Stanley Leisure, the casino and betting shop operator, has teamed up with Malaysian gaming group Genting in an attempt to obtain licenses for super casinos in the UK.

The two have launched a joint venture company, called Stanley Genting Casinos (SGC), which will be equally owned by the two groups and will arrange its own funding to develop regional casinos following the deregulation of gamin g in the UK.

The announcement was made just weeks after the government said it would limit the number of regional casinos in the initial stage of the new gaming legislation to eight.

Analysts predict that any successful bid to develop a regional casino must demonstrate experience in running large casinos as well as an understanding of the UK market – a view confirmed by the minister responsible for gaming legislation changes, Lord Andrew McIntosh, at the Business In Sport and Leisure (BISL) conference on 23 November.

The deal includes a clause which will see SGC acquire Stanley Casinos (Leeds) for £5.4m, thereby giving the company access to land adjacent to Leeds United’s football stadium on Elland Road. Stanley purchased the site earlier this year with the intention of building a regional casino on the land.

Stanley’s chief executive, Bob Wiper, said: “We are very pleased to have formed this joint venture with such a strong partner. The combination of each group’s skills, together with a professional and responsible approach to regional casino developments, will enable us to better capture the benefits of deregulation as they unfold.”

Genting has interests ranging from leisure and hospitality to power generation and operates the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia, which has 400 gaming tables, 3,000 slot machines and attracts more than 15 million visitors a year.

Tan Sri Lim Kok, chair of Genting, said: “The joint venture marks a significant point in Genting’s expansion plans in the UK. We remain tremendously excited by the outlook for the gaming industry in the UK and look forward to a successful future with Stanley Leisure.”

Stanley is the UK’s largest casino operator with 41 casinos including the UK’s largest; Star City in Birmingham.