The first stunned reaction from the Blackpool camp led to a promise to fight on. The Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) choice was, after all, a recommendation to the government and not a judgement set in stone. Leader of Blackpool Council, Roy Fisher, was reported as saying, “For us it was the cake, for Manchester it was the icing on the cake.” Even if the government relaxes it stance to allow more regional casinos, as is often suggested, Blackpool could lose out again as being too close to Manchester.

Having been compared to Atlantic City when it was a declining resort, the decision to choose Manchester over Blackpool is perhaps ‘bizarre’. CAP obviously felt that under their remit Blackpool would not provide the best test of social impact. Most gamblers would be visitors whereas in a poor area of Manchester the effect on a large local population could be better monitored. As a social experiment on gambling and regeneration, the downfall of pathological gamblers could be seen as a possible sacrifice of the few for the good of the majority.

Other councils that have been selected for large and small casinos under the Gambling Act 2005 will now have to decide where these new gambling centres should be sited and who will operate them. British and foreign companies are likely to bid. In some ways Manchester City Council was ahead of the game. It had already identified Sportcity - 30 minutes away from Manchester Airport, 10 minutes from Manchester Picadilly Station and easily accessible from the city centre and motorways – as the site for a regional casino. It had also previously held an international competition in 2004 to secure a development partner.

Whilst the involvement of Kerzner International in the Greenwich Council proposal has been much publicised, the fact that the company won the independently audited competition to take forward the development of a regional scale casino and leisure complex at Sportcity has barely been mentioned. According to the Manchester submission to CAP, a consortium led by Kerzner International was to result in private sector investment of around £260 million (US$507.8 million). Whether this relationship will stand the legal challenges bound to be made remains to be seen.

The unexpected CAP choice has now been announced and the next step is for the decision to be ratified by Parliament. The government is still maintaining that a further expansion of super casinos will not be undertaken before the pilot scheme has been assessed. As no terms of procedure have been put forward for the assessment process, no one knows how long it will last. Church leaders are pressing for 5 years, opposition spokesmen for a minimum 3 years. Many councils are pushing for the government to use its powers and create more regional casinos without delay. For the moment at least, Manchester is enjoying its day in the sun.
(E-01.31.07)

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