Inside Rangers' £200m Las Vegas style supercasino plans to transform Ibrox
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THERE has been plenty of change at Ibrox in recent times with the arrival of the new Edmiston House and stadium revamp plans.
But if a proposals for a major overhaul had gone ahead, things would be looking VERY different at Rangers' home today.
The Light Blues have started the process of a multi-million pound revamp that will see the capacity of Ibrox increased with an ultimate aim of improving accessibility.
But almost 20 years ago, there were plans of a MUCH grander scale that would've seen the famous stadium completely overhauled and playing host to the UK's first Las Vegas-style SUPERCASINO.
They mega-money project would have cost £200million and would've completely changed the face if Ibrox.
In 2004, the Gers revealed a 'visionary masterplan' that would have seen the land opposite the stadium - which now plays host to an all-weather football facility - completely redeveloped.
The proposals would have seen an entertainment complex built in a Las Vegas style, containing a gaming hall, leisure facilities, a conference centre and a brand new residential area.
The plans gathered plenty of steam and the billionaire behind Las Vegas' famous Venetian Casino Resort even flew into Glasgow to help Rangers with their ambitious plans.
One artist's impression showed how the stadium itself could be revamped to include the glitzy new casino on site.
In 2005, Glasgow City Council APPROVED the proposals and it was all systems go for the multi-million pound project.
This was the first time the council had officially backed plans for a resort-type casino in the city.
Hailing the plans at the time, then Rangers chairman David Murray said: "We are delighted that the city council has approved our vision for a world-class entertainment complex.
"The decision puts Glasgow significantly ahead of the rest of the UK in the race to secure the regeneration that a regional casino licence will bring.
"This development will bring so much to the community around Ibrox, not just in terms of better housing and leisure facilities but also through employment opportunities.
"The creation of our vision will put Glasgow and Ibrox firmly on the map as a top-class leisure and tourism destination."
Despite local authority approval, the project still had a long way to go.
And it didn't of course ever come to fruition.
The plans at the time only allowed for the creation of one new 'supercasino' in the UK - and plenty of cities wanted to play host to it.
The Ibrox proposals made it on to a final shortlist of eight, that also included Wembley Stadium, The O2 Arena and Blackpool.
In the end, it was Manchester that won that battle in early 2007 and was set to welcome the country's first supercasino.
However, it was still subject to government approval and there was a public backlash.
And the supercasino never happened.
The House of Lords rejected the plans in March 2007 and Prime Minister Gordon Brown ditched the project completely after entering No.10.
In the end, licenses were granted for a swathe of 16 new casinos, significantly smaller in size and project than the supercasino.
In 2015, however, a Vegas-style resort casino hotel was opened in Birmingham.
The Genting's Resorts World is still open in the city today and features a casino, a hotel, a cinema and shopping.
