Review: Aspers - The Casino MK
The Casino MK is an Aspers-operated casino in Milton Keynes, UK in the Xscape leisure centre. The Casino MK opened in 2000, and has been recently refurbished to a high standard in line with the other Aspers casinos in Stratford, Northampton and Newcastle. The Casino MK is spread over one floor, with a restaurant and two smoking terraces.
As the only casino in Milton Keynes, the Casino MK offers everything you’d expect, such as blackjack, roulette and slot machines, though it also benefits from a large poker room for tournaments and a lively main-floor cash game.
Travel & Parking at the Casino MK
The Casino MK is easy to travel to, with ample parking by the entrance and to the rear of the casino, and is also easily accessible by train from multiple stations around the UK, including London.
Dress Code at The Casino MK
The Casino MK does have a dress code, which they state is ‘smart casual’. However, it’s our experience that the Casino MK’s dress code is more on the casual side, as you are allowed to wear trainers and jeans, for example.
The Casino MK does expressly forbid the following items (and there’s no use in arguing if they turn you away, believe us):
Soiled or ripped clothing
Work Clothes
Hats
Sunglasses
Face Coverings
Gym Wear
The dress code at The Casino MK is in play as part of Aspers desire to keep the atmosphere fun for all their guests and generally maintain a respectable atmosphere. Dress as if you were going to a cocktail bar, or a nice restaurant, and you won’t have any problems.
As the area is surrounded by several other bars, pubs and restaurants, you’ll often see drunk people trying to get into the casino late at night in a t-shirt and ripped jeans (or no shirt at all), so The Casino MK enforces their dress code in part to keep out some of the rowdier people in the area.
Atmosphere at the Casino MK
The Casino MK is a spacious, well-decorated casino spread over the accessible ground floor. As an Aspers casino, the Casino MK feels more upmarket than your typical Grosvenor or Genting casino, which is reflected in the enforcement of the dress code, as mentioned above.
Everyone who works at the Casino MK is friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to help. The staff’s warmth and willingness to banter with the patrons is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the large number of regulars who reliably attend the casino every week.
Food & Drink at the Casino MK
The Casino MK’s restaurant, Clary’s Bar & Grill, serves up decent, reasonably priced food. If you have a standard Aspers membership card, you’ll also benefit from 25% off your food bill.
The 25% standard membership discount also applies to all drinks at the bar, and while you’re playing you’ll receive free soft drinks from the waiting staff who orbit the casino floor frequently enough. (Though a tip will go a long way to getting them to revisit your table!)
A limited food menu is also available from Tanzibar, The Casino MK’s sports and entertainment bar located in the centre of the casino.
Be Warned: Understaffed Poker
Although the Casino MK has a giant poker room and multiple cash game tables on the main floor, the establishment is notoriously understaffed, so at time of writing (2020) only offers self-dealt tournaments and rarely runs more than 4 cash tables. The cash tables often have a wait list that runs well into double figures, which takes hours to clear down and they will close tables early (1:30am - 2:30am) in order to free up staff in order to work on other tables. (Many previous dealers and croupiers left the casino in the years following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, so it is possible that this casino and others are feeling the effects of Brexit.)
Tip: The easiest time to get a cash game seat is right as the tournament starts as many people transition at this time.
The Casino MK’s giant poker room
Slots at The Casino MK
The Casino MK caters well to slots as most UK casinos do. Around half of the casino floor is dedicated to slots, with stakes starting as low as .05p per line - meaning an initial stake of just £20 can go a long way. Be careful though, playing slots is the quickest way to lose money in the casino, so be sure not to spend all of your time on them. Always remember to use your players card when playing slots, as you’ll be losing a lot of money in the long run so it is very worthwhile to claim some of that back through the reward points. Slots at Aspers are provided by Novomatic and are generally similar to those found throughout the UK.
Sports at The Casino MK
Sports betting is available in the back of the casino beside the large screen at Tanzibar. Odds are updated live. For those who enjoy sports betting, The Casino MK’s Tanzibar provides an ideal setting to relax and watch the game.
Blackjack At The Casino MK
Blackjack pays 3 to 2 at all Aspers Blackjack tables. This means that best case (without cheating) you can keep the house edge as low as 0.51%. There are a host of side bets available with jackpots often in 5 figure territory however the house edge on these side bets is over 23%.
Roulette at Aspers Milton Keynes
Aspers offer both single and double zero roulette tables. Min bets start at £1 although you will occasionally find £0.50 tables open at weekends. For anything lower there are many roulette terminals available with min bets at £0.10.
On single zero tables the house edge is 2.7% on the layout and only 1.35% on even money bets as they offer La Partage. (This is where the casino will return half of your stake should the result be zero.)
La Partage does not apply to Double Zero roulette which makes it a far worse game in terms of odds, with a 5.26% house edge.
Casino MK Poker: Cash Games & Tournaments
Poker has always had a large presence at The Casino MK due to the large poker room located at the back of the casino. Currently, the poker offering is very limited with only 2 tournaments per week which are super turbo (15 minute level) self-dealt shove fests. The casino will only run a maximum of 4 cash tables at any one time due to staff shortages. The stakes available are 25p/25p, £1/£1, £1/£2 and the occasional higher stake PLO game. There is plenty of action available at the 25p and £1/£1 tables although the £1/£2 games and higher are largely reg-infested and you would be far better served playing elsewhere for these stakes.
If you would like to play cash games and feel intimidated by higher stakes or would like to learn the game in a lower stake environment then the MK 25p game is a great way to get up to speed in a live poker environment.
Aspers Rewards Card
Aspers World offers customers three membership tiers to earn points through play and unlock exclusive benefits both in and out of the casino. The tiers are Voyager, Gold and VIP. In addition to the benefits below you can get 50% off entry to Port Lympne Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park and 12% off at Holiday Inn Westfield Stratford City Just for being a member.
Voyager is the basic membership available to all players at signup and entitles guests to 25% off on most food and drink throughout the casino. You will also receive birthday offers and invitations to exclusive slots tournaments.
Worth a visit
Despite struggling with a few issues - most notably staffing issues which detract from what would be an amazing poker scene - The Casino MK is well worth a visit. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and you’ll rarely get any trouble there. From Blackjack through roulette and even poker, you’ll find a host of reasonably priced, affordable games - and the same goes for food and drinks.
Aspers Casino MK is a great alternative for those looking for a nice casino with a good atmosphere and poker scene, but would rather not travel into London to attend the Aspers Stratford casino.
You can visit The Casino MK’s website here.