Betting in Vienna

Sometimes referred to as the “City of Dreams,” in tribute to its famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Vienna or “Wien” is the capital and largest city of Austria. Its metro population tops 2.4 million, which ranks it 9th among all cities in the European Union.

Celts settled here on the banks of the Danube River as long ago as 500 BCE. Romans later claimed it as a frontier city and fortified it against Germanic tribes to the north. During the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to the Babenberg dynasty, and in 1440, it became the centre of the Habsburg dynasties. For nearly four centuries it served as the de facto capital of the Holy Roman Empire, expanding as a cultural centre for arts, science, music and fine cuisine, despite a brief occupation by Hungary and two thwarted invasions by Ottoman armies. By the start of the 20th century, it was the largest German-speaking city in the world.

Today, Vienna is divided into 23 districts (Bezirke), with the heart and historical city of Wien on the left bank of the Danube with District 1 as its hub. Each year since 2005, Vienna has ranked as the world`s top destination for international congresses and conventions, drawing nearly five million visitors a year. Attractions include the city’s Baroque castles and gardens, as well as its late-19th-century Ringstrasse (Ring Road) lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.

The most elegant and one of the oldest gaming venues in the city is the Casino Wien, also known as the Casino Vienna. It is located in District 1 inside the Esterhàzy Palace on Kärntner Straße, which has been owned by a family of princes since the early 15th century. Although the original palace was destroyed by fire in 1968, it was renovated for conversion into a casino and then expanded in the 1990s. Several of its former Empire-style features still remain alongside rooms adorned with chandeliers and contemporary artwork, such as the Fuchs room, designed by painter Ernst Fuchs and his two sons.

The Casino Wien contains numerous salons for its 94 slot machines and 29 table games, including French Roulette, Mini French Roulette, American Roulette, Black Jack, Tropical Stud-Poker, Poker, Easy Hold’em, Easy Poker, Red Dog and Punto Banco. Operating hours are from 3pm till 3am daily and there are two bars and the Jackpot Café on the premises for food and drink.

Closer to the Danube River in the Leopoldstadt district is the Casino Admiral Prater with its 515 gaming machines. Owned and operated by the locally headquartered Novomatic Group of companies, it is open daily from 6am to 3am and offers dining at it Sphynx Restaurant. Competing nearby is the Merkur Casino – Wien, owned by the Gauselmann Group headquartered in Germany’s East Westphalia.

Two branches of the Concord Card Casino also operate in Vienna. The main one on Brehmstraße in the southeast is open 24 hours daily with a restaurant, a race and sports book, a bingo room, six gaming machines and 41 poker games, including 7-Card Stud Poker, Five-Card Draw Poker, Omaha Hold`em and Texas Hold`em. The other one called Lugner City on Moeringgasse west of the city centre has seven poker tables and is open 24/7.

Additional gaming establishments dot the countryside surrounding Vienna, such as the Casino Baden in Baden bei Wien to the southwest. It features a 30,139-square-foot gaming space with 258 gaming machines and 30 table games, including 7-Card Stud Poker, American Roulette, Blackjack, French Roulette, Poker, Punto Banco, Seven Eleven and Wheel-of-Fortune. Operating hours are from 3pm to 3am daily, closed on 24 December and 1~2 January.

Another attraction for gamblers in the vicinity is the Poker Royale Card Casino in Wiener Neustadt. Established in 2007, it has the distinction of being the largest card room in Europe, with a 7,200-square-foot gaming area that features eight gaming machines and 50 poker tables for tournaments and cash games of various limits, from Texas Hold’em to Omaha and Seven Card Stud. Open 24/7, the property also has one restaurant serving Austrian cuisine.

Published on: 22/04/2013

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