Review: Aspers - Stratford Super Casino
The UK’s first “Super Casino”, Aspers in Stratford opened in 2011 and is the largest casino you will find in the UK. It is not unreasonable to compare this casino to a Vegas casino with its aisles of blackjack and roulette tables. Compared with any other casino in the UK, Aspers is vast, it contains 150 slot machines alone, more than any other UK casino.
Travel & Parking At Aspers Casino Stratford
Being located in the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, transport links to this casino are second to none. The Stratford Underground station has links on the Jubilee, Central and London Overground lines. There is also the Stratford bus station which terminates routes from all over London and there’s ample parking in the Westfield parking facilities.
Parking charges are roughly £3 per hour but are capped at £15 for a 24 hour period. Aspers regularly run promotions in which they will pay for your parking if you attend the casino.
ASpers Stratford Casino Atmosphere
This casino gets busy. It is a central nightlife spot in Stratford and attracts hundreds of people on a Friday and Saturday night. At these times you might struggle to find a spot at a blackjack table, or get shoved out of the way when playing roulette. It isn't out of the ordinary to be on a 20 - 40 person waiting list just to play in a low stakes cash game in the poker room.
That said, this casino is a great place to come if you are out with friends. There is something for everyone. From the ultra modern and stylish Sky Bar to the massive wall of sports screens in Tanzibar, to the Roof Terrace with its stunning views and Clary's restaurant with its monthly Jazz nights - it isn't just gambling on offer at Aspers.
Aspers Stratford Dress code
As with most casinos, Aspers has a dress code so that they can maintain a respectable atmosphere.
The dress code at Aspers is listed as smart casual. However, in reality you’ll get away with a fairly casual outfit as long as it doesn’t include any of the following items of clothing which are expressly forbidden in their dress code:
Soiled and ripped clothing
Work clothing
Clothing with extreme/explicit wording or images
Vests and sleeveless shirts
Swimwear
Think about how you’d dress if you were going to an upmarket bar and you’ll hit the right level of dress for the Aspers Stratford dress code.
Food & Drink at Aspers Stratford
Aspers Stratford has 4 food and drink venues spread out over the casino floor. There is the a la carte restaurant Clary’s which has a great range of steaks and seafood as well as a good vegan offering.
The Sky Bar at Aspers Stratford has a modern social atmosphere away from all of the gambling, and Tanzibar is the Aspers Stratford sports lounge, with a wall of screens that play all major sporting events day and night.
Finally, the roof terrace is a great spot where you can unwind and see some spectacular views of London stadium with friends.
Being an Aspers rewards member will get you 25% off food and drink throughout the casino. Though you should be aware this only applies at certain times and some items are exempt. The real food and drink benefits come in the Gold reward tier which will require you to wager regularly in the casino.
Poker At Aspers Casino Stratford
You will find one of the biggest poker rooms in the country at Aspers featuring 500 seats and plenty of action. They really do cater well to all player types. From sub £50 daily tournaments with great structures all the way up to £5-£10-£25 4/5/6 PLO games.
Aspers Casino Stratford normally has 2 daily tournaments starting at 15:00 and 19:00. This is usually in the form of a bounty tournament (£10 bounties) and then a standard turbo style tournament later on. Their highest buy-in in the weekly schedule is £100 on a Thursday. As you might expect, with such affordable buy-ins and a great location for casual players, these are exceptionally soft tournaments. Even the Aspers tourney “regs” are quite exploitable with very limited study.
There is no rake on tournaments at Aspers Stratford, instead a flat 15% is taken from each daily event and added to the reg return tournament on a Sunday. If you have participated in any event throughout the week you can play for free in this tournament on Sunday afternoon. Prizes are sometimes packages to larger events such as 888 live or the Unibet Open series.
There is no shortage of cash action at Aspers Stratford. The poker room has constant £1-£1 and £1-£2 cash games available, with £2-£5 and higher cash games available at busy times. Rake for these games is standard for London at 10% capped at £5 (£1-£1) and 5% capped at £10 (£1-£2+) They also take £1 for various bonuses and jackpots on pots over £20.
The general ability of your opponents here will be weak in the evenings and at weekends with games becoming very splashy and many pots getting straddled. During the weekday afternoons, however, the games can become quite tight (and in my opinion are not worth playing), at these times you are better off jumping in one of the tournaments.
Aspers Stratford Slots
Aspers has the largest number of slot machines in the UK so you have plenty of choice and you can play for virtually any stake. Slots start at 10p per spin and increase from there.
If you feel like you have too many slots to choose from, we recommend that you download the SlotGuru app, which will help you decide which slot to play and how to play it. The SlotGuru app will also give you helpful information about slot volatility and risk.
Don't forget the weekly slots tournaments available to their best customers, always make sure you use your rewards card when you play to get emailed about these exclusive events.
Blackjack At Aspers Casino Stratford
The blackjack offering at Aspers starts at a table minimum of £5 and is played with both 4 and 6 decks. They offer a number of side bets, the largest of which is the Aspers Aces Progressive. This bonus is a £10k Jackpot for being dealt any 3 suited Aces, Kings or Queens.
As always, beware the house edge on these side bets. At 23.3% the Aspers Aces Progressive is one of the worst bets in the casino.
Aspers Stratford Side Bets & House Edges
| Side Bet | 6 Decks | 4 Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Pairs | 5.79% | 10.63% |
| 21+3 | 3.23% | 4.24% |
| House Money | 1.57% | 1.88% |
| Top 3 | 11.07% | 15.04% |
| Super Pairs | 13.31% | 17.52% |
| Aspers Aces Progressive | 23.32% | 23.36% |
Roulette At Aspers stratford
Aspers Stratford has roulette to suit anyone, with table minimums of 50p, £1, £2.50, £5 and beyond. They offer both single and double zero tables with La Partage rules on the single 0 tables. Note that you won't find a single zero 50p table, as these are reserved for higher stakes play.
On Friday and Saturday nights the roulette tables will get very busy and jostling is unfortunately quite common, especially at the lower stakes tables. It should also be noted that the 50p tables are only open at peak times too.
If you prefer lower stakes (or just don't want the hassle of going to a crowded table) Aspers Stratford has plenty of roulette terminals available that use live feeds from wheels around the casino. At the roulette terminals you can play a 10p minimum and use single zero tables.
For more info on how to play roulette check out our guide to casino roulette.
Summary
Aspers Casino in Stratford is a fantastic venue for you and your friends, even if you aren't into serious gambling. There is plenty to do in this East London location to ensure you have a great night out.
If you are in it for the gambling then Aspers has the best and most varied gaming offering in the UK. With the best value poker tournaments, and the largest selection of slot machines, Aspers Stratford has something for everyone and is definitely in our top 3 UK casinos.
