U.K. Culture Secretary Andy Burnham last month gave Parliament a proposal for 16 local casinos in specific municipalities. The yet-to-be-built casinos would operate under Gambling Act 2005 regulations.
Absent from the list as expected was the Manchester regional casino, or “super-casino” as it has come to be known. Burnham confirmed that no regional casino license will be considered at this time.
Although hopes are high that this marks the end of the government about-face on casinos, the measure must now be debated and voted on by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The vote can only be “yes” or “no” on the proposal as written. No changes are allowed at this stage.
The original submission in 2007, which also included the Manchester regional super-casino, passed the Commons but was rejected by the Lords.
The new casinos fall into one of two categories. There are to be eight “large” casinos with a gaming area of between 1,500 and 3,500 square meters, permitted to operate up to 150 slots with a £2 maximum bet and £4,000 maximum jackpot. Eight “small” casinos will have a gaming area of between 500 and 1,500 square meters and be allowed up to 80 slots.
Existing casinos, which will continue to operate under previous regulations, may only have 20 slots. The regional casino would have been allowed 1,250 slots and unlimited jackpots.
Reactions to the news were mixed.
In Stranraer, the only locality in Scotland on the list, the response from a local member of Parliament hinted at the uncertainty that still reigns, according to the Daily Record. Said local Labor MP Russell Brown, “This announcement now paves the way for a local debate on whether a casino would provide the boost to the local economy, and a kick-start for the waterfront regeneration plans, which are both so urgently needed.”
In Middlesbrough and Scarborough, listed for a large and a small casino respectively, the mood was one of relief.
The other towns listed for large licenses are Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton. Small casino licenses would go to Bath and North East Somerset, East Lindsey, Luton, Swansea, Torbay and Wolverhampton.
In Manchester, the city council will study the government’s alternative regeneration investment plan before deciding whether or not to start a “judicial review” that could lead to a lawsuit.
For the rest of Britain, the killing of the super-casino may have gone a long way to settling the situation. However, BBC News reported the shadow culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, asking, “When will the government understand this is not about the size of the casino but the underlying protections put in place to prevent and treat a social disorder that breaks up families?”
