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Gambling on our Future?

The Government's supercasino plans were thrown into doubt on Wednesday when Gordon Brown announced a review of the policy. Niall Cooper, National Coordinator for Church Action on Poverty, tells us why he thinks a super-casino in Manchester is a bad idea.

As a Mancunian, and head of Manchester based charity, Church Action on Poverty I've taken particular interest in the row over the proposed location of the UK's first "Super Casino" in the city.

Along with most others in the city and beyond (including the City Council itself), I was surprised and shocked to hear the announcement that Manchester had 'won' the bid for the 'Super Casino' on 30 January. Having recovered composure, and picked myself up from the floor, I swiftly issued a brief press statement to the effect that the super-casino will threaten to worsen the city's already poor record on debt and child poverty.

Why Manchester?

Like probably most here, prior to 30 January, I'd only taken a passing interest in the competition for the Super Casino. Colleagues in Sheffield had actively campaigned against it there - but in reality it was a foregone conclusion - the Casino Advisory Panel's choice was simple: Blackpool or Greenwich?

Neither the Casino Advisory Panel, nor the City Council made any attempt to ask the communities of East Manchester what we thought about the Casino proposal, let alone whether we wanted it.

Niall Cooper, National Coordinator of Church Action on Poverty

Since the announcement, I've taken the trouble to read Manchester's bid and supporting documents, the representations made to the Casino Advisory Panel, the research the Panel themselves commissioned into the likely social and regeneration impact ...... and finally, the Panel's on reasons for their choice of Manchester.

In the Casino Advisory Panel's view, Manchester City Council represents 'A safe pair of hands; Manchester, as a major conurbation is a good place to 'test' the impact of a Super Casino; East Manchester in particular - has the highest levels of poverty and deprivation of any of the six areas bidding, and Manchester's bid was the most persuasive in how they propose to monitor and address the social impacts.

Yet, neither the Casino Advisory Panel, nor the City Council made any attempt to ask the communities of East Manchester - let alone more widely across Manchester - what we thought about the Casino proposal, let alone whether we wanted it.

East Manchester - worst of all possible locations?

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