Resorts World Birmingham: £150m casino complex opens

Resorts World Birmingham is the Genting Group's first project in Europe

The £150m casino and shopping complex Resorts World has opened, hoping to turn Birmingham into a global holiday destination.

The 12-storey, 538,000 sq ft (50,000 sq m) building is based on the shape of a cruise ship and houses 18 bars and restaurants, 50 outlet shops, a cinema, casino, spa and hotel.

Built on the NEC site, it sits next to the Genting Arena gig venue.

Some anti-gambling campaigners have criticised the venture.

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Jim Orford, professor of clinical and community psychology at the University of Birmingham - and also the founder of Gambling Watch UK - said many of the electronic gambling machines at the casino are "dangerously addictive" and the whole project "normalises gambling".

"In some countries, for example in Singapore, the government deliberately made it more expensive for locals to enter the casino because it was anxious to protect its own citizens," said Prof Orford.

Operations manager Barry Clemo claimed the resort will appeal to shoppers, concertgoers and casino players.

The resort is the first of its type in the UK, according to Mr Clemo, in that visitors will not have to leave the building.

He said it was aimed at people "too young to sit at home watching telly, and too old to push through the crowds in the city centre".

The resort, which will employ 1,200 staff, can accommodate about 12,000 people at any one time.

An 11-screen Imax cinema opens on Friday, and the casino and night-time bars will open on Monday.

The casino has 100 slot-machines as well as roulette, blackjack, poker and baccarat

James Berresford, chief of executive VisitEngland welcomed the opening.

"The launch of the new Resorts World marks a huge investment to the West Midlands and is sure to drive additional spend in the area; adding to the existing wide range of major visitor attractions such as Warwick Castle, Cadbury World and The Library of Birmingham that contribute to the 56m visitors the West Midlands attracts every year".