Manchester and casinos are in the news in both Ireland and the UK. A Manchester businessman is at the centre of a controversy over whether the Irish Taoiseach (Head of Government) Bertie Ahern gave assurances in 1994, when Minister of Finance, of support for a casino complex at Phoenix Park. In England the Manchester Evening News reports on talks between Prime Minister Gordon Brown and senior Manchester politicians on the shelved supercasino.

In both cases original casino development plans have come to nothing. The Sonas Consortium, backed by a US casino group, met with intense local and political opposition in Ireland and the project was abandoned. Documents now released under the Freedom of Information Act have stirred up renewed interest in Mr Ahern’s supposed opposition to casinos, his contacts with businessman Norman Turner, a political donation and what assurances were given.

Talks in Manchester have been described as ‘productive.’ Mr Brown met with MPs and the leader of Manchester City Council to discuss alternative regeneration possibilities for the area but it appears that plans for a supercasino will not be allowed to go ahead. The Council estimates that its winning regional casino application would have brought 3,000 jobs and around £1 billion into the local economy, and could seek a judicial review as provision for one regional casino is part of the Gambling Act 2005. (E-02.01.2008)

© Copyright 2008 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage