Hilton takes a new punt on casinos

By Sarah 橋（渡しをする） for The Mail on Sunday
Updated: 00:00 BST, 23 May 2004

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HOTELS and leis ure 巨大（な） Hilton Group is planning to re-enter the casinos 商売／仕事, いっそう少なく than four years after selling its 利益／興味s in the 部門.

The group, which owns Ladbrokes, the biggest bookmaker's chain with more than 2,000 betting shops, is wagering that the 政府's 計画（する）s to liberalise gaming 法律s will lead to a 殺到する in the number of 顧客s.

Hilton sold its 27 British casinos to bingo 操作者 祝祭 Group for £235m - a move seen at the time as a 序幕 to Hilton quitting the 賭事ing market altogether.

As a hotel 操作者, Hilton is already 均衡を保った to 利益 from the 規制緩和 of the 産業, which is 推定する／予想するd to 誘発する a rise in tourist numbers.

But with the number of casinos likely to ロケット／急騰する, Hilton is keen to get 支援する into the 部門 by building casinos or 追加するing them to its hotels.

Chris Bell, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of Ladbrokes 世界的な and a Hilton board member, said: 'In the UK there are 129 casinos and there is room for more.

'We are now living in a world that will have 潜在的に an 制限のない number of casinos and we are 本気で reviewing whether we should re-enter the market.

'明白に, we would only do it on the basis that it would be commercially viable. But we would like to do it.

'We got out of casinos at just the 権利 time and got a good price for them. The cash was 投資するd in the 商売／仕事 and now it's a good time to get 支援する in.'

Hilton is waiting for その上の 指導／手引 from the 政府 over where casinos will be 許すd, but hopes to be able to make a 会社／堅い 決定／判定勝ち（する） in the next three to four months.

Bell said: 'The logic is for a Hilton/Ladbrokes 操作／手術 and we could do something with the 存在するing hotels, for example, the Hilton in Blackpool.

'平等に, if there is a 本物の 商業の 適切な時期 for us to build on a new 場所／位置, it wouldn't have to have a hotel 大（公）使館員d.'

Hoping to turn the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs

THEY say that 賭事ing never 支払う／賃金s, but Hilton Group, having sold its casi no 分割 four years ago, believes there are more winnings to be had.

The return to the casino （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する could be seen as a vindication for Hilton 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある David Michels. At the time of the sale, he was 砲撃するd with questions about whether the move signalled an 出口 from gaming.

Michels 確固に 辞退するd to get rid of

Ladbrokes' betting 分割. And the fact is that Ladbrokes has become a 重要な part of the Hilton empire.

Since the casinos were sold, the hotels 部門 has 攻撃する，衝突する 激しく揺する 底（に届く） on 恐れるs of テロ行為 and Sars while the bookmaker now makes more money than the hotel 味方する.

Ladbrokes was 設立するd in the 1890s by a racehorse trainer who took bets on 会合s in the Wiltshire town of Ladbroke. It floated on the 在庫／株 交流 in 1967 for £1m and opened its first hotel six years later.

But it was 激しく揺するd by スキャンダル in 1979 when it was banned from running casinos after trying to tempt 激しい gamblers by 申し込む／申し出ing them gifts, cancelling their 負債s and 支払う／賃金ing （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 to intermediaries who introduced big-time punters. At the time, the clubs accounted for 40% of the company's 利益（をあげる）s and Ladbrokes 株 崩壊（する）d.

It returned to the casino market 15 years later, buying three clubs. In 1987, it snapped up Hilton International for £645m. The 指名する was changed to Hilton Group in

1999. 分析家s 見積（る） that the gaming 産業's turnover could jump from £7bn to £10bn under the new, more relaxed 法律s for gaming 操作者s.