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Why Online Casino is at Home in Manchester

Ever at the forefront of the latest trends, Mancunians have been a driving force behind the growing popularity of online casino gaming.

The Manc The Manc - 8th December 2020

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.

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.

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 time and 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.

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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Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade

An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back. 

First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK. 

And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores. 

There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.

And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop. 

The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles. 

Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in Manchester
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Breezer is back, in three new flavours

The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.

Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.

“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”

The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever. 

Follow @breezer on Instagram for more.

18+, please drink responsibly.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Explaining the ‘Poznań’ and why Oasis fans are doing it at their Live ’25 reunion tour gigs

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The sun is shining, Britpop is back on top and, more importantly, Oasis are BACK – plus, they’ve got thousands of people that aren’t even Manchester City fans doing the Poznań. Here’s why.

Before you jump down our throats, yes, we’re fully aware of what the popular Man City supporter celebration is (including the fact that it’s nicked); however, we have seen plenty of people confused over what it’s all about.

Including a few in our office who couldn’t give a monkey’s about football, which is fair enough.

So, if like lots of other non-footy-obsessed Oasis fans, you’ve also been wondering A) what the Poznań is and B) why people on the Live ’25 reunion tour have been doing it, here’s a brief explanation.

What is the Poznań celebration?

For starters, if you’ve been keeping off social media completely to avoid any spoilers whatsoever, first of all, well done, your willpower is much stronger than ours.

Secondly, if you’ve never seen it before at all, here’s what it looks like:

It came out of Poland, hailing from the place of the same name and popularised by Ekstraklasa (a.k.a. the Polish first division) football team, Lech Poznań, who have been doing it since the 1960s.

As you can see, the group – and in this case, stadium-wide celebration – sees supporters turning their backs on the pitch/the centre of the arena and linking by wrapping arms around each other’s shoulders and jumping up and down in one, massive, continuous wave.

It is quite a striking visual, no question about that.

Why are Oasis fans doing it?

Come on, you must have put two and two together by now.

Manchester City fans adopted this now iconic celebration more than a decade and a half ago, and have been doing it regularly during big games, big scorelines, and big trophy wins, of which there have been a lot since then.

In fact, aside from the Burnage boys being massive Blues, Liam Gallagher himself actually instructed the Cardiff crowds on nights one and two.

It’s actually said to originate from Turkey or Greece, where it is also fairly commonplace, being simply referred to as ‘la Grecque’.

They’ve even used some pretty biblical official photography from the opening weekend of the reunion tour as the cover art for a live recording re-released of ‘Slide Away’.

It might be the coolest album artwork we’ve seen in a while, to be honest.

The history of the Poznań and its connection to Man City

Be it at Wembley for a cup final or at the Etihad Stadium, where the majority of fans saw the supporter stunt for the first time, it’s become arguably even more synonymous with City than its creators.

It was 2010, and the blue half of Manchester was hosting Lech Poznań in the group stage of the Europa League, but despite a 3-1 victory on the grass itself, more eyes were fixed on the stands themselves.

An army of 6,000 loyal Lech Poznań fans travelled for the game and had the ground quite physically bouncing with a shade of slightly darker blue, so when Emmanuel Adebayor wrapped up a hat-trick, the home support decided to turn the jubilation on their opponents and do it themselves.

It was all in good spirit, of course, but it went down a pretty instant hit with City fans and has only grown more prevalent and regular ever since.

Perhaps one of the funniest sights in recent years is Noel Gallagher being too hungover to join in, which also led to one of the coldest-looking images of the songwriter ever, and one that was quickly dubbed a perfect album cover for the next High Flying Birds album or, who knows, maybe another Oasis record?…

Ok, this is still up there in the cover art competition too.

So, yeah: that’s pretty much the long and short of it, we just thought it would help if we quickly explained the Poznań to anyone wondering why Oasis fans have been doing it.

Basically, if it was that big over in Wales, don’t be surprised if you see a literal sea of people flood Heaton Park before turning their backs to the stage, which seems to be triggered once Liam introduces ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol.’ It’ll be interesting to see if Man United fans get involved.

And finally, just imagine how much more epic this is going to be back home in Manchester as we brace for quite possibly the biggest headline gig the region has ever seen…

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Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshot)/Oasis (via X)

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