Super casino: sad day for Britain

People living near the site of Britain’s first super casino can expect a sharp rise in social problems, a Christian research charity warned today.

The Institute points to evidence showing that gambling exploits the poor, causes serious addiction, and is linked to crime.

The British Gambling Prevalence Survey shows that there are three-and-a-half times more problem gamblers amongst those on the lower incomes compared to those on higher incomes.

The British Medical Association has recently said the NHS should be made ready to cope with an increase in gambling addicts and that gambling should be recognised as an addiction similar to smoking and alcoholism.

A Home Office report into youth crime found that young people who gambled were more likely to be offenders than those who did not.

Humphrey Dobson, Deputy Director (Policy) of The Christian Institute, said today, “Today is no cause for celebration. Gambling exploits the poor – and deliberately placing a super casino in a deprived area is simply cruel. Gambling addiction disproportionately affects those on the lowest incomes. Addiction destroys families. Crime is also likely to increase as addicts desperately try to fund their gambling debts. Evidence from around the world shows that deregulation leads to huge social problems. This is a sad day for Britain.”