The word may leave something to be desired, but the definition sums up the Clermont Club and other great casinos such as Monte Carlo - Swank: Imposingly fashionable and elegant. The casino at 44 Berkeley Square, London has long been associated with the wealthy and the fashionable. It was home to the original fashion guru, Beau Brummel, who is credited with creating the forerunner of the modern suit and tie and is known to have abandoned a military career on hearing that his regiment had been ordered to Manchester.

The Clermont Club has been sold to Singapore-based BIL Gaming, the latest operator to take charge of the casino. The agreement between The Rank Group Plc and BIL Gaming Operations UK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BIL International, is for an all cash consideration of £31 million (US$58.5 million). Rank acquired the Clermont Club in 1990 as part of the purchase of Mecca Leisure Limited but is now to concentrate on its mainstream gaming division of Mecca Bingos and Grosvenor Casinos.

Commenting on the sale agreement Ian Burke, chief executive of Rank, said: “The sale of the Clermont Club is in line with our strategy of focusing on the mainstream gaming market, where we believe there is most to gain from changes to UK gambling regulations.” Rank is leaving behind the more exclusive ambience of the casino it ran in one of London’s top areas.

BIL International, formerly Brierly Investments Limited when the company was established in New Zealand in 1961, is an international investment company headquartered in Singapore. It has a primary listing on the Singapore Exchange and secondary listings on the London and New Zealand Stock Exchanges. The company owns the Thistle range of hotels and has already made licence applications for more UK casinos.

Arun Amarsi, chief executive of BIL International Ltd, said: 'We are pleased to acquire the famous Clermont Club. Our subsidiary, BIL Gaming Operations UK Ltd, has made a number of casino applications in London and other UK cities. Along with Clermont, we intend to progressively expand our casino operations in United Kingdom.' (E-08.25.06)

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