Casino could be back on the Table

Swansea Council bosses are again preparing the ground to bring to the city a new casino with slot machines offering more and bigger jackpots.Swansea had been recommended for one of eight so-called small casino licences by the independent Casino Advisory Panel in January.

That decision was backed by the Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and MPs, only for the House of Lords to scupper the plan.

But indications are the proposal may be brought back to Parliament for approval.

A report going before cabinet for approval this week recommends the authority prepare a process for inviting licence applications and put in place guidelines to assess them.

Council leader Chris Holley said: „We would welcome a reconsideration by Parliament of the new casino licences as the new licence would allow Swansea to further broaden its leisure offering, while ensuring better regulated gambling that is conducted in a fair and transparent way.

„There has already been considerable interest in Swansea expressed by operators, and this is why it’s important to have processes in place to determine applications if the small casino licence gets the go-ahead.

„We need to establish what benefits people think such a development would bring, and what the social and economic impact of an application would be.

„These recommendations, if backed by cabinet, would ensure comprehensive procedures are in place prior to any reconsideration in London, and to the applications that may follow.“