Hilton Group Heralds Plan For Giant Casino In UK

Hilton group, the hotel and betting shop operator, signalled its intention to build a giant Las Vegas-style casino in the UK after the implementation of the Government’s planned gambling deregulation.

The move comes three years after Hilton walked away from the roulette table with £235.3 million, following the sale of its Ladbroke Casinos arm to Gala Group Holdings, the bingo club operator.

Hilton said yesterday that it hoped to build a giant gambling emporium close to one of its resort hotels, which are located in areas such as Brighton and Blackpool, after the overhaul of Britain’s gambling laws.

London Clubs International, the casino operator, said last month that it was looking to develop up to three giant resort casinos if the planned deregulation proceeded.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has also said it is considering adding casinos to some of its UK hotels, depending on the final shape of the deregulation.

Kwek Leng Beng, Millennium & Copthorne’s chairman and 52 per cent shareholder, said the 832-room Copthorne Tara hotel in Kensington, West London, had room for a 50,000 sq ft casino. The Copthorne Effingham Park, near Gatwick, was mooted for conversion to a large gaming and golf complex.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage has forged an alliance with the British developer Peel Holdings to build at least four casino and leisure projects — in Liverpool, Manchester, Salford and Glasgow.

MGM has made it clear that the proposals depend on the Government easing restrictions on the location and operation of UK casinos.

The US company has also announced a tie-up with British Land to develop a casino and leisure complex in Sheffield. It also plans to build a £138 million casino in London with exhibition organiser Earls Court & Olympia Group.