Las Vegas-style gambling shake-up

The Government today opens the door to a new era of easy gambling across Britain.

Drastic changes in the law, to be unveiled by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, will allow gamblers in London and elsewhere, for the first time, to bet around the clock, to win slot machine jackpots of up to £1million, and to drink at roulette and gaming tables.

Las Vegas-style casino resorts could also be created in coastal towns around the country under the proposals. Slot machine jackpots of £1 million will mark the end to restrictions on payouts which have been in place in Britain for more than 30 years.

Ms Jowell was producing the Gambling White Paper this morning, in an attempt to modernise the arcane rules on betting.

The proposals also include an end to bans on casino advertising, and live entertainment in gaming clubs.

Seaside towns such as Blackpool and Brighton could see several casinos opening, bringing in extra cash.

The plans will boost resorts which have suffered a big loss of business in recent years as beaches and funfairs no longer provide enough of an attraction to fill their many hotels.

But church groups and some children's charities were warning today that the move could increase the number of teenagers addicted to gambling, and tempt people to spend far more than they can afford.

The Government is expected to scrap the rule which requires punters to take out membership 24 hours before betting in a casino, which was designed to deter casual visitors and stop new customers walking in off the street to lay bets. It will allow clubs and betting shops to install more slot machines and allow casinos to offer bingo with prizes up to £1 million.

The repeal of many of the restrictions imposed in the Gambling Act of 1968, which aimed to prevent problem betting and gangster control of casinos, will provide a massive boost to Britain's £3 billion-a-year gaming industry.

Blackpool is already developing a complex on its Golden Mile designed to take advantage of the liberalisation by offering bingo, roulette and live entertainment under the same roof.

It remained unclear today how the changes will affect the South-East. There has been talk of setting up a casino inside the Millennium Dome, which is also being developed as a sports and entertainment complex.

Today's move follows last July's report by former Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury, Sir Alan Budd, which recommended liberalisation of antiquated laws on all kinds of betting, from one-armed bandits to bingo and roulette.

It also recommended tightening up the laws surrounding children, by limiting the stake and maximum prize for all machines available to the under-18s to 10p and £5 respectively.

Fruit machines are now expected to be banned from unlicensed premises such as cafes, fish and chip shops and minicab offices, although they will continue to be allowed in working men's clubs.

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