The Sefton Group has appointed a new manager at the Palace Casino.
Craig Harte has moved to the Island from Reading, having gained 21 years’ experience in the casino industry.
Born in Essex, he started his career in a small private club in Great Yarmouth before working in several casinos around the UK, after which he helped set up a casino in Greece, where he lived for a few years.
Craig, 40, returned to work in casinos in London, before joining Genting Casino – the largest casino business in the UK – in 2002 and gaining his manager’s licence two years later. Craig then worked in several areas of the business, including hospitality and marketing.
His new role will see him work alongside Palace Casino General Manager Paul Castellucci.
‘It’s an exciting challenge for me,’ said Craig. ‘The main difference at the Palace Casino compared with my last job, is that there is so much more on offer here - more slots, the latest touch-bet roulette terminals, bingo and the new Live Play area which makes Palace Casino one of only a handful of casinos in the world where on-site and on-line gaming is played from the same venue.
‘In the UK, for most casinos there is a restriction on the number and the pay-out from machines – for example, a typical casino is only allowed a maximum of 20 machines and a £4,000 jackpot. However, at the Palace we have 160 machines and an unlimited jackpot. It’s differences such as this that attracted me to the job, and I hope to bring in fresh ideas, based on what I’ve learned over the years.’
Adrian Brockhouse, Sefton Group Director of Hotels and Leisure, said: ‘It’s great to have someone of Craig’s calibre joining our team. He brings with him a wealth of experience, across several aspects of the business, and he’s already at work on several projects, which we hope to roll out within the casino in the coming months.’
