Leeds Stakes Claim For Las Vegas-Style Super Casino

Leeds has thrown its hat into the ring to be the home of the country's first Las Vegas-style super casino.

The city is one of nearly 30 places which have expressed a firm interest in providing a site for the huge gaming attraction.

Land at Leeds United's Elland Road ground could be used for the multi-million pound development, should the bid come up trumps.

Wakefield has also put its name forward as a possible location for the so-called "regional" casino, which will be the biggest ever built in Britain and the only one of its size allowed under the terms of the Government's new Gambling Act.

It would create hundreds of jobs, boast as many as 1,250 slot machines and, for the first time in this country, offer unlimited cash prizes.

The Government's Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) asked council chiefs nationwide last November if they were considering applying for the right to play host to the complex.

A total of 27 areas replied with a definite 'yes', while a further 19 gave the idea a less clear-cut thumbs-up.

The complete list includes Scarborough, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham, alongside the two West Yorkshire contenders.

Blackpool, widely regarded as favourite to get the nod, is on there too.

The successful town or city will be expected to put the job of operating the casino out to tender, with gaming giants on both sides of the Atlantic likely to fight it out for that megabucks contract.

Today a spokesman for Leeds City Council confirmed it was interested in the scheme.

He said: "Such a development could potentially bring a massive amount of funding for regeneration projects to Leeds, helping to rejuvenate the city and attract other investment."

The spokesman stressed, however, that things were still at a very early stage, with a suitable location in the city for a super casino yet to be identified.

One spot that would almost certainly be in the running, though, is a seven-acre site behind Elland Road's Revie Stand.

Britain's biggest casino operator, Stanley Leisure, paid £5m for first option on the land in October 2004.

A spokesman for the firm told the YEP today that if Leeds got the go-ahead for the regional complex, then it would hope to be given the chance to run it at Elland Road.

Councils have until March 31 to state their super casino cases to the CAP in full detail. It is due to recommend a winner to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell by the end of this year.