Major Leeds Casino Closes to Place Many at Jobless Fears

The closure of the Grosvenor Casino in Leeds, United Kingdom, has threatened to leave many jobless while the city is also set to welcome a new bigger casino.

Leeds are in danger of a major job crisis as one of the city’s major employers, Grosvenor Casino, is in danger of being shut down. The casino, which is just opposite to the Merrion centre, is located on Merrion Way. It is expected to shut down next month as the casino’s landlord has decided against not renewing the lease agreement. Instead of finding a new venue, the casino’s owner – The Rank Group – claimed that the venue would be shut down in favour of concentrating on the casino at Westgate, which is also owned by the same group.

Major Leeds Casino Closes to Place Many at Jobless Fears

Danger of Numerous Jobless Individuals

The casino at Westgate is currently undergoing refurbishments, but closure of the Grosvenor Casino will result in many losing their jobs. They are unlikely to find a spot at the Westgate casino. The Rank Group did not reveal details about the job cuts as of now. Some of the more talented and capable individuals are likely to secure relocation to the new casino, but majority will find themselves searching for a new job in the next 30 days. The Rank Group confirmed that the lease agreement runs out in September and it will also see the end of Grosvenor Casino for the time being.

However, the company has tried to give hope to the employees and fans of the casino that they are in consultation to look at alternative positions for the employees. Since the Rank Group owns a number of Grosvenor branded casinos throughout the United Kingdom, they believe that a solution can be found to the job crisis. Rank Group also runs casinos through the sister brand, Mecca.

Leeds City Council Offers Hope

Apart from the numerous job losses, the Arena Quarter in Leeds is expected to suffer substantially as a result of this departure. The region has grown a lot since the music venue started functioning in 2013. Leeds City Council have expressed their confidence that they will be able to find a new tenant quickly. The arrival of a new tenant will be key towards the area sustaining the growth it has seen in recent years. Leeds City Council also claimed that they will work in conjunction with the Rank Group in order to avoid as much redundancies as possible.

Even though Leeds has had to go through a difficult time with the closure of the Grosvenor Casino, the city has also been welcomed by news that a new ‘super casino’ will arrive at the new Victoria Gate complex in Autumn.

Leeds is going through an immense transformation and the council is investing in Merrion House now. In addition, the new “super casino” at the Victoria Gate complex will be the 3rd largest in the United Kingdom when it opens and will employ more than 200 people across a fifty thousand square feet establishment that will house 1,500 people. The new casino will boast one of the largest poker rooms in the country, alongside 140 slot machines and 80 electronic table games.