Hamilton mayor Lawson Mapp?s fact-finding mission to America to investigate gaming has been featured on a gambling website.

Gamblingmagazine.com reported Mr. Mapp saying gambling could give new life to Hamilton?s ageing waterfront.

He said: ?We?ve got one of the most beautiful waterfronts but at the moment we park cars underneath the passenger terminal so we?re looking at demolishing those buildings and putting up a first class terminal building for our cruise ships,? says Mayor Lawson Mapp.

The government is considering legalising gambling this summer.

Mayor Mapp visited casinos in Biloxi and New Orleans on ?fact-finding missions? last week.

Alderwoman Sonia Grant said: ?Certainly it can enhance the overall tourism product that we have and if the government was to decide that gaming was to become legal on the first of July, 2004, certainly we see that as part of the revitalisation of our tourism.?

Mayor Mapp said if given the chance, he looked forward to modelling Bermuda?s casinos after those on the Mississippi coast.