Oldest UK Casino Shuts

The Crockford Club in Mayfair will cease trading in the very near future

Oldest UK Casino Shuts

The Crockford Club in Mayfair, which is the oldest casino in the UK, has ceased trading and will soon be shut down due to the fact that it can't bring in the high-class tourists it used to. Now, 100 of its workers will either lose their jobs or be moved to other Genting Casinos sites.

The fisherman who opened Crockfords Club in 1828 in St. James's Place made it what it is today; a casino worth £80 million! In the 1600s, gambling was a very profitable business. William Crockford became one of the richest self-made men in England by getting dozens of wealthy people to join his exclusive club. It was this high-end feel to the casino that separated it from the other bricks and mortar casinos around at the time.

But, it is not the first fancy casino that has had to close in the past few years. The Ritz Club closed in 2020, and The Clermont closed in 2018 (but returned for a short time in 2022).

Paul Willcock, the president and chief operating officer of Genting Casinos, commented on the casino closure:

'As we have previously announced, there are a combination of factors which have put high-end London casinos at a competitive disadvantage to other global market places and this has led to an unsustainable future for Crockfords in Mayfair.'