Cardiff joins list of casino hopefuls

Cardiff has officially joined the list of cities bidding to win the licence for the UK’s first super casino.

Details of the £700m project were revealed at a launch event at the site of the city’s proposed International Sports Village (ISV) yesterday (1 March).

The casino scheme, designed by Furneaux Stewart, forms an integral part of the £700m plans for the ISV, which Cardiff City Council hopes to be ready in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The ISV can only be completed in time for the Olympic Games if Cardiff is chosen as the venue to build a regional casino.

“If the bid is successful, the ISV would be delivered through a regional casino and would provide valuable training facilities and a legacy as an international centre of sporting excellence for the future.”

The ISV is to become a major sports venue and will be based around the themes of water, snow and ice.

Facilities will include a 50m swimming pool, leisure pools, spas and health and fitness clubs, a 4,000-seat multi-use arena and an ice pad.

Hospitality amenities will include a number of hotels, waterfront bars, restaurants and a multi-purpose entertainment destination.

The roofscape of the complex will include gardens, footpaths and jogging tracks.