7 Million Pound Sterling Casino Approved

A 7 million pound casino on the site of a former Fountainbridge nightclub has been given the go-ahead after its operator, Stanley Circus Casino, agreed to close one of its other outlets in the Capital.

The Stanley Circus Casino plan was rejected by the city's licensing board in March when licensing convener Phil Attridge said there was "ample provision" for casino members in Edinburgh.

However, the company submitted a fresh application agreeing to surrender the license for one of its three other sites in Edinburgh - the Stanley Berkeley on Rutland Place. But there was further disappointment for Grosvenor Casinos, whose bid to turn the former Palais de Danse in Fountainbridge into a casino was turned down by the board for a second time in three months, less than a week after the scheme was given planning permission.

The new casino will feature 16 tables for games, five more than the Stanley Berkeley, as well as eight American roulette tables - an increase of four.

The Fountainpark development, which would be the largest casino in the city, would boast a full range of gaming and state-of-the-art facilities in comfortable surroundings, including a proper lounge bar and dedicated car parking.

The councilors voted by seven votes to five to reject Grosvenor Casinos' application. And after members had approved the Stanley Circus Casino bid, Councillor Gordon Mackenzie said: "We are seeing an increase in capacity here and we have just turned down an application for an additional license because there was not perceived to be demand."