28 AMERICANWAY
JANUARY 1 2008
H I G H S T A K E S
GREGORYKATZ
is a contributing editor to
AmericanWay
. His
work has also appeared in
Esquire
and
GQ.
with those inLasVegas,Macao,France, and
otherparts of theworld.
“The new Gambling Act is a real sea
change,” says Bill Timmins, former chief
executive officer of London Clubs Interna-
tional, whichoperates anumber of casinos,
including Fifty, the Casino at the Empire,
and the newManchester235(CQ) inMan-
chester. “There have been 40 years of re-
strictions, and those are going away. We’ll
be able to advertise in print, on radio, on
TV. At this point, only three percent of the
British population actually gambles at a
casino, but we think that will go to double
digits in thenext few years.”
In anticipation, the company — one
of the largest casino operators in Britain
—has beendrawing some inspiration from
Las Vegas, where nongaming revenue now
surpasses moneymade directly from gam-
bling, and is building casinos that aremore
than just casinos. Its urban designers can’t
match the wide-open spaces of Las Vegas,
where giant casino hotels can have pools,
health spas, and other attractions. But the
goal is the same: to attract people who
aren’t necessarily interested in gambling
but whowant to try the bar, the nightclub,
and the restaurant. Food and drink prices
arekeptatareasonable level so that thecost
of an evening out isn’t prohibitive. No one
is pressured to gamble, so it is easy for the
curious to come, have a meal, dance a bit,
and gohome or back to their hotel without
risking theirmoney.
The strategy seems to be working so far
at the Casino at the Empire in Leicester
Square. The venue is designed to capital-
ize on the intense foot traffic in the heav-
ily visited environs of central London. And
Timmins says it is drawing far more pa-
trons than expected in its first fewmonths
of operation.
Few cities in the world can match the
variety of London’s nightlife— the dozens
of theaters, both large and small; the hun-
dreds of clubs offering virtually every type
of livemusicknown toman;and the top-of-
the-line symphony, ballet, and opera com-
panies that call the city home. Now, after a
periodof somedecline, imaginativeand fun
casinos are throwingopen theirdoors, add-
ing stillmore to themix that gives London
its around-the-clockglow.
) " 8 " * *
t " 6 4 5 3 " - * " t ' * + *
t ( 6 " . t # " - *
/FXEFMVYF DPOEPT JO-BIBJOB .BVJ from$225
*
Theperfect startingpoint for yourMaui adventurebegins in thenew,
contemporaryHawaiian-designed condominiums at Outrigger Aina
Nalu. Set onninepicturesque acres in theheart ofMaui’s historic
Lahaina town, thesedeluxe condos offer studios andone- and two-
bedroom suites featuring kitchenettes or full kitchens. Just steps
fromwaterfront galleries, shops, dining andentertainment.
Call
0653*((&3
or visit
outriggercondos.com
.
*Valid through3/31/08.Rate forone-bedroomcondopernight. Subject toavailability.
M65852_4.62x4.68_OUTR_AmrWay_F 1
11/7/07 3:44:34PM
8jhidbbV\Vo^cZh Vi VXa^X`d[ VWjiidc#
K^h^i
VVeXjhidb#Xdb
[dgbdgZYZiV^ah#
cZlWjh^cZhhXdciVXi/
7Zc?d]chdc // -&, .+("*.*+
aap_ad(.333 hori).indd 1
7/23/07 5:34:10PM
