Caesars plans vast Wembley casino

Caesars is renowned for its opulence

US casino giant Caesars plans to turn the area around London's new Wembley Stadium into a £335m ($600m), 650,000sq ft gambling and leisure resort.

The Las Vegas-based company has joined forces with UK developer Quintain Estates to build a casino, luxury hotel, shops, restaurants and bars.

It is the first time that Caesars has planned to build a casino in Europe.

The north London project is subject to planning approval and the anticipated reform of Britain's gambling laws.

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An Act to relax the UK's gambling laws is expected to begin its passage through parliament later this year.

Wembley promises to become one of Europe's top new leisure destinations Caesars boss Wallace Barr

The law proposes allowing people to enter casinos without first having to become a member and then wait 24 hours.

Quintain's plans also include the revamping of the existing Wembley Arena music venue and the construction of the UK's largest cinema complex.

"Wembley promises to become one of Europe's top new leisure destinations," Caesars' chief executive Wallace Barr said in a statement.

"With that in mind, Wembley is a natural location for our first European casino project ... Wembley is a name known around the world and is synonymous with the best in entertainment."

Quintain said it expected to start building by the end of the year and the first new areas of public space should be ready in time for the reopening of the stadium in 2006.