Whether you’re visiting the home of the Red Devils and Man City for the first time or you’re here for the shopping, Manchester is the place to be if you crave some excitement on a night out.
But better yet, it’s also home to some of the best casinos in the country.
We’ve listed the top spots to go for games of roulette, blackjack or poker right here.
Enjoy!
Grosvenor Casino Didsbury
Located in Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre, this place is open 24 hours a day and doesn’t require a membership card, but you would be wise to observe the casino dress code (smart casual) and etiquette to avoid feeling out of place.
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Inside, you will find a large, open gaming area, a twelve-table room dedicated just for poker, as well as a decent restaurant, bar, and a conference room. Besides poker, you can also play blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or try to hit a jackpot at one of the many electronic gaming machines.
The place is located just a few miles away from the city centre, so it’s best to reach it by car. Fortunately, there’s a free parking area provided for customers. And if you’re looking for something else to do, you’ll also find a cinema, more restaurants, bars, and a bowling alley in the area.
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Manchester 235 Casino
There are all sorts of entertainment options available here, but Blackjack is definitely the most popular card game in Manchester 235 casino. If you’re not entirely sure about how to play, you can sign up for their “learn to play” experience where you’ll sit down with an experienced dealer for a 40-minute intensive learning session for as little as £20.
If you want to develop your skills even further before stepping up to the green felt in a land-based casino, you may also experiment with online blackjack gaming rooms from trusted providers as some of them will even allow you to observe the action as a spectator or even play a couple of rounds for free.
Manchester 235 is not only about card games though. It’s a whole entertainment complex set in Great Northern Warehouse, where you can find a fancy James Martin restaurant or have your favourite cocktail at one of the stylish bars (that are open all night). The venue is open every day of the week, employs friendly staff, and you don’t even need a membership card so you can just pop in to check it out.
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Grosvenor Casino Soames
This is another venue in town falling under the banner of the popular Grosvenor brand. You’ll find it on 35-39 George Street, which is a perfect central spot surrounded by various restaurants, bars, and clubs.
Perhaps it’s not as vast and glamorous as the other casino venues in town, but it’s definitely newbie-friendly. Inside, you’ll find dozens of slot machines, as well as tables for craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. If you’re not sure about the rules governing these games, ask the staff and they’ll be happy to help you out.
Also, if all this casino play excitement makes you hungry, you’ll have free access to a restaurant serving prime quality meals until late in the night.
Genting Casino
Located just a few steps away from Grosvenor Casino Soames, Genting is a perfect place to have some fun during the evening. It’s a sizeable venue where you can roam freely and watch the action at the tables before putting your money on the line.
There are even special spots where you can learn the rules of the game if you need a refresher. The interior is beautiful and there’s plenty of space for a whole group of friends to enjoy the evening, so make sure you don’t miss out on this one.
You can find a few more out there, but don’t settle for anything less than the best, especially if you want to impress your friends or date. After all, you want a casino spot brimming with class, where you can not only dress up and feel special but perhaps even win some cash while you’re there!
If you’d like to find out more, check out 918kiss.
What's On
The same team behind the annual Alton Towers run is bringing a new race to Flamingo Land
Danny Jones
Following the success of Run Alton Towers, the same team is bringing a brand-new running event to another Northern attraction with the first-ever Flamingo Land race.
Knowing how popular its forerunner is (pardon the pun), this one is already well on course to sell out.
The inaugural Alton Towers run first took place in November 2021, and now half a decade later, RunThroughUK – the biggest and fastest-growing race organiser in the country – is recreating the format over at Flamingo Land.
Landing next month, the beloved UK theme park and zoo will be joining them in holding two different distances, and you can still be part of it.
Hosted within the grounds of the wider Flamingo Land Resort, the unique route takes participants through the zoo, passing plenty of incredible animals, before continuing through the theme park alongside some of its biggest rides and amusements.
Located in Kirby Misperton up in North Yorkshire, they will be holding both 5-kilometre and 10km runs around the venue.
With the promotion and sporting events company having already comfortably proved they can hold a slick and seamless running event throughout the 500-acre plot, there’s set to be even more jam-packed sights to see as you jog zip through the slightly smaller and multi-purpose park.
As always with RunThrough dates, runners of all abilities are welcome; whether you’re chasing a personal best or simply looking for a different kind of race route, you’re sure to have a memorable time.
And yes, for those wondering: just like with its Staffordshire counterpart, you do get to stay and enjoy all the rides, wildlife and more as part of your entry fee afterwards.
Even better still, not only will every runner be treated to accurate chip timing, a fully marked course, enthusiastic marshals and support from spectators, but you also get a unique finisher’s medal.
Oh yeah, and you get all of your race pictures for FREE, as is standard with RunThrough events. Belter.
With race day not far away, the final places are filling fast for what promises to be one of the UK’s most unique new running events – not to mention one we fully expect to become another annual addition.
Taking place on Saturday, 5 September 2026, you can secure your bibs for the 5/10k running race HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via RunThrough)
What's On
Manchester pub chain providing lifeline for dementia sufferers with vital support sessions
Danny Jones
A regional pub chain is being rightly praised for providing regular and vital support sessions to those suffering from dementia at two beloved Manchester locations.
The brand in question is Joseph Holt Brewery, which was founded behind an old pub on Oak Street in the Northern Quarter back in 1849, and has gone on to become an instantly recognisable British name.
Serving patrons for the best part of two centuries, their watering holes have always served as important meeting places and community hubs, but one of their current local initiatives is one of the most heartwarming we’ve come across of late.
Dubbed the ‘Get Together Group’, these dementia support sessions, which are now being pioneered at two of their Greater Manchester pubs, are truly setting an example for the kind of grassroots work and outreach that publicans do.
Put simply, the Get Together Group hold sessions for those diagnosed with dementia, and indeed, members of families affected by the disease to meet, discuss and support one another.
Currently being hosted at The Goat’s Gate in Whitefield and The Woodthorpe in Prestwich – both beloved Joseph Holt boozers – the idea was started by Sonia Schofield, 53, who now runs the sessions with a band of dedicated volunteers.
“People just seem to love the warm atmosphere and general sense of community,” says Sonia. “There’s free tea, coffee, and biscuits, along with bingo, a raffle, and some fabulous singers who come along to entertain the group.
“Word has spread that this is such a lively and welcoming space that even people without a direct connection to dementia regularly come along – which is so lovely. It also adds to a sense of community, helps break down stigma around dementia and makes the group feel warm, inclusive, and caring.”
Having worked as part of the brewery for more than three and a half decades since joining as an 18-year-old, this became a passion project of hers after her beloved grandmother, Pam, who had raised her from the age of six, developed dementia in her late sixties.
As is sadly the case for many, it soon became clear that support for those struggling with dementia is unfortunately rather limited, with Royal Voluntary Service figures stating that more than a third of people even just caring for loved ones with dementia receive little or no support following diagnosis.
Goat’s GateThe WoodthorpeHere’s hoping it comes to more pubsWith 125 other establishments, this could be the start of something special. (Credit: CAMRA/Joseph Holt/The Manc Group)
Believed to be the first sessions of their kind held in a pub, the reception to the regular work done by Get Together has meant that it isn’t just people living with the condition directly that now attend: people throughout the local areas are turning to the bi-weekly meet-ups for connection and social interaction.
Sonia goes on to note that because “the atmosphere in a pub is far less formal than, say, a healthcare or community centre setting, this helps reduce anxiety and makes interaction feel more natural.
“Holding a support group in an everyday community venue also shows that people living with dementia are valued members of the community, not defined only by their diagnosis. Just seeing this group of people together is so uplifting.”
Joseph Holt‘s director of pubs, Mark Norbury, said of the scheme: “We are a family business with very strong roots in the communities where our pubs are located. The Get Together Club perfectly reflects Joseph Holt’s values – our pubs are about much more than simply serving drinks. They are welcoming spaces where people can come together, socialise, build friendships, and support one another.
“We are incredibly proud of what Sonia and her fellow volunteers have achieved: creating a vital source of support for those who need it, while also providing a warm, uplifting environment where everyone feels welcome.” Hear, hear.
Joseph Holt continues to extend that homegrown, family-run and community-driven ethos across their pubs, and we sincerely hope we get to more stuff like this popping up at their various wonderful sites across the boroughs.
The Manc -
24th July 2020 
