Greyhounds, horses and casinos: Newcastle’s rich gambling heritage explored
Greyhounds, horses and casinos: Newcastle’s rich gambling heritage explored
Newcastle is a major UK city and one of the real jewels of the north. It is fair to say that it is a great place to live and there is always lots going on to stay entertained with. From shops to clubs, bars, restaurants, historic landmarks and more, Newcastle is a place with lots to shout about.
Sports are also a massive part of life in the city,and this can be seen in the fervent support the local football team generates. Football is not the only sport which Newcastle has close connections with though, as horse racing and greyhound racingare also popular. While this has included people following these sports over time, it has also meant people around the city love to bet on them.
Due to this, a rich history of gambling on horse racing and greyhound racing has evolved in the local area. When you think of the entertainmentthis offers, it is no surprise. Over time, this interest in gambling has also grown to include a love for playing casino games and a vibrant casino gaming industry springing up in Newcastle.
But just what specific connection does the city have with gambling on casino games, horse races and greyhound races?
Newcastle’s historic casino gambling scene
Looking back at the major strands in the city’s gambling heritage, you will find that the casino scene in Newcastle stands out. Both locals and visitors after all have always loved to gamble at its glamorous casino sites and try fun games at them.
This has led Newcastle to becoming a popular place for casino gaming and seen the casino gambling sector play a key role in the economic health of the city. As well as providing delivering jobs and financial wealth to people in Newcastle, the city’s casino scene also attracts gamblers from all over the world to visit it.
As is true for the rest of the UK, legalised casino gambling in the city came to the fore during the 1960s. This has seen several casinos come and go over the years. But what does casino gambling in the city look like now?
Modern casino betting in the city is focused on purpose-built complexes from some of the top brands around. For example, there is a Grosvenor Casino site at St James Boulevard, which has a good selection of games and live sports to watch. Genting Casino on Forth Street is another popular choice and also has some of the most popular games around to bet on.
As you would expect, iGaming plays a huge role when it comes to casinos in Newcastle, and this allows people to play fun games online without leaving the house. The presence of online casinosis not a surprise when you think of how popular they are in the rest of the world and how they represent another step forward for the connection all top cities have with casino betting. The best online casinos to play at in 2023 show this is true on a global scale and that people in places such as the USA and Europe have just as much choice when it comes to iGaming as those in Newcastle do.
Horse racing in Newcastle
Horse racing is a much-loved sport around the UK and one that has a long history in terms of betting as a whole. As long as horse races have been run, people have liked to bet on the outcome of them! In light of this, it is no surprise to see that gambling on this sport is not only popular in Newcastle but that the city has a close bond with horse racing overall.
A deeper look back into this shows that the first recorded Northumberland Plate was hosted at Town Moor in 1833 before racing in the area focused on High Gosforth Park beginning in 1881. This saw just over 800 acres of the Brandling Estate purchased by investors to set up Newcastle Racecourse. In addition to a flat and chase course, the track’s investors also built stable blocks which could house up to 100 horses.
This stunning track soon became a hub not only for the sport of horse racing around the UK but also for people who liked to wager on it. This saw people flocking to place bets in person on course and also at external bookmakers. Extensive redevelopment to the tune of £11 million in the mid-1990s from Northern Racing saw a new stand, a parade ring and a straight mile track added.
Newcastle Racecourse now holds over 60 meets each year and some of the top races around for people to wager on. Featuring both an all-weather and turf course, it is perfectly setup for racing all year round and this also makes it popular with sports bettors. It is also a venue which hosts some top events outside of horse racing, such as Judge Jules’ summer 2022 concert
As with online casino play, modern horse race betting in Newcastle has also headed online in recent years. This has seen people in the city bet on races at the local racecourse, and other tracks across the UK, via cutting-edge internet sportsbooks.
Greyhound racing in Newcastle
Any article which focuses on the long connection Newcastle has with gambling must mention greyhound racing. As in many other parts of the UK, betting on this sport has been a particular favourite with locals and is still popular today.
Greyhound racing’s history in the city stretches back to May 1928, when White City Stadiumopened its door to punters for the first time. This was in response to the first-ever greyhound track opening up at Belle Vue in Manchester the year before and the surge of interest around the country in betting on greyhound races. Following this, Newcastle Stadium, originally called Brough Park,opened its doors in June 1928 to bring even more racing action to sports gamblers in the area.
Although White City Stadium closed down in 1951, Newcastle Stadium is still a mecca for fans of thesport who also like to bet on races. There are normally five meetings held here over four days each week, but the main action is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Located in the Walker/Byker suburb of the city, it is easy to get to and is around a 15-minute car ride from the centre of Newcastle. This track also holds one of the most prestigious races on the UK greyhound scene in the form of the All-England Cup. This always attracts lots of attention from people who like to gamble on the sport — both at the track itself and also online and at physical bookies around the city.
Newcastle’s rich gambling heritage
As the above shows, Newcastle really does have a rich heritage when it comes to gambling on horse racing, casino games and greyhound races. Gamblers in the city have liked to wager on all these things for many years now and this showsno signs of slowing down. When you consider the thrills betting on these activities offers and the fun it brings, this is easy to understand. As new developments such as online casinos and online sportsbooks take gambling around the city in new directions, you can be sure that Newcastle’s history with gambling will only grow.