Press Release – The UK’s biggest casino, the London Hippodrome, risked controversy last week with its advert in The Metro seeking Door Dwarfs – to work as bouncers at the casino’s new entrance. The casino reopened its doors in July 2012 and now welcomes 35,000 visitors a week.
Of course, UK residents have no real need to go to a land based casino as they can gamble online at a huge number of different casino sites. But while the convenience of online casinos will doubtless be the main attraction for people who decide to play roulette with 32Red and the other online casinos, there’s still obviously an appeal in going to a traditional casino setting if you’re seeking a holistic gaming experience and it’s a great choice venue for a night out with friends.
The Hippodrome doesn’t seem to have just placed its door dwarf ad as a way to create some publicity, though. The owner of the casino, Simon Thomas, says he is looking to build on the long tradition of employing dwarfs at the venue.
First opened in 1900, the Hippodrome was originally an indoor circus and Little Titch was one of the first cast members. Tom Thumb also performed there during his career. At one stage, high-diving dwarfs plunged into a water tank from a gallery 60ft above.
Before putting out the ad, the Hippodrome ran door dwarf trials to make sure it was a viable option. Apparently the trials went very well. Mr Thomas said, “Nobody messes with a dwarf, so in a way they are very good doormen.” It’s certainly a different approach to the stereotypical weight training doormen you see at many clubs and bars, who take up most of the doorway with their bulk and use their body mass to control the situation.
Thomas hopes that employing dwarfs to operate door control will reduce the number of confrontations – “Nobody is going to pick on someone who is below-average height. It’s not exactly a macho thing to do so it is a very good way of controlling the door.”
The Hippodrome has three floors of card tables and slots games, and for smokers, there’s even gambling on the smokers’ terrace. One whole floor is dedicated to poker, but you can also play roulette, blackjack and all the other traditional casino games there. There are also six bars and a restaurant. Customers can also enjoy catch a show at the cabaret theatre.
Asked whether he feared recrimination about discrimination because of his advert, Thomas said: “I find we live in a world of political correctness gone mad. I have a lot of different people with lots of different skills. I have chosen that those skills and physical attributes are appropriate to that job.”
Image by Mike Miley
