City Councilman Jim McVeigh had introduced a motion last month to revamp the laws that govern gaming, and said the public should play a role if ordinances are to be overturned.<\/p>\n
He said that a development could have a value of \u00a3300 million ($397 million) and create 1,000 jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe size is huge, both financially and physically\u201d McVeigh told the Belfast Telegraph<\/em>. \u201cThe jobs would be very significant.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nTo change the law would require not only the Belfast City Council\u2019s consent, but approval from the Northern Ireland Assembly. As of now, there is no indication if there would be enough votes to legalize the activity.<\/p>\n
Groundbreaking Proposal<\/h2>\n That hasn\u2019t stopped two companies from moving forward on a future development. One that has expressed interest is The Rank Group, one of the biggest British gaming operators, which operates 56 UK properties under its Grosvenor Casinos brand, as well as Rank Interactive for online gaming.<\/p>\n
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Executives had proposed a development starting in 2014, knowing that casinos were not legal, but providing a model of their vision, should the activity be allowed in the future. The center they proposed at that time would not only have a casino, but a bingo hall, live theater, movie theater, bowling lanes, bars, and restaurants.<\/p>\n
Since that time, revised plans have added a water park and hotel, with the total estimated cost coming in at the $25 million mark.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\nMcVeigh told the Telegraph<\/em> that despite the legislative red tape, The Rank Group has shown a commitment to its proposed entertainment and gaming complex.<\/p>\n\u201cThese guys tend to be very serious,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are very keen to get here and keen to do this. The size is huge, both financially and physically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gambling Already in Play<\/h2>\n Northern Ireland is no stranger to wagering, sponsoring a national lottery that has produced hundreds of millionaires over the years. It is one of the most popular forms of gambling there.<\/p>\n
Betting shops also thrive throughout its provinces that accept bets on horse racing and soccer.<\/p>\n
The largest of those companies is Toals, which has 40 facilities and employs approximately 250 people. Last year, the company expanded by taking over a competitor which had a few shops and was no longer operating. At the same time, they also opened their largest venue in Belfast.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnline gambling is also popular. Several companies have a presence in the territory, including Paddy Power Betfair, BetMcLean, and Sky Bet. They offer wagering on all sports, including US leagues, as well as casino slot machines and video poker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The City Council in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city, wants its citizens to give feedback on a plan to bring the country\u2019s first casino to its town. A consultation document, soliciting residents\u2019 opinions from Dec. 11 until March 5, has been drafted and will soon start circulating. The city’s leaders are mulling over the possibility […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":64072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Northern Ireland's First Casino a Possibility, Public Opinion Sought<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n