Dudley Castle Casino

Last updated: 19 November 2014
Comfortable old shoe of a local's casino

Before you go:

Reg/Walk In: Reg
Cashout at Machines: Coupon
Dress Code: Smart casual
Rewards Programme: No
Parking: Free customer parking
Restaurants: Yes
Bars: Yes

Address: 10, Castle Hill, DY1 4QQ
Telephone: 44 01384242000
Website: http://www.casino36.co.uk/index.php?page=109

The Castle Casino in Dudley is halfway up a hill – I believe they’ve gone for the name “Castle Hill” – opposite Dudley Zoo, which I am reliably informed is a lot more interesting than you might think.
The site has a great big car park behind it, and although it looks extremely old fashioned from the outside, inside it’s just … well … quite old fashioned. The building goes back a long way from the street, so there’s a bit more in there than you first expect. As usual with this small group of casinos (which also includes Casino 36 in Stockport and the Rubicon in nearby Wolverhampton) it’s a membership system that took a few mildly annoying minutes.

Once you’re in, the bar is right there in front of you so you can grab a pint and get used to your surroundings. It’s all very pleasant in a slightly 70s way, and although the carpet in places appears to be bordering on the transparent, the rest of it is in good order.

As you progress through there are about 8 gaming tables – not many open even when they’re busy, I reckon – and lots of electronic roulette. They do offer a nice bargain on the ER, with some of them set to play for 1p, so if you are a bit short on funds and want to try your ridiculous-it’ll-never-work roulette system, you can invest a few quid and, in all likelihood, be fooled into thinking it’ll work for proper money. Spoiler alert – it won’t. Incidentally, watch out if you like betting late into the spin on the roulette – for some reason, the ball doesn’t spin very long at all, perhaps they need to sand down their balls. Within the electronic roulette they actually have some single seat spots, so if you are extremely anti-social (ie you fit the general profile of a casino player ) then this might be your spot.

There are a few poker tables thrown in too, and a smallish restaurant off to one side which looks fairly pleasant. Some classic slots can be found here too, which sport signs saying “If you are not happy with your machine, take a break or reduce your stake”. I can’t help thinking that if you are blaming a machine which is essentially designed to take your money for taking your money, you probably are in the wrong place, but I imagine sadly like most outlets they have a few customers who lose perspective over their spending. On the plus side, they can’t have that much trouble as they have a few slots that have clearly been there a very long time and are still working – Rich Little Piggies and Lucky Lemmings among them.

It’s a nice looking site with some pleasant red lighting (although not over the top red lighting – take note Grosvenor Leeds). If you happen to be in the area, you should stop by and say hi.