Bookies are backing Blackpool
BLACKPOOL'S bid to win the super casino battle has been billed as "David vs Goliath".
It is the smallest town or city in the running, as it pits its wits against the big-guns of London, Manchester and Glasgow.
Despite last week's report that Blackpool lay third after the first round of voting by the Casino Advisory Panel (CAP), support appears strong – especially with the bookies.
Leading online bookmaker Paddypower.com today published it's latest list of odds, placing Blackpool as joint 6/4 joint favourite with Greenwich, the site of the Millennium Dome.
The CAP's voting slate will be wiped clean for the second round which will see more in-depth investigations of each individual bid.
Those behind the bid believe it has a "strong" case on the basis of regeneration and that is reflected in today's Paddypower odds.
In June, more than 1,000 people visited an exhibition by Blackpool's regeneration company ReBlackpool which showcased ideas for the Central Station site including a 30-storey hotel inspired by designs in Dubai.
The next step will be for CAP members to visit each of the shortlisted towns and cities.
The first visit is expected to be incognito, with the panel returning in the autumn when they will hear from interested parties but this will not take the form of a public meeting.
The panel will make its recommendation to the Secretary of State by the end of the year.
Early next year, the government will award the first regional casino licence after considering CAP's recommendations.
n Paddypower.com's latest odds for the super-casino are: Greenwich 6/4, Blackpool 6/4, Manchester 6/1, Glasgow 8/1, 10/1 Cardiff. 14/1 bar.
THERE are no clocks in the casinos, no windows to let in the daylight, the air conditioning pumps cool, fresh air to keep you awake and you are free to smoke.
Masses of roulette and the blackjack tables are seen as the way forward for Blackpool, but the rows and rows of slot machines look no different to what is already in operation in the bigger arcades here.
Many have pointed to the threat of a problem gambling epidemic as a reason why Blackpool should have never entered the UK's great super-casino race.
But speaking to those who live Vegas 24/7, the most challenging problem behind the lights today is one Blackpool knows only too well – alcohol.
Vince Alberta, vice president of public affairs at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority, freely admits: "Casinos do have their problems.
"But what place doesn't? Whenever you offer something which could be addictive, in extreme cases, there are bound to be some people who fall into the trap.
"Take alcohol, drugs or smoking. What place doesn't have its problems with drink? It has to be emphasised the problems with gambling are small by comparison to the number of those who take part. Some people come to Vegas and don't put so much as a dime in the machines.
"There is a terrible problem with drinking in Las Vegas.
"There is a lot of drink drivers and there is also a youth problem. At weekends there is now high profile policing targeting motorists. Security in each casino is linked together and we know who the problem people and the youths are and we all work together to keep them clear of The Strip."
It all sounds strikingly familiar to the regular headlines of "booze-fuelled violence" we get here in Blackpool.
A walk through the casino at 6am revealed Vegas' serious gamblers pawing the one-arm bandits, cigarette in hand, oblivious of anything else in the room.
Scott Messenger, vice president of brand marketing at the Venetian resort hotel and casino, admits there are a small percentage of people who do have gambling problems.
He said: "All the casino operators pool finances to fund a city-wide programme to provide help for people with gambling problems.
"To get it in perspective approximately point four per cent of gamblers have a problem.
"We do our best to guide and advise these people. If we see somebody who has been on a machine for a long time and they look like they are tired and are behaving in an obsessive way we go down and advise them to have a break and offer them a coffee.
"Sometimes, when the person is convinced the machine is about to drop a huge win it is difficult to get them to listen. Occasionally we agree to cordon the machine off so nobody else can play on it. It's sometimes the only way we can get someone to stop."
What the punter does not realise is these machines are sophisticated computers and are programmed to pay out only seven per cent of their takings. They continually work in sequence regardless of whether anybody is playing.
Blackpool is now awaiting the decision by the government on where the UK's first super-casino will be sighted.
Just one licence will be awarded either at the end of this year or early next after the Casino Advisory Panel has investigated all eight bids on its shortlist.
Blackpool is battling Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow and London's Millennium Dome and Wembley Stadium for the right to build its Las Vegas-style dream - a huge casino hotel with around 5,000 square meters of gambling space and 1,250 unlimited-jackpot slot machines.
Those behind the bid believe the casino will bring massive regeneration benefits through jobs and investment, while critics fear it will spark alarming levels of problem gambling.
Blackpool Council says it is ready to help gambling addicts.
A spokesman said: "Blackpool Council has already had many constructive meetings with Gamcare and RIGT (Responsibility in Gambling Trust) and recognises the need to liaise closely with these agencies.
"Extensive research clearly shows that the benefits of a regional casino would far outweigh any negative aspect." |
