The recent announcement of the Government’s casino shortlist saw Sheffield amongst the eight cities named, reflecting the strong interest in Sheffield from within the casino sector.
The city has no fewer than three regional casino proposals submitted for planning: Las Vegas Sands (Bramall Lane), MGM Mirage (Meadowhall) and Sun International (Don Valley Stadium) and hopes remain high for this major regeneration catalyst to find a home here.
But why should a casino be seen as such an important asset? Here, SF4I marketing director David Fletcher examines the issues:
“The fact that three major operators have put their faith in Sheffield being home to one of the landmark regional casino, leisure and entertainment developments speaks volumes about their positive view of the city.
“Should we win a licence we will benefit from a significant boost in employment, regeneration, new trading and a major stepping up of the city’s profile.
“A project of this scale will directly generate hundreds of permanent jobs across a wide range of skill levels, along with the temporary jobs created as a result of the construction phase.
“Agencies such as JOBMatch and Construction JOBMatch would be utilised to ensure that the employment opportunities were made available to the communities in which the casino development takes place.
“A further reason to encourage major developments such as these is because they breathe new life into brown field sites, and act as a catalyst for further regeneration.
“For instance, we envisage the casino operator making a significant financial contribution to the upgrading of the local highways infrastructure, to compensate for the potential increases in traffic volumes.
“Existing local businesses, too, would aim to supply goods and services to the casino developments, potentially supporting further job creation in Sheffield.
“The new development would act as a ‘tourism magnet’ to the area, therefore assisting other local attractions and leisure facilities.
“Finally, should Sheffield be successful in its bid for a regional casino, there is no doubt this would make a significant contribution to raising the city’s profile as a whole.
“In all, the economic benefits of becoming home to a major entertainment complex would be both long lasting and deep-felt. We at Sheffield First for Investment remain cautiously optimistic and await the final decision with baited breath.”
Source: Sheffield First for Investment e-newsletter 11/08/06