Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, yesterday unveiled the draft gambling bill, which paves the way for multi-million prize machines at massive resort casinos.

Only the UK’s largest casinos should be allowed the high-stakes machines, which are currently banned in Britain.

It is believed the restriction will favour the big US firms that have been eyeing the gaming scene within Glasgow and other cities across the UK and have the money to meet the government’s size criteria.

Ms Jowell said it was right to limit the new high-prize slot machines to larger regional casinos. She said: ”We have relatively low rates of problem gambling in the UK and reform needs to be taken in steady steps, not giant leaps, if we are to keep it this way.

”We urgently need a gambling bill because new gambling technology is making a mockery of our outdated laws. Without reform, new forms of gambling like internet casinos and roulette machines in bookmakers will continue to go unregulated.”

The government also suggested that casinos must have a minimum size of 53,819sqft, an area roughly one tenth the size of Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries shopping centre, to qualify as regional casinos that can then offer the unlimited jackpot machines.

Most of the five casinos proposed in Glasgow would fit that criteria, including the application by Kerzner International, the group that developed Sun City in South Africa, to develop a 2,787,840sqft site.

Sheldon G Adelson, the US billionaire who owns the Venetian Casino Resort in Las Vegas, also wants to create a 150,000sqft casino outside Ibrox stadium on the south side of Glasgow. MGM Mirage, the US gambling giant, plans to open a super-casino on a 5,000,000sqft site at the Glasgow Harbour scheme.

An (pounds) 8m, 60,000sqft casino called The Rendezvous is planned for Springfield Quay. The Truffle Club in Drury Street, Glasgow’s first lap-dancing venue, also plans to become a smaller-scale casino.

In Edinburgh, Forth Ports, which has drawn up a (pounds) 200m masterplan for the Leith Docks area, is to include a major ”casino resort” in the proposed development. It would be part of a wider entertainment complex next to Ocean Terminal.

The Church of Scotland welcomed confirmation of the limits on the placing of high-prize machines, but said the government’s moves still did not go far enough in protecting vulnerable gamblers.

”We are pleased that the culture secretary has reaffirmed the current position to ban high-prize slot machines in (most outlets) in the UK,” said the Rev John Watson, convener of the Church of Scotland’s study group on gambling.

”However, we are also concerned that it may still be possible to alter that stance if two studies show that ‘slot machines are not causing an increase in problem gambling’.

”That caveat can only be there for one reason: to allow the relaxation of the current law in the future.” The Kirk’s study group on gambling will present its report to the General Assembly in May 2005.

Neil Goulden, CEO of Gala, which recently opened Scotland’s biggest casino in the Merchant City area of Glasgow, said: ”The report . . . takes us a step closer to the modernisation of our outdated gaming laws.

”We look forward to the draft bill becoming law as soon as possible so that we will be able to enjoy some basics currently denied to us, such as: that we will be able to advertise; the 24-hour rule will end (which meant that customers must register with the casino at least 24 hours before using the facilities); we can build casinos outside of permitted areas.”

Peter Byrne, executive director of Sun International in the UK, said the government had recognised the ability of casino developments to stimulate the local and regional economy.

”This paves the way for the regional and local bodies to work closely with the casino operators to ensure the maximum benefit,” he said.

Legal limits

l Only large regional casinos can offer the unlimited jackpot machines.

l To qualify, sites must be at least 53, 819sqft.

l Casinos will be allowed a maximum of 1250 gaming machines.

l High-win machines will only be allowed outside regional casinos if, following reform, two studies show they are not causing an increase in problem gambling.

l Children will be barred from non-gambling

areas in small and large casinos.