Memorandum from the Transport & General
Workers Union Casino Employees (DGB 10)
INTRODUCTION
This submission is made by and behalf of UK
Casino Workers.
There are 12,600 casino workers in 126 casinos
in the UK.
The TGWU have recognition agreements with three
employers in the casino industry.
One is a joint agreement with the GMB.
Some of the compilers of this evidence have
worked in the casino industry prior to the 1968 Gaming Act and
most have over 25 years' gaming experience both here and abroad.
The following seven paragraphs express a general
view of the draft bill:
(1) We are concerned at the lack of up-to-date
gambling research in the UK. We believe problem gambling has been
seriously underestimated.
(2) Gaming legislation needs an update.
However some of the proposed changes are directly opposite to
the tenet of social responsibility.
(3) There seems to be a conception that
Australia and USA have got their gambling legislation right and
we (the UK) have got it wrong. Recent surveys in both countries
indicate that such a foundation is misplaced. It is our contention
that the principle of "Unstimulated Demand" should remain.
(4) Casino gaming is not a leisure pursuit.
(5) Hundreds of thousands of adults choose
to gamble, and it is right and proper that they are catered for,
but this should never be encouraged.
(6) We would welcome a wider job market.
However we feel such "benefits" are not worth the overall
price to the public at large.
(7) We have no doubt that more often than
not operators will pay no more than lip service to social responsibility.
The remaining 11 paragraphs are more specific
concerns relating to the draft Bill and the impact it will undoubtedly
have on casino workers throughout the UK. Some are serious flaws
that should be rectified.
8. PERSONAL LICENCES
We have concerns over the proposed changes to
the personal licensing system. We strongly believe that the licensing
of gaming staff should remain operator specific and so primarily
their responsibility.
Allowing licences to travel with the holder
will create the opportunity for agencies to establish themselves.
We consider the issues of integrity, competency, training, and
accountability, too important for casual staff to be allowed.
This development has a potential for an extremely
negative impact on the casino industry. Recent changes on agreed
manning levels between the British Casino Association (BCA) and
the Gaming Board (GBGB) have already led to a higher than normal
occurrence of security breaches.
9. JOBS
Much has been made of the creation of jobs by
having more casinos. There is some data to suggest that, jobs
actually created by casinos are minimal.
"Except in depressed areas where unemployment
is very low the gambling industry's new jobs will be some other
industry's existing jobs." [1]
It is also our contention that jobs in the gambling
industry are often very low paid with poor conditions. The casino
business is mainly night work, which according to recent research
is a severe danger to an employee's health. [2]
There is also a constant exposure to second-hand
tobacco smoke. At present there are no reliable statistics for
the life span of casino workers, but the indicators are not good.
Most operators are struggling to recruit or retain staff.
Potential employees are now more aware of the
pitfalls of casino work.
10. BREAKS IN
PLAY
We would welcome a smoking ban in all casinos
this would have a two-fold purpose—protection of customers
and workers from second-hand tobacco smoke.
More important to this legislation, it would
make the majority of customers break from play. There are no figures
on the prevalence of gamblers that smoke, but in casinos the percentage
is high.
11. HOURS OF
OPENING FOR
CASINOS
We believe that opening hours should be set
by parliament.
24 hour gaming is unnecessary and can be scarcely
mentioned in the same breath as social responsibility.
It is an unnecessary risk to give local authorities
discretion over hours (except to decrease hours as a protection
to customers, local residents or employees).
The recent alteration to opening hours (4 am
to 6 am) has had a negative effect on problem gamblers and underlines
the lack of understanding of gambling problems.
Gaming hours should be fixed from 2 pm to 4
am in casinos. This gives problem gamblers protection from continuous
play. The recent increase in hours was in spite of a Risk Impact
Assessment that received 3,000 objections and four favourable
endorsements.
This illustrates the power of the gaming operator's
lobby.
12. CASINO SIZE
REQUIREMENT AND
MACHINE TO
TABLE RATIO
We feel a monopoly has existed for many years
and are concerned by the size requirement, (5,000 sq ft) for casinos.
This will favour existing casino operators.
Problem Gamblers can be more difficult to spot
in larger establishments, their behaviour more difficult to monitor.
The link between table games and machines is
essential but stipulations should be made that such tables are
actually manned and manning levels are sufficient to sustain a
proper level of service and security.
Many casinos on the Continent have large numbers
of Gaming Tables that are seldom used in order to exploit a table
to machine ratio. Electronic or virtual tables should not be counted
as Gaming Tables but as machines.
Limits on the number of gaming machines should
always be imposed.
13. REPRESENTATION
We recommend that two nominees from the TGWU
obtain seats on the gambling commission, to give an informed and
balanced view of the casino industry.
14. MACHINES
We would recommend a mandatory break of at least
10 minutes per hour for every gaming machine (this should include
automatic blackjack shoes, progressive stud poker tables and FOBT'S).
15. TIPPING
This does not form part of the draft Bill or
the 1968 Gaming Act. We will be contacting the Secretary of State
under separate cover.
16. FIXED-ODDS
BETTING TERMINALS
(FOBTS)
There is real doubt whether it is safe to permit
betting shops to turn into mid-morning electronic casinos. Establishing
8,000 mini casinos in every High Street in every town in Britain
flies in the face of the Government's stated concern of proliferation,
and is totally contrary to the spirit of this legislation.
17. ALCOHOL ON
THE GAMING
FLOOR
It is accepted that alcohol may be obtained
at a bar, which is situated nearby, but because the punter has
to physically leave the gaming tables in order to drink, this
acts as a disincentive to excessive alcohol intake and may create
a break in play. The one-night-only type of player that the relaxation
of the 24-hour rule is designed to attract, will feel none of
the controls that our current members impose upon themselves.
Who as a rule control alcohol intake and self-check their behaviour
in order to protect themselves and their membership.
18. CREDIT CARDS
More often than not, credit cards are used,
by those who are least able to afford to gamble. We fear that
this policy will have a detrimental impact on society, exploiting
the vulnerable problem gambler.
We would welcome the opportunity of giving oral
evidence to this committee.
December 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/976254.stm
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/publicaffairs/news/nightshift-and-colon-cancer-in-women-06-03-03.asp
1 Australian Productivity Commission's Gambling Inquiry:
"3 Years On" http://www.pc.gov.au/research/speeches/cs20021121/cs20021121.pdf Back
2
University of Surrey, Harvard Medical School (Brigham & Women's
Hospital), British Heart Foundation and The University of Milan. Back
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