Germany casinos

City of Kiel

1) Merkur (Enter through left door):

Spacious 3 rooms with about a dozen slots in each, none i recognize.
Did not play

2nd floor:

Snooker table and a regular pool table
Did not inquire about cost


2) Casino Kiel

$5 entrance fee with signup, which is given back in the form of freeplay.
Around 10 games i recognized with 4 being playable, all picked clean.

You cashout from machine via the player's card. You redeem for cash at the cage.
The player's card expire and locks after 24hrs.
You must get a new player's card each day. (People throw the players card in a box next to the cashier when they leave)

There are three types of German casinos.

The vast majority have electronic games only and generally are small with machines that look about 30 years old. Munich has lots of them.

Second are large casinos that allow full gambling. Major cities will usually have one. Berlin has two. While they are modern and well-staffed, I suspect they are highly regulated, which tends to make them rather sterile and boring.

Third, and I have been to only one outside of Frankfurt, are the type of fancy private casinos you see in James Bond movies. When I went there, jackets and ties were required of the men. They did not accept the nice Italian leather jacket I had at the time, so I had to borrow both. They had some strange rules in the blackjack game involving one joker in a six-deck shoe, that served as a wild card, I think. Whoever was the manager was very patient with my questions, which continued by Email after my visit. I think I wrote about it somewhere. This casino, was way out in the countryside and lacking in any signage that I can recall. I only knew about it because I begged my German cousin to take me to a casino and that was the only one he knew of near Frankfurt.

Quote: 100xOdds

City of Kiel

1) Merkur (Enter through left door):

Spacious 3 rooms with about a dozen slots in each, none i recognize.

There used to be a slot machine manufacturer called Spielo. I have no idea it they are related.

Quote: DRich

There used to be a slot machine manufacturer called Spielo. I have no idea it they are related.
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I think spielo means game in German and is frequently seen on casino signage.

hey Wizard

Do you remember the name of the small city where the casino is located? Was it Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, or Mainz? Mainz is the newest of the three. Wiesbaden is an old venue with a very nice interior and ambiance. Bad Homburg is also very old with a very nice interior and ambiance. I loved dining there often when I was in the area.

Quote: seven

Do you remember the name of the small city where the casino is located? Was it Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, or Mainz? Mainz is the newest of the three. Wiesbaden is an old venue with a very nice interior and ambiance. Bad Homburg is also very old with a very nice interior and ambiance. I loved dining there often when I was in the area.
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Short answer is no. I know he and his wife took me the central part of Mainz, which was great -- pure Germany. It is what planted the seed in my brain to do the Camino de Santiago years later. Somehow Bad Homburg sticks in my brain, as I recall a conversation about being confused between Hamburg and Bad Homburg.

This probably won't help, but they invited me to dinner and asked what kind of food I wanted. I replied, "German, of course." So, they had to go way out of the way to get to a German restaurant -- in Germany. I asked why they had to travel so far and my cousin's wife said, "Germans eat German food at home all the time. When they go out, they want something different, usually Italian." Anyway, this German restaurant, was near the casino.

Quote: Wizard

Quote: seven

Do you remember the name of the small city where the casino is located? Was it Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, or Mainz? Mainz is the newest of the three. Wiesbaden is an old venue with a very nice interior and ambiance. Bad Homburg is also very old with a very nice interior and ambiance. I loved dining there often when I was in the area.
link to original post

Short answer is no. I know he and his wife took me the central part of Mainz, which was great -- pure Germany. It is what planted the seed in my brain to do the Camino de Santiago years later. Somehow Bad Homburg sticks in my brain, as I recall a conversation about being confused between Hamburg and Bad Homburg.

This probably won't help, but they invited me to dinner and asked what kind of food I wanted. I replied, "German, of course." So, they had to go way out of the way to get to a German restaurant -- in Germany. I asked why they had to travel so far and my cousin's wife said, "Germans eat German food at home all the time. When they go out, they want something different, usually Italian." Anyway, this German restaurant, was near the casino.
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Thank you for the detailed answer, as far as you can remember. In your first answer in this thread, you wrote:
"Third, and I have only been to one outside of Frankfurt, are the fancy, private casinos you see in James Bond movies." "
With this in mind, I’d say you visited the Bad Homburg Casino.

Quote: Wizard

...They had some strange rules in the blackjack game involving one joker in a six-deck shoe, that served as a wild card, I think...

I've found this info via the internet, I'm guessing the Joker is only useful for the sidebet and otherwise another card is drawn if anyone gets one.

Their sidebets are based on the rank of your first card (or second if the first is the Joker) matching the Dealer's (presumably also drawing second card is first is the Joker). I don't know whether the payouts are "to 1" or "for 1". Assuming the former, in the first opption you get paid 11/1 or 200/1 with a Joker. In the second option you get paid 22/1 if your Blackjack hands wins, or 200/1 with a Joker - I can see difficulties with this as it affects your BJ strategy (e.g. more splitting, less doubling, differemt hitting etc.) and you shouldn't make the bet unless you know there's a Joker left in the shoe (assuming CSM).

I vaguely remember going in the casino in Aachen and have been to Weisbaden, a friend lived there. I think you didn't need anything to enter the fruit machine parts, but they could loan you a tie and jacket for the casino part. I can't recall the Jokers, so perhaps this is a recent addition.
https://www.spielbank-wiesbaden.de/en/our-classics/blackjack/your-extra-chances

City of Rostock (North of Berlin)

Casino Rostock:


Dozens of machines but slightly cramped.
None that i recognize.

There were signs for table games and poker (cash game and tourny) but the door to the 2nd floor was closed.
I did not ask about them.

No sign up bonus but I saw the same Dragon Link type game with random expanding reels as the casino in the Baltics where i lost $.

I decided to play it. (No player's card at this casino)
I chose the version where the free games is expanding symbols instead of winning $ for each Dragon ball on the screen.

Think the game was called Book of Ra.
After a few spins, Got 6 balls. In one of the free games, reels expanded and i had the same symbol in 4 columns. Those symbols expanded to the length of the expanded reels.
At the end, it was a 300x win overall.
It also did not give me a GAMBLE option like the other casino, which i'm grateful for.
Cashed out at the kiosk machine and left.

City of Hamburg

Casino Hamburg is a chain of 4 casinos.
Each location has their own name, which is the area or street they're on.
1 Euro entrance fee per day but apparently that 1 euro is good for all locations(?) or maybe only Reeperbahn location charges the fee?

All locations, you have to tap your players card at exit to open the gate. That locks out the players card, making it worthless. Deposit card in box after the gate.


1) Reeperbahn -> in the Red light district


2 p.m. - 4.00 a.m.
Paid 1 Euro fee.
None of the games i recognize. Left without playing

2) Esplanade



Slots: 12 noon - 04.00 a.m
Tables on 2nd floor: opens 5pm
- Only casino of the 4 with tables
- Was told it's BJ and Roulette
- Need to check jacket if going upstairs. (I didn't go up)

Reception verified passport to get players card. Did not have to pay 1 Euro fee.
Dozens of slots but Only 4 games i recognize. All were being played.

Played the same Dragon Link type slot with random expanding reels from the one in the Baltic countries.
Lost $200 at $1.50/spin and only got 1 bonus.
Seems payout way less than that Baltic casino. :(
.25 left on card. Just left without cashing out. I assume the change was forfeited at the gate.

3+4) Steindamm and Mundsburg
- Did not go