Tuesday, February 06, 2007

THE world's biggest gaming company could join the race to build Britain's
first supercasino in Manchester. Harrah's Entertainment, the Nevada-based
firm behind Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, said it was `looking forward' to
finding out about the bidding process and claimed it would offer `the most
complete package for the UK'. Stanley Leisure, Britain's biggest casino
firm, also confirmed its interest and called for a `truly open and
transparent bidding process'.
The news follows Tuesday's shock announcement that Manchester had been
chosen as the site of Britain's first supercasino, with more than 1,000
unlimited-jackpot slot machines. While council chiefs had already chosen a
site outside the City of Manchester stadium and a preferred operator -
Kerzner International - the law states that the competition has to be
reopened. Kerzner's plan was for a £265m complex, including a 5,000-seat
arena, swimming pool and hotel plus the casino itself - which would have
taken up just six per cent of floorspace. But interest is expected to be
much greater now Manchester is the only city that will be able to operate a
supercasino. The Kerzner consortium has so far refused to confirm they will
be bidding again. In a statement, they said they were `proud' to have played
a role in helping Manchester win the supercasino, adding: "Our bid, with its
key elements of stunning design, joined-up regeneration and maximum economic
benefits, clearly made a compelling case. "The consortium notes that due
process in this project involves a competitive tender to comply fully with
the Gambling Act and keenly awaits more details on the process which will
lead to the regional casino being developed in Manchester." Michael Riddy,
finance director for Liverpool-based Stanley Leisure, said: "I think a
standalone UK casino operator might struggle to compete against bidders
from, say, the US, but our position now as part of a multi-national group is
a very strong one." But it is Harrah's, which has revenues of more than
£3.5bn a year, that is likely to prove the biggest threat to any renewed bid
by Kerzner. Andrew Tottenham, of Harrah's, said: "We look forward to
learning the details of the public tendering process necessary to
objectively select the casino operator to ensure the local community of
Manchester will realise the maximum benefit of this planned development.

"Harrah's Entertainment offers the most complete package for the UK as we
have a proven, worldwide track record of responsibly operating successful
casino-integrated resort complexes."

Developers are already predicting a boom in property prices, with Mike
Kidd - manager with Edward Mellor in Gorton - telling the M.E.N. after the
announcement that people were `hanging out the bunting'.

House prices in many areas near the stadium have already doubled in just two
years as a result of other post-Commonwealth Games regeneration in the area.