The West Midlands should sell itself as the Nevada of Britain in an attempt to persuade the Government to grant licences for super-casinos, argues a business leader.

As many as six giant gaming houses will be located in the region if Darren Jones, chairman of Coventry Chamber of Commerce, gets his way.

Mr Jones, who is closely involved with the bid to open a regional casino at the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry, believes the West Midlands is the obvious place for a concentration of US-style casinos.

He is urging Birmingham to join Coventry in promoting the Ricoh Stadium as the venue for the first regional casino.

Mr Jones said: "What Coventry is saying is that there is going to be one regional casino to start with, unless the Government changes its mind.

"What the region has to do is to find the most likely site or it will go to Blackpool. The most likely site is Coventry because it is the only place that has the thing built.

"It could be up and running within 18 months."

Mr Jones's thinking is that, with Coventry running a successful casino pilot project, the Government would quickly recognise the West Midlands, in the centre of the country, as the obvious destination for a gaming zone.

He added: "Why don't we have a Nevada of Britain, similar to the US where there are only certain areas where you can game?

"The West Midlands is in a perfect position to take gamers from London and Manchester as well as from its own surroundings."

He believes Birmingham would benefit from spin-offs.

" The economic impact would not just be in Coventry - it would be regional," said Mr Jones. "Birmingham should be grabbing at Coventry and saying this is the best chance."

The idea was dismissed as "stupid" by Coun Ken Hardeman, Birmingham cabinet member for regeneration, who is backing a bid by Birmingham City Football Club to build a regional casino.

"It is stretching the bounds of imagination to suppose the Government would agree to a large number of casinos in one region. It just isn't going to happen," he said.

"Coventry has recognised that the competition from elsewhere in the West Midlands will be severe. They are trying to hedge their bets."