The rules for the race to be the operator of the large casino planned for Middlesbrough are being set. A key consideration in choosing who will be the operator, will be the level of regeneration benefits surrounding a particular proposal. Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive councillor for community safety, has approved a new draft licensing policy for the borough under the Gambling Act.

The cards have started to be dealt in the process to bring a large casino to Middlesbrough. Operators in the UK and abroad will be invited to bid to win the licence to operate the large casino in the town. The successful bidder will be chosen by Middlesbrough Council’s licensing committee. Middlesbrough was one of eight towns and cities in the UK chosen by the Government to be the location of a large casino. It will have a gaming area of between 1,500sq m and 3,500sq m and will have up to 150 gaming machines with a maximum jackpot of GBP 4,000.

Hopes of winning a multi million pound large casino development for Middlesbrough are back on track. Confusion has surrounded the future of the Government’s plans for a supercasino and 16 other large and small casinos since the House of Lords voted against them in April. Prime Minister Gordon Brown also questioned last week if a supercasino was the right vehicle to spark regeneration of an area.

Middlesbrough's casino plans looked doomed last night after the Government said there could be a High Court challenge if it was approved. The scheme - aimed at bringing at least GBP 10m worth of investment and 300 jobs to the town - has been in limbo since a House of Lords vote two months ago. Peers voted down an order to build Britain's only "super-casino" in Manchester, and blocked licences for 16 smaller gambling sites, including in Middlesbrough and Scarborough.