Admiral Casino Targets Brixton; Earl’s Court Application Rejected

Admiral Casino has set its sights on trying to land a 24-hour licence in Brixton. Indeed, Admiral is hoping to become the second Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) to operate in the area.

The matter is with Lambeth Council’s licensing sub-committee, which will consult on and consider the application today. Admiral’s current advertised opening hours are 8am to midnight, seven days a week, and the site is on 510 Brixton Road.

Game Nation case study acts as an inspiration

As Admiral pushes ahead with a desire to extend its opening hours, it may well look at Game Nation as a source of inspiration. A council planning committee decision in December 2020 judged that Game Nation could only operate from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday.

However, this was overturned in February of this year by the Planning Inspectorate, who decided the AGC should be open 24/7. The inspector provided a report which played down the threat of Game Nation being open longer.

It read: “There is no compelling evidence before me that would lead me to conclude that the patronage of the AGC would be amplified by allowing the change of operating hours or that this would be harmful.”

In its application to Lambeth Council, Admiral pointed out the Council failed to draw much attention to the Game Nation appeal decision. Admiral has also sought to change the hours that a door supervisor would be required to be present on the premises. Under the existing licence, one is needed on the door from midnight to 2am.

Admiral Casino’s setback

Admiral, however, was also looking to extend its opening hours on Earl’s Court Road. However, residents were up in arms over the application, and it was unanimously rejected by the authorities in what has been declared as a victory for the locals.

Residents had feared the high street would be turned into a ‘mini Vegas’. Moreover, they were concerned that extending Admiral’s opening hours would lead to a rise in anti-social behaviour.

At the meeting, one objector responded to a council report in which it stated there were zero complaints levelled at Admiral Casino when it first opened in the area. He said: “Just because you don’t have objections about this place at 10pm is very different to multiple casinos at 3am. 240 objectors cannot be wrong.”

Earl’s Court councillor Linda Wade didn’t hold back with her views either. She said: “The mission of the council is to act and protect its residents. Your decision-making should clearly demonstrate that you’ve listened to residents. This is a time when the council should say no.”

A growing betting scene

Brixton’s town centre is a thriving betting scene. Apart from two AGCs, offering digital slot machines and popular gambling games, there are also several bookmakers based there.

This includes two William Hill betting shops at 375 Brixton Road and 32 Electric Avenue. Ladbrokes has shops at 400 Brixton Road opposite the police station and one opposite Lambeth town hall, while Jennings Bet has a shop on 221 Stockwell Road, next to the Academy.

There are several objectors to Admiral’s Brixton plan, including local MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hall) as well as councillors for the Brixton Acre Lane ward David Bridson, Sarbaz Barznji, and Maria Kay. Brixton has to tread fine ground to ensure it doesn’t get knocked back like it did with its Earl’s Court Road bid.

1.

4.9/5

BetMGM UK Bonus Code

200 Free Spins When You Play £10

Min. Deposit: £10

Go to BetMGM UK

Visit Provider

New cust only. Opt-in required. Time to deposit/wager 7 days. Deposit £10 & wager 1x on casino games (wagering contributions vary) for 200 Free Spins worth 10p each on Big Bass Splash. 3 day reward expiry. 18+. T&Cs apply. 18+. T&Cs Apply. GambleAware.org.

2.

4.8/5

LosVegas Casino Bonus Code

Get 140 Free Spins when you deposit £25

Go to LosVegas Casino

Get Bonus

18+. New players. Min deposit £25. Up to 140 Free Spins (20/day for 7 consecutive days on selected games). Manually claimed daily or expire at midnight with no rollover. Free spin value £0.10. Max winnings £100/day as bonus funds with 10x wagering requirement to be completed within 7 days. Game restrictions apply. Play Responsibly! www.begambleaware.org Full T&Cs apply.

3.

4.8/5

HighBet Bonus Code

Get 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash + 20 Free Spins

Go to HighBet

Get Bonus

Make your first deposit and stake £20 or more on any slot, and get 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash. 18+ Full T&Cs apply.

4.

4.7/5

Star Sports Bonus Code

Wager £25 Get 100 Free Spins

Min. Deposit: 25

Copy

Get Bonus

18+. New UK/IE customers only. Sign Up to Star Sports using the promo code ‘SPINS100’ and make a minimum deposit of £25. Wager a minimum £25 on BIG BASS SPLASH 1000 and receive 100 Free Spins on BIG BASS SPLASH 1000. T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

5.

4.7/5

BetWright Bonus Code

Check offer on site!

Go to BetWright

Get Bonus

18+ Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.