Lords kibosh British supercasino

Britain's House of Lords quashed plans for a Manchester supercasino last night with a narrow three-vote rejection of the proposal. Members of Parliament, meanwhile, approved the plans by a 24-vote margin.

The surprise rebuff hasn't stopped the government from preparing for the new supercasino, said culture secretary Tessa Jowell, who has been at the forefront of the plans.

Even so, the government has yet to determine how it will go forward with approval from only one of its governing bodies.

"Ministers will want to reflect on where we are. What nobody should be in any doubt about is the intention," a spokesperson for the prime minister's office told The Guardian today.

Business groups in Manchester are decrying the decision, with a representative of the local chamber of commerce calling the move "complete madness."

"The supercasino would have brought much-needed jobs and investment to one of the most deprived areas in the country," said Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce CEO Angie Robinson.

The northern English city was chosen as the unlikely host to the country's first Las Vegas-style casino in January. Plans for the venue include 5,000 square meters of gaming floor, bars, a hotel, theatre, restaurant and other entertainment sites in the city's Eastlands district near the football stadium.

courtesy of Erin Warner

News Added: 30 March, 2007

Number of views : 747