Hard Rock International is set to expand its presence in England after acquiring The Ritz Club’s premises licence.
Hard Rock International has announced plans to open a new casino in London, England after acquiring The Ritz Club’s casino premises license.
This comes after the Ritz Club, which operated as a casino since 1978, was forced to close its doors for good in May 2020 as a result of the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown.
Hard Rock to launch London casino
Hard Rock did not disclose details of where the new casino facility would be located but the operator did state that the licence would allow it to find a new location for the casino.
Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International said: “We look forward to expanding our brand offerings within London and bringing our award-winning hospitality, gaming and entertainment to the birthplace of Hard Rock.”
Hard Rock already has a presence in the English capital with its Hard Rock Cafe brand, which has three branches in the city, as well as its Hard Rock Hotel.
The casino operator explained that this move would allow the business to continue expanding into “major gateway cities” around the world. In its announcement, Hard Rock said the new venue would complement its offerings in other jurisdictions such as Florida, New York, Paris and Amsterdam.
Another move for Hard Rock
News of the operator’s plans to move into London’s land-based casino market comes after the operator announced the joint venture, Hard Rock Digital, with three former Stars Group executives last month.
Hard Rock plans to leverage its network of properties as well as those operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Seminole Gaming arm in order to create an omni-channel sports betting and igaming business worldwide.
The new venture will be managed by the former chief executive of The Stars Group Rafi Ashkenazi. Marlon Goldstein, the former chief legal officer from The Stars Group will act as Hard Rock Digital’s executive managing director and CEO. Matt Primeaux, who previously held the position of senior vice president of US strategy and operation at Stars, will serve as the executive managing director and president of the new venture.
Seminole Gaming, Hard Rock International and its partners will provide full financial support and backing for the new business venture.
