A funny thing happened to me on the way to a show. Arriving much too early and spotting the Gala Casino across the street, my four neatly attired companions and I made a snap decision to pop in for a drink and a punt. We were soon shown that this casino, and probably much of the British casino industry, has yet to discover that it is part of a service industry.

The obliging young man at the reception desk told us we had to be members in order to enter, which would entail a great deal of form filling. This was supported by someone else, possibly a supervisor. In fact it could have meant one of us filling in some personal details and producing identification such as a driving licence or passport. Since last year there is now no requirement to wait 24 hours before entering a casino, and most of them allow up to six guests who need ID only on a subsequent visit.

Five local residents will now never know whether that particular Gala Casino offers a warmer welcome inside than in the frosty reception area. Was it all too much trouble to produce a form and a warm welcoming smile? As it is, Gala missed encouraging five would-be clients to stay a while and come again. Does Gala have such a policy for this? It seems the Brits still have much to learn when providing a service. (E-09.22.06)

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