Where concern has been rightly expressed is about the proposed liberalisation of the rules on casinos. The Bill will allow the development of new super casinos, with 24 hour immediate access and unlimited jackpots. Originally, the Government appeared to suggest that there should be only a limited number of these and that they should be located in out of town centres. However, the Bill will open the door to a much larger number and envisages them being located in urban areas close to where people live.

The Joint Scrutiny Committee, chaired by John Greenway MP, strongly criticised this and recommended a number of additional safeguards. By proposing a significant increase in the minimum size, this would have ensured that fewer of the casinos would be built and that they would not be solely dedicated to gambling. The Committee also proposed that existing casinos operated by British companies should be allowed a small number of the new Category A gaming machines in order that our own domestic industry would not face totally unfair competition from big American operators or feel compelled to develop new large casinos themselves. These recommendations were rejected by the Government.

Although local authorities will have the right to refuse any casino licences in their area, we remain very concerned that the Bill as it presently stands will lead to the proliferation of giant casinos in our town centres and that the controls proposed by the Government are still inadequate to achieve the Bill’s stated objective of protecting children and the vulnerable. For this reason the Conservative Party does not support the Bill in its present form and we will be voting against it. During the Committee Stage we will be pressing the Government to think again and to incorporate the additional safeguards which the Scrutiny Committee unanimously recommended.

25th October 2004