SELECT GERMAN CASINO CHIPS & CLUB CARDS

FRANKFURT, WIESBADEN, & MAINZ

FRANKFURTAIRPORT

Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany

http://www.airportcity-frankfurt.com/

In March 2008, the airport’s casino was located in Terminal 1-B, level 3.However, it is changing locations in April 2008 and adding a second location in June 2008.You should check the airport maps and brochures, as the presence of the casino is well advertised.

The Terminal B location features/featured about 2 dozen slot machines, an automated American roulette table, and a dealer-run Blackjack table and a roulette table.

The slot games and the automated roulette game use 50-cent tokens; both sides are shown.These tokens are a golden color, and are 2.5 mm wide and 28 mm across.One side features the airport casino’s logo (also shown on the chip below) and the inscription “Casino Frankfurt” and “FrankfurtAirport.”The flip side shows historic buildings in Frankfurt’s Römer (Roman-era) section and the inscription “Casino Frankfurt” and “Frankfurter Römer”

The two table games use chips in Euro denominations; the lowest denomination is 5 Euros.Both sides are identical.The chip is comparable in size to American and Canadian chips.

At least at its current location, you must pass through airport security and have a boarding pass.When you go to the airport casino, you must present your boarding pass as well as your passport or other identification.The casino will then issue a cardboard “tageskarte” (day ticket).

Unlike the other two casinos discussed in this article, the airport casino does not impose a dress code and it does not charge a fee for admission.

Also shown here is the Terminal B hand wipe packet.Both sides carry identical artwork.

SPIELBANKWIESBADEN

Kurhausplatz 1, Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany

www.casino-wiesbaden.de

Everyone will tell you that the casino in Wiesbaden is a classic casino in the pure European tradition, and they are right.Located in a classic building, this casino is located north of the main rail station in Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden Hauptbahnof) and is best accessed by taxi from the station or elsewhere in the Wiesbaden area.

So how is a “classic European casino” different from an old-fashioned Vegas casino?First is the dress code; a jacket and tie are required (if you don’t have one, they will rent one to you!).Second, the casino imposes a 2.50 Euro admission fee, although I was able to obtain a free entry coupon from a brochure at my hotel in Frankfurt.Third, and this blew me away, the roulette tables (single “O” roulette) each have four dealers and croupiers running the game.

Cardboard “gratiskarte” (free card)

You don’t have to “buy” a color to play roulette; multiples players use the stock chips and jetons, and the dealers keep track of the transactions (I suppose with a little help from the honor system).

The lowest available denomination is 2 Euros.

In a separate building, the casino runs an automated slot machine area.The slot games and use 50-cent tokens; both sides are shown.These tokens are a golden color, and are 2.5 mm wide and 28 mm across.One side has the casino’s logo with “Gambling & More” inscribed in English & German.The other side depicts the casino’s historic building with the inscriptions “Casino Wiesbaden” and “Kurhaus Wiesbaden.”

Also shown here are the hand wipe packet and a deck of souvenir cards sold at the reception desk (note they are English/American style).

The casino offers free game lessons on Friday and Saturday nights.

SPIELBANKMAINZ

Rheinstraße 68, Mainz, Rheinland-Palatinate, Germany

www.spielbank-mainz.de

Located in the Hilton International Hotel on the west side of the RheinRiver right next to the Theodor-Heuss bridge (from the Mainz-Kastel rail station, just walk across the bridge to the casino).This casino is less flashy than the casino in nearby Wiesbaden but still imposes a dress code and charges an admission fee of 2.50 Euros.

The casino uses chips and jetons in the regular casino area, and also has a slot section in an adjacent room.The slot games use Euro coins, not tokens.

The table games are interesting.When I was there, the roulette games (single “O”) each used two dealers.The lowest denomination chips are 2 Euros.In addition to the regular white chip, there are other 2-Euro chips with stripes (one red, one green, or two blue) that a player can use at the roulette table as his or her “color.”As with Wiesbaden, though, multiple players can use the same regular chips simultaneously.

The basic white chip is shown here.Higher denominations are larger.

As with the other casinos, a cardboard entry card is issued (“tageskarte,” or day ticket).

Also shown is the hand-wipe packet.