|TOP|As local authorities up and down the country continue to weigh up the pros and cons of casinos, The Salvation Army in Havant has called upon people in the local community to voice their opposition to any proposals for licensing a regional casino in the city.

"The Salvation Army has said consistently that any rise in gambling opportunities is likely to lead to a rise in problem gambling, and we don’t want that for our community,” says Major Rik Pears, Corps Officer (minister) of The Salvation Army in Portsmouth and Havant.

The Havant branch of The Salvation Army is urging locals to express their opposition to casinos by signing a petition or writing to their local council to voice their objections and ask the council not to submit a formal proposal to the Government’s Casino Advisory Panel.

The Gambling Act provides for one regional casino, the so-called ‘Supercasino’, plus a further 16 smaller casinos split between 8 large and 8 small casinos. The ‘Supercasino’ has caused particular concern because of the hard forms of gambling and major cash prizes that include £1 million jackpots.

“These new so-called Supercasinos will introduce hard forms of gambling that have never been seen before in the UK, such as £1 million jackpot machines. The Government claims that casinos will regenerate local communities but there is no evidence for this in a UK context,” said Major Pears.

|QUOTE|“In fact, experience in the US shows the building of casinos brings a rise in gambling-related debt, crime, bankruptcy, and associated social problems including unemployment and family breakdown. We want Havant Borough Council not to submit proposals for a Supercasino.”

The Salvation Army made the statement last week following news that 47 local authorities, including Havant Borough Council, have expressed their initial interest to the Advisory Panel.

All formal applications will be considered by the Panel before it makes recommendations to Local Authority areas for the locations of the new casinos, although not the specific sites within those areas.

Major Peter Moran, The Salvation Army’s divisional commander for south and mid Wales, also refuted last week the claims of Swansea council deputy leader Gerald Clement that casinos “would be a huge economic driver for the city”.

The Salvation Army highlighted the social dangers the new casinos pose for the local communities.

"We always seem to be getting the pros and not listing the cons, or nobody is listening to them," he said.

"In the Salvation Army we do have some concerns about this. It is often being portrayed (as if) everything is wonderful: the number of jobs and the regeneration.

"One of our concerns is picking up on the family consequences," he added.
The Salvation Army continues to warn that an increase in gambling opportunities is likely to cause a similar rise in problem gambling, adding to the estimated 370,000 problem gamblers already in the UK.

Resources to help local church groups engage in the issue of gambling and the new casinos have been made available by The Salvation Army and can be found by clicking HERE