BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 82
ENTREPRENEURS
innovative, daring, cheeky. Something
completely new, which was a casino
that embraced the Government’s
new gambling laws to the very hilt.
Casinos could be fun, broad market,
part of the wider night-time economy.
“Once I realised we’d survive,
I did the opposite of what
instinct said: I invested. “
Against so very many odds, it
opened. But from that 昀椀rst day
we’ve been shifting the furniture.
It’s unrecognisable now from what
Johnson launched then. Areas didn’t
work, others caused log jams,
technology grew as did our ambition
to use it. We built Heliot Steak House
above the gaming 昀氀oor, and a decade
later created Chop Chop by Four
Seasons for late-night Chinese dining.
We now have 10 bars that belong
in the West End, not on its fringes.
Poker became a cornerstone, with
the PokerStars Live room now the
country’s most famous.
our doors who’d never have imagined
setting foot in a casino. The show has
been running six years and counting.
Forget Vegas for a moment, it proved
that gaming, hospitality and live
performance can share the same stage
without compromise in Britain.
Then came Covid. Leicester Square
went silent overnight. For a few
days I thought that was it; then,
once I realised we’d survive, I did
the opposite of what instinct said:
I invested. We used the closure
to build and modernise, adding a
rooftop terrace, knocking through
new routes, and carving out space for
new ventures like Chop Chop. When
London came back, I was determined
we would come back stronger.
What de昀椀nes the Hippodrome now
is reinvention. In 2025, when the
government 昀椀nally modernised
Britain’s outdated casino laws, we
were ready. I’d spent years working
with my casino sector peers pressing
Simon Thomas at the Paddy Sportsbook
launch
Within weeks of the law changing
we launched Paddy’s Sportsbook,
the UK’s 昀椀rst sportsbook inside a
casino and a joint venture with Paddy
Power. It’s an extraordinary space: 56
screens, a twelve-screen jumbotron,
table service and a live-sports
energy like nothing else in the sports
viewing arena. And you can bet too!
That’s what good regulation should
enable, better experiences in safe
environments.
Alongside the business, I’ve
always believed that if you operate
in the heart of London, you take
responsibility for it. I chair the
Westminster Independent Advisory
Group for the Metropolitan Police,
helping to link the force with the local
community. I work closely with City
Hall, Westminster Council, the Heart
of London Business Alliance and our
Chinatown neighbours. And many,
many others.
Shirley Bassey with Simon at the
Hippodrome
The 昀椀rst transformational partnership
came with Magic Mike Live. We took
a risk turning the existing cabaret
theatre into a 326-seat show space and
it paid off. It became a phenomenon,
a genuine cultural crossover that
brought thousands of people through
for reforms that would allow us to
compete with the rest of the world,
more slot machines and (for the 昀椀rst
time) in-venue betting. Those changes
happened because operators worked
together and because we could show
government what a modern, well-run
casino actually looks like. And what
an asset to an area we can be.
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BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
If there is one thing I would tell
anyone trading in the West End it’s to
be part of the community and embrace
your neighbours. And the great thing
is that we rub along very well indeed,
because I don’t skimp on sharing my
vision and ambition. I’ve nothing to
hide.
