Crockfords casino london

The oldest casino in Britain has shut down permanently after claiming it had a ‘competitive disadvantage’ due to a lack of high-end tourists in London.

Crockfords Casino, which was established in 1828 by a fishmonger who became one of the wealthiest self-made men in England, boasted a list of exclusive clientele including royalty and aristocracy. The team of 100 staff at the centuries-old site now face redundancy or relocation to other places within the gaming group.

Factors behind the establishment shutting its doors include the scrapping of tax-free shopping for wealthy visitors from overseas. Other casinos have also been forced to shut, including The Ritz and The Clermont. Paul Willcock, president of Genting Casinos, said: “A combination of factors have put high end London casinos at a competitive disadvantage to other global marketplaces and this has led to an unsustainable future for Crockfords in Mayfair.”

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The business, which started as a private members gaming club for the most privileged in society, had relocated to Mayfair after starting out at 50 St James Place in London. As gambling soared in popularity throughout the 1800s, Crockfords grew in popularity amongst the elite and eventually started to catch the attention of high rollers from all over the world.

Crockfords was fired into the spotlight in 2017 after the casino won a court battle with famous poker player Phil Ivey, who wanted £7.7million of winnings returned to him after suspicions were raised over him cheating. Ivey denied all accusations against him in the strongest possible terms and was given back his initial £1million stake.

The closure of casinos across Britain mean hundreds of millions of pounds are lost to the taxpayer. High-end establishments paid around £150million a year in tax and boosted the economy with millions more from tourists spending cash throughout the capital.