Cranbourn Mansions building became available and plans were redrafted to incorporate this former gentlemen's apartment block into the design, doubling the eventual floorspace and linked using a new structure sited within the existing light well between the two buildings. Investment in the building reportedly came to over £40 million, the funds being raised by the Thomas family from the sale of a number of bingo halls prior to the UK smoking ban, which made it illegal to smoke within an enclosed workplace, on 1 July 2007. The Hippodrome Casino was opened on 13 July 2012 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who described it as "yet another ringing endorsement of London as a great place to invest". The venue on opening included four floors of gaming, including a Gold Room casino sited in the original basement with access directly into Chinatown to the rear of the building, Heliot restaurant, six bars, a smoking terrace and The Matcham Room cabaret theatre. The restoration and construction of the casino was followed on the blog of LBC presenter Steve Allen. In January 2013 the casino was awarded Best Land-based Casino at the Totally Gaming Awards, which also gave Jimmy Thomas a Life Achievement award for his contribution to the gaming and entertainment industries. On 4 March 2013, Simon Thomas announced the opening of Pokerstars LIVE, a collaboration between the Hippodrome and Pokerstars, the world's largest online poker website. While initially on the fourth floor, in 2020 Pokerstars LIVE moved to the third floor where it currently resides. The Matcham Room at the Hippodrome Casino is currently the home of Magic Mike Live London (created and produced by Channing Tatum). In 2020, construction was completed on an expansion of the fourth floor smoking area to include gaming, and the creation of 'The Rooftop', a new bar and dining space, on the fifth floor. See also Hammersmith Palais Live at the Talk of the Town (disambiguation) References External links Official website La Clique website "Talk of the Town" performances History of the London Hippodrome The Sunday Times Casinos in England Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster Former theatres in London Former music hall venues in the United Kingdom Theatres completed in 1900 Jazz clubs in London Tourist attractions in the City of Westminster Leicester Square Music venues completed in 1900 Art Nouveau architecture in London Art Nouveau theatres 1900 establishments in England