Operator News
UK – Century buys unfinished Bath casino site
By Phil - 22 June 2017
Century Casinos has bought Saw Close Casino, the holder of a Small Casino Premises License, for around £600,000, allowing the company to develop and operate a casino in Bath, England.
The transaction to acquire SCCL is final, but the development and operation of the casino is subject to certain regulatory and governmental approvals.
The company has a 30 year lease for the casino space and intends to invest £5m to design, fit-out and equip the 15,000 sq. ft. gaming floor. The casino will offer about 18 gaming tables, 35 slot machines and 24 automated live gaming terminals and will form part of a mixed leisure development, which will also include a 147 bedroom four-star hotel and two restaurants. The casino, located in the center of Bath’s evening leisure district and opposite the popular Theatre Royal, is scheduled to start operations in the first quarter of 2018, subject to receipt of the regulatory and governmental approvals.
Bath is an affluent city in the southwest of England and attracts approx. five million tourists annually; the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The immediate catchment area includes a population of approx. 185,000 in and around Bath. The casino is expected to be the only licensed casino in the greater Bath area.
“We are excited about the opportunity to enter the UK gaming market with the addition of the Saw Close Casino to Century’s portfolio. We believe the casino in Bath has the potential to provide an attractive return on our investment,” said Century’s Co CEOs Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger.
The casino licence was previously owned by French firm Groupe Partouche SA in partnership with Global Gaming Ventures Limited.
