Ever at the forefront of the latest trends, Mancunians have been a driving force behind the growing popularity of online casino gaming.
Traditionally, the city has been home to several physical casinos that have helped to characterise Manchester’s nightlife, including premises in the city centre, on Deansgate and across the wider region. A cursory glance at Google Maps shows that the city itself is home to seven major casinos, including many of the industry’s biggest names.
Those symbols of leisure endure to this day, but the industry at large has broadened to include an incredible selection of online games, offering experienced players and newbies alike the chance to sample the thrill of the casino wherever they are. If you’d like to find out more, check out sbobet.
Manc powered
Macunians have again been at the forefront of this trend. Greater Manchester boasts one of the UK’s most diverse populations, with a significant BAME population, particularly in the city itself, alongside an estimated 100,000 students, many with smartphones in their pockets. This broad cross-section of people within the city and a high concentration of Millenials makes it a great target market for any growing online entertainment sector.
Additionally, the city’s love affair with football means its population likely to already be more engaged than other UK conurbations with leading betting brands. These factors, coupled with its growing population of more than half a million, makes it the perfect target area for online casino operators.
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Source: Pexels
Blackjack
A staple of the casino dating back many years, Blackjack combines good fortune with strength of nerves and conviction. The rules are simple and the gameplay is thrilling, making the game a timeless and universal classic.
It’s a game that’s remained popular everywhere, including Manchester, with online casinos adapting it for a more tech-savvy audience. You can now play blackjack online at Betfair Casino against a real dealer, alongside different variations on the standard game, including a Frankie Dettori-branded title.
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Blackjack is a game that rewards confidence but can punish cockiness, qualities that us Mancs have by the bucket load.
Roulette
The ultimate casino game of chance, roulette is another game that has stood the test of timeand made the transition online very quickly. Players can enjoy the game with a low stake and stand an outside chance of winning a big prize.
The odds of the ball landing on a single number are long, although it’s also possible to increase your chances of winning by placing multiple bets. Each round of roulette is quick and there’s no long-term strategy required.
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Roulette, especially the live variant of the game, which involves streaming a video feed of a real roulette table, also has a connection to the city. Intelligent Gaming, which is a subsidiary of the iGaming company Playtech, is based in the city. The company helps support live roulette, among other aspects of the behind-the-scenes operation of casinos.
Bingo
Not commonly associated with the traditional casino, bingo has been a visible part of Mancunian culture for generations. Bingo halls within the city and beyond have helped bring communities together and provided hours of entertainment.
The game’s transition online has helped the game reach new audiences, with the average bingo player now much younger than in previous years. This makes it the perfect match for Manchester’s student population.
Also aided by the emergence of Bongo’s Bingo, this classic British game has its heritage in the working men’s clubs of the North West and it’s heartening to see it reinvented for the digital age.
It’s clear that online casino engages with audiences globally and Manchester makes up only a tiny part of that. But when you study the games in more detail, it’s easy to see why locals are so drawn to the action.
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
The Manc -
8th December 2020 
