STANLEY LEISURE, the casino and betting shop operator, revealed yesterday that it might bid for all 24 new casino licences envisaged under the proposed modernisation of Britain’s gambling laws.

The group, a strong critic of the Government’s recent scaling back of deregulation, said that it was looking at extending its recently established joint venture with Genting International, the Malaysian gaming group, to encompass all the new licences.

Under the terms of its current agreement with Genting, the joint venture relates to the eight Las Vegas-style venues — so-called regional casinos — planned for the UK. However, Stanley is now keen to team up with Genting to bid for the eight large casino licences and even the eight small casino licences.

Colin Child, Stanley’s finance director, said: “It would be a little odd if we started bidding against each other for licences on large and small casinos. Extending the joint venture would take the tension away.”

Despite Genting’s recent purchase of further shares in the rival casino operator London Clubs International, which Stanley tried unsuccessfully to buy two years ago, Mr Child insisted its relationship was unaffected. “They’re not going to dump us. We’re past the walking up the aisle stage,” he said.

Asked whether Genting might be building stakes in both companies with a view to an eventual merger, he replied: “Genting’s stance, from the outset, has always been that their investment in LCI is purely financial, whereas with us it is strategic. But it’s impossible for us to say what will happen in the future.”

Stanley reported a 14 per cent jump in profits before tax and goodwill to £25.1 million in the half-year to October 31, from turnover up 28 per cent to £964 million. Earnings per share reached 12.7p (10.6p) and the interim dividend is 3p (2.75p).

The company reported a strong bounceback in its London casinos after last year’s hit from high-rollers at Crockfords, while a poor run of sporting results was offset by strong growth from the fixed-odds betting terminals in its shops.

But the strong first half was overshadowed by the poor recent trading that resulted in a profit warning at the start of January. While the poor run of sports results continued to hit its betting shops, a high-roller — believed to be Paul Newey, the Midlands entrepreneur behind Ocean Finance — hit a £3 million winning streak at its Star City casino in Birmingham.

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