BRITAIN'S first "casino college" opens today, as the race for a pioneering Las Vegas-style gambling goes on.
Blackpool and The Fylde College has built a virtual casino for students to learn the tricks of the croupier's trade.
Everything from GCSEs to foundation courses for degrees will be available - although only to over 18s.
Blackpool is the current joint favourite - alongside London - to be chosen as the site of a pilot "super-casino", with more than 1,000 unlimited-jackpot fruit machines.
Panel
And racing behind them are nearly 50 other towns and cities - including Manchester - which have submitted rival plans to a government-appointed panel.
The scheme in Manchester would cost '265m and include a host of sports and leisure facilities, alongside the casino, at Sportcity.
But Blackpool's bid received a major boost when the North West Development Agency and North West Regional Assembly claimed it would reap greater benefits from a super-casino than Manchester.
That has encouraged the college to go ahead with the launch of the new courses, which will teach skills such as operating a roulette wheel and how to fix broken slot machines. Gaming company Gala Casinos is helping to bankroll the project.
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I'm quite sure that the operators of "Las Vegas style gambling" establishments fleece enough money from gullible punters to be able to finance their own in-house croupier training courses. What next - courses on how to run brothels?
This is a gross mis-use of an educational establishment.
Young kids thinking of going into this industry. When you are starting it is great. When you are say thirty and still working the tables it is hell. You are too old and they will try to make it so uncomfy you will leave. You have to become management to progress it does not matter how good you are at table. Ageism starts in casinoes.
This is a great idea, it is about time that you can get a properly recognised qualification in this area. Some people just have no idea how valuable it would be to not only work in casinos but to get into the online gambling industry that is forever growing and the wages are excellent, not to mention that you can (like I have) travel the world working for the many casinos!