Categories: Gaming

Great Yarmouth announce winner of Large Casino License

Where the new development will be located in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth Council announced that local businessman Albert Jones was victorious in his five-year battle for the town’s large casino license. Mr Jones, is the managing director of Pleasure and Leisure Corporation, which owns the town’s Pleasure Beach

Great Yarmouth borough council licensing committee spent more than four hours considering applications from Mr Jones and Palace Bingo managing director, Patrick Duffy, before awarding the license to Pleasure and Leisure.

The vision of the new casino complex, which is called The Edge, which will be built next to the outer harbour and will see an investment of more than £35m. Planning permission has been granted.

Mr Jones said: “Pleasure and Leisure Corporation are delighted to have won the casino license after more than 10 years of hard work.

Mr Albert Jones, winning bidder for large casino license

“We hope that this will be the start of major investment in Great Yarmouth, create hundreds of full and part-time jobs and boost the local economy. If all goes to plan work should start on site before the end of the year.”

Each bid was judged on a point-based criteria including the impact on regeneration and job creation to any negative effects on problem gambling. The detailed scoring saw Pleasure and Leisure being awarded 2,200 points and Palatial scooping 2,042 points and it is understood the panel followed procedures adopted in Newham, in East London, which decided its large casino operator last year.

Both candidates submitted proposals for 24 hour casinos in the town.

It was announced in 2007 that Yarmouth would be one of only eight locations nationally to have a new-style large casino.

Early interest from a number of companies died during the recession and the battle for the prized license became a two horse race.

Mr Duffy planned to build a casino “30 to 40pc the size of London’s O2 arena” on the site of his business, Palace Bingo, in Church Plain. His vision of the 3,000 sq ft complex included a casino, arena, multi-screen cinema, a hotel, shops and restaurants.

Staff