Millennium Dome Front-runner for Super Casino License
The Government's Casino Advisory Panel has said that the Millennium Dome is the front-runner to host Britain's first super casino.
The announcement is expected to raise eyebrows as the Dome is owned by Philip Anschutz, the casino tycoon who has been controversially linked with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
Prescott has been the subject of an investigation following the allegations that he has been lobbying for the Dome to get the super casino license. Prescott has been heavily criticized for accepting hospitality and gifts from the American billionaire.
The eight short-listed venues for the super casino were judged on eight criteria, including community benefits and social impact, each with a maximum mark of 10.
The Millennium Dome came out on top of the list with 67 points, followed by Glasgow with 66, Blackpool with 65, Sheffield with 62, Brent and Newcastle both with 58, while Cardiff and Manchester sat at the bottom with 57.
The Casino Advisory panel will be making its final recommendation to the government by the end of the year.
Prescott has adamantly denied being influenced by Anschutz because of their association, and has likewise denied that he had any hand in the decision making on the siting of the super casino.