Students in North East England are odds-on favourites to win careers in the casino industry after completing a new course.

Middlesbrough College’s first level two gambling operations cohort will celebrate its achievement at a glittering event at the Riverside Stadium, demonstrating their new croupier skills to invited guests from Middlesbrough FC, Middlesbrough College and the gaming industry.

The students range from 18-year-olds with no work experience to a former soldier and a former businessman.

They spent six weeks learning how to oversee games of poker, blackjack and roulette and applying for their licence to work as a croupier.

Middlesbrough College head of business development for service industries Anthony O’Donnell said: “It’s been an amazing six weeks and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed it — the course has opened the door to a new life for many of the students.”

Featured image caption: From left: Andrew Cummings, 26 Natalie Rogers, 20 Anthony Peacock, 20 and Shannon Duce, 18 are among the first students to take part in the new NVQ level two gambling operations course at Middlesbrough College