Introducing a new kind of gaming venue to the UK.

Plans to convert the London Hippodrome into a modern casino and entertainment complex retaining the original features of the iconic building took a step closer in April with the announcement that bingo hall operators Simon and Jimmy Thomas are to tackle the project themselves. Buying out their United Leisure Gaming partners, the Thomases are aiming to deliver an entertainment venue in the heart of London’s West End that ranks among the best in the world. And it is the Hippodrome’s location that makes Simon Thomas, who serves as chairman of the company, so confident of the casino’s success.

"Its location in Leicester Square has been described as the best in the UK for such a venue, due to its proximity to the West End, Chinatown and Covent Garden," he told InterGaming.

An estimated 250,000 people pass the doors of the Hippodrome every day, while millions use the nearby Leicester Square underground station each year. But far from a captive audience, visitors to the West End have a plethora of attractions to choose from, so what will make the new casino stand out?

"The Hippodrome will be unlike any other entertainment venue in the UK," Thomas said. "A spectacular 19th century theatre will incorporate a modern first-class casino, offering casino and electronic games to suit all types of player, with a fine dining restaurant, a spectacular live cabaret with celebrity performers, card rooms, private high stakes areas, a hospitality suite and sports bar, as well as a piano bar and relaxation and refreshment areas - all under one roof.

"It is interesting to note that more English people have visited a casino abroad than they have done in the UK, and perhaps less surprisingly the same is true of foreigners. Clearly this is largely to do with the fact that up to now, UK casinos have been less attractive and welcoming, but with the Hippodrome this will change as it will be far more like the international casinos with a wide entertainment offering."

Thomas believes that London’s existing casinos are the best they could have been under the circumstances. Most were developed when the "very restrictive elements" of the 1968 Gaming Act, such as limits on table games and slots, no advertising, no alcohol on the gaming floor and a 48-hour delay between joining and attending for the first time, were still in force.

"The result was that the optimum casino needed limited size and moderate rent," he said. "So many casinos, particularly in London, are fairly small and located in basements, first floors etc, and whilst saddled with now fairly expensive rents and long leases, do not have space to expand their offering to take full advantage of the new regulations."

Current UK regulations allow for much larger casinos with a wider range of games and entertainment. Casinos can also advertise, allow customers to come in without membership and allow drinks on the gaming floor. The Hippodrome is to offer the latest electronic games, with roulette, punto banco, blackjack and five-card draw poker terminals, as well as traditional table games and slots. A cabaret theatre will have seating for 150 guests, while a restaurant looking out over the gaming floor will boast Michelin-starred cuisine. The large basement area will also provide the setting for a dedicated card room for poker players.

Given that there seemed to be little appetite for the development of a super casino in the UK, the creation of well-rounded entertainment venues that include gaming facilities, such as the Hippodrome, are, Thomas asserted, likely to be more widely accepted by both the public and policymakers.

"Developing a super casino in a deprived area to regenerate it was always a questionable idea," he said. "Whereas developing a casino like the Hippodrome with a broad range of attractions and entertainment, in a prime leisure entertainment area like Leicester Square, is far more appropriate and acceptable.

"Indeed, the development received strong support from Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police and the local community, as not only will it return this landmark building back to use and full grandeur, but it will also offer a safe entertainment environment, far preferable to other more intensive leisure uses."

Simon and his father, Jimmy, sold their Beacon Bingo business three years ago and are planning to use some of the money from the sale to finance the refurbishment of the Hippodrome. However, it isn’t just the financial proceeds of their years in the bingo industry that they will bring to the project. There are, Thomas noted, "huge similarities" in the evolution of both the bingo and casino industries and in mass-market, gaming-led entertainment.

As restrictions on bingo were relaxed in the 1990s, game prize money soared, national games were introduced, membership delays were removed, electronic bingo cards were launched and slot machines’ numbers increased. Old-fashioned converted cinema bingo halls were replaced by larger, modern halls, which took advantage of the new rule changes. But, perhaps as equally important as the technological developments seen within the industry was the development of a ‘new breed’ of management that was able to run large, multi-offering modern leisure businesses.

"The same is now happening in the casino business after years of very restrictive regulation and whilst the changes in regulations are covered above, the change in management style and philosophy that will be needed to optimise the new casino businesses must not be underestimated," Thomas stated.

"Up to now, casino management has generally been inwardly focused, ensuring the games operate properly and the customers are well looked after, as that was what was needed. But going forward, a much more rounded set of skills will be needed to optimise the business, with the management able not only to run the basic casino product, but also drive the new style of casinos forward.

"We are extremely confident and excited by the opportunity to apply our experience to the Hippodrome Casino and take the industry a leap forward, as we did with the bingo industry in the last decade."