After a three-year rebuild and renovation of the former Hippodrome Theatre, the new Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, London, UK, has launched.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, performed the opening ceremony and unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion.
“This huge project has not only restored and retained the glorious fabric of this historic building but also created hundreds of new jobs for the capital and provided a major boost for local business," said Mayor Johnson.
Father and son team Jimmy and Simon Thomas, who have invested more than £40m in the casino - housed within the former Hippodrome Theatre and adjacent Cranbourn Mansions – hailed the opening as an important new era for the casino industry in the UK.
Simon Thomas, CEO and co-founder, said: “We will challenge the long-held conceptions of casinos in the UK as either too expensive for the normal man on the street, or tucked away in back alleys in the wrong part of town. In fact we’re determined to not only challenge them, but redefine the way in which visitors to the West End celebrate an evening out.
“The opening of the Hippodrome Casino marks a new direction for the country’s entertainment sector, and we have created 450 new jobs in the process. But it’s not just about the gaming.
“We embody the ambitions of the changes to the Gaming Act which allows venues to offer visitors the opportunity to eat, drink, gamble and watch some of the world’s top entertainers, all under the same roof.”
The new casino comprises:
· Three floors of gaming
· A 180-seat cabaret theatre – The Matcham Room
· 150 cover restaurant – Heliot
· Four private dining rooms
· Five bars
· A two-level smoking terrace
· Events spaces throughout
The casino hopes to attract tens of thousands of new visitors to the Leicester Square area, which has just reopened after a £15m investment.
