Christians have welcomed the suggestion from Gordon Brown that there may be better ways to bring economic growth to east Manchester than to build a supercasino there.
The city beat off competition from London, Glasgow and Blackpool to become the unexpected winner of the sole supercasino licence, a project expected to bring £200m investment and 2,700 jobs to some of the most deprived communities in east Manchester.
Mr Brown announced that a review would be undertaken by September to assess the level of regeneration that a supercasino could bring to a deprived city or town.
Evangelical Alliance Parliamentary Officer Gareth Wallace said: “We have always maintained that bringing in a super-casino would be a serious gamble for society and would stack the odds against regeneration.
“The poorer people are the ones who play at the slot machines most and pay the highest social price.
“The Evangelical Alliance will constructively contribute to any review process. We warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s cautious and reflective approach to this complex issue.”
The Methodist Church’s Coordinating Secretary for Public Life & Social Justice, Anthea Cox, also welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement.
“We’re delighted to hear this news. Our concerns about casinos have always primarily been about the harm they can do to people who develop gambling problems but we were never convinced about whether they were a realistic way of regenerating urban areas," she said.
“We look forward to the Government’s review in September and are pleased that the Government has listened to the concerns raised by churches and other groups.”
The Government has struggled to gain consensus on its controversial casinos plan. In March, the House of Lords rejected the gambling plan, an outcome described by the Evangelical Alliance as a “historic victory” for local communities.
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Rev George Cassidy, has spoken in the House of Lords about the harm caused to society by gambling has responded to the Prime Minister’s statement.
He said: "There are better engines of social and economic regeneration than supercasinos - ones that don't risk potential long-term material and spiritual deprivation. The Prime Minister's review of supercasinos gives hope to communities that they will not be offered help with one hand and harm with the other."
Rather, Bishop Cassidy called for investment "aimed at creating a vibrant and diverse local economy" as a better way of promoting regeneration.
The Methodist Church and The Salvation Army have led a lengthy campaign against the casinos plan, warning of the social damage to individuals more susceptible to gambling addiction, particularly the poor. This in turn could, they warn, endanger families.
Lieut-Colonel Royston Bartlett from The Salvation Army said previously: “Much has been made of the potential economic benefit of casinos but that needs to be balanced against the potential devastating effects of problem gambling on individuals, families and communities.”
Although plans for the supercasino may have floundered, it is believed that the 16 smaller casinos will still go ahead.
