A NEW 24-hour casino could be created within Southend’s Palace Hotel.

The £6million-plus complex would create more than 120 jobs.

Bosses of multinational firm Rank Group, which runs Grosvenor Casinos, want to capitalise on the popularity of the hotel, which reopened last year, and the success of other seafront casinos.

A spokesman said: “We can confirm a planning application has been submitted.

“If all of the required consents and licences are granted, then a scheme of this size would involve a large investment, in excess of £6million.”

The new casino, if approved, would be positioned on the building’s lower ground floor, above the empty shops facing Pier Hill, below the main hotel.

It would have a separate entrance, near the existing lifts to the top-floor Skyline penthouses.

Roderick Smith, manager of the Park Inn, which leases the Palace Hotel from the building’s owner, Yianis, added: “I have not been directly involved in it, as it is not in a part of the hotel run by Park. However, it has to be good news. It will bring more people to the hotel.”

Paul Downing, chief executive of Yianis, said it would be at least 18 months until the venue opened. He added: “We simply can’t be too specific at the moment.”

Rank, which also owns Mecca Bingo on the Greyhound estate, has been hunting for a suitable site for a new casino in Southend for years.

The company already had a licence to open one at its Mecca Bingo site, but, despite spending £2million revamping the premises, has decided to overlook it in favour of the Palace.

It will now need to secure a new permit from the Gambling Commission, as well as planning permission and an alcohol licence from Southend Council.