The Aspers joint venture between the Aspinall Group and the Packer Organization was designed to develop urban casinos with a mutually beneficial relationship with local communities. The Aspers Casino at The Gate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is due to open in October and the company is launching a committee to promote responsible gambling. Community Action for Responsible Gaming (CARG) will include members of the police force and the churches along with Aspers representatives.

The concept of the urban casino is the creation of leisure developments for the local communities without the Las Vegas style image. Local employment, skills training and preferential purchasing from local suppliers are part of the Aspers policy, and the responsible gaming committee in Newcastle will include fact-finding and research on local gambling trends in its brief as well educational materials and information.

Aspers’ locations are designed as leisure destinations rather than for only gambling, and at The Gate there will be live entertainment and restaurants. In a city famed for its nightlife, Aspers at The Gate will offer 45,000 sq ft of entertainment – gaming, dancing, eating and shows. The three gaming floors will offer the usual table games including Punto Banco and Mini Punto Banco, 150 jackpot slot machines and 60 electronic gaming terminals.

In July the Aspers Dealer Training Academy began preparing dealers in a 9-week programme in the centre of Newcastle designed to give the future croupiers pride in their chosen profession, something that seems to have been lost in recent years at most UK casinos. Technical performance is just one aspect of the training programme; customer service and security are also incorporated.

Northumbria Police Chief Inspector Marcus Hall, who will be on the CARG committee, has welcomed the responsible gambling initiative as a means of anticipating and planning for potential problems. With well-trained staff in the casino, possible gambling disorders in players should be recognized before they become a problem. (E-08.17.05)

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