Manchester has a long history as a major hub for business – and it remains a city where many different types of organisations are able to thrive.
This is highlighted by figures from the Office for National Statistics, quoted by the city council, which found there were more than 22,000 different enterprises operating in the local area in 2019.
A host of industries can be found in the city, but one which has enjoyed plenty of success in recent decades is the iGaming sector.
A new level of success
While gambling has been intrinsically linked with offline activities like heading to a casino or a bookmaker in the past, the move online has pushed the industry to an extraordinary level of success.
A report published by Grand View Research in April found that the global online gambling market – which includes sports betting, casinos and bingo – was worth more than $53 billion in 2019. The industry shows no signs of slowing down either, with predictions that revenues will hit $127 billion by 2027.
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The sector has become hugely competitive, with a host of brands going up against each other to stand out and attract new members. Promotions have become a key tool in such battles, while many sites also offer a wide selection of games to keep players engaged in their services.
For instance, casino online brand Betfair explains how it offers access to a range of experiences, including casino table games, slots and so-called arcade betting games like scratch cards. Live casino games are also becoming common, with dealers hosting events via a high-definition video stream.
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Notable industry links
Manchester has a number of links to the ever-growing world of iGaming, with major industry names like SBC having offices in the city.
The company describes itself as a news and events organisation involved in the development of the betting and gaming industry, helping to arrange some of the biggest dates in the sector’s calendar. This includes events such as CasinoBeats Malta – a conference which apparently plays host to more than 1,500 attendees.
Our city’s links to the industry extend far beyond events, however – with Manchester also home to companies which are actively involved in creating games for the sector.
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One key name based is Northern Lights Gaming, which produces video slots for the European market.
The brand – which also has an office in Stockholm – enjoyed a strong start to 2020 after it secured strategic investment from Velo Partners through the games accelerator RNG Foundry.
In a statement, Northern Lights CEO Andrew Goodale said the agreement would help the business grow and give it access to both expertise and a “fantastic industry network”.
A home in the city
Manchester has always had a strong reputation as a location for business, so it is perhaps not a huge surprise that major names in the hugely successful world of iGaming have settled comfortably in the city.
The sector has enjoyed plenty of success in recent years and, with this expected to continue, it will be interesting to see whether its presence in Manchester continues to grow.
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The UK could be at risk of a roast potato shortage this Christmas
Danny Jones
Ok, we don’t mean to alarm you but, according to the latest reports, Christmas dinner plates could be at risk of scrimping on a major component as there is a threat of a roast potato shortage this holiday season.
Please, for the love of all things holy and festive, no — we’ll do anything protect our roasties and gravy.
While there’s often talk of supermarket shortages and supply problems when it comes to the busiest time of year, it seems that the Great British potato-loving people might genuinely have to cut back on the amount of roast spuds we were intending over the next few months due to recent storms.
Following what has already gone down as one of the toughest harvest on record, the yield of potato crops have been hit hard by the ‘Autumn washout’, with fields being waterlogged by the likes of Storm Babet, Ciarán, Debi and more, meaning that farmers have been unable to harvest lots of their produce.
Christmas dinner roast potatoes under threat as storms lead to 'lowest crop on record' https://t.co/7XjGkEth6c
Farmer James Lacey explained how there is around £200,000 worth of potatoes that he and his team simply can’t harvest and that they are struggling to hold on to those already pulled out, as even such sturdy vegetables as potatoes just “don’t like this kind of weather and aren’t storing very well”.
This is just the story of farmer’s plot of land too; unfortunately, current figures project that roughly 20% of this autumn’s potato crop has been flooded and will likely be unsalvageable, with the majority of rotting spuds only fit for animal feed.
Although the figures are still unclear, it is estimated that the latest potato crop is tipped for a record low of 4.1 milllon tonnes — for context, on average and in their various forms, Brits eat around 250m potatoes at Christmas every year.
Sadly, it doesn’t stop there either as due to the almost unprecedented rainfall over the last few months and back-to-back storms, combined with the increasingly frosty conditions now creeping across the UK, the likes of broccoli, carrots, parnsips are all under threat.
As a result, retailers are already being forced to supplement their supplies from cold storage which, obviously, isn’t endless.
With shortages of different vegetables are increasing week upon week and as well as the impact it is having in restaurants already, the knock-on effect it may have on supermarkets with people raiding the freezers to get frozen roasties at the ready just in case could be massive.
The recent miserable weather isn’t getting any better either as the North West is one of many regions that has been hit by a cold snap this week, with the Met Office and UKHSA issuing an amber health alert.
New survey reveals one in six Brits would rather have a curry than a Christmas dinner
Emily Sergeant
One in six Brits would apparently rather have a curry on Christmas Day in place of a traditional roast dinner, a new survey has revealed.
With December just a few days away now, it won’t be long before we all sit down to tuck into what is always one of the biggest and heartiest meals of the whole year – but, if the results of a new survey is anything to go by, for a good chunk of Brits, this year’s Christmas feast won’t be the typical roast turkey that tradition’s always called for.
Instead, one in six would rather stray off the beaten track and opt for an Indian instead.
After a shocking survey by Next revealed last year that more than 12 million Brits think Yorkshire puddings belong with your Christmas dinner, around 1,000 UK adults have been polled by instatprint this time around to discover what’s making it on the festive feasting plate in just a few weeks time.
And, as to be expected, some weird and wonderful food combinations feature on the list, with over a third of Brits apparently planning on having sausages instead of the usual Christmas meats, and chips and beans also seem to be on the menu for the fussier eaters among us too.
One in six Brits would apparently rather have a curry than a Christmas dinner / Credit: Supplied
Chicken nuggets, eggs, caviar, goat’s cheese, haggis, and chimichurri were some of the other rogue choices given by some of the survey respondents.
Then, when it comes to the accompanying sides to the main event, 11% even revealed they plan on tucking into some macaroni cheese with their Christmas dinner this year, with another 11% sharing that mushy peas are a must on their plate too.
17% of Brits will be enjoying mustard, 13% will be squirting ketchup on their roast, and 7% will apparently be enjoying a dollop of mayonnaise too.
It’s all according to a new survey to discover Christmas feasting preferences / Credit: Supplied
But while some clearly like to freestyle their Christmas dinner and pop whatever they fancy on the plate, others are apparently ditching the norm all together, as the survey has revealed that only half of Brits are set on having their traditional Christmas dinner this year.
As mentioned, almost one in six would much rather tuck into an Indian curry, but not only that, 6% of us would rather have a Chinese, 5% would enjoy Mexican, and another 5% would opt for tapas if it was an option too.
The Manc -
24th June 2020 
