Glasgow still a good bet for UK's super casino

The city council beat bids from West Dunbartonshire and Midlothian to be Scotland's sole contender. But it faces stiff competition from the likes of London and Blackpool.

The super casino will be able to offer 1,250 gaming machines with unlimited jackpots and could boast an even larger floorspace than the mega-centres in the Nevada desert.

Those backing the Glasgow project say it could create nearly 3,000 jobs and bring 215 million to the area.

Potential sites include the harbour area, Ibrox Stadium, St Enochs and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

But MSPs and charities have raised concerns that the super casino could lead to more problem gambling and have a negative impact on the community.

The gambling advice charity GamCare said the total number of people approaching it for counselling had risen to 6,563 last year - a 41.3 per cent increase on 2004 - and a growing proportion of those were women.

Tommy Sheridan, an SSP MSP for Glasgow, said his city needed a new casino like a "hole in the head". He went on: "We already have huge problems in relation to drink and debt and gambling addiction, with thousands chasing an elusive dream. A casino of this nature will only add to our problems, not solve them."

Bruce Crawford, an SNP MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said a super casino could exacerbate social problems not just in Glasgow, but across the Central Belt.

However, Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, tried to allay such fears by pointing to new gambling legislation that would accompany the creation of one super casino and 16 smaller ones in the UK. Casinos could be closed down if they caused social problems and would be carefully monitored.

Gambling laws dating back four decades had already been updated to deal with the "explosion" of online gambling, she said, adding: "We will have the most protective legislation in the world."

And Bill Aitken, a Tory MSP for Glasgow, said Glaswegians had "too much common sense" to become immersed in the gambling culture.

The city's challengers for the super casino are Wembley and the Millennium Dome in London; Blackpool; Cardiff; Manchester; Newcastle upon Tyne; and Sheffield.

Councillor Steven Purcell, the leader of Glasgow City Council, said it had a compelling case. "We're in it to win it," he said. "Glasgow is one of Europe's most exciting locations and is a great place to visit, live, work and do business," he said.

He predicted a super casino in the city would benefit "all of Scotland".

A shortlist of a further 31 bids for large and small casinos, including Dumfries and Galloway, was also unveiled yesterday by the Casino Advisory Panel. Midlothian Council, which did not make the shortlist, said it was disappointed.

"A successful bid would have broadened our tourism impact; however, we shall continue to build on our strengths and the current boom we are experiencing," the chief executive, Trevor Muir, said, in a reference to the influx of tourists on The Da Vinci Code trail.

Harrah's, the world's largest gambling resort company, which wanted to build a super casino in West Dunbartonshire, was also disappointed with the decision.

Andrew Tottenham, its managing director for development in Europe, said Harrah's proposal for an out-of-town casino was the most responsible option. "The experts will say that it is a much better thing if people have to make a conscious decision to go to a particular destination rather than having it on their doorstep," he said.

The winning bids are expected to be announced at the end of the year.