Crockfords
A historic London casino in Mayfair that operated under the Crockfords name until its permanent closure in October 2023.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Crockfords was a high-end casino in Mayfair, London, whose modern history began as a private bridge club in the late 1920s. The club was established by members dissatisfied with Almack's bridge club, led by Colonel Henry Beasley and a woman identified in historical accounts as Mrs. Bates. Its name referred to the earlier Crockford's club, a celebrated nineteenth-century London gentlemen's club associated with gaming and aristocratic society. The club initially operated at 21 Hertford Street and moved to 16 Carlton House Terrace in 1934. Its transformation into a casino followed the liberalisation of British gambling regulation under the Betting and Gaming Act 1960. Businessman Tim Holland acquired the operating company in 1961 and introduced chemin-de-fer, a baccarat variant that became central to Crockfords' reputation. By 1963, the club claimed to be the world's largest chemin-de-fer venue, reflecting the rapid expansion of London casinos during the period. Ownership changed repeatedly over the following decades. Aziz Fancy acquired the club in 1966, then sold it in 1968 to Gilbert Benaim and Joseph Khaida. The authorities subsequently declined to renew the club's gaming licence, and Crockfords closed in 1970. Maxwell Joseph later bought the closed operation through Curzon House Investments and reopened it in October 1972. By then, Curzon House Investments had been acquired by Coral. The casino offered a broad range of table games, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat variants, craps, poker, backgammon and kaluki. Crockfords moved to its best-known premises at 30 Curzon Street in 1983. The building, an eighteenth-century Grade I listed town house originally built for the Marquess of Bath, became closely identified with the brand's exclusive Mayfair positioning. Corporate ownership continued to evolve: Lonrho acquired the casino business from Coral in 1981, Brent Walker acquired the division in 1987, and the property freehold was purchased in 1988. In 1989, the club was sold to a management buy-in team financed by Montagu Private Equity. The business entered public markets in 1993 through a reverse merger with TV-am plc, becoming Crockfords PLC. The company changed its name to Capital Corporation in 1995 and was acquired by Stanley Leisure in 1999. Genting Group acquired Stanley Leisure in 2006, bringing Crockfords into the Genting portfolio. The casino became associated with unusually large private gambling losses and with a major legal dispute involving professional poker player Phil Ivey's baccarat winnings. Genting permanently closed the London casino in October 2023. The group attributed the decision to a combination of factors that had made high-end London casinos less competitive than venues in other international markets. The Crockfords name has also been used by Genting for luxury hospitality properties in Genting Highlands and Las Vegas, but those properties are distinct from the former London casino.
History
Crockfords' modern story began in 1928 or 1929, when dissatisfied members of Almack's bridge club established a competing bridge club. Colonel Henry Beasley and Mrs. Bates were among the founders. The club adopted the Crockford name after one founder encountered a report recalling the original Crockford's club, a nineteenth-century London gentlemen's club established roughly a century earlier. The new organisation first operated at 21 Hertford Street before relocating to 16 Carlton House Terrace in 1934. The legal environment for gaming changed substantially after the Betting and Gaming Act 1960. Crockfords responded by evolving from a bridge club into a casino. Tim Holland raised £48,000 to acquire the operating company in 1961 and introduced chemin-de-fer, a baccarat form that quickly became a defining attraction. In 1963, Crockfords claimed to be the world's largest chemin-de-fer parlour and reported an annual gaming handle of £25 million. These developments placed the club within the expansion of London's regulated casino sector during the 1960s. In 1966, Pakistani businessman Aziz Fancy bought Crockfords. Two years later he sold it to Gilbert Benaim and Joseph Khaida. The authorities refused to renew the gaming licence, citing concerns that were not publicly disclosed in the historical account, and the club closed in 1970. Maxwell Joseph subsequently purchased the closed operation for £175,000 through Curzon House Investments. Crockfords reopened in October 1972 after Curzon House Investments had become part of Coral. Its gaming programme included roulette, blackjack, kaluki, craps, punto banco baccarat, stud poker and backgammon, with capacity for approximately 400 gamblers. Coral sold Crockfords and other casinos to Lonrho in 1981 while Coral faced possible cancellation of its gaming licences. Crockfords moved to 30 Curzon Street in 1983. The premises were a Grade I listed town house built in 1771 for the Marquess of Bath. Ladbrokes had renovated the building for casino use, but after its gaming licences were revoked, the leasehold passed to Lonrho. Brent Walker acquired Lonrho's casino division in 1987 and bought the freehold from Daejan Holdings in 1988 for £17.5 million. In 1989, Brent Walker sold the club for £50 million to a management buy-in team financed by Montagu Private Equity. The business became publicly listed in 1993 through a reverse merger with TV-am plc, a former television production company. The resulting company was called Crockfords PLC, changed its name to Capital Corporation in 1995, and was acquired by Stanley Leisure in May 1999. The venue attracted attention for high-stakes play, including reports in September 1999 that businessman Kerry Packer had lost £11 million there. Genting Group acquired Stanley Leisure in 2006, making Crockfords part of its international gaming and leisure portfolio. The casino later became the centre of a prominent legal case. In 2012, poker player Phil Ivey won £7.7 million at punto banco baccarat, but Crockfords withheld payment after alleging that Ivey had used edge sorting, a technique based on identifying minute asymmetries on card backs. Ivey acknowledged using the technique but argued that it was legitimate advantage play. The courts ultimately ruled for Crockfords; the UK Supreme Court rejected Ivey's appeal in October 2017 and characterised the conduct as cheating under civil law. Crockfords closed permanently in October 2023. Genting cited structural competitive disadvantages affecting high-end London casinos compared with other international gaming markets. The brand name continues in Genting-associated luxury hotel and casino developments outside London, including a property in Genting Highlands and a Las Vegas property opened in 2023, but the original Mayfair casino no longer operates.
- 2023
London casino closes permanently
[1]Genting permanently closed the Crockfords casino in October.
- 2017
Supreme Court judgment in the edge-sorting case
[1]The UK Supreme Court rejected Phil Ivey's appeal in the dispute over his baccarat winnings.
- 2006
Genting Group acquires Stanley Leisure
[1]Crockfords entered the Genting Group portfolio through Genting's acquisition of Stanley Leisure.
- 1999
Acquisition by Stanley Leisure
[1]Stanley Leisure acquired Capital Corporation, the renamed corporate successor to Crockfords PLC.
- 1993
Public listing through reverse merger
[1]The business became Crockfords PLC through a reverse merger with TV-am plc.
- 1983
Move to 30 Curzon Street
[1]The casino moved to its long-term Mayfair location in a Grade I listed eighteenth-century town house.
- 1972
Reopening under Maxwell Joseph's ownership
[1]Crockfords reopened in October after Maxwell Joseph acquired the closed operation through Curzon House Investments.
- 1970
Licence renewal denied and club closes
[1]Authorities declined to renew the gaming licence, leading to the club's closure.
- 1961
Acquisition by Tim Holland and casino transition
[1]Tim Holland acquired the operating company and introduced chemin-de-fer after British gambling regulation was liberalised.
- 1934
Move to Carlton House Terrace
[1]The club relocated to 16 Carlton House Terrace.
Products and positioning
An exclusive, heritage-led Mayfair casino associated with high-stakes table gaming, discreet service and luxury hospitality.
Table game · 1961
Chemin-de-fer
A baccarat variant introduced at Crockfords after its conversion into a casino in the early 1960s. The game became a core part of the venue's identity and helped establish its reputation as a major high-stakes baccarat destination.
Table game
Punto banco baccarat
A casino baccarat format offered at Crockfords and later associated with the legal dispute involving Phil Ivey's 2012 winnings. It was one of the venue's notable high-stakes table-game offerings.
Casino gaming · 1972
Classic casino table games
Crockfords offered a broad programme of traditional games, including roulette, blackjack, craps, stud poker, backgammon and kaluki. The mix supported the casino's positioning as a full-service private gaming club rather than a venue focused on a single game.
Controversies
2012
Phil Ivey edge-sorting dispute
Crockfords withheld Phil Ivey's reported £7.7 million baccarat winnings after alleging that he exploited edge sorting, a method involving the recognition of small irregularities on card backs. Ivey admitted using the technique but maintained that it was legitimate. The courts ultimately ruled in favour of Crockfords, with the Supreme Court describing the conduct as cheating under civil law.
Brand decisions
2023
Permanently close the London casinoStrategyBackground
Genting said that high-end London casinos faced competitive disadvantages compared with other global gaming markets.
Action taken
Genting shut Crockfords permanently in October 2023.
Aftermath
The original Mayfair casino ceased operations, although the Crockfords name remained in use for selected Genting hospitality properties outside the United Kingdom.
1983
Relocate to the Curzon Street townhouseStrategyBackground
The business sought a more prestigious and durable Mayfair setting for its casino operation.
Action taken
Crockfords moved to 30 Curzon Street, an eighteenth-century Grade I listed town house.
Aftermath
The Curzon Street address became the defining physical home of the London Crockfords brand.
1961
Convert the bridge club into a casinoStrategyBackground
Changes to British gambling regulation created an opportunity for established clubs to expand into regulated casino gaming.
Action taken
Tim Holland acquired the operating company and introduced chemin-de-fer as a central gaming offering.
Aftermath
The change helped Crockfords become one of London's prominent high-stakes casino venues during the 1960s.
Acquisition funding. £48,000 (1961)
Sources1 sources
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