Gambling critics eye new Cowell show

Simon Cowell will turn Wembley into a giant casino for a roulette-based game show which could raise concerns that ITV is encouraging gambling. Seven contestants will be offered the chance to walk away with £1m or nothing – in Red or Black?, produced by Cowell's SyCo television company, in partnership with ITV.

Ant and Dec will host the ITV1 series, which will be filmed in front of an audience of 7,000 at Wembley Arena next month. Contestants will take part in nationwide heats and be asked to guess the result of several spectacular challenges that have a 50/50 outcome.

Cowell said the game would comply with restrictions on television gambling. "It's not gambling because people are not using their cash," he said. Contestants would "risk their luck" rather than gamble on winning the £1m.