FALKIRK Council hopes to cash in on a casino boom by winning a licence to allow one to open.
Around 4600 square metres of the Falkirk Gateway site at Westfield has been earmarked as a potential home for a mini-Las Vegas-style development that could bring hundreds of jobs.
The council beat last Friday's deadline to lodge an application with the Casino Advisory Panel.
It is hoping to take advantage of Government plans to shake-up the gaming industry. New laws controlling gambling allow three new types of betting palace to be built: small casinos of around 750 square metres with 80 slot machines all offering the same maximum jackpot; large casinos of around 1500 square metres with 150 slot machines offering jackpots to a limit of £4000; and super-casinos covering around 5000 square metres with 1250 slot machines and unlimited jackpots.
Falkirk is one of five Scottish authorities bidding.
Technically, it would have enough space to offer a major gaming concern the chance to build a super-casino with machines able to deliver an eye-watering £2.5 million win with the push of a button.
But Falkirk insists it is thinking small scale.
A spokesman said: "This exercise is simply to make it easier for a potential developer to make a casino part of the Falkirk Gateway project. The reality is a good few years down the road, but we are thinking about slot machines and possibly bingo operating side by side. The super-casino option is not on our agenda."
The council's principal surveyor Alan Urquhart said: "We' ve already outlined that a casino-style development could be just one part of the extensive plans to develop the Falkirk Gateway site and would sit appropriately with our vision for that location.
"Any development such as this needs the prior permission of the Casino Advisory Panel and we have sought permission for a development that could be between 2800 and 4600 square metres. Similar sized ventures have attracted up to 200 jobs.
"After that it is down to casino operators to express an interest with the developers of the site. Detailed planning permission and licence would be required before any casino development could take place."
The Government's moves have been criticised as socially-damaging, with operators accused of targeting the poor to fuel massive profits.
stuart.barber@falkirkherald.co.uk