Swansea all of a flutter over casino

Steps to get Swansea ready for a small casino licence are being examined this week.

Swansea Council Cabinet is being asked to support proposals on Thursday (June 28) aimed at preparing the way for securing a casino operator in the city under new legislation.

Swansea was one of several cities in the UK backed by the Secretary of State to receive a small casino licence under the Gambling Act 2005 only to see the recommendation turned down by the House of Lords.

But indications now suggest the rejection will be reconsidered and that another order will be brought back to Parliament for approval.

Small casino licences under the new legislation would allow a minimum total customer area of 750 square metres and would permit up to 80 gaming machines with a maximum jackpot of £4,000.

Bingo would not be permitted but other betting services would be allowed.

Draft guidelines currently in consultation would allow licensing authorities to invite applications from casino operators in order to consider which development would bring the greatest economic benefit to the area.

The report going before Cabinet for approval recommends that a process for inviting applications is prepared and that guidelines are put in place to assess them.

The proposals also suggest that Swansea Council officers continue to participate in a network set up by the 17 Authorities subject to Parliamentary consideration and that consultation takes place to determine what benefits the public would expect from a new small casino licence.

Swansea Council Leader, Cllr Chris Holley, said:
"We would welcome a reconsideration by Parliament of the new casino licences as the new licence would allow Swansea to broaden its leisure offering while ensuring better regulated gambling conducted in a fair and transparent way.

"There has already been considerable interest in Swansea expressed by operators and this is why it's important to have processes in place to determine applications if the small casino licence gets the go-ahead.

"We need to establish what benefits people think such a development would bring and what the social and economic impact of an application would be.

"These recommendations, if backed by Cabinet, would ensure comprehensive procedures are in place prior to any reconsideration in London and the applications that may follow."