling. Paris and London each welcomed over 20 million inbound tourist arrivals in the years before and after the pandemic, cementing their status as the continent’s dominant city destinations. That the two most-visited cities also house the two highest-rated casinos is unlikely to be a coincidence.
Why London’s casino scene holds its own
The Grosvenor St Giles result reflects something broader about London’s approach to gambling as leisure. The city’s nightlife offering has always been diverse, catering to everything from a low-key pub evening in Hammersmith to high-stakes tables in Mayfair. Casinos occupy a specific tier in that landscape, offering a slower, more deliberate form of entertainment than a club or bar, one that rewards patience and creates its own particular atmosphere.
What makes London particularly interesting for casino visitors is the spread of venues across the city. The West End cluster around St Giles, Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue puts casino options within a short walk of theatres, restaurants and late-night bars, making a casino visit a natural extension of an evening rather than a standalone event. The Hippodrome near Leicester Square is perhaps the most famous example: a converted Victorian circus and music hall that became one of the UK’s most recognisable casino and entertainment venues.
For travellers building a European itinerary with a casino element, the results offer a practical guide. London and Paris are the clear frontrunners in terms of visitor ratings. Vienna provides a more historic, opulent experience for those drawn to the grandeur of central Europe. Madrid suits the visitor who wants classical surroundings and a strong poker offering, while Amsterdam works well for those who prefer contemporary design and a more relaxed atmosphere.
The UK Gambling Commission regulates all casino operations in Britain, setting the legal framework that governs how venues operate and how players are protected. That licensing structure is one reason UK casinos tend to score well with visitors: the regulatory environment enforces transparency, responsible gambling measures and minimum standards across the industry.
The cities worth a detour
The bottom three, Athens, Milan and Venice, should not be dismissed entirely. The Regency Casino Mont Parnes in Athens sits at an altitude of around 1,000 metres on the slopes of Mount Parnes, reached by cable car, and offers a setting unlike anything else on the list. Venice’s Casinò di Venezia, occupying a 15th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal, may score lowest in the table but arguably has the most dramatic location of any casino in Europe. A score of 3.8 does not mean a bad evening. It means the competition at the top is particularly strong.
For west Londoners planning a city break this summer, the research gives a useful steer. The capital already has Europe’s best-reviewed casino on its doorstep. But if you are adding a few days in Paris, a long weekend in Vienna or a city break in Madrid, there is now a reliable way to judge which casino is worth the visit and which is better left to another time.
