[!!DUCY!!]

Just to be clear, the instant entry rules are for proper casinos, and it's definitely true that for those you can now walk right in and play (with ID).

However, a lot of the places mentioned in this thread (basically everywhere apart from the Vic) are not casinos but card clubs, which are operating in grey areas of the law at the moment (apart from one in nottingham that is properly licensed).

As part of their attempts to stay in the grey areas they seem to have recently started implementing tougher rules on how you join. A few friends of mine went to the gutshot last week and they were both told they needed two exisiting members to propose them before they could play. I myself went to a club a few weeks ago and could only join by getting proposed by a member and could only play that day when an existing member signed me in. If I were you I'd either go to the Vic or contact individual rooms directly to find out what the joining procedure is so you don't end up going somewhere you can't play.

Another option for you would be The Full House in Reigate (south of london), which is not far from Gatwick and which you could prob get a taxi to. It's a decent club, but I haven't been there in over a year so I don't know the current joining procedures or what games you could expect on a particular night. Note although I said the card clubs are operating in grey areas, there's no risk to individual players playing there just those running them.