Thursday, February 01, 2007

Christian groups today warned the opening of Britain's first supercasino
could lead to an explosion in the number of gambling addicts. Tomorrow the
Government's Casino Advisory Panel will announce the location for the first
Las Vegas-style gaming complex, with the Dome and Blackpool heading the
race. But a report by the Methodist Church and the Salvation Army said today
that "substantial" resources would be needed to help victims of Labour's
gambling reforms. Anthea Cox, a co-ordinating secretary of the Methodist
Church, said: "Evidence suggests the new casinos, along with the increasing
popularity of online gambling and the general normalisation of gambling in
this country, could result in many more people developing a serious gambling
addiction over an extended period. "The gambling industry and the Government
will benefit most... We are challenging them to channel substantial
resources to help those many thousands if not millions of people who will
experience problems." Lieutenant-Colonel Royston Bartlett, of The Salvation
Army, added: "Much has been made of the potential economic benefit of
casinos but that needs to be balanced against the potential devastating
effects of problem gambling." Meanwhile the Dome's owner, Anschutz
Entertainment Group, warned it might have to cancel £350 million of
investment in the Greenwich site if it failed to win its bid to host a
supercasino. David Campbell, AEG's chief executive in Europe said: "There is
no plan B. If we don't get the casino, we have to take a view on the
decision and whether we should challenge it."