At the end of May, the long-anticipated Century Casino opened in central Bath, Somerset in the United Kingdom, celebrating the occasion with a red carpet opening ceremony attended by some 1,200 guests. The venue is, of course, a project by the international casino firm Century Casinos Inc, and marks their first venture in the UK. They already have a presence in the USA and Canada, and own a subsidiary in Austria, as well as interests in Poland.
The new Century Casino will, naturally, serve Bath, a picturesque city of approximately 200,000 people located in the east of England fairly close to Bristol. Bath is already quite well-known as a tourist attraction; the city features the famous Roman Baths, which attract millions every year to the area.
The venue is the only one of its kind in the Bath region, and features 15,000 square metres of space set across a full three floors. In terms of gaming options, the venue currently offers thirty-four slot machines; several other gaming terminals, including roulette; twenty-four automated live gaming terminals; and fourteen gaming tables. For leisure facilities, there are three bars, including a luxury cocktail lounge, as well as an elegant balcony overlooking the Theatre Royal, which makes up part of the Beau Nash Suite on the top floor. This is expected to be used for private gaming, amongst other things; the venue describes it as available for private hire. The casino is part of a wider mixed-leisure development which includes a four-star hotel, Zizzi and Byron restaurants, and several retail facilities.
Century Casino Chief Executive Officers Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger issued the following joint statement following the grand opening: “We are delighted about the opportunity to enter the UK gaming market with the addition of the Century Casino Bath to our international portfolio of successful casino operations. We believe the casino in Bath has the potential to provide an attractive return on our investment.”
That seems likely to be a decent bet, seeing as the city has little in the way of existing gaming options. Oxford offers several wagering options and is in relatively close proximity to Bath, but lacks a casino or poker room. Some competition, however, will likely come from Bristol, which is well stocked with Grosvenor, Rainbow and Genting casinos and is only about thirteen miles away.
