Newport put in a bid for a supercasino last week but what effect might it have on the area? JENNY BRENTNALL investigates the city's gamble on success

INTERNATIONAL casino operators are openly vying for a stake in the new UK supercasino.

They include industry kingpins MGM Mirage, which owns the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Harrah's, which runs the world famous Caesar's Palace, also in Las Vegas.

If Newport's bid to house the UK's only supercasino is successful, it could mean partnership with the biggest names in the business.

Insider reports suggest a major Las Vegas player has already approached Newport council, keen to have a piece of the city's potential success.

But 26 other councils are also fighting for the right to house the single supercasino allowed by Parliament so far.

New legislation means three new types of casino are opening in the UK: regional (the supercasino), large and small.

Newport has bid to house either a supercasino or large, and the council will know by 2007 whether the bid was successful.

But what would a supercasino mean in real terms for the people of Newport?

It would be a minimum of 5,000 square metres and form part of a complex of hotels, car parks, restaurants, bars, cinemas and other leisure facilities.

There could be up to 1,250 gaming machines with unlimited stake and jackpot limits. Currently there are no such machines in Britain.

Fifty gaming tables would also offer games like roulette, blackjack and poker to gamblers.

Bob Bright, leader of the council, says a supercasino would boost the city economically and help regeneration.

It is estimated a supercasino would bring £300 million investment to the city and attract 1.5 million visitors initially, growing to 2.5 million over time.

One of Newport council's hopes is that a casino would provide private investment to regenerate the former Hynix site in west Newport - the current favourite for a supercasino site.

Newport Unlimited hopes the area will ultimately house an exhibition centre and arena, but the cost cannot be met with public money.

John Burrows, chief executive of regeneration company Newport Unlimited, predicts developers would create a massive development with restaurants, bars, cinemas and hotels around a casino, if Newport gets the go-ahead.

He says the exhibition centre plus arena could form part of that wider complex - with the cost met by casino operators.

Norman Kenniford manages Carousel leisure centre, an amusement arcade in Newport. He believes all businesses in the city would benefit from the economic boom and extra visitors brought in by a supercasino.

But Gwent entrepreneur Iftekhar Haris, who owns a string of bars and restaurants in Newport, is less certain.

He says: "I have ethical issues with a casino and experience of close friends with gambling problems. It may be good for Newport's economy and bring people in but how much damage would it do to residents?

"If it was out of town it might even be bad for city centre businesses."

Others say predictions of supercasino jobs and economic boom may be overly ambitious.

Edward Jones, head of business management at the University of Wales, Newport, says: "Research suggests the predicted economic benefits are misleading."

Tax gains will be distributed across the UK and although jobs will be created, many of them will be diverted from elsewhere in the local leisure sector.

Mr Jones adds: "There may also be negative social impacts, including undermining regeneration in communities."

The UK Gambling Commission will be doing research on the cities granted casinos, but as yet have no statistics to show potential impacts on crime, health or communities.

Geraint Price-Thomas, chairman of Gwent Police Authority, said: "If it goes ahead, considerable thought would have to be given to policing.

"There would also have to be public debate about this before any decision is taken and the costs and benefits would have to be considered."

In many ways a leap of faith is needed to believe Newport will be chosen to house the UK's only supercasino.

Newport is up against places like Blackpool and Cardiff, and some commentators were scathing about the lack of detail in Newport's bid.

Unlike Cardiff, which is working with Australian casino operator Aspers and want the casino to be part of their new International Sports Village, Newport's bid includes no definite site or operator details.