Plans For New Liverpool Casino Revealed

Businessman explains plan for upmarket gambling on Merseyside.

A Liverpool businessman is hoping to turn one of the city's most famous former nightspots into an upmarket gambling venue.

Peter Lee, owner of the Metro bar in Liverpool, wants to convert the State Ballroom on Dale Street into a casino, despite having his initial application for a gaming licence rejected by the authorities.

According to the Liverpool Daily Post, Mr Lee's plan is for a "Monte Carlo-style casino" that would operate at the higher end of the Merseyside gambling market by offering fine dining and corporate entertainment.

"This will be a great attraction in the city, a beautiful old building restored and turned into a modern, upmarket casino," Mr Lee told the newspaper.

He added: "There's definitely demand out there because we surveyed more than 500 local businesses and got some great feedback."

Mr Lee is hopeful that the appeal against his failed licence application, scheduled for May, will be successful.

Existing gaming venues in Liverpool include the Gala Casino at Queen's Dock and the Circus Casino at Queen Square.