University Hosts Casino Nights

A British university has held two casino nights for students, within the space of ten weeks. The events, which were organised by students at Lancaster University, took place as the university's freshers settled in. On both occasions, students dressed up in cocktail dresses for the girls and tuxedos for the boys, and played games such as roulette and blackjack with paper money. Each student was given a certain amount of the ‘fake' money, which they were free to spend in any part of the casino that they wished.

The first event was held in freshers' week last year, as the new students were getting to know each other. It consisted of part of a college common room and bar being turned into a casino, complete with roulette tables and croupiers. The event, which was held on the Lancaster University campus, lasted all evening and was a resounding success with students. There was a James Bond theme to the evening, and students were required to dress up appropriately for the event. Evening dresses and tuxes were worn, and cocktails were served at the bar.

The second event was held in December, at one of the university's winter balls. A whole evening of entertainment was laid on at the event, which was held at the Imperial Gardens Hotel nearby in Blackpool, which has also played host to the Conservative Party conference in the past. Like the casino night that had previously been held in freshers' week, the whole event was organised by students, for students. Again students were given tokens and paper money to use on the roulette tables and on the other casino games. The casino night at the winter ball was part of a night of entertainment, which also included a brass band, a three course Christmas dinner and an awards presentation for students.

Casino games are very popular in the UK. With the number of casinos around the country and also online casino sites, there has been an increase in the number of casino players.