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UK – Resorts World to bring Solihull £32.8m a year in gaming tax

By - 20 December 2013

Resorts World Birmingham, the seven-storey 538,000 sq. ft. casino, being built next to the NEC exhibition centre in Solihull, will benefit the region to the tune of £32.8m a year, when it opens in early 2015.

Owned and operated by Genting Casinos, part of the Malaysian Genting Group, the development will create 1,750 jobs during construction and 1,100 hospitality and leisure jobs when it opens.

PwC said the region’s economy would benefit by £58m during construction and £32.8m a year.

It will include a four-star 170 room hotel, 45 designer outlet shops, an 11-screen cinema, bars and restaurants and a banqueting and conference centre.

Genting UK President Peter Brooks said: “We are delighted we will be further strengthening the offer at the NEC and that we will be delivering significant economic benefits to the regional economy. Resorts World Birmingham is by far our most ambitious project to date – with a scale and budget to match.HS2, the extension of the runway at Birmingham Airport and the M42 Gateway adds to the appeal of this destination.”

“People express concerns about the impact of gambling on local neighbourhoods but this is an ‘island site’. Those reservations around casinos on the high street do not apply here. The casino industry has an excellent ground record in promoting responsible gambling. We are accredited by GamCare and our staff are trained to recognise and deal with those issues. The vast majority of people who gamble don’t have an issue.”

Paul Thandi, NEC chief executive, said: “Nationally 70 per cent of visitors to the NEC venues come from outside the region and ten per cent are international. We’re competing with the likes of Paris, New York and Los Angeles for our business. Unless we have ground-breaking infrastructure like this building we won’t be able to compete. Less than one per cent of casino gamers have an issue with gambling. Licenced gambling is not the issue. These things need to be financially viable. The casino is 11 per cent of the site, without which it would be less financially viable and wouldn’t bring the other investment. We’ve got to be realistic. Gaming brings tax.”

Genting was awarded the large casino licence in June 2011 by Solihull Council and granted planning permission in 2012. It is the operators first Resorts World in Europe, with venues already operational in New York, Singapore and Manila.

Lord Green, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, added: “The decision by Genting to invest £150m in Birmingham and £250m in the UK overall, is a major signal that Britain is open for business. Foreign direct investment is critical to the UK economy, safeguarding and creating around 100,000 jobs a year. To have a major south east Asian operator come and expand and deliver this boost to the economy and the NEC is a sign of the growing strength of this region.”

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