Gambling had always been a popular pastime, whether making a match more exciting by placing a bet on your local team or spending the evening with your friends in a casino. When gambling was legalised in the 1960s, there was an explosion of premises offering you the chance to win big, and nowhere more so than in London. Home to one of the most diverse, and dense, populations in the UK, businesses clamoured to provide all the different kinds of gambling services that anyone could ask for.

That variety still exists today, and gambling is more popular than ever, especially since the invention of the internet and online casinos. The remote gambling sector is the fastest growing industry in the United Kingdom, with profits climbing year on year and showing no signs of slowing down. A global leader, the UK’s online gambling industry seems immune to outside influences, such as Brexit, and accounted for a third of the total gross gambling yield last year.

Research shows that the majority of online users are under 30, proving that the internet has succeeded in finding a way of introducing old favourites in a way that the younger generations can access. But while online casinos boast the latest technology and a wide variety of games, nothing can compare to the excitement of visiting one in real life, and for residents of Camden, there are plenty to choose from.

A short walk away, Leicester Square is home to some of the biggest casinos in the city. Household names like Grosvenor compete with the flashy Hippodrome and the rather more niche Lola’s Underground Casino. Catering to every taste and desire, you and your friends can incorporate a trip to the casino into your night out without having to wander far from the rest of civilisation. Whether you love the musicality and regular payouts of the hundreds of incandescent slot machines, or the thrill of the roulette wheel, the tension of pitting your skills against other players at a poker table, or you’re just here for the drinks and the entertainment, you can find all this and more within a stone’s throw of Camden centre.

If you’re looking for something to do in Camden town itself, there is always the giant Mecca Bingo hall. Bingo has been a traditional favourite for most of the twentieth century, but bingo halls saw their peak in the 1980s with 1600 venues around the UK and the introduction of the first purpose-built halls. The number people opting to play bingo in the UK fell towards the millennium but has seen a resurgence in recent years, again due to the popularity of the online game. However, unlike other forms of remote gambling, like sports betting and slots, this success has spilled over into the offline world. People who have started playing bingo online – perhaps because it was a great way to meet new people, as well as a way to unwind from home – have found that the experience is only enhanced in person. Modern bingo nights have sprung up to cater to the younger crowd, combining the traditional game with a more fast-paced, comedic delivery, gastropub-style food and live music. Bingo in Camden is flourishing, so why not pop down and grab yourself a dabber!

Camden is also famously home to the Bookmaker’s Mile, with a grand total of 74 betting shops within the borough’s boundaries. Not only can you place your bets on any sport, but you can also sit and watch the races, football etc on giant TVs within the shops. A great option for anyone who doesn’t like the noise and bustle of a pub on match day, and has often been a sociable place for older folk to meet up. Despite the ease nowadays of betting online, physical betting shops are still frequented by many and Camden gives you plenty to choose from to make sure you can get the best odds for your money.

Betting shops have also become the go-to places for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs); digitised versions of your favourite casino games that let you play for cash winnings. With recent government restrictions limiting the maximum amount you can bet on one of these machines to £2, their popularity might wane, but if you’re looking for light entertainment and don’t want to be sucked into a casino for hours, they’re a great way to while away the odd lunch time. Unlike the casinos, betting shops are not designed to keep you inside, spending money all night, so they’re great for people with limited time, or those who already know what they want before they enter.

While the internet has completely revitalised many areas of the gambling sector – like bingo and sports betting – it can never fully replace the real life experiences of visiting a casino or a bingo hall. Yes, there are online chat rooms where you can talk to people while playing games. You can even stream live from the blackjack tables in Las Vegas and interact with the dealer. But these websites cannot copy the atmosphere of playing in a room with hundreds of others, all competing for the same prizes. They won’t emulate the experience of sitting with your friends, enjoying cocktails and a show after a few hours of ringing up the slot machines.

It’s fantastic then, that there are so many local venues, in and around Camden, where you can get this experience. Whether you fancy the raucous calls of the bingo hall or a more glamourous evening in an upmarket casino, pretending that you’re on the set of a Bond movie, the borough and its surrounding areas have got a little bit of everything. With so many entertainment options in London anyway, from cinemas to clubs, bowling alleys and museums, you can effortlessly slip a casino visit into almost any kind of night out. And who knows, you might even win enough to treat everyone to a round of drinks.