Where to Play Live Poker in London: The Top 5 Land-Based Casinos

• Name: Grosvenor Casino, The Victoria (affectionately known as "The Vic")

• Address: 150-162 Edgware Rd, London W2 2DT

• Working Hours: Open 24/7

• Live Tournaments: Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT), National Poker League (NPL), 888poker LIVE

Affectionately dubbed "The Vic" by anyone who has ever held two cards in this city, this Edgware Road establishment has been a staple of the London scene since it first opened its doors in the swinging sixties. 

As one of the longest-standing gaming venues in the capital, the poker room here is practically hallowed ground. If the walls could talk, they’d tell stories of legendary sessions featuring British poker royalty like Victoria Coren-Mitchell and the late, great Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott. It’s arguably the most famous historic poker destination in the country.

When it comes to live tournaments, The Vic is an absolute powerhouse. It serves as the spiritual home and flagship venue for the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT), anchoring the most prestigious domestic tour in the country. This includes the massive GUKPT Grand Final, which consistently smashes its guarantees and draws fields packed with the best players in Europe. 

Alongside the National Poker League, they also frequently partner with 888poker for massive live series, making it the ultimate spot for serious players who want well-structured, deep-stacked tournament action.

• Name: The Hippodrome Casino London

• Address: Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH

• Working Hours: Open 24/7

• Live Tournaments: UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), PokerStars Mega Series, Hippodrome Lightning Tournaments

You’d be hard-pressed to find a venue with a cooler origin story than The Hippodrome. Originally opened in 1900 as a circus and variety performance venue, the building once featured a massive 100,000-gallon water tank for aquatic spectacles, complete with fountains and boats! 

Fast forward to 2012, and then-Mayor Boris Johnson officially opened it as the sprawling, multi-level casino we know today. It's one of the few surviving buildings in London that still holds the "Hippodrome" moniker, a nod to its early days of grand entertainment.

Today, the entertainment is heavily focused on the felt, thanks to a massive partnership with PokerStars. The Hippodrome’s dedicated PokerStars Live deck is the premier destination for major PokerStars-branded festivals in the city. 

If you’re looking to chase a coveted spade trophy, this is where you go. They regularly host massive stops for the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), which brings enormous international fields straight into the heart of Leicester Square. 

• Name: Empire Casino

• Address: 5-6 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7NA

• Working Hours: Open 24/7

• Live Tournaments: Daily/Weekly structured schedules, Monthly Cash Race

Just a stone's throw from The Hippodrome sits the Empire Casino, which opened its doors in 2007. The building itself is steeped in Leicester Square's rich entertainment history, occupying the site of the old Empire Theatre.

While it might not boast a massive aquatic tank in its past, the Caesars Entertainment property has firmly cemented itself as a landmark destination for the modern London gambler, seamlessly blending the area's cinematic history with a high-energy, modern gaming floor.

Unlike venues that rely solely on massive, multi-week international festivals, the Empire’s poker room thrives on its incredible daily accessibility. They run structured, low-to-mid stakes tournaments every single day, ranging from £50 Freezeouts to lively £114 Bounties and Omaha events.

What really sets the Empire apart, however, is their legendary Monthly Cash Race. Rather than just handing out tournament trophies, they reward cash game grinders with points all month long, culminating in a leaderboard tournament where winners have historically walked away with massive packages, including $10,000 buy-ins to the WSOP Main Event in Vegas.

• Name: Genting Casino Stratford (Formerly Aspers Casino)

• Address: Olympic Park, 312 Montfichet Rd, London E20 1ET

• Working Hours: Open 24/7

• Live Tournaments: British Poker Series (BPS), BPS Carnival & Anniversary Events

When this venue first opened in 2011 as Aspers Casino, it made headlines as the United Kingdom’s very first "super casino." Tucked right inside the Westfield Stratford City shopping center in East London, this sprawling 65,000-square-foot behemoth brought a slice of Vegas-style scale to the UK.

Now operating under the Genting banner, it remains one of the largest and most accessible gaming floors in the country, maintaining a relaxed atmosphere that is particularly welcoming to recreational players.

The tournament action here is anchored heavily by the British Poker Series (BPS), which has rapidly become a massive draw for players chasing large guarantees without needing a huge bankroll. Genting Stratford is the home base for these BPS events, routinely hosting weekend tournaments like the BPS200, which often slaps a £100,000 guarantee on a very accessible buy-in.