THE National Exhibition Centre would be plunged into financial turmoil if it failed to win Britain's first regional casino, it emerged today.
The admission was made in the formal application submitted by Solihull to the Government's Casino Advisory Panel.
The document states that more than £100 million each year would be lost by the area, which would also miss out on almost 3,000 full-time jobs.
It provides a further insight into the reasons why Birmingham City Council, which owns the NEC, decided to back Solihull's proposal instead of bidding for a casino in Birmingham itself.
Rival plans for a casino at the planned Birmingham City FC stadium in Saltley were rejected by the city council in March.
Instead, Birmingham has sent a formal letter backing Solihull's bid for a regional casino, which will have up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot fruit machines. A final decision on where the licence goes will be made by the panel this year.
The application warns: "The NEC is now 30 years old and faces increased competition, particularly from international venues."
The NEC already provides more than 18,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region and adds £1 billion a year to the regional economy, Solihull Council says.
But the region could lose around £100 million a year because of falling visitor numbers if the NEC does not get the casino, it warns.
"Without this further development of the visitor offer in Solihull, the NEC is likely to be adversely affected to the significant detriment of Solihull, Birmingham, the emerging City Region and the wider West Midlands region."
A spokesman for the NEC said: "The casino is a great opportunity to make the NEC really competitive and be a giant success and make a massive impact on the local economy.
"Without the casino we will would still grow and develop but we will lack that really innovative attraction that can take the NEC on to the next level."
Coun Ted Richards, of Solihull Council, who is also a non-executive director of the NEC, said: "The council said they would support a casino at the NEC as it would create substantial employment opportunities in the area and it will be extremely beneficial because of the finances generated by the casino.
"The NEC envisages the casino being part of a new entertainment destination at the complex and there is no doubt that a casino will compliment the new entertainment destination perfectly."
The application says the casino would cost £250 million to build, giving a boost to the construction industry, and then provide £50 million of business every year for local companies.
A total of 2,960 full-time jobs would be created, as well as a short-term construction jobs, boosting the local economy by another £100 million.
