Tuesday, January 30, 2007

The historic ban on betting in pubs could be swept away after ministers
announced plans for a gambling free-for-all. Pubs, bars and clubs will be
allowed to stage poker games without a gaming licence. The proposal was
condemned as an "atrocious" encouragement to problem gambling. Experts said
the mix of drinking and betting would be disastrous. Golf clubs, political
parties and working men's clubs will also be able to host betting events in
what amounts to the most radical overhaul of drinking and gambling for four
decades. Under plans outlined by Sports Minister Richard Caborn yesterday,
gamblers will be allowed to join low-stakes poker games, paying £5 to join a
poker or cribbage tournament in pubs and up to £10 in private members'
clubs. MPs claimed the new rules could not possibly be policed effectively,
opening the door to high stakes gambling on the High Street and the prospect
of drunken players losing money long into the night.
Landlords will be allowed to offer poker prizes worth up to £100 a night and
up to £500 a week as long as they do not take a cut of the winnings or
charge gamblers to play. Private members' clubs can offer tournaments paying
£200 a night and up to £1,000 a week. That means pubs could stage a
tournament where 20 people pay £5 to enter, or 100 people pay £1 to enter on
five nights of the week. Crucially, clubs and bars will no longer have to
apply for a formal licence to stage gambling events as they do at present.
Landlords who allow high stakes gaming could be stripped of the right to
host poker tournaments - but would not face the loss of their liquor
licence. Experts expressed dismay at Labour's determination to press ahead
with the liberalisation of the gaming laws and combine them with longer
drinking hours, which have already been blamed for a rise in alcohol-related
violence. "It's appalling, but it is completely in line with everything this
government have been doing," said Dr Emanuel Moran, adviser on pathological
gambling to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. "There is a tremendous
amount of evidence indicating that alcohol interferes with people's
judgment. The combination of alcohol and gambling is liable to be
disastrous." Dr Moran, who helped set up Gamblers Anonymous, added: "The
stakes may be low but people can easily accumulate tremendous debts and then
chase their losses. There is not going to be a council official monitoring
every game."

Tory culture spokesman Hugo Swire warned that the controls on pub gambling
would be too lax. The only body policing the regulations will be the already
overworked local licensing authorities.

"There is no way landlords will be able to control the amounts staked and in
practice these limits will be totally ignored," he said.

Under the plans, which could come into force in September, pubs and clubs
will be allowed to offer bingo but the total prize money that on offer will
be limited for the first time to £2,000 a week.

Casino games which involve a banker or croupier, such as pontoon, blackjack
and roulette, will still be banned. Each pub will still be allowed to have
two slot machines taking stakes of up to 50p and paying out jackpots of up
to £35.

The changes were made after lobbying by the pub industry, which believes the
pull of poker will bring in more customers.

Mr Caborn said: "These proposals set out a comprehensive set of rules
governing gaming in pubs and clubs that will keep it fair, crime-free and
ensure children and the vulnerable are protected.

"Many people have enjoyed low stakes games like bingo, cribbage and dominoes
in clubs and pubs for decades and there is no evidence of an increase in
problem gambling or crime as a result. But we now need clearer rules and
limits on stakes and prizes to keep it that way."