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Casino - now it's anyone's bet Dec 20 2005
By Paul Dale And Jonathan Walker


Blackpool will get Britain's first super-casino no matter how hard Birmingham campaigns for the multi-million pound venue, city council leader Mike Whitby claimed last night.

Coun Whitby told the council cabinet that sources close to the Government were indicating that Blackpool had already won the race to get an American-style gaming centre because it was a decaying coastal resort in need of regeneration.

Officially, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport will not decide on a location for a super-casino until 2007.

But Coun Whitby (Con Harborne) said: "Blackpool is a major coastal resort in decline. We are hearing Blackpool have won already. They have got it cut and dried."

Birmingham City Football Club has developed a scheme for a £300 million multi-purpose sports stadium and gaming centre on the Wheels site at Saltley.


A 55,000-seat City of Birmingham Stadium would provide a new ground for the Blues, could stage international cricket and rugby, and would be suitable for major athletics events.


But MGM Mirage, one of America's biggest entertainment companies, wants to build a £250 million casino-hotel complex at the National Exhibition Centre.

Blackpool is without doubt one of the most sensible places and obvious ones for the first new super casion but I'd like Birmingham to have one as well along with all the major UK cities.

I wouldn't mind the likes of London or Birmingham getting a super casino, even Liverpool.. But or some reason, I wouldn't want one in Manc.. Blackpool (or parallel towns/coastal cities) are more deservant of this, Brighton too perhaps? Its these places that need it more..I'd rather Manc got some big ecological tourism sector or something.. not a casino, but it probably will happen eventually.

Officially, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport will not decide on a location for a super-casino until 2007Let's not rush things eh. Expectation management, gees, why do the government always promise the earth and then let everyone down when something less and much later than planned turns up. Promise little and surprise with more is much more effective.

It was pretty obvious that Blackpool would get it. They have been campaigning for it much longer than any other city and have been far more enthusiastic about it.
Blackpool is basing the future of its tourist economy on this. For other cities, its just another development.

Brighton is not decaying like Blackpool though - I'm not sure I would want one in Brighton, it's got plenty of investment pouring in already.

yeah, if anywhere NEEDS this its Blackpool. It really has nothing else going for it in its future plans, it all rests on this casino idea. Birmingham will cope, Blackpool wouldn't.