GLASGOW may have failed in its super-casino bid - but could soon have more casinos than any UK city outside London.

Three new gambling venues are due to open in the city this year, taking the total to eight.

And it emerged today that figure should rise to nine within the next few years, as another casino licence has been granted for the massive redevelopment of the St Enoch Centre.

Manchester and Birmingham currently have six casinos, while Glasgow has five.

But further licences have been granted here for the Corinthian on Ingram Street, the Thistle Hotel on Cambridge Street, and a giant complex at Springfield Quay.

The St Enoch casino is likely to open in late 2009, as part of the £100million redevelopment of the shopping centre.

Its licence was granted after a 5-4 vote by councillors on the city's Licensing Board.

The St Enoch venue will be run by Stanley Casinos, one of the UK's largest operators, which already has a casino on Sauchiehall Street with around 200 staff.

The £7m gaming hall at the St Enoch will cover 20,000 sq ft and be built over two levels.

Richard Kingston, vice president of Ivanhoe Cambridge, the company behind the St Enoch redevelopment, said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have been successful in securing our licence.

"Our plans for St Enoch's represent one of the most significant developments in Glasgow's retail sector for a number of years.

"We aim to transform the complex into one of the largest city centre shopping and leisure facilities in the UK.

"As well as introducing an exciting new retail mix we also see leisure as a key element in the project and the new casino forms an important part of that.

"We also have plans for other entertainment concepts."

Building work is expected to begin at the site - the old Clydesdale building on the corner of Argyle Street and St Enoch Square - in early spring. It is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009.

The news comes just days after Manchester won the race for the UK's first super-casino.

Unlike standard casinos the pilot "regional" venue will be allowed unlimited-jackpot slot machines and 24-hour opening.

An area of rundown east Manchester is set to benefit from massive regeneration and thousands of jobs as international gambling firms offer to throw money at deprived areas in exchange for running the complex.

As reported in last night's Evening Times, it could have been Glasgow - but the Scottish Executive's "neutral stance" on Glasgow's bid was seen as a lack of support by the independent panel which decided the location. Timesfile Glasgow currently has five casinos. They are the Stanley and Gala on Sauchiehall Street, the Gala Riverboat at the Broomielaw, the Gala Rotunda at Tunnel Street and the Gala on Glassford Street. Licences have now been granted for four more. They are the St Enoch development, the Thistle Hotel on Cambridge Street, the Corinthian on Ingram Street and a giant riverside casino which is being built at Springfield Quay.