British Methodists fear fallout from new casinos
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The Rev. Cris Acher surveys the
proposed site for a super casino in Manchester, England. A new law
is opening the doors to casino gambling in the
United Kingdom. A UMNS photo by Bex Melvin.
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By Kathleen LaCamera*
Feb. 1, 2007
MANCHESTER, England (UMNS) - Manchester will be the home of the
United Kingdom's first super casino, ushering in new "hard forms" of
gambling never before seen in the island nations, including
unlimited-prize jackpot machines.
British Methodist Church officials say the new Gambling Act has paved
the way for the Manchester super casino, announced on Jan. 30, and 17
smaller casinos around the country, expected to put huge profits in the
pockets of the gambling industry and the UK government.
The British Methodist Church is challenging the government and
industry to channel "substantial resources to help those many thousands,
if not millions" who will develop gambling-related problems, said
Anthea Cox, the church's coordinating secretary for public life and
social justice.
"Unfortunately, evidence suggests that the new casinos, along with
the increasing popularity of online gambling and the general
normalization of gambling within [Britain], could result in many more
people developing a serious gambling addiction over an extended period,"
Cox said.
Research indicates an estimated 370,000 people in the United Kingdom
already have gambling problems. A poll commissioned by the Salvation
Army shows 56 percent of British people (and 64 percent of British
women) do not want a casino to open where they live.
Manchester officials cite regeneration of rundown areas, £265 million
($503 million) in investments and up to 2,700 new jobs as good reasons
to welcome the super casino.
But the Rev. Cris Acher, a Manchester-based Methodist minister, believes his city has "sold out on this one."
Acher, who heads up the innovative Night Café ministry catering to
18-30s club-goers in Manchester's City Centre, told United Methodist
News Service that Manchester already has culture, commerce and night
life without the casino.
"There are potential benefits, but at what cost?" he asked.
The Rev. Keith Davies, chairman of the Methodist church's Manchester
and Stockport District, challenged the city's claims about potential
economic benefits. "Most of the jobs created will be low paid and the
benefit for the community as a whole will be minimal," he said.
Given the potential social costs of gambling, Davies suggested a
greater investment in social housing and social amenities would have a
far more significant impact on people living in the area of the proposed
casino site - one of the most deprived communities in the United
Kingdom.
"When the act came in, we decided that we had no choice but to live
with it, but we're still banging on about the problem," said Alison
Jackson, a member of the Joint Pubic Issues Team for the British
Methodist Church. "There's been a massive consultation since the bill
became an act (of Parliament) and we've been talking to the government
about how they will implement provisions to protect people from problem
gambling."
The team has contributed to the design of a government study that
will chart British attitudes and actions as more gambling opportunities
are introduced. The first stage of a five-year study is already under
way.
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The Rev. Cris Acher and Emma Cowan distribute leaflets on the streets of Manchester. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey.
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Church officials acknowledge there is no evidence showing how a new
regional casino will affect the United Kingdom. However, they cite the
U.S. experience of rising gambling-related debt, crime, bankruptcy and
associated social problems - including unemployment and family breakdown
- as a predictor of what could happen here.
Jackson said British Methodists are just as worried about Internet
gambling, noting that recent crackdowns in the United States will push
this form of gambling underground.
"There are always ways of getting your money to gambling sites on the
Internet regardless of what the U.S. does," said Jackson. If Internet
gambling goes underground, she said, people will be at risk both from
gambling itself and from unscrupulous people who will charge
extortionate rates to channel money to Internet sites.
Government officials in British cities such as Blackpool and
Greenwich, which lost out to Manchester, hope more super casinos will be
sanctioned, though officials overseeing the Gambling Act say they won't
approve more regional casinos for the next three years.
Provisions in the gambling law require "proper monitoring" by the
government of the effects of increased gambling opportunities. British
Methodists say they will be "keeping an eye on the situation" to make
sure the government keeps its promise.
*LaCamera is a UMNS correspondent based in England.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Video/audio
From BBC - Why Mancheston Won
Resources
British Methodist Church
British Gambling Act 2005
Gambling: United Methodist overview |