International Offers Fly In To Develop Blackpool's Golden Ticket
Blackpool's vision of a golden age of gambling has successfully whet the appetites of casino developers all over the world. Operators including London Clubs International, Sun International, Harrah's and Las Vegas Sands are reported to be amongst 20 companies to have joined Leisure Parcs and the Hilton Group in the list of those wanting to open Blackpool Casinos and invest in the North West seaside resort.
The influx of offers to develop a regional licence on the Flyde Coast has left those behind Blackpool' Masterplan confident of the town's allure to casino operators and will be hoping operator enthusiasm is matched by government officials.
Blackpool's planning and investment bosses laid down the welcome mat for leading gaming companies back in December asking them to submit ideas on how they would develop the prime 23 acre Central Station site into a state of the art conference and casino quarter.
Reg Haslam, Blackpool's planning chief and head of ReBlackpool, the organisation established to manage the Masterplan, said agent Montague Evans has cast its net widely across the leisure sector, contacting all the main British operators as well as the top Nasdaq (American Stock Exchange) quoted US operators and South African and Australian operators.
The response from some of the world's leading casino companies was impressive and sends out a "strong message to the government."
Haslam said of the 22 submissions: "This demonstrates Blackpool can deliver if the legislation provides us with reasonable opportunity. It is one reason why we have chosen this moment to go out to the market ace. Nothing is certain until the Bill receives Royal Assent and it is important that Blackpool informs the debate , now in the House of Lords, over the next eight weeks or so. This is the first tie Blackpool has sought to formally connect with casino operators and leisure developers, and take forward a scheme which clearly demonstrates our confidence that Blackpool will obtain a share of the UK casino market if the legislation goes through. Potential players will invest hundreds of millions of pounds in this site."
The council will now sift through 22 submissions and decide with which it would prefer to work. It will have to wait and see if the government's appointed panel selects Blackpool as one of he lucky eight regions to be granted a 'golden ticket' to develop a regional casino licence.
Haslam added that the chosen developer would have to meet stringent criteria including "a desire to regenerate the spirit of Blackpool."
Blackpool Council leader Roy Fisher added: "The selection process will be rigorous, as we are determined to ensure that potential investors not only benefit from being situated in Blackpool but contribute to the community."
At the moment, only Leisure Parcs and the Hilton Group have unveiled their plans for the Pharaoh 's Palace and the Palace of Light respectively. Details of other written submissions are expected to be revealed later this month. Leisure Parcs and in particular former managing director Marc Etches has been credited with doing most in the push for resort casinos in Britain. Indeed, Leisure Parcs wasted little time in lodging its plans to develop a Las Vegas style resort on a 12 acre site behind Blackpool's olden Mile back in October 2001.
The government's to-ing and fro-ing over exactly what should constitute a resort casino has made little impact on the company's original Pharaoh's Palace complex, which would include a 1000 bedroom hotel, 3800 sq m of conference and exhibition pace, a 3000 seat multi purpose theatre for the performing arts, parking for 2200 cars and 10000 sq m of gaming space.
Leisure Parc's 'submission also included 20000 sq m of restaurants, shops and family attractions.
Since that submission, all has remained quiet on the Blackpool front until last month when Hilton confirmed its own intentions,focusing on the Blackpool Central station area with its Palace of Light £600m project. Attached to this would be a 650 roo hotel, 30 shops, bars, restaurants and an 18000 sq m conference centre and entertainment lounge.
The hope for Blackpool is that the UK government will look to areas that would benefit from harnessing the new gaming opportunities as a tool for regeneration. Whilst the nearby cities of Manchester and Liverpool have been the focus of se spectacular plans themselves, the government cold well opt for the seaside town, which originally led the change for resort casinos on the premise that regeneration is more of a necessity. It is acutely aware of the need for redevelopment and recently blamed Blackpool's ailing and antiquated conference facilities for relocating the Labour Party conference to Manchester.
Without the blessing and redevelopment power of a regional licence it is highly unlikely that the Labour Party road show will return to its spiritual seaside home. Who knows, this could be at the forefront of the minds of those entrusted with handing out the invites to the inaugural regional ball.
