Bath set to decide on casino application process
Posted by Gavin Smith on 11 May 2009 at 10:05
Officials are due to get together this week to discuss the process of approving a casino opening in a southern UK city, after a number of operators showed interest.
The Bath Chronicle reports Bath and North East Somerset Council will consider their next step after a number of potential operators explored the possibility of opening a facility.
According to the paper, a new casino for the region could provide jobs for about 200 people and generate as much as £5 million for the local economy.
Only one casino venue would be allowed to set up in Bath, and the council will need to decide on a set of rules and conditions to judge who would be best to run it.
This follows the Gambling Act, passed four years ago, which governs how local authorities should process bids to open casinos on their turf.
According to the Chronicle, the application process will involve a pack sent out to interested casino companies.
A report to a forthcoming meeting of the council also says the authority might also have to do its own "cost-benefit analysis" to closely examine the advantages and disadvantages of approving a licence for a casino.
According to the paper, the report says: "The council is asked to consider whether it now wishes to put in place the measures necessary to run a competition for the award of the small casino premises licence as required by the Gambling Act."
Bath is just one of over a dozen locations where the government has given the green light to new casino premises.
Any applicants will have to also consider planning permission for any new casino, on top of applying for a licence.
The Chronicle also published a number of locations in Bath where the facility my appear.
These include the Western Riverside, the Podium, Green Park Station, Cattlemarket, underneath Bog Island, and Manvers Street.
Although local trade leaders have backed the idea of a casino, other local representatives including some councillors and religious leaders have shown concern, the paper adds.
