A radical shake-up of British gambling and gaming laws looks set to provide Blackpool with Britain's first Las Vegas-style casino hotel. Leisure Parcs, the company who owns the Blackpool Tower, are seeking planning permission to build a casino hotel, now that former Treasury adviser, Sir Alan Budd, has proposed a relaxation of British gaming laws. The tight restrictions currently prohibit British punters from enjoying all-night betting with alcohol and live entertainment and also force customers to apply for membership of casinos 24 hours before they play.

The pre-emptive move is being supported by Jim Whelan, the Mayor of Atlantic City, who has seen similar legislative changes provide his city with a much-needed economic boost. In his 12 year tenure as Mayor, Mr Whelan has seen the number of casino hotels rise to 12 in Atlantic City, with 48,000 people now employed in an industry that attracts 34 million tourists to the city each year. Just 30 years ago, Atlantic City was a dying metropolis with dwindling tourism revenues.

The parallels with Blackpool are obvious. In its 1970's heyday, Blackpool attracted more than 20 million visitors each year. That number has now halved and Leisure Parcs believes the town is an ideal location for the introduction of resort casino hotels.

Whelan said: "Resort casino hotels are ideally suited to coastal resorts. Blackpool provides the perfect opportunity with its fun image and reputation for the best live entertainment outside London. Atlantic City demonstrates what can be achieved when gaming is used as a specific tool for regeneration."

Marc Etches, managing director of Leisure Parcs, said: "Our proposals will inject much needed investment into the local economy. By listening carefully to experienced people such as Jim Whelan we can learn lessons from Atlantic City."