45. Memorandum from Castle
Leisure (GMB 41)
I write to express our Company's support for
the Government's response to the Joint Scrutiny Report.
We believe that the 121 recommendations accepted
together with the Government's proposals for small, large and
regional casinos strike a good balance between modernising the
gaming industry and protecting vulnerable and problem gamblers.
We support and welcome the categorisation definitions
for casinos.
We support the gaming machine ratios and categories
of machines applicable to the casino classifications, and believe
these are appropriately balanced.
We welcome the Minister's statement that at
least two prevalence studies will be conducted post implementation
prior to any changes being considered.
The Draft Bill, as now proposed, will we believe,
contain aspects, which will have a significant detrimental effect
on competition within the bingo industry and on the competitiveness
of the bingo industry as a whole. We have previously submitted
our comments to this effect.
We have been given the opportunity to express
our views. We believe that the amended recommendations offer a
more measured pace of modernisation with significantly less consequential
risk. This should be welcomed by all parties.
We are therefore able to support the Draft Bill
as proposed.
July 2004
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