Jowell defends gambling plans
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has defended Government plans to liberalise Britain’s gambling laws, branding those opposed to the relaxation of restrictions on casinos as snobs.
Opponents to the plans claim the controversial changes could exacerbate the problem of gambling addiction, but in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Jowell questioned the motives of some campaigners opposed to the Gambling Bill.
“There’s a whiff of snobbery in some of the opposition to new casinos: people who think they should remain the preserve of the rich; others that find them gaudy and in poor taste; others that don’t want the big investment that will come from the United States,” she told the paper.
The proposed legislation will allow for the creation of large, regional casinos and sweep away player restrictions. New rules on fruit machine prizes could also see the introduction of million pound jackpots.
Ms Jowell’s comments follow furious criticism of the plans by sections of the press, opposition MPs and some prominent members of the Labour Party such as Lord Hattersley.
The Salvation Army claims the proposals could harm vulnerable gambling addicts.
“There are only two real winners that will benefit from the liberalisation of gambling laws: the gaming industry through massively increased profits and the Government through increased taxation,” a spokesman said.
Defending the plans ahead of the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons, the Culture Secretary stressed that the reforms would create 80,000 new jobs and attract investment worth up to £5 billion.
Meanwhile, the Observer newspaper has claimed that the Culture Secretary may be forced to water down the controversial Bill following opposition from Cabinet colleagues including Chancellor Gordon Brown and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
The paper claims that Mr Prescott may use planning laws to prevent the development of super-casinos in certain areas.
US companies including MGM Mirage and Caesar’s Palace have already made clear their intention to develop a number of large casinos in the UK, with the amount spent of gambling expected to rise from £8.5 billion to £10.6 billion by 2010 as a result.
