An industry specialist has been appointed the first dedicated manager of the Palace Casino in Douglas.

Craig Harte will work alongside General Manager Paul Castellucci with a brief to generate new business.

He moves to the Island from Reading with 21 years experience in the business behind him. .

After starting his career in a small private club in Great Yarmouth, he worked in casinos around the UK before setting up a casino business in Greece, where he lived for several years.

Craig joined Genting Casino on his return to the UK in 2002 and subsequently gained his manager's licence.

The appointment follows recent developments at the Palace which include the launch of the Live Play area, making the Douglas venue among the few worldwide where on-site and online gaming are played from the same location.

In the the UK, a typical casino is restricted to a maximum of 20 machines with a ?4000 jackpot. The Palace has 160 machines and an unlimited jackpot, a difference Craig says attracted him to the job.