American culture in the twentieth century has always been one step ahead of the rest of the world in terms of openness and extravagance. She set the tone for the rest of the countries. A landmark event in 1953 was the appearance of the iconic Playboy magazine — the most beautiful girls on the planet will be on its pages for decades. Moreover, the rabbit symbol brought success not only to the publishing house, but also to the gambling market. American Pop Culture in London London is the gambling capital of Europe Atmosphere of clubs Cleavage and ponytails Changing the angle The decline of the Empire On the ruins American Pop Culture in London In 1966, a party was held in the elite Mayfair district in honor of the opening of the new Playboy Club casino. The event was attended by many representatives of the aristocracy, including actor Peter Sellers, ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and Princess Lee Radziwill. Playboy Club Casino Building Completion of the building at 45 Park Lane — the future entertainment center in London In 1968, the wedding of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate was celebrated here. Visitors could often enjoy the performances of American singer Sammy Davis Jr., while on the dance floor there were stars of the level of British actress Joan Collins. A couple of years after the opening, the Playboy Club turns out to be the largest and most successful casino in Europe. In the mid-1970s, gambling became Hugh Hefner's main source of income, allowing the extravagant publisher not just to stay afloat, but to carouse on an even larger scale. If the London casino had failed, then Playboy magazine could have ceased to exist. slide 5 to 7 of 3 PLAYERS' CHOICE 2022 Online Casino Pokerdom 5.0 Pokerdom 100 free spins and a 100% bonus on a promo code POPLAY Review LOTS OF SLOTS Brillx Online Casino 4.2 Brillx Promo code deposit bonus BPLAY Review QUICK WITHDRAWAL Friends Online Casino 4.7 Friends Casino 100% promo code bonus FRPROMO Overview to the table of contents ↑ London is the gambling capital of Europe Casinos were banned in the UK for most of the 20th century. Back then, players could only place legal bets at racetracks and bookmakers. Due to restrictions, underground casinos have become very popular. And John Aspinall is considered to be the largest organizer of illegal gambling entertainment. In 1958, they tried to arrest him, but he won the court without any problems due to his influence. The UK government found another way to combat illegal casinos and legalized gambling in 1960. Since then, London has attracted the attention of investors who want to get to the wallets of the local nobility. Hugh Hefner is among them. In 1965, an American publisher sends his subordinate Victor Lones to London — he had to find a suitable place for a casino. By this time, the Playboy Club was already operating in Chicago, Miami, New Orleans, St. Louis, New York, Phoenix, Detroit and Baltimore. Hugh Hefner's first casino started operating at the London club. In 1965, Victor Lownes drew attention to a 10-storey building at 45 Park Lane worth £800,000 - it had a gorgeous view from the Hilton Hotel. Hefner approved the decision and issued a long-term lease. In 1966, the Playboy Club appeared in this place. The cost of the gambling enterprise was estimated at £1.5 million. Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Club Hugh Hefner on June 27, 1966 surrounded by "rabbits" before the start of the club in London to the table of contents ↑ Atmosphere of clubs High brand awareness was his main feature. All clubs adhered to the same style — the image of a rabbit was applied to carpets, paintings, chips, boxes of matches and so on. If a visitor from Chicago came to London, he had to feel at home. Hugh Hefner achieved this effect not only due to the recognizable entourage. Chips at the Playboy Club casino The reverse side of the chips in the Playboy Club Each member of the club was given a key with an individual number. It served as a kind of pass at the entrance. All the keys were hung on a board with the inscription "At the Playboy Club tonight." The guests felt like they were part of a chic show, and not just bystanders. It all started at the entrance with the familiar phrase "rabbit": "Good evening, I'm your bunny Mary. Can I see the Playboy key, please?" Also, all clubs adhered to the same pricing policy and serving of dishes. For 50 cents, you could order a fillet steak, a hamburger or any drink. Initially, the target audience included bachelors. This was evidenced not only by the open form of the staff, but also by the arrangement of the rooms. Apartments and guest rooms were located on the upper floors. They were furnished specifically for single men based on the interior of Playboy's Penthouse Apartment. Playboy's Penthouse Apartment Room Design The design of the rooms was created based on the alleged actions of playboys According to the authors' idea, the bachelor always returns to the room with his girlfriend. Two armchairs at the entrance allow you to immediately comfortably settle down and relax a little after the evening. On the way to the kitchen, you can turn on romantic music. There had to be dishes in the room to create cocktails — the bachelor is already drinking them on the couch with the lady to shorten the distance. There are several discussion books in the corner of the room. To change the situation, the guests were given the opportunity to go out on the balcony. After that, they could go back to snacks and drinks. The main goal of a playboy is to get to the bedroom with his girlfriend. USEFULLIT Blackjack Team — 13 years of casino ruin Edward Thorpe opened Pandora's box for the casino. The professor managed to gain an advantage in blackjack by counting cards. After that, he shared his knowledge in the book "Beat the Dealer". As a result, a whole army of accountants appeared in the second half of the XX century. And to increase their chances of winning, the players began...Read more to the table of contents ↑ Cleavage and ponytails Almost all the service staff consisted of girls. They did the work of administrators, waiters and croupiers. Everyone necessarily wore a rabbit uniform: A corset. Ears. Black transparent tights. A bow tie. Collar. Cuffs. The tail. The colors of the outfits were different. Hugh Hefner with the "bunnies" at the Playboy Club , the "Bunnies" were specially dressed up in colorful costumes so that they resembled different candies from a box Exceptionally pretty girls were hired for work, but beauty alone was sometimes not enough for long-term work in the Playboy Club. Before going out to the hall to the guests, all the "rabbits" were trained. On average, it took up to 14 days to prepare. Each girl received detailed instructions on how to work ― a "Guide for rabbits". A small book described the basic rules. Employees were forbidden to get acquainted with the guests, to give their real names and to exchange contacts. Detectives regularly worked at the Playboy Club, who checked the staff, posing as ordinary customers. Most of the girls refused to make contact. This is largely due to a good salary — £35 per week. Benefits were added to this: a hairdresser, free meals, a chiropractor, payment for trips and corporate parties. Do not forget about the tips, which in total turned out to be more than the salary. But if every girl can refuse to meet customers, then it's much more difficult to serve dishes and drinks correctly. The famous Bunny Dip pitch took the longest to learn. It was invented specifically to protect the cleavage of "rabbits" from excessive attention. The girl had to be at the table half-turned and serve orders, leaning back and leaving her back perfectly straight. Bunny Dip Feed Sometimes the girls attracted even more attention with their unusual pose The guests never neglected the "rabbits" and tried to get the same from them. Almost all the harassment was accompanied by a twitching of the tail, which had to get used to. Sometimes the management hinted that the "no dates" rule was canceled for individual honorary visitors. Special requirements were put forward to the croupier. A few years after the casino opened, the Gambling Commission banned attracting customers to betting with the help of a revealing outfit — the neckline and hips had to be covered. to the table of contents ↑ Changing the angle The imaginary availability of "rabbits" eventually ceased to attract regular members of the club — for them, outfits became something ordinary. If initially the London club was created for bachelors, then over time many began to come here in pairs. Sometimes the ratio of men and women was 50:50. The transition from bachelor paradise to the usual glamorous club, which became a place for dating, has begun. They began to take into account the tastes of women — more refined paintings appeared in the interior, which were focused not only on the naked body. The Playboy Club boasted excellent cuisine. There was a buffet in the main hall. More demanding guests were welcomed in the VIP-hall with French cuisine and a signature dish — duck with oranges. In 1981, the Playboy Club on Mayfair turned out to be the most profitable casino. In total, 3 Hefner clubs operated in London — their total profit was $38.8 million before taxes. Playboy magazine brought in only $6 million at that time. BEST GAMES slide 5 to 7 of 3 Fruit Cocktail 2 4.9 Fruit Cocktail 2 Igrosoft 100 free spins and a bonus of 100% of the Pokerdom by promo code POPLAY Demo for free Aztec Gold 4.9 Aztec Gold Megajack Deposit bonus from Brillx by promo code BPLAY Demo for free Playboy 3.2 Playboy Microgaming 100% bonus from Friends by promo code FRPROMO Demo for free to the table of contents ↑ The decline of the Empire For Hugh Hefner, the 1970s turned out to be the best time in his career. His empire flourished rapidly, but it was more like a house of cards, which was kept at the expense of a casino in London.