A glittering ceremony marked the launch of Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds, the largest casino in the north of the UK, last week.
The opening of the £30m venue, which is the third largest casino in the UK, attracted celebrities and sports stars. Andrew Herd, chief executive of Global Gaming Ventures, the operator of the casino, said: “The vision for Victoria Gate Casino has been years in the making but it has been worth the wait to see everyone here celebrating with us tonight.
“Victoria Gate Casino is a stylish, buzzing entertainment hub in the heart of Leeds city centre where everyone from first-time visitors and passers-by to top poker players are catered for.
“It’s a pivotal moment for Leeds to have an entertainment venue on such a grand scale and we’re thrilled to be contributing to the city’s already thriving leisure offering.”
He added: “The casino has already had a positive impact on the region, creating more than 200 jobs - 90 per cent of which have been sourced from within the Leeds city region. We were overwhelmed with responses, receiving more than 5,000 job applications, and it speaks volumes for how keen people are to be a part of such an exciting project.
Councillor James Lewis, deputy leader of Leeds City Council, said: “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to help secure so many jobs for people in the Leeds area by working closely with GGV during the casino’s development.
“We have also helped them put in place policies to identify and tackle potential problem gambling and they are taking their responsibilities seriously.”
