Plan Your Visit to GrandWest

Where GrandWest is

GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World is in Goodwood, Cape Town. It opened its doors in December 2000 and describes itself as the only casino in Cape Town. The complex combines gaming with restaurants, two hotels, family attractions and concerts. Many visitors plan a full evening or a weekend around it.

Opening hours: confirm before you travel

The official casino page lists GrandWest as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Slots and tables are both listed as open daily for 24 hours. Some visitor listings show shorter hours, from 8:30am to 10:00pm, seven days a week.

Because the published hours do not match, call +27 21 505 7777 before a late or early visit. Restaurants and attractions may keep their own times, so ask about the specific places you plan to visit.

On the gaming floor

The casino has 1985 slot machines spread across smoking and non-smoking areas. All of them use smart card technology. There are also 55 premium table games across the smoking and non-smoking casinos and the exclusive Salon Privé.

The Slots Privé is a separate area for Sun MVG Platinum and Diamond members. It has 160 dedicated slot machines, again in both smoking and non-smoking environments.

A few habits make a visit easier:

• Decide in advance whether you prefer the smoking or non-smoking side, especially if you are with others.
• Set a spending limit before you arrive and treat it as the cost of the night out.
• As an example, if you budget R600, you might split it into R400 for gaming and R200 for dinner and parking, and stop when the gaming part is gone.
• Take regular breaks away from the floor to eat or walk around.

Dining, hotels and entertainment

GrandWest has a wide choice of places to eat. The restaurants include:

• Tiger's Milk
• Cape Town Fish Market
• Casa Bella
• The Hussar Grill
• The Quarterdeck Restaurant
• Shun De
• Thava Indian Restaurant
• Silver Dollar Spur
• SunBet Sports Bar
• Union Castle Club
• vida e caffè

For something quicker, The Cape Village Fast Food Court offers fast food options. On busy evenings it is sensible to book the sit-down restaurants ahead.

If you want to stay over, there are two hotels: the City Lodge and The Grand Hotel. City Lodge Hotel GrandWest has 176 rooms, is themed on Cape Dutch architecture and is 20 minutes from Cape Town International Airport.

The complex is not only for gaming. It includes The Magic Company and the only ice rink in the Western Cape, along with concerts. This makes it workable for groups where not everyone wants to gamble.

Parking, age, ID and Sun MVG

Parking is on the complex and costs R20. No one under 18 may gamble in South Africa, so bring an identity document if you plan to play. Children can still enjoy attractions such as the ice rink with an adult, but they cannot enter gaming areas to play.

Sun MVG is Sun International's loyalty programme. It is free and has four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Members earn Casino and Leisure Points on slots, table games, hotel stays and dining at selected restaurants and bars. They also earn Tier Credits across all Sun International hotels and casinos.

To join, fill in the application form online or at a Sun MVG Desk, with proof of identity. You can collect the card at any participating Sun International property. Remember that loyalty points should never be a reason to play longer than you planned.

Gambling within the law and staying in control

Under South African law, the legal modes of gambling are casinos, bingo, betting and limited payout machines. They are fully legal only when the operator holds a Provincial Gambling Board licence and the player is over 18. Online casino-type games are prohibited under section 11 of the National Gambling Act, 2004. Online betting through a licensed bookmaker is the exception.

This means a land-based venue is the lawful way to play casino games in South Africa. To check any operator's licence yourself, use the National Gambling Board's list of verified operators. The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board also publishes a list of licence holders on its website.

If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, you can ask a casino's security department to exclude you. The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation runs a free, confidential line on 0800 006 008, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also email [email protected] or chat with a counsellor on WhatsApp.