Betting in Edinburgh

The city of Edinburgh draws more visitors annually than any other destination in the U.K. save London. It is the capital of Scotland, seat of the Scottish Parliament, site of the Edinburgh Festival since 1947, and home to nearly half a million residents whose satisfaction rate with their domicile has been recorded at 92 percent, higher than any other European city surveyed.

Attractions in Edinburgh range from historic castles, churches and cathedrals to modern football and rugby events, fascinating museums, world-class golf courses, the Scottish Opera and National Theatre, comedy clubs, art galleries, shopping for Scottish wares and high street brands, nearby beaches, pubs, inns, restaurants and luxury hotels. Of course the gambling scene is bustling, too, with venues to suit every fancy.

Three of the city’s gambling halls are owned and operated by the entertainment conglomerate known as Genting Casinos UK. One of them, the Genting Casino Leith, is located on Ocean Drive, facing the waters of the Firth of Fourth and overlooking the Port of Leith. It is open daily from noon to 6am for electronic gaming with a dozen gaming machines, and its live gaming area is open from 2pm till 6am, featuring 15 table and poker games.

More centrally located is the Genting Casino York Place, adjacent to the St. James Shopping Centre. It offers American Roulette, Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Electronic Roulette at 11 tables, open seven days a week from 2pm to 6am. The gaming space also features ten gaming machines, and patrons can register for free online in advance of their visit for speedy entry to the casino.

The third Edinburgh property in the network is the Genting Casino Fountainpark on Dundee Street. With 27,000 square feet of gaming space, it is easily the largest of the trio, featuring 20 gaming machines and 17 table and poker games, including Roulette, Blackjack, 3-Card Poker and Poker games that are occasionally linked online in tournament play with other Genting Casino properties around the U.K. The Fountainpark venue has a bar and a restaurant on the premises, and the hours of operation are from noon to 6am daily.

Also in the Fountainpark area is the local branch of Mecca Bingo, open daily from 11am to 11pm. Although the specialty here is, of course, Bingo, the property also has 42 gaming machines, a restaurant and a bar.

Over by Meadowbank Stadium off London Road is Rileys Sports Bar New Yorker. It is primarily a venue for Poker, offering two tables in constant play from 11am till midnight weekdays and 10am till midnight on Saturday and Sunday. Also on the premises are 7 English pool tables, 12 American pool tables, 25 Snooker tables and a new darts zone with multiple boards.

West toward Edinburgh Airport on South Maybury Road is the Gala Maybury Casino, open daily from noon till 5am. Its gaming space offers 20 gaming machines and 19 table games, including 50p American Roulette, £2 Blackjack, £2 Three Card Poker and Punto Banco. Minimum stakes start at just 10p at the electronic roulette table. Food and drinks are available at the casino’s Charleston Restaurant.

Six miles east along the coast from downtown Edinburgh at Musselburgh is the area’s foremost racetrack. The Historic Musselburgh Links has been a venue for horseracing since 1816, and during the past 15 years facilities and service have been upgraded to such an extent that the course has retained the award of VisitScotland 5 Star Visitor Attraction status since 2006. A full range of bookmaking services are available on site.

Published on: 02/04/2013

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