Chance to try your luck at new casino

Mar 4 2003 By Jen Yelland, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE CHIPS are piled high and fortune rests on the turn of a card or a spin of the wheel.

Huddersfield's new casino is open for business.

And punters can try their luck on roulette, blackjack and pontoon - or go for the chance to win hundreds of thousands of pounds on the national Super Stud Poker game.

The Grosvenor Casino, which for years was tucked away in town centre Station Street, has moved to impressive new premises at Folly Hall, alongside the Visage nightclub, Jumping Jaks bar and Mecca Bingo.

And its opening night saw 500 punters willing to sample the delights of the new venue.

General manager Ian Turver said: "I think human beings generally look for stimulation and excitement - and gaming is exciting.

"The vast majority of people love playing games - and it becomes more exciting where money is involved."

The popularity of casinos is expanding as they shake off their exclusive image and become a more mainstream form of entertainment.

While most people may consider casinos to be the domain of Miss World finalists and James Bond-type characters who can afford to lose enough money to pay off the average-sized mortgage, that is no longer the case.

The lowest bet on the roulette table is just 50p.