Could Giant Casinos Future Be In England’s Largest London and City Centre Cinemas?

posted by boogascool on November 4, 2004 at 5:49 am

Ian from England asks…

Hello from Ian in England. Over the past few weeks there has been much news in the UK at the arrival of big style usa companies coming to the UK to open giant casinos in major cities and on costal resorts.

This has had much newsprint and television coverage. A football team Leeds has sold space to build a casino on its land amongst other projects been speculated. I’m wondering if anybody else can shed a light on a story I’m certain I heard on TV news about 10 days past (I was half asleep). I’m sure I heard a story on BBC London local news that if the big casinos come to the country a lot of planning consent laws on change of use of existing buildings of leisure would be dramatically reduced and Leicester Square in london home of some of the UK largest cinemas and other large cinemas in the UK could simply be closed as cinemas to become these casinos. The news report continued saying one major UK exhibitor had or was having chats about a such move to one of these casinos in the west end of London?

Has anyone else in UK seen this report? I’ve looked on many news websites trying to confirm what I have written here for a week or two and not had a lot of luck. Video tape in the early eighties took so many UK cinemas away at the birth of videos in homes – could this be the next threat of some of the UK most wonderful movie palaces? Whilst I’m here, does anyone know any further news of the Paramount/Odeon Newcastle — wonderful closed cinema in Newcastle — I heard Selfridges wanted it?

• thanks for reading -
  booga aka ian