Gaming industry icon James ‘Jimmy’ Thomas has passed away, aged 88.
The President and Co-Founder of London’s Hippodrome Casino died in his sleep on Saturday morning after a short illness.
Born in Loughborough in 1934, Thomas hailed from a family that had, for seven generations, been involved in Britain’s leisure and gaming sectors.
The industry pioneer opened his first casino in 1956 at the Hurst Hotel in Quorn, Leicestershire, followed by others in Nottingham and Derby.
And less than a decade after opening his first casino, Thomas launched the La Ronde Casino & Cabaret Club in his hometown, a venue that played host to some of the most famous entertainers of the 1960s and 70s.
