AMERICA'S biggest casino firm has given Blackpool's gambling hopes a $1 billion boost, The Citizen can reveal.
Las Vegas based Harrah's Entertainment Inc will link-up with Gala, Britain's biggest bingo hall operator, to develop eight 'world class regional casinos' around the UK.
The USA's leading financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has this week tipped Blackpool and Bristol to be amongst the first towns to benefit from the new 30,000 to 50,000sq ft gaming palaces.
Speaking from his US office, Harrah's assistant director, David Strow, told The Citizen: "At this point, we are jointly examining possible sites for development, but we have not finalized any specific locations at this time.
"Our intent is to develop properties at sites located close to large population centers in the UK, with easy access to transportation."
Gala Group chief executive, John Kelly, said: "The casinos we plan to develop with Harrah's will set a higher standard for gaming than anything we have seen in this country."
"As partners, Gala and Harrah's have already begun to identify potential sites for regional casinos in what is clearly a large and exciting development market," he added.
"We are honoured to join Gala, the premium brand in UK gaming, in transforming casino entertainment in this country," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's president and CEO: "Assuming all benefits of the joint venture are realized, we anticipate jointly investing up to $1 billion (approximately £600 million) to develop a gaming business in the UK market that could result in the creation of thousands of new jobs."
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/blackpool/news/POOLNEWS8.html
Las Vegas based Harrah's Entertainment Inc will link-up with Gala, Britain's biggest bingo hall operator, to develop eight 'world class regional casinos' around the UK.
The USA's leading financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has this week tipped Blackpool and Bristol to be amongst the first towns to benefit from the new 30,000 to 50,000sq ft gaming palaces.
Speaking from his US office, Harrah's assistant director, David Strow, told The Citizen: "At this point, we are jointly examining possible sites for development, but we have not finalized any specific locations at this time.
"Our intent is to develop properties at sites located close to large population centers in the UK, with easy access to transportation."
Gala Group chief executive, John Kelly, said: "The casinos we plan to develop with Harrah's will set a higher standard for gaming than anything we have seen in this country."
"As partners, Gala and Harrah's have already begun to identify potential sites for regional casinos in what is clearly a large and exciting development market," he added.
"We are honoured to join Gala, the premium brand in UK gaming, in transforming casino entertainment in this country," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's president and CEO: "Assuming all benefits of the joint venture are realized, we anticipate jointly investing up to $1 billion (approximately £600 million) to develop a gaming business in the UK market that could result in the creation of thousands of new jobs."
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/blackpool/news/POOLNEWS8.html
