IDS: Manchester casino would mean degeneration - not regeneration

A report to be released by the Centre for Social Justice confirms critics' worst suspicions about the Government's planned 'Super-Casino’ in East Manchester, saying degeneration, not regeneration, will be the outcome.  Highlighted in the report were several key facts that seem not to have been taken into account in the plans.  Download PDF of Interim CSJ paper on gambling.

‘Problem’ gambling is on the rise in Britain with over 300,000 addicts, despite the opportunities for gambling being relatively limited.  Those most likely to be affected by problem gambling are typically of lower socio-economic background, and bearing in mind that the casino’s planned locality boasts 50% economic inactivity (total dependence on the state), that makes this the worst place to go ahead with the plans.  With research suggesting that in the UK, problem gambling and people getting into serious personal debt are very closely linked, and the young being the most severely affected, the casino is a ‘potentially hazardous threat’.

The report quotes the findings of the British Medical Association that there is a ‘close correlation between gambling and other addictive activities, such as drug and alcohol abuse’, as well as clear evidence from other countries’ experience that the installation of these super-casinos often lead to ‘vice and degeneration’ in the neighbouring communities.  When Manchester already tops the list for robberies, vehicle crime and violent crime, such exacerbation of the problem is very irresponsible, and the report concludes that the placement of a super-casino in this area could have devastating social consequences.

Comments

[FedUpWithCameron]

What a load of Victorian Values rubbish. "Trust the People" - people should be free to make decisions about how they spend their money. IDS can keep his nanny state.

[Tanuki]

**sigh** What a load of paternalist nonsense. I thought humankind grew out of believing in that sort of moralistic dirigisme at the end of the last millennium.

I guess for their next trick IDS's outfit will be suggesting we repeat the US's stupid attempt at Prohibition...

[George Hinton]

Two views on this subject.

1. Why do we need a super casino anywhere?

2. Surely the people of this country are to be trusted and don't need a blustering nanny telling them what' what.

If Blackppol wants the casino,then let them have it, if Manchester wants one then sobeit. Otherwise declare the Isle of Wight a tax free enterprise zone and let all the casinos go there.

[Angelo Basu]

Perhaps we should apply the Polly Toynbee test. She seems to be against the Supercasino so it might be better to support it.

[Andrew Woodman]

There's a simple solution to this. Stick it in a destination area such as Blackpool that needs the regeneration. It will cause far less social harm because people are more likely to set losing limits and visit infrequently.

[Michael Rutherford]

I don't know how any Conservative could possibly support the super-casino in Manchester. Unlike Blackpool, the area of Manchester the casino would be in is not a tourist area. It's an area for football fans and locals. Some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK.

It's not a case of giving people the right to spend money how they like, that assumes a high level of education. We're talking about the people most at risk of addiction and I really can't see why a Conservative should support that.

It is not the nanny state, it is social responsibility, encouraging people to make the right decisions, not forcing them.

In Blackpool you would have tourist and more social gambling as opposed to "problem" gambling or using a casino as the last way of getting out of debt.

[Chris Palmer]

"If Blackppol wants the casino,then let them have it, if Manchester wants one then sobeit." - George Hinton

Have the people of Blackpool or Manchester actually been consulted on this matter?

[Bill]

If there must be a super casino, then as Andrew Woodman wisely noted, put it in a destination location (but not the IoW).

[Annabel Herriott]

Michael at 15.27, I absolutely agree with you. Salford/Moss side needs a casino like a hole in the head, which many of the benighted citizens will get any way, from the manchester Mafia which will set out their stall as soon as it opens.They will get lead holes - in the back of their heads. Total no brainer. Mixing drug crime with gun crime with gambling - money laundering ???? Give it a miss Tessa, before you get egg all over your face. The local population do not need this on top of their other problems.

[Prentiz]

I agree entirely with those commenters who think this is paternalist nonsense. It is also pretty obviously wrong. Problem gambling isn't caused by destination venues like the proposed super casino - its simply too inacessible for the majority of the population and too infrequently visited. I think any suggestion that gambling addicts will regularly flock to Manchester, or that people who visit on holiday will arrive as normal people and leave addicts, is risible - but that is what they are effectively saying.

Weigh against this the explosion in internet gambling - accessible anywhere anytime - and the more traditional casinos, bookies, fruit machines in pubs even - that is where addicts are made.

That said, the decision not to pick Blackpool was a terrible one - it would have been a perfect match with the city's struggling tourism infrastructure...

[a-tracy]

The site isn't in Salford or Moss Side Annabel see:

http://www.neweastmanchester.com/area_map/

I personally know quite a few good people who live in East Manchester, my youngest son regularly goes to Eastlands to support City quite safely.

I'm not sure that a casino is the right vehicle to assist with this areas regeneration but it surely needs some help to get out of the industrial doldrums. Perhaps they may even finish off the tram line they promised five years ago.

I was surprised the casino didn't go to Blackpool, very surprised.

What can the Conservatives promise in the way of jobs, enterprise and money coming in instead? Because that's what the people who live there will want to know.

I read Alastairs comments on the other blog this morning and he needs to realise how many jobs have been lost in the North under Labour's watch. Politicians can't save jobs they can only encourage enterprise which isn't being done efficiently at the moment.

[Editor]

Nice to have you back, a-tracy!

[Conservative Homer]

Las Vegas seems to have done fairly well out of it. Fastest growing city in america for the past two decades as far as im aware. While its got its fair share of problems, it no Detroit, and has provided a great many jobs for a great many people. Gambling is big business - wake up IDS you worthless failure.

[Ted]

a-tracy welcome back - another good good constructive critic returns.

[David Sergeant]

"What a load of Victorian Values rubbish. "Trust the People" - people should be free to make decisions about how they spend their money. IDS can keep his nanny state."

Unfortunately the nanny state has arrived and is particularly alive and well in East Manchester. If you put a casino there you have to wonder what happens if the locals blow all their nanny state money on pay day. You know, after they and their starving children appear on the BBC outside Manchester Social Services. Some "Victorian values" died out a long time ago.

I would suggest the reason Las Vegas is such a going concern is because it is a destination venue. Just like Blackpool!

[Daniel VA]

The House of Lords has thrown out the plans to build the supercasino in Manchester.

[Andrew]

"Las Vegas seems to have done fairly well out of it. Fastest growing city in america for the past two decades as far as im aware."

Not the best of examples. Vegas is such a dump it makes Blackpool look attractive.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Good on the Lords!

[Machiavelli's Understudy]

What a load of bollocks.

This has nothing to do with 'degeneration' and everything to do with the outlook of a core of paternalist, authoritarian, anachronistic, theocratic and dogmatic membership in the Party. Everything you'd expect from the IDS crowd.

GET OVER IT. HE'S NEVER COMING BACK. Thankfully, his CSJ doesn't count for much, either...

[Philip]

IDS is absolutely right. Again, he stands for higher principles despite how unpopular it might be with intolerant liberals. If we care for society and the damage unbridled liberalism can inflict on the vulnerable, we would welcome the role of the State to restrain the fallen aspects of our nature (greed in this case?) for the sake of all. Gambling, certainly the addictive ‘problem gambling’ associated with casinos, has long been known to lead to debt, dependency on the state, family break-up, crime and, yes, degredation.

[Annabel Herriott]

Nice to hear from you again a-tracy! I do feel my point stands though. Once you put a super casino in a large city like manchester, where people live and work, it will not take long for the Mafia types to move in. They did in Las Vegas did they not? And that was in the middle of the desert.How long would it be before East manchester attracted the Moss side types with the promise of easy money? Creation of "territory" and all the rest of it.
The Lords should be congratulated for throwing it out.

[a-tracy]

What is a Moss Side type and how are they going to raise easy money? I'm assuming there will be security and police in the area, whichever area it may be. I'm sure the people of Manchester would be very relieved to hear of zero tolerance initiatives or do we just give up? This smacks of lets lock everyone up at night because there are a few troublemakers about, newspaper reports telling us to stay in because there's a rapist about. If we do go out and tackle some of these problems in all inner city areas not just Manchester we might be able to turn things around, by staying in and trying to ignore what goes on around us the criminal minority are getting the upper hand. The past ideas of simply throwing money to keep some people whilst out of work has failed, they need to feel they are doing something worthwhile, some are losing the will to work.

Please remember some areas get a reputation because of a very small number of bad people. If we concentrate on the positives of an area instead of only reporting the negatives maybe businesses will be more prone to invest in these areas and spread a little more prosperity around more evenly.

[Annabel Herriott]

We DO have to go out and tackle ALL inner city crime. Huddersfield late night is not somewhere I would set foot! Its not just Manchester, but it WAS Manchester whose stability was being threatened. Not any more, thank the Lords, as one paper put it.
I believe our eventual crime policies under the firm hand of DD will have to be especcially carefully worked out, to avoid the elephant traps Nulab have already fallen into, plus they are about to fall into another one with its latest announcement on the Home Office.

[Conservative Homer]

"Not the best of examples"

Provide a better one then Andrew.

I liked it, and presumably the phenomenal growth in population driven by jobs created by the resorts popularity with visitors seems to suggest that im not the only one.

I gamble now and then, i dont consider myself degenerate, have no criminal record, have healthy finances, and know when to stop. But obviously the IDS crowd, totally overcome by their prejudiced view of hoardes of swaggering, numb minded, and threatening individuals would rather i take my business abroad to places like Las Vegas.

[Gadfly]

Actualy, those as usual who seem to enhabita a theoretical world where the rest of society can go hang...Conservative Homer et al, should know that Manchester already has 10 casinos,more per head of the population than any other city in the UK. It also has some of the worst depravation, crime, drug addiction and alcoholism in the UK. Strange, not much regeneration there from all those casinos, I know, let's build an even bigger one and put it in the area with the highest number of addicts....
But then I guess the same people who shout the loudest on this blog don't like facts to get in the way of a good rant.

[Joel McKenna]

How dare, David Cameron stick his nose into this matter. Manchester does not have ONE Conservative MP and it never will now. The people I have been speaking to in the workplace Etc. have all said they were thinking about conservatives for the first time in their lives. Now they say they just wont vote for anyone. Thank you David!!!

The Casino would of given the chance for Manchester to join the city Centre with the Sports City Area. Causing the Centre itself to grow. Lots of new ventures and shops, and jobs would have been created. Also the new Tram station has already been built. Just the tracks need to be placed. East Manchester is in fact a very, very poor area and this would off not only been a great opportunity for the East, but the city as a whole.

Only Manchester put together a plan that involved the Community’s views. I'm so angry with the Conservatives. I'm 22 and have done a lot to get votes to go the right way. Can I just say you've lost mine and a lot more. My Membership card is also where it belongs. In the Bin. You've turned your back on this city before you even knocked on the door. In the effort to jump on another Media spin. How dare you. Grow a back bone for heavens sake! Stop just going with the flow of the Media. Read about a former Great leader known as, Margaret Thatcher. You could learn a lot. Even if you do keep your push bike and wind turbine.

[casino bonus list]

it seems like casinos are going up in every state. i thought gambling was illegal.