Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007

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Manchester selected as site for supercasino

By Erin Warner

The U.K. approved its first Las Vegas-style supercasino in Manchester Tuesday, but Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is assuring Brits that Sin City isn't coming to their country.

The northern English city was the underdog in a fight to house the new casino, with industry analysts predicting either Blackpool, the Millennium Dome in London, or Glasgow, Scotland, would win, Reuters is reporting.

Those with failed bids expressed their disappointment over the decision, with some calling on the government to grant additional casino licenses.

Jowell, however, said that 2010 would be the earliest date considered for such a move.

"Las Vegas is not coming to Great Britain," she told Reuters.

Manchester's city council said it estimates that the casino will create 2,700 jobs - a huge boost to a community that is struggling to stimulate its economy.

"It's going to bring a lot of jobs and regeneration to a part of the city that really needs it," local Member of Parliament Graham Stringer told the BBC.

The supercasino is to feature 5,000 square meters of gaming floor and also house bars, a hotel, theatre, restaurant and other entertainment sites in the city's Eastlands district near the football stadium.

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