Sponsored by
Appeal hearing told why city needs Las Vegas-style casino
THE city of Leeds needs a casino where the focus is on Las Vegas-style cabaret and live entertainment and not just gambling, a big player in the entertainment industry argued yesterday.
The big-name owners of former Leeds nightclub Majestyk in City Square, which was also formerly a cinema and a bingo hall but is now disused, want to turn it into the type of entertainment and gambling venue found in Vegas.
They have argued that the other five casinos in Leeds provide little more than gaming machines and gambling tables, despite previous promises to put on varied entertainment.
The arguments for and against the plans to spend around 14m creating Majestic Casino – the changed spelling is a return to the 1921 cinema name – are being rehearsed before a judge sitting alongside magistrates at Leeds Crown Court.
The court is hearing an appeal against a decision by magistrates to reject an application for a gaming licence.
It is thought be the final hearing of any kind under the old Gaming Act of 1968, which has been replaced by new legislation.
Last year magistrates rejected the application for a gaming licence for the Majestic. They concluded that another Leeds casino, the Alea at Clarence Dock, had ample facilities to provide entertainment and there was not enough demand for another casino.
But bosses at Waterimage Limited, a partnership between Luminar, the largest owner of nightclubs in the world, and French hotel and casino group Lucien Barriere, claim that Majestic will be a very different kind of casino to others.
Barrister Gerald Gouriet QC, for Waterimage, told the court that Alea had promised to provide various entertainments but "our stance is they didn't."
He added: "It's a very important point and is central to the case."
Mr Gouriet said three operators were opposing Waterimage's application for a gaming licence – London Clubs International, Grosvenor Casinos, sometimes called Rank, and Gala Casinos.
He told the court that recent legislation allowed casinos to be venues for dancing, live music and entertainment but there has been a "slow take up of that".
He said Luminar had earlier decided it wanted to branch out and was "trying to give their ageing customers a different sort of late-night experience".
Mr Gouriet said other Leeds casinos may claim to have tried to incorporate entertainment at their venues and that customers did not like it.
"Our response is that they may be experienced at operating casinos but they have precious little experience in offering late-night entertainment. We know what we are doing."
The hearing continues.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
