Gala challenges the lottery

LEISURE company Gala Casinos is launching a poker game that offers players the chance to win more than £500,000 with a £1 stake.

Jackpot Stud Poker, which Gala claims is a world first, will link players in its 26 UK casinos. Players will gamble as usual in each casino, but they will also be able to place a £1 side bet on the outcome of the game.

Up to 420 players can be linked into the game at any one time. The bets will be added to the jackpot of side bets, which will grow with each game.

The entire jackpot, which in theory could grow to an infinite amount, will be paid out if a punter bets and gets a royal flush - five cards of the same suit in a run. The odds against this happening are 640,000-1. The jackpot should be won about once every two months, according to Gala. That would mean prize money of about £500,000. A sliding scale determines the value of other prizes.

Gala has invested £2m in setting up the game with casino technology company TCS. It will be launched in the autumn.

Neil Goulden, managing director of Gala, told Financial Mail: 'Until now, you could win a really big amount for £1 only on the National Lottery, the football pools or at bingo.'

Gala, primarily owned by venture capitalists Credit Suisse Private Equity and PPM Ventures, may seek a stock market listing. The company, which owns 166 bingo clubs and 26 casinos, could be valued at more than £1bn.