Merkur Spielbank Aachen Casino

Intro

Located in the middle of Tivoli, Merkur Spielbank Aachen Casino is situated in the football stadium. Part of the Merkur Spielbanken NRW GmbH, it’s not only one of the five casinos in North Rhine Westphalia but actually the very first one that opened its doors. Other venues include Bad Oeynhausen, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Monheim am Rhein.

Its long and slightly turbulent history dates back to 1764 when the widow Margaret Reumont was awarded a gaming concession. Except for the brief interruptions, the business, which was in the meantime transferred to her son Richard Reumont, ran until 1854, as ordered by the Prussian government.

After several relocations and some financial problems, the casino finally settled in the New Kurhaus in Aachen, Germany, and it stayed there from 1976 to 2015. The venue used to run business under WestSpiel Group, but in September 2021, Gauselmann Group finalized the buyout of the corporation, altogether with 4 of its properties.

Another notable change officially took place at the beginning of 2024, when Gauselmann Grouprebranded to Merkur, solidifying its position as a gaming giant in Germany. Although plans for rebranding were unveiled in September 2023, the company started using its new name on January 1, 2024.

Presenting itself as the home of the game, the place has a modest yet colorful selection of machines and tables, arranged to meet versatile gaming preferences. On top of modern slots, visitors can try luck with roulette, blackjack, and poker.

When it comes to dining and accommodation, you’ll have to look for options elsewhere, as the property encompasses no restaurants or hotels. However, if you feel like grabbing a drink, worry not, there’s a bar.

Aachen is located in the border triangle of Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium, and due to such convenient location, it’s easily accessible not only by car but by bus and train as well. Its doors are open not only to locals, but foreign guests as well provided that they are of legal gambling age.

To enter, players need to show a valid official ID card with a photograph. Electronic residence permits without a corresponding passport, driving license, service, student, press cards, credit cards, or similar documents do not count as valid for entering the premises.

As for the working hours, the casino works every day from 10 AM to 4 PM, but classic games operate from 6 PM to 2 AM from Sunday to Thursday, that is from 6 PM to 3 AM on Friday and Saturday. The only exception is before Good Friday when it operates until midnight. Good Friday, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day are non-working days.

The daily entrance ticket is EUR 5, but there are a couple of special offers for a more immersive casino experience. For example, there’s a “Slot Special” at the cost of EUR 5, which includes a lucky ticket worth EUR 5.

“Entrance Special” costs EUR 15, and it includes EUR 10 in lucky tokens or tickets, alongside a complimentary drink (non-alcoholic drink, hot drink, draft beer 0.2 l, wine or sparkling wine 0.1 l). “Entrance special Plus” is EUR 50, and it comes with EUR 40 in lucky tokens or tickets, 2 drinks, and free parking. Bear in mind that lucky tokens and tickets cannot be exchanged for cash.

Gaming

Equipped with more than a decent collection of slots with jackpots, American Roulette, and the card games blackjack and poker, Merkur Spielbank Aachen guarantees fun and excitement at all times.

To start with, the selection of slot machines includes not only video slots, but also bingo machines, multi-roulette, and jackpots. This way players are given lots of options to choose from, regardless of their skill levels and individual preferences.

Often called the fairest game of chance, roulette displays a payout rate of above 97%, which is the reason why even beginners love it. Merkur Spealbank Aachen offers American Roulette, the fast Las Vegas variant with two croupiers in charge.

Originating from the French “Vingt-et-un”, blackjack comes with a relatively simple set of rules. The objective of the game is to get a higher score than the dealer with 2 or more cards, but without exceeding 21.

Finally, if you are into games that require the highest level of skills and deep knowledge of strategies, you can try luck with poker. Available in two variants, Texas Hold’em and Omaha, the game challenges players to create the best five-card hand and end up as winners.

Merkur Spielbank Aachen can host up to seven cash games, with blinds of EUR 2/4. They start every day at 7 PM. Poker tournaments are held regularly. Every Thursday from 7 PM bounty tournament is held with a buy-in of EUR 160.

It’s important to mention that player protection has always been one of the top priorities of Merkur Spielbank Aachen. The staff is trained to detect the earliest signs of addiction and is ready to intervene so that a player won’t cross the limit and encounter even more serious problems.

The company even has its unit - the Central Prevention Department with local protection officers in all establishments in Germany running business under the group. If a consumer feels that gambling has become more than just a harmless pastime for them, they can eliminate the doubt by taking a self-assessment test on the official website.

In addition to this, consumers who feel like blocking their accounts and restricting themselves from any common form of gambling can request a self-exclusion. This includes casinos, arcades, sports betting shops, slot machines in restaurants, online slot machine games and sports betting, and a few more.

Hotel Accommodations

Even though no hotel accommodation is found on site, visitors should have no problem finding a place to stay.

One of the options is Hampton by Hilton Aachen Tivoli, which is located just 530 m away from the Merkur Spielbank Aachen. This one’s a pet-friendly 3-star hotel with a fitness center and complimentary breakfast. The best part of all is that the casino has a special deal with this hotel, so upon presentation of the room key, guests can enter for free and they get a welcome drink.

Leonardo Hotel Aachen is also a pet-friendly place with a fitness center and room service. Other options include Hotel Soers Aachen, Novotel Aachen City, Mercure Hotel Aachen Europlaplatz (eco-certified), Hotel Krone Aachen I City- Eurogress, and many more. Most of them are located within less than 2 km from the casino.

Dining

As mentioned in the introductory part, there’s no restaurant in Merkur Spielbank Aachen either, so if interested in grabbing a bite, you must look outside the casino. In case you just want a refreshing drink, head to Bar Merkur Casino Aachen, which offers numerous cocktails, a large selection of soft drinks, and seasonal specialties.

If you are a tourist who’s staying for a couple of days, or a visitor passing by, don’t miss the chance to explore the magnificent cuisine of North Rhine Westphalia.

Described as hearty and substantial, the local cuisine represents an interesting combination of regional and international flavors, thanks to which people from all over the world find it appealing. This region is widely known for its meat and sausage dishes, such as Rheinischer Sauerbraten, The Steinfurter Töttchen, Flönz, Möpkenbrot, Panhas, and many more.

Potatoes are used either as a side dish or the main course. One excellent example is Himmel un Ääd (Heaven and Earth), a combination of apple puree (heaven) and mashed potatoes (earth) is frequently served with fried blood sausage. Rösti-style dishes made of grated and then fried potatoes are quite popular as well.

Entertainment/Nightlife/Attractions

Unlike large gambling complexes, which usually include concert halls or some other spaces where guests can enjoy performances, shows, cabarets, stand-up comedy nights, and similar, Merkur Spielbank Aachen doesn’t offer that. Gambling aside, the only thing to do is have a drink at the bar.

Yet, that’s an excellent opportunity to get to know Aachen. Being the 13^th largest city in the NRW, Aachen is located near Germany’s borders with Belgium and the Netherlands. Although it is often overlooked for Germany’s larger destinations, this spa city indeed has a lot to offer.

Depending on how many days you plan to stay, there are plenty of interesting things to do. Aachen Cathedral, which dates back to Charlemagne’s reign in the early 800s, holds the reputation of one of the oldest cathedrals in Europe. Just around the corner is the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, where numerous church artifacts are exhibited.

Furthermore, you can visit the Aachen Rathaus (Townhall), a beautiful Gothic building that dates back to the 14th century. Then there’s Couven Museum, a beautiful pink mansion with a Rococo interior, and The Elisenbrunnen, an eye-catching Neoclassical pavilion two fountains with naturally heated sulfur-smelling water springing from the ground.

Established in 2001, the Carolus Thermen Bad Aachen represents the local oasis of wellness. Pleasantly warm thermal mineral water combined with the sauna and all kinds of attractions altogether promises a delightful and relaxing stay.

Reward Deals

At the time of writing this review, no rewards program was available at Merkur Spielbank Aachen. Yet, a guest can always inquire with the casino staff about possible promotional campaigns and special deals.