Advanced Forum Search -- Advanced Casino Search

‘Supercasino bid was not rigged'
Message was posted: 09:29 Aug 31st, 2006

User: Sandcastles Rank: Casino Gold: 15110CG Contributor rating: 81480 Status: Offline

‘Supercasino bid was not rigged' The chairman of the panel looking into the Millennium Dome's bid for a supercasino has insisted he was not influenced by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Casino Advisory Panel started its hearing yesterday, despite persistent claims of secret Government deals. Rochford and Southend East Tory MP James Duddridge, who has previously accused Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott of promoting Greenwich Council's Dome bid, said the casino panel's chief was "naive" if he believed the body could remain unswerved by political pressure. In the first of seven hearings into shortlisted venues, panel chairman Professor Stephen Crow insisted he had not been influenced by Mr Prescott. Prof Crow said the panel was not beholden to any local authority, casino operator or to political pressure from the Government. The Dome's bid has been overshadowed by controversy because of several visits Mr Prescott made to a ranch in America owned by Philip Anschutz, owner of company AEG, which would operate the Greenwich casino. Mr Duddridge said: "I feel Prof Crow is being naive in the ways of Government." He questioned whether Mr Prescott has been influenced by the Dome operators. He added: "I think in the end what has happened may actually work to the disadvantage of the Dome, when compared to other bids. "As far as Southend is concerned, I do not think we have been treated fairly or properly. I am still concerned about the whole issue of how the shortlisted sites were actually chosen." Former Southend Council leader Anna Waite said she was also worried a specified company had been put forward to run Greenwich's bid at such an early stage. She said: "I am concerned the Greenwich bid has put forward an operator for the new supercasino, as I did not believe this was part of the bid process at this stage. "As far as I was concerned, it was establishing where the site of the new supercasino will be and that an operator would be chosen later." The hearing was told the building of two new hotels and a 1,800-seat theatre depended on the Dome's success in winning the right to host supercasino. This Is Essex