Birmingham and Coventry have missed out on the UK's first super-casino, it was announced today.
Birmingham Council had backed a plan to build a £250 complex at the National Exhibition Centre site in Solihull, while development work on a casino building at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry had already begun.
* More on this story in Thursday's Birmingham Post *
But a government Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) today revealed that Blackpool, Wembley Stadium, Cardiff, Glasgow, the Millennium Dome, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sheffield have been put on the provisional shortlist in the competition to host the UK's first Las Vegas-style casino resort.
The Solihull bid, along with proposals from Wolvehampton and Dudley, was among 31 venues to be named on a list of sites for less lucrative large and small casinos.
Coventry, however, misses out entirely.
LIST OF PROPOSED SITES FOR LARGE AND SMALL CASINOS
Bath & North East Somerset Bournemouth Brighton Canterbury Chelmsford Dartford Dudley Dumfries and Galloway East Lindsey Great Yarmouth Hastings Hull Leeds Leicester Luton Mansfield Middlesbrough Milton Keynes Newham NE Lincs Peterborough Restormel Scarborough Sefton Solihull Southampton South Tyneside Swansea Thurrock Torbay Wolverhampton.
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Chairman of the panel Professor Stephen Crow said: "I know that our decisions will cause disappointment to some, not least to authorities who had looked to their casino proposal as a means of alleviating severe problems of deprivation, or even improving social conditions and meeting the need for economic regeneration.
"But the competition has been very strong, and so it is inevitable that some proposals, good enough though they may be in themselves, have to yield before more powerfully justified cases."
Birmingham City Council has chosen to support plans to build the casino at the NEC in neighbouring Solihull in preference to a scheme to integrate a casino into a 'sports village' at Saltley.
Under the terms of the Gambling Act, there will be one super-casino, eight large casinos and eight small casinos.
A final recommendation by the independent body is expected before the end of the year on the new giant gambling venue. It will be allowed to have up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot slot machines.
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PREVIOUS BIRMINGHAM POST CASINO ARTICLES:
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Council pulls out of casino race
Mar 21 2006
Birmingham City Council is out of the race for Britain's first super-casino - leaving Solihull with a clear run to campaign for an American-style gambling complex at the National Exhibition Centre.
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'Brady broke casino pact'
Mar 17 2006
The NEC Group last night launched an extraordinary attack on Karren Brady, accusing the Birmingham City FC managing director of behaving dishonourably over the super-casino issue.
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Prescott inquiry backs NEC casino
Mar 14 2006
The bid for a "Style City" super-casino at the National Exhibition Centre has emerged as a front-runner in an independent inquiry commissioned by the Government.
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Chamber paid £1m to promote NEC
Mar 10 2006
The row over the Birmingham super-casino bid has intensified with the revelation that the city's Chamber of Commerce has been paid more than £1 million to promote the NEC Group.
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Ricoh appeal to city council
Mar 8 2006
Leaders of Coventry Council have formally submitted an application to the Government for permission to open the country's first super-casino - and challenged Birmingham to pull out of the race.
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Chamber in casino poll row
Mar 2 2006
Supporters of rival super-casino bids were engaged in a furious war of words today after business leaders vowed to press ahead with a controversial ballot.
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Top property consultant says back NEC's casino bid
Feb 27 2006
A leading property consultant has urged city council leaders to throw their weight behind proposals for the National Exhibition Centre to be the home of the country's first super-casino.
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Super-casino plans 'will lead to more addicts'
Jan 4 2006
The head of a Birmingham-based gaming watchdog has broken with official Government policy by admitting that super-casinos are bound to lead to an increase in gambling addiction.
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Chaos reigns in Council casino decision
Dec 16 2005
The process for deciding whether Birmingham will get a super-casino descended into confusion last night after the city council was forced to delay making a decision on which of two rival bids to support.
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Brady dismisses NEC casino bid
Dec 14 2005
Birmingham City FC chief executive Karren Brady has dismissed as "unworkable" a bid by the National Exhibition Centre to become the home for the country ' s first super-casino.
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Experts to help council deal with casino clash
Oct 26 2005
Consultants will advise Birmingham City Council on how to deal with two conflicting bids for a super-casino.
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Coventry's hopes for casino 'fading fast'
Oct 10 2005
Coventry's chances of winning Government approval for a super-casino are fading by the day, according to a senior member of Birmingham City Council's cabinet.
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Stadium must have casino, insists Brady
Sep 20 2005
The managing director of Birmingham City Football Club yesterday rejected suggestions that the club's new "super-stadium" could be built without a casino.
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Blues anger at council help for NEC casino bid
Sep 16 2005
Birmingham City Council has been plunged into a damaging row over conflict of interest after it emerged senior officials have been helping the National Exhibition Centre's bid for a super-casino.
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City plea to Muslims over casino
Sep 12 2005
Muslims are being urged to drop opposition to a Birmingham super-casino in return for a promise that the project will regenerate a run-down inner city area.
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City to press ahead with bid for super-casino
Aug 12 2005
It is an odds-on bet that Birmingham will submit a bid to the Government for permission to open a super-casino, according to the politician in charge of the city's regeneration portfolio.
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Brum casino decision delayed
Jul 26 2005
The man in charge of Birmingham's leisure portfolio has declared his opposition to a new super-casino for the city.
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Casino split puts Blues stadium future in doubt
Jun 8 2005
A crucial decision on whether to bid for permission to build a super-casino in Birmingham will be made by the city council tomorrow.
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NEC puts casino plans in spotlight
Apr 7 2005
The National Exhibition Centre is reconsidering ambitious plans to site one of the Government's super casinos at the complex following a change in the proposed gambling legislation.
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Super casino crucial to NEC, warns councillor
Jan 7 2005
The National Exhibition Centre could face an uncertain future if a massive super casino is not built at the complex, council leaders in Solihull were told.
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Five in running for NEC casino
Dec 1 2004
Five global casino operators have been shortlisted to develop a Las Vegas-style complex at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.
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Brum's casino jackpot
Oct 21 2004
Eight international gaming companies are battling to open major casinos in Birmingham which would pump millions of pounds into the local economy each year.
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NEC casino plan for 'Las Vegas of the UK'
Sep 23 2004
Birmingham is aiming to turn itself into the Las Vegas of the UK with a new multi-million pound casino and concert venue at the National Exhibition Centre.
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