Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts Ltd. is buying Crown London, a small members-only casino in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair district, in a bid to connect wealthy British players to the company’s soon-to-open Wynn Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates.
The company did not disclose the purchase price for the London property and said the acquisition is not a play to expand into Europe, but connects players to the $5.1 billion, 1,542-unit resort development opening in 2027.
Wynn Al Marjan Island will feature 225,000 square meters of gaming space, 130,000 square meters of luxury retail, 145,000 square meters of conference and meeting space, 16 world-class restaurants and six bars and lounges.
The hotel rooms will include 297 suites, 22 villas and six townhouses.
“This acquisition of an iconic asset offers us a presence in a global gateway city and will create a conduit for Wynn’s guests to visit our resorts, particularly Wynn Al Marjan Island, which is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027 in Ras Al Khaimah in the United United Arab Emirates,” Wynn CEO Craig Billings said in an email.
With the acquisition of Crown London, Wynn will be a four-hour flight from about 30 percent of the world’s high net worth individuals, according to a report the company prepared for investors.
The company says the London property will be synergistic with the new UAE resort and will have two years before opening to the market for the small but ultra-high-end clientele consistent with the Wynn brand.
In operation since the 1960s, Crown London caters to both international and local customers and has 20 table games and a food and beverage outlet.
The acquisition is conditional on the usual authority approvals being obtained, which is expected to take place in the second half of 2025.
Crown London spans two historic townhouses at 27-28 Curzon St., Mayfair, London. It offers 20 gaming tables in a variety of sophisticated lounges, as well as an intimate restaurant and lounge for entertainment. The casino will operate under the Crown London name until the transaction closes.
Wynn will hold a 40 percent stake in Wynn Al Marjan Island, which is under development on 115 acres in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
The resort, which will have rooms, suites and villas, Wynn’s first beachfront property, will initially be the first property in the United Arab Emirates with a casino where that emirate legalizes gambling.
The architecture is a departure from Wynn’s traditional sweeping bronze-colored design used at Wynn Las Vegas, Encore Las Vegas, Wynn Macau and Encore Boston Harbor with a 1,000-foot tower.
The London acquisition will expand Wynn’s global footprint in Europe. It already has operations in Asia, with three properties in Macau, and the US with Wynn and Encore Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor.
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