Wynn Resorts has officially set foot in the UK following the successful acquisition of an exclusive Mayfair casino from Crown Resorts.
Previously known as Aspinall’s, Wynn announced the purchase of the London property in January and has now opened the doors of the rebranded Wynn Mayfair following approval from the UK Gambling Commission.
Located in one of London’s most affluent areas, Wynn Mayfair features 20 table games in the main casino, private game rooms and a bar and dining experience.
The venue was initially called the White Elephant Club and opened in the 1960s as an exclusive private members’ club, and was converted into a casino by gaming entrepreneur John Aspinall in 1992. During its 60-year history, the club has hosted celebrities such as Rod Stewart, Roger Moore, Richard Burton and Princess Margaret.
Gateway to the UAE
Alongside expanding Wynn’s footprint in Europe, the Mayfair acquisition complements the company’s ambitions in the Middle East, ahead of the Wynn Al Marjan Island Resort‘s planned opening in the UAE in early 2027.
Craig Billings, Wynn Resorts’ CEO, told Inside Asian Gaming that the London casino will act as “an extension of the Al Marjan casino floor” due to the number of customers from the Middle Eastern region that spend time in the UK.
“It’s a great way to jumpstart a database into the opening of Wynn Al Marjan,” he added. “It caters to a very high-end customer, and it doesn’t take many of those to ultimately earn a return on that business.”
Wynn became just the second operator to be granted a gaming licence by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) and is scheduled to open a $5.1bn, 1,000-room resort and entertainment centre in 2027.
Billings told investors during the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call that the UAE represents a $3bn to $5bn market.
In addition, according to Billings, Wynn is also eyeing potential expansion elsewhere in Asia if Thailand and Japan legalise land-based casinos.
