Birmingham City may have been relegated from the Premiership but a £90 million casino may soften the blow considerably.

It’s emerged that proposals for a new leisure and casino complex in the Midlands took a step closer this week with news that NEC has chosen Genting Stanley Limited as their preferred casino partner for the venture. The complex, which will cost in the region of £90 million to complete, is set to be situated next to the NEC centre in Birmingham.

The venture has received the full backing of Birmingham City Council although the official go ahead is still awaited from the Solihull Council planning committee and the government, although sources claim formal approval will follow soon.

 The NEC has been talking about there hopes and thoughts for the venture, one which they believe will not only increase visitor numbers to the NEC complex, but add up to £2 billion a year to the local economy.

As well as a casino, the complex will also boast a number of restaurants, spa, hotel and bars offering a number of attractions for those considering visiting the area. There will also be a useful increase in income for the local authorities at a time when costs are rising and income has been falling.

 While no date has been chosen for the launch of the project, we should hear more details as and when formal approval is received from all of the relevant parties.

NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi said he was delighted to have secured the partnership with Genting Stanley.

"It has always been our first priority to find the best possible partner for the NEC, for Solihull and for the wider West Midlands – a company that shares our vision of creating places where people come to discover the future," he said. "In Genting Stanley we are confident that not only have we found a partner who shares our vision; we have also found an experienced team capable of bringing that vision to life."

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