Kyiv casinos offer plenty of opportunities for gambling enthusiasts
Though Kyiv is certainly not a gambling hotspotit can easily infect anyone with the gambling “virus.” Kyiv’s casinos are a classy source of entertainment for those who can afford to lose small or large amounts and not to worry about it much. In fact, most Kyiv casinos are little more than high-priced additions to chic restaurants and clubs, with blackjack tables boasting minimum bets $10 or more per hand.
Split family
The first Ukrainian casino Split opened in 1992 and became the basis for the first Ukrainian gambling network – Split Group. Now it’s a classic club casino with a wide variety of games with a wide range of bets. The main hall houses seven tables: American roulette (two tables), blackjack (one table), and poker (four tables: five-card, six-card, seven-card and Russian). The casino’s VIP hall offers maximum bets for high rollers.
For American roulette the smallest bet is $1, the highest – $1,000. For blackjack the lowest bet is $10, the highest – $200. Finally, for VIP poker the lowest bet is $25, the highest – $4,000.
Split also has 35 modern slot machines with various popular games and electronic roulette for four people. You can have a drink at the casino’s small bar, or if you feel like some more serious entertainment, head to the casino’s restaurant, concert hall or strip club.
Joss casino, a part of the Split group, was voted Best Kyiv Casino in 2007 by Kyiv Post readers and is located by the Livoberezhna metro station. Joss opened in 1993 and is known as the main gambling house on the capital’s left bank. It has two big gaming halls full of beeping and pinging slot machines, and offers some of the city’s best blackjack, roulette, poker, and more than a dozen other games. The casino’s Green Hall has a cozy interior that won’t distract you, two huge aquariums, light music and an open bar to help gamblers relax. The casino’s slot machines are also located in the Green Hall. You can expect bets ranging from $1 up to $2,000 to join a game.
The Blue hall holds higher stake games. Experienced players who prefer a calm atmosphere play in the Blue Hall, choosing from five tables. Two restaurants are also found on the premises: Riviera and Kyoto, the latter serving decent Japanese food. The striptease bar and the dance floor will come handy if you want to forget about your loss – or celebrate your win.
Casino Kyiv is located under Kyiv cinema, and is another Split Group gambling establishment which offers professional croupiers and high level games. The casino’s games include American roulette, Caribbean poker, six-card poker, Russian poker and blackjack. The staff is professional, and the casino holds regular money prize draws and of course an open bar for players. The casino also offers truly reasonable bets – the roulette minimum is $0.5, at the card tables – $2.5. The complex also offers a classic billiard hall, a restaurant-bar and the Maidan disco bar. The billiard hall has eight 12-foot tables for playing Russian billiard, three nine-foot tables for shooting American pool, two snooker tables and high-quality cues.
They have flexible discount and bonus systems for regular visitors. During the day games are two times cheaper.
Split (8 Prorizna, 536-1717, www.split.kiev.ua)
Joss (2 Raisy Okipnoyi, 516-8674, www.joss.com.ua)
Kyiv (19 Chervonoarmiyska, 246-6620, www.clubkiev.com.ua)
All for gamblers
River Palace is one of the veterans of the Kyiv gambling scene, and is well-known to all night life lovers. Complete with a sports bar, night club, slots machines and a lively casino, River Palace has it all. Take one flight up onto the middle deck and you’ll find a night club and slots room where you can get a feel for gambling. The casino, with classic American roulette, blackjack and poker tables (Texas Hold’em poker, Oasis Stud or Draw Poker) can all be found upstairs. There you can indulge in your gambling fever all you want.
The casino is divided into the “Hryvneviy” hall, where bets are placed in Ukrainian currency and the “Dollar” hall with dollar bets. If you crave something more magnificent, try the VIP room. Each of the halls includes a bar for ultimate comfort and relaxation. The lowest bet at the casino is $0.5 at the American roulette table.
Casino FreeDom consists of two halls with 12 tables. The large hall includes five poker tables, two blackjack tables, two European roulette tables and 15 slot machines.
Table minimums vary from $2 to $10 for blackjack, Caribbean stud poker and roulette. The highest payout is $4,000. In addition, they have a Club of Money Lovers – a sort of encouragement system for permanent gamblers. Depending on how much time you spent at the table and how big your bets were, you can get bonuses that allow you to pay your bills at the restaurant or concert hall. On a weekly basis, they hold blackjack and poker tournaments. Prizes for every tournament are between $200 and $300 plus the Jackpot. Every Friday, the casino has a $5,000 drawing, and monthly drawing for $10,000.
Elegant and luxurious Imperial Casino belongs to Kyiv’s gambling elite. Not only the dress code is strictly observed (no running shoes allowed), you can expect a high-class treatment from security and staff. Imperial is said to have the look and feel of a private gaming room, but with all the professionalism of a Vegas casino. Its tastefully decorated interior is adequately staffed, and managers survey the scene without looking intrusive. It’s easily one of the top places to go in Kyiv for those wanting to avoid the riffraff and still play the numbers game. At your service are three gambling halls with 18 tables: American roulette, blackjack, four types of poker and various slot machines. Those who are not afraid to take risks and are ready for the “big” game are welcome in the VIP hall.
Avalon casino is one of the largest and most respectable gambling establishments in the city, astonishing not so much in its size as in its chic setting. An excellent croupier school and schooled casino personnel will pleasantly surprise even the most demanding players. The Large Hall, three VIP rooms, slot machine room, and Tropical casino are all at your service. The security level at Avalon casino is one of the highest in Kyiv. There are about 30 gaming tables where you can try your luck at American roulette. Avalon casino offers daily and weekly cash draws as well. Among Avalon’s other attractions is a lounge bar, dance club Azhur and a seafood restaurant.
Arena Casino is wide open for eager and adventurous players on the third floor of the Arena City Entertainment Complex. There are three playing halls, including a VIP hall, where 12 playing tables and 12 slot machines are available. Gambling options include American roulette, blackjack, and five- and six-cardCaribbean Stud poker. The Poker hall and VIP-hall are located separately from the main hall and offer a large gaming atmosphere in an unruffled locale.
Arena also provides you with four comfortable VIP-rooms. A club card system, discounts, and privileges are available for frequent guests. Minimum bets: American roulette – $1, poker – $10, blackjack – $5. Minimum VIP bets are $500 for poker, $2,000 for Black Jack, and $500 for American roulette.
You can take a break from the game and have a meal at Japanese restaurant Tsunami or have a drink at the Roulette Wheel bar, and go dancing at the Arena Dance Club, which are all a part of the complex. Thursdays you have an opportunity to win $2,500 in poker, and every Wednesday – $5,000 in poker and blackjack.
River Palace (Naberezhne Shose, Dnipro metro, 490-6695, www.riverpalace.kiev.ua)
FreeDom (134 Frunze, 468-6080, www.freedomhall.com.ua)
Avalon (3 Leontovicha, 234-7494, www.avalon-club.com.ua)
Arena (2A Baseyna, 420-0000, www.arena-kiev.com)
Big or small?
Located on the first floor of the five-star hotel Premier Palace, Premier Palace Casino matches the luxury of the hotel that houses it. The casino stands out among other gambling houses in Kyiv with its sophisticated entertainment and elegance, designed to make you feel like a character in the James Bond film “Casino Royale.”
The modern gaming equipment combines subtlety with the classic interiors of rich blue fabric, hardwood, crystal, marble and bronze. Service is inconspicuous and the private complimentary bar serves premium drinks continuously day and night. The casino offers a special VIP-club room, three roulette and eight card tables.
Gabriela casino is situated in Dnipro hotel and offers classic poker, blackjack and roulette, as well as a VIP-hall with American roulette, blackjack and poker tables. Gabriela’s VIP-hall has expensive minimum bets: American roulette – the lowest bet is $25, the highest bet is $1,500. Blackjack – the lowest bet is $100, the highest bet is $1,000. VIP poker – the lowest bet is $100, the highest bet is $1,000. The maximum bet in the entire gambling house is $15,000.
Gabriela offers three kinds of poker: Caribbean Poker, VIP-poker and Russian poker. And they have three blackjack tables where the lowest bet is $5 and the highest bet is $1,000.
For club card owners, the casino organizes daily draws for additional VIP tickets for participation in Jackpot and Russian 21 games. Prize lotteries are also offered for players, with a $150,000 drawing every month. You can relax after the game at the night-bar Millennium or London cigar club. Or if you wish, the casino will provide a car for you to get home for free.
If you get hungry in the heat of the game, Imperial casino is ready to satisfy your hunger with gourmet cuisine. The Jules Verne Tavern has a Glass Kitchen that will prepare your order right before your eyes. There’s also a Georgian restaurant named Alazani located opposite Imperial Casino and the upper level of the building houses one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in town, Asakhi. Sports fans can watch broadcasts of boxing and football games on the two huge TV screens and 11 plasma screens.
One of the smallest stand-alone casinos in the city, XXI Century has little to offer to dedicated gambling enthusiasts, with just one table each for poker, blackjack and roulette ($5 minimum for all games). With little room for games, there’s no buffet table, but they offer a wide range of complimentary drinks. They have Slavutych Ice and Obolon, with cognac, vodka and champagne also offered. For all those interested in taking a break from gambling, the casino also has a strip club downstairs.
Premier Palace Casino (5-7/29 Bulvar Shevchenka, Premier Palace Hotel, 537-4500, www.premier-casino.com)
Gabriela (1/2 Khreschatyk, Hotel Dnipro, 228-8821, www.casino-gabriela.kiev.ua)
Imperial (1G Saksahanskoho, 205-5390, www.imperial.com.ua)
Casino XXI Century (51 Saksahanskoho, 220-1703)
