A North East casino has reaffirmed its positions as the region's premier poker venue by doubling the size of its card room. Aspers at The Gate has invested a substantial sum in the new facility, which can hold up to 200 people.

Since it opened in 2005, Aspers has hosted some of the UK's most high-profile poker tournaments, including the Sky Poker Tour and the Virgin Festival, and management are hoping to attract even more big events with the new, improved poker room. There are also plans to host more tournaments for customers, in addition to the existing daily schedule.

"We've extended the poker room into the former Club Aspinall, effectively doubling the number of tables," said Alan Barnes, Head of Gaming at Aspers. "The extra space means we can run larger tournaments and allows customers to access a table straight away during busy periods.

"When Aspers first opened, I don't think the designers quite appreciated the level of demand for a quality poker venue in the North East, so we had simply outgrown the old poker room. This investment means we can build on our existing programme, which includes tournaments every day of the week."

Club Aspinall, the casino's VIP room, has been moved to a new location on the first floor, although most customers already chose to join the poker tables on the main gaming floor. The expanded space will also mean that popular weekly events, such as the £5 buy-in student tournament every Wednesday, can be expanded to meet demand.

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"We're always looking at ways to make Aspers even better for our customers and this latest project will ensure that we maintain our position as Newcastle's first choice for poker," said Richard Smith, General Manager of Aspers at The Gate. "We've worked with the design team to give our customers exactly what they want, with improved lighting, a spacious layout and more relaxed surroundings."

ENDS

Always play responsibly - www.gambleaware.co.uk  

Issued on behalf of Aspers at The Gate

by Point Pleasant Communications

For further information please contact Rob Lawson

on (0191) 519 7219 (Mobile: 07940 501 993) or email rob@point-pleasant.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

• Aspers is a 45,000ft2 leisure facility in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• The venue includes bars, restaurant, beauty spa, live entertainment and state-of-the-art gaming facilities.
• Aspers has attracted almost 137,000 members in just over three years from a catchment area covering Northumberland and County Durham, reaching across to Cumbria and down to York.
• In late 2007 Aspers became the first casino operator in the country to launch a loyalty club - Aspire - that allows customers to collect and redeem points throughout its operations (including gaming). Customers are now able to gain points for every purchase made on the premises and can also earn bonus points on selected promotions.
• In April 2008, Aspers became the first British casino to go 'membership free' which means that virtually all visitors can freely walk through the reception area without completing membership forms. Photo ID is required if you look under 21 and to join our Aspire Loyalty Club.
• Visitors to Aspers must be 18 or over
• At every Aspers location, the company has set up the Community Action for Responsible Gaming (CARG) programme. This initiative is unique to Aspers and is based on similar successful schemes in Australia and New Zealand. CARG is a voluntary, not-for-profit group that seeks to constructively address problem gambling issues in society through a working partnership between local community-based interest groups.