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15 June 2005
Aberdeen Poised To Allow New
Casinos
Aberdeen's
first new UK casino licences in two decades could be granted
next week.
The separate applications
would see Grosvenor Casinos moving in alongside Mecca Bingo
in the Berryden shopping park, while Granite Rock wants a
licence for Langstane Kirk in Union Street.
The applications have been
criticised by the managing director of a rival
casino.
George Stewart, of the
International Casino, Queens Road, said he was not
anti-competitive, but raised concerns about the potential
impact of rushing the licences through before new gambling
laws come into force.
He said the Government's
gambling bill would require local authorities to apply to a
new panel before inviting suitable parties to tender in
competition with each other.
Tenders could include
finance for local projects such as landscaping,
pedestrianisation or drug and gambling rehabilitation
centres.
But Mr Stewart believes
the city council could be missing out on such projects by
granting the two licences next week before the gambling laws
come into force.
He said: "In years to
come, Aberdeen citizens may count the cost with increases in
gambling problems due to the high level of competition,
which could result in cut-price alcohol until six in the
morning.
"Members of the community
could be left to count the cost of losing out on civic
amenities and watching other cities benefit because they
were prudent enough not to issue any last-minute licences
before the new act was in force."
Mr Stewart also said that
casino licences in the UK could be sold on for a minimum of
£1million, and that this could encourage owners to give
them up for a quick profit.
Stuart Clarkson, director
of Granite Rock Casinos, said there was no question that the
application for Langstane Kirk was being rushed
through.
He said planning
permission for what would be known as Soul Casino, on the
upper floor of the former church, was granted three years
ago and that the application had been before gaming-board
officials for almost two years.
He added: "I am a great
believer that competition supplies the public with a better
service and a choice, and that's all we are trying to do -
give the public a choice."
No one at Grosvenor
Casinos was available for comment.
The licensing board will
consider the applications on Tuesday. Chairman Ron Clark
said: "I think the new legislation applies to current
licences anyway. I think it will cover the whole gambit. I
don't think there is any advantage to having them through
now as opposed to when the new legislation comes
in."
Mr Clark said the new laws
had still to be finalised and that even though it was likely
to start coming into force next year, this would happen in
stages.
Langstane councillor Steve
Delaney was surprised the application for Langstane Kirk had
not come up sooner as planning consent for a casino had been
in place for some time. He said his only concern was the
amount of parking space.
The International Casino
received planning permission in February to shift its
operation to a B-listed former post office and labour
exchange in Market Street, but has yet to move. The city's
only other existing casino is Gala, in Summer
Street.
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