UK Gambling Prevalance Study Out This Week

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Published: Monday, September 17, 2007 mgowanbo.cc

Mainstream media expect UK government to come under pressure on supercasino

Many of Britain's mainstream newspapers carried news over the weekend of the imminent release of the UK Gambling Commission's "Gambling Prevalence" study. Leaked excerpts from the report, due for release Wednesday, and speculation on its full content has already been the subject of extensive reportage in mainstream media.

The Telegraph opined that as a result of the problem gambling statistics believed to be in the report prime minister Gordon Brown is likely to come under pressure to rule out any chance of a land super-casino being built.

The newspaper goes on to claim that the Gambling Prevalence Study is likely to show that "almost a million gamblers have a severe addiction." This compares with the last study, commissioned by the Gaming Board in 1999, which found that about 300 000 gamblers had a "problem". The difference between "severe addiction" and "problem" is not detailed.

The Telegraph speculates that the report will disclose that 33 million adults, or 72 percent of the UK population, gambled in some form. Presumably this figure, if accurate, reflects all forms of gambling such as lotteries, football pools, horse-racing and the like.

UK ministers have already commissioned another prevalence study in three years, as concern about problem gambling grows, the article reveals without giving a source.

Since that first study in 1999, there has been no material increase in the number of casinos, and a small decline in the numbers of bingo halls, the article continues. Yet the opportunities to gamble have increased tenfold, particularly with the introduction of online betting, and a sharp rise in the number of touch-screen roulette games, in which punters can bet up to GBP 300 a minute.

Prime minister Brown let it be known that he disproves of gambling when he levied a surprise GBP 100 million tax on casinos in his last Budget as Chancellor in March this year.

Soon afterwards, plans for 17 casinos were thrown out by Parliament, and Brown then ordered a review of plans for a super casino in Manchester.

With differing "leaked" statistics in various newspapers, it is clear there is still some confusion over the exact content or interpretation of the study.

The Independent reported that: "Gambling addiction in the UK has more than doubled in recent years with up to 600 000 people hooked, new figures are expected to reveal."

The newspaper goes on to inform that details of the report are being kept secret until its official release on Wednesday, but it is expected to document a marked increase in the number of people gambling both online and in casinos.

The dramatic rise over the past eight years ties in with the increasing popularity of online betting and touch screen roulette games.

The Independent piece speculates that the study will say a million people in the UK are now gambling online, spending an average of GBP 1 000 a year each.

wanbet-bc518

很希望看到这个报告。

英国有1百万人每年平均花费1000英镑来赌博。这个数据和加拿大比差了点。整个加拿大平均每个人每年花费大约400加币左右来赌博。英国人口是加拿大的2倍，6千万，和德国相当。

wanbet-bc518

刚看到的老外新闻报道：

据人透露：在英国大约有60万人赌博上瘾
英国的触摸屏轮盘赌博一分钟内限制每个人最多输300英镑

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U.K. Supercasino Row Coming To The Boil

Thursday, February 07, 2008 mgowanbo.cc

Labour government U-turn on land gambling policy is likely to have consequences.

The British press this week has been full of reports that British prime minister Gordon Brown is about to formalise his much discussed U-turn on land gambling policy, as indications strengthened that drastic changes will soon be announced. Among the likely casualties will be the super-casino project awarded last year to Manchester by Brown's predecessor Tony Blair.

Manchester officials told the BBC this week that they will consider a legal challenge if a government decision to axe the city's planned super-casino is confirmed. The city council said it knew nothing of the about-face by ministers, who are still planning 16 regional casinos.

The BBC claims that the government's latest decision is to be announced in a statement to the Commons after the half-term recess.

The rethink, after a review ordered by Brown, was apparently outlined in a letter to Scottish and Welsh executives.

As a parliamentary bill was passed to permit the building of all the casinos, the Manchester council could go to the courts if their super-casino is shelved. Prospective employment for up to 3 000 Manchester people could be at risk.

The city was a surprise winner when it was chosen as the location of Britain's first Las Vegas-style super-casino. It was named the preferred site in January 2007 at the expense of Blackpool, whose supporters said it would benefit more. But in March that year, peers rejected the plan by just three votes, after MPs had backed it by a majority of 24.

The scheme was then put in doubt when Gordon Brown asked Communities Secretary Hazel Blears to carry out a review into other ways to regenerate Manchester. That prompted concern from senior officials in the city who claimed the team behind the review had not even visited the proposed site of the super-casino in Beswick.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) insists there is still no decision on the super-casino at this time.

"There is a statutory requirement for the secretary of state to consult Scottish and Welsh ministers before making a decision how to proceed," a spokesman said. "No final decision will be taken until ministers have had the opportunity to consider the views of Scottish and Welsh ministers."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have received notification from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of the intention to proceed with eight large and eight small casinos."

He said the 16 local authorities involved across the UK had been notified, but he had no information on the proposed Manchester super-casino.

"The letter merely pointed out that they decided to proceed with the eight large and eight small casinos," he said.

As part of Brown's review, the 16 local authorities that had won casino licenses were asked if they wished to go ahead with the plans.

All 16 confirmed they were still keen, and as a result, large casinos with a maximum area of 5 000 sq m and up to 150 GBP 4 000 slot machines will now be granted licenses in Leeds, Southampton, Great Yarmouth, Middlesbrough, Solihull, Hull, Milton Keynes and Newham, London.

Casinos up to 1 000 sq m get the go-ahead in Bath and North East Somerset, Dumfries and Galloway, Scarborough, Wolverhampton, Swansea, Luton, Torbay and East Lindsey, Lincs.