BLACKPOOL could become the casino capital of the world if a £1 billion bid by Tower owners Leisure Parcs is successful.

And the "Las Vegas" style project promises to bring an extra 25,000 jobs to the region and aims to bring more than 30 million visitors to the region over the next two decades.

The leisure company, which also owns the Winter Gardens, along with London Clubs International, has submitted its plans to the Gambling Body Review, who will make a decision by early summer next year.

In a statement issued late yesterday (August 16) the two companies stated that they believed the bid was the way forward for the regeneration of seaside resorts, with Blackpool acting as a catalyst.

The project will involve major development work on the resort's casinos and hotels with the proposed designs described as "very Las Vegas."

The funding will be drawn from both the public and private sectors and is hoped to reach the level of £2 billion by the year 2020.

This comes after the news two weeks ago that the resort is already to receive a £20 million boost over the next seven years as part of the Single Regeneration Budget.