BINGO operator Gala Group has acquired Leo Casino in Liverpool from founder Amaury Taittinger for £14.5m. The casino, which is situated on the Queen's Dock next to Liverpool's Kings Dock, was opened in December 2002 at a cost of £6m. It has 22 gaming tables, a restaurant and two bars. Following the acquisition Gala will own 31 casinos, with more than 1.3m members. The Liverpool casino will continue to trade as a Leo's and won't convert to the Gala brand. It has about 40,000 members and the jobs of the 90 staff it employs will not be affected by the sale. Neil Goulden, Gala chief executive, said: "Casinos like Leo rarely become available, so we are particularly pleased to be able to bring it into the Gala Group. "I believe we are now well-placed to develop the business by adding operational, management, marketing and cost-effective promotional skills to an already successful operation. "Today's acquisition demonstrates our confidence in Gala's casino brand and this is a terrific opportunity for Gala to expand its operations in the Merseyside area." Mr Taittinger, part of the champagne family with the same name and who named his casino after his pet dog, first invested in land and hotels at Queens Dock in the late 1980s. He said: "I feel extremely proud that Gala is to become the new operator of the Leo Casino in Liverpool. Gala, with over 30 casinos in their estate, have an excellent reputation as market leaders in the industry. I am confident that the already successful Leo Casino will progress with Gala Group's experience to the benefit of the customers, employees and Liverpool in general. "I wish all the best for the future of Leo and personally remain committed to Liverpool with the ownership of the Dolby Hotel." As well as casinos, Gala operates 175 bingo clubs, 1,267 licensed betting offices and with an online gaming business. billglesson@dailypost.co.uk | 
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