It was a complete surprise. The Casino Advisory Panel in January selected Manchester as the site of the U.K.’s one and only regional—or “super”—casino.

The shock may have worn off—except for Blackpool officials and residents who dreamed of renewed glory through the economic power of a major resort casino—but the reverberations over the decision continue.

The January 30 decision, which was four years—and thousands of hours of debate and discussion—in the making, was stunning. Everyone from newspaper pundits to gaming executives to bookmakers rated Manchester a long shot in the bidding, which came down to seven finalists: Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greenwich (London), Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Wembley. One of the original competitors—the city of Sheffield—dropped out of the running late last year.

The bookmakers’ favorites for the coveted license had long been Blackpool, which looked at the development of a super-casino and hotel/entertainment complex as a way to revitalize one of Britain’s most depressed areas; and Greenwich, which is the site of the former Millennium Dome—now called the O2—long an embarrassment to the government.

In making the announcement, Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) Chairman Stephen Crow said Manchester had been chosen because of its “very thorough consultation” with the local community and “the way it dealt with questions of problem gambling.”

 “In every respect we are extremely impressed by Manchester’s proposal, which offers great promise,” the final report said. “We found that the proposal had a unique formula to offer which served to set it apart from the others presented to us in terms of the full range of our specific remitted criteria of best test of social impact, regeneration need and benefits and willingness to license.

The Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the O2 and had major redevelopment plans for the Dome centered on a “super-casino,” was “very disappointed,” a spokesman said.

Immediately following the decision, the O2 spokesman suggested the company might file a lawsuit to challenge the decision, saying “We are taking time to examine the findings in full and considering our position.”

Subsequently, however, AEG’s CEO David Campbell said the company would not fight the decision.

Blackpool officials have not indicated one way or the other if they would challenge the decision; either way, they are furious at being passed over for Manchester.

“I’m very angry Manchester has been chosen,” said Mayor Allan Matthews. “It can look elsewhere for regeneration, but we cannot—tourism is all we have. Does Manchester want our sea, and our tower? It might as well have it all. It’s like nailing the coffin lid down on Blackpool. The decision to put it in Manchester is the worst of all scenarios.”

CAP Chairman Crow told BBC News 24 the panel’s decision was “watertight” if it came to a legal challenge from any losing bidder.

The super-casino license will allow Manchester to host a casino with up to 1,250 unlimited-jackpot gaming machines.

The proposed site will also contain an entertainment complex with a range of facilities such as a multi-purpose arena, a swimming pool, an urban sports venue, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel.

The frontrunner to operate the Manchester super-casino is Kerzner International. The city of Manchester awarded a provisional contract back in 2004 to Kerzner, along with Ask and Artisan, two small local development companies, to create a £260 million casino and leisure complex in the east of the city.

Liverpool’s Stanley Leisure, however, has indicated it would bid against Kerzner and, possibly, Las Vegas Sands to become the operator. Stanley Leisure, which is already the U.K.’s biggest casino operator, said it hoped the bidding would be a “truly open and transparent process.”

By Casino Connection Staff

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