The Past, Present and Future of Casinos

The Gambling Act 2005 - the much talked about legislation enacted in the UK on September 1, 2007 - has legalized and regulated the online casino industry overnight, with strict rules and standards to abide by. At the same time it has scratched plans that were already on the table, some at advanced stages, to establish 16 casino venues across the country, including one mega-casino in Manchester.

Today we learn that the end of casinos is not imminent. On the contrary, Wales' biggest casino opens up today in Swansea. With it are the familiar voices heard for and against casinos and gambling.

First, some info

Aspers casino, to open September 6, is a 13 million GBP investment that is expected to draw as many as 10,000 gamblers a week. At this pace, it will return the investment in less than three years, raking over 4 million GBP a year.

The casino will employ 300 people and take up 45,000sq ft in the city commercial center.

So what's the problem?

Some are opposed to building new casinos from the outset. Salvation Army, a vocal critic of gambling and a blessed organization that helps fight gambling addiction, claims 370,000 British citizens are defined as problem gamblers. Elsewhere, slightly smaller numbers are quoted. But this is not the argument.

Aspers said it has been training their workers to help and deal with problem gamblers. Normalizing the industry by establishing new casinos and allowing advertisements on television too will not lead to an increase in the problem, but rather help the industry step out of the shadow and into where it belongs - as a popular pastime for millions.

Casinos Then, Now and Forever

OK, this might be a dramatic statement. It is used only for the rhetorical effect. Casinos have been part of British culture for many years. Swansea was the host of a casino for 40 years, no less. They are justified in more than one way, now an entertainment center much larger than a mere smoky gambling joint. Gamblers and regular visitors can find good restaurants, fancy cinema screens, musicals and theater and much more.

Sure, licensing and regulations are a must. So is promoting helplines and organizations like Salvation Army. But ignoring past history and resisting the present developments may simply leave the opponents out of any future scenario.