The Aspinalls casino group has signed up for two casinos at proposed Chelsfield schemes.
Chelsfield is planning a Las Vegas-style resort to anchor the extension of its 1.7m sq ft Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands, and also wants to include a casino in its £1bn White City development.
It has selected upmarket Mayfair-based Aspinalls and joint venture partner Kerry Packer to operate both of the proposed casinos. At Merry Hill, the facility will be at least 150,000 sq ft. It will form part of a 250,000 sq ft leisure scheme, including a cinema, bars and restaurants, that
will link Chelsfield’s shopping centre and 800,000 sq ft mixed-use Waterfront complex to Brierley Hill high street.
Brierley Hill is already a permitted area for a casino under the 1971 Gaming Clubs (Permitted Areas) Regulations, meaning that it could have a better chance at gaining consent for a regional casino.
At the CGI-backed 1.3m sq ft White City development in west London, the casino would form part of the 300,000 sq ft leisure element.
Chelsfield will apply for planning consent for regional casinos at both sites, which would allow Aspinalls to operate 1,250 slot machines and 50 tables under the proposed deregulation of UK gambling laws. The deals are thought to be subject to deregulation going through.
● Cardiff city council and Orion Land & Leisure, advised by Jones Lang LaSalle, have invited operators to submit proposals for a 100,000 sq ft-200,000 sq ft casino at the city’s £700m Sports Village.
