Hard times for largest UK casino operator.

[newb99]

Gala-Coral recently published their accounts for the financial year ending September 2008. Not encouraging stuff. Another year of losses leaving the group a staggering £4.4bn in the red. Net profits from their casino operations are down by 50% to just over £10m - not exactly a lot considering the number of casinos they operate.

As Gala are the largest "out-of-London" casino operator in the UK, it does beg the question as to whether there'll soon be anywhere to go for a game of blackjack on a real felt table.

As to this idea that operators and interested parties are queuing up to fund new outlets (such as the one proposed in Hull, which the local press are reporting will be a £35m venture), the thought is laughable in the current climate. Today, Newham Council in London held a briefing jolly for prospective licencees of the "large" casino they have planned for the Borough - somehow wouldn't have thought they'd needed anything larger than a 'phone box to hold it in.

Oh dear - how much are flights to the States ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2.../privateequity

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...ses-mount.html

[HarryKuntz]

Originally Posted by newb99

Gala-Coral recently published their accounts for the financial year ending September 2008. Not encouraging stuff. Another year of losses leaving the group a staggering £4.4bn in the red. Net profits from their casino operations are down by 50% to just over £10m - not exactly a lot considering the number of casinos they operate.

As Gala are the largest "out-of-London" casino operator in the UK, it does beg the question as to whether there'll soon be anywhere to go for a game of blackjack on a real felt table.

As to this idea that operators and interested parties are queuing up to fund new outlets (such as the one proposed in Hull, which the local press are reporting will be a £35m venture), the thought is laughable in the current climate. Today, Newham Council in London held a briefing jolly for prospective licencees of the "large" casino they have planned for the Borough - somehow wouldn't have thought they'd needed anything larger than a 'phone box to hold it in.

Oh dear - how much are flights to the States ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2.../privateequity

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...ses-mount.html

Poor Gala , I'll try not hit them as hard next year

There's a few £30M+ casino's being built in the UK as well as many smaller ones but don't worry about the current economic climate as none of them will be opening their doors until as least 2011.

[newb99]

Originally Posted by HarryKuntz

. . . but don't worry about the current economic climate as none of them will be opening their doors until as least 2011.

Was that a typo Harry? Should have been 2051?

:-)

[HarryKuntz]

Originally Posted by newb99

Was that a typo Harry? Should have been 2051?

:-)

Yeah that's more likely.

[newb99]

Since I originally started this thread, Mrs Newb99 and I visited one of the London Galas. I have to say I don't think the selection of staff on duty at the time are going to be of any great help in turning around their fortunes. All those that I came into contact with were sadly lacking in the social graces and were in desperate need of an injection of manners as well as personality.

All in all not a particularly positive experience. We were planning to stay a couple of hours but left after thirty minutes (with bankroll intact).

Sorry Gala, need to try harder.

[Percy]

Did you go to the Tottenham Court Road Gala Newb99? Some of the dealer's manners in there are terrible. On one occasion, I even heard a dealer tell an asian lady to 'hurry the f*** up' knowing she didn't speak English! Couldn't believe it.

[newb99]

I'd rather not say which one, or when, as it will make it far too easy for anyone who can be bothered to put a name to my forum handle - and a quick search of my posts will probably label me as someone who has learned enough to justify being shown the door.

On a more general note though Gala do seem to employ a high proportion of young Eastern Europeans to deal their tables. Despite making allowances for the fact that they don't speak English as a first language those I've personally come into contact with don't exactly do much to make people feel welcome or want to go back and spend their money at the company's sites. Don't get me wrong, this is not intended as some zenophobic rant - I've also come across indifferent and rude home grown dealers as well. It's an age-experience-training issue rather than a nationalistic one.

Although Gala have (re)positioned themselves towards the bottom end of the market, I think along the way people there have lost site of the fact that casino gaming is still part of the hospitality trade and customers have a choice as to whether to spend money with them or not. I'm sure the day to day grind (of what must become a very boring repetitive job working with a particular group of the public) leaves a fair number of the staff with a view that their customers are a bunch of social inepts and degenerate gamblers - that combined with the a healthy dose of "familiarity breeds contempt" results in the typical, British, "take it or leave it" mentality.

I'm not anti-Gala per se. But if anyone from Gala happens to read this, I would suggest spending efforts on improving the quality of customer interaction (ie coaching the staff to recognise the regulars and address them by name, encouraging the small talk etc) rather than just pressuring the staff to get more hands dealt and played per hour (I suspect the underlying cause of the example given by Percy) or generally emptying their pockets as quickly as possible. Customers will bet more if they feel valued. I'm sure nothing will change though as we all now seem to live in a target driven world, and rarely (if ever) is someone given a target of talking to "x" number of customers about their holidays etc. No money in it, is there ?

[davidpom]

I'd be quite happy to see all UK casinos, and especially the Gala group burn to the ground. Vicious ba**ards. From my own experience, they DON'T like winners. Given my UK ban I can never play with any of them again... what a shame. Gala were never my favourites in any case - always appeared to be running "on a budget" when compared to the London Clubs and Grosvenor properties.

That said, Gala Bingo online were ok as far as I am concerned, and actually offered pretty good blackjack.

RIP Gala land-based casinos. Your time is up.

[newb99]

Originally Posted by davidpom

I'd be quite happy to see all UK casinos, and especially the Gala group burn to the ground . . .

Well you would say that, wouldn't you? I'd just like the people working the floors of the Galas to be a bit more into treating me as a valuable customer, especially when I walk in with enough money to pay all of their wages for the time I'm there. I know that there's at least one member of the Gala staff who makes the effort and perhaps there are more. I just never seem to meet them . . . .

[SuperTrump]

LCI ahead of the game by a mile when it comes to player comps and customer service! Fifty, Aspinalls, Les Ambassadeurs, Clermont, Connossoeur & Ritz excellent too (Although it comes at a price!). Gala/Stanley like 3rd class casinos and I refuse to play there!