Ameristar Plans Regional Casino For Southampton
US operator Ameristar Casinos has announced plans to compete for one of the eight regional casino licences promised in the Gambling Bill for a venue in Southampton on England's south coast. The project has the support of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Southampton City Council.
In conjunction with Brave Network Limited, the Council's preferred developer for the site on the city's West Quay, Ameristar's proposal includes a 65,000 sq ft gaming area with 80 tables and the full complement of 1,250 category A slot machines. Also in the plans are a 200-room four-star hotel with conference facilities and a leisure centre comprising an 8,000 seater indoor arena with Olympic size ice rink, an additional community ice rink and an indoor swimming pool and spa.
The whole package would represent an investment of around £240m, of which about £195m would b contributed by Ameristar.
"This project will be an outstanding new entertainment outlet to Southampton and south eastern England, greatly complementing the existing retail and leisure offerings," said Craig Nelson, chairman and CEO of Ameristar. "It will also stimulate the local economy through capital investment, the creation of approximately 1,200 quality jobs and the purchase of millions of pounds of goods and services from local and regional business."
Ameristar owns and operates six casinos in the US in Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi/Louisiana, Idaho and Nevada, with an acquisition in Colorado on the cards this month.
