The World of Playing Cards Logo

Ladbroke Sporting Casino

Published September 21, 2023 Updated September 21, 2023

Ladbroke Sporting Casino caricature cartoon playing cards, U.K, c.2006.

2006 United Kingdom Caricatures Casino Sports

The new Ladbrokes Casino & Sports Bar opened on the 18th July 2006, and according to the extra card in this pack it was “the first new licence to be awarded in London for nine years”. Located centrally the casino was Ladbroke’s first foray back into the land-based casino business since the 1990s.

The court cards and aces show cartoons of leading figures from four different sporting arenas: golf (hearts); cricket (clubs); horse-racing (spades); rugby (diamonds), The single joker depicts the cricket commentator Brian Johnston. The miniature-sized pips are arranged in a standard format against a rectangular yellow background. See the box

Ladbroke Sporting Casino caricature cartoon playing cards, U.K, c.2006 Ladbroke Sporting Casino caricature cartoon playing cards, U.K, c.2006
Ladbroke Sporting Casino caricature cartoon playing cards, U.K, c.2006

Above: Ladbroke Sporting Casino caricature cartoon playing cards, U.K, c.2006.

avatar
530 Articles

By Peter Burnett

Member since July 27, 2022

I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.

Russian Playing Cards

Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.

Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.

Related Articles

1863 Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.

2024 Queen of Arts

Queen of Arts

A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

1990 The Glasgow Pack

The Glasgow Pack

Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works o...

2018 Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.

2018 Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks

1798 Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...

1920 Question and Answer Games

Question and Answer Games

A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...

1711 Dr Sacheverell

Dr Sacheverell

Dr. Henry Sacheverell's impeachment in 1710 sparked widespread public unrest and political upheaval,...

1983 Politiker-Skat by Bubec

Politiker-Skat by Bubec

Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.

1983 Le Poker Politique

Le Poker Politique

French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.

1978 Modern Jass (Fredy Sigg)

Modern Jass (Fredy Sigg)

Caricatural updating of traditional Swiss Jass cards by the artist Fredy Sigg.

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.

2024 Agatha Christie and card games

Agatha Christie and card games

Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...

2024 English Heritage

English Heritage

52 different colour photos of historic sites managed by English Heritage.

2023 Trek Deck Malta Vol. 1

Trek Deck Malta Vol. 1

Innovative pack describing 52 different treks around Malta, Gozo and Comino.

2006 La Baraja del Mundial

La Baraja del Mundial

“La Baraja del Mundial” satirical football deck published by Fournier for ‘Interviú’ news magazine. ...