Can Blackpool Become the Vegas of Britain?

Blackpool and Las Vegas couldn’t be much further apart. One is a Victorian seaside resort in the Northwest of England while the other is the casino capital of the world located on a North American desert.

Yet, for many years now, there has been talk of turning Blackpool into the Vegas of Britain, by building what is often referred to as a “super casino”.

This idea stems from the early 2000s when the British government introduced a new gaming law that permitted the construction of larger casino venues. The rules only allowed one super casino to be built in the entire country, so Blackpool had to compete with other towns and cities for the right to be its home.

In a setback for the town, Blackpool lost out to nearby Manchester in the 2007 bidding process. Now some of Blackpool’s local politicians and development officials are hoping to revive the plan.

In 2021, a request was made to the government, asking them to consider permitting a super casino on the Fylde coast.

Blackpool is well-placed to host a large gaming facility, which would offer the usual casino games, including slots and table games. It’s already home to a large theme park, the iconic Blackpool Tower and has one of the biggest theatre scenes outside of London.

It would also complement the new proposed Blackpool Central project which, when complete, will see three indoor theme parks, a new hotel, a food hall, and a large public square being constructed on the seafront.

But after nearly two decades of trying, it is still yet to be seen whether a Las Vegas-style casino will ever be built in Lancashire’s seaside resort town.