Peter White, Publisher of Casino Life Magazine, speaks with Iain Gardiner, General Manager of Genting Casino Manchester, following the completion of the property's extensive refurbishment.
Genting Casino Manchester has officially reopened following a stunning £1.5 million refurbishment that has transformed one of the UK's flagship casinos into a vibrant, contemporary entertainment destination. Having attended the official relaunch celebration as a guest, Peter White spoke with Iain Gardiner about the inspiration behind the redesign, creating an exceptional customer experience, and Genting's continued investment in the future of the UK casino industry. The refurbishment also reflects the growing importance of combining first-class gaming, hospitality, entertainment and design to meet the evolving expectations of today's casino customers.
Congratulations on what is a stunning refurbishment. What was the original vision behind this £1.5 million investment, and what experience did you want customers to have from the moment they walk through the doors?
Our brief was to brighten up the casino floor, to add light colours but also to add ambient lighting and also to introduce a touch of femininity to the design. As you know, casinos are no longer male-dominated spaces and we really want to reflect that we are a place for all genders and cultures. It’s long been the belief that male guests aren’t too fussy about their environments, but I think this is changing, so we had to cater for a busy mixed gender environment and too many casinos are dark and dull environments – I didn’t want Manchester to be one of those. Manchester is a very diverse city with regards to gender identifications, cultures, ethnicities and much more – so we wanted everyone to feel comfortable in our casino.
Having attended the relaunch, one of the first things that stood out was the overall ambience. How much attention was given to lighting design, colour palettes and creating the right atmosphere throughout the casino?
Our designer was fantastic. To be honest, we gave the initial brief and expected to tweak it after the first design draft – but our designer really ‘visioned’ our brief from day one and our tweaks were minimal. Manchester is a very vibrant city and we really wanted to show that in our colour schemes and in our lighting choices – so we now have a very bright and colourful casino and we think it fits with the profile of the customers who frequent the casino.
The gaming floor feels far more spacious and intuitive than before. Can you talk us through the planning process behind the new table gaming layout and how customer flow influenced the final design?
To be honest, there wasn’t much movement on the gaming floor as we were mostly happy with the layout. We did make some small moves and some machine changes but colours and designs really play a part here – with a little movement and a new colour scheme, it really does look bigger than it did before, which is testament to the skill of the design.
Slot machine positioning has clearly been carefully considered. What factors determined where each bank of machines would be located, and how important is visibility and accessibility when designing a modern gaming floor?
We have a fantastic Electronic Gaming support team who will regularly assess our machines, their performance and make recommendations based on this. They gave us some suggested layouts based on what the customer would want, and need, and we ran from there really. We have added a few new machines to really mix up our offerings for our customers. We recognise that Slot Players want a good machine, in a good location and in a bright and social environment. Ultimately, they choose us as they want to play their favourite games, but also they want to socialise. They don’t want dank corners and to be hidden away – so our machine positioning reflects this.
Did customer data and player behaviour influence the positioning of table games, electronic gaming and slot products during the redesign?
Customer data is usually central to what we do. We assess everything we possibly can before trialling any new layouts. We’re quite convinced that what we have currently is the right fit for the customer – and if that thought changes or the data changes, then we’ll make more changes in the future. You need to be flexible and to respond to customer demand if it becomes obvious that patterns of customer behaviour are evolving; that’s part of our role as a casino operator. But for now we’re very happy with the lay-out and we’re confident our guests will enjoy it.
The choice of furnishings, finishes and décor creates a contemporary yet comfortable environment. How involved were you personally in selecting the furniture, fabrics and overall interior styling?
I really wanted to set a brief on this one and then to trust the designer implicitly. I’ve done this as much as possible and I can say I’m truly happy with the results. There were a few changes made and yes, my input reflects some of the choices, but nearly all of the credit sits with the designers.
One feature that particularly caught my attention was the new carpet design. Casino carpets often become an iconic part of a property's identity. What inspired the design, and how important is flooring in bringing together the overall visual experience?
I think the carpet is stunning and really complements the light fabrics and wallcoverings we chose. People often talk about casino carpets and mostly, the stories aren’t good! Everyone remembers a bad carpet! This one truly is stunning and we’ve already had loads of compliments on the choice. It’s light and colourful which is what we wanted our customers to see our whole casino as – a light, bright, colourful space to spend their time.
Manchester has one of the UK's most vibrant nightlife scenes. How did you ensure the refurbishment appeals not only to existing gaming customers but also to people looking for a premium night out?
We really needed to reflect that we are a place for serious gamers, however we should acknowledge the location we are in and make provisions for leisure guests too. We are much more than just casino games, therefore we needed to ensure we cover a wide range of tastes with the décor and I really think it does project a premium leisure feel. That’s important in persuading people they’ll have a great night out and we’re confident that once they’ve come through the doors and experienced the look and feel of the casino, they’ll want to return with their friends.
The restaurant and bar areas feel much more integrated with the gaming experience. What improvements have been made to the food and beverage offering, and how important is hospitality in today's casino business?
We’ve always placed a high importance on our F&B offerings. Customers need their food and drink to enjoy their time at the casino, it’s all part of the experience and not an after-thought. We offer a range of popular dishes, such as burgers, pizzas, tapas-style sharing plates and curries – and our Chinese restaurant provides a mouth-watering selection of dishes for customers who enjoy fusion cooking. We haven’t made any menu changes yet as we feel that what we offer is currently the right fit for our clientele – however we do regularly watch our neighbouring hospitality venues and see what’s going on there – so a change will occur in the not too distant future.
Entertainment has become increasingly important for casinos. How has the redesign enhanced live entertainment, sports viewing and the venue's overall social offering?
We are an entertainment venue at heart. We have many spaces aside from the gaming floor, such as our Chinese Restaurant, Bar, Karaoke Rooms & function spaces. Sports viewing is massive nowadays and many people look for a good space to watch sports. We always did have a good following, so we’ve elected not to make any major changes to our screens – in fact – we added more and increased some in size – everyone loves a bigger screen! The timing could not have been better with all the big England matches during the World Cup Finals.
The meeting and function facilities now feature impressive new audio-visual technology. What opportunities does this create for corporate events, private functions and community engagement?
We have a multi-function events space. You want a casual meeting, you want a formal meeting with conference facilities, you want a banquet or private dining space – or maybe you want a party space. Our Balcony room now has the facilities and equipment to cater for almost any type of event.
I was particularly impressed by the dedicated training and meeting facilities. How important is investing in your people alongside investing in the building itself?
People are the most important asset in a business like ours. It’s what sets casinos apart from other venues, not least for player protection. Our people need to be well trained, knowledgeable and engaged and we do our best to ensure all team members have a job which not only pays their bills, but which they enjoy going to. Without good people, we really are nothing!
With 20 live gaming tables, 56 slot machines and 40 electronic roulette terminals, how did you decide on the final gaming mix? Was this based on customer demand, operational efficiency or future growth?
It was all of the above really. We analyse lots of data in our everyday lives and sometimes this data makes a decision for us – more importantly, we talk to our customers. I like to think the customers and regular visitors decide what we are and what we should be in the future.
Sustainability is increasingly influencing refurbishment projects across the leisure industry. Were there any environmentally conscious decisions made during the redevelopment?
I’m sure the designer looked at this a lot whilst deciding on every aspect of the build and Genting as a wider company, is committed to being a sustainable supplier and environmentally friendly operator. A refurbishment allows us to replace older equipment and lighting with more energy-efficient alternatives.
Looking back over the project, what proved to be the biggest challenge in delivering such an extensive refurbishment while continuing to serve customers?
Hoardings, noise, dust! I’m glad to see the back of all of that. Seeing a fully operational business through a major redevelopment is tough work. We did our best to ensure there was as little impact to the customer as possible, such as limiting noisy and disturbing works to our closed hours or maybe really quiet hours. Customers don’t like to be on a building site so hoardings played a great part in this renovation – whilst a hoarding isn’t nice to see, it keeps the messy works away from the customer and ultimately it keeps the customer safe! Now that the work has been completed, I’m sure our guests will agree it has been worthwhile and delivered a fantastic gaming and hospitality space for them to enjoy.
Customer reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Have there been any comments or feedback that particularly pleased you following the relaunch?
I’m just so pleased about all of the great comments we’ve seen so far. Customers seems to be loving the new look and I’m just really pleased that we’ve made a comfortable environment for them. In fact – one customer asked me if I could give her some carpet tiles as she loved the carpet that much, she wanted it at home!
Genting has made a significant investment in Manchester. What does this say about the company's long-term confidence in both the city and the UK casino market?
Genting continues to see Manchester as a key city and our aim is to continue to play a dominating role in the city. We’ve invested in this casino on multiple occasions throughout the years and this time, we’re set up for a great future and are ready to welcome everyone to come and see what we are. Across Genting’s UK portfolio, the business is continuing to invest in our casinos. For example, we recently completed a £9.8 million, 15-month refurbishment, at our Westcliff casino, including a full roof replacement, a contemporary new lounge bar, upgraded entertainment spaces, a new electronic gaming lounge, refreshed dining facilities and a redesigned layout. We revitalised a historic Southend seafront venue while keeping it open throughout extensive building works.
As General Manager, when you stood back and looked across the completed casino during the relaunch celebrations, what made you feel most proud, and what do you hope guests will remember most about the new Genting Casino Manchester experience?
We faced many challenges during this refurb – my proudest moment is just reflecting on how the whole team navigated the challenges of an extensive project but continued to give our guests many great experiences. I want customers to remember how good a time they had in our casino – we’re ultimately there to give good experiences and we will do our best to keep doing that – but in a beautiful new setting!
Casino Life Magazine would like to extend its sincere thanks to General Manage Iain Gardiner and the Genting PR Team for their invaluable help, support and assitance with this exclusive feature interview
*** This exclusive feature was originally published in the August 2026 edition of Casino Life Magazine Issue 190 Volume 22***
