IF you fancy having a flutter while seeing in the New Year, get down to Grosvenor Casino Bolton, Moor Lane. There will be a DJ from 7.30pm, band The Covertones will be performing at 10.30pm. Grosvenor Casino Portsmouth is the perfect leisure destination, offering a unique gaming experience in the heart of Portsmouth’s finest designer retail outlet. The main gaming area brings you a wide range of Jackpot Slot Machines, table games including a Bucket Dice Table, a Big 6 Money Wheel and a late night bar.

Looking for New Year ideas across Kent, whether it's family friendly or partying 'til the early hours? Here's some ideas to help you see the old year out and the New Year in.

NEW YEAR'S EVE HUG-MANY, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

The popular Hug-Many charity event from 7pm in the Pantiles will have live music from funk band Oomphf, DJ SimonP, a piper and fireworks plus a countdown clock to midnight.

The event is in support of the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre, ellenor hospice and MacMillan Cancer Support. Tickets are £10 plus a booking fee. More details at hug-many.co.uk

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY, DREAMLAND

Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea New Year’s Eve party will be headlined by Pendulum. The Australian band, who play drum and bass and electronic rock, will get the celebration rocking

Support comes from Matrix & Futurebound, and DJ Fly & MC Smokie. Conquering the world of drum and bass, DJ El Hornet and MC Verse spread the word of Pendulum with their DJ sets around the world, appearing at international clubs and festivals including Glastonbury, Download Festival and Global Gathering.

Setting high standards since they first collaborated back in 2005, Matrix & Futurebound have built an impressive drum and bass repertoire with hits including All I Know, Magnetic Eyes and Control. DJ Fly, CEO of local drum and bass promoter Garden of England, first started playing sets in 1999. He’s known for switching between new and old skool and dropping vocal influenced drum and bass. Joining him will be hype-man, MC Smokie.

There are still some tickets left which cost £33 while VIP tickets, which include priority access to the venue, exclusive access to the Side Bar, a New Year’s Eve celebration gift and a glass of fizz, are £55. To book visit dreamland.co.uk

Leading up to the New Year celebrations there's family fun with a giant snow globe you can step inside for a snowy family selfie and Christmas crafts in the Woodland Lodge until New Year's Eve from noon to 4pm.

WESTERHAM ROCKS, NEW YEAR'S EVE

Things are going to be rocking this New Year’s Eve in Westerham, near Sevenoaks.

Westerham Rocks festival will be held on Monday, December 31 at Westerham Hall and feature The Licks and Dread Centre The festival has more than a decade under its belt and a reputation for bands of every style and genre. Organisers have invited back the town bands who headlined back in the summer. Reggae band Dread centre play authentic reggae classics with a Jamaican South London feel. Expect Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Toots and the Maytals, Barrington Levy, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, UB40 and songs like Murderer, Monkey Man, Is This Love, I Don’t Wanna Wait In Vain, Here I Come and Jammin’. The Licks will take the night through to midnight and beyond. Four friends brought together by their passion for music and live performance have created a monster of a party band which aims to get you on your feet and stay there. Party tracks are likely to include the likes of Let’s Dance, Tainted Love, Sex on Fire, Disco Inferno, Sweet Dreams, Good times, I Feel Good and Walk this way. Their rock classics come from everyone from the Stones to Foo Fighters, ZZ Top, Queen, Snow Patrol, AC/DC, Primal Scream, and Lenny Kravitz. Tickets for the evening in Quebec Avenue, London Road, cost £15 in advance or £20 on the door. To book yours call the box office on 07961 191602 or visit ticketsource.co.uk The party will run from 7.30pm to 1am.

TANGO YOUR WAY TO THE NEW YEAR

New Year's Day will see Argentine Tango dancers from all over Kent converge on Shepherdswell Village Hall to start 2019 in style at Westcourt Tango's annual event to mark the start of the New Year. Playing a mixture of traditional and nuevo tango, there's dancing and socialising on offer. Dancing starts at 2.30pm and entry is £10 on the door. Visit westcourt.tango.co.uk

FAMILY FUN, KENT LIFE, MAIDSTONE

There’s some fun-packed magic on offer into the New Year down on the farm. Mrs Back to Front gets into such a muddle and wears her clothes back to front – but she’ll also make little ones laugh with her crazy magic show.She’ll need lots of volunteers to help her, so head to Kent Life in Sandling, Maidstone, until Wednesday January 2 (but excluding New Year’s Day). She’ll be performing at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm. There will also be the usual activities on offer and a wooden snowmen trail. Find all the snowmen hiding to get a tasty reward from the shop. The site will be open from 10am to 3pm, with entry £6.95, £5.95 for three to 15s and free for threes and under. For details go to kentlife.org.uk

Wrap up and head out on the ice as there's still plenty of ice skating on offer...

TUNBRIDGE WELLS ICE RINK

Ice skating runs at Calverley Grounds in Tunbridge Wells until New Year's Day. The amphitheatre is decorated with twinkling festive lights, plus there is festive food and drink. Main skating sessions take place from 11am to 8pm, except on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day when it will be 6pm. Book at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk or visittunbridgewells.com

BLUEWATER ICE RINK

The outdoor, covered ice rink is open until Sunday, January 6, with DJ sets to entertain skaters on Fridays. Skating costs £11, £10 for 13 to 16-year-olds and £9 for children. To book tickets for all events go to bluewater.co.uk

EASTWELL MANOR, ASHFORD

Ice skating at the exclusive Eastwell Manor, Champneys Hotel and Spa near Ashford runs until Wednesday, January 2. Get into the festive spirit with mulled wine, hot chocolate, toasted chestnuts and mince pies. Visitors can also do some last minute shopping at Champneys' Christmas boutique. A 50-minute skating session and boot hire costs £14.50 and £9.50 for under 12s. For a festive afternoon tea with 50 minutes of skating and skate hire, it costs £99 for two adults and two children, or £39 for adults and £19 for under 12s. To book, call 0843 561 2019 or 01233 213000, or visit eastwellmanor.co.uk

PORT OF DOVER

The White Cliffs Christmas ICE-travaganza is at the Port of Dover until New Year's Day. The Cruise Terminal One features indoor ice skating, a Christmas grotto, rides, stalls, food and a new bar managed by Breakwater Brewery. Events run from 10am to 8pm, with live music from local bands. Book at whitecliffschristmas.co.uk or call 0843 561 2019 or 01233 213000.

Established in 1970,^[1]Grosvenor Casinos (formerly County Clubs and Grosvenor Clubs) is a UK-based chain of 53 casinos located in major towns and cities across the UK, with two unbranded sister casinos located in Belgium. Grosvenor Casinos is owned by The Rank Group who operate exclusively in the casino, bingo and online gaming industries across Belgium, Spain and the UK.

As of June 2014, revenue was reported at £391.2m, with an operating profit of £56.8m - coming from a total of over 1.7 million customers per year.^[2] Of these 1.7 million customers, over 8.5 million customer visits occur every year. The Grosvenor casino network currently employs over 6,300 employees across the UK. Their online casino hosts over 250 games with themes spanning from traditional roulette, blackjack and poker - to the more modern slot styles and live gaming. Grosvenor are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.^[3]

Originally ‘County Clubs’, the casinos came to be known as ‘Grosvenor Clubs’ and in 1969 on 2 January, Grosvenor Clubs officially changed name to ‘Grosvenor Casinos’.

Grosvenor Casinos is currently the shirt sponsor for Fulham F.C. Grosvenor signed a deal to become the London club's main team partner in July 2017.

History[edit]

Acquisition of the Ricoh Arena casino[edit]

In April 2009 Grosvenor purchased the casino inside the Ricoh Arena complex in Coventry for £650,000.^[4]

Leaving the British Casino Association[edit]

Grosvenor Casino Thanet New Year's Evening

During 2009, Grosvenor Casinos announced they were leaving the now defunct British Casino Association (BCA). The BCA existed to promote casino best practice and influence UK government legislation surrounding gambling. Reportedly the BCA began to fail in promoting and improving the casino industry, and once annual membership fees were raised to £140,000, it saw the departure of Grosvenor, just as the large Gala Coral Group had withdrawn in October 2008.^[5]

Loyalty card scheme[edit]

In May 2012, the first roll out of a new plastic card service in Grosvenor Casinos was implemented with ‘Grosvenor Play Points’ entering 35 casinos across the UK. This came as a result of the Grosvenor Casinos and Play Points brands merging to create one loyalty card.^[6]

Gala takeover[edit]

Grosvenor Casinos completed their takeover of 19 casinos from the Gala Coral Group across the UK on 12 May 2013 ^[7] making them the largest casino network in the UK. A similar deal to acquire 23 casinos from Gala had previously stalled in 2012 due to a decision by the Competition Commission and OFT.^[8] The revised deal in 2013 saw 4 casinos removed from the agreement.

Redtooth partnership[edit]

On 28 April 2014, Grosvenor Casinos announced a two-year partnership with the world's largest live pub poker tournament group Redtooth Poker. Grosvenor Casinos hosted the regional and national UK finals and online events. The move integrated Redtooth Poker and Grosvenor's own poker tournament, the Grosvenor UK Poker Tournament (GUKPT).^[9]

Live events[edit]

On 25 March 2011, Grosvenor Casinos announced they were to host new poker event called the Goliath. Designed to attract up to 1,500 players, the Goliath had an initial buy-in at £100 + £20 and offered a guaranteed prize pool of £100,000, with 25% of the registration fee going to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.^[10] The most recent Goliath event in 2014 became the largest poker tournament ever held outside of the US with a total of 3,394 players entering.^[11] For the 2015 event Grosvenor estimate over 4,000 participants will enter.^[12]

Grosvenor employees also played the highest poker tournament on record at the top of Mount Snowdon in September 2011. The 3,500 ft. stunt was attempted to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity, with a total of £11,000 being collected.^[13]

Controversy[edit]

Grosvenor Casino Thanet New Year's Event

In December 2006 staff walked out of four Grosvenor Casinos in London in a dispute over pay increases.^[14] A month later, around 300 workers went on strike over the same ongoing dispute.^[15]

In September 2014 Northern Ireland's Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland, dismissed the idea that a Grosvenor Casino could open due to the ongoing ban on casinos.^[16]

Technology[edit]

In November 2011, Grosvenor installed software that would spot cheating at roulette tables. Developed by Ipsotek, the software detects a cheat called 'top-hatting', as well as detecting cheating after 'last bets' has been called. The software is linked to CCTV cameras monitoring the table at all times.^[17]

In October 2012, Grosvenor introduced a new product to the casino industry, Pinball Roulette machines. The new machine offers single player roulette game and the ball is launched by a pinball-style trigger into the wheel. The main feature of the product is that it offered the player control over when they wished to spin the ball. Thirty of the machines, developed by Austrian Gaming Industries, were installed at 22 clubs across the UK.^[18]

Grosvenor Casino Thanet New Year's Events

During November 2013, Evolution Gaming joined Grosvenor Casinos to create a ‘Live Casino’ targeting players on their online casino.^[19] The games include blackjack, roulette and baccarat and are available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. The live game system is designed to produce an environment more closely matching a real casino experience.

In July 2013, Grosvenor Casinos in London, Reading and Coventry created the world's first multi-site cloud casino experience called the IGT Cloud. The new technology offers analytical reporting tools which offer insight into product performance on a game-by-game basis. Operators can remotely change the games on the floor to provide a more customized gambling experience.^[20]

Grosvenor Casinos partnered with Tensator in 2014 to create virtual casino hosts. The Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra stands 50 cm x 50 cm and replicates a live game in real time. The assistant also offers a range of information for players and other frequently asked questions.^[21]

In February 2014, The Rank Group and Grosvenor Casinos joined with Jumio to use their Netverify solution. This was integrated into the casino's online database and is designed to provide customers with a more efficient identification procedure. Customers are required to scan their passport or driving license via their device camera, and Netverify then authenticates it using a range of security features.^[22]

In November 2016 Grosvenor Casinos has confirmed the launch of new sports betting offering for its online and land-based players.^[23]

Grosvenor awarded TCS John Huxley a new 3-year deal to service and maintain their gaming equipment across the UK, starting February 2015.^[24]

Awards[edit]

International Gaming Awards[edit]

Grosvenor and Rank were awarded the 'Casino Operator of the Year' award at the 2013 International Gaming Awards.^[25] Rank Group were awarded the 'Socially Responsible Operator of the Year Land Based' award in 2014 and 2015.^[26][27]

Women in Gaming Awards[edit]

Grosvenor Casinos’ HR team were awarded Team of the Year at the Women in Gaming independent annual awards in June 2012. The team, led by Fiona Regan Head of HR, were awarded for their successful Hearts and Minds initiative, which focused on internal and employee recognition.^[28]

In 2014 they won the same award whilst also picking up the Inspiration of the Year award.^[29]

References[edit]

1. ^'Rank - Grosvenor Casinos'. Rank.com.
2. ^'Rank - Grosvenor Casinos'. Rank.com.
3. ^'Gambling Commission'. Gambling Commission.
4. ^'Sold Ricoh casino in £1m revamp'. BBC News.
5. ^'Casino operator's withdrawal leaves trade body floundering'. Financial Times.
6. ^'Grosvenor Casinos places bet on Plastic Card Services'.
7. ^'Mecca Bingo owner Rank buys Gala casinos for £205m'. BBC News.
8. ^'Rank takeover of Gala sent to Competition Commission - BBC News'.
9. ^'Redtooth wins at Grosvenor Casino'. The Star.
10. ^'1,500 Runner Grosvenor Goliath Announced in Coventry'. UK Poker News.
11. ^'World poker: Goliath smashes record for biggest poker tournament held outside US'. The Mirror.
12. ^'Goliath Poker Tournament 2015'. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
13. ^'Stakes are high for Snowdon poker'. Wales Online.
14. ^'Casino staff to strike in row over pay deal'. The Guardian.
15. ^'Casino staff walk out over pay'. BBC News.
16. ^'Nelson McCausland says casino ban will not be removed'. BBC News.
17. ^'Casino cheats snared by smart camera system'. New Scientist.
18. ^'G Casinos get pinball roulette'. InterGame.
19. ^'UK – Evolution doubles Grosvenor's online live dealer offer'. G3.
20. ^'Grosvenor Casinos to manage gaming machines from the cloud'. TechWorld.com.
21. ^'Tensator's Virtual Assistant proves safe bet for Grosvenor Casinos'. Tensator.
22. ^'Rank identify Jumio as new partners'. SBC News.
23. ^'Grosvenor Casinos launches new sportsbook with Kambi'. SBC News. 16 November 2016.
24. ^'Grosvenor contract for TCS John Huxley'. SBCnews. Luke Massey InterGame.
25. ^'IGA Winners 2013'. Gaming-Awards.com.
26. ^'IGA Winners 2014'. Gaming-Awards.com.
27. ^'IGA Winners 2015'. Gaming-Awards.com.
28. ^'Grosvenor Casinos HR team wins prestigious award'. InterGame.
29. ^'WIG Winners 2014'. Gaming-Awards.com.