Gamble for Mcconnell; First Minister Must Show How He Will Control Casinos
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Summary
If Jack McConnell is to be believed, when Lord McIntosh, the culture minister at Westminster, insisted yesterday that the controversial Gambling Bill had the support of the entire government, he was speaking from a narrow perspective. David Blunkett, the home secretary, has suggested otherwise by referring to interesting discussions in the cabinet. This has been interpreted as confirmation that some ministers share public concerns about the bill leading to an upsurge in gambling addiction. For his part, the first minister let it be known yesterday that he, too, has worries about a possible proliferation of "super casinos" enticing people into gambling their earnings, and possibly their lives, away.
Fear not, was the reassuring message from Mr McConnell. When the chips were down, he insisted, he would make sure that gambling did not get out of hand in Scotland by using a mix of existing and new powers. It is heartening to learn from the first minister that devolution can be harnessed to water down the excesses of the new gambling law. Quite how seems as uncertain as predicting the outcome of the roll of a dice. At presently, casinos can be built only in the four Scottish cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee. The new law will mean they can be located in any local authority. Existing legal powers over planning and licensing will enable all councils to reject a casino application if it is against the community's wishes.See the full content of this document
Extract
Gamble for Mcconnell; First Minister Must Show How He Will Control Casinos
That is clear enough. Matters become muddied when seeking to establish how devolutio...
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