Rumours are once again circulating that Blackpool will be chosen as the location for Britain’s first super casino. Details have emerged that the Casino Advisory Panel, to assess the city’s interest in hosting the casino, sent Blackpool council a letter last November. Around Britain many councils have expressed a wish to have a super casino in their region, but do not appear to have received similar letters. Applications are not due until March.

The letter to Blackpool council was uncovered following a ‘freedom of information’ request after rumours surfaced of its existence. Councils that are at present spending significant sums of money on feasibility studies, etc. are now concerned that this money is being spent when there is no possibility of making a successful application to the Casino Advisory Board. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has denied that Blackpool or anywhere else is favoured.

The letter to Blackpool council mentions possible locations for siting a super casino to give the best possible test of social impact. Many would argue that an aging seaside resort, whilst fitting the criterion of a need for regeneration, would hardly test the social impact on an area, as most gambling would be done by players previously making a conscious decision to travel to the resort for that purpose. The social impact of a super casino would be better judged in a high-density population area, where players could walk in at any time.

This is the apparent weakness of the British government’s decision to have just one prototype super casino. Any studies carried out, wherever the casino was located, would have severely restricted relevance for other regions. Rumours that the government may be reconsidering their decision will be far more welcome to local councils with casino projects than the rumour that Blackpool is already a done deal. (E-01.30.06)

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