Scrapping Manchester's supercasino in favour of other regeneration projects would cost 3,000 jobs and GBP 1bn, the city council has claimed. The figures are revealed in documents sent by town hall officers to a government panel looking at alternative ways of bringing work and economic wealth to the proposed site of the casino at Sportcity. The dossier was prepared after Gordon Brown called a halt to plans for the supercasino during the summer.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has admitted Blackpool faces a tough future, but seems to have finally ruled out a super-casino coming to the resort. Speaking in his monthly press conference, he said: "As far as two large super-casinos are concerned, I've said I feel there are better ways of regenerating those areas and that's what we're looking at at the moment. "Hazel Blears, the secretary of state for local government is co-ordinating the work about what we can actually do...

The poor summer season for Britain's seaside resorts has taken its toll on Blackpool as the town winds down for the winter break with 220 hotels and guesthouses, worth a total of GBP 57m, on the market. The resort is looking to reduce bedroom capacity from its current levels of 72,000 after losing the bid for the UK's supercasino - now scrapped by Gordon Brown - and a slow summer.

A supercasino in Manchester would not lead to an explosion of problem gambling and should go ahead, a major study will claim today. The document will find 'little evidence' that the GBP 265m development - earmarked for east Manchester but set to be scrapped after an apparent u-turn by Gordon Brown - would 'significantly' increase the number of gambling addicts.

Blackpool is pressing ahead with its supercasino dreams despite claims the Government has torn up proposals for Las Vegas-style gambling in the UK. An outline planning application for two huge casinos, a conference centre, three hotels, offices and a Winter Promenade on the 20-acre Central Station site will be discussed by councillors on Monday. It is being recommended the submission, made almost a year ago is deferred to Government for final approval because of the scale of development.

Manchester City Council is continuing to campaign for a regional casino to be located in the city. Council leader Sir Richard Leese met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week who told them a casino was not "dead in the water". The government has said it wants a review of the issue which will be led by Salford MP Hazel Blears.

Labour's plans for a gambling revolution are in ruins in the wake of Gordon Brown's dramatic decision to axe plans for Britain's first supercasino. Those councils awarded licences for smaller casinos have been asked if they still want them by Culture Secretary James Purnell. But only four of the 16 say they will definitely go ahead with the plans, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The Region has been given the clearest signal yet that a casino development is still on the cards. According to MP Russell Brown it came from the prime minister. The Dumfries and Galloway MP met Gordon Brown to discuss the implications of last week’s announcement that the award of a super casino licence to Manchester was to be reviewed.

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.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is reflecting on plans to build a Las Vegas-style supercasino in Manchester, his spokesman said on Thursday, after Brown sparked fury among casino supporters by backing away from the proposal. Brown told parliament on Wednesday that there may be better ways to encourage economic growth in the northern English city than building a gambling centre and a government source told Reuters the supercasino plan was close to being shelved.

Conservative leader David Cameron has called for a Government statement on supercasinos after Prime Minister Gordon Brown seemed to back away from the concept. Brown outraged supporters of the massive gambling venues on Wednesday when he announced a review of whether they are the best way to revive run-down areas.

Gordon Brown has signalled the beginning of the end for the proposed super casino plans. In a clear break from his predecessor, the incoming Prime Minister has indicated that plans for Britain’s first super-casino may not go ahead, marking a dramatic U-turn in the government’s attitude towards gambling.