Playboy casinos have been absent from London since 1981 but now Playboy Entertainment are planning to open two new casino venues in the capital, with the hope of opening the first one by 2010.

The Playboy Casino club on Park Lane was the most profitable casino on the planet back in its heyday.  The swanky joint opened in 1966 and boasted regular celebrity guests such as football legend George Best as well as the film stars Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Joan Collins.  The casino continued to do well in the seventies with several high-rollers attracted to the club.  Although the venue closed down in 1981, due to allegations of illegal gambling taking place on the premises.

Playboy Entertainment are currently undergoing a global with a venue due to open in Macau next year.  The Playboy Casino in Las Vegas has been a tremendous success and the group feel its time to spread their wings across the world – and reopen its London operation.

Dick Rozenswieg of Playboy Entertainment said, “London will be logical to us.  We had some very good years there.”

The new Playboy Casinos in London will feature all the popular casino games such as roulette and blackjack.  Cocktail waitresses wearing Playboy bunny outfits, gourmet restaurants, burger bars together with music being played by top DJs will also add to the gambling experience.

Playboy Entertainment have recently launched CDs of dance music in the UK mixed by the likes of DJs Dimitri and Bob Sinclair.  The new casinos will likely feature these DJs on the decks.

There are rumours that the Haymarket Sports Café in the West End could be a likely venue for one of the two new casinos.

It is believed Playboy Entertainment have signed a deal with Agilo the London hedge fund that own The Sports Café.  The Sports Café chain went bust in January and the Haymarket venue remains vacant.

Playboy Entertainment’s next step is to gain a gaming premises licence from Westminster Council.

Jeff Georgino, Playboy’s senior vice president in charge of locations, recently said, “We are actively looking at locations which are on the market in London.  We are at various stages of discussion with various London clubs.  We would love to get a casino licence in London.  It all depends on that.”

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