SOUTHAMPTON is among the front runners for the UK's new wave of large casinos, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The city is today revealed as the eighth favourite to have a large casino from the shortlist of 31 possible venues announced earlier this year.

Its position means the city now stands a good chance of becoming the future home of one of the eight new casinos to be announced later this year.

All of the 40 local authority proposals were judged on a set of eight different criteria, each attracting a possible score of ten points.

The criteria included the casino's possible social impact, regeneration and community benefits.

All short-listed entrants, such as Southampton, will remain in place, until the newly extended deadline of August 14.

In the meantime only local authorities which did not make the shortlist can submit fresh bids.

Casino Advisory Panel chairman Professor Stephen Crow said: "The panel is prepared to extend the shortlists if, taken together with the existing information previously submitted, a local authority produces information that the panel considers justifies its inclusion on the relevant shortlist."

The panel has said the next stage of judging would start on a "level playing field."

It will announce where the eight large and small casinos will be situated later this year.

It will also announce the country's first Las Vegas super casino venue. The Millennium Dome was the front runner in a shortlist of proposed venues.

In Southampton plans have been mooted for the casino on the Town Quay site.

Associated British Ports, which owns the land, has said it is prepared to market test the sale of the site.

If given the go ahead, the casino would help pay for a land reclamation scheme on the waterfront providing an extension to Mayflower Park and a permanent home for the city's boat show.