Valkenburg being a small town in southeast Holland, on the border with Germany, I didn’t expect to find a large crowed at the Valkenburg branch of Holland Casino. However, the casino was busy at the time of my visit, on Friday, May 3rd at 21:30. Having visited the casino, I am not surprised. I really enjoyed my visit to the casino. Judging by the license plates on the cars in the casino parking lot, many Belgians and Germans consider it a good alternative to the casinos in nearby Aachen and Spa.
Parking Casino Valkenburg
Holland Casino Valkenburg is not really served by means of public transportation. The only way to get to the casino is by car. You can park for free in the parking lot outside the casino. There is also a large multi-storey parking lot adjacent to the casino, where you can park for a small charge.
Dress Code Casino Valkenburg
There was a large crowed waiting in line for the ID check at the entrance to the casino. Most were wearing a T-Shirt and Jeans. Only a few were in a suit. With my elegant jacket and dress shirt, I felt overdressed and thought I would have no problem getting in. So, when the lady at the reception asked me, “Speak u Netherlands?” I didn’t think it had anything to do with my appearance. “Nei”, I answered in Dutch, but when I saw her confusion, I switched to English. “Crocks are not permitted in the Casino”, she said… I had to go back to my car and change my yellow Crocks to the elegant closed shoes I was hoping to avoid wearing. In any event, you shouldn’t have a problem getting into the casino in Valkenburg wearing a jeans, decent T-shirt and closed shoes.
Entrance Casino Valkenburg
To enter the casino, you must be at least 18 years old and present a valid passport or other photo ID. The entrance fee is €5, but you essentially get it back in the form of a Lucky Chip worth of €5, which you must bet with before you can cash out.
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Atmosphere Casino Valkenburg
Valkenburg is a small town, known mostly for its therapeutic hot springs. It is situated in a beautiful part of the country, right at the Holland, Germany, Belgium tricountry point. It is characterize by hilly terrain (why do they said Holland is flat?!). On both sides of the road there is nothing much but fields bordered by old stone hedges, old houses and windmills. Driving to the casino through this peaceful, pastoral countryside put me in a relaxed mood.
The atmosphere in the casino was equally relaxed. The casino is located on one floor, in a large, broad room with separate areas for table games, slots and Poker, and two large bars on opposite sides of the room. The floor is covered with an elegant carpet which reminded me of a drawing by Keith Harring.
At the time of my visit, nearly all tables were in operation which contributed to the relaxed evening atmosphere. There was nothing snobbish about the young people in Jeans and T-Shirt that dominated the crowed, and I felt very much at ease.
Roulette Casino Valkenburg
At least 15 Roulette tables were in operation at the time of my visit, most with a minimum bet of €5 and €10, but a few with €20. One table had a minimum of €2.5, and it was crowded by relatively young people. The maximum bet for simple chances was €10,000 in all tables.
Although there was a sizable crowd at most tables, especially the €5 tables, they were attended by only one croupier, which made the game move at a slow pace.
Three of the live Roulette tables are connected to remote electronic Roulette terminals, in which you can seat comfortably and bet on the live game. I saw at least 30 such stations. Each station allows you to choose which live table to play, and to switch tables at any time. I decided to give it a try, but had a problem with my station, since I didn’t manage to change the language back from Chinese to English…
The Roulette tables are equipped with modern electronic boards displaying Roulette statistic. I learned from a friendly croupier that the statistics are based on the results of the last 300 spins. I followed the display for one of the table, and was very surprised to see that the distribution was 58% black and 40% red. A half hour later, the distribution was 62% black and 36% red.
Blackjack Casino Valkenburg
At least 5 Blackjack tables were open at the time of my visit, with minimum bets of €10, €20 and €50, depending on the table. A group of high rollers played at the €50 table, but they blended well in the general mix of the casino.
More Table Games Casino Valkenburg
I saw 4 open tables of Multi Poker, a variant of casino Poker exclusive to the Holland Casino Group. The limits in all tables were between €10 and €200.
One Punto Banco table with limits of €10 to €1,000 was open. I was surprised to see only one Dutch guy, and no Asians at the Punto Banco table, although there were Asians at the casino. Based on my experience in London casinos, Punto Banco is a game preferred by Asians.
In one of the back corners of the casino I was a Wheel of Fortune table in operation. The way they play this game in Casino Holland reminds me of English Roulette.
Poker Casino Valkenburg
Casino Holland Valkenburg has a very nice Poker area, with its own bar. You can also be served drinks at the tables.
Four Poker tables were open at the time of my visit. There was a tournament going on in one table. At the other three tables, Texas Holdem with limit 2/2 and 2/4 was offered. There were quite a few players in all tables.,
Slot Machines Casino Valkenburg
I was surprised to find not one Gaminator station at the casino’s slots area. I would have guessed that Novoline slots are popular here. There were at least 100 slot machines offering IGT, Atronic, WMS and Aristocrat games. I saw another 30 slots in the smoking lounge.
Bar Casino Valkenburg
The bars in Casino Valkenburg were well stocked. I felt like white beer to go along with the spring weather. I was happy to find Wieckse (Dutch white beer) at the bar.
Conclusion Casino Valkenburg
Due to its pastoral surroundings and its location on the Belgium, Holland, Germany tricountry-point, the Casino Valkenburg attracts visitors from all three countries. Having also experienced the first-rate service and nice atmosphere at the casino, I am not surprised. I honestly have very little to say on the negative side.
If you are in the area (or in nearby Aachen, Cologne, Bonn, Lüttich, Spa or Maastricht), the Casino in Valkenburg is your first choice. No matter what you do, we recommend avoiding Casino Spa.