Hammerson announces that Victoria Gate Casino opened its doors to the public yesterday, becoming the third largest casino in the UK.
The launch of Victoria Gate Casino strengthens Victoria Leeds’ dining and entertainment offer, bringing an entirely new leisure concept to Leeds. Boasting a live sports bar, a champagne and cocktail bar as well as V Restaurant, the casino offers visitors much more than the opportunity to game.
Operated by Global Gaming Ventures, the 4,645 m2 casino sits above Victoria Gate’s modern retail arcades and with a capacity of 1,400 will be the largest casino in the North of England and Scotland.
Victoria Gate has already delivered over 1,500 employment opportunities in retail, hospitality and construction and Victoria Gate Casino is also playing a key part in providing job opportunities, having committed to recruiting at least 90% of employees from within the local region.
Since its launch in October 2016, Victoria Gate has outperformed expectations, welcoming over a million visitors in its first month. Having been designed and fitted-out to reflect the iconic architecture of Victoria Leeds, the casino perfectly complements the scheme’s existing offer and reinforces its position as the largest premium retail and leisure venue in Northern England.
Robin Dobson, Director of Retail Development at Hammerson, commented: “The launch of Victoria Gate Casino marks another exciting part of Victoria Gate’s debut. At its opening in October 2016, the scheme transformed Leeds’ retail offer and the casino’s arrival provides the city with a unique and vibrant entertainment experience.”
Andrew Herd, Chief Executive of Global Gaming Ventures, said: “The vision for Victoria Gate Casino has been years in the making but it has been worth the wait. 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 and joining the line-up at Victoria Gate.”
Councillor James Lewis, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council, added: “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. Victoria Gate is already proving itself to be a great success, attracting many visitors from a wide area and its new casino should prove a further boost to the local economy.”
ENDS