Betting in Budapest
The city now known as Budapest was first established by the Celts around 200 years ago and was later occupied by the Romans. The city sits alongside the river Danube and until 896 was part of Bulgaria. When the Principality of Hungary was established, its capital was named “Buda”. On the opposite side of the river, a settlement known as “Pest” became a thriving economic centre throughout the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. In 1849, the two cities were linked by the construction of the river Danube’s first bridge, named the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. In 1873, the cities of Buda, Pest and Óbuda unified.
Budapest remains the capital of Hungary. The city is the seventh biggest metropolitan area within the European Union and has a population of 1.74m inhabitants, with another 1.5m living in the surrounding areas. The city is organized into 23 districts, with six in Buda, 16 in Pest and one on the Island of Csepel.
Budapest is involved with most types of industry. The majority of the regions manufacturing takes place on the outskirts of the city, whilst most of the services are set up within the city centre. Catering and tourism is of great importance to the local economy.
Budapest’s gambling industry is monopolized by two prominent entertainment businesses. One of these companies is known as Merkur Casinos - a branch of the Gauselmann Group, based in Germany. Paul Gauselmann originally created the enterprise in 1957 to recondition second-hand jukeboxes. However in the late 1970’s, the company started manufacturing their own gaming machines. The Merkur Casino operates Savoya Park which is located in Budapest. The 24/7 venue offers Merkur slots machines and Alfastreet roulette tables. Customers with Merkur membership cards can benefit from free Wi-Fi internet access and refreshments. Other similar venues include the Merkur Casino-Arkad and the Merkur Casino-Kispest.
The Merkur Casino-Csepel Plaza is located on Island of Csepel in district 21. Merkur Casino-Dune Plaza is in District 13 and Merkur Casino-Mammut is in District 2.
Providing the Merkur Casino Company with some competition is the Novomatic Group, who operate five establishments under the “Admiral Electronic Club” brand. Their casinos are located throughout various districts in Budapest and are generally open for business 24/7. The Casino Las Vegas can be found within the Sofitel Budapest Hotel which is next to the river Danube in District 5. The casino offers 65 slot machines and 28 table and card activities, for example Poker, Progressive Poker, Punto Banco, Blackjack and American Roulette. Customers can also enjoy a choice of three restaurants. As per usual, players must be 18 years old or over, be able to show a valid passport/ID and pay an entrance fee.
Also in District 5 are the Le Grand Casino and the Tropicana Casino. Players can enjoy 24/7 action with a various selection of slot machines and gaming tables.
Horse racing events are also held in Budapest at the Kincsem Park race track. Established in 1925, Kincsem Park is a thoroughbred track which hosts flat racing from May until December. The course is located in District 10 in close proximity to the Ferenc Puskas Stadium and the Budapest Sports Arena.
