It was an object lesson in the perils of gambling. The suprise announcement that Manchester is to be the site of Britain’s first super-casino shocked everyone, including the bookies, who were offering odds of 16-1 against the city winning the licence.

Even Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester council, was taken aback: “Perhaps we did not expect it but we think we deserved it. There is nothing wrong with having a pleasant surprise.”