After months of anticipation, the recommendations are in. The UK Casino Advisory Panel announced on Tuesday of this week the recipients of one regional casino, eight large casinos and eight small casinos as permitted under section 175(4) of the Gambling Act 2005. The final report containing their recommendations was forwarded to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell. Although the Casino Advisory Panel does not give the final say on which UK casinos will be approved, their recommendation is as good as gold.

Amongst the candidates for the regional casino, which included Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Greenwhich, Manchester and Sheffield, Manchester's proposal stood apart from the rest of the pack in the eyes of the panel. In their appraisal summary, the panel cited the Manchester proposal as a "unique formula" - one which is conducive to testing social impact and providing economic regeneration, which Manchester certainly needs just as much as any other city in the UK. In fact, the panel stated that in terms of multiple deprivation, Manchester needed the most help. The regional casino will be permitted to operate as many as 1,250 machines with unlimited progressive jackpots.

There were a total of twenty-nine proposals for large and small casinos. The recommendations for large casinos went to the cities of Southampton, Leed, Milton Keynes, Kingston-upon-Hull and the boroughs of Great Yarmouth, Middlesbrough, Newman (London) and Solihull. Yarmouth was practically a shoe-in, considering the backing by the Aspinall Group to create a community-based casino far unlike the Vegas-style glitz and bombast that new casinos often envisage. Solihull claimed redemption in winning their license after being rejected on their bid for the regional casino. All large UK casinos will be permitted to operate as many as 150 fruit machines with grand jackpots of £4,000.

The areas for which small casinos are being recommended include Bath and North East Somerset District, Dumfries and Galloway District, East Lindsey District, and the Boroughs of Metropolitan Wolverhampton, Scarborough, Torbay, Luton, and the County Borough of Swansea. In regards to the rejected applications, the Hastings Borough Council appeared to be the most disappointed and dismayed. After being identified by the Casino Advisory Panel as a British area "most in need of regeneration", the Council was confident they were to be bestowed with a recommendation.