A BLACKPOOL man started a £7million blaze after losing £200 in a slot machine, a court has heard.
Jason New has been told he faces jailed after admitting starting the blaze at Birch services on the M62 in Greater Manchester in October last year.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard how New, 31, of Foxdale Avenue, set fire to the one-armed bandit with a disposable lighter bought in the service station's shop.
It took 74 firefighters from 13 stations across Greater Manchester to tackle the blaze, which destroyed the services' shopping and restaurant areas.
Judge Jonathan Geake told New: "This was an extremely serious fire and you can expect a custodial sentence."
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