Minsk is a great place. I could talk about it in length, but many people have already done it, and much better than I can. So, you won’t hear me mentioning the Red Church, the Nezavisimosti Avenue or the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre. I will be focusing on the casinos, and there is a lot to talk about there. There are almost as many casinos in Minsk as there are in the whole of Russia. If you add all the smaller establishments and parlours, the number clocks up at 30+, but I won’t be covering most of those.
Without further ado, here are the casinos I consider as best in Minsk:
1. “Bela Veja” Casino Also spelt as Belaya Vezha, or simply White Vezha, the iconic Белая Вежа casino was founded in 2001 and is one of the oldest and grandest casino establishments in Minsk – and Belarus as a whole. It has a classic interior and something like an entertainment complex around it – with a prominent restaurant, a karaoke and some hookah rooms.
The strongest draw of the casino is that you can play many types of games. This makes it a preferred choice for locals. There are many slots – well, not as many as you will find in Vegas casinos, but still good by Belarusian standards – and a wide range of games such as Black Jack, Press Black Jack, Black Jack Switch, Oasis Poker, Russian Poker, Omaha Hold’em Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, PuntoBanko ( Baccarat), Catch the Wave, BelaPoker , Ultimate Texas Hold’em, American Roulette, Big Five , Bony Dolls, Oasis Poker Gold, Russian Poker Gold, Texas Bonus Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker with Exchange and Split Poker.
2. Shangri La Casino Shangri La is smaller than Bela Veja, with about half as many slots and 15 or so gaming tables. However, it is very high-end. If you are looking for a pleasant stay and elite personnel, then this is the place to go. It offers a cosy restaurant and other activities such as billiard. For visitors to the city, there is also a casino tour that starts there.
Shangri La organises regular events, so I quite like it to be honest. There always seems to be something going on there, so Belarusian gamblers can often be seen there even if they usually prefer other casinos.
3. Victoria Cherry Casino The name does not sound much better in Belarusian than it does in English, but it is one of the better ones in Minsk. It is a little bit hidden, and you can find it on the ninth floor of the Victoria Hotel & Business Centre. Getting there can be a little harder, but it still a very scenic part of the city, and the casino offers a great view.
There are a lot of slots at the Victoria Cherry, but the tables can be a little bit crowded since there are only 9 of them. The casino is considered great for poker nights, and there are many types of poker you can play there.
And Others… The above are just my top picks of the Minsk casinos. They offer a good mix between new and old, and a wide variety of games. As a regular, I like to mix things a little bit, but any of these would be more than worthy of a visit. There are other casinos in Minsk too. The Opera and the Royal are two of the better ones, but I would be giving them a skip for varying reasons.
Да пабачэння, friends! Anthony