Phone:
+34943429214
Hours:
Open Now (6:30pm - 4:00am)
Minimum Age:
18
Sunday
6:30pm - 4:00am
Monday
6:30pm - 4:00am
Tuesday
6:30pm - 4:00am
Wednesday
6:30pm - 4:00am
Thursday
6:30pm - 4:00am
Friday
6:30pm - 5:00am
Saturday
6:30pm - 5:00am
mgray08 wrote a review about Casino Kursaal in Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa

Massively Corrupt. Steer clear if you are not a regular.

TLDR; staff & players work together to keep the game to regulars. Expect waits of 5+ hours (even if you arrive at opening).

So I went on both Saturday and Sunday hoping to play since I was there on vacation. I get there Saturday night and immediately notice there is only 1 table. I ask the floor if I can be placed on the waitlist and she kind of hesitated at first. Then after asking again (workers only speak Spanish - and I do too which is lucky), she reluctantly gave me a list to write my name down for. This was at 11 pm. I was waiting until 1:30 when I finally realized I wasn't going to play (closes at 4 am and in those 2.5 hours there hadn't been a single player leave). Another guy I met from France was waiting as well and he later told me that he got a spot between 2-3 but then right as he sat down the game suddenly broke. This was likely because the locals didn't want to play with him (he looked like your usual euro pro). Anyway, I get there the next day early (poker starts at 8, I got there 7:50). As I go to sit down they say whoa whoa there is a list. Turns out there is a list which you have could sign up on the night before the game to get into the next day's game. I later checked their website and it is in fact at the very bottom of the home page (not on the poker tab).

My first issue is that the floor woman wouldn't have told me about that list when she saw me waiting for hours Saturday night. I guess she technically doesn't have to, but it seems pretty scummy to me. Clearly she wanted the regulars to get all of the spots (they all kiss and hug whenever she sees them). I then got on the waitlist as #2 and started to wait.

There is clearly a regular crowd as around 10 pm the casino brought them all pizza, which no one offered to me (looked disgusting so not too bothered by it). As I was waiting, someone on the waitlist walks up to me and says "hey I was waiting here longer than you right?" I found it odd as it felt like a forced question as if he was trying to corner me into just agreeing with him. I replied with "no I have been here since 8 pm and you just arrived". Around 11:30 pm he says, "hey I've been here longer than you." I replied "no you haven't, I have been here way longer than you." When I pushed back he turned to his friends (he and they were all regulars) and said "right guys? You have seen me here longer than him right?" Unfortunately for him, that would literally be impossible so they couldn't lie for him, and begrudgingly backed me up. This wasn't his / their first time trying to scare a tourist into giving their spot to a regular. Later he tried to play dumb and go for a fist bump saying "hey I'm sorry I didn't know you were here longer." I refused to accept his apology as what he did was just wrong and pretty corrupt. He then freaked out and continued to swear at me in Spanish.

My third issue is that during this game, players frequently look 40+ minute calls, ate their pizza for 20 minutes, and in general weren't at the table much. This would never fly in real casino, for example in Vegas they time how long you've been away from your seat.

Overall I'd say this was the worst casino corruption I've ever seen, and workers were the rudest I have ever seen at any official "establishment".

I highly recommend either getting on the waitlist before coming, or not coming at all. Out of fairness, I will rate the below categories fairly.

Players were pretty fishy overall but there were a few who were decent.

Competition
Promotions and Comps
Dealers
Food and Drink
Management

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