Operator News

UK – Grosvenor holds Annual National Dealer Skills Championship

By Phil - 8 December 2017

Grosvenor Casinos hosted the grand final of the National Dealer Skills Championships at its Coventry casino on November 23.

Now in its 9th year, the annual event saw the best Grosvenor Casinos’ dealers across the UK go head-to-head in two categories: over two years’ experience and under two years’ experience. After battling it out against 10 finalists for over six hours, the winners were named as Joe Kent from Sheffield (under two years’ experience) and Josh Williams, from Soames in Manchester (over 2 years’ experience).

Josh took home £1,000, a trip to Malta to experience Grosvenor Casinos’ live casino and the coveted National Dealer Skills trophy. In second place was Callum Lacey who took home a runner up trophy and £500 in prize money. Joe was thrilled to take the top prize under two years’ experience, winning £600, a trip to Malta and his trophy. Runner up in this category was Danial Earp, who took home £300 and a trophy after the fierce competition.

Grosvenor Casinos kicked things off back in June 2017, inviting all of its 51 clubs to train and compete amongst their colleages in preparation for the regional heats. As a result, a staggering number of dealers from across the estate entered, with over 1,000 putting their hat in the ring. From September to October, five regional heats took place in London, the Midlands and West, Yorkshire and the North East, Scotland and the North, and finally, the South and East. The top two performers from the regional rounds each received a prize of £300 and a place at the grand final in Coventry.

Dealers were judged on their Blackjack and Roulette dealing skills. For Blackjack, the dealer had to shuffle and deal for 10 minutes and then complete a Blackjack pay-out test. For Roulette, the dealer must deal on roulette for eight minutes and then complete a bet calculation and cash conversion exercise. Dealers are scored against customer service, chip work & dexterity, asset & game protection, float management and communication.

Ian Shanahan, casino games development manager at Grosvenor Casinos comments: “Congratulations to everyone who attended and supported our dealers and of course, a special mention to our winners and finalists who showcased incredible talent and prowess. The Dealer Skills Championship shows what makes Grosvenor Casinos’ dealers the best in the country and we’re proud to support our dealers and the wider Grosvenor family.”