Friday, February 02, 2007

Relaxing restrictions on slot machines and casino-building later this year
could lead to rising numbers suffering from gambling problems, doctors and
church leaders fear. The British Medical Association (BMA) said earlier this
month it was particularly concerned about adolescent gamblers and called for
a review of whether slot machine gambling -- popular among teenagers --
should be banned to anyone under 18. In a report on gambling addiction, the
BMA said there were believed to be at least 300,000 people with gambling
problems in Britain at present. The Salvation Army and Methodist Church put
the number even higher at 370,000.
In a joint statement, they called for new casinos to be monitored for
adverse affects on their local community for up to five years, longer than
the three years currently stipulated. They were particularly concerned about
so-called "regional" casinos -- huge, Las Vegas-style supercasinos that will
be able to have up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot fruit machines. "There is no
evidence to show what effect a regional casino may have on a UK community,
but experience in the United States shows a rise in gambling-related debt,
crime, bankruptcy and associated social problems including unemployment and
family breakdown," they said.