Government Concession on Super Casinos welcome--Gill

Commenting on the Government's concession to reduce the number of regional casinos from eight to just one pilot, Parmjit Singh Gill Member of Parliament for Leicester South said:

"I welcome this deal, which crucially allows for the rapid introduction of a tougher regulator whose remit will include internet gambling.

"Throughout the passage of the Bill, the Liberal Democrats have secured an exemption from Labour's bureaucratic proposals for charitable lotteries, prevented the use of credit cards, required ID age checks in casinos, and ensured protection for seaside resort arcades.

"We have helped prevent the introduction of an unlimited number of 'supercasinos' with unlimited jackpot machines.

"Once the supercasino pilot is over, we'll be in a much better position to judge the impact on problem gambling of this untried and untested form of gaming."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Government was last year forced to limit to eight, the number of proposed "super casinos". They had originally proposed having no cap on the number of these "super casinos". These new Super casinos will be allowed to have new Category A machines. These are machines with unlimited jackpots and have never been allowed in the UK, until now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4412949.stm