A THREE-YEAR £7 million project by a North Yorkshire entrepreneur to bring a luxury casino to Scarborough's town centre is about to come to fruition.

Scarborough businessman Nickolas Shaw, who with his wife and fellow director, Rebecca, bought the former dilapidated Opera House on St Thomas Street to build the project, has unveiled artists' impressions of the Opera House Casino for the first time.

The development is the single largest leisure investment in Scarborough for more than 30 years, and will create more than 110 new full-time jobs.

It will be one of only eight privately, operated casinos in the UK and will open for gaming on October 26. Applications for free memberships will be available from September 5.

The casino will have 11 gaming tables, 20 electronic gaming terminals and 20 Las Vegas-style slot machines, as well as three bars and an a la carte restaurant, all over two floors.

While Mr Shaw and other investors predict that 95 per cent of its trade will be from locals and regular customers within a 50-mile radius in North Yorkshire, the investment has been welcomed by tourist board officials and local councillors as a great boost to the attractions in the town.

Graham North, who heads the Scarborough Forum for Tourism, said: "We particularly welcome a private company taking the initiative, and we need more of this type of quality-led investment that will shape the look and style of the town in years to come."

Mr Shaw said: "We are in the process of recruiting the 110-strong team, including croupiers, catering managers and a range of hospitality staff, and as the building takes shape we can really start to see the venue coming alive.

"We have been receiving approaches for membership already."

Updated: 11:01 Thursday, September 01, 2005