Racino boss sure of success

Wednesday 20th September 2006, 12:05PM BST.

Mark Elliot, boss of Arena Leisure, said the racino plans dealt with the one outstanding issue, which had been the proposed scheme’s impact on the green belt. “The new proposals contain all the benefits of the previous plans – creating hundreds of jobs and safeguarding hundreds of existing ones -Êwhile dealing with this one issue.

“We have obtained planning permission for expansion at Lingfield Park, which although a hotel development in the green belt was not called in by the government.

“I would like to have the Dunstall Park scheme up and running tomorrow, if that was possible, but we will have to see whether the government calls the application in.

“We would hope that it would not get called in, in which case, realistically, we would not be able to make a start before 2008,” he said.

If the plans do get the go ahead, it would be the first racecourse casino -Êknown as a racino -Êin Europe. Arena said that Wolverhampton City Council was one of 31 councils shortlisted by the Casino Advisory Panel for one of the eight large and eight small new casino licenses.

“We are looking to spend at least £20 million at Dunstall Park, creating hundreds of jobs and safeguarding the hundreds that are already there,” he added.

News of the Dunstall Park development came as Arena, the UK’s largest operator of horseracing fixtures, blamed the distraction of the World Cup for a dip in form at its racecourse division, with half-year profits for the arm falling 7.4 per cent to £3.8 million.

But a stronger performance at media joint venture At The Races meant profits for the group increased by 7.9 per cent to £2.2 million in the six months to June 30.

Arena said that attendances were returning to normal levels following disruption caused by the World Cup during June and the early part of July.

The month of June normally accounts for around 30 per cent of gates in the first half.

By Business Editor Jim Walsh

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