Aspers Attract 30,000 In First Day
Monday morning at 7am understandably fills most commuters with dread, especially if that very early Monday morning happens to be the coldest day of the year so far. For thirty people in Stratford City, London however this particularly cold dark Monday morning was spent drinking beers, huddled around the soft glow of blinking slot machines, and gambling like there’s no tomorrow. It’s not an experience for everyone, but you can argue that it certainly beats rush hour traffic!
Ever since the UK’s very first 24-hour “super-casino” opened its doors at Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford City, over 30,000 humans have entered the building to gamble. Until recently gambling law limited the number of gambling machines that could be installed at any one premises, but with the latest changes in legislation this limit can now be lifted under certain circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Initial estimates were 5,000 per day for the first few weeks, to slowly increase over time. Four times that number is the final count, with over 4,500 pints of beer consumed, 500 cocktails mixed, and close to 20,000 hot meals prepared. Not only this, over 9000 loyalty club cards have been sold, despite them not being required.
Richard Noble, general manager at Aspers Casino stated to members of the press that “Aspers provides a safe environment for all gamblers, whether high rollers, or casual roulette fans looking for a chilled out night on the town.” So far the night-time customers of the amazing new casino have primarily been bus drivers, comedians, and bar staff from the surrounding area. For them it is hard to have a normal evening’s entertainment because of their working hours, for these people Aspers comes to the rescue with its 24-hour opening times.
One customer who we managed to exchange words with was 29-year-old Charlie who worked at “a nearby restaurant”. When asked what made the casino stand out from the crowd, he told us “It’s an awesome spot to relax, take it easy, and enjoy a cold beer whilst betting on the big sports screens after a long shift at work.”
A waiter at Wood Oven who didn’t want to be named also comes to the casino after his shift at work. He said: “I used to head over to casinos in Leicester Square but after experiencing Aspers I think I’ll be coming here from now on. It will probably affect other casinos in London because absolutely nothing compares to this. I think people will start coming to the super-casinos more and more in the future.”
