The building site and the containers
The Kursaal at Baden has stood for more than 150 years, and the renovation running from July 2026 to August 2027 covers both the former Grand Jeu and the slot floor. The operator put the total investment at CHF 25 million, roughly two thirds of it on the fabric of the building itself and the remainder on the architecture and the rooms.
Rather than close for a year and a half, the casino built the first pop-up casino in Switzerland. Eleven containers were craned onto the terrace of the adjoining Club Coco in the Kurpark and connected to it, and that is where the slot floor now sits. It is a genuinely unusual thing to walk into, and it is also the reason to check a photograph's date before setting expectations: every picture of the grand room predates the works.
Type A, and why the label matters
Switzerland grades its casino concessions. A Type A concession carries no cap on stakes, on the number of table games or on machines, permits jackpots linked between venues, and is the only tier entitled to the name Grand Casino. A Type B concession is the resort and spa tier: a limited number of tables, limited stakes and no linked jackpots. Baden holds Type A. The current concessions were awarded by the Federal Council to run from 2025 to 2044, so the tier a room holds is settled for the next two decades.
The practical reading for a visitor is simple. If a Swiss room is advertised as a Grand Casino, it is a Type A house and the limits are the room's own. If it is not, expect a shorter table list and a ceiling on stakes.
What is dealt, and what it costs
The operator lists table games daily from 1pm, with roulette, blackjack and Ultimate Texas Hold'em named, alongside the slot floor and its jackpots. Opening hours are 11am to 4am Sunday to Thursday and 11am to 5am on Friday and Saturday.
- Roulette: on a single-zero wheel every bet costs 2.70%, and no arrangement of chips changes that figure.
- Blackjack played correctly under a standard rule set costs about 0.52%, which makes the payout line the only thing worth checking before you sit.
- Ultimate Texas Hold'em is a house game rather than poker against other players, and it is priced as one.
Practical notes
- 18+ with valid ID; Swiss casinos check at the door as a matter of course.
- Baden is about 25 minutes by train from Zurich Hauptbahnhof, which makes it a straightforward evening rather than a trip.
- Winnings at a Swiss-licensed casino are exempt in the player's hands, see the country page.
- Confirm the current location on the operator's own site before going. A pop-up is a temporary arrangement by definition, and the return to the Kursaal is scheduled rather than guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Grand Casino Baden open during the renovation?
- Yes. Gaming moved to a pop-up built from eleven containers on the neighbouring Club Coco terrace in the Kurpark, and the operator has kept the casino trading throughout. The Kursaal building itself is due to reopen in August 2027.
- What is a Type A concession in Switzerland?
- The top tier. It carries no limit on stakes, table games or machines, allows jackpots linked between venues, and is the only tier permitted to use the name Grand Casino. Type B is the resort tier, with a limited table list and capped stakes.
- How far is Baden from Zurich?
- About 25 minutes by train from Zurich Hauptbahnhof. The casino is in the Kurpark, a short walk from Baden station.
- Are casino winnings taxed in Switzerland?
- Winnings at a Swiss-licensed casino are exempt in the player's hands. Confirm the position for online play and for foreign operators, which is handled separately.
Venue details, opening hours and the legal position on this page were checked against the operators' own material in August 2026. Casinos change hours, games and even addresses; confirm anything you are travelling for on the venue's own site before you go.