26/02/2008

Casino Plans For Stranraer Given Go-Ahead

The Government has given a controversial super-casino plan the axe.

However, plans for a new casino development in Stranraer have been given the green light.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham confirmed the decision to go ahead with 16 large regional casinos today, but drop the proposed huge gambling venue, in a statement to MPs this afternoon.

The Stranraer casino, which will be part of a wider seafront development, is the only one considered for Scotland under the scheme.

He confirmed the decision, saying the smaller projects did not "pose the same level of risk" of "negative impact" as the 'Las Vegas-style' super-casino.

Casinos with up to 150 slot machines and prizes of up to £4,000 are expected for Leeds, Southampton, Great Yarmouth, Middlesbrough, Solihull, Hull, Milton Keynes and Newham in London.

Smaller sites are also expected for Somerset, Dumfries and Galloway, Scarborough, Wolverhampton, Swansea, Luton, Torbay and East Lidsey.

Confirming the plan a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's said: "There is a huge difference in scale in terms of gambling opportunities in a super-casino and the smaller casinos. What we said was we would work up alternative regeneration packages which did not rely on a super-casino."

(CD/JM)




Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

14 October 2005
Daniel Craig confirmed as James Bond
Daniel Craig has been confirmed as the new James Bond, today. Craig, 37, will take over from Pierce Brosnan, 52, to star in the next Bond movie, ‘Casino Royale’, which will be the 21st in the long-running franchise. The announcement was made at a press conference in London, where Craig arrived by speedboat.
30 January 2007
Manchester wins race for first UK super-casino
Manchester is the surprise winner in the bid for the license for Britain's first Las Vegas-style super-casino. The verdict comes as a shock, as Blackpool and London's former Millennium Dome were the favourite locations for the super-casino with bookmakers.
30 August 2006
Super-casino bidding process begins
An independent panel has begun the process to select the site of the UK's first super-casino. Seven possible locations are being considered for the location of the Las Vegas-style casino. US company AEG, which wants to build the casino at the Millennium Dome, is reported to be the favourite to secure the license for the super-casino.
02 November 2009
Trump Resort Breaks Ground
Even though construction work has already begun, a leading entrepreneur's plan to build a tourist and golf resort in Scotland has just been attacked by a 'green' politician.
24 January 2008
Latest 007 Movie Title Revealed
James Bond's next big spy feature film has been revealed. 'Quantum of Solace' is the title of the new movie, the 22nd in the long-running franchise. It comes from a short story in Bond creator Ian Fleming's collection 'For Your Eyes Only'. Daniel Craig, who made his debut as 007 in Casino Royale in 2006, will return in the lead role.