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Tuesday, 2 April, 2002, 08:49 GMT 09:49 UK
Should gambling be encouraged?
Peter Moore, the Chairman of the Blackpool regeneration team joined us for a live forum on Tuesday 26th March.
To watch coverage of the forum, select the link below:
Las Vegas-style casinos could be on their way to the UK under a radical shake-up of gaming laws.
Under government proposals, casinos would be allowed to scrap upper limits currently in place on slot machine prizes and offer unlimited jackpots.
The ban on serving alcohol on casino gambling floors would also be lifted.
Blackpool in Lancashire, the UK's biggest seaside resort, is already planning to take advantage of the changes.
However, religious groups including the Methodist Church as well as Gamblers Anonymous have expressed concern that the proposals could lead to addiction.
Should Britain's gambling laws be brought up to date? Would relaxation inevitably lead to more addiction?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Why should we maintain draconian measures in regard to gambling. People should be free to spend leisure time and their money however they wish. To scare monger over a small percentage of people who may become addicted is ridiculous. If this is justification then why don't we ban all booze because we have a few alchoholics?
As long as the gaming licences are correctly monitered and we don't have criminals taking over the industry, it will do no harm. It may even bring in a few more tourists that would otherwise have flown to Vegas.
Peter CB, UK
I'll bet you ten quid that it won't work.
For most of us, gambling is just a fun thing to do on fun occasions. If the government makes money out of it, then so be it. It's better than yanking up the petrol taxes again. But I question the decision to allow people to pay for their gambling with a credit card. I understand how this might be important for overseas visitors, but to me it seems as just another way of getting a lot of desperate people into even worse financial troubles.
Phil T, Oman
I never cease to be amazed as, one by one, the things that make Britain an example to the world are eroded away, in the mad pursuit of profit. Visit any newsagents on a poor housing estate and there you will see people spending much more than they can afford on scratch cards, in the desperate hope of winning thousands - after all, it's got to happen sometime if they keep playing, right? I am a professional in my thirties who is becoming more and more ashamed of this country with each passing month, and this decision is the latest disgrace in a long line of pathetic and shameful attacks on our British standards of living. That anyone would even dream of describing gambling as a legitimate and productive form of wealth generation is simply beyond the pale.
We are already a nation addicted to alcohol, the Government want to relax drug laws for the drug addicts and now we want gambling addicts too. What is this Country coming to?
David Hazel, UK
I don't want to live in a nanny state. If I want to walk into a casino then why shouldn't I? Not everyone is capable of addiction to gambling. Most people give up if they get their fingers burnt but a small minority go "on tilt" and continue compulsively even though that know they are on a loser. Same story with alcohol, drugs, etc. If some religious groups had their way, alcohol would be banned, shops would close on Sundays, no contraception, etc ... the list is long.
The government will raise more taxes presumably and they have a responsibility to ensure that the casinos are run fairly and safely. Any casino caught ripping off customers should be shut down and their owners prosecuted. The extra tax raised should be partly used to pay for inspectors.
Casino type hotels in Britain will be terrible and won't work. The UK will never provide fantastic, luxury hotels with comfortable king sized beds for a reasonable cost, all you can eat seafood buffets for £10, and great shows without tacky panto has-beens in the lead roles. Instead the "recreation" of Vegas in Blackpool will involve some sort of psuedo-american culture, pimply 16 year olds providing poor service, too much expense, and rainy weather. It will only appeal to those who haven't got the resources/initiative to visit the real thing in Nevada!
The gains of gambling aren't worth the trouble. Most of the casino jobs in Las Vegas are centred around Mexican immigrants willing to work for low wages. And if anyone doesn't think crime is associated with gambling, tour the Las Vegas police department. They are so heavily armed, they could defeat most countries in a war!
Coming from one of many thousands of families torn apart by problem gambling, I can assure you that there is a direct link between gambling availability and social collapse. Every extra poker machine means another child from a broken home, and no amount of promised "funding" to gambling addiction programmes will provide a solution. Prevention is better than cure.
Steve, Auckland, New Zealand
Personally I'm not fond of gambling but I love going to Las Vegas. Why? Because of the excellent shows, food, and the wacky hotels. Last time my wife and I went, we put a total of ten dollars in the machines all weekend (5c machines), and came home with almost all of it. Casinos can mean so much more than just gambling, if it is done right.
I think this an excellent way to encourage investment in an area of the country that really needs it. Maybe businesses can succeed where the government has failed.
I lived in Melbourne for six months and saw the horrific problems caused by the gambling facilities everywhere. The state gains massive revenues from all gambling venues, so it has no incentive to stop the problems. Australian casinos make up a fifth of the total worldwide. Stories of young children being left in cars (with some dying from heat exhaustion) are not rumours. Some Melbourne casinos need special patrols in their car parks to look for children abandoned for hours and hours by themselves, some of them only a year or two old. New Zealand is going down the same road, and it is impossible to find a pub that does not have multitudes of pokie machines.
I went to Las Vegas last month and had a blast. Winning was not my intention - I set myself a limit to loose. Gambling is an enjoyable pastime which should not be denied by a government. Think of all the restaurant, entertainment and security jobs this will bring. By the way - I broke even - which was not a bad return for six hours of fun.
Like many of life's pleasures there can be a downside to it if allowed to go unmeasured. For as long as people have been drinking there have been a few who got addicted, and gambling is the same. Some people have an addictive nature and will become hooked on something they enjoy - whether it be drink, drugs, gambling, or sex. Relaxing the laws doesn't suddenly make gambling legal so it's not like a sudden change - there are more betting shops than there will ever be casinos. I just hope though that any extra profits do go to help those who get addicted and help them before they lose everything. Anyway, I'd rather gamble at my local casino, a massive complex at Blackpool will only be out to make massive profits to make back its development cost so the chances of a big win are reduced.
For once, this country is coming into line with the 21st century. Most of our laws on drinking, gambling, etc were made long before I was born. It's about time we enjoyed ourselves. I would say that it would be good if these so-called 'Las Vegas' style casinos could give a bit of cash to help fund agencies like Gamblers Anonymous.
I am an ex-casino employee and left just under a year ago where I was a relief manager/Pit Boss. I am pleased for the industry that this relaxation has come about. What the greater majority of the population do not realise that is that there is a lot more to casinos than gambling!! The casino that I worked at encouraged membership for use of their restaurants and bars as well as their gaming facilities, thereby offering a safe and secure environment for people of all backgrounds to enjoy a peaceful evening out. Naturally, gaming was the core of their business, but the greater emphasis was not placed upon this aspect of the casino.
It's yet another step on the slippery slope towards becoming a tacky has-been nation.
The only winners in gambling are the casinos and anyone who tells you otherwise works for a casino!
There are plenty of betting shops around already.
Our seaside towns are fine as they are. Let's not
ruin another part of Britain to satisfying
what is a pretty unsavoury pastime.
David LJ, Isle of Man, UK
Just what exactly is trying to be achieved here? I can't see hoards of overseas money pouring into our slot machines, so the only goal as far as I can see is to distribute wealth from many gullible losers to a few unscrupulous businessmen. Surely there's more pressing matters for libertarian-minded legal reformers?
Las Vegas is the centre point for most of America's gambling, hence the reason for the high concentration of desperately addicted gamblers. Britain on the other hand has grown up with gambling. Yes a few people have problems but we can't ruin the fun for the majority.
Richie T, UK
These proposals seem quite sensible to me, with the provision for 'problem' gambling. I don't agree with the doom-mongers who say we'll all end up gambling our children's dinner money or whatever. I went to Las Vegas recently and it's not as tacky as I thought. The sheer scale and frankly lunatic nature of things is immensely impressive. Bring it on!
So long as the people losing the money don't expect the taxpayer to bail them out (like Railtrack shareholders), they can do as they like!
Phillip Holley, UK
Well the Government already incessantly gambles on the state of the railways, the NHS, the education system and the police so the general public may as well be allowed to enjoy a good gamble as well!
I can't imagine a single benefit in this change. Having experienced the US approach to gambling, I see only individual people losing a lot of money, increased levels of addiction to gambling and dedicated gambling resorts of mind boggling ugliness.
26 Mar 02 | UK Politics
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04 Oct 01 | England
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